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Shades of Hell #1
And Then There Were Crows
New York City has always been a big fat sack of stress for Amanda Grey. From turning herself into knots to evade rubbing ass cheeks with strangers on the train, to round-housing public bathroom door handles to stave off plague contaminations, Grey has always found the simple technique of avoidance best in dealing with NYC. Luckily, the one-bedroom apartment in Queens she shares with her parents has always served as a refuge from a world that’s too loud and too bright for Amanda Grey.
Of course, that’s all about to change.
When she inadvertently rents a room to a demon, Grey goes from a woman concentrated on her own personal demons to the woman responsible for recapturing the six Shades from Hell she’s unleashed upon the city. She manages to survive by accepting the help of Barnem, an antisocial seraphim who just
happens to reside in an upstairs apartment and the demon she now shares her apartment with—and who oddly eager to help her vanquish the Shades, though she can't be sure if he’s motivated by roommate loyalty or a secret plot to enslave humankind. Probably the latter.
Together the unlikely trio will have to face off with the (actual) devils of New York politics, break the curse of infomercial jingles, and figure out exactly how Grey has become the leader of a cult, all as Grey begins to realize that maybe the end of the world is exactly what her life needed. Now she just needs to figure out how to survive it.
Of course, that’s all about to change.
When she inadvertently rents a room to a demon, Grey goes from a woman concentrated on her own personal demons to the woman responsible for recapturing the six Shades from Hell she’s unleashed upon the city. She manages to survive by accepting the help of Barnem, an antisocial seraphim who just
happens to reside in an upstairs apartment and the demon she now shares her apartment with—and who oddly eager to help her vanquish the Shades, though she can't be sure if he’s motivated by roommate loyalty or a secret plot to enslave humankind. Probably the latter.
Together the unlikely trio will have to face off with the (actual) devils of New York politics, break the curse of infomercial jingles, and figure out exactly how Grey has become the leader of a cult, all as Grey begins to realize that maybe the end of the world is exactly what her life needed. Now she just needs to figure out how to survive it.
Hardcover
Published July 3, 2018
6 people are currently reading
277 people want to read
About the author
Alcy Leyva
6 books15 followers Alcy Leyva is a Bronx-born writer, teacher, and pizza enthusiast. He graduated from Hunter College with a B.A. in English (Creative Writing) and received an MFA in Fiction from The New School. Alcy enjoys writing personal essays, poetry, short fiction, book reviews, and film analysis, but is also content with practicing standing so still that he will someday slip through time and space. He lives in New York where he is constantly wondering why he's still here.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
July 19, 2018
When I read the blurb for And Then There Were Crows, I was really excited. A regular (mousy, even?) chick must become badass in order to recapture the six Shades from Hell and save the world. Badass chick? Right up my alley -- bring it on, please!
Unfortunately, I really struggled with the writing style of this one. The pacing was somewhat erratic, alternating between being rather slow and somewhat repetitive with being very sudden many-things-happening-all-at-once, which made it difficult for me to stay engaged with the story.
I often felt like I was listening to an excited small child relating every single detail of the happenings at a sugar-infused birthday party. I'd get to a sentence that would jolt me (Wait, you threw up!? You didn't think it was more important to tell me that before telling me what colour the icing on the birthday cake was? Oh, that was also the colour of your vomit? I see.) and cause me to scramble back a few pages because either the information was very sudden or I must have zoned out and missed the lead up to this new idea.
Although this book was really not a good choice for me, I think this it will appeal to hardcore urban fantasy readers who like a lot of silly humour mixed in with gritty action.
Thank you to NetGalley and Black Spot Books for providing me with a DRC of this book.
Unfortunately, I really struggled with the writing style of this one. The pacing was somewhat erratic, alternating between being rather slow and somewhat repetitive with being very sudden many-things-happening-all-at-once, which made it difficult for me to stay engaged with the story.
I often felt like I was listening to an excited small child relating every single detail of the happenings at a sugar-infused birthday party. I'd get to a sentence that would jolt me (Wait, you threw up!? You didn't think it was more important to tell me that before telling me what colour the icing on the birthday cake was? Oh, that was also the colour of your vomit? I see.) and cause me to scramble back a few pages because either the information was very sudden or I must have zoned out and missed the lead up to this new idea.
Although this book was really not a good choice for me, I think this it will appeal to hardcore urban fantasy readers who like a lot of silly humour mixed in with gritty action.
Thank you to NetGalley and Black Spot Books for providing me with a DRC of this book.
August 3, 2018
I received this eARC from Black Spot Books on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book.
Dnf'd after the first chapter lmao
I thought I'd give this more time, but "more time" became over a month, and my desire to read this has actually decreased, so I've decided to dnf it, because really, I'm not going to read this. It's not really all that good, and I'm just not in the mood.
Dnf'd after the first chapter lmao
I thought I'd give this more time, but "more time" became over a month, and my desire to read this has actually decreased, so I've decided to dnf it, because really, I'm not going to read this. It's not really all that good, and I'm just not in the mood.
November 14, 2018
Amanda Grey is my kind of protagonist. She’s troubled, anxious, introverted and kinda snarky – think Jessica Jones without the superpowers. She lives in a small apartment in New York with her parents, who have left to go on vacation without leaving enough money to pay the bills and the rent. Broke and desperate, Amanda advertises for a roommate and gets far more than she bargained for when the prospective tenant tries to murder the shit out of her. The result of the ensuing fight is that a bunch of shades, demons in the form of crows, are released into the world, signaling the start of the apocalypse. Now, with the help of her disheveled upstairs neighbor who happens to be a Seraphim, she is tasked with hunting each shade down and destroying it before the end is well and truly nigh. The runtiest of the shades sticks around and offers Amanda the cash she needs in order to pay the rent, and she’s in no position to refuse. He’s an odd little creature, pot bellied and with a huge appetite for TV adverts and reality shows.
And that’s just for starters.
This was a fast-paced and smart novel that I found myself really enjoying, which seemed to take its influences from a lot of different sources. It felt almost like a book version of some of the urban fantasy/SF TV shows and movies that I enjoyed a great deal in the 80s and 90s – the satirical lampooning of adverts and TV wouldn’t have been out of place in Robocop or Total Recall, and had me snorting with amusement in public way too many times. Leyva’s version of The Bachelor (here it’s called The Stud) receives the lion’s share of the mocking, with the women put through such trials as having ultrasounds of their uteruses examined and rated out of 10. The humor throughout the book is a definite strength – the dialogue is clever and frequently hilarious, and some of the situations the characters found themselves were absurd without feeling contrived.
Aside from Amanda and gruff, brusque Barnem, we also meet Donaldson, who is an all round nice dude who gets caught up in events when he moves into the apartment across the hall. Then there’s Petunia, Amanda’s well-to-do, snobby younger sister who decides to barge into her life uninvited. They’re all entertaining with great chemistry and I found myself getting pretty attached to each of them in turn. Suddenly Amanda is not only dealing with demons, angels, cults, and evil politicians, but a social life she doesn’t want. It’s not always easy to tell which of these things is causing her the most distress.
The pacing is fast, shifting gear into to breakneck – at first Amanda and Barnem hunt down a couple of shades, kill them, and have her weird roommate absorb their remains, becoming more powerful (and a bit more of a handful each time), but as the story progresses the stakes increase and the shades grow more desperate and dangerous. When one of the shades possesses a celebrity with power and influence, things get turned up to 11 and it becomes a truly addictive read. All the characters get involved and each brings something different to the table, and once they do it’s hugely entertaining.
I’d also like to point out that if one of your pet peeves is male gaze (as someone who reads a metric buttload of fantasy, I admit it has become one of mine), this is one hell of a breath of fresh air – it is completely absent. There’s a little bit of romance that’s actually super cute, but I promise you at no point will Amanda look in a mirror and rate her own attractiveness or become preoccupied with her own tits or anything of the sort. In fact, it just kind of doesn’t come up at all. For me, that’s a big check in the plus column. I think the main impression I came away with was that it was a fantastically easy read, funny and comical and didn’t take itself too seriously. However, I don’t think it’s for everyone – there’s a fair bit of poking fun at religion, which some people might dislike (if you didn’t like the movie Dogma for that reason, you might want to pass on this). The way the Shades work is a little spotty, and I didn’t feel like I fully understood it until around the halfway mark, which I don’t think the author intended. The main one, however, is the graphic violence – for me this was pretty comical, Army of Darkness type over the top grimness which I didn’t mind, but it’s pretty gruesome in places and some readers might find it difficult to stomach. I’m not normally an Urban Fantasy gal, but I think it was a fantastic ride and I’ll be looking forward to the next entry.
And that’s just for starters.
This was a fast-paced and smart novel that I found myself really enjoying, which seemed to take its influences from a lot of different sources. It felt almost like a book version of some of the urban fantasy/SF TV shows and movies that I enjoyed a great deal in the 80s and 90s – the satirical lampooning of adverts and TV wouldn’t have been out of place in Robocop or Total Recall, and had me snorting with amusement in public way too many times. Leyva’s version of The Bachelor (here it’s called The Stud) receives the lion’s share of the mocking, with the women put through such trials as having ultrasounds of their uteruses examined and rated out of 10. The humor throughout the book is a definite strength – the dialogue is clever and frequently hilarious, and some of the situations the characters found themselves were absurd without feeling contrived.
Aside from Amanda and gruff, brusque Barnem, we also meet Donaldson, who is an all round nice dude who gets caught up in events when he moves into the apartment across the hall. Then there’s Petunia, Amanda’s well-to-do, snobby younger sister who decides to barge into her life uninvited. They’re all entertaining with great chemistry and I found myself getting pretty attached to each of them in turn. Suddenly Amanda is not only dealing with demons, angels, cults, and evil politicians, but a social life she doesn’t want. It’s not always easy to tell which of these things is causing her the most distress.
The pacing is fast, shifting gear into to breakneck – at first Amanda and Barnem hunt down a couple of shades, kill them, and have her weird roommate absorb their remains, becoming more powerful (and a bit more of a handful each time), but as the story progresses the stakes increase and the shades grow more desperate and dangerous. When one of the shades possesses a celebrity with power and influence, things get turned up to 11 and it becomes a truly addictive read. All the characters get involved and each brings something different to the table, and once they do it’s hugely entertaining.
I’d also like to point out that if one of your pet peeves is male gaze (as someone who reads a metric buttload of fantasy, I admit it has become one of mine), this is one hell of a breath of fresh air – it is completely absent. There’s a little bit of romance that’s actually super cute, but I promise you at no point will Amanda look in a mirror and rate her own attractiveness or become preoccupied with her own tits or anything of the sort. In fact, it just kind of doesn’t come up at all. For me, that’s a big check in the plus column. I think the main impression I came away with was that it was a fantastically easy read, funny and comical and didn’t take itself too seriously. However, I don’t think it’s for everyone – there’s a fair bit of poking fun at religion, which some people might dislike (if you didn’t like the movie Dogma for that reason, you might want to pass on this). The way the Shades work is a little spotty, and I didn’t feel like I fully understood it until around the halfway mark, which I don’t think the author intended. The main one, however, is the graphic violence – for me this was pretty comical, Army of Darkness type over the top grimness which I didn’t mind, but it’s pretty gruesome in places and some readers might find it difficult to stomach. I’m not normally an Urban Fantasy gal, but I think it was a fantastic ride and I’ll be looking forward to the next entry.
dnf-gave-up-on-not-for-me
March 12, 2018***Note: I received a copy curtesy of Netgalley and Black Spot Books in exchange for an honest review.
I won't give it a star rating because I dropped it at 10%, as this is so so clearly not my cup of anything. Neither the writing, nor the action managed to get to me, despite the fact that the synopsis seemed very attractive to me..
I won't give it a star rating because I dropped it at 10%, as this is so so clearly not my cup of anything. Neither the writing, nor the action managed to get to me, despite the fact that the synopsis seemed very attractive to me..
February 5, 2018
So, despite my five star rating, this may not be the book for you.
You have cursing (lots of it), gruesome violence (lots of it), just general weirdness (a whole freaking lot of it), and snark (pretty much the entire book).
Added to the above mentioned virtues (lol - no, not vices), you've got a rocking adventure of a story that made me smile more than once, laugh out loud (literally a few times), and snort unattractively (many, many times).
I loved our main character. Somehow, our author managed to make her snarky without making her sound like a teenager. D was beyond awesome and even the Pope made me laugh. (Note: if you can't take a rather tongue in cheek view of religion, you might want to skip.)
My first reaction when I started reading it could best be described as a rather stunned what-the-heck-am-I-reading expression, but the book quickly became just pure fun.
So, probably not for everyone (because severed body parts), but definitely for me!
-ARC Provided via Net Galley
You have cursing (lots of it), gruesome violence (lots of it), just general weirdness (a whole freaking lot of it), and snark (pretty much the entire book).
Added to the above mentioned virtues (lol - no, not vices), you've got a rocking adventure of a story that made me smile more than once, laugh out loud (literally a few times), and snort unattractively (many, many times).
I loved our main character. Somehow, our author managed to make her snarky without making her sound like a teenager. D was beyond awesome and even the Pope made me laugh. (Note: if you can't take a rather tongue in cheek view of religion, you might want to skip.)
My first reaction when I started reading it could best be described as a rather stunned what-the-heck-am-I-reading expression, but the book quickly became just pure fun.
So, probably not for everyone (because severed body parts), but definitely for me!
-ARC Provided via Net Galley
June 12, 2018
Actual rating: 3.25
The review can be find here too: starlitbook.com/2018/06/12/and-then-t...
I received an ARC through Netgalley, so I’d like to thank Alcy Leyva and Smith Publicity for providing me a copy.
Amanda Grey lives in New York and does her best to avoid people and the outside world as much as possible. Until her parents go on a vacation and leave her to her own devices: thus she has no choice but prepare her own food, and face the reality of rent paying. On which her parents are weeks late. What does an antisocial girl do in this situation? Puts up a Craiglists ad looking for a roommate. Turns out this isn’t the most clever thing to do. She not only manages to end up living with a demon but also sets free a bunch of Shades who wreak all kind of havoc throughout New York City. Animal heads are being hung up on wires like lampions on a summer night, strange cultish groups appear, the Mayor’s brother who works as a Pirate Captain in a children’s TV show goes crazy and decides it’s time to “Make New York Nice Again”.
Not having any other chance she, her upper neighbour – who happens to be a Seraph – and the demon set out to fix the problem. If this wasn’t enough, Amanda’s little sister, Petunia shows up out of the blue after avoiding her family for years nursing her own little secrets, a cult serving the Darkness are bent on making her their goddess and the new guy in the building, Donaldson tries his hardest to raze Amanda’s walls to the ground. Which at one point in the story happens. Literally.
Amanda is a strong protagonist. For a while I wasn’t sure if I liked her or not. She is an annoying smartass with a sharp mind and even sharper tongue who’d like nothing more than being left alone finally, to battle with her own demons in peace. Then I realized she is like me in some ways and started to understand her. Readers probably won’t like her much, but under all the snark and hard shell she is vulnerable and hungry for love. She is also an unusual MC because you don’t often find books with a character battling with mental illnesses – depression, panic attacks, etc. She has enough on her plate already and absolutely doesn’t need any more shit on top of it. Not that she has any say in the matter. So she puts herself together and faces whatever that comes to her way.
The demon – D. – and the Seraph – Barnem – are also interesting characters. Leyva plays with stereotypes here making Barnem antisocial, cynic, grumpy who doesn’t really care about humanity all that much. D., on the other hand although practically forces his money on Amanda and so tricks her into accepting him as a roommate, saves Amanda’s life on more than one occasion. My favorite character, however, is Donaldson. The guy is loyal to a fault and pretty hard to intimidate or deceive with harsh words sounding like threats but actually being part of a defense mechanism built up by Amanda as to not let anyone close to herself. Their banters are pretty funny no less than Amanda’s and Barnem’s.
The characters, the story has the potential. So why the 3 stars? While this book is enjoyable in a this-is-some-seriously-weird-shit kind of way, you can’t help but wonder how much better this could be with some more editing. There are some inconsistencies, the writing is sometimes uneven and sometimes it’s not clear what happens. It takes time to wrap one’s mind around the Shades and how they actually work – this part needs a better/clearer explanation. It’s also hard to decide if this book wants to be funny/parodic or takes itself completely seriously and falls somewhere between the too – not funny enough but also can’t take it seriously either even though Amanda’s character is meant to represent this balance. The end is a bit rushed and probably too much things are crammed into this book. It’s like the author wanted to squeeze in as many sub plots as he could but it has the opposite effect as he aimed for.
The other issue with this book is the usage of acronyms like fyi (sic!) and TBD (which I have no idea what it stands for, to be decided maybe?) in dialogues. No one uses acronyms while talking – OK some acronyms are used that way, but FYI? Weird.
All in all, Then There Were Crows is a fast paced, enjoyable read – if you have a certain kind of humor and don’t mind some violence here and there. This is a rather dark, horroresque urban fantasy with unique characterisation and promising ideas. With some improvements here and there (editing, writing – see my complaints above) this series can grow into something good and worthy of attention all fans of horror, dark fantasy, urban fantasy and everyone in between who like their story with a good measure of snark and violence.
The review can be find here too: starlitbook.com/2018/06/12/and-then-t...
I received an ARC through Netgalley, so I’d like to thank Alcy Leyva and Smith Publicity for providing me a copy.
Amanda Grey lives in New York and does her best to avoid people and the outside world as much as possible. Until her parents go on a vacation and leave her to her own devices: thus she has no choice but prepare her own food, and face the reality of rent paying. On which her parents are weeks late. What does an antisocial girl do in this situation? Puts up a Craiglists ad looking for a roommate. Turns out this isn’t the most clever thing to do. She not only manages to end up living with a demon but also sets free a bunch of Shades who wreak all kind of havoc throughout New York City. Animal heads are being hung up on wires like lampions on a summer night, strange cultish groups appear, the Mayor’s brother who works as a Pirate Captain in a children’s TV show goes crazy and decides it’s time to “Make New York Nice Again”.
Not having any other chance she, her upper neighbour – who happens to be a Seraph – and the demon set out to fix the problem. If this wasn’t enough, Amanda’s little sister, Petunia shows up out of the blue after avoiding her family for years nursing her own little secrets, a cult serving the Darkness are bent on making her their goddess and the new guy in the building, Donaldson tries his hardest to raze Amanda’s walls to the ground. Which at one point in the story happens. Literally.
Amanda is a strong protagonist. For a while I wasn’t sure if I liked her or not. She is an annoying smartass with a sharp mind and even sharper tongue who’d like nothing more than being left alone finally, to battle with her own demons in peace. Then I realized she is like me in some ways and started to understand her. Readers probably won’t like her much, but under all the snark and hard shell she is vulnerable and hungry for love. She is also an unusual MC because you don’t often find books with a character battling with mental illnesses – depression, panic attacks, etc. She has enough on her plate already and absolutely doesn’t need any more shit on top of it. Not that she has any say in the matter. So she puts herself together and faces whatever that comes to her way.
The demon – D. – and the Seraph – Barnem – are also interesting characters. Leyva plays with stereotypes here making Barnem antisocial, cynic, grumpy who doesn’t really care about humanity all that much. D., on the other hand although practically forces his money on Amanda and so tricks her into accepting him as a roommate, saves Amanda’s life on more than one occasion. My favorite character, however, is Donaldson. The guy is loyal to a fault and pretty hard to intimidate or deceive with harsh words sounding like threats but actually being part of a defense mechanism built up by Amanda as to not let anyone close to herself. Their banters are pretty funny no less than Amanda’s and Barnem’s.
The characters, the story has the potential. So why the 3 stars? While this book is enjoyable in a this-is-some-seriously-weird-shit kind of way, you can’t help but wonder how much better this could be with some more editing. There are some inconsistencies, the writing is sometimes uneven and sometimes it’s not clear what happens. It takes time to wrap one’s mind around the Shades and how they actually work – this part needs a better/clearer explanation. It’s also hard to decide if this book wants to be funny/parodic or takes itself completely seriously and falls somewhere between the too – not funny enough but also can’t take it seriously either even though Amanda’s character is meant to represent this balance. The end is a bit rushed and probably too much things are crammed into this book. It’s like the author wanted to squeeze in as many sub plots as he could but it has the opposite effect as he aimed for.
The other issue with this book is the usage of acronyms like fyi (sic!) and TBD (which I have no idea what it stands for, to be decided maybe?) in dialogues. No one uses acronyms while talking – OK some acronyms are used that way, but FYI? Weird.
All in all, Then There Were Crows is a fast paced, enjoyable read – if you have a certain kind of humor and don’t mind some violence here and there. This is a rather dark, horroresque urban fantasy with unique characterisation and promising ideas. With some improvements here and there (editing, writing – see my complaints above) this series can grow into something good and worthy of attention all fans of horror, dark fantasy, urban fantasy and everyone in between who like their story with a good measure of snark and violence.
June 20, 2018
Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Isabella Stocka
Imagine your parents would leave you alone for more than a month to go on a holiday and leave you alone with no money to pay the rent. What would you do?
This happens to Amanda Grey in Alcy Leyva’s debut novel, And Then There Were Crows. Amanda has no job and does not know how she can gather enough money to pay the bills. So she gets creative and finds herself a roommate. Life in New York is expensive enough so a lot of people are willing like to share costs, including demons.
But before they could discuss any details, the demon tries to kill Amanda and she ends up killing him, which is exactly how she started the Apocalypse. Still in shock she learns that her neighbour Barnem is a Seraph—an Angel who’s job is to save earth from demons and prevent the Apocalypse from happening.
All of a sudden Amanda has a social life she never had before with many demons interested in her company and annoyingly, an angel who does not leave her side. Plus there’s also a new neighbour by the name of Donaldson who is moving in and he’s pretty interested in her. Well, why not live life a little if your soul is already doomed to go to hell?
Alcy Leyva does an excellent job with his debut novel, which is the first instalment in ‘The Shades of Hell’ trilogy. The novel is filled with sarcasm, which is incredibly enjoyable, with the combination of the difficulties of growing up and taking responsibility of your own decisions. You can easily dive into the intriguing and unique story, which addresses a large array of topics including politics, religion, anxieties and mental health, and how life is for a lone wolf.
As for our main character, Amanda realises that the only hope for humankind is to stop the bad guys with the way it all started: with herself. It can be easy to identify yourself with Amanda—she has to take care of herself for the first time in her life and she doesn’t know how to do that. To make friends? Impossible! How do others do that? To even trust them is challenging when your own sister does not have your back.
The story evolves is incredibly fast-paced that just after three pages, you’ll find yourself already in the middle of the story and won’t realise how quickly you were able to get there! This story can be best described as a mix of Carrie Pilby and Dogma.
As for our author, Alcy Leyva lives in the Bronx, NYC, and he is a writer and teacher. He has a BA in English and Creative Writing and a MFA in Fiction from the New School. He likes to write personal essays, poetry, short fiction, book reviews and film analysis which have been published in Popmatters, The Rumpus, Entropy Mag, and Quiet Lunch Magazine.
Imagine your parents would leave you alone for more than a month to go on a holiday and leave you alone with no money to pay the rent. What would you do?
This happens to Amanda Grey in Alcy Leyva’s debut novel, And Then There Were Crows. Amanda has no job and does not know how she can gather enough money to pay the bills. So she gets creative and finds herself a roommate. Life in New York is expensive enough so a lot of people are willing like to share costs, including demons.
But before they could discuss any details, the demon tries to kill Amanda and she ends up killing him, which is exactly how she started the Apocalypse. Still in shock she learns that her neighbour Barnem is a Seraph—an Angel who’s job is to save earth from demons and prevent the Apocalypse from happening.
All of a sudden Amanda has a social life she never had before with many demons interested in her company and annoyingly, an angel who does not leave her side. Plus there’s also a new neighbour by the name of Donaldson who is moving in and he’s pretty interested in her. Well, why not live life a little if your soul is already doomed to go to hell?
Alcy Leyva does an excellent job with his debut novel, which is the first instalment in ‘The Shades of Hell’ trilogy. The novel is filled with sarcasm, which is incredibly enjoyable, with the combination of the difficulties of growing up and taking responsibility of your own decisions. You can easily dive into the intriguing and unique story, which addresses a large array of topics including politics, religion, anxieties and mental health, and how life is for a lone wolf.
As for our main character, Amanda realises that the only hope for humankind is to stop the bad guys with the way it all started: with herself. It can be easy to identify yourself with Amanda—she has to take care of herself for the first time in her life and she doesn’t know how to do that. To make friends? Impossible! How do others do that? To even trust them is challenging when your own sister does not have your back.
The story evolves is incredibly fast-paced that just after three pages, you’ll find yourself already in the middle of the story and won’t realise how quickly you were able to get there! This story can be best described as a mix of Carrie Pilby and Dogma.
As for our author, Alcy Leyva lives in the Bronx, NYC, and he is a writer and teacher. He has a BA in English and Creative Writing and a MFA in Fiction from the New School. He likes to write personal essays, poetry, short fiction, book reviews and film analysis which have been published in Popmatters, The Rumpus, Entropy Mag, and Quiet Lunch Magazine.
June 28, 2018
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amanda Grey has always been stressed out by life in NYC from the train to public restrooms. For her, avoidance has always been a great policy. Luckily, the apartment she shares with her parents is a great place of refuge against the stresses of city life. She goes from focusing on dealing with her own demons to dealing with actual demons since she accidentally unleashed the Six Shades of Hell on her city, and there's the fact that she's rented out a room to a very real demon, who goes by D. If she wants to make it through this she's going to have to accept the help of Barnem, the guy who lives upstairs, who just happens to be a seraphim. Though to tell the truth, she can't be sure if Barnem is motivated by roommate loyalty or the wish to enslave all of humanity.
And Then There Were Crows by Alcy Leyva is a decent debut urban fantasy novel. This novel provides a good introduction to Amanda's world. Leyva's tone and writing style is quite addicting right from the beginning. The description alone pulled me in and as I read the novel I particularly liked his brand of urban fantasy and the sarcastic sense of humor. His storytelling also keeps up a decently fast pace, so the action never lags. As for the characters, my favorite was the anti-social Barnem. I will say that Amanda isn't exactly a likable character, but she is fascinating and comes very strongly across the page. She has a sharp mind and an even sharper tongue, and it's not exactly difficult to see yourself in her as she deals with everything that's thrown her way from the mundane to the magical. This easily could have been a four star read for me, but unfortunately I felt just a little out of the loop from very early on. I was starting to wonder if this was actually a sequel. However, once I started to get into the story and the author's style of writing I began to get into the swing of things, but I still wish some of the fantasy elements were explained better from the get go. Overall, if you're looking for an intriguing new voice in urban fantasy you may want to try Alcy Leyva's And Then There Were Crows. I doubt it's for everyone, especially our leading character, but otherwise it has many great elements to make it compulsively readable.
Amanda Grey has always been stressed out by life in NYC from the train to public restrooms. For her, avoidance has always been a great policy. Luckily, the apartment she shares with her parents is a great place of refuge against the stresses of city life. She goes from focusing on dealing with her own demons to dealing with actual demons since she accidentally unleashed the Six Shades of Hell on her city, and there's the fact that she's rented out a room to a very real demon, who goes by D. If she wants to make it through this she's going to have to accept the help of Barnem, the guy who lives upstairs, who just happens to be a seraphim. Though to tell the truth, she can't be sure if Barnem is motivated by roommate loyalty or the wish to enslave all of humanity.
And Then There Were Crows by Alcy Leyva is a decent debut urban fantasy novel. This novel provides a good introduction to Amanda's world. Leyva's tone and writing style is quite addicting right from the beginning. The description alone pulled me in and as I read the novel I particularly liked his brand of urban fantasy and the sarcastic sense of humor. His storytelling also keeps up a decently fast pace, so the action never lags. As for the characters, my favorite was the anti-social Barnem. I will say that Amanda isn't exactly a likable character, but she is fascinating and comes very strongly across the page. She has a sharp mind and an even sharper tongue, and it's not exactly difficult to see yourself in her as she deals with everything that's thrown her way from the mundane to the magical. This easily could have been a four star read for me, but unfortunately I felt just a little out of the loop from very early on. I was starting to wonder if this was actually a sequel. However, once I started to get into the story and the author's style of writing I began to get into the swing of things, but I still wish some of the fantasy elements were explained better from the get go. Overall, if you're looking for an intriguing new voice in urban fantasy you may want to try Alcy Leyva's And Then There Were Crows. I doubt it's for everyone, especially our leading character, but otherwise it has many great elements to make it compulsively readable.
February 26, 2018
When I first saw the plot and the title of the book, And Then There Were Crows, I found it way too intriguing. Once I received the book and started reading it, I found it rather absurd. The book was fine but it took me a long time to finish it because of its slow pace. Few instances I didn't even feel like ending it. Reading the blurb on Netgalley made me get excited, I thought the book would be different than the usual YA genre, but it was disappointing to me. The writing style was way too dull. The story tends to get a little tangled up at times, but in like a quirky and endearing way.
About the character, if I talk about the main character Amanda, she was a mess and I suppose that was the only aspect handled by the author nicely. A young woman coping with mental illness, but not in a sad-but-pretty way was something that made me pull on with the book. Although the plot or the idea about the entire book wasn't that bad the execution was horrible. It could have been written in a much better manner with a fast pace and intriguing structure. Other than that, the front cover was interestingly chosen including the title name. I suppose most of the bookworms would get this book just cause of its title "And Then There Were Crows" and the front cover kinda gives you the creep.
About the character, if I talk about the main character Amanda, she was a mess and I suppose that was the only aspect handled by the author nicely. A young woman coping with mental illness, but not in a sad-but-pretty way was something that made me pull on with the book. Although the plot or the idea about the entire book wasn't that bad the execution was horrible. It could have been written in a much better manner with a fast pace and intriguing structure. Other than that, the front cover was interestingly chosen including the title name. I suppose most of the bookworms would get this book just cause of its title "And Then There Were Crows" and the front cover kinda gives you the creep.
July 14, 2018
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Black Spot Books and Smith Publicity through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*
A smartass main character.
A demon roommate.
An antisocial Angel.
Grouping themselves to try and save the world.
Indeed, "And Then There Were Crows" is a bizarre, yet interesting urban fantasy novel which takes readers to an adventure of saving the world from the apocalypse.
The story started when Amada Grey accidentally rented a room to a demon and unleashed six Shades from Hell. With the help of her upstairs neighbor, who turned out to be a seraphim, and her now demon roommate, this unimaginable trio are now responsible to catch the Shades while facing shenanigans of New York City.
The first reaction when I was reading this novel is, "What the heck am I reading?" It completely caught me off guard even when I read the synopsis. This is so far the weirdest book I've ever read. It has a lot of cursing, gruesome violence, and hilarious banters of the characters. Therefore, this book isn't for everyone. Luckily, this kind of weird is my thing.
The writing style and tone are simple and quite addicting. The plot is unpredictable. I honestly didn't know where the story was going and I can't even guess how the story would end. The curiosity built by the plot made me read the book until the very end.
For me, the best thing about this book is the characters. Amanda is a feisty and unusual protagonist. She is smart and has a sharp tongue and always want to be left alone to fight her own demons. She always pushes people who care about her away from her as her defense mechanism. However, behind that facade masked a girl who needs love and affection. Despite all that, she strongly faces whatever challenge to survive. Next are D and Barnem. Both are complex and gray. D is a demon but saves Amanda in times of perils. The motives of his actions are not clearly defined until the end of the book. On the other hand, Barnem is an angel who supposed to be helping humans. However, he doesn't really care much about humanity and just still helps Amanda to defeat the other demons.
The only issue that I have with this book is the thing about the Shades isn't explained well. It would have taken almost half of the book before I completely grasped about how the Shades worked.
Overall, "And Then There Were Crows" has interesting elements which makes it an enjoyable read.
I give this book 4/5 stars!
A smartass main character.
A demon roommate.
An antisocial Angel.
Grouping themselves to try and save the world.
Indeed, "And Then There Were Crows" is a bizarre, yet interesting urban fantasy novel which takes readers to an adventure of saving the world from the apocalypse.
The story started when Amada Grey accidentally rented a room to a demon and unleashed six Shades from Hell. With the help of her upstairs neighbor, who turned out to be a seraphim, and her now demon roommate, this unimaginable trio are now responsible to catch the Shades while facing shenanigans of New York City.
The first reaction when I was reading this novel is, "What the heck am I reading?" It completely caught me off guard even when I read the synopsis. This is so far the weirdest book I've ever read. It has a lot of cursing, gruesome violence, and hilarious banters of the characters. Therefore, this book isn't for everyone. Luckily, this kind of weird is my thing.
The writing style and tone are simple and quite addicting. The plot is unpredictable. I honestly didn't know where the story was going and I can't even guess how the story would end. The curiosity built by the plot made me read the book until the very end.
For me, the best thing about this book is the characters. Amanda is a feisty and unusual protagonist. She is smart and has a sharp tongue and always want to be left alone to fight her own demons. She always pushes people who care about her away from her as her defense mechanism. However, behind that facade masked a girl who needs love and affection. Despite all that, she strongly faces whatever challenge to survive. Next are D and Barnem. Both are complex and gray. D is a demon but saves Amanda in times of perils. The motives of his actions are not clearly defined until the end of the book. On the other hand, Barnem is an angel who supposed to be helping humans. However, he doesn't really care much about humanity and just still helps Amanda to defeat the other demons.
The only issue that I have with this book is the thing about the Shades isn't explained well. It would have taken almost half of the book before I completely grasped about how the Shades worked.
Overall, "And Then There Were Crows" has interesting elements which makes it an enjoyable read.
I give this book 4/5 stars!
October 13, 2018
A darkly amusing excision of mental illness, modern society, and American politics, "And Then There Were Crows" exposes the sympathetic humanity of our demons and the hellish consequences of our willful blindness to each other. A thoroughly modern, intensely urban post-mortem (pun intended) of our dynamics as individuals, as family members, as friends, as lovers, and as citizens.
February 9, 2018
I received a copy of And Then There Were Crows by Alcy Leyva from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was intrigued by the summary and really wanted to like this novel, but it was a chore at times to keep reading. The storyline could have been pulled together better and the characters (especially the main character) developed better. There were flashes of real goodness, but then the story would get bogged down or off track a little.
I would try reading another book by Alcy Leyva to see if the writing/storyline would improve with more experience, but I don't think I would recommend this novel unless further editing to tighten it up happened.
I was intrigued by the summary and really wanted to like this novel, but it was a chore at times to keep reading. The storyline could have been pulled together better and the characters (especially the main character) developed better. There were flashes of real goodness, but then the story would get bogged down or off track a little.
I would try reading another book by Alcy Leyva to see if the writing/storyline would improve with more experience, but I don't think I would recommend this novel unless further editing to tighten it up happened.
March 6, 2018
I received a copy of And Then There Were Crows by Alcy Leyva from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a pretty fun read. I mean, the amount of sass and snark in this book was off the charts. Leyva should probably be writing for Deadpool. Just sayin’.
The book starts off with our main character, Amanda Grey, trying to find a roommate so that she doesn’t lose the family apartment while her parents are on vacation. Grey is an anti-social weirdo who would rather punch you in the face and run away than talk to you. But she sucks it up and goes to Craigslist, cuz she’s gotta save the only home she’s ever known. And this is how her own personal (and literal) hell begins.
I actually related to Grey in a lot of ways cuz I also deal with GAD and panic attacks. When you deal with shit like that, it is a lot harder meeting new people and hiding out in your room is really appealing. It was cool seeing Grey grow as a person and learn to overcome some of that through the loyalty she felt towards her family. She learned that she can trust people when they say that they care and that she can depend on others (so it’s not the end of the world if she opens up a little bit. That’s what the demons are for). And of course she does all of this while being sarcastic as hell. Her inner monologue was hilarious and I wish I could think up amazing comebacks like hers.
I liked all the secondary characters as well (except for one, but I guess that was fine cuz they turned out to be a real dick anyway). Grey’s demon roommate, D, was probably my favorite. Even though he doesn’t talk for like the first half of the book, his mannerisms were enough to endear him to me. I even came to like Grey’s kid sister who also got a bit of development as well.
The plot was a roller coaster of gore and sarcasm. It was gross (in a good way), but also comical so it made all of the crazy stuff happening really entertaining. I feel like it would be a real awesome horror movie, like on the same level as Evil Dead. It has that same combination of disturbing and ridiculous. My only critiques are that the story lagged a bit in the middle and the plot got a little fuzzy, but the beginning was strong and the last third of the book really picked up. I felt like the fight scenes could also be finessed a bit cuz I found them a bit confusing at times. But overall, it was a really cool and funny read and I’ll be looking for a sequel.
This was a pretty fun read. I mean, the amount of sass and snark in this book was off the charts. Leyva should probably be writing for Deadpool. Just sayin’.
The book starts off with our main character, Amanda Grey, trying to find a roommate so that she doesn’t lose the family apartment while her parents are on vacation. Grey is an anti-social weirdo who would rather punch you in the face and run away than talk to you. But she sucks it up and goes to Craigslist, cuz she’s gotta save the only home she’s ever known. And this is how her own personal (and literal) hell begins.
I actually related to Grey in a lot of ways cuz I also deal with GAD and panic attacks. When you deal with shit like that, it is a lot harder meeting new people and hiding out in your room is really appealing. It was cool seeing Grey grow as a person and learn to overcome some of that through the loyalty she felt towards her family. She learned that she can trust people when they say that they care and that she can depend on others (so it’s not the end of the world if she opens up a little bit. That’s what the demons are for). And of course she does all of this while being sarcastic as hell. Her inner monologue was hilarious and I wish I could think up amazing comebacks like hers.
I liked all the secondary characters as well (except for one, but I guess that was fine cuz they turned out to be a real dick anyway). Grey’s demon roommate, D, was probably my favorite. Even though he doesn’t talk for like the first half of the book, his mannerisms were enough to endear him to me. I even came to like Grey’s kid sister who also got a bit of development as well.
The plot was a roller coaster of gore and sarcasm. It was gross (in a good way), but also comical so it made all of the crazy stuff happening really entertaining. I feel like it would be a real awesome horror movie, like on the same level as Evil Dead. It has that same combination of disturbing and ridiculous. My only critiques are that the story lagged a bit in the middle and the plot got a little fuzzy, but the beginning was strong and the last third of the book really picked up. I felt like the fight scenes could also be finessed a bit cuz I found them a bit confusing at times. But overall, it was a really cool and funny read and I’ll be looking for a sequel.
March 2, 2018
Do NOT read this book in public. You WILL get odd looks when you inexplicably burst out laughing at random moments. Trying to explain those moments to other people...can be difficult. Don't ask me how I know this. I just do. Anyway...
The world is ending, and it's all Grey's fault. All she did was run out of money and put an ad on Craigslist for a roommate. No big deal. Well, when that roommate happens to be a Shade host that tries to kill her 5 minutes into the story, things get complicated. Throw in an anti-social Seraphim, a crazed TV show host running for mayor, the pope, and some cultists...there's a big chance Grey won't make it out of this intact.
I loved this book. I went a little outside of my norm for this one and I am 100% glad I did. Started it late Wednesday night and finished by Thursday. Dark humor is a steady lifeline throughout the book and it makes the story move quickly.
Amanda Grey's growth as a character is beautifully done. She starts as a young woman with severe social anxiety--just the act of meeting a roommate seems enough to send her into a panic attack which is a running theme throughout the book. We see glimpses into the mind of a person with severe anxiety who pushes herself through it, forces herself to interact with "people" despite her aversions and grows into a person willing to die to fix her mistakes.
Given the cast and situations, this book reminds me a lot of "Good Omens" by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. The style of humor is very similar so if you enjoyed that one, you'll likely enjoy this as well. It's not the book for people who take their religion seriously, or who are easily offended by language or violence as it has a lot of both.
Overall: definitely recommend (and have recommended to like-minded friends).
**I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The world is ending, and it's all Grey's fault. All she did was run out of money and put an ad on Craigslist for a roommate. No big deal. Well, when that roommate happens to be a Shade host that tries to kill her 5 minutes into the story, things get complicated. Throw in an anti-social Seraphim, a crazed TV show host running for mayor, the pope, and some cultists...there's a big chance Grey won't make it out of this intact.
I loved this book. I went a little outside of my norm for this one and I am 100% glad I did. Started it late Wednesday night and finished by Thursday. Dark humor is a steady lifeline throughout the book and it makes the story move quickly.
Amanda Grey's growth as a character is beautifully done. She starts as a young woman with severe social anxiety--just the act of meeting a roommate seems enough to send her into a panic attack which is a running theme throughout the book. We see glimpses into the mind of a person with severe anxiety who pushes herself through it, forces herself to interact with "people" despite her aversions and grows into a person willing to die to fix her mistakes.
Given the cast and situations, this book reminds me a lot of "Good Omens" by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. The style of humor is very similar so if you enjoyed that one, you'll likely enjoy this as well. It's not the book for people who take their religion seriously, or who are easily offended by language or violence as it has a lot of both.
Overall: definitely recommend (and have recommended to like-minded friends).
**I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 2, 2018
Never look for a roommate on Craigslist! I repeat, NEVER look for a roommate on Craigslist.
“…the guy waiting on the other side of my door was about to bring the whole thing to another level. A screw up of literal biblical proportions.”
Amanda Grey can tell you just how much of a bad idea it is. Living in NYC with her parents in a small apartment, Amanda is left to take care of things while her parents are traveling. But suddenly she’s run out of funds and decides to find a roommate to help pay for rent until her parents return. But who would’ve expected her roommate to be a demon?
And Then There Were Crows is filled with demons, angels, the usual fight between good and evil, and Mordor nachos. With biting sarcasm and surprisingly relatable characters, Alcy Leyva’s book will have you dying of laughter with every page. Following Amanda’s struggles as she tries to save the world (which yeah, is kinda sucky) with the help of her demon roommate, Leyva walks us through New York at the mercy of ethereal beings.
I could not put this book down. Every bit of it was perfectly executed. Fair warning: your sides will hurt but it’s so worth it. I can’t wait to see what’s next from The Shades of Hell series.
“…the guy waiting on the other side of my door was about to bring the whole thing to another level. A screw up of literal biblical proportions.”
Amanda Grey can tell you just how much of a bad idea it is. Living in NYC with her parents in a small apartment, Amanda is left to take care of things while her parents are traveling. But suddenly she’s run out of funds and decides to find a roommate to help pay for rent until her parents return. But who would’ve expected her roommate to be a demon?
And Then There Were Crows is filled with demons, angels, the usual fight between good and evil, and Mordor nachos. With biting sarcasm and surprisingly relatable characters, Alcy Leyva’s book will have you dying of laughter with every page. Following Amanda’s struggles as she tries to save the world (which yeah, is kinda sucky) with the help of her demon roommate, Leyva walks us through New York at the mercy of ethereal beings.
I could not put this book down. Every bit of it was perfectly executed. Fair warning: your sides will hurt but it’s so worth it. I can’t wait to see what’s next from The Shades of Hell series.
dnf
April 9, 2018I'm pretty sure that this is a simple case of "it's not you, it's me".
I received an eARC of this novel so I'm most likely to try to read it again in the near future, because I really, really, really wanted to like And Then There Were Crows. A young woman, struggling with mental issues, unleashing creatures upon the city and trying to make up for her mistake by saving everyone? YES PLEASE!
But somehow, I didn't feel as engaged as I had expected to feel. I felt disconnected from... [insert main character's name]. Ohmygod I can't believe I forgot the main character's name... ANYHOW, so I felt disconnected from her and it all went a tad bit too slow for my taste? But I think I could really enjoy reading this book if I really took the time for it though, so that's exactly what I'm going to do. Just... Not right now....
I received an eARC of this novel so I'm most likely to try to read it again in the near future, because I really, really, really wanted to like And Then There Were Crows. A young woman, struggling with mental issues, unleashing creatures upon the city and trying to make up for her mistake by saving everyone? YES PLEASE!
But somehow, I didn't feel as engaged as I had expected to feel. I felt disconnected from... [insert main character's name]. Ohmygod I can't believe I forgot the main character's name... ANYHOW, so I felt disconnected from her and it all went a tad bit too slow for my taste? But I think I could really enjoy reading this book if I really took the time for it though, so that's exactly what I'm going to do. Just... Not right now....
July 23, 2018
“Well, Grey. Hell is other people.”
This book was the definition of chaos.
I honestly didn’t know how I felt about it, and really still don’t.
We begin with Amanda Grey, a smart-aleck shut-in in NYC who – in need of a roommate – ends up with a literal demon as a flatmate and inadvertently releases the Shades of hell.
What I didn’t understand from the get-go is why Amanda was being held to task for these actions, mainly by Barnem – the seraph who lives upstairs. She defended herself from being attacked by a crazy guy, and for the rest of the book was pretty much blamed for it.
I was a fan of Amanda’s narrative voice. It was funny and sassy, and I even liked the somewhat-erratic nature of it.
I fist bumped my reflection which, unsurprisingly, looked ashamed to meet me halfway.
That aside, what frustrated me about Amanda was that she didn’t really do anything for most of the book. It often felt like these characters were just floating along in a vacuum, and it was uncertain as to whether this was meant to be a parody, or just didn’t quite connect. It just didn’t feel as though Leyva created a through line. It was like this book wanted to have everything and be about everything, but didn’t actually land its point. There was just too much chaos and too much happening to actually get a grip on what we were supposed to care about. I also had to roll my eyes a lot at the inevitable rants about modernity and social media which seemed plopped in and rather authorial.
There were moments when Amanda’s world slowed down for a moment where I could see the glimpses of a character who could actually hold this mad-show together.
I didn’t want anyone to have any knowledge about me, not without my permission. It was like someone raking their nails against my insides.
In these moments I could really empathise with her, and I wish there had been some more concrete character progression. I think that the moments where Leyva delved into her mental illness were extremely powerful. I really appreciated the gritty and ugly depictions of her anxiety, and her panic attacks were incredibly visceral. The handling of mental illness was spot on, and it was great to see Amanda actually get to do some badass things whilst acknowledging the difficulty of her reality. Aside from the demons and such.
I really like Donaldson, and Amanda’s relationship with him – call it what we will. It helped to bring humanity to the situation, and to let Amanda be a bit more vulnerable. The moment D finally developed a bit of character, was when I felt the book really kicked off and began to let Amanda shine more.
I thought the ending was very rushed and it kind of let it down for me. I didn’t enjoy it all that much, and was actually kind of pissed off about it. THAT was before I realised this book had a sequel. I’m much more excited about the possibility now, as that would have been an awful final ending, but works well for a cliff-hanger.
As such, I find it very difficult to describe And Then There Were Crows . But, if you’re looking for a funny and zany, rather wild and even grotesque book then this odd urban fantasy might just be for you. It has a lot of potential, and I really hope the relationships are what are developed in the sequels.
July 22, 2018
I have been provided with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This book captured my attention just by the synopsis about the book. I was super excited to read it when I found out I got approved for the copy and more than willing to invest time into the book!
Unfortunately, I only made it about 10% of the way through before I decided to make it as a "dnf"
I'll start by listing the things I liked and then the things that I didn't really enjoy.
What I really enjoyed about this book was the writing style! The author has a great voice that she gave to the characters! I especially love reading characters that are really sarcastic and witty, I feel I can relate best to them. Finding characters like that can be hard sometimes, though, depending on the content of the story! I was pleasantly surprised when I opened this copy and began to read only to find sarcasm! It was very well-done!
Because of my first point, I really vibed with the main character, as I touched on. She was super intelligent and had a sort of laid back sort of attitude toward the whole plot, even though she was told the severity of the situation, which I found charming.I'm fairly certain I would've approached it the exact same way, if I'm being honest!
Now the things that made me want to put this book down are a little more difficult to explain. I feel like the book wasn't really mapped out well, it was hard to understand some of the choices that were made.
The beginning was strong! The first chapter had an introduction to the main character, but also a fight scene. I honestly didn't mind the intensity, but I wish it kept that intensity! All the sudden she has a Demon living with her, but I couldn't really figure out how that would serve the plot? A lot of focus was also directed toward that demon, a whole chapter, if I'm not wrong on that. So, just to clarify, the plot seemed to be a little confusing. I wish that it had a little faster of a progression into the main plot, instead o focusing for so long on this character who didn't seem to be important at that exact moment.
The second being that the character who is supposed to be a Seraph.
I was 10% in, but I still didn't feel like I even had a basic knowledge of who his character was. Like, at one moment he was described as appearing to be 50 years old and then in the next chapter, it felt like the author changed her mind and was setting him up to be a love interest. So, I was confused by that as well, as I feel the author should also have a read on their own characters.
All in all, I felt like it had the potential to be a good story! And, initially, I was hooked! It's just that there wasn't enough movement within the story, there was too much confusion, for me to remain as deeply focused as I would've liked to be.
This book captured my attention just by the synopsis about the book. I was super excited to read it when I found out I got approved for the copy and more than willing to invest time into the book!
Unfortunately, I only made it about 10% of the way through before I decided to make it as a "dnf"
I'll start by listing the things I liked and then the things that I didn't really enjoy.
What I really enjoyed about this book was the writing style! The author has a great voice that she gave to the characters! I especially love reading characters that are really sarcastic and witty, I feel I can relate best to them. Finding characters like that can be hard sometimes, though, depending on the content of the story! I was pleasantly surprised when I opened this copy and began to read only to find sarcasm! It was very well-done!
Because of my first point, I really vibed with the main character, as I touched on. She was super intelligent and had a sort of laid back sort of attitude toward the whole plot, even though she was told the severity of the situation, which I found charming.
Now the things that made me want to put this book down are a little more difficult to explain. I feel like the book wasn't really mapped out well, it was hard to understand some of the choices that were made.
The beginning was strong! The first chapter had an introduction to the main character, but also a fight scene. I honestly didn't mind the intensity, but I wish it kept that intensity! All the sudden she has a Demon living with her, but I couldn't really figure out how that would serve the plot? A lot of focus was also directed toward that demon, a whole chapter, if I'm not wrong on that. So, just to clarify, the plot seemed to be a little confusing. I wish that it had a little faster of a progression into the main plot, instead o focusing for so long on this character who didn't seem to be important at that exact moment.
The second being that the character who is supposed to be a Seraph.
I was 10% in, but I still didn't feel like I even had a basic knowledge of who his character was. Like, at one moment he was described as appearing to be 50 years old and then in the next chapter, it felt like the author changed her mind and was setting him up to be a love interest. So, I was confused by that as well, as I feel the author should also have a read on their own characters.
All in all, I felt like it had the potential to be a good story! And, initially, I was hooked! It's just that there wasn't enough movement within the story, there was too much confusion, for me to remain as deeply focused as I would've liked to be.
March 4, 2018
Although I enjoyed the blurb, I'll be honest and admit it was totally the cover that drew me to this one. I have a thing for corvids to begin with, but the cover and title were a definite advantage for me picking this one up.
It took me longer than I thought to read. The beginning is great and it hooks you, but soon I got tired of the endless metaphors and similies. Don't get me wrong, some of them were very clever and funny, but after the hundredth one it got tedious. I ended up putting the book down a few times. I did pick it back up and in the end finished the novel.
In the first half of the story our protagonist asks several times how she could screw up so badly, which is irritating because none of it is her fault. A couple of times the author lost me since I've never lived in, nor visited, New York city. His familiarity with the location is obvious but skipping over the details of where they were didn't detract too much from the story. There were a couple of places that only made sense after finishing the book that probably could have been given a bit more oomph had the narrator pointed out their strangeness at the time.
One thing Leyva did in excellent fashion was describing Mandy's mental health. As a sufferer of anxiety and depression I found myself wishing I could fist bump this novel in solidarity several times. This passage is especially resonant:
In the end I found this to be an entertaining read with a few standout passages, an interesting if not wholly original plot, a cast of sympathetic characters, and an abrupt ending that is disappointing though not unexpected.
It took me longer than I thought to read. The beginning is great and it hooks you, but soon I got tired of the endless metaphors and similies. Don't get me wrong, some of them were very clever and funny, but after the hundredth one it got tedious. I ended up putting the book down a few times. I did pick it back up and in the end finished the novel.
In the first half of the story our protagonist asks several times how she could screw up so badly, which is irritating because none of it is her fault. A couple of times the author lost me since I've never lived in, nor visited, New York city. His familiarity with the location is obvious but skipping over the details of where they were didn't detract too much from the story. There were a couple of places that only made sense after finishing the book that probably could have been given a bit more oomph had the narrator pointed out their strangeness at the time.
One thing Leyva did in excellent fashion was describing Mandy's mental health. As a sufferer of anxiety and depression I found myself wishing I could fist bump this novel in solidarity several times. This passage is especially resonant:
The point, Barnem, is that sometimes I feel fine and sometimes I feel broken, less than, possibly dead. Sometimes I hear so many damn voices in my head that I forget what mine sounds like. Sometimes I get so angry that I want to tear my flesh up to let out the pressure. Sometimes I fall so deep into my own head that I don't eat or shower for days.
In the end I found this to be an entertaining read with a few standout passages, an interesting if not wholly original plot, a cast of sympathetic characters, and an abrupt ending that is disappointing though not unexpected.
December 2, 2020
Thanks to the publisher for the copy in exchange for my honest review
I will say right off the bat that this won’t be for everyone. AND THEN THERE WERE CROWS is a fast paced read that has plenty of attitude and bite. I’m finally starting out where I should be with a series, at the beginning, this almost never happens because I rarely look to see if a book is in a series before starting. Seeing that book two is already out, I’ll definitely be picking it up to see where the author takes this!
We get a snarky main character, her demon (like, literal demon) roommate, and an antisocial seraphim make up our unlikely trio that are out to stop the apocalypse. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. I’m not one to typically pick up urban fantasy type books and I’ve never been the biggest fan of apocalypse novels, but this one worked really well for me! Plenty of attitude, comedy, but lots of gore and violence to go along with it.
We go on a great adventure with these three and it was a really easy and quick read. One that you can definitely finish in one sitting if you have the time. Again, I know this will not work for everyone because of the over the top violence/gore and at times it can feel like a more YA novel with our perspective of the main character. Some parts felt a little erratic and all over the place, but they were very far and few between for me. If the synopsis intrigues you, then I do recommend giving it a try!
I will say right off the bat that this won’t be for everyone. AND THEN THERE WERE CROWS is a fast paced read that has plenty of attitude and bite. I’m finally starting out where I should be with a series, at the beginning, this almost never happens because I rarely look to see if a book is in a series before starting. Seeing that book two is already out, I’ll definitely be picking it up to see where the author takes this!
We get a snarky main character, her demon (like, literal demon) roommate, and an antisocial seraphim make up our unlikely trio that are out to stop the apocalypse. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. I’m not one to typically pick up urban fantasy type books and I’ve never been the biggest fan of apocalypse novels, but this one worked really well for me! Plenty of attitude, comedy, but lots of gore and violence to go along with it.
We go on a great adventure with these three and it was a really easy and quick read. One that you can definitely finish in one sitting if you have the time. Again, I know this will not work for everyone because of the over the top violence/gore and at times it can feel like a more YA novel with our perspective of the main character. Some parts felt a little erratic and all over the place, but they were very far and few between for me. If the synopsis intrigues you, then I do recommend giving it a try!
July 14, 2018
***I received a free copy of this book from Black Spot Books and NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity.***
Amanda Grey needed a roommate so she placed an add on Craigslist. When a prospective renter showed up and tried to kill her she fought back and saved her own life at the cost of his. However, upon his death she unwittingly released the Shades inhibiting her attacker's body and they are pure evil.
Amanda is responsible for starting the apocalypse. She must try to stop the Shades that were freed to have any chance of saving the world. Then a new problem occurs. One of the Shades she released waltzes into her apartment with the rental contract from the guy she killed. She still needs a roommate. Even if it is a demon?
What comes next is a thrilling ride with a heroine dealing with social anxiety, everyday issues, and concerns suddenly becoming the MVP for the world. Throw in a lot of laugh -out -loud moments, "What just happened?" , no holds barred jokes and commentary, snark and sass, an interesting seraphim angel living upstairs, a romantic interest, a demon, a hoity-toity sister, and an evil cult or two and it just gives a hint of the fantastic story. There is also a good amount of cussing, violence and gore, too.
Are you still reading this review? Go get this book!
Amanda Grey needed a roommate so she placed an add on Craigslist. When a prospective renter showed up and tried to kill her she fought back and saved her own life at the cost of his. However, upon his death she unwittingly released the Shades inhibiting her attacker's body and they are pure evil.
Amanda is responsible for starting the apocalypse. She must try to stop the Shades that were freed to have any chance of saving the world. Then a new problem occurs. One of the Shades she released waltzes into her apartment with the rental contract from the guy she killed. She still needs a roommate. Even if it is a demon?
What comes next is a thrilling ride with a heroine dealing with social anxiety, everyday issues, and concerns suddenly becoming the MVP for the world. Throw in a lot of laugh -out -loud moments, "What just happened?" , no holds barred jokes and commentary, snark and sass, an interesting seraphim angel living upstairs, a romantic interest, a demon, a hoity-toity sister, and an evil cult or two and it just gives a hint of the fantastic story. There is also a good amount of cussing, violence and gore, too.
Are you still reading this review? Go get this book!
July 12, 2018
***I received a free copy of this book from Smith Publicity and NetGalley. Thank you for this opportunity***
Crosspost from my blog: https://entirelytoomanybooks.tumblr.c...
Sadly not as good as I expected but still a fun book!
It had several strong points, first and foremost how Amanda was written. She is an excellent representation of what depression and anxiety can look like–there’s no romanticising anything here! The characters were quite solid for such a small book in general!
The premise was interesting enough to keep me reading, however, I feel like the book might have needed more work. The writing pace simply wasn’t as engaging as the story demanded. The plot escalates from zero to maximum and then deflates equally fast. The summary also made me expect very different things. However, there were some excellent snarky descriptions in there that had me giggling.
There’s a lot of graphic stuff and gore from the very beginning so this might not be your cup of tea.
I hope the second one is better. I’ll definitely give it a look.
Crosspost from my blog: https://entirelytoomanybooks.tumblr.c...
Sadly not as good as I expected but still a fun book!
It had several strong points, first and foremost how Amanda was written. She is an excellent representation of what depression and anxiety can look like–there’s no romanticising anything here! The characters were quite solid for such a small book in general!
The premise was interesting enough to keep me reading, however, I feel like the book might have needed more work. The writing pace simply wasn’t as engaging as the story demanded. The plot escalates from zero to maximum and then deflates equally fast. The summary also made me expect very different things. However, there were some excellent snarky descriptions in there that had me giggling.
There’s a lot of graphic stuff and gore from the very beginning so this might not be your cup of tea.
I hope the second one is better. I’ll definitely give it a look.
June 10, 2018
The cover and blurb immediately drew me to this book and I couldn’t wait to dive into it. All I can say is that author Alcy Leyva must have a bizarre and twisted mind to have created And Then There Were Crows. However, I found the story to be just plain weird. Full of action, gore, demons, and angels I really thought I would devour this book. I liked it, but it took me a while to get into it. While it turned out to not be my cup of tea, I found Leyva’s writing style brilliant. The MC, Amanda Grey, was a snarky, awkward, introvert and I adored her. Leyva wove together religion, paranormal, and horror into quite a unique story.
February 4, 2019
Amanda Grey just wants to save her family home. Living in a small New York apartment, her parents not only left her alone, but left her an immense amount of money to watch the house while they're gone. As a twenty something year old woman, this shouldn't be a problem, after all she loves being by herself anyways. That is, until she gets months behind on the rent. That's when things start to pile up on her. It becomes just another thing to worry about, after attacking her, a man disintegrates into crows before her eyes.
Check out my full review here!
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Check out my full review here!
https://radioactivebookreviews.wordpr...
August 8, 2018
Gritty, hilarious, and shocking by turns. Leyva’s uncanny knack for writing deeply flawed characters sets this book apart from other works of its ilk, wherein the heroes are principled. Or driven. Or likable.
I loved the hyperbolic distillation of Leyva’s New York. The gleefully dystopian takes on the internet, reality TV, gentrification, and hipster culture create the perfect backdrop for the apocalypse.
Let Batman be the hero that Gotham needs. Amanda Grey is the hero that the city might as well not hinder, unless it would rather save itself.
I loved the hyperbolic distillation of Leyva’s New York. The gleefully dystopian takes on the internet, reality TV, gentrification, and hipster culture create the perfect backdrop for the apocalypse.
Let Batman be the hero that Gotham needs. Amanda Grey is the hero that the city might as well not hinder, unless it would rather save itself.
December 3, 2023
Loved it! Hilarious, dark, sarcastic, bizarre, and a deeply flawed protagonist who is supposed to save the world from a demon invasion?? What more could I ask for?!! My only issue (which is completely my own fault) is that I read the sequel before I read this book!! Now I have to reread the sequel since all of the characters will make much more sense! Fun entertaining read and I truly hope that Alcy Leyva has a third book coming in this series-I need a trilogy please!! For sure a favorite book of the year.
July 16, 2019
I found the beginning of this book very annoying, but it grew on me. The story is interesting, though outlandish, not really a problem for me. It just doesn't always make sense. There are weird jumps between scenes and things that are never explained at all. The ending indicates that no sequel would be possible and yet this is the beginning of a series. I liked it enough to go on to #2(because I have an eARC fron NetGalley), but this author has some explaining to do.
August 9, 2018
3.5 - Great writing with a Dogma like feeling of dark humor and social satire. You might feel like you don't know what's going on at some points but it all comes together as you go on, the characters were all really entertaining as well.
August 16, 2018
*I received a free copy from Bookcon. * The story/plot was really fun and interesting, but I just wasn't a fan of the writing style
It took me most of the book to like any of the characters.
It took me most of the book to like any of the characters.
May 25, 2020
Uneven pacing and somewhat murky character development, but the action scenes were well executed.
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