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The Academy of Kindness #1
Daughter of Crows
The survivor of a brutal academy must exhume her own past in the first book in a new series from the international bestselling author of the Library Trilogy and the Broken Empire series.
Set a thief to catch a thief. Set a monster to punish monsters.
The Academy of Kindness exists to create agents of retribution, cast in the image of the Furies—known as the kindly ones—against whom even the gods hesitate to stand. Each year a hundred girls are sold to the Academy. Ten years later only three will emerge.
The Academy’s halls run with blood. The few that survive its decade-long nightmare have been forged on the sands of the Wound Garden. They have learned ancient secrets amid the necrotic fumes of the Bone Garden. They leave its gates as avatars of vengeance, bound to uphold the oldest of laws.
Only the most desperate would sell their child to the Kindnesses. But Rue … she sold herself. And now, a lifetime later, a long and bloody lifetime later, just as she has discovered peace, war has been brought to an old woman’s doorstep.
That was a mistake.
Set a thief to catch a thief. Set a monster to punish monsters.
The Academy of Kindness exists to create agents of retribution, cast in the image of the Furies—known as the kindly ones—against whom even the gods hesitate to stand. Each year a hundred girls are sold to the Academy. Ten years later only three will emerge.
The Academy’s halls run with blood. The few that survive its decade-long nightmare have been forged on the sands of the Wound Garden. They have learned ancient secrets amid the necrotic fumes of the Bone Garden. They leave its gates as avatars of vengeance, bound to uphold the oldest of laws.
Only the most desperate would sell their child to the Kindnesses. But Rue … she sold herself. And now, a lifetime later, a long and bloody lifetime later, just as she has discovered peace, war has been brought to an old woman’s doorstep.
That was a mistake.
375 pages, Hardcover
First published March 24, 2026
About the author
Mark Lawrence
86 books57.1k followersMy books vary a LOT - so
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Mark Lawrence is married with four children, one of whom is severely disabled. Before becoming a fulltime writer in 2015 day job was as a research scientist focused on various rather intractable problems in the field of artificial intelligence. He has held secret level clearance with both US and UK governments. At one point he was qualified to say 'this isn't rocket science ... oh wait, it actually is'.
Mark used to have a list of hobbies back when he did science by day. Now his time is really just divided between writing and caring for his disabled daughter. There are occasional forays into computer games too.
[My new book Daughter of Crows is out in March 2026!]
Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/marklawrencea...
Blog here: http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.co.uk/
I'm on Youtube now! *excitement!*
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIrB...
Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/MarkLawrence...
https://www.instagram.com/mark___lawr...
Threads
https://www.threads.net/@mark___lawrence
Blue Sky
https://bsky.app/profile/marklawrence...
Three-emails-a-year newsletter here:
http://eepurl.com/cimnK1 #Prizes #FreeContent
I'm even on Tumblr!
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/marklawre...
Pintrest!
https://uk.pinterest.com/princeofthor...
Plus I have free stuff on Wattpad!
https://www.wattpad.com/user/MarkLawr...
Mark Lawrence is married with four children, one of whom is severely disabled. Before becoming a fulltime writer in 2015 day job was as a research scientist focused on various rather intractable problems in the field of artificial intelligence. He has held secret level clearance with both US and UK governments. At one point he was qualified to say 'this isn't rocket science ... oh wait, it actually is'.
Mark used to have a list of hobbies back when he did science by day. Now his time is really just divided between writing and caring for his disabled daughter. There are occasional forays into computer games too.
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October 15, 2025Now out in the US & UK.
Watch me show off all the editions!
Signed a few copies of the standard edition recently...
I've written a DARK book here!
Here's the cover reveal, along with an interview with the artist!
https://thatthornguy.com/2025/10/21/i...
There are ARCs - you'd have to contact Ace (US) or Voyager (UK) to lay hands on one though.
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
…...
Watch me show off all the editions!
Signed a few copies of the standard edition recently...
I've written a DARK book here!
Here's the cover reveal, along with an interview with the artist!
https://thatthornguy.com/2025/10/21/i...
There are ARCs - you'd have to contact Ace (US) or Voyager (UK) to lay hands on one though.
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
…...
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A caveat! Mark Lawrence is a friend. I received this free advance reading copy from the publisher. I do not think either of these things affect my rating of the book.
A couple or three more things. I really like crows. I am fascinated with memory and what we recall or don't recall. And I identified strongly with Rue.
I've been reading Mark Lawrence's books for years now. The first one I read, Prince of Thorns was sent to me by our mutual editor. Several chapters in, I was wondering, "Why would she send me this book!?" But before long it was, Aha. This book is for me.
Mark's books are not, perhaps, for the faint of heart. Harsh things happen. Characters experience things we don't like and take actions that may be hard to understand in that first moment. But trust me and trust Mark. These are books you will remember and keep on your shelves.
The cover blurb gives away this so I don't mind mentioning it. Our main protagonist is a student in a harsh Academy of Kindness. The training to become a Kindness will weed out those who are weak, lack the required talents or are simply unlucky.
This is not your usual Fantasy Academia book. We follow our protagonist both as a student, flashing back to her early life and then venture on with her as an old woman (one I very much identified with!)
Although this is the first book of a trilogy, I think he has selected a good stopping space. I will wait a year (or more!) for the remaining two books.
And I will mention here a very different trilogy of books written by Mark that I absolutely love. It has been very hard to keep them in my house as offspring keep borrowing them. If you have ever enjoyed D&D, they might be for you. Or even if you haven't. One Word Kill, Limited Wish and Dispel Illusion.
A couple or three more things. I really like crows. I am fascinated with memory and what we recall or don't recall. And I identified strongly with Rue.
I've been reading Mark Lawrence's books for years now. The first one I read, Prince of Thorns was sent to me by our mutual editor. Several chapters in, I was wondering, "Why would she send me this book!?" But before long it was, Aha. This book is for me.
Mark's books are not, perhaps, for the faint of heart. Harsh things happen. Characters experience things we don't like and take actions that may be hard to understand in that first moment. But trust me and trust Mark. These are books you will remember and keep on your shelves.
The cover blurb gives away this so I don't mind mentioning it. Our main protagonist is a student in a harsh Academy of Kindness. The training to become a Kindness will weed out those who are weak, lack the required talents or are simply unlucky.
This is not your usual Fantasy Academia book. We follow our protagonist both as a student, flashing back to her early life and then venture on with her as an old woman (one I very much identified with!)
Although this is the first book of a trilogy, I think he has selected a good stopping space. I will wait a year (or more!) for the remaining two books.
And I will mention here a very different trilogy of books written by Mark that I absolutely love. It has been very hard to keep them in my house as offspring keep borrowing them. If you have ever enjoyed D&D, they might be for you. Or even if you haven't. One Word Kill, Limited Wish and Dispel Illusion.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
ARC provided by the publisher—Harper Voyager—in exchange for an honest review.
4.5/5 stars
Daughter of Crows marks Lawrence's marvelous return to the grim and dark storytelling of his, and it will be one tale to remember.
It is always a joyful moment when you get to read one of your favorite authors' new works. I am guilty of not having read anything by Mark Lawrence since the release of The Girl and the Stars. I know. It has been a while. Since then, Lawrence’s productivity has produced the completion of the specific trilogy and also The Library Trilogy. I promise I will get back to them all in time. But Daughter of Crows called me strongly with its premise that reminded me—slightly—of The Book of the Ancestor trilogy. I consider that series to be Lawrence’s best trilogy to date. Out of everything I’ve read, anyway. Red Sister, the first book in the trilogy, is my favorite book by Lawrence. I am pleased to say Daughter of Crows, the first book in The Kindness Academy trilogy, almost matched it in quality. And it just might end up matching it when I get to reread this book due to the multifaceted layers of storytelling it has.
Many sections of the story in Daughter of Crows takes place in The Academy of Kindness. The Academy of Kindness exists to create agents of retribution, cast in the image of the Furies—known as the kindly ones—against whom even the gods hesitate to stand. Each year a hundred girls are sold to the Academy. Ten years later only three will emerge.
The Academy’s halls run with blood. The few that survive its decade-long nightmare have been forged on the sands of the Wound Garden. They have learned ancient secrets amid the necrotic fumes of the Bone Garden. They leave its gates as avatars of vengeance, bound to uphold the oldest of laws.
Only the most desperate would sell their child to the Kindnesses. But Rue … she sold herself. And now, a lifetime later, a long and bloody lifetime later, just as she has discovered peace, war has been brought to an old woman’s doorstep.
There’s a lot to praise here. Straight from the beginning, it is immediately clear that aging, loss, and vengeance are some of the key themes in the narrative of Daughter of Crows. If you have read anything by Mark Lawrence, then you’ll know that he doesn’t tell his story in the most conventional way. Most of the time, multiple time frames are integrated into the narrative. This was done in Lawrence’s first three trilogies. The Broken Empire, The Red Queen’s War, and The Book of the Ancestor. Daughter of Crows is not an exception to this. It was well-written and compelling to navigate through the multiple timeframes and see how the puzzles connect to form the bigger picture. Additionally, Lawrence always brings something new to his new series. While it is true Daughter of Crows is a return to the darkness found in The Broken Empire trilogy, in some moments I’ll argue it’s even darker in tone and delivery, there is still the theme of found family that is so poignant and prominent in The Book of the Ancestory in this book. It felt like Lawrence took what he had learned from each series he wrote, put it here, and yet still managed to make the book feel refreshing and original.
Similar to other Lawrence’s novels, the protagonist is one of the strongest driving forces behind my investment in the story. I’ve mentioned the multiple timeframes earlier. But at its core, I believe the protagonists of Daughter of Crows will be the most decisive factors on whether a reader will click with the book or not. If I were to give a comparison, I would like to think of Rue as a more wrathful and merciless version of Nona Grey. Do not get me wrong. Nona can be ruthless when she protects her friends, and the same situation applies to Rue as well. But there’s something about the way Rue is written, her brokenness and how her entire life has been shaped by harsh circumstances, that made her more terrifying. This isn’t to say there isn’t compassion and kindness in the story. The Academy of Kindness is absolutely brutal. Even if most of the students won’t escape The Academy unscathed. Fortunately, Rue doesn’t have to go through the ordeals alone. I will refrain from mentioning the other character’s names here to avoid spoilers. I genuinely believe the twists and turns of the character developments must not be spoiled for the first-time reader.
By the end of the Daughter of Crows, not only did I want to read more about Rue and her vengeance, but I am also intrigued by the fascinating world-building. Lawrence infused elements of Greek mythology, Celtic mythology, dark fairy tale storytelling, and biblical influences into the creation of the world. You’ll encounter names and terms like Gog, Magog, Helios, The Furies, Kindly Ones, and The Morrigan, to mention some. I honestly think Daughter of Crows contains some of Lawrence’s best writings as well. Whether it’s in the storytelling aspect or well-written and well-placed impactful quotes. I highlighted many passages for my rereading purposes in the future. Two non-spoiler examples below:
Daughter of Crows is a magnificent start to another new dark fantasy series by Mark Lawrence. I am thrilled with this. As it stands, I have no idea where the story will go from here. But you bet I will find out when the time comes. If you haven’t read anything by Mark Lawrence yet, this is a good place to start. As far as I know, this is not related to any of Lawrence’s previous series. Now, that could change in the later installments. We’ll find out. But for now, it stands strong on its own. If you are already a fan of Lawrence’s books, then you must not miss this one. Years to come from now, I am confident The Kindness Academy series will be praised as much as The Broken Empire and The Book of the Ancestor trilogy. I still remember being there for the publication of Red Sister. Almost a decade ago now! Fast forward to now, the book and series have garnered many die-hard fans. I have a good feeling Daughter of Crows, and potentially the sequels, will embrace the same fate.
You can pre-order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Andrew. S, Arik, Arliss, Barbara, Ben, Benjamin, Cade, Chris, Crystal, Dan, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Erich, Feanor, Francesca, Frank, Gary, Gregory, James, Jason, Jeff, Johnny, Joie, Jonathan, Katrina, Kim, Kristina, Lara, Leigh, Lourdes, Melinda, Mike, Mike S, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Radiah, RCT, Sally, Samuel, Sarah, Scott, Sean, Shawn, Shawna, Stephanie, Trish, Tyler, TS, Wendy, Wick, Xero, Yuri, Zachary, Zammar.
4.5/5 stars
Daughter of Crows marks Lawrence's marvelous return to the grim and dark storytelling of his, and it will be one tale to remember.
The Academy’s official motto was, πίστη πάνω από τη συνείδηση, ‘Creed Above Conscience.’ Unofficially it was ‘Leave the bodies’.
It is always a joyful moment when you get to read one of your favorite authors' new works. I am guilty of not having read anything by Mark Lawrence since the release of The Girl and the Stars. I know. It has been a while. Since then, Lawrence’s productivity has produced the completion of the specific trilogy and also The Library Trilogy. I promise I will get back to them all in time. But Daughter of Crows called me strongly with its premise that reminded me—slightly—of The Book of the Ancestor trilogy. I consider that series to be Lawrence’s best trilogy to date. Out of everything I’ve read, anyway. Red Sister, the first book in the trilogy, is my favorite book by Lawrence. I am pleased to say Daughter of Crows, the first book in The Kindness Academy trilogy, almost matched it in quality. And it just might end up matching it when I get to reread this book due to the multifaceted layers of storytelling it has.
‘Where the Kindly Ones punish the gods, we punish those who are mortal. We survive because the powerful fear us. And they fear us because this,’– she gestured at the walls, at the Academy all around them– ‘this is how we are made.’
Many sections of the story in Daughter of Crows takes place in The Academy of Kindness. The Academy of Kindness exists to create agents of retribution, cast in the image of the Furies—known as the kindly ones—against whom even the gods hesitate to stand. Each year a hundred girls are sold to the Academy. Ten years later only three will emerge.
The Academy’s halls run with blood. The few that survive its decade-long nightmare have been forged on the sands of the Wound Garden. They have learned ancient secrets amid the necrotic fumes of the Bone Garden. They leave its gates as avatars of vengeance, bound to uphold the oldest of laws.
Only the most desperate would sell their child to the Kindnesses. But Rue … she sold herself. And now, a lifetime later, a long and bloody lifetime later, just as she has discovered peace, war has been brought to an old woman’s doorstep.
Age took the beauty that I never recognised when it was mine. It dressed me in this tapestry of scars, and for each one of them sewn silver through my skin a dozen others lie too deep to see. Age stole my grace and left me stumbling on towards a final sunset. It exchanged a confidence born of ignorance, for a fear born of knowing that I don’t know. And yet… and yet… it has gifted me a measure of peace I never thought to own. A breath of calm after a storm none of us expected to end. The fires of my rage are old coals now. Quiet, and banked against the coming of night. I am older than anyone ever imagined I might become.
There’s a lot to praise here. Straight from the beginning, it is immediately clear that aging, loss, and vengeance are some of the key themes in the narrative of Daughter of Crows. If you have read anything by Mark Lawrence, then you’ll know that he doesn’t tell his story in the most conventional way. Most of the time, multiple time frames are integrated into the narrative. This was done in Lawrence’s first three trilogies. The Broken Empire, The Red Queen’s War, and The Book of the Ancestor. Daughter of Crows is not an exception to this. It was well-written and compelling to navigate through the multiple timeframes and see how the puzzles connect to form the bigger picture. Additionally, Lawrence always brings something new to his new series. While it is true Daughter of Crows is a return to the darkness found in The Broken Empire trilogy, in some moments I’ll argue it’s even darker in tone and delivery, there is still the theme of found family that is so poignant and prominent in The Book of the Ancestory in this book. It felt like Lawrence took what he had learned from each series he wrote, put it here, and yet still managed to make the book feel refreshing and original.
‘Strength, children, is often misunderstood because it is found in so many kinds. Every strong thing, if you turn it this way and that, will look like weakness from the right angle.
Similar to other Lawrence’s novels, the protagonist is one of the strongest driving forces behind my investment in the story. I’ve mentioned the multiple timeframes earlier. But at its core, I believe the protagonists of Daughter of Crows will be the most decisive factors on whether a reader will click with the book or not. If I were to give a comparison, I would like to think of Rue as a more wrathful and merciless version of Nona Grey. Do not get me wrong. Nona can be ruthless when she protects her friends, and the same situation applies to Rue as well. But there’s something about the way Rue is written, her brokenness and how her entire life has been shaped by harsh circumstances, that made her more terrifying. This isn’t to say there isn’t compassion and kindness in the story. The Academy of Kindness is absolutely brutal. Even if most of the students won’t escape The Academy unscathed. Fortunately, Rue doesn’t have to go through the ordeals alone. I will refrain from mentioning the other character’s names here to avoid spoilers. I genuinely believe the twists and turns of the character developments must not be spoiled for the first-time reader.
‘All you ever see is a part of someone’s life, even when we live in each other’s pockets like we do here.’
By the end of the Daughter of Crows, not only did I want to read more about Rue and her vengeance, but I am also intrigued by the fascinating world-building. Lawrence infused elements of Greek mythology, Celtic mythology, dark fairy tale storytelling, and biblical influences into the creation of the world. You’ll encounter names and terms like Gog, Magog, Helios, The Furies, Kindly Ones, and The Morrigan, to mention some. I honestly think Daughter of Crows contains some of Lawrence’s best writings as well. Whether it’s in the storytelling aspect or well-written and well-placed impactful quotes. I highlighted many passages for my rereading purposes in the future. Two non-spoiler examples below:
’Common sense said to get a spear and finish her off… but a man’s pride can always lead him into foolishness, even if you’re telling him that’s exactly what’s happening. Pride’s a strange thing. Long ago an alchemist had shown Rue that there are several parts to a lungful of air. One the alchemist had named oxygen– the invisible but vital stuff that fires the blood and gives flames the strength to burn. Too little of it and you die, but too much and you also die. Pride was like that too.’
’Money is older than our civilization and as old as any of those that have passed. Money is the salve that keeps the vengeance on which we trade from consuming the world. Some sins can be paid for only with blood; but naked murder, absent compounding crimes of hospitality, oath, or kin, is, according to the ancient lore something that may be atoned for by the paying of a wergild–the blood-gold that may comfort and sustain the victim’s family.’
Daughter of Crows is a magnificent start to another new dark fantasy series by Mark Lawrence. I am thrilled with this. As it stands, I have no idea where the story will go from here. But you bet I will find out when the time comes. If you haven’t read anything by Mark Lawrence yet, this is a good place to start. As far as I know, this is not related to any of Lawrence’s previous series. Now, that could change in the later installments. We’ll find out. But for now, it stands strong on its own. If you are already a fan of Lawrence’s books, then you must not miss this one. Years to come from now, I am confident The Kindness Academy series will be praised as much as The Broken Empire and The Book of the Ancestor trilogy. I still remember being there for the publication of Red Sister. Almost a decade ago now! Fast forward to now, the book and series have garnered many die-hard fans. I have a good feeling Daughter of Crows, and potentially the sequels, will embrace the same fate.
“To be wholly without fear was to lack imagination, and imagination– though a two-edged sword– was important for survival.”
You can pre-order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Andrew. S, Arik, Arliss, Barbara, Ben, Benjamin, Cade, Chris, Crystal, Dan, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Erich, Feanor, Francesca, Frank, Gary, Gregory, James, Jason, Jeff, Johnny, Joie, Jonathan, Katrina, Kim, Kristina, Lara, Leigh, Lourdes, Melinda, Mike, Mike S, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Radiah, RCT, Sally, Samuel, Sarah, Scott, Sean, Shawn, Shawna, Stephanie, Trish, Tyler, TS, Wendy, Wick, Xero, Yuri, Zachary, Zammar.
Want to Read
July 27, 2025_A great cover,gods and academic vibes plz sign me up .
September 30, 2025
What kind of heroine this book is about you might ask? “The kind that crawled from the grave spitting dirt and ready for vengeance.”
I beta-read this in 2023-24, chapter by chapter as it was written, and later edited, providing detailed feedback.
It’s a grimdark novel, blurbed as Squid Game meets John Wick, with an old woman as the main character. The story shows her at different ages (the trilogy’s original working title is Maiden, Mother, Hag—if that doesn’t mean anything to you, look up "Triple Goddess").
Needless to say following the blurb, it’s a very dark book. A LOT of people die and some in terrible ways. Some will then even come back for a while. But necromancy has never been written more beautifully before.
It’s a revenge story that is powerful, fascinating, grim and even creepy at times, with a seasoning of occasional dry humour and lumps of heartache.
Additionally, I’ve just seen the final version of the UK cover art and it’s so hauntingly beautiful I’ve got goosebumps all over!
It’s another triumph for HarperVoyager after the stunning Library trilogy covers. Cover artist Tom Roberts is definitely a keeper!
I beta-read this in 2023-24, chapter by chapter as it was written, and later edited, providing detailed feedback.
It’s a grimdark novel, blurbed as Squid Game meets John Wick, with an old woman as the main character. The story shows her at different ages (the trilogy’s original working title is Maiden, Mother, Hag—if that doesn’t mean anything to you, look up "Triple Goddess").
Needless to say following the blurb, it’s a very dark book. A LOT of people die and some in terrible ways. Some will then even come back for a while. But necromancy has never been written more beautifully before.
It’s a revenge story that is powerful, fascinating, grim and even creepy at times, with a seasoning of occasional dry humour and lumps of heartache.
Additionally, I’ve just seen the final version of the UK cover art and it’s so hauntingly beautiful I’ve got goosebumps all over!
It’s another triumph for HarperVoyager after the stunning Library trilogy covers. Cover artist Tom Roberts is definitely a keeper!
March 25, 2026
Dark. Moving. Powerful. Intricately plotted fantasy, prose that turns you into an obsessive acolyte of Lawrence's, older FMCs that are wonderfully written, school-trope, multiple timelines, and a return to the peak of dark-fantasy where Mark started. Daughter of Crows is not to be missed.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What I've loved
1 Absolutely stunning prose, and deep meanings. I’ve highlighted more than 40 paragraphs.
2 While the pace felt slow, the twists always hit right. For the first half, every time I thought I understood what was going on, I was wrong.
3 The "Eldest" chapters were possibly my favourite. Even compared with the Academy, what happened here was weirder and crueler.
4 It was quite hard for me to put myself in Mollandra’s shoes, cause, luckily, I had nowhere near such a shitty childhood and life in general, but I really loved the diversity and depth of all the characters. Different personalities, drives, traumas and challenges. What they all share is pain and resilience.
Some considerations
1 A bit hard to relate with the protagonist(s) (thankfully) makes it such a great and well told story, but with a possibly weak emotional connection between reader and main character.
2 I loved being unable to predict where it was going, but I think I was missing a main driver to root for other than my curiosity. For this, I wouldn’t define this a page turner exactly, but one that rewards the reader nonetheless.
Conclusions
There is a weird power to this book. Like a true beautiful monster, I found my mind trying to escape while reading, and incessantly thinking how great story and prose were as soon as I pulled my eyes away.
It's not an easy book to read, but not for lack of merit. It just needs patience, a bit a trust in the process, and a bit of a strong stomach. Probably some anxiety meds.
I’m so grateful for this ARC copy, because the book was a masterpiece, but also because it put an end to my “I want to read some Mark Lawrence someday” and let me find out what the “fuss” is all about. What a writer!
Review step 1:
Reading experience in GIFS
_________
Wow. What a book. I need to reorder my feelings about this, but RTC soon. Not the easiest of reads, but one of the most singular ones for sure.
Pre-read
I was lucky enough to have received this book as an e-ARC. I've been meaning to read something by this author for like forever. Today is the day to stop procrastinating!
February 14, 2026
Mark Lawrence is back… and with Daughter of Crows we must acknowledge the Return of the King (of grimdark). The world that Mark has painted here is bleak – almost as dark as the ink that describes it.
Are you ready to suffer? If so, read on…
I have to say, even after decades of reading fantasy, no one quite delivers a line like Mark Lawrence. He delivers his prose with knife, always razor sharp and the cuts are deep. As soon as I opened the first page, I was pulled into this story. A story of rage – rage against the patriarchy, against brutality, but also against the ticking of time. Age itself is a foe in this story, a foe we call come to dread as much as the monsters that haunt these pages.
We have a multitude of POV characters in Daughter of Crows. Bek, Einsa, Mollandra, Molly, Rue, and the mysterious Eldest. Life is hard for the girls and women found within these pages. Life is unfair for all perhaps, but in this world, there are fates that are worse than others. Here, every year one hundred girls are collected and taken to the Academy of Kindness. An academy where those who survive deal out death and judgement. That might sound worthy, and perhaps it is. Surviving long enough to deal out this judgement is the problem, for only three of the hundred are allowed to become a Kindness and the road they tread is filled with magic, terror and death.
Some characters will relish this violence, others will run away, many will die. A few will be reborn.
Why?
Well, when revenge is required, someone needs to dish it out, and as it turns out, deciding to try and kill a Kindness is quite the mistake.
In short, Daughter of Crows is full of imagination. Woven with mythology, the word feels tangible and real and bloody. It is also full of heart - as amidst the darkness, friendship endures and love exists. This, perhaps, is my favourite sort of story.
Are you ready to suffer? If so, read on…
I have to say, even after decades of reading fantasy, no one quite delivers a line like Mark Lawrence. He delivers his prose with knife, always razor sharp and the cuts are deep. As soon as I opened the first page, I was pulled into this story. A story of rage – rage against the patriarchy, against brutality, but also against the ticking of time. Age itself is a foe in this story, a foe we call come to dread as much as the monsters that haunt these pages.
We have a multitude of POV characters in Daughter of Crows. Bek, Einsa, Mollandra, Molly, Rue, and the mysterious Eldest. Life is hard for the girls and women found within these pages. Life is unfair for all perhaps, but in this world, there are fates that are worse than others. Here, every year one hundred girls are collected and taken to the Academy of Kindness. An academy where those who survive deal out death and judgement. That might sound worthy, and perhaps it is. Surviving long enough to deal out this judgement is the problem, for only three of the hundred are allowed to become a Kindness and the road they tread is filled with magic, terror and death.
Some characters will relish this violence, others will run away, many will die. A few will be reborn.
Why?
Well, when revenge is required, someone needs to dish it out, and as it turns out, deciding to try and kill a Kindness is quite the mistake.
In short, Daughter of Crows is full of imagination. Woven with mythology, the word feels tangible and real and bloody. It is also full of heart - as amidst the darkness, friendship endures and love exists. This, perhaps, is my favourite sort of story.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A deadly assassin, necromantic Academy where only three girls can graduate. The rest are killed.
Two storylines, both based on fury.
One, an Academy where the training is vicious, meant to procure three Kindnesses, mythic figures meant to exact justice.
Then, an old woman hiding from her past who must confront her brutal history when mercenaries attack her quiet life.
You have to have your brain turned on with Mark Lawrence books. I liked playing the guessing game at the start, connecting the dots Lawrence lays out. I managed it at 21%.
The plot is most similar to Red Sister. One of my minor quibbles was that it was very obvious that they have the same author. The prose is akin to The Book That Wouldn’t Burn - reflective, purposeful, and sometimes profound.
You see girls coming of age, dealing with death and vigour, and liveliness. This is contrasted with the latter years looking at death with tiredness, brittleness, and dismay.
Age took the beauty that I never recognized when it was mine. It dressed me in this tapestry of scars, and for each one of them sewn silver through my skin a dozen others lie too deep to see. Age stole my grace and left me stumbling on towards a final sunset.
The book jumps between different story lines, and when it clicks together, Lawrence still has you piecing things together until the end.
I am conflicted because whilst I binged this and enjoyed it, I also felt like this felt very reminiscent of his previous books. Not a bad thing if that’s what you’re looking for, but not as fresh as I would have liked.
I hope we get to see more of the mythology behind the world-building as a lot is thrown at you with little hand-holding.
Don’t go in expecting your usual dark academia fantasy; this is gritty and dark and unflinching. It is also balanced with an aged protagonist.
Arc gifted by Harper Voyager.
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Two storylines, both based on fury.
One, an Academy where the training is vicious, meant to procure three Kindnesses, mythic figures meant to exact justice.
Then, an old woman hiding from her past who must confront her brutal history when mercenaries attack her quiet life.
You have to have your brain turned on with Mark Lawrence books. I liked playing the guessing game at the start, connecting the dots Lawrence lays out. I managed it at 21%.
The plot is most similar to Red Sister. One of my minor quibbles was that it was very obvious that they have the same author. The prose is akin to The Book That Wouldn’t Burn - reflective, purposeful, and sometimes profound.
You see girls coming of age, dealing with death and vigour, and liveliness. This is contrasted with the latter years looking at death with tiredness, brittleness, and dismay.
Age took the beauty that I never recognized when it was mine. It dressed me in this tapestry of scars, and for each one of them sewn silver through my skin a dozen others lie too deep to see. Age stole my grace and left me stumbling on towards a final sunset.
The book jumps between different story lines, and when it clicks together, Lawrence still has you piecing things together until the end.
I am conflicted because whilst I binged this and enjoyed it, I also felt like this felt very reminiscent of his previous books. Not a bad thing if that’s what you’re looking for, but not as fresh as I would have liked.
I hope we get to see more of the mythology behind the world-building as a lot is thrown at you with little hand-holding.
Don’t go in expecting your usual dark academia fantasy; this is gritty and dark and unflinching. It is also balanced with an aged protagonist.
Arc gifted by Harper Voyager.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
May 19, 2026
Daughter of Crows has a great premise that really hooked me and was compelling enough to hold my interest for the first couple hundred pages. Throughout the book, much of the intrigue comes from wondering how the timelines are related, how they’ll come together, the bigger plot that’s at play, etc. I was a little more than halfway through, though, when I realized that intrigue was quickly fading and that I felt no emotional attachment/investment in Rue and the other characters. Even once everything came together, the payoff didn’t feel worth the trudge to get there. This was fine overall, but it’s not one I’ll be thinking about in a couple months. I also don’t see myself continuing this series
May 3, 2026
First, a confession: I read the book description, thought, “Oh, assassin school for girls, cool,” and bought the book thinking this would be Mark Lawrence’s twist on Harry Potter or something. I can’t really justify that assumption. At best I skimmed the description and bought the book on account of the author.
DAUGHTER OF CROWS is that and it isn’t that at all. I’ve been wracking my brain, trying to figure out how to classify this. It’s a fantasy novel (duh) but it’s more than that. It’s this weave of fairy tale (no faeries) and—Ooh! Wait, it just hit me. It’s a Fury Tale!
Totally not sorry.
The fuck was I talking about?
Right. It’s this blend of fury tale and new mythology. The real-world references (gods, furies, places, etc.) littered throughout the book are a cruel tease. GIMME MORE OF THIS WORLD—I want answers!
I’ve liked every ML book I’ve read, which is a bunch of them. The way he writes works for me. He’s got a knack for finding a new way to say something simple that resonates. He kicked that shit up to a whole new level. I lost count of how many times I had to stop to appreciate a turn of phrase.
I think if I say more, I’ll wander into spoiler territory, so I’ll stop here.
Hard five outa five stars for me. Best novel I’ve read in several years. I’ll preorder book two the second it’s available.
DAUGHTER OF CROWS is that and it isn’t that at all. I’ve been wracking my brain, trying to figure out how to classify this. It’s a fantasy novel (duh) but it’s more than that. It’s this weave of fairy tale (no faeries) and—Ooh! Wait, it just hit me. It’s a Fury Tale!
Totally not sorry.
The fuck was I talking about?
Right. It’s this blend of fury tale and new mythology. The real-world references (gods, furies, places, etc.) littered throughout the book are a cruel tease. GIMME MORE OF THIS WORLD—I want answers!
I’ve liked every ML book I’ve read, which is a bunch of them. The way he writes works for me. He’s got a knack for finding a new way to say something simple that resonates. He kicked that shit up to a whole new level. I lost count of how many times I had to stop to appreciate a turn of phrase.
I think if I say more, I’ll wander into spoiler territory, so I’ll stop here.
Hard five outa five stars for me. Best novel I’ve read in several years. I’ll preorder book two the second it’s available.
April 20, 2026
Big Spoilers (Don't read unless you've read):
I admit, for the first fifty pages or so, I kept wondering just what the heck I was reading. But the prose is so smooth and well structured and the characters are so weird and wonderful that I kept going with it. By page 73, I was completely addicted and immersed. If you have read Red Sister, I have to warn you that there are a few moments that reminded me of that donkey scene that devastated me in a way only Mr. Lawrence's writing can. (I really loved Bek and Einsa and I was not expecting to lose them!) I was all ready to scream "donkey all over again but worse" and be furiously sad, but I'm so glad I had faith because in this novel death doesn't actually mean gone. And I greatly enjoyed how that was nuanced.
There's a wonderful passage in the middle that serves as an explanation for the magic system, the intermingling of faiths, and one of the emerging central conflicts. It's also a lovely bit of foreshadowing, and beyond that, such an interesting notion. The crown allows all faiths to co-exist because belief fuels power. If there were only one faith, then that faith would gain power beyond the crown itself. So essentially belief is intrinsically linked to one's ability to produce magic. And belief powers gods. Aspects here are different, but reminded me a bit of Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series in which the gods who are no longer prayed to lose their abilities over time. As with all of Mr. Lawrence's novels, there are countless memorable moments like this. I learned years ago to read his novels with a pencil and/or sticky notes so I could mark off pages and passages.
There's so much more to say, but I read this in a day and a half, and I'm gonna need to let it settle before I come back to respond further. Over all, this is another brilliant start to a must read fantasy trilogy. Can't wait for the next installment.
I admit, for the first fifty pages or so, I kept wondering just what the heck I was reading. But the prose is so smooth and well structured and the characters are so weird and wonderful that I kept going with it. By page 73, I was completely addicted and immersed. If you have read Red Sister, I have to warn you that there are a few moments that reminded me of that donkey scene that devastated me in a way only Mr. Lawrence's writing can. (I really loved Bek and Einsa and I was not expecting to lose them!) I was all ready to scream "donkey all over again but worse" and be furiously sad, but I'm so glad I had faith because in this novel death doesn't actually mean gone. And I greatly enjoyed how that was nuanced.
There's a wonderful passage in the middle that serves as an explanation for the magic system, the intermingling of faiths, and one of the emerging central conflicts. It's also a lovely bit of foreshadowing, and beyond that, such an interesting notion. The crown allows all faiths to co-exist because belief fuels power. If there were only one faith, then that faith would gain power beyond the crown itself. So essentially belief is intrinsically linked to one's ability to produce magic. And belief powers gods. Aspects here are different, but reminded me a bit of Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series in which the gods who are no longer prayed to lose their abilities over time. As with all of Mr. Lawrence's novels, there are countless memorable moments like this. I learned years ago to read his novels with a pencil and/or sticky notes so I could mark off pages and passages.
There's so much more to say, but I read this in a day and a half, and I'm gonna need to let it settle before I come back to respond further. Over all, this is another brilliant start to a must read fantasy trilogy. Can't wait for the next installment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2026
4.5⭐️
Now that was some VERYYY DARK fantasy.
My first book written by Mark Lawrence and already perfectly suited to my bookish taste. Can’t wait to read more!
"Daughter of Crows" is the first book in a new series written by Mark Lawrence. It tells the story of an older woman living in a very cruel and brutal world. It tells a story of an Academy, where each year a hundred girls are sent to become extremely dangerous and powerful, but only three of them can survive the process. It's a story about revenge, friendship and discovering the truth that lies within oneself.
Mark Lawrence created a very dark and dangerous world, where death is something that even kids have to get used to. The fact that described events concerned 12+ y.o. children made it even more grim and deeply sad. It's definitely not a book for someone who can't handle reading about violence.
Author creates characters that are very easy to like and to care about. Since at some point they are only children the only thing I wanted to do was protect them agains the cruelty of this world. The book is split into different times and we spend the majority of it in the Academy, which for me was both fascinating and absolutely terrifying to read about (which is a good thing!). Getting to know different point of views was extremely engaging and I really appreciate how intelligently Mark Lawrance interweaved the threads of the plot. All those secrets, all those plot twist, they were perfectly balanced and at the same time very accurate to what was going on.
The story is overall pretty sad. To see how many pain can one person suffer and see that this pain will never end is absolutely heartbreaking.
It ended with a plot twist which makes me wonder where will the author take as next and if we'll ever get back to the place we've been.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Now that was some VERYYY DARK fantasy.
My first book written by Mark Lawrence and already perfectly suited to my bookish taste. Can’t wait to read more!
"Daughter of Crows" is the first book in a new series written by Mark Lawrence. It tells the story of an older woman living in a very cruel and brutal world. It tells a story of an Academy, where each year a hundred girls are sent to become extremely dangerous and powerful, but only three of them can survive the process. It's a story about revenge, friendship and discovering the truth that lies within oneself.
Mark Lawrence created a very dark and dangerous world, where death is something that even kids have to get used to. The fact that described events concerned 12+ y.o. children made it even more grim and deeply sad. It's definitely not a book for someone who can't handle reading about violence.
Author creates characters that are very easy to like and to care about. Since at some point they are only children the only thing I wanted to do was protect them agains the cruelty of this world. The book is split into different times and we spend the majority of it in the Academy, which for me was both fascinating and absolutely terrifying to read about (which is a good thing!). Getting to know different point of views was extremely engaging and I really appreciate how intelligently Mark Lawrance interweaved the threads of the plot. All those secrets, all those plot twist, they were perfectly balanced and at the same time very accurate to what was going on.
The story is overall pretty sad. To see how many pain can one person suffer and see that this pain will never end is absolutely heartbreaking.
It ended with a plot twist which makes me wonder where will the author take as next and if we'll ever get back to the place we've been.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
April 5, 2026
There are many things I enjoyed about this book - the atmosphere, the academy setting, the unveiling of identities - but I think ultimately the pacing meant that I couldn't fully indulge into the story.
At the beginning I was very confused about who the chapter POVs were from, but in hindsight I realise that was intentional as the reader slowly pieced the story together. I think the overarching character map was very cleverly done - it was complex and interconnected but not in a way that felt convenient (it was clearly well thought out) - but with the veiled identities of the characters it made for a 'stop-start' reading experience for me personally. I found myself goig back to chapters and asking 'Am I meant to know who this is?' which made it difficult to become invested in the story initially.
I enjoyed the academy setting most of all. I think there are unique characters who all have unspeakable terrors which drive them to the same place and further the academy itself opened a very interesting narrative regarding justice, religion, legacy and retribution. I wish we had more of it and that we followed the students more closely through their journey since this was such a pivotal place for so many of the characters.
I think my main bother circles back to the initial 'stop-start' comment, in that whilst switching the timelines gave you further insight into the characters and came together to form a mosaic image of the things at play in the story, for much of the novel I was not particularly interested in the 'present' day timeline of Rue. I found that we knew too little to be invested in her quest and there were too many pieces that were not yet fully formed to actually fully engage me.
Despite this, I think this is an incredibly strong foundation for this series and having pieced together much of the narrative now I would hope the following book focuses on the quest and consequences more closely. I would be interested to read it!
At the beginning I was very confused about who the chapter POVs were from, but in hindsight I realise that was intentional as the reader slowly pieced the story together. I think the overarching character map was very cleverly done - it was complex and interconnected but not in a way that felt convenient (it was clearly well thought out) - but with the veiled identities of the characters it made for a 'stop-start' reading experience for me personally. I found myself goig back to chapters and asking 'Am I meant to know who this is?' which made it difficult to become invested in the story initially.
I enjoyed the academy setting most of all. I think there are unique characters who all have unspeakable terrors which drive them to the same place and further the academy itself opened a very interesting narrative regarding justice, religion, legacy and retribution. I wish we had more of it and that we followed the students more closely through their journey since this was such a pivotal place for so many of the characters.
I think my main bother circles back to the initial 'stop-start' comment, in that whilst switching the timelines gave you further insight into the characters and came together to form a mosaic image of the things at play in the story, for much of the novel I was not particularly interested in the 'present' day timeline of Rue. I found that we knew too little to be invested in her quest and there were too many pieces that were not yet fully formed to actually fully engage me.
Despite this, I think this is an incredibly strong foundation for this series and having pieced together much of the narrative now I would hope the following book focuses on the quest and consequences more closely. I would be interested to read it!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I’ll read anything Mark Lawrence writes. This is partly loyalty, partly curiosity, and partly trust. Mark never writes the same book twice. His series always feel different from each other. Daughter of Crows might also have his best cover yet (which is impressive, given how good the Library trilogy looked). It’s also his best novel so far.
Now. I love The Book of the Ancestor with my whole heart, but this? This is bloody brilliant.
Rue is the reason. She is sharp, furious, stubborn, and held together by scars and bad memories. Fantasy rarely gives us elderly female leads, and almost never ones this dangerous or this compelling. I loved watching her limp, calculate, remember, and kill. The other half of fun is figuring out who she used to be.
The book runs on two timelines: present-day Rue hunting the mercenaries who destroyed her quiet life, and past Rue being forged into what she became. The past sections take us through a childhood that would make a nightmare ask for a night-light, and then to the Academy of Kindness - a school whose definition of kindness involves death rates. One hundred girls enter. Three leave. The rest, well, they contribute to the curriculum.
Interestingly, the past sections add backstory but also continue to reframe everything. The twists are all strong, starting early and tightening as the timelines converge. You can play detective if you want; the clues are there, but chances are just when you think you’ve solved it, another revelation will prove you were wrong.
I loved how Lawrence played with mythology here. Daughter of Crows incorporates a fascinating take on Furies, vengeance cults, divine bargains, and afterlife journeys. A heady mix, but it’s done well. The world runs on old laws, older gods, and the idea that justice and cruelty might be the same blade held at different angles. That theme shows up everywhere, from the Academy’s philosophy to Rue’s own moral math.
Daughter of Crows is dark. Children die. Mercy is rare and some scenes edge into horror. At times, it makes other grimdark novels look like they brought a candle. And yet the book still finds space for dry, perfectly timed humor. My favorite line comes when Rue considers bringing proof of her kills:
“She had considered bringing the heads from Debban's hut and tossing them before her when challenged, but the brothers had been balding beneath their caps, and heads without hair were awkward to carry.”
That line tells you everything about Rue. Practical. Violent. Mildly inconvenienced by logistics.
The story moves when it should and slows down only when it matters. The violence hits hard but never feels there just for shock value. The prose is sharp and purposeful. Lawrence always seems to know when to let a moment breathe and when to end it.
I finished it with one clear thought: I may have just found my favorite book of 2026. It’s going to take something extraordinary to beat it.
Now. I love The Book of the Ancestor with my whole heart, but this? This is bloody brilliant.
Rue is the reason. She is sharp, furious, stubborn, and held together by scars and bad memories. Fantasy rarely gives us elderly female leads, and almost never ones this dangerous or this compelling. I loved watching her limp, calculate, remember, and kill. The other half of fun is figuring out who she used to be.
The book runs on two timelines: present-day Rue hunting the mercenaries who destroyed her quiet life, and past Rue being forged into what she became. The past sections take us through a childhood that would make a nightmare ask for a night-light, and then to the Academy of Kindness - a school whose definition of kindness involves death rates. One hundred girls enter. Three leave. The rest, well, they contribute to the curriculum.
Interestingly, the past sections add backstory but also continue to reframe everything. The twists are all strong, starting early and tightening as the timelines converge. You can play detective if you want; the clues are there, but chances are just when you think you’ve solved it, another revelation will prove you were wrong.
I loved how Lawrence played with mythology here. Daughter of Crows incorporates a fascinating take on Furies, vengeance cults, divine bargains, and afterlife journeys. A heady mix, but it’s done well. The world runs on old laws, older gods, and the idea that justice and cruelty might be the same blade held at different angles. That theme shows up everywhere, from the Academy’s philosophy to Rue’s own moral math.
Daughter of Crows is dark. Children die. Mercy is rare and some scenes edge into horror. At times, it makes other grimdark novels look like they brought a candle. And yet the book still finds space for dry, perfectly timed humor. My favorite line comes when Rue considers bringing proof of her kills:
“She had considered bringing the heads from Debban's hut and tossing them before her when challenged, but the brothers had been balding beneath their caps, and heads without hair were awkward to carry.”
That line tells you everything about Rue. Practical. Violent. Mildly inconvenienced by logistics.
The story moves when it should and slows down only when it matters. The violence hits hard but never feels there just for shock value. The prose is sharp and purposeful. Lawrence always seems to know when to let a moment breathe and when to end it.
I finished it with one clear thought: I may have just found my favorite book of 2026. It’s going to take something extraordinary to beat it.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I loved this book. This was my first time reading anything by Mark Lawrence. I actually planned to start with The Book That Wouldn’t Burn this year, but when I spotted an ARC of Daughter of Crows on NetGalley I abandoned all plans like a crow chasing something shiny. Zero regrets.
This book is chaotic in the best way. You’re thrown into the story with "a lot of characters" and shifting perspectives, and at first it feels overwhelming. But after a few chapters, everything starts to click, and suddenly the chaos makes sense.
Mollandra’s storyline at the Academy had me in a chokehold. That POV was my favorite by far, no competition. I was fully invested, emotionally attached, and absolutely not okay with everything that happened to her because let’s be honest, the girl did not get a single happy moment in this book. Not one. Zero. Just pain, trauma, and suffering on repeat. She was funny, loyal, and the kind of person you know you’d want in your life. The type who has your back no matter what. Which makes it even worse, because she deserved so much better than what she got. For her, I would become Kindness itself, just so I could get revenge and kill everyone who hurt her.
-"You told him to fuck off!"
-"I know what i did."
-"But he's the ferryman! He's Death with his scythe! He's the winged ones who take the warriors straight from the battlefield. He's-"
-"He's propably used to it. Dying's enough to give most people an attitude."
Honestly, in every book there’s usually at least one character I can’t stand, but not here. Somehow, everyone made sense. Every character had a purpose, and even when they were awful, it was clear they were like that because the world broke them first. The Academy, the system, the whole mess. No pointless villains, no “why are you even here?” characters, just deeply damaged people doing their thing.
If you’re into Greek mythology, this book will be right up your alley. The Furies (Erinyes) are basically the backbone of the story: ancient goddesses of vengeance pulling the strings, ruining lives. Fans of Squid Game should feel right at home here, too. It’s drenched in blood, death and gore.
Last but absolutely not least, the magic in this book is chef’s kiss. There are magical mixtures designed to unlock your inner rage, mess with your memories, or erase things entirely. And yes, there’s a talking crow. No, I will not explain. Just read the book.
This book is chaotic in the best way. You’re thrown into the story with "a lot of characters" and shifting perspectives, and at first it feels overwhelming. But after a few chapters, everything starts to click, and suddenly the chaos makes sense.
Mollandra’s storyline at the Academy had me in a chokehold. That POV was my favorite by far, no competition. I was fully invested, emotionally attached, and absolutely not okay with everything that happened to her because let’s be honest, the girl did not get a single happy moment in this book. Not one. Zero. Just pain, trauma, and suffering on repeat. She was funny, loyal, and the kind of person you know you’d want in your life. The type who has your back no matter what. Which makes it even worse, because she deserved so much better than what she got. For her, I would become Kindness itself, just so I could get revenge and kill everyone who hurt her.
-"You told him to fuck off!"
-"I know what i did."
-"But he's the ferryman! He's Death with his scythe! He's the winged ones who take the warriors straight from the battlefield. He's-"
-"He's propably used to it. Dying's enough to give most people an attitude."
Honestly, in every book there’s usually at least one character I can’t stand, but not here. Somehow, everyone made sense. Every character had a purpose, and even when they were awful, it was clear they were like that because the world broke them first. The Academy, the system, the whole mess. No pointless villains, no “why are you even here?” characters, just deeply damaged people doing their thing.
If you’re into Greek mythology, this book will be right up your alley. The Furies (Erinyes) are basically the backbone of the story: ancient goddesses of vengeance pulling the strings, ruining lives. Fans of Squid Game should feel right at home here, too. It’s drenched in blood, death and gore.
Last but absolutely not least, the magic in this book is chef’s kiss. There are magical mixtures designed to unlock your inner rage, mess with your memories, or erase things entirely. And yes, there’s a talking crow. No, I will not explain. Just read the book.
April 4, 2026
I was excited to return to Mark Lawrence’s work, especially with the promise of an older woman leading the story, something still relatively uncommon in fantasy. Rue is immediately an interesting protagonist, carrying the weight of age, regret, and a violent past. On paper, she feels like a fresh direction for both Lawrence and the genre.
Unfortunately, Daughter of Crows ended up being a disappointing read. Much of it feels overly familiar, reusing the same literary devices and academy setting that Lawrence explored in Book of the Ancestor. The academy sections in particular felt strikingly similar, only with a higher body count. Rather than building on old strengths in a new way, the novel often feels like territory the author has already covered more effectively elsewhere.
The structure also weakens the story. The narrative moves back and forth between Rue’s present-day rampage and flashbacks to her academy years, but neither thread develops enough momentum. In the present, Rue’s storyline is fairly straightforward: her village is destroyed, she hunts those responsible, and kills her way toward revenge. It feels much simpler than the layered plotting readers might expect from Lawrence. Meanwhile, the revelations about Rue’s past never land with much impact, as most of them are easy to see coming.
Rue herself remains the book’s strongest element, but even she feels underused. We spend so little meaningful time with her in the present that it becomes difficult to form a real emotional connection. Her inner monologue, focused heavily on ageing and past moral failures, also becomes repetitive after a while. It feels as though there is much more depth to Rue than the novel actually allows us to see, with many of her most compelling aspects seemingly held back for future installments.
The supporting cast fares even worse. Characters are introduced only to be killed off so quickly that there’s little chance to become invested in them. The world itself is intriguing, but the novel offers limited exploration beyond some mythology and background lore, leaving the setting feeling underdeveloped.
Perhaps most frustrating is the ending, which arrives abruptly and resolves very little beyond setting up the sequel. Rather than feeling like a satisfying first installment, Daughter of Crows feels incomplete.
In the end, while Rue is a protagonist with genuine potential and the idea of centering an older woman in grimdark fantasy is refreshing, the novel doesn’t do enough with either its character or its world. Outside of Rue’s age and perspective, there is little here that feels especially new for Mark Lawrence or for the genre as a whole. A frustratingly middling start to what may yet become a stronger series.
Unfortunately, Daughter of Crows ended up being a disappointing read. Much of it feels overly familiar, reusing the same literary devices and academy setting that Lawrence explored in Book of the Ancestor. The academy sections in particular felt strikingly similar, only with a higher body count. Rather than building on old strengths in a new way, the novel often feels like territory the author has already covered more effectively elsewhere.
The structure also weakens the story. The narrative moves back and forth between Rue’s present-day rampage and flashbacks to her academy years, but neither thread develops enough momentum. In the present, Rue’s storyline is fairly straightforward: her village is destroyed, she hunts those responsible, and kills her way toward revenge. It feels much simpler than the layered plotting readers might expect from Lawrence. Meanwhile, the revelations about Rue’s past never land with much impact, as most of them are easy to see coming.
Rue herself remains the book’s strongest element, but even she feels underused. We spend so little meaningful time with her in the present that it becomes difficult to form a real emotional connection. Her inner monologue, focused heavily on ageing and past moral failures, also becomes repetitive after a while. It feels as though there is much more depth to Rue than the novel actually allows us to see, with many of her most compelling aspects seemingly held back for future installments.
The supporting cast fares even worse. Characters are introduced only to be killed off so quickly that there’s little chance to become invested in them. The world itself is intriguing, but the novel offers limited exploration beyond some mythology and background lore, leaving the setting feeling underdeveloped.
Perhaps most frustrating is the ending, which arrives abruptly and resolves very little beyond setting up the sequel. Rather than feeling like a satisfying first installment, Daughter of Crows feels incomplete.
In the end, while Rue is a protagonist with genuine potential and the idea of centering an older woman in grimdark fantasy is refreshing, the novel doesn’t do enough with either its character or its world. Outside of Rue’s age and perspective, there is little here that feels especially new for Mark Lawrence or for the genre as a whole. A frustratingly middling start to what may yet become a stronger series.
March 28, 2026
What a tangled mess of deliciousness is this? It take a while to fit the pieces together as 3 timelines finally merge into one of comprehension. The facts are doled out in such infinitely small fragments that the revelations are eaten up like a missed meal.
The truths about Rue/Mollandra/The Eldest are spread throughout the novel from beginning the the very last page. True parentage and actual siblings are just two of the secrets held throughout the book.
I love Sharp so much. She is crazy and deadly. It was sad to see the shape she was in when Rue found her at the old mansion. I really liked Bek a lot and the friendship between her, Eisna, and Mollandra left me wanting so much more.
Mother and Father are evil incarnate. Lip-Scar and Milk-Eye are equally bad, but victims of circumstances brought on by their upbringing. Strong may be the worst of all of them.
The ending suggests there could be sequel because of the open endedness of Mother, Strong, and Cela, but the description says book 1 of 1.
The truths about Rue/Mollandra/The Eldest are spread throughout the novel from beginning the the very last page. True parentage and actual siblings are just two of the secrets held throughout the book.
I love Sharp so much. She is crazy and deadly. It was sad to see the shape she was in when Rue found her at the old mansion. I really liked Bek a lot and the friendship between her, Eisna, and Mollandra left me wanting so much more.
Mother and Father are evil incarnate. Lip-Scar and Milk-Eye are equally bad, but victims of circumstances brought on by their upbringing. Strong may be the worst of all of them.
The ending suggests there could be sequel because of the open endedness of Mother, Strong, and Cela, but the description says book 1 of 1.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2026
Being in my 60s it was refreshing to read a book where the main character was relatable (except the knitting) 😉 I have struggled with some previous books by the author but this book was a pure joy from start to finish
Well done sir, well done
Well done sir, well done
March 23, 2026
Some really fun ideas but was also a bit monotonous at times. The present stuff with Rue was quite dull, but I really enjoyed the stuff with Eldest and at the Academy.
From the get-go, Rue was too much. She's a feisty, 80-year-old woman who has just been on this earth too damned long. But she's still got fight in her, and as things progressed it seemed like just way too much fight. Mark Lawrence likes to make his characters super-human, and that's the case here, too - Rue takes multiple hefty beatings yet still fights on through immeasurable pain. I understand the power of grit but this was taken a little too far in Rue's case, to the point I found it unbelievable.
But then!
We get introduced to the academy and that was all kinds of fun! An assassin school is nothing new but it is in fact one of my favourite tropes, and I really loved how things played out across the story.
The academy is the kind of place where failure means death, so the stakes are very real. We learn pretty quickly that the girls must be tough to survive, and it gives us a little glimpse into what might have built Rue into the woman she is.
Finally, a third setting is introduced but not nearly enough to begin with! I was fascinated by these chapters but had a hard time working out what was literal and what was analogy or madness.
That was actually one of the toughest things for me - not properly understanding the magic system, or even if one actually existed. I would have appreciated a little more world-building.
Aside from Rue, I delighted in all the characters. There is a lot of fight in the girls of the academy, so reading their various exploits was a lot of fun, and I was certainly on the edge of my seat for some moments! I think this book could easily have disposed of the bigger story with Rue for the time being, to focus on the girls at the academy. The outside stuff felt frail and too slow to really earn its place.
I did really enjoy it in general, but the Rue stuff slowed it down and felt like an unnecessary extra for this story. Added to that, it felt a bit weak to be the driving force of the story - part of me was just impatient for Rue to accept defeat and die.
The academy is where the real fun is here, so if you can put up with the Rue stuff you'll be rewarded with some fun scenes featuring some pretty ballsy girls.
Recommended for fans of dark fantasy.
With thanks to Harper for an ARC
From the get-go, Rue was too much. She's a feisty, 80-year-old woman who has just been on this earth too damned long. But she's still got fight in her, and as things progressed it seemed like just way too much fight. Mark Lawrence likes to make his characters super-human, and that's the case here, too - Rue takes multiple hefty beatings yet still fights on through immeasurable pain. I understand the power of grit but this was taken a little too far in Rue's case, to the point I found it unbelievable.
But then!
We get introduced to the academy and that was all kinds of fun! An assassin school is nothing new but it is in fact one of my favourite tropes, and I really loved how things played out across the story.
The academy is the kind of place where failure means death, so the stakes are very real. We learn pretty quickly that the girls must be tough to survive, and it gives us a little glimpse into what might have built Rue into the woman she is.
Finally, a third setting is introduced but not nearly enough to begin with! I was fascinated by these chapters but had a hard time working out what was literal and what was analogy or madness.
That was actually one of the toughest things for me - not properly understanding the magic system, or even if one actually existed. I would have appreciated a little more world-building.
Aside from Rue, I delighted in all the characters. There is a lot of fight in the girls of the academy, so reading their various exploits was a lot of fun, and I was certainly on the edge of my seat for some moments! I think this book could easily have disposed of the bigger story with Rue for the time being, to focus on the girls at the academy. The outside stuff felt frail and too slow to really earn its place.
I did really enjoy it in general, but the Rue stuff slowed it down and felt like an unnecessary extra for this story. Added to that, it felt a bit weak to be the driving force of the story - part of me was just impatient for Rue to accept defeat and die.
The academy is where the real fun is here, so if you can put up with the Rue stuff you'll be rewarded with some fun scenes featuring some pretty ballsy girls.
Recommended for fans of dark fantasy.
With thanks to Harper for an ARC
January 9, 2026
We’re only a couple of weeks into 2026 and this may already be a top competitor for one of my top books of the year.
Daughter of Crows is a dark, macabre and atmospheric first instalment to a new fantasy series. It revolves around the Academy of Kindness, where girls are sold to become powerful and bloodthirsty agents of justice to serve the gods. The world was immersive and the character development was a real highlight, Rue is our main character and takes on several forms throughout the different timelines we visit in this story, and she is GREAT.
Absolutely loved this world (despite how dark it is!) and I’m intrigued to explore more of it in the next book. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the eARC!
Daughter of Crows is a dark, macabre and atmospheric first instalment to a new fantasy series. It revolves around the Academy of Kindness, where girls are sold to become powerful and bloodthirsty agents of justice to serve the gods. The world was immersive and the character development was a real highlight, Rue is our main character and takes on several forms throughout the different timelines we visit in this story, and she is GREAT.
Absolutely loved this world (despite how dark it is!) and I’m intrigued to explore more of it in the next book. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the eARC!
June 11, 2026
Mark Lawrence is back!
To be fair, he never left. I just wasn't as sold on his latest couple of trilogies, this just feels like a return to the form that made me fall in love with his books. It's dark, it's dangerous, full of mystery and intrigue and cool magic. The characters pull you in and get their hooks in you. And Mark has such a beautiful way of turning a phrase that makes it really stick.
Overall, I loved it and I want more!
To be fair, he never left. I just wasn't as sold on his latest couple of trilogies, this just feels like a return to the form that made me fall in love with his books. It's dark, it's dangerous, full of mystery and intrigue and cool magic. The characters pull you in and get their hooks in you. And Mark has such a beautiful way of turning a phrase that makes it really stick.
Overall, I loved it and I want more!
April 19, 2026
« I’m so angry. All. The. Time. I’m worried that this anger might be all I am, not just the sea I drowned in. I’m worried that even if none of this had ever happened to me, I would still be this rage and nothing else. »
This book was a work of art. It was absolutely brilliant and extremely dark (be warned). I realized I was holding my breath during the Eldest’s chapters and had to take breaks during my read.
Honestly, I don’t really want to say more because it’s the kind of book that’s best going in blind. I will say though that it was a 5 stars read until the last 20%. I didn’t really know where it was going for that part because there were still a lot of unanswered/unclear elements. I feel that the story did a 360 and went into a completely different path.
This book was a work of art. It was absolutely brilliant and extremely dark (be warned). I realized I was holding my breath during the Eldest’s chapters and had to take breaks during my read.
Honestly, I don’t really want to say more because it’s the kind of book that’s best going in blind. I will say though that it was a 5 stars read until the last 20%. I didn’t really know where it was going for that part because there were still a lot of unanswered/unclear elements. I feel that the story did a 360 and went into a completely different path.
April 14, 2026
Impressive start to a new series by a favourite fantasy author.
I’ve read all of Mark Lawrence’s series, starting with his Broken Empire, my introduction to Grimdark. Subsequently, most of the author’s later books have backed off to some degree from the darker depths of Jorg and his post apocalyptic world. As indeed I have, finding the darkness in the genre a bit too overwhelming sometimes.
Unless they’re written as well as this new book, which reminds me of the Grimdark originality of the Broken Empire which first got my attention, despite an entirely different plot set up.
This book is really very readable despite the intricacy with which it’s written. Excellent prose, plenty of twists and turns (really a lot!), and it moves at a pace.
The introduction to an academy for avenging killers, all female, took me back to one of his more recent series: “Book of the Ancestor” and killer nuns! But that’s a superficial similarity. The motivation behind the academy, the dark supernatural force(s) behind it, the characters, etc are very different and generally darker.
The many sad, bad, cruel events that are part of most Grimdark novels, plus the dark anti-heroes, often tire me out, reading wise. But I suspect it hasn’t happened here in this author’s stories (apart from the assistance provided by excellent prose) because characterisations are very deep. You’re taken well into the thought processes and motivations of main characters. Indeed, the main character has her life laid out extensively and progressively throughout the story through some timeline jumping - which is done very well indeed in my view. Often you learn something from a timeline of her younger self just in time to explain her actions later on in her life.
I think this author is one of the very few who can maintain my interest in Grimdark fantasy (maybe Michael R Fletcher too, but that’s because of the bizarre limits he probes).
Thoroughly enjoyed this read and looking forward to volume 2. Which you know on past form the author has written and will deliver next year (due to publishers) and containing a summary of the previous book.
5 dark stars.
I’ve read all of Mark Lawrence’s series, starting with his Broken Empire, my introduction to Grimdark. Subsequently, most of the author’s later books have backed off to some degree from the darker depths of Jorg and his post apocalyptic world. As indeed I have, finding the darkness in the genre a bit too overwhelming sometimes.
Unless they’re written as well as this new book, which reminds me of the Grimdark originality of the Broken Empire which first got my attention, despite an entirely different plot set up.
This book is really very readable despite the intricacy with which it’s written. Excellent prose, plenty of twists and turns (really a lot!), and it moves at a pace.
The introduction to an academy for avenging killers, all female, took me back to one of his more recent series: “Book of the Ancestor” and killer nuns! But that’s a superficial similarity. The motivation behind the academy, the dark supernatural force(s) behind it, the characters, etc are very different and generally darker.
The many sad, bad, cruel events that are part of most Grimdark novels, plus the dark anti-heroes, often tire me out, reading wise. But I suspect it hasn’t happened here in this author’s stories (apart from the assistance provided by excellent prose) because characterisations are very deep. You’re taken well into the thought processes and motivations of main characters. Indeed, the main character has her life laid out extensively and progressively throughout the story through some timeline jumping - which is done very well indeed in my view. Often you learn something from a timeline of her younger self just in time to explain her actions later on in her life.
I think this author is one of the very few who can maintain my interest in Grimdark fantasy (maybe Michael R Fletcher too, but that’s because of the bizarre limits he probes).
Thoroughly enjoyed this read and looking forward to volume 2. Which you know on past form the author has written and will deliver next year (due to publishers) and containing a summary of the previous book.
5 dark stars.
April 12, 2026
Lawrence is a bit of a hit or miss author for me, though I have to admit he is clearly blessed by the cover gods. When I first saw this book, I could not resist picking it up. An assassin school set in a magical world sounded exactly like my kind of story.
I ended up reading this over the course of a busy week, and in a way that worked in the book’s favor. This feels like a story that benefits from being read slowly and with full attention, since it weaves together multiple characters and timelines that can occasionally be tricky to follow.
There is a strong sense of patterns throughout the book, especially with the repeated use of three, whether in the points of view, the timelines, or even within the structure of the academy itself. Once the first major twist appeared, I began to see what Lawrence was aiming for and felt like I understood the overall structure quite early. Even so, I still missed a few key details that only fully clicked after I read a summary later.
The magical school element is one of my favorite tropes, and it was the main reason I gave this book a chance. While I think it was used well in places, some of its potential felt lost. The school sections often moved very quickly, sometimes jumping between years in a way that made it harder to stay grounded. Balancing multiple narrative threads is never easy, and while the Eldest point of view started off intriguing, it gradually lost some of its appeal for me.
As with other books by Lawrence, there are plenty of twists, and the tone leans quite dark, so it is worth keeping that in mind before diving in. Overall, I did enjoy the experience, even if it felt a bit slow and occasionally scattered. That may well have been intentional. I am still curious to see how things develop in the second book.
I ended up reading this over the course of a busy week, and in a way that worked in the book’s favor. This feels like a story that benefits from being read slowly and with full attention, since it weaves together multiple characters and timelines that can occasionally be tricky to follow.
There is a strong sense of patterns throughout the book, especially with the repeated use of three, whether in the points of view, the timelines, or even within the structure of the academy itself. Once the first major twist appeared, I began to see what Lawrence was aiming for and felt like I understood the overall structure quite early. Even so, I still missed a few key details that only fully clicked after I read a summary later.
The magical school element is one of my favorite tropes, and it was the main reason I gave this book a chance. While I think it was used well in places, some of its potential felt lost. The school sections often moved very quickly, sometimes jumping between years in a way that made it harder to stay grounded. Balancing multiple narrative threads is never easy, and while the Eldest point of view started off intriguing, it gradually lost some of its appeal for me.
As with other books by Lawrence, there are plenty of twists, and the tone leans quite dark, so it is worth keeping that in mind before diving in. Overall, I did enjoy the experience, even if it felt a bit slow and occasionally scattered. That may well have been intentional. I am still curious to see how things develop in the second book.
March 2, 2026
This is the only book I’ve read by Mark Lawrence and holy shit, I loved it! I am already thinking of rereading the book when it comes out and I get my hands on a physical copy. This is a different kind of fantasy academia novel than I’ve read before, and it hooked me almost immediately. We get shifting perspectives, creepy vibes, and gore. Eldest’s storyline had me GRIPPED. I can’t wait to read the next book, and I’m so excited to read more by Mark Lawrence!
April 2, 2026
Let's just say that...
KING GRIMDARK IS BACK, Y'ALL!
Daughter of Crows is an unadulterated masterwork from Mark Lawrence. A brutal, unflinching tale that has as much heart as it does hurt.
There is no author with better prose than Lawrence and I will die on that hill.
KING GRIMDARK IS BACK, Y'ALL!
Daughter of Crows is an unadulterated masterwork from Mark Lawrence. A brutal, unflinching tale that has as much heart as it does hurt.
There is no author with better prose than Lawrence and I will die on that hill.
March 26, 2026
Thank you to Net Galley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Ace for the ARC copy. With that quickly out of the way….
OH MY GOD. Mark Lawrence, I’m gonna need the next books ASAP. The only other books I’ve read by Lawrence are the library trilogy and they were great. This is what I needed at this point in my life.
Lawrence does several things extremely well.
1. He writes female characters as human. I got so excited with the first chapter about this book having an older woman (60’s) as the main character. It’s not done very often in a fantasy and I LOVE it. Her age is both a positive and negative as she has to work around its limitations to do what must be done.
2. Lawrence does a great job with following different characters throughout the story. It’s not an easy writing path to travel and must be done extremely well to not only engage the reader, ensure the story is being succinctly told, and withhold the appropriate information that certain characters may not have. He is able to do it all. It took me a bit to figure out how some characters were related to others but that’s more on me unfortunately having to put the book down for work and sleep.
3. The Revelations. Frankly I don’t even want to call them plot twists. I mean sure they are but I think revelations fits so much better for this book. One or two happen a bit early. By mid book, audible gasps. At the end of the book… putting one within the last 50 pages wasn’t surprising since it’s supposed to be a trilogy. PUTTING ONE IN THE LAST 2-3 PAGES WHEN IM GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT A YEAR FOR THE NEXT BOOK IS A CRIME (in a good but how dare you way).
Mark Lawrence, thank you for a wonderful book that I am happy to inflict on my friends and family as a must read.
OH MY GOD. Mark Lawrence, I’m gonna need the next books ASAP. The only other books I’ve read by Lawrence are the library trilogy and they were great. This is what I needed at this point in my life.
Lawrence does several things extremely well.
1. He writes female characters as human. I got so excited with the first chapter about this book having an older woman (60’s) as the main character. It’s not done very often in a fantasy and I LOVE it. Her age is both a positive and negative as she has to work around its limitations to do what must be done.
2. Lawrence does a great job with following different characters throughout the story. It’s not an easy writing path to travel and must be done extremely well to not only engage the reader, ensure the story is being succinctly told, and withhold the appropriate information that certain characters may not have. He is able to do it all. It took me a bit to figure out how some characters were related to others but that’s more on me unfortunately having to put the book down for work and sleep.
3. The Revelations. Frankly I don’t even want to call them plot twists. I mean sure they are but I think revelations fits so much better for this book. One or two happen a bit early. By mid book, audible gasps. At the end of the book… putting one within the last 50 pages wasn’t surprising since it’s supposed to be a trilogy. PUTTING ONE IN THE LAST 2-3 PAGES WHEN IM GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT A YEAR FOR THE NEXT BOOK IS A CRIME (in a good but how dare you way).
Mark Lawrence, thank you for a wonderful book that I am happy to inflict on my friends and family as a must read.
May 22, 2026
This is like if the Locked Tomb (Gideon the Ninth) had a Red Room (Black Widow) run by Vecna (Stranger Things). I can’t even explain how stressed I was reading this. I need so many fucking romcoms right now.
TROPES & VIBES:
- Dark fantasy with plot twists
- Assassins, gods, necromancy and monsters
- I wanted to hug and protect every child that appeared in this book
- Amazing, beautiful, traumatising writing
- Female rage and vengeance
- Themes of age and memory
TROPES & VIBES:
- Dark fantasy with plot twists
- Assassins, gods, necromancy and monsters
- I wanted to hug and protect every child that appeared in this book
- Amazing, beautiful, traumatising writing
- Female rage and vengeance
- Themes of age and memory
April 4, 2026
4.5 stars. Daughter of Crows by Mark Lawrence is an excellent tale of a dark, violent life. An exceptional atmospheric, childhood horror and a grim dark fantasy. Fast paced and clever.
Full review linked here.
https://youtu.be/jMTproe2oO0?si=sRLaJ...
Full review linked here.
https://youtu.be/jMTproe2oO0?si=sRLaJ...
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