When my bookish Facebook friends ask the question of which “book world” I’d like to live in, Call of Crows immediately comes to mind. These women are snarky, mean, and completely batshit crazy, and they know how to have fun. It’s all about living, fighting, and fucking for them with their sisterhood as their constant anchor, knowing that no matter what they face, they will always have each other’s back. I highly recommend starting this series from the beginning, that way you won’t miss any of the fun.

The Crows are known to be the craziest and most unpredictable of the Nine Human Viking Clans. Unfortunately for all, they just figured out that the fate of the world rests on the most insane crow’s shoulders, Erin Amsel. I cannot tell you how excited the geek side of me was when I realized that the craziest most unpredictable Crow of them all was being sent on a quest to prevent Ragnarok (the end of the world) from coming.

I freaking adored Erin. She was such a huge asshole, it was almost endearing. You never knew what she was going to say or do, you just knew it was going to be the most dick-ish thing possible. Her favorite thing was to torment people, even those she loved. It sounds horrid, but let me tell you I found myself laughing my head off. Underneath all the sarcasm and lack of filters, though, was a loyal woman willing to do or risk anything to save the world, even if the task given was a long shot that was bound to end in failure and a probably horrific death.The Unyielding



Stieg Engstrom, aka the angriest Viking ever, suddenly finds himself stalking protecting the Crow that drives him absolutely up the wall, but someone has to keep her in one piece so she can save the world. He’s rude, stubborn, short-tempered, and has no use for stupid people. He also has a strange attachment to a goat named Hilda (not a pervy one… it just seems that way at first). He’s clueless as to why he needs to protect Erin so it was fun to watch him fumble his way through.

The romance between Stieg and Erin is the underpinning of the story, a slow burn type deal more than insta-love. But the true meat of the story is found in the quest. Erin is the only one among all nine clans who has a snowball’s chance of obtaining the item needed to permanently take care of Gullvieg, the goddess who wants to usher in the apocalypse. We not only get to spend time with beloved characters from the first two books, we get to meet all sorts of different characters, including various gods, dark elves, giants, dwarves, a dragon, but the weirdest of all were the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse!

The Unyielding was my dream fantasy book—a Lord of the Rings-type book with lots of snark, laughter, gratuitous violence and sexy shenanigans. I was in my mythological fantasy happy place. I only had two complaints, the first being it got a bit slow in the middle before Erin set out on her quest. The second one was the last paragraph of the epilogue. That was just plain cruel on Ms. Laurenston’s part. I was on such a book high, I decided to forgive her for that and bask in the glory of a spectacular and unexpected ending to a rollicking good quest. The fact that I’m already jonesing for the next book now has nothing to do with that last paragraph at all.

Rating: 5 Fantasy Happy Place Stars

This is one of the top most entertaining books I've read to date and Shelly Laurenston has just gained a new fan! I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't what I got. I adored this book. It had such a crazy and wonderfully, entertaining storyline with so many characters. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to keep up and learn who was who but I think I was just so drawn into the characters it really wasn't an issue.

The balance of creating a serious storyline and being able to mix humor throughout can't be an easy accomplishment, yet it was spot on. I can't tell you how many times this book had me laughing out loud. The humor was great and I never felt it was over the top. I can't do this story justice if I tried to explain it. Just know there are the 9 clans, humans, Gods, shifters, a dragon and even a goat plays a part. It's bloody and full of gore while they are all trying to save the world but I can guarantee you laugh just as much as there is fighting. I can't wait to go back and read the first two books in the series.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

This book had me laughing start to finish, Erin is hilarious! Any book that has you laughing so hard you snort is a winner in my opinion. I don't want to give away spoilers but the fight scenes are the best and I love the goat!

Shelly is a most read for everyone.

Solid addition to Laurenston's Call of the Crows series. It was entertaining and made for a quick read and I definitely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of her writing. It had the snark/humor she is known for and a nice dollop of romance. It also seemed to close a chapter in the series as far the "evil" they have been fighting the past few books. Not sure who the next "big-bad" is going to be but I look forward to finding out.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I could not wait to read this, so much so that I finally went scrounging for an ARC. This has the same witty and sharp dialogue as the first two books. The characterization for Erin is strong. She doesn't change throughout the length of the novel and what is frustrating about her also makes her useful.

On the other hand, Stieg is described as a very angry Viking, but we rarely see his anger. His characterization is somewhat flat. While we can tell that his affection for Erin may be growing, since we don't have a full glimpse into him as a character or matching up to his description... it is hard to accept the change in relationship, IMO.

I also did not expect this book to end in a cliff-hanger. For some reason, I thought this would be a trilogy. Nope.

There was significant character development in Kera, as a side character, which I enjoyed.

One serious complaint: at one point, Stieg and Erin are with the dark elves. Erin refers to one of the elves as "uppity". Given the long-standing relationship of that adjective to African American and black people, that word might as well have been in neon for how it stood out to me in that context. This is an issue I've seen before in Laurenston's books. I don't think it's intentional, but it is noticeable. A more sensitive editor would notice this.

Loved this book, it was fun having Erin the lead female character, I love her antics, she makes me laugh! It ended on a real cliff-hanger as well, can't wait for the next book!

Another Call of Crows book, and another review from me gushing about how much I love this series!

We finally get Erin Amsel’s book! For those who’ve haven’t been reading along I won’t waste time with too much summary, but the very abbreviated version is that the Viking Clans, who are each in service to a different Nordic god/goddess, have to work together to stop the rogue goddess Gullveig from bringing about Ragnarok (the Viking end of the world). It turns out that the only one who even might be able to stop her is Erin, and she has to go on a quest to get the tools she needs to do it. She’s aided by Stieg Engstrom, a grumpy, fierce Viking who REALLY doesn’t like Erin (or at least that’s what he thinks). Erin and Stieg have to journey to the very edge of hell while the Crows and the rest of the Clans have to prepare for a battle to save the world.

Erin, as we are repeatedly told by literally everyone in this series including Erin herself, is a dick. She loves to stir the pot, never hesitates to speak her mind, and has basically little filter between her brain and her mouth. She isn’t exactly malicious, but nor does she particularly care if what she says or does hurts anyone’s feelings. It has ensured nearly every other Clan can’t stand Erin, and even her Sister Crows want to murder her more often than not. (Don’t be alarmed though--pretty much everyone wants to, or explicitly tries to, murder someone else in these books at some point! These are violent, crazy fairytales!) I have totally enjoyed Erin right from the start, and it was great to see her own story. She is just so damn hilarious.

The things that I loved about the first two books in the series were what I loved most about this one, too. First and foremost, the female friendships are SO AWESOME. These women have each other’s backs no matter what. I especially liked that it’s clear by this book that the three heroines of the series (Kera, Jace, and Erin) have a particular bond, and watching them try to protect and support each other was so great. I also love the Norse mythology of the series. Probably my favorite is when we get to “meet” the gods and goddesses, like Odin and Tyr. They are so self-absorbed and ridiculous--Laurenston has taken all the outrageous behaviors from the myths and imagined the kind of being that would do such things. It is a total riot and so clever. The secondary cast of characters is also pretty amazing and add so much richness and comedy to the story.

And yet...there were a few things that bothered me. First, I wanted to learn a bit more about Erin. I wanted to know WHY she’s such a dick. We hear a little about her family and her death, but there’s just not much explanation. I know, it’s probably unfair of me to start wishing for more depth, because that’s not what this series is about. I just found Erin so fascinating and fun that it was hard not to want more. I also didn’t really understand Stieg. Frankly he was kind of forgettable even in the earlier books, and I still felt that way about him by the end of this one. Erin does certainly soften towards him in her own Erin-way, but I wanted a touch more to the romance, even though I know that’s not really what these books do.

Despite wanting a bit more from this book, I still had an amazingly good time reading it. It is funny, clever, and exciting, and I never regret spending time in the world of the Crows.

Grade: 4 out of 5

As per usual Shelly Laurenston has given us a fast paced, humorous story. The action is just plain fun and the snappy dialogue between characters is super funny. This is a great energetic read for those who like some action with their romance.

Magic, Mayhem and Anarchy rule but what else would you expect when Laurenston gives us Erin’s story.

Erin is the crazy, off the wall and completely unapologetic, Crow that we’ve come to love and she is coming up against their biggest foe by far, the goddess who is dead set on starting Ragnarok.

Don’t worry she won’t be doing it alone. When the poop hits the fan, everyone is surprised to see Stieg standing by her side…as well as all the other nine clans all come into play.

All I can say is, Laurenston wears her crown well, as the queen of satire, in The Unyielding. Off the wall funny, outrageous characters, exaggerated vice’s and quirks, we get it all and I ate up every morsel of it!

Let us not forget the action, romance and urban fantasy portion of the tale which perfectly balances out the rest. The romance between Stieg and Erin is slow building and more of a friendship that evolves…the perfect kind of romance in my opinion. The action is a roller coaster that flowed throughout the tale, providing that pulse pounding excitement. While Laurenston masterfully twists myths, gods and goddess into this marvelous contemporary urban fantasy you can’t help but devourer.

I received this ARC copy of The Unyielding from Kensington Books. This is my honest and voluntary review. The Unyielding is set for publication March 28, 2017.

My Rating: 5 Stars
Written by: Shelly Laurenston
Series: Call Of Crows (Book 3)
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Kensington
Publication Date: March 28, 2017
ISBN-10: 1617735132
ISBN-13: 978-1617735134
Genre: Romantic Urban Fantasy

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Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com

Another page turner from the world of the crows, hang on to your seats reader this is going to be a bumpy ride! What more could you expect when it's Erin Amsels story? Shelly laurenston and her alter ego G.A.Aiken have long been on my TBR the books just keep on giving coupling the worlds of fantasy, mythology action and romance they alongside the kick ass characters these books contain are for me an ultimate read.

Typical Viking. Male Steig Erickson has embraced the ways of his forefathers and loves his life as a Raven the Elite warrior clan of the god Odin he is tasked with protecting and saving the world, helping to stop Ragnarok and The end of times. However no one clan can stop Ragnarok each clan must work together. Unfortunately for Steig that means working with the crows and not just any Crow but Erin who is quite literally a fire starter in every way possible.

If you are new to the world of Shelly Laurenston and her crows I would probably advise avoiding reading the books out of order as there is a continuous story arc that runs throughout the series. The books are easy to pick up but believe me you will find yourself chomping at the bit to know more background and learn the other vikings stories 5 stars.

The Unyielding by Shelly Laurenston is the 3rd book in her Call of Crows series. This is a different type of series then Laurenston’s other two series that I read, but this one is equally as fun and wild crazy. I love Shelly Laurenston; she is one author I can’t get enough of, as her humor has you laughing so often, even if it’s totally crazy. Well in this case, I guess its fun to be crazy. Lol

The Call of the Crows series takes place in a modern day Nordic world with Gods, Goddesses, Vikings, Crows, Ravens, and Protectors. As I have said before, every character is wild, vicious, and crazy; but so much fun. This was an exciting action filled story about the world possibly coming to end with Ragnarak near. Whereas, much of this series is centered around the Crows, in this story, all the clans,and their gods play big parts.

The Unyielding belongs to Erin Amsel, one of the Crows we know so well. Erin is not liked by many, but she loves it that way; she is tough, obnoxious at times, enjoys being bitchy, but she is a great hardnosed warrior. Kera and Jace have been working long hours to find a way to kill the evil Goddess Gullveig, who is indestructible, before she causes the Ragnarak that will kill all humans and destroy the world. When all the clans meet, the conclusion is that Erin is the only one who can possible go into other realms and try to steal Sutr’s sword,which can kill Gullveig. The only problem, the chance of survival is slim, especially since she has to steal it from a mighty Dragon.

Erin is determined to save the world, even if she knows the odds are against her. Steig Engstrom is our hero, and a Raven, who also hates Crows, and Erin. But in a short time, Steig has been told to keep an eye on Erin, and keep her safe until she can go on the mission. Along the way, he slowly begins to respect and fall for her. It will be Steig, who will go with her to the forbidden lands, and they will help each other try to survive.
The first half of the book, is about Erin and Steig getting into all kinds of situations, but it also is about all the clans trying to come up with a plan. The last half is when everything is falling apart, for both the clans and Erin & Steig. The fighting on both sides were amazing well done, really violent, but hysterical at times, which relieves the tension. I can’t really tell too much more, since this is a difficult review to do, as despite all the tense action, great characters, bantering, and deathly situations, Laurenston has us laughing in between. Now how can I write about those crazy people? Lol You really have to read it to fully understand.

Laurenston has created a fantastic paranormal fantasy world, with her leading characters totally nasty or wacky, and we love it all. I will say the last third of the book had us unable to put the book down, and I loved the romance between two unlikely people, such as Erin and Stieg. They were great together. But then again, I loved Kera and Jace too, in the previous books. If you like fantasy, in a Norse mythology setting, filled with action, dangerous and crazy warriors or gods, and Laurenston’s unbelievable humor , then you need to start this series. Lastly, Thank God I found you, Shelly Laurenston.

The only way to describe any Shelly Laurenston book is madness, mayhem, and a bad ass heroine driving the crazy train. Her books always have those qualities yet every single one of them is vastly different from all of the rest.
This third installment in her Call of Crows series features the crazy known as Erin Amsel. She is thoroughly enjoying her second life. What’s not to love about being a Crow. She gets to fight evil and kick ass in the name of Skuld. She loves her sister-Crows. She loves antagonizing everyone and just being an all-around dick in general.
Follow Amsel. It’s not the most bizarre thing that Stieg has been tasked with as a Raven. It will probably be the thing that gets him killed though. He knows how crazy she is. He has experienced first-hand how violent she can be. He’s watched others suffer at her annoying personality. He still does it though. And that is how he gets to see the other side of Erin. The side he falls in love with.
The Unyielding is more crazy flight through a paranormal read than it is romantic paranormal romance. There is romance and a happily ever after but that’s not why you read this book. You read this book for the insanity that is involved with saving the world from power hungry goddess. You keep reading because while Erin is attempting to save the world from Ragnarok there is crazy cults, thug mobsters, and a mythological squirrel that would all like to see her dead. You’re also going to want to know how the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse come to the pages to eat yogurt at someone’s grandmothers house. The crazy is non-stop and simply a must read.
Stopping one goddess is bound to set of another god or goddess. This will of course keep a target on at least one of The Nine’s backs. I’m looking forward to reading more of the insanity that Laurenston creates.

Erin Amsel has been described as infuriating. Somehow, this resurrected-from-the-dead Crow has managed to piss off both gods and man alike. And she actually seems to enjoy doing it. Pretty much no one enjoys spending time with her, even Stieg Engstrom so he's not especially happy to have been assigned to following her around to the hottest clubs in town.
It's not as if Stieg is a happy guy on a regular day anyway. He's often described as the angriest viking ever. But the more time that he spends with her, the more he is attracted to her. And he wants to have her back when it turns out she's the only one who can help save the world from the coming apocalypse. It's going to be up to both of them to dive into hell and be able to still come up swinging.

I honestly couldn't see why Erin would be pissing people off. I also wanted to know more about both her and Stieg's backgrounds. We got a gloss but no further explanations. And the same for their eventual trip to retrieve and object that would help stop the end of the world. It was supposed to be an epic journey but went REALLY fast. And I couldn't decide if I was amused or not how much Nidhogg was modeled on movie-Smaug. But I did like their romance, even with the danger boner and I especially liked the fighting with the crazy She-Elf. I would suggest new readers start at the beginning of the series but I think regular readers will quite enjoy this books.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out March 28

Shelly Laurenston is known for her witty dialogues, diverse characters, and hilarious and funny situations. I’ve loved her Pride series and Dragon Kin series under her pseudonym G.A. Aiken.
When she announced that she was done with her Pride series I was crushed!!!
But I shouldn’t have worried.
Call of Crows was born.
This series is COMPLEX!!!
So many characters from different mythologies are all wrapped up in one book.
Norse mythology has many different gods. Add their followers and the end result is complex and layered. Some of those followers had special powers, other were shifters. Norse Gods loved to cause trouble as entertainment. Groups of supporters like the Crows and the Ravens served different gods but were friendly enough not to kill each other on sight.

The series had a continuous arc, so jumping in by picking up this book might not be a good idea. Grab book 1 instead and enjoy the ride from the beginning!!!

At the beginning of the book Erin and Stieg had nothing in common. Erin was a Crow and Stieg a viking, part of the Raven clan. When it all started out, hundreds of years ago, their groups killed each other, maybe not that long ago, because they were all still very much interested in killing people. But at that time long ago everyone pretty much killed everyone else. And since many of the Norse Gods followers were immortal in this realm, they came back to do it again – YAY!!!
That’s what Erin found out first hand, she was killed with a bullet to the head. Since that didn’t kill her, the guy who did the shooting in the first place was now after her to finish the job.
Unbeknownst to her she was the only one that could safe the world.
But Erin, was known for being in the middle of chaos, not only that – she often instigated chaos. To keep her alive poor Stieg had to play babysitter – which of course didn’t go down smoothly.
Even so Erin was a thorn in Stieg’s life, he decided that with all the chaos she attracted it might be better if he kept an eye one her. Erin a snarky and witty spitfire of a women turned Stieg’s orderly life upside down.
It was very funny to see those two interact.
Erin and Stieg were quite the opposites, but the saying ‘opposites attract’ pretty much was coined for this couple. Chaos loving Erin and the more shy and quite Stieg were drawn to each other if they liked it or not.
All the other characters from book 1 and 2 were present as well. The story unfolded in quick succession, with interludes from gods, and other leaders that kept my head spinning.
Erin and Stieg didn’t seem to have chemistry at all at the beginning, instead it slowly and steady grew throughout the book. Somehow those two made it work.
The Unyielding was highly entertaining, with a complex cast and intriguing plot.
I would say it was a great addition to an already great series.


review published on March 17th on all platforms except Amazon

OMG! This book was amazing! The characters were amazing, crazy, had a great sense of humor that made me laughing a couple of times. I love the relationships between all the characters. Erin and Stieg were a great duo and perfect for each other. I love the ending because it ended with what the whole series is about. Crows being bad asses fighting till the end. I love that it ended like that. I love parties. A MUST READ!

Review will be posted to Amazon.com on March 28 release date:

Laurenston continues to dominate the snarky humor niche of the paranormal romance genre. Her characters are outrageous and gloriously over the top, with human attitudes which make them relatable for readers. I received an advance copy through NetGalley, but had already clicked the purchase button as soon as the title showed up on Amazon because Laurenston (and her pseudonym, G.A. Aiken, are autobuys). I can't wait to read the next adventure of the Crows!

The Crows are back for the third installment of the series, and I think this is my favorite thus far. This series is action-packed and full of Norse Gods and their minions that kind of protect humans, but not really. These crazy warriors are all about the glory of battle, and are somewhat single-minded in that focus. They are mostly violent vikings who like to fight, fly, screw and eat. The minions are split into clans based on the god they serve... the Crows serving Skuld and the Ravens serving Odin. The Norse Gods don't feature overmuch in the series, but seem to pop in and cause trouble from time to time.

The heroine of this installment is my favorite female character of the series - Erin Amsell. After Erin was shot in the head by a mobster, Skuld offered her a second life full of fighting and vengeance where she would never have to run away again. It's too bad Skuld couldn't say that Erin would never get shot in the head again - because that seems to happen annoyingly often. Erin is a petite curvy spitfire, with fiery red hair to match. She is a sarcastic smartass to the extreme and just loves to get under people's skin. Combining this with her apparent lack of fear has caused most people to brand her as totally insane. I couldn't get enough of her. She cracked me up to no end - I loved her crazy zany smartass antics.

By chance, Erin is paired up with Stieg Engstrom, the angriest Viking ever. Stieg is a Raven, and their clan is only slightly less-hated than the Crows. This particular viking is always grumpy, but hilariously so. Most of his brothers and the Crows view him as "that poor boy" due to his difficult childhood, but it doesn't seem to bother him and he uses it to his advantage at times. He also has an odd soft spot for animals, and is currently hosting a pet goat in his apartment. It was so easy for Erin to ruffle his feathers, and I loved their banter and fighting.

This series does have a continuing story arc, so I recommend you read the books in order. In this installment, the clans are trying to find a way to kill the goddess Gullveig for good. But when it all comes down to Erin being the only option for the quest, they all think they are doomed. Erin takes it all in stride, much like everything else - and just wants to GET ON WITH IT ALREADY. Her never-ending lack of energy and ADHD tendencies were endearing and funny, and her love for being a viking just added to that.

This series is told from multiple POVs, so I recommend reading it instead of listening in audio. I did the first book in audio and was easily confused as to who was doing what... but it's much easier to comprehend when reading. There are times that things are bouncing around so fast that you will miss something if you blink... but I found it easier to gloss over those areas in print. I basically didn't want anything to slow my reading momentum as I enjoy the fast pace. This is a story that is somewhat shallow - don't expect a ton of character development or depth - they are here purely for our entertainment. And what grand entertainment they are.

This book ended up being just what I needed - an abundance of action and humor to keep me entertained. The humor reminded me of some of the dragon books that this author writes under the G.A. Aiken pen name, and I hope this series continues for a while into the future.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Kensington.

What can you say about these books? They are pure insanity with a plot that is equally insane but pulls you in for a engaging story that requires you to give up any semblance of reality.

Erin and Stieg make a great couple since they can't decide if they hate each other or just can't stand to be away from each other for the majority of this book which leads to some really great dialog and some really weird situations (like the goat).

I can keep this short , if you enjoy the DragonKin books you will love it, if you can be entertained by insanity taken to the extreme, this is your book. If anything resembling normal and reality is a requirement, then you might want to move on. As for myself I was loving it and it gave me a very enjoyable couple of days reading.

4 Stars

Four and a half
This book finally closes the arc that sees a Goddess trying to start Ragnarok and finish off the world as we know it. Now you just know that this has to be the ending to surpass all expectations and with the heroine chosen here it's a glorious, inspired and yes ever so slightly insane choice. The most irritating, snarky and downright infuriating Erin is about to show everyone just why she loves being a Crow so much. Previously we've seen her vexing and bothering just about everyone but her almost manic desire for trouble simply knows no bounds and yet her loyalty is never in question.
Stig isn't sure what it is about Erin that grabs him but she clearly needs watching, hmm maybe a bodyguard wouldn't be such a bad idea or then again perhaps a psychiatrist is what she needs? Still the more time he spends around her the more he starts to almost understand what drives her. So when it's clear that only someone with Erin's special talents can retrieve something that just might help solve the problem of Gullveig he's alpha enough to step back and let Erin do what she does best and that's definitely raise hell ! But oops in the world of the Nine Clans there's always going to be someone who likes to meddle!
Ok I sincerely hope that I've expressed just how maddening Erin is because SHE IS! Totally unapologetic about it and yet she just gets things done. The romance with Stig is there but it's not exactly front and centre but a slow build as they each get under each other's skin. Now I did enjoy their interactions but for this reader the quest was the highlight of the book and I'm sorry but it was far to short ! So much action and adventure takes place with amazing descriptions and wow the creatures introduced were simply fantastic but yep you just know Erin hasn't finished grating on everyone and there's a rather large foe who learns just how annoying she can be!
If you love over the top and downright crazy characters then this series has them in spades. The humour is pretty near the knuckle at times too with outrageous comments that are anything but PC so you have been warned. This author goes were few others would dare and frankly I was shocked a couple of times with references to a society that changed our history but then again these characters don't take any prisoners . What impresses me the most though is the authors ability to take a character who most want to punch ( really hard!) and make her so likeable . If my reference to closing the arc about Gullveig worries you fear not because at the very end there's a new player in town and I'm guessing that person won't go quietly . Let battle commence !
A copy of this was provided for me with no requirement for a review and I have voluntarily read it and these comments are my honest opinion

I've been eagerly awaiting the conclusion to this series, and I was not let down! Erin is a great character, and I wasn't sure how Laurenston was going to be able to make her fall in love in a realistic way, but the relationship between her and Stieg was perfect. Erin was still a very strong character, and she didn't compromise her toughness to be with a man. This series is so feminist and refreshing. Highly recommended!