What do you think?
Rate this book
If Crows Know Best
What young boy believes he can protect his family from an invading army? One who is learning magic as fast as he can...
In the span of one day, Judian goes from the burden of farm chores to a crushing responsibility for the lives of his family. With his father and brother gone to war, he must keep the others safe and evade the enemy. If only he can trust the guides which appear, seemingly unbidden, he may succeed. Yet, he has so much to learn, and so little time.
He struggles to keep to the fringes of the conflict, but the magic he discovers draws him deeper, toward the truth of the war. Mages from a distant land are driving the enemy forces. To what end?
Follow Judian as he comes of age in a world of portents and spellcasting. Though life as a farm boy left him longing for more adventure, he must be careful with his wishes during the fateful year he becomes a man.
In the span of one day, Judian goes from the burden of farm chores to a crushing responsibility for the lives of his family. With his father and brother gone to war, he must keep the others safe and evade the enemy. If only he can trust the guides which appear, seemingly unbidden, he may succeed. Yet, he has so much to learn, and so little time.
He struggles to keep to the fringes of the conflict, but the magic he discovers draws him deeper, toward the truth of the war. Mages from a distant land are driving the enemy forces. To what end?
Follow Judian as he comes of age in a world of portents and spellcasting. Though life as a farm boy left him longing for more adventure, he must be careful with his wishes during the fateful year he becomes a man.
- GenresFantasyYoung Adult
323 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 11, 2014
13 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 29, 2021
I love this genre and have read it a lot. This book is a favorite. The story develops delightful, three-dimensional characters. At first it may seem like the typical boy-comes-of-age-too-fast-due-to-an-impossible-situation story. But the characters really set this apart. The main character is very likeable as he struggles to handle really hard situations as best he can. The supporting characters add depth and spice.
The storyline keeps the reader guessing. The hero has many successes and failures, learning about himself and the world along the way. As he perseveres in moving towards his goal, he matures and develops new skills and new friends.
I highly recommend this series (the sequel came out this summer).
The storyline keeps the reader guessing. The hero has many successes and failures, learning about himself and the world along the way. As he perseveres in moving towards his goal, he matures and develops new skills and new friends.
I highly recommend this series (the sequel came out this summer).
December 6, 2014
Description: Judian may only be a teanager, but when his father and older brother go off to war he must take on a man’s responsibility—take care of the farm and his family. The distant farmstead finds itself in the center of the war zone and Judian must learn to master the powers budding within him if he’s going to survive.
Overall assessment: I found myself sucked in from the first page. I loved this book.
World-building: The familiar medieval based landscape of fantasy allowed the author to jump into the story and build the rest of the world over time. Ms. Gross did a fantastic job letting the reader know what they needed without paragraphs of explanation. I enjoyed the magic connection with animals—yes, I have a thing for animals. I would have enjoyed more details about how magic worked but that’s because I am a geek. Those details weren’t required for the story nor could they have been added without slowing the pace.
Characters: Judian delighted me as a protagonist. He was resourceful, dedicated, and made smart decisions (I am not a fan of having the protagonist do stupid stuff just to keep a book exciting). I had a hard time keeping in mind he was a male, though. It’s challenging for a female author to write a male POV character and keep it real. Men have the same problem writing women. Overall, Ms. Gross did a really good job, it was just the first couple of pages that took left me confused. Since it was written first person POV, it might have been easier on me if Judian’s gender were introduced right away. Since I didn’t have any problems after the first chapter, it could just be I was slow on the uptake. The supporting characters each had strong personalities and it was easy to keep them straight.
Plot and pacing: I found this to be a page turner. I loved the build-up and the way the plot worked. I get burnt out with coming of age tells but it worked great within the plot. The political background offered a solid element to the plot without taking it over. I thought a few of the problems were resolved too easily but that did not detract from my enjoyment of the story.
Editing: Solid. There are some typos and grammar errors but not many. Within the (admittedly poor) current standards for the publishing industry.
Final thoughts: I recommend this for any reader of fantasy.
Overall assessment: I found myself sucked in from the first page. I loved this book.
World-building: The familiar medieval based landscape of fantasy allowed the author to jump into the story and build the rest of the world over time. Ms. Gross did a fantastic job letting the reader know what they needed without paragraphs of explanation. I enjoyed the magic connection with animals—yes, I have a thing for animals. I would have enjoyed more details about how magic worked but that’s because I am a geek. Those details weren’t required for the story nor could they have been added without slowing the pace.
Characters: Judian delighted me as a protagonist. He was resourceful, dedicated, and made smart decisions (I am not a fan of having the protagonist do stupid stuff just to keep a book exciting). I had a hard time keeping in mind he was a male, though. It’s challenging for a female author to write a male POV character and keep it real. Men have the same problem writing women. Overall, Ms. Gross did a really good job, it was just the first couple of pages that took left me confused. Since it was written first person POV, it might have been easier on me if Judian’s gender were introduced right away. Since I didn’t have any problems after the first chapter, it could just be I was slow on the uptake. The supporting characters each had strong personalities and it was easy to keep them straight.
Plot and pacing: I found this to be a page turner. I loved the build-up and the way the plot worked. I get burnt out with coming of age tells but it worked great within the plot. The political background offered a solid element to the plot without taking it over. I thought a few of the problems were resolved too easily but that did not detract from my enjoyment of the story.
Editing: Solid. There are some typos and grammar errors but not many. Within the (admittedly poor) current standards for the publishing industry.
Final thoughts: I recommend this for any reader of fantasy.
March 11, 2015
If Crows Know Best is very well written. I found the use of language had a little different rhythm, but once I got used to it the reading was very smooth. The characters are distinct individuals that often have differing goals and conflicting desires which add a healthy tension to the story and keep things interesting. Overall the story is engaging and I found myself immersed in a coherent fantasy world where characters and events played out in a believable and very entertaining way.
The story takes place from the point of view of Judian, a 12 year old farm boy, who is thrust into danger and adventure when things begin to go very wrong immediately after his brother's wedding. We live his understanding of love, family and the pull to find a way to not just survive but to overcome the threats to his home and loved ones.
If you enjoy a heroic action fantasy adventure, read this book. If you know any children that feel the same way, by all means, let them read it too.
The story takes place from the point of view of Judian, a 12 year old farm boy, who is thrust into danger and adventure when things begin to go very wrong immediately after his brother's wedding. We live his understanding of love, family and the pull to find a way to not just survive but to overcome the threats to his home and loved ones.
If you enjoy a heroic action fantasy adventure, read this book. If you know any children that feel the same way, by all means, let them read it too.
February 5, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. I would have liked a map - maybe there's one in hardcopy but there wasn't one in the Kindle version. Judian and his family and friends are good company.
It took me a little while to get used to the pace: I kept expecting terrible things to happen that didn't materialize, or weren't as bad as I expected. That might be a reflection of what else I've read lately. This isn't one of those breakneck disaster-after-disaster fantasy novels. Still, it was engrossing and kept me turning the pages. I'm looking forward to reading her next book, which the bio says was coming out last summer.
The enemy isn't very fleshed out in this book, which is obviously the first in a series. Maybe future books will put more meat on their bones.
It took me a little while to get used to the pace: I kept expecting terrible things to happen that didn't materialize, or weren't as bad as I expected. That might be a reflection of what else I've read lately. This isn't one of those breakneck disaster-after-disaster fantasy novels. Still, it was engrossing and kept me turning the pages. I'm looking forward to reading her next book, which the bio says was coming out last summer.
The enemy isn't very fleshed out in this book, which is obviously the first in a series. Maybe future books will put more meat on their bones.
January 20, 2015
Excellent series opener
I don't know if this is a first novel, but I've been unable to find more from this author. This is unfortunate because I would very much like to read more of her work. This was a good tight story that paced well from start to finish, with strong characters that developed in logical fashion, following a natural progression rather than simply finding themselves in possession of 'super power's with no explanation or development. This opening episode of the series keeps the scope small and manageable while hinting at future development. I look forward to the next volume of the series.
I don't know if this is a first novel, but I've been unable to find more from this author. This is unfortunate because I would very much like to read more of her work. This was a good tight story that paced well from start to finish, with strong characters that developed in logical fashion, following a natural progression rather than simply finding themselves in possession of 'super power's with no explanation or development. This opening episode of the series keeps the scope small and manageable while hinting at future development. I look forward to the next volume of the series.
December 8, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. The start of a multi-part coming of age story, and while the main character does discover his magic, and all sorts of incredible things happen to him, the main plot hinges a good deal on what others contribute as well-- others we will hopefully see in the future.
Definitely an enjoyable read, and one I would recommend, provided you enjoy YA fantasy that is not Harry Potter-type modern, though I like those too.
Definitely an enjoyable read, and one I would recommend, provided you enjoy YA fantasy that is not Harry Potter-type modern, though I like those too.
August 25, 2015
This was a great read -- some cross between Little House on the Prairie and Hilari Bell's Farsala trilogy.
The plotting is meticulous and clever. It has a cast of amazing characters. I read it in a day! The world building is rich and detailed, but doesn't slow down the pacing at all.
I would highly recommend this book and can't wait for the sequel
The plotting is meticulous and clever. It has a cast of amazing characters. I read it in a day! The world building is rich and detailed, but doesn't slow down the pacing at all.
I would highly recommend this book and can't wait for the sequel
December 25, 2014
Excellent
Brilliant start to a mage coming of age series . I f the author sustains the storyline and character development this promises to be among the best. The author's description of rural life and the insight offered into what it is like to be suddenly conquered is refreshing without being so bleak as to make one not want to continue. I await the next book.
Brilliant start to a mage coming of age series . I f the author sustains the storyline and character development this promises to be among the best. The author's description of rural life and the insight offered into what it is like to be suddenly conquered is refreshing without being so bleak as to make one not want to continue. I await the next book.
October 31, 2015
A well written story that I didn't want to put down.
I found the characters well developed and the storyline interesting. I immediately looked for the sequel and was a bit sad to see it is not yet completed. I hope as the characters develop they remain believable. I like the use of animals and how they are portrayed. I Also found the picture of small town life quite believable.
I found the characters well developed and the storyline interesting. I immediately looked for the sequel and was a bit sad to see it is not yet completed. I hope as the characters develop they remain believable. I like the use of animals and how they are portrayed. I Also found the picture of small town life quite believable.
March 1, 2015
Awesome book
The book seems to flow naturally. It does not seem to over detailed. I was laughing and crying along with the characters. I want to know what happens next. I can't wait till the next book.
The book seems to flow naturally. It does not seem to over detailed. I was laughing and crying along with the characters. I want to know what happens next. I can't wait till the next book.
June 17, 2019
Excellent YA fantasy. Listed as coming of age, however the main character is 12yo for most of the book. I am looking forward to the sequel, which is due out summer 2015.
January 12, 2015
I loved this book so much! A more detailed review coming soon.
January 12, 2015
It was a good read, but felt very slow at times with most of the magic action being towards the last third of the book it seems.
October 3, 2021
Young Wizard
Coming of age story of a young wizard stressed by responsibility during a war come to his quiet town. Very good - loved the MC. Very thoughtful with powers that were happenstance and not over powering.
Rating: 5:5
Cover : 4/5
Narration: na
Favorite Line: na
Coming of age story of a young wizard stressed by responsibility during a war come to his quiet town. Very good - loved the MC. Very thoughtful with powers that were happenstance and not over powering.
Rating: 5:5
Cover : 4/5
Narration: na
Favorite Line: na
December 19, 2015
decent writing, but the hero's way too good
3.5 stars Well, as another reviewer said, Judian isn't the peasant boy with great magic that saves everyone--which is a relief--but he is the peasant boy with the great ideas that helps save everyone. I'm not sure that's really much better, or that it makes him or the story more believable. I don't care for stories where one person is the savior all the time, and this story comes too close to that. What saves it, to a degree, is that Judian is not quite perfect. He occasionally complains, whines or gets irritated, and sometimes he even acts his age (although very rarely and never about anything that actually matters. Girls confuse him, for instance.)
That's just not enough to balance the fact that when the stakes are high, he always has a plan, it's a good one, and he's able to persuade much older and more experienced people to follow it. I'm sorry, but he's supposed to be a twelve year old farm boy who hasn't been studying strategy or tactics all his life, and somehow he simply knows how to fight an occupation? He just knows how to get strangers to help him? And no one ever tells him no, his ideas always work out, and everyone likes him? He doesn't even get angry or resentful when his spoiled baby sister whines and throws tantrums, something which could endanger them all. He just goes "oh, she's just been spoiled and she's the baby girl, so you can't expect more from her." That response is just not believable, nor is Judian's character.
I especially take issue with all these talents and gifts being given to one person (on top of the traits I've already mentioned, he sees the gods and other strange beings and all of them help him too). More reality, less perfection, would make this book and the character much more interesting and emotionally deeper. If you're looking for a YA fantasy with a bit of interesting world building, but not much tension or real conflict, this is your book.
3.5 stars Well, as another reviewer said, Judian isn't the peasant boy with great magic that saves everyone--which is a relief--but he is the peasant boy with the great ideas that helps save everyone. I'm not sure that's really much better, or that it makes him or the story more believable. I don't care for stories where one person is the savior all the time, and this story comes too close to that. What saves it, to a degree, is that Judian is not quite perfect. He occasionally complains, whines or gets irritated, and sometimes he even acts his age (although very rarely and never about anything that actually matters. Girls confuse him, for instance.)
That's just not enough to balance the fact that when the stakes are high, he always has a plan, it's a good one, and he's able to persuade much older and more experienced people to follow it. I'm sorry, but he's supposed to be a twelve year old farm boy who hasn't been studying strategy or tactics all his life, and somehow he simply knows how to fight an occupation? He just knows how to get strangers to help him? And no one ever tells him no, his ideas always work out, and everyone likes him? He doesn't even get angry or resentful when his spoiled baby sister whines and throws tantrums, something which could endanger them all. He just goes "oh, she's just been spoiled and she's the baby girl, so you can't expect more from her." That response is just not believable, nor is Judian's character.
I especially take issue with all these talents and gifts being given to one person (on top of the traits I've already mentioned, he sees the gods and other strange beings and all of them help him too). More reality, less perfection, would make this book and the character much more interesting and emotionally deeper. If you're looking for a YA fantasy with a bit of interesting world building, but not much tension or real conflict, this is your book.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews