I really loved this book. The characters were real and relatable, the world was beautifully rich and the magic system dark. I thought Emily’s approach to the concept of religion was very interesting. The blood magic reminded me a lot of Skyrim. All over a great debut. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a new fantasy.

In-depth review will be on Teacupsandtornpages.com.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this story.

I think this was a fun read to break up some of the bigger fantasies I’ve been reading lately, but it wasn’t amazing. Good characters, simple plot. Very solid story, but not something I’d write home about.

Interesting story, love the characters, very unique magic system. I wasn’t thrilled with the way it started, to be honest, and there were some places that just seemed flat and lifeless. Regardless, the ending is powerful, the characters have great life, and I was so invested I started the second book at 4 in the morning. Definitely recommend giving These Rebel Waves a try.

More in-depth review will be on Teacups and Torn Pages soon.

Phenomenal storytelling. The Merciful Crow is an amazing debut that sets the pace for everything I love in fantasy. It has magic, it has suspense, it has twists you can predict. I flew through this book and love it so much. Definitely one of my top reads of the year. Can’t wait for The Faithless Hawk.

Interesting read, loved the characters and the world. The magic system is fun and the writing style is very easy to read. It’s a pretty good story all in all. I found the multiple points of view to be a bit daunting, however. There were times where everything seemed a bit jumbled up across the changing perspectives, but I thought everything wove into the ending quite nicely. I’m looking forward to the next book.

Amazing story, so well written. I adored the characters, the world, the love story. It is a full fantasy romance and it stole my heart from the first page. Shelby completely knocked it out of the park. One of my favorite reads of the year.

Thought this was an interesting story. I loved Sera as a character, she’s beautiful and strong and will do anything for her family and kingdom. There were some bits I felt weren’t explained well and the pacing was rushed, but over all it was a good story.

Full review is on: Teacupsandtornpages.com