There is a common theme of duality that features prominently in myth and folklore. So much taboo surrounds the legends of doppelgängers, changelings, dual-faced gods, and even twins being regarded as something other. And then there is the over-arching duality which determines many a conflict in literature, that of good versus evil. In her sequel to When Among Crows, Veronica Roth does a phenomenal job of weaving the philosophy of duality and the impossibility of a clear cut moral binary into an urban fantasy world full of monstrous humans and humanlike monsters. The story opens with an epigraph of a Polish phrase: a drowning man will clutch at a razor. And now having finished the novella, I understand its meaning twofold, and how often a person will find themselves overwhelmed by the immensity of change both in and around themselves, to the point that just to stay afloat they will continue to cling to old beliefs or practices for a sense of familiarity, even if they are harmful to them.

Carrying on from the first book into this new installment, I am also yet again impressed with how Roth has created a magic system that is at once incredibly vast and also very straight forward in its explanation of magic as a variation of exchanges, ones that can either create or destroy. We see new creatures introduced into the narrative that each provides a nuanced look at the magic of Roth’s world. And Dymitr, Ala, and Niko remain a fantastic trio who are still getting to know one another while also being held together by a strong bond forged by shared pain and a growing trust in one another. This was one of my most anticipated books of this year, and if it disappointed at all, it was only that it was not longer so I didn’t have to say goodbye so quickly yet again.

A fantastic sequel with well developed characters and world building. We gain more information about characters and story lines we already know and we get to meet new characters along the way! A great novella to follow up When Among Crows.

Thank you, Tor Publishing, for the arc of To Clutch A Razor by Veronica Roth! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

My thoughts: Let me tell you, this story turned up the action tenfold. Like When Among Crows, this story is short and goes by quickly, but it says so much. To Clutch A Razor was emotional and violent. It deepened the lore and character growth and honestly just made me love this story more, which I didn’t think possible.

Veronica Roth does so much in so little time. She can create such a vivid magical world, and her descriptions of magic and emotions are so visceral, like she’s lived in a fantasy world all her life. Learning about new creatures and getting a more intimate look into the lives of the Knights created a duality that pulled you in so many different ways.

I loved this little found family. This is probably my favorite found family story I’ve read in a long time. The way Dymitr, Niko, and Ala care for each other without a doubt in the world, even with their tortured and complicated backgrounds, is so sweet. Some moments tugged at my heart. Speaking of tugging at the heart, this story raised my blood pressure tenfold. It was intense and there were so many twists, turns, and unexpected moments, I was scared for my little family several times throughout this read. But overall, this story was so good; if there’s more to come, I certainly can’t wait!

When Among Crows was one of my surprise hits of last year, and I was so excited when I heard that Veronica Roth had written a sequel. I’ve always been drawn to stories about redemption, and Roth’s ability to explore that theme while blending rich folklore with modern urban fantasy in both When Among Crows and To Clutch A Razor was so fascinating to me.

In To Clutch A Razor, Dymitr is called back to the old country for a funeral rite intended to keep evil at bay when one of his relatives is killed during a monster hunt. It's the perfect opportunity for him to get his hands on his family's most guarded relic - a book of curses that could satisfy the debt he owes legendary witch Baba Jaga. But first, he must survive a night among his deadly, monster-hunting kin - and confront the tangled loyalties and lingering love he still holds for his family.

Overall, To Clutch A Razor was a well-paced, immersive, and engaging novella that I really enjoyed! If you like any of the following, I think you’d like To Clutch A Razor as well:

🗡️ folklore
✨ urban fantasy
🗡️ monsters and monster hunters
✨ complicated relationships
🗡️ complex family dynamics

Thank you Tor Books and NetGalley for the e-galley! Social links to be updated closer to release date.

After reading the first book in the series, I was excited to spend more time in Roth's expertly crafted world. This was such a wonderful deeper exploration of established characters and we learned even more about some things book 1 left up to interpretation

To Clutch a Razor is steeped in atmosphere, blending dark folklore with tense family dynamics and a touch of supernatural danger. Veronica Roth continues to expand the world introduced in When Among Crows with sharp prose and high stakes. The clash of duty, legacy, and moral gray zones makes this a compelling addition for fans of modern myth and monster lore. Perfect for readers who enjoy morally complex heroes and folklore with bite.

Reread the first book to prepare for this sequel and I was reminded why I enjoyed the world built in the first. This continues and deepens our understanding of knights, and our main characters Niko, Ala and Dymitr. Everything is surprisingly intertwined and it still left me wanting more. I hope Veronica Roth continues this world!

4 stars!

While this didn't grip me right away like the first novella did, we definitely get launched into more high-stakes drama and adventure! This world and concept is still so unique and I very much am still loving as the layers of this world is peeled back for us bit bit in these bit-sized novellas and I still want MORE.

I really want to get to know more about his sister and I am hopeful that we will get more in future novellas because it is cleat that these are being set up as a sort of novella series, which I am all for!

Amazing and can't wait for the next one!

Thank you Tor!

This book continues its predecessor's exploration of found family, moral enlightenment, and vengeance, while also continuing to delve deeper into Polish folklore. I think the friendship between Dymitr and Ala is still a highlight, albeit one that overshadows the romance between Dymitr and Niko. A longer format would've allowed more depth to the story between Dymitr and his grandmother and mother, which would've improved the climax. But overall this was fine.

After reading When Among Crows, I knew I needed more. Of this world, of these characters. Just. Give. Me. MORE!

I loved To Clutch A Razor and I cannot wait to read what comes next in this series. I’m mad at myself for devouring this and not savoring it like I should have.

Dymitr. Sweet, sweet Dymitr is adjusting to Zmora living with his faithful companions, Ala and Niko. He’s on another quest assigned by Baba Jaga and this one will be the most difficult of all. Family, whether found or not, is important to Dymitr and this next quest will take a lot from him.

Three words: Tense, bloody, complicated!

So much love for this series and as I said above, I can’t wait for more!

My thanks to Tor for this gifted DRC!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!!

We continue to follow Dymitr in this sequel while he’s on a hunt for his soul sword. I love the Slavic folklore of this and the deep emotions this book will pull from you. My only complaint with this is while having four narrations going on in the story line this novel is too short for how much it was bouncing around for me. Overall I loved this sequel and would love to read more in this world

This might be the best sequel I've ever read in any series. Roth packs so much into such a short novella, from the folklore and fighting scenes to the emotions and character arcs. This has the perfect amount of everything to make me really feel for and care about the characters while also being able to grasp the fantasy elements and high stakes. It's like the stars have aligned for me with this one. I hope she plans to continue this series because I could truly read this forever.

I LOVED this follow-up to "When Among Crows". The world-building remains unmatched. There is so much depth of character and history in such a limited amount of space and words. The question of "what would you do for the people you love" isn't easily answered, but I found the complication of Dymitr's struggle really compelling.

“When Among Crows” is one of those books that sticks with you so I was so excited to hear about the sequel “To Clutch a Razor” and even more excited to receive an ARC for it. Once again Veronica Roth gives us a beautifully written story. It’s darker, full of folklore, and touches on family and duty.

The story follows main character Dymitr as he returns to his ancestral home in the hopes of collecting a cursed book to settle his debt with Baba Yaga. But his house is full of dangerous knights, who are there for his uncles funeral rites. No one knows he has become the ‘monster’ his family hunts so he has to work with Ala to complete their task. Of course everything goes wrong which leads to some heartbreaking moments for our main character. Ultimately giving us the true topic in my opinion of family, duty, and everything in between.

What I really love about these books is that each character is struggling with a difficult choice and the emotional roller coaster that comes with it. I feel like this makes the characters more relatable and always makes me want to read more about them. Ala and Nico are big standouts again especially with more of their pov’s. I love the found family between them and Dymitr and loved seeing their continued bond.

This series is dark, brutal, emotional, complex, and really makes you think. It beautifully weaves together roots of folklore with modern times while conveying important topics. I loved this book just as much as the first and hope for more in this series!

Longer than the first book in this installment, To Clutch a Razor focuses on Dymitr's relationship with his family and his honor. I love how this book also explores his relationship with Ala rather than deepening the romance between him and Nico. Love a found family!

I am absolutely loving this series! I think the cover art is what attracted me to these books, as well as the slim size, but I ended up devouring both books as quickly as I could. The second book really delves more into the world building and characters. I felt like the plot was more intense in this second book, maybe because I had grown more attached to these characters.
I love handing this series to both teen and adult readers. It is a fantasy story, but I also find myself recommending it to people who don't often read fantasy because it is grounded in a world they know.
I can't wait to read the next installment!!

Is it ironic or inevitable to feel betrayed by a book about betrayal? Because I am feeling weirdly betrayed right now by the fact that there is clearly going to be a third installment to this *and I don't have it yet.* There is a strong chance I will turn around and immediately re-read this one, it was so good.

I haven't been this gripped by a novella in a long time. I think the fact that it is the second book in a series is really working for it. I already knew the characters, so now could get really attached without the author having to sacrifice any of the pacing or action. (And oh boy, is there action!) It had been over a year since I read the first one, so I had forgotten some things, but Roth did a tidy job of reminding readers at the beginning of what they needed to know. Reading When Among Crows first definitely feels necessary, but a re-read prior to diving into this is not.

In particular, I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Niko and Dymitr. Ala remains important as well, but we saw more of her in the first book than Niko. The cast here was also slightly smaller than that of When Among Crows, and we already knew a lot of them, enabling time to be spent on character growth rather than establishment. Everyone had a clear arc and I loved it all. (Even though I heartily flinched at the knights' pain magic.)

Also, a shout-out to the cover artist for their continuing genius!

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for the eARC.

I have loved this duology so much! It's so great to see what Dymitr is doing now that he's lost his sword, and subsequently half of his soul. The price to pay to get it back is high, but so is ignoring it. Niko has his own task to complete, making everything between he and Dymitr complicated because of who his target is.

Watching them work through the feelings of identity and the core of who they are was so, so great. This was designed so well and wove another fantastic spell over the reader. Baba Jaga is cruel and unexpected, but also wise beyond what she lets on. This was so so good.

At the end of WHEN AMONG CROWS I definitely wished for more from this dark Slavic folklore-inspired world, and the complementary cast of creatures and Knights meant to rid the world of the former -- though which is the real monster, that's what we are forced to confront -- but had no idea I'd get that wish. And at the end of this one we don't have to wonder; there is definitely more to come. And I'm so so glad of that.

This sequel packed one hell of a punch, is perfectly paced, and expands on a world and existing characters that I didn't know I had missed as much as I did. But I also needed zero refresher on the previous events as things quickly came back to me; though as a nice bonus we do get hints and reminders of previous events without it feeling like a "previously, on.." segment. It was brilliantly interwoven into the narrative and that's definitely helped by the fact that this instalment deals with almost with the direct aftermath.

If love doesn't allow change, then what the fuck is that love worth?

And yes, that means we get more emo deliciousness, more Slavic sad boy summer, and this time it's actually dialed up even more. Because the stakes, the emotional reckonings, they result in a direct confrontation and subsequent transformation. And offer up some found family along the way, too. It was all really heartbreaking and beautiful.

It's not all doom and gloom, there were a few little laughs, and also some moments of tender angsty sexiness (Nikoooo), and the whole combination just.. works. I maybe also teared up a little. You know I did.

Highly recommend and I can't wait for more.

I was very happy to see that there was another book in this series and it didn’t disappoint! It picked up right where the first book left off but still gave me a reminder as to what had happened previously which I always appreciate. I wouldn’t be mad if these continued….