Black Birds of the Gallows
By Meg Kassel
September 5, 2017

What can be more dangerous than falling in love with the harbinger of death?
What about a town secret that could kill everyone? With something supernatural attacking Angie is in real trouble.

The cover was what I first noticed. I liked the concept of the book. This was a fun read. Angie was a good character, not my favorite but not one of the worst characters.


Thank you to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for this review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. It was original, thrilling and romantic! I cannot wait to delve into Keeper of the Bees! The writing is phenomenal.

Eeeeh, this was...bad. Not the worst YA out there, but I have to agree with my best friend when she said this should be strapped to a time machine and get sent back to the year 2008 when people loved insta*love cheesy romances with zero substance, some clumsy mythology with more holes than OJ's alibi and characters so flimsy and generic you'll forget all about them 10 minutes after you finished the book.
A good effort, but it was pretty lame.

This is another great read for fans of YA paranormal romance. It has a unique spin on the genre and I thought Angie was a breath of fresh air. Definitely will be purchasing for our high school collection.

Great little monster story with a star-crossed/forbidden love as well. And the one character being "protected" by the secret doesn't just forget the other has been keeping secrets/information, which is what happens 99% of the time in other stories. Here, the person is taken to task for not being entirely forthcoming and that's a welcome change from conventions.

My Thoughts:
The Cover: I didn't like the cover to this one. It was almost an extreme close up to a crow. It really does not do the book justice and I would not have read the book based on this cover alone.

The Plot: This was an amazing story! I could not put it down. It ran smoothly and was intriguing, keeping me reading every possible moment, even late into the night. I had to know what happened next. It was very unique, with a very well crafted world and awesome supernatural creatures. Even as tragedy struck and terror took over, I was so attached to our characters that it felt like I was part of the story, screaming 'Run', as the villains tore things up.

The Characters: I loved all of our characters, even the villians. Lacey and Deno were definitely my favorite, but all were well written and engaging. The back stories of our main protagonists were entertaining and heartbreaking at the same time.

Was it Worth Reading?: Yes, it was an awesome highly entertaining read and I wish there was more. Black Bird of the Gallows was a story of forbidden love and strong friendships that can survive tragedy and heartbreaking. I highly recommend it and give it 5 out of 5 crossbows.

The synopsis for this book managed to immediately capture my attention. I was very intrigued by what was going to happen in the story. Sadly this book didn’t manage to impress me completely, it was just an average read for me. There were interesting moments in Black Bird of the Gallows, but there were also moments that I really didn’t care about at all.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this book. It was dark and creepy. The atmosphere was probably my favourite aspect of this book. The supernatural elements were very interesting and I enjoyed learning the history behind the beings that were introduced throughout the story. However, the beginning of this book was cliche and very predictable. I could easily predict what was going to happen. The rest of the book got better and I enjoyed learning the answers to the mysteries surrounding the characters.

Angie was an alright character. I liked her well enough, but she didn’t become one of my new favourites. Angie has a painful past and it was great seeing her come to terms with it and overcome her problems. I really enjoyed Angie’s friendships with Lacey and Deno, I had a lot of fun reading their interactions. Another relationship that I very much enjoyed is the one between Angie and her father. (Parental relationship in young-adult are usually nonexistent.)

The romance in Black Bird of the Gallows wasn’t a favourite of mine. It was way too instant. That was kind of explained later in the book, but it didn’t make the fact that it was instant better it just made it creepier. Many of the aspects of the relationship between Angie and Reece were cliche. The romance was sweet at times, but also nothing particularly special. Another thing that bothered me is the fact that Angie accepted everything way too easily. It just didn’t seem realistic?

Overall Black Bird of the Gallows was an interesting book, with a great atmosphere. The romance was cliche and the characters just alright. If the synopsis sounds interesting to you I would recommend you to check this book out!

I had wanted to read this book ever since I saw the cover early last summer. The gorgeous cover paired with the interesting story summary made me really intrigued by it. But as life seemingly often goes for us reader/blogger types, I got distracted by a bunch of other books and releases. This is especially not good when this was a NetGalley read. Oops.

So I finally decided that I would read this book, so that I could read the newly released sequel. And I flew through this book pretty quickly. The characters were pretty interesting, and I was definitely intrigued by the plot.

However, there was something that kept me from completely loving this book and giving it a 5 star rating, but if you asked me to point out a specific reason why, I wouldn’t exactly be able to give you a detailed answer. I just feel like it could have been a little more. The story was good, and I stayed interested the whole time.

Maybe I was just slightly disappointed because I set me expectations at a certain level thanks to my love for the cover. That could be it, but I don’t know.

I can definitely say that I will be picking up the sequel/companion story soon, because I am utterly fascinated by the harbingers and the bee keepers and all the culture and lore behind these beings.

Angie Dovage can tell there’s more to Reece Fernandez than just the tall, brooding athlete who has her classmates swooning, but she can’t imagine his presence signals a tragedy that will devastate her small town. When something supernatural tries to attack her, Angie is thrown into a battle between good and evil she never saw coming. Right in the center of it is Reece—and he’s not human. What’s more, she knows something most don’t. That the secrets her town holds could kill them all. But that’s only half as dangerous as falling in love with a harbinger of death.


The short review...

I read this AFTER Keeper of the Bees instead of before as was the proper order... And really that was perfectly alright. They read just as well this way as the proper way... the only thing is I liked Keeper of the Bees a touch more. I liked the stronger mental health element added in the second book that was more typical in Black Bird of the Gallows.

I know, I know, this is my fault because of the order thing... but really its just the different of a half a star. You can't always say that the quality between a debut and a sophomore effort would be so close and so high in quality. It makes me an immediate and huge fan of Meg Kassel who also happens to have similar tastes to me in supernatural, mental health and romance genres.

The thing is this is a great standalone, but it also makes a great first book in a duology or a trilogy. And I really love that idea for a YA series. Series can be daunting because you know you probably won't be getting answers until book 3 and the quality may waver... a lot. There is none of that here and on top of it I really enjoyed the different villains! There was a ton of effort to change the antagonist up big time between the two books. It would have been easy to just go the same route and I love that this was a definite mark that thought was put into how the reader would react to each story.

I normally don't rave so much about writing decisions but Meg Kassel is a great writer and storyteller and Black Bird of the Gallows is a great start to her career.


Cover & Title grade -> A+

I totally wanted to read this book first but passed because the cover was TOO gorgeous and could potentially be trying to hide weak debut writing... but GAHHHH how wrong I was... The cover is just what you want covers to do... lure you in with a design that speaks just as much about the story's ambiance as it does seduce you. It's truly a winner.


Why did I enjoy Black Bird of the Gallows?

-Angie was a great protagonist!

“If you had asked me a few weeks ago, I’d have said magic is impossible. Irrational. Just considering its existence in this world is insane. But I saw bees crawl out of a man’s mouth. I saw him change faces like pages of a book.”



I loved Angie's background with her mother. Her odd childhood that made her self conscious and filled with social anxiety because it was known to the public. Her friendships with Deno and Lacey were so real and delightful and their bond through music so relatable. I loved the calm but sensitive relationship she has with her father too. He did things that bugged her but also understood that he worried about her and really does love her.


-Reece was just the right amount of mysterious!

"I should have been dead for nearly two hundred years. Instead, by chance, I was found by a curse and was turned into this. Not human, not immortals, but some cruel melding of the two. I endured two centuries of horrors, and maybe it was all so I could be here with you."



I really adored Reece's family and the adopted vibe that it had... but the why was explained through supernatural means. The attraction birds had to him... his mysterious jaunt into the poorer side of town. The odd double life he led... it was all due to his role as a harbinger of death. And we learned about it all in such a natural way.

Having read this book second I knew all of the world building that was revealed, it all having been touched on again in Keeper of the Bees. What I found so super was that it was revealed in a very organic way through the story that I didn't feel info dumped on or get bored or impatient because I knew something was being explained I already knew. It was so natural that it felt like a reminder of how things worked. This is a mark of really great writing.

What didn't I like? Well the romance got a little stereotypical with the noble idiocy and a bit of instalove crept into the beginning. This effected the authenticity of the romance and messed with the pacing. The end was a touch pat too (there was no way to have that outcome without the beekeeper going crazy.) These are beginner issues and really despite being problems didn't affect my overall enjoyment of the story too much.

Black Bird of the Gallows is a sweet romance with two people who are a little damaged but hung onto each other and because of that made their way through their trials. If you love a little supernatural world building, some forbidden romance and a little mental health and friendship then you need to read about this harbinger of death and the girl he falls in love with...

This book is dark and weird. Fortunately I liked the weirdness. I don't think I have ever read anything quite like it. It is YA and a definitely a fun paranormal love story. Harbingers of death? Check. Weird girl that doesn't fit in at school? Check. Loyalty? Check. Major disaster that may kill the whole town? Check. Love and possibly a happy ending?.. YES and YES.

Blackbird of the Gallows is all about harbingers, evil bees, music and paranormal tropes that get deliciously shaken up. This was just addictive, entrancing, and utterly beautifully told and I think I lost a little bit of my heart to this world and these characters. It’s also pretty dark and centres around destruction, death and chaos. And HI. I do like dark fantasy. Plus add in epic friendships, catastrophes and everything going badly wrong?!? We have such a good book omg I will recommend it to everyone so they can suffer with me.

Something that particularly impressed me is how it DID feature a lot of the old paranormal tropes we are a bit tired of…but it totally mixed them up and made them awesome. You know how the Hot Supernatural Boyfriend™ rolls into town? Well we HAVE THAT. But he’s not an aggressive alpha-male. He’s a super sweet athlete who is actually SO TIRED. Nine naps couldn’t fix this boy. And instead of the average vampires/werewolves…we have HARBINGERS AND BEEKEEPERS AND STRAWMEN. Instead of a mellow whingey heroine, we get blessed with Angie, a social anxious DJ who promised to deck Reece if he got uber protective instead of letting her be in charge of her own fate.

Ok but I LOVE ANGIE. She totally ruled this book and was so relatable and fun!
- she acknowledged Reece was a Supernatural Hot Boy but also CALLED HIM OUT FOR BEING CREEPY
- she had interests … like her life wasn’t consumed just by a boy omg
- she had GOOD SOLID FRIENDS whom she loved and trusted a lot!
- sarcasm is a great coping mechanism! are you sad and anxious? SARCASM IT OUT
- she had a good relationship with her dad aww
- sees a dog? loves the dog
- ice cream > everything else

I loved reading about harbingers and murders of crows! The lore and backstore was fascinating and I enjoyed getting lost in this reimagined myth. The harbingers are immortal beings who turn into crows and follow around death and destruction. They arrive in town —> a tragedy goes down —> they feed off the energy. It’s a curse though and they aREN’T HAPPY. We also get creepy Beekeepers who vomit bees who sting people into madness…but at the same time you feel sorry for them and their curse too. ALTHOUGH…since I am allergic to both bees and honey, I kind of agree that it’s all evil. Finally. My opinions are recognised.

It’s about catastrophes, tragedy, death and loss and grief…and full of morally grey characters instead of black-and-white evil. I love how the book explored this! Like the beekeepers were awful but it was out of their control. And the tragedies were inevitable, but the book still talked about the devastation and how it affected the harbingers.

My only problems? Super small! This may sound pedantic, but it just comes up a lot and I’m tired of it: making fun of healthy eating and allergies. It’s like this huge running joke in the book how Angie’s dad is a “fitness freak” and they all laugh and gag over not eating dairy etc etc. Ok look. This happens in books CONSTANTLY and, as someone also with a ton of food allergies, it’d be nice not to be mocked for once?! And I don’t like the “uber protective dad” trope. Like if a boy looks at the daughter, the dad is all “I’ll get the shotgun lol lol”. It’s rooted in patriarchal ownership of women so I’m #tired.

Basically Blackbird of the Gallows was amazing and I fell in love with it. The plot was addictive, the pacing excellent. It had heartfelt messages and relatable characters in amongst DEATH and DESTRUCTION. I love that it talked about sadness and how deep it can run, how it’s a big deal and how it can affect your life. Solid YES (!!) from me.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down because I wanted to know what happens to the main character and her love interest. Do they beat destiny or do they become victims of fate? The writing had a really good pacing that allows the reader to move swiftly through the book. The plot's main focus felt as if it was the romance between the main character and her love interest whilst everything else felt secondary to that. The characters felt too generalised and lacked some individualism despite being well developed. However, at the end of the day, I really enjoyed what I read and I cannot wait to jump into the second book! Thank you to YA Bound Book Tours for providing me with a copy.

This book had many of the typical YA trappings, but it also had a lot of uniqueness, and that was why I liked it.

I loved how this author took the idea of crows being harbingers of death and turned it into an actual supernatural creature. I have no idea if any author has ever done that before, but if they have, I've not come across it. It was unique and creative, and everything about the harbingers was interesting. As for the beekeepers, I don't know if that idea came from anything, but it was sure unique too. I won't go into detail about any of these things though since I think it's more fun to learn about them in the story.

But as I said, there were some less unique things as well---high school cliques, something that felt a lot like instalove, and the brooding, tortured, centuries-old supernatural dating the teenage girl. Personally I could've done without some of these, but tropes are not inherently bad, and everyone likes different things.

Plus, there were other things I enjoyed (in addition to the creativity of the supernatural elements). The writing and story had this great ominous feel. The main character was believable and likeable. The friendship she had with her two best friends and the relationship she had with her father were not the main focus but were sweet nonetheless. The DJ/music stuff was fun to read about. The disaster scenes were intense.

Overall, this was a quick but ominous and enjoyable read, and I loved how unique the supernatural element was!

This book is so creepy but in an intriguing/good/entertaining way. It'd be a perfect fall/halloween read. Angie and Reece have a broody Twilight-esque relationship. I saw that some reviewers found it creepy because he's like 200 years old, but so was Edward and that seemed pretty popular. It didn't really bother me at all (I mean, come on, Women are way more mature anyway so who cares how old he is?).

The mythology was my favorite part - I had so much fun trying to figure out Reece's big secret and Angie's past. I would have loved more of the magical side of things, and the ending felt a bit rushed, but overall I enjoyed this one. It is very death-centered but it was a unique and fascinating paranormal romance.

Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel is a perfect example of why I should never judge a book by its synopsis. When this book was first released I was offered a chance to read it and I passed. It really didn't sound like something that I would want to read. However, when I received a chance to join the blog tour for its companion novel, Keeper of the Bees, I decided to give this novel a chance and I'm so happy that I did! I ended up becoming completely addicted to it...I just couldn't stop reading! So, if you haven't given Black Bird of the Gallows a read, I highly recommend that you do as soon as possible!

The story focuses on Angie Dovage, a teenage girl who has had a pretty rough life. Her mother is a drug addict and dragged poor Angie from one drug den or random house to another. Now, she's living with her father and completely fascinated with the new next door neighbours. She becomes close friends with their son Reece, however, things aren't as they initially seem. Reece has many secrets which could completely destroy everything Angie loves.

I really enjoyed how the book had a very dark and eerie feel to it. The world created by Kassel was interesting and the mystery established at the beginning of the story continues throughout. You just never really know what will happen next. The mythology was one of those mysterious areas that I though was really well written. It was unique and revealed in a manner that didn't feel like info dumping. Plus, I finished the book with a sense of really knowing and understanding the world the characters resided in. Sometimes that's a major issue with fantasy worlds...things are too complicated or rushed and a proper explanation is sacrificed for pushing the plot forward. I'm so glad that that wasn't the case with this book!

I really appreciated how the book avoided an insta-romance between Angie and Reece. Everything started out slow with the two characters building a believable friendship. I did take issue with how the progression of the relationship was a bit rushed in the middle, but overall I really liked these two characters together. There was a lot of tension between them and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it!

I highly recommend this book to fans of paranormal romance, dark stories and mysteries. I'm very much looking forward to picking up the book's companion novel very soon!

Black Bird of the Gallows is one of the strangest novels that I've ever read, and I mean that in a good way. I like different and bizarre, and this novel definitely has those two qualities. In addition to being completely unique, the characters are well-developed, the writing is gorgeous, and the pacing and plot are fantastic. The world-building is a little sparse, which is the only reason I rated the book lower than an A. While this is a standalone story, there is another novel coming out that's set in this world, and I can't wait for Keeper of the Bees to come out in September!

Angie was a great main character. She was flawed and broken, but still a good person. She was an easy character to connect with, and I really enjoyed reading from her perspective. She was strong and capable and intelligent. Reece was an interesting male lead, and I thought for a bit that this book was going to go Twilight on me and make Reece out to be some billion year old creeper, but it didn't, thankfully. He was selfless and he tried to make the best of his curse and tried to do what was right. I really had a lot of sympathy for him because he had a rough life to say the least. The secondary characters weren't overly developed, but they had their own personalities, and I think they contributed nicely to the story. I would have liked a bit more background on Deno and Lacey, but they felt real nonetheless.

The plot for this story was a bit complex, and I enjoyed that. Nothing really was what it seemed, and it kept me engaged. The pacing was spot-on, and I didn't get bored and nothing felt rushed. The writing was well-done, and the descriptions were wonderfully written. Some parts of this book are horrifying and not for the faint of heart, and the author doesn't pull any punches. That being said, there are no gratuitously violent scenes. There was a lot of heart put into this book, and I did tear up a few times, and I also had quite a few laughs, so I was also emotionally engaged with these characters and the story. My only complaint is the world-building. While the different creatures did a bit of explanation of the magic and their world, I still don't feel like I fully understand what was going on. That could have been the reason. It was the first book in this series, and even though it can serve as a standalone, since the sequel will have new characters and a new location, I assume the world will keep building in the next installment. The ending tied things up nicely for these characters.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a slightly horrifying and bizarre YA paranormal romance. The premise is extremely interesting and it's executed very well.

Unlike anything I've ever read! A mix of several different genres! But just the right amount of each! Thank you netgalley for the free arc in exchange for an honest review!

Black Bird of the Gallows brings to the YA paranormal arena a fast-paced and unique read filled with dark magic, supernatural harbingers and, of course, lots of mysterious crows. Oh, and bees too. Plus, there's a boy, a not-of the human variety boy, that brings plenty of swoon and chaos in his wake.

I was immediately fascinated by the book's description and wanted to know more about these strange harbingers of death. Meg Kassel does not disappoint. I found myself hooked on her writing style; A mix of dark and gritty paranormal, swoony romance, and a steady build-up of tension.

“A simple but forgotten truth: Where harbingers of death appear, the morgues will soon be full.”

The plot is surprisingly intricate and deftly mixes in curses, magic, and harbingers of death in a battle of good vs. evil.

I loved learning more about these supernaturals and the mythology built around them. Why are the crows flocking to this small hometown and why does Reece seem to be at the center of it all? What exactly is a harbinger?

As a protagonist, Angie is easily likable and a relatable heroine to follow. I loved the fact that she is a DJ at the local club. Known only as "Sparo" she disguises herself in big, green sunglasses, platforms, and costume wigs, keeping her identity a secret. She likes to hide the fact she has had a troubled childhood with her mom, but now she has a fresh new start with her sweet, if oddball, father.

Angie knows there is something strange about the boy-next-door, but feels strangely drawn to him. Each encounter they share seems to be followed by death and chaos.

Reece, of course, is dark and brooding, but also sweet and mischievous at times. It's clear that he's not human, but Meg Kassel keeps readers guessing as to what his connection to the crows, the curse that he hides, and the strange supernatural known as the Beekeeper is. If you like the forbidden and dangerous hero type, then Reece is for you.

“Her love breaks his curse.
But his love spells her death.”

As for villains, The Beekeeper is a strange and fascinating character. He adds a dark, dangerous (and almost psychotic!) vibe. The kind you look over your shoulder after reading about.

In the end

Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel was a swoony read filled with a great balance of paranormal, swoon, and danger.

Recommended for: Young Adult readers looking for a unique paranormal read.

Interesting storyline and fun characters. Overall, I enjoyed this creepy fantasy and felt it was very original. And as an actual beekeeper, I loved the scary Beekeeper character, with his deadly bees and their insanity-inducing stings. I got a chuckle out of that for sure! This is a story of light versus dark, and the saving power of love. While the book dealt with some harsh realities including an abusive parent, an all too common scene of a school lockdown due to a nearby shooting, and death, I felt that the author handled all of these things in a way that showed the characters dealing reasonably with these things and growing from their experiences. Love is definitely the motivating force that lifts this book above some other YA fantasies I've read lately, and shows the main protagonist reaching deep within herself to find the courage to be her true self. Would recommend this book to fans of the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-ARC copy of Black Bird of the Gallows.
#NetGalley #BlackBirdoftheGallows
I had put this on my wishlist at NetGalley a long while back. It popped up as approved recently so I skipped over all my others to read it. I can say that I wasn't disappointed in the story. The two main character Reese and Angie were sweet and likable. The story flows at a nice pace with the romance between the two pushing it along. It is a paranormal love story. Personally, I thought the ending tied up to quick I would have love to see this as a duology. I enjoyed Meg Kassel's writing style and will read another book in the future.