This was an okay book for me. It didn't draw me in like I thought it would. It was interesting with the witchcraft stuff and I liked the relationship between Weatherly and Rook.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "In The Hour of Crows" and all opinions expressed are my own. I love a good magical realism book. I found the beginning a bit dark and I almost didn't continue reading. The story did get better. The loved the story between Weatherly and Rook which probably kept me interested in the book. Overall I really liked the story and I don't even like crows at all.

I did not enjoy this book. The premise is interesting and unique, but I found the voice to be rambling and unfocused. It also felt like it focused on odd things for shock value and horror that just felt uncomfortable, like the child being buried with the stillborn infants and kissing them, and on characters breasts and nipples.

Goodreads review 4/23

Thank you Harlequin trade publishing for the arc of In the Hour of Crows

This book was a different genre than what I normally read but I thought it was amazing. Once I got a few chapters in I was hooked. The storyline was so interesting and really kept my attention. I felt like I was solving the mystery with the main character and I had to keep reading so I could get the answers. I also loved how the storyline between Weatherly and Rook didn't overpower the rest of the story but was still the perfect addition to the story. Overall it was a great read and I highly recommend it.

This Southern gothic, magical mystery was interesting to read and had some very good concepts. But I had so many questions throughout. Why were the police so incompetent? How, exactly did the magic work and why could grandma piggyback on Weatherly's abilities? And what about Rook? The ending real confused me.

I enjoyed this book. I am fascinated by the highly intelligent crow so I was drawn in by the title. It would have been nice to have more of Adaire in the story and her relationship with Weatherly. Weatherly’s grandmother was a terrible person and I felt sorry for the way Weatherly was brought up. Intriguing murder mystery with Appalachian magic mixed in, there were many side plots of jealousy, hate, revenge and devotion. Would love to see a sequel with Weatherly and Rook as a man.

Thank you to Netgalley, Dana Elmendorf and Mira books for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good witchy book! This one was just okay for me, not bad but just not great. I felt that the characters were not as well developed and that was a huge part of the story. The main character did not act her age but I felt like that was part of her upbringing? I enjoyed the magic in the book but still felt like things needed to be ironed out with it. There is a lot left up in the air and not explained. This is a good story but just did not work for me.

In the Hour of Crows has a fascinating premise full of endless possibilities, but the story’s execution didn’t work for me.

First we have Weatherly, our MC, who is 24 but behaves more like a 15 year old. I found her irritating and unlikable. Since hers is the only viewpoint we get, it was like being stuck hanging out with a bratty teenager.

The characters aren’t well developed, which is especially unfortunate since the plot relies heavily on personal connections between the large cast of characters.

The magic system is intriguing, but also not well developed.

Lots of things are left unexplained or just didn’t make sense to me.

While I didn’t connect with the writing style, I do think there’s a great story here that other readers might love.

Weatherly Wilder is a death talker. Her family is known for their distinctive magically abilities. Her cousin/best friend is killed by the mayor after he hits her with his car while she is riding her bike. As it sometimes happens in many small back water communities, no legal ramifications are imposed on the wealthy/influential residents. Weatherly tries to unravel the mysteries of what really happened and who is her crow friend Rook and what part does he actually play in her life or is he just part of her imagination. An enjoyable fast read with a twist ending.

Wow! Good read. Weatherly is a young woman that has been raised with a special ability to heal people from death. This goes awry early on and leads her to a life of trial and tribulation. Raised by a blind tyrant of a grandmother, that has her own spells and incantations that she inflicts on people, makes for a very tumultuous upbringing. Very interesting read. I was given an advanced reader copy by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review.

In the Hour of Crows is the story of Weatherly whose grieving her cousin's death while other events unfold to make her question whether the death was a murder instead of an accident. At its core this book is about unfolding what happened to her cousin but at its heart this is a book about families, grief, love, betrayal, lies, and the unrelenting journey for truth and justice.

If gothic and the magical realism are your preferred genres, you will really enjoy the setting and tone of this book. Weatherly herself can heal people who are dying, her cousin could see the future and her good friend Rook shape-shifts into a crow and accompanies the dying. I enjoyed all these elements of the supernatural and especially loved Rook as a character.

with gratitude to netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

The concept of this one initially drew my attention and sounded like something I’d really enjoy. Unfortunately, I felt as though there was a barrier of disconnect between me and the story. I couldn’t really mesh with the writing style for some reason. I found the atmosphere and magic to be the highlight of the story, but the character and plot development to be a little lacking in depth for me. I think this will be one of those more niche, read-it-for-the-vibes type of story, for readers who love a more muted gothic fantasy. I could see fans of The Once and Future Witches (although without the notable prose style) probably liking this one as well. It definitely has an audience out there, I just don’t think that audience is me.

An Appalachian girl, a sin eater who could bring people back from the brink of death can also kill with the sin eater oil her body makes. For the church people, she belongs to the device, but they are not above using her services to save their loved ones. The book is full of superstition, legends, folklore, and stories of magic. It reminds me of the play, Dark of the Moon. It's a fascinating dark tale of mystical events. I was completely absorbed and drawn into the life of an innocent girl who thinks she's the devil's child. The characters are vivid, some hateful, and some caring. It's thought-provoking, dynamic, and raw. It's well-written and uniquely plotted. The book carries the secrets and mysteries of a backwoods village called Black Fern, Georgia, and brings them to the surface.

Weatherly has been raised by her unloving grandmother who monitors Weartherly's death talker gift.
Her cousin and best friend Adaire is a scryer. When Adaire dies after being run over by a car, the man
Weatherly believes is responsible is judged not guilty by the court. Weatherly is determined to find
evidence of the man's guilt, uncovering family secrets In the process .Southern gothic, magic and religion
mix in Appalachia. Interesting cast of characters.
#IntheHourofCrows #Harlequin #Mira #NetGalley

🐦‍⬛ southern gothic
🐦‍⬛ folk magic
🐦‍⬛ atmospheric
🐦‍⬛ witchy • magical
🐦‍⬛ death talker

These tropes reeled me in fast than ever before. I opened this book and I devoured every single page and I didn’t stop reading until I was done with the entirety. I loved this book. The storyline was beautiful and flawless(we are on a hunt for who unalived the cousin—it becomes a whodoneit but in the best ways), the characters meshed well with each other and their chemistry and dialogue was on point and I loved living in this one so much.

A dark murdery-mystery-side eye read that I was absolutely here for. OHHHH did I mention there’s MAGIC?! If you love a good dark gothic read with some murder mystery and magic this book was pull you in and spit you out at that ending our author gives. As I usually say, please check trigger warnings before going into this one. I will be recommending this book to my book loving besties.

Thank you @netgalley and @ Harlequin for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Weatherly Opal Wilder is a Death Talker in a small Appalachian town. She can talk the death out of the dying and save their lives. Unfortunately, because of her special talent and her strange ways, she’s not very popular with the townspeople.
Her cousin, Adaire, also has a special gift. She can see a person's future reflected back on dark surfaces. When Adaire is killed in an accident, Weatherly doesn’t believe it was an accident. She believes she was murdered because of something she may have seen. Weatherly has had several run-ins with the mayor of the town, and when she is unable to talk the death out of the mayor’s son, the whole town suspects that she purposely let him die.
Undeterred by the mysteries and suspicions surrounding her, Weatherly embarks on a journey of discovery. Weatherly is guided by the clues Adaire left in their family’s Granny Witch recipe box, and she sets out with a resolute determination to uncover the truth behind her cousin's death.
In the Hour of Crows is a delightful story filled with imagination, witchery, suspense, and a fantastic ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.
Let me just start by saying this is some of the most beautiful descriptive writing I have read since “ Where the Crawdads Sing”. I was enraptured since the first line, when 10 year old Weatherly tells us that she was born in the woods in the hour of crows, when the day is no longer but the night is not yet.” She then goes on to tell us that she comes from a family of Appalachian midwifes and herbalists, and that her Grandmother was wicked and so is she.
As the layers of the story are peeled back we learn that she is being raised by her grandma because her mother ran off shortly after she was born and only sends postcards occasionally. Her father was unknown.
Her beloved Grandpa has died in her early childhood, but before he did- he passed on his “gift” to her. She is a “DeathTalker”, and is able to attend the bedside of a dying person, temporarily merge her soul with theirs and talk death out of their body. The output is that once death has left both their bodies, she is left with a large wad of black poisonous phlegm, that she hacks up. She spits it into a bottle, “ sin eater oil”, that can then be used by her grandmother to make people ill, or in the right dose put death into them. Her grandmother is cold cruel and keeps her under tight control. The superstitious townspeople have no qualms using her talent to save their loved ones, but then call her a evil devil-seed-child when she fails. Even her grandmother calls her horrible names. Kind of alot for 10 year to bear.

We quickly flash forward to the early 1990s where most of the story takes place. Weatherly is 24 and still living with her hateful grandmother. She and her best friend/cousin Adaire had planned to save up and go on a road trip to see the ocean- fulling a long broken promise of Weatherly’s mother. The dream dies when Adaire is “accidentally “ killed in car vs bicycle accident a week before the story starts. Weatherly misses her deeply and just can’t get over the idea it was an accident and is convinced that it was murder.
I wont spoil the story, but there are themes of power, money, poverty, lies, madness, true friendship, redemption and beautiful man who can turn into a crow.
Satisfying ending- highly recommend. I’m telling everyone about this book!

I was intrigued by the synopsis for this book, and once I started reading, I couldn't stop! A little bit southern gothic, small town Appalachia, Weatherly and her family are blessed (or cursed) with special gifts. Weatherly can "talk" the death out of people, but it hasn't brought her happiness. When her cousin dies, Weatherly is certain it wasn't an accident, that she was murdered, and will go to any lengths to prove it.

During her search she finds out more about herself, her history, and although not everything is wrapped up, the story ends on a satisfying note.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for the ARC!

I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this book so I just dove in headfirst. To say I loved this book is an understatement! I have always been fascinated with the Appalachian way of life and this book knocked it out of the park!

Weatherly was just a small child when her papaw told her what a Death Talker was. He was going to be leaving this earth soon, so he had to pass the gift to someone of the opposite sex that could carry it on. Weatherly did a dangerous dance at times capturing the death from people in her town of Black Fern, Georgia and surrounding areas. After she captured their death, she would cough and spit up a black slime that was the death she captured.

Weatherly's grandmama and papaw were raising her so when she came into the gift, her grandmama made her spit the death out in a special container where she would concoct things using the oil. Adaire is Weatherly's cousin and she has the gift of scrying. But when Adaire can't see past a certain moment in time, they both know something is not right.

Weatherly wants to avenge the death of Adaire and for her to do so, she must follow the clues and solve the mystery Adaire left behind. You will also meet Rook on her path. Is he real, or just a figment of her imagination? Weatherly goes on one wild ride and the magic as well as heartache found along the way made this book so special.

Dana truly wrote something unique. I can't say there's one book out there like this one that I have read. If you are interested in old magic, deep roots, and a good mystery, this book is absolutely perfect for you!

I really enjoyed this story. Anything that has a bit of whimsy, a little mystery, and unique characters is a win for me and this hit those marks.

Weatherly was a sweet character who found herself caught between trying to help others as much as she could while grappling with the consequences and morality of her gift. I wish more had been described earlier on to really set the stage for what her gift meant as I found myself a bit confused to begin, but as the book progressed and I started filling in some gaps on my own until more was revealed. I was also a little confused about the purpose of the scene where Bone brought Weatherly to a friend(?) to utilize her gift as it didn't seem to move the plot along as we already knew about her gift, had seen it in action, and were aware of the moral/ethical complications..

Beyond the plot, I thought this was a well-written story that had me sleuthing out what would happen next while wanting to know more about the cast of characters around our FMC. The relationship between Weatherly and her cousin, Adaire, was one those of us fortunate enough to have cousins we're very close with could see ourselves in which helped to build the connection and buy-in on the story.

A huge win for this book was the various characters who drew you in and made you want to know more of their story and how they are intertwined. I'll call this both a win and a slight miss. A win because it kept me hooked and a slight miss because I feel some could have been built out a bit more as there were a fair number of players involved and it would have only served to deepen the story... But all in all, a great story.. and with the way it ended... I would be excited to see a second book in this story if that is in the author's plans.