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The Unkindness of Ravens
What's worse than being ignored by your god? The oba is dead. Nobody wears the beaded crown. The Eight Great Houses are under attack ... and they are losing. As the royal heir from House Crow, Anari is desperate to protect his people from a plague-driven war. Without the blessing of his god, he doesn't have the magical power to compete in the succession battle for the crown of the oba. He is easy prey for the strongest heirs. To stay alive, he must be quick and clever. When his plans go wrong, he does the unthinkable. Worse is having your god owe you a favor. Particularly when he's a trickster. Anari might not become the ruler of his people, but he has won his god's undivided attention. If he can survive what he's put in motion, he will have one chance to save them all. Fortunately, Anari has a few tricks up his own sleeve ... The Unkindness of Ravens is an epic fantasy story about trickster gods and favors owed. This is a novella, so it is very short for a book.
156 pages, Paperback
Published July 17, 2018
5 people are currently reading
1413 people want to read
About the author
Abra Staffin-Wiebe
23 books50 followersAbra Staffin-Wiebe loves dark science fiction, cheerful horror, and futuristic fairy tales. Dozens of her short stories have appeared at publications including Tor.com, Escape Pod, and Odyssey Magazine. She lives in Minneapolis, where she wrangles her children, pets, and the mad scientist she keeps in the attic. Discover more of her fiction at her website, http://www.aswiebe.com.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 16, 2018
this was a very original novella, set in a high fantasy version of a west african country in which the gods are real, and one god presides over each of the eight houses. unluckily for anari, the heir to house crow and a contender for the throne, lord crow is a trickster god. luckily, anari has a few tricks of his own...
i liked the mythology a lot, although because this was a novella there was definitely room for development. although the plot was resolved, there still was a whisper of a suggestion that there might be a sequel in the future, which might expand on the world-building. i also really liked anari's character development from being a somewhat snotty high-class heir to understanding the plight of the lowest caste in the country, the Scorned.
overall, i'd say this was worth reading if you're into high fantasy, because it definitely seems quite fresh, and is a welcome respite from the twelve million high fantasies out there that draw off medieval europe.
i liked the mythology a lot, although because this was a novella there was definitely room for development. although the plot was resolved, there still was a whisper of a suggestion that there might be a sequel in the future, which might expand on the world-building. i also really liked anari's character development from being a somewhat snotty high-class heir to understanding the plight of the lowest caste in the country, the Scorned.
overall, i'd say this was worth reading if you're into high fantasy, because it definitely seems quite fresh, and is a welcome respite from the twelve million high fantasies out there that draw off medieval europe.
January 10, 2023
Trickster god! Trickster god! Trickster god!!!!
What a fun, inventive novella. A very cool fantasy mythology - highly recommend.
What a fun, inventive novella. A very cool fantasy mythology - highly recommend.
June 5, 2018
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a free, digital copy of The Unkindness of Ravens, in exchange for an honest review.
Fantasy is my go-to genre, as I've said time and again. And these days it seems that most new stories are focused on fae characters. So the magical world and characters in The Unkindness of Ravens are a welcome breach in the trend. The world building is close to reality and many words in terms of language and currency appear to be borrowed from indigenous regions of Africa and Middle East (to the best of my knowledge). In my opinion this makes the story more appealing especially to a wider, more diverse range of readers, however I did not see this discussed on any sites that I used to read up on the author and book premise before-hand and discovered it on my own upon reading the book. I feel that it is important to mention this here because it might increase the chances of a reader picking the book up as a potential read if they know their culture or values have been referenced (I certainly would be interested!).
The story is set in a country where the people are divided into Eight Houses ruled over by their individual gods; Crow, Raven, Horse, Hyena, Viper, Fox, Rat and Locust. Each house has further subsets called Bands and the members are marked with a tattoo on their right hand. Those who are unmarked are called Scorned; they are considered unpure and unfavored by the gods and are thus shunned in society {very reminiscent of lepers}. An Oba (ruler) is chosen from one of the houses during a brutal succession process between the royal heirs and then presides over all houses. The book follows the royal heir of House Crow, Anari, at the time of the death of the last Oba. Anari has decided to renounce his claim to enter the succession process for Oba however an assassination attempt sets into motion events that result in Anari going into hiding. He decides to use the battlefield as his cover. This is due to a war that his country has been fighting with another, whom they call as Infidels (as they do not share their gods). There, he suffers great loss which results in Lord Crow owing him a favor. This upsets Anari greatly as Lord Crow has never shown him any favor before this and now the trickster god owes him a debt; Anari must be careful how to use this, so he can achieve his goals without angering the god he owes everything to.
The writing is smooth and straight forward. I found the descriptions vivid without being overbearing and the characters well-rounded. They appear unique and the dialogue is simple and friendly enough to engage the reader and make it appear as though you've been familiar with these characters for a while. Some details take a little time to unfurl. In the beginning I would be unclear on minor points such as the hierarchy of the country, who were the Scorned, why they were shunned, why the war was being fought etc but all was explained in due time, and I was definitely intrigued enough to stick around and find out. Anari seems immature and annoying in the beginning (which are not traits I like to see in my main characters) but I believe that this may have been deliberate on the part of the writer as the story shows the extension and growth of his character through his thoughts and actions and by the end he certainly redeems himself as the sacrificing, noble hero that fantasies entail, while still being appropriately flawed and human. I definitely appreciated the exploration of his relationships with other characters (Kayin, his mother, Romesh and Rasee & her family).
One of my favourite things was how monumental his suffering at the battlefield was because usually in these scenarios the character suffers a minor inconvenience and is then saved by a new character and this is considered enough to be contributing to the plot but here the damage is severe and truly instrumental to the outcome of Anari's journey. Furthermore, the language used is raw and jarring which helps deliver the full effects of his ordeal. The book itself is a short read and this makes it great for some light reading without the commitment of a full series.
Overall, the narrative stands out and the conclusion leaves room for the story to continue (even perhaps from the point of view of other characters). If that were the case, I would certainly love to read it and hope to obtain a physical copy of this one when it is published.
Fantasy is my go-to genre, as I've said time and again. And these days it seems that most new stories are focused on fae characters. So the magical world and characters in The Unkindness of Ravens are a welcome breach in the trend. The world building is close to reality and many words in terms of language and currency appear to be borrowed from indigenous regions of Africa and Middle East (to the best of my knowledge). In my opinion this makes the story more appealing especially to a wider, more diverse range of readers, however I did not see this discussed on any sites that I used to read up on the author and book premise before-hand and discovered it on my own upon reading the book. I feel that it is important to mention this here because it might increase the chances of a reader picking the book up as a potential read if they know their culture or values have been referenced (I certainly would be interested!).
The story is set in a country where the people are divided into Eight Houses ruled over by their individual gods; Crow, Raven, Horse, Hyena, Viper, Fox, Rat and Locust. Each house has further subsets called Bands and the members are marked with a tattoo on their right hand. Those who are unmarked are called Scorned; they are considered unpure and unfavored by the gods and are thus shunned in society {very reminiscent of lepers}. An Oba (ruler) is chosen from one of the houses during a brutal succession process between the royal heirs and then presides over all houses. The book follows the royal heir of House Crow, Anari, at the time of the death of the last Oba. Anari has decided to renounce his claim to enter the succession process for Oba however an assassination attempt sets into motion events that result in Anari going into hiding. He decides to use the battlefield as his cover. This is due to a war that his country has been fighting with another, whom they call as Infidels (as they do not share their gods). There, he suffers great loss which results in Lord Crow owing him a favor. This upsets Anari greatly as Lord Crow has never shown him any favor before this and now the trickster god owes him a debt; Anari must be careful how to use this, so he can achieve his goals without angering the god he owes everything to.
The writing is smooth and straight forward. I found the descriptions vivid without being overbearing and the characters well-rounded. They appear unique and the dialogue is simple and friendly enough to engage the reader and make it appear as though you've been familiar with these characters for a while. Some details take a little time to unfurl. In the beginning I would be unclear on minor points such as the hierarchy of the country, who were the Scorned, why they were shunned, why the war was being fought etc but all was explained in due time, and I was definitely intrigued enough to stick around and find out. Anari seems immature and annoying in the beginning (which are not traits I like to see in my main characters) but I believe that this may have been deliberate on the part of the writer as the story shows the extension and growth of his character through his thoughts and actions and by the end he certainly redeems himself as the sacrificing, noble hero that fantasies entail, while still being appropriately flawed and human. I definitely appreciated the exploration of his relationships with other characters (Kayin, his mother, Romesh and Rasee & her family).
One of my favourite things was how monumental his suffering at the battlefield was because usually in these scenarios the character suffers a minor inconvenience and is then saved by a new character and this is considered enough to be contributing to the plot but here the damage is severe and truly instrumental to the outcome of Anari's journey. Furthermore, the language used is raw and jarring which helps deliver the full effects of his ordeal. The book itself is a short read and this makes it great for some light reading without the commitment of a full series.
Overall, the narrative stands out and the conclusion leaves room for the story to continue (even perhaps from the point of view of other characters). If that were the case, I would certainly love to read it and hope to obtain a physical copy of this one when it is published.
June 15, 2018
I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! (Sorry, had to get that out of the way before I went on.)
From the very beginning of The Unkindness of Ravens, Abra Staffin-Wiebe has you fully engaged in the world of House Crow and House Raven (two of the Eight Great Houses). I didn’t even realize how emotionally attached I was to two of the main characters, Anari and Kayin, until Anari is close to death in the first few pages…
I knew he had to live.
According to the description of the book, there was no book without him. And yet…
My heart was beating hard in my chest and I had tears in my eyes. Not only was I worried for Anari, but for Kayin (who I was both feeling mad at and worried for at the same time)! I couldn’t imagine this world without Anari in it and I couldn’t help but feel for Kayin…what would he do without Anari? What would happen if Anari died right in front him? I wanted to hug him and tell him everything would be okay and smack him at the same time!
This wasn’t chapters in where I’ve been given plenty of time to warm up to these characters, ya’ll…we’re talking the beginning of the story!
The description of both the action and the world is so artfully described that I felt as if I had left this world completely and been dropped right smack dab into the book. At one point, Anari is hiding in plain sight on a battlefield among the dead. I actually wrinkled my nose as if I could actually smell the rotting corpses. Here’s an excerpt from that scene:
"…He took shallow breaths through his mouth, but the stench of meat just beginning to go off wormed its way inside his nostrils. He swallowed down an upsurge of bile. He had expected corpses to be stiff, but lying in the heat for hours had made them soft and squishy. They could not be mistaken for living flesh. One of the corpses sighed against his cheek like a love. The fine hairs on the back of his neck stood on end…"
I could tell there were a lot of differences between each House. Each member of a House had specific traits, abilities, and tendencies. As you read through the book you learn more about the Houses, but mostly about House Raven and Crow. For much of the book, I kept thinking ravens and crows are so similar, why are there even two houses? (This was explained.) But I got chills when I read Kayin’s explanation to Anari of the difference between Crow and Raven:
"Crows like to flock. Together, they make a murder of crows. A group of ravens, called an unkindness, only comes together in two places: battlefields and graveyards, where the bones of men fall."
When I finished The Unkindness of Ravens, I was hungry for more! Not because the ending wasn’t sufficient, but because I feel emotionally invested in these characters and have a deep desire to want to learn what happens to them next.
I’m definitely going to need to pick up a copy of this book once it’s published!
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY FOR PROVIDING ME WITH A COPY OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW! (full review can be found on jesscombs.com)
From the very beginning of The Unkindness of Ravens, Abra Staffin-Wiebe has you fully engaged in the world of House Crow and House Raven (two of the Eight Great Houses). I didn’t even realize how emotionally attached I was to two of the main characters, Anari and Kayin, until Anari is close to death in the first few pages…
I knew he had to live.
According to the description of the book, there was no book without him. And yet…
My heart was beating hard in my chest and I had tears in my eyes. Not only was I worried for Anari, but for Kayin (who I was both feeling mad at and worried for at the same time)! I couldn’t imagine this world without Anari in it and I couldn’t help but feel for Kayin…what would he do without Anari? What would happen if Anari died right in front him? I wanted to hug him and tell him everything would be okay and smack him at the same time!
This wasn’t chapters in where I’ve been given plenty of time to warm up to these characters, ya’ll…we’re talking the beginning of the story!
The description of both the action and the world is so artfully described that I felt as if I had left this world completely and been dropped right smack dab into the book. At one point, Anari is hiding in plain sight on a battlefield among the dead. I actually wrinkled my nose as if I could actually smell the rotting corpses. Here’s an excerpt from that scene:
"…He took shallow breaths through his mouth, but the stench of meat just beginning to go off wormed its way inside his nostrils. He swallowed down an upsurge of bile. He had expected corpses to be stiff, but lying in the heat for hours had made them soft and squishy. They could not be mistaken for living flesh. One of the corpses sighed against his cheek like a love. The fine hairs on the back of his neck stood on end…"
I could tell there were a lot of differences between each House. Each member of a House had specific traits, abilities, and tendencies. As you read through the book you learn more about the Houses, but mostly about House Raven and Crow. For much of the book, I kept thinking ravens and crows are so similar, why are there even two houses? (This was explained.) But I got chills when I read Kayin’s explanation to Anari of the difference between Crow and Raven:
"Crows like to flock. Together, they make a murder of crows. A group of ravens, called an unkindness, only comes together in two places: battlefields and graveyards, where the bones of men fall."
When I finished The Unkindness of Ravens, I was hungry for more! Not because the ending wasn’t sufficient, but because I feel emotionally invested in these characters and have a deep desire to want to learn what happens to them next.
I’m definitely going to need to pick up a copy of this book once it’s published!
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY FOR PROVIDING ME WITH A COPY OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW! (full review can be found on jesscombs.com)
June 23, 2018
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! Spoilers will be tagged as such.
This was not a long book?? I mean, I didn’t expect it to be long for some reason, but it was really short. That was both positive and negative and I’d like to think the fast pace worked in its favor. If you have nothing to do for a few hours, I highly recommend this book.
There are eight Great Houses, let’s see if I can name them all: Crow, Raven, Rat, Horse, Fox, Viper (I forgot about Hyena and Locust).
What do we get in this story? Anari plans on not dying after the old oba dies and a new oba is chosen. So he goes into hiding somewhere. The end.
Anari is exactly what you expect from a prince-like character. He knows his own truth and that of his people and doesn’t think beyond that. Until he has to adapt (and he does so wonderfully). I feel like a proud mother when I think of him.
Kayin is his childhood friend but also a rival?? He doesn’t get to speak except in flashbacks and near the end of the book, so it was kind of hard to get to know him. Like Anari said it, both wanted best for their people, but they made different decisions in doing so.
Lord Crow is a trickster god. But also not really. He didn’t do much tricking as far as I know. If anyone did the tricking, it was Anari…
The Scorned were a colorful bunch!
I think the story could have been better developed, with more background information and definitely more about the relationships between the Eight Great Houses. In a sequel perhaps? Lord Crow said he wasn’t done yet with Anari and I hope we’re not either.
This was not a long book?? I mean, I didn’t expect it to be long for some reason, but it was really short. That was both positive and negative and I’d like to think the fast pace worked in its favor. If you have nothing to do for a few hours, I highly recommend this book.
There are eight Great Houses, let’s see if I can name them all: Crow, Raven, Rat, Horse, Fox, Viper (I forgot about Hyena and Locust).
What do we get in this story? Anari plans on not dying after the old oba dies and a new oba is chosen. So he goes into hiding somewhere. The end.
Anari is exactly what you expect from a prince-like character. He knows his own truth and that of his people and doesn’t think beyond that. Until he has to adapt (and he does so wonderfully). I feel like a proud mother when I think of him.
Kayin is his childhood friend but also a rival?? He doesn’t get to speak except in flashbacks and near the end of the book, so it was kind of hard to get to know him. Like Anari said it, both wanted best for their people, but they made different decisions in doing so.
Lord Crow is a trickster god. But also not really. He didn’t do much tricking as far as I know. If anyone did the tricking, it was Anari…
The Scorned were a colorful bunch!
I think the story could have been better developed, with more background information and definitely more about the relationships between the Eight Great Houses. In a sequel perhaps? Lord Crow said he wasn’t done yet with Anari and I hope we’re not either.
March 10, 2021
This novel follows the royal heir, Anari. He is from House Crow which worships Lord Crow. There are Eight Houses that each worship a different Lord and therefore have different physical and magical attributes and rules. The current Oba (ruler) is dying and a new ruler must be chosen before he dies. Anari doesn't want this so he decides to go into exile. While in exile he meets some infidels (enemies) and the Scorned (forsaken ones).
The characters were very well written. I liked Anari, in the beginning he is a spoiled heir who knows nothing about the people around him. He is forced to quickly grow and learn how to survive in his new role or die trying. The friendship between Anari and Kayin was well developed in such a short novel. I was worried near the end about how it would all turn out.
The plot was good with a nice blend of action and suspense. The ending surprised me, I really never saw this coming. Not only did Anari save two groups of people but he also increased the power House Crow will have in the future. The backstory was amazing with great detail given to the world at large. I loved reading about each House and their own intricacies. I wish there would have been more though as I really enjoyed this part of the novel best.
Thank you to Bimulous Books and Netgalley for the ARC. I would recommend this novel to all high fantasy fans out there.
The characters were very well written. I liked Anari, in the beginning he is a spoiled heir who knows nothing about the people around him. He is forced to quickly grow and learn how to survive in his new role or die trying. The friendship between Anari and Kayin was well developed in such a short novel. I was worried near the end about how it would all turn out.
The plot was good with a nice blend of action and suspense. The ending surprised me, I really never saw this coming. Not only did Anari save two groups of people but he also increased the power House Crow will have in the future. The backstory was amazing with great detail given to the world at large. I loved reading about each House and their own intricacies. I wish there would have been more though as I really enjoyed this part of the novel best.
Thank you to Bimulous Books and Netgalley for the ARC. I would recommend this novel to all high fantasy fans out there.
August 16, 2018
I received an Advanced Review Copy of this novella.
Stories about tricksters gods are among some of my favorite and the setting behind the story in The Unkindness of Ravens greatly intrigued me for this reason. I hope to see more of it in the future. There is a splendor and breadth to the background of the world we're introduced to that reminded me of the recent Black Panther movie. Hiding behind the plot is a country divided by houses backed by powerful godly patrons. We meet our main character Anari, royal heir of House Crow and his childhood friend and heir of House Raven, Kayin, as the story begins. And shortly the death of their ruler turns them at odds, kicking off the plot proper.
This is an engaging story, starting with the friendship between Kayin and Anari, and into the struggles of Anari, who is certain his god, Lord Crow, doesn't favor him. Following Anari through a botched assassination attempt which leads him into the heart of the Scorned and a surprising favor owed to him by Lord Crow takes a few surprising turns. I thought I might have figured out the ending before I got there and was happy to have been proven wrong. The story ends with what I hope is a promise for more in this world, whether it follows after Anari or not.
Stories about tricksters gods are among some of my favorite and the setting behind the story in The Unkindness of Ravens greatly intrigued me for this reason. I hope to see more of it in the future. There is a splendor and breadth to the background of the world we're introduced to that reminded me of the recent Black Panther movie. Hiding behind the plot is a country divided by houses backed by powerful godly patrons. We meet our main character Anari, royal heir of House Crow and his childhood friend and heir of House Raven, Kayin, as the story begins. And shortly the death of their ruler turns them at odds, kicking off the plot proper.
This is an engaging story, starting with the friendship between Kayin and Anari, and into the struggles of Anari, who is certain his god, Lord Crow, doesn't favor him. Following Anari through a botched assassination attempt which leads him into the heart of the Scorned and a surprising favor owed to him by Lord Crow takes a few surprising turns. I thought I might have figured out the ending before I got there and was happy to have been proven wrong. The story ends with what I hope is a promise for more in this world, whether it follows after Anari or not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2020
The Unkindness of Ravens is a riveting epic fantasy novella about a young heir traversing the upheaval of his life. When everything changes, he learns about the world outside of his limited experience.
Abra creates characters that are relatable and humorous. The ending of the book was satisfying, but left me wanting more stories from this world.
Abra creates characters that are relatable and humorous. The ending of the book was satisfying, but left me wanting more stories from this world.
March 7, 2023
Here's a cute whodunit with the added flavoring of literary references, mostly from the very same genre. Meet Greer Hogan, a "Girl Detective," as she calls herself, who likes honey and a nip of the spirit with her tea and hides her phone in her bra.
November 9, 2023
Interesting world!
This is a good story with a very interesting world. I’m looking forward to more books in the series to understand a little better how this all works, and to find out what happens next!
This is a good story with a very interesting world. I’m looking forward to more books in the series to understand a little better how this all works, and to find out what happens next!
June 13, 2019
A good short story. I liked the idea of the gods of animals and it felt sort of based on eastern myths. It did jump around a lot though and it could have been made longer, with more content.
September 29, 2020
Really great! The ending was artful and rooted in the characters. The world-building was rich without being overwhelming. And who doesn't love a trickster god?
May 28, 2025
I wanna see more of the world and all the different houses/bands
August 18, 2019
Really I think now Ruth Rendell has surpassed PD James as my favorite British mystery writer.
July 30, 2019
This was a great story. One of the best things I've read this year! Loved the mythology behind the Houses based on animals.
August 17, 2018
I received an ARC of this from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this Novella. It was a quick, light fantasy read in a world where different clans (?) are fighting for control of the kingdom once the Oba dies. These clans are separated according to specific animals who are their gods. Certain special members of the clans are offered the gods favour in the form of special powers, etc. And when there is a challenge for control of the kingdom, these favours come into play.
I really enjoyed the story and the characters. I wish there was more story to read since this was such a huge tease.
Please continue this story line because I need to find out what happens!
I really enjoyed this Novella. It was a quick, light fantasy read in a world where different clans (?) are fighting for control of the kingdom once the Oba dies. These clans are separated according to specific animals who are their gods. Certain special members of the clans are offered the gods favour in the form of special powers, etc. And when there is a challenge for control of the kingdom, these favours come into play.
I really enjoyed the story and the characters. I wish there was more story to read since this was such a huge tease.
Please continue this story line because I need to find out what happens!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews