12 new SFF books to put on your summer reading list this July
By Lacy Baugher
The Merciful Crow – Margaret Owen
Margaret Owen’s debut novel The Merciful Crow is a gorgeous fantasy epic full of rich worldbuilding, complex characters, and a story that will grab you from the very beginning and refuse to let go.
In the kingdom of Sabor, people are divided along complicated class and caste lines, Named after various birds – don’t laugh, it really works, each group is granted control over a particular magical Birthright, according to their status in the realm. Royal Phoenixes control fire. Pigeons are gifted with luck. Swans control desire, and Vultures are gifted trackers. The Crow caste ranks at the very bottom of things, possessing no magic and acting as undertakers and mercy-killers to those infected by a terrible disease known as the Sinner’s Plague.
The story follows Fie, a young Crow chief-in-training, whose group inadvertently helps Sabor’s crown prince fake his own death. But if they can help the Phoenix prince secure his throne against his (evil) stepmother Rhusana, he’s promised to help the end the persecution the Crows face on a daily basis. Will they succeed? It’s anyone’s guess, but the journey of The Merciful Crow promises to be a wild ride.
From the official synopsis:
"One way or another, we always feed the crows. A future chieftain Fie abides by one rule: look after your own. Her Crow caste of undertakers and mercy-killers takes more abuse than coin, but when they’re called to collect royal dead, she’s hoping they’ll find the payout of a lifetime. A fugitive prince When Crown Prince Jasimir turns out to have faked his death, Fie’s ready to cut her losses—and perhaps his throat. But he offers a wager that she can’t refuse: protect him from a ruthless queen, and he’ll protect the Crows when he reigns. A too-cunning bodyguard Hawk warrior Tavin has always put Jas’s life before his, magically assuming the prince’s appearance and shadowing his every step. But what happens when Tavin begins to want something to call his own?"
The Merciful Crow is available on July 30.