Ray Nayler has been on my must=read list ever since I read The Tusks of Extinction. This novel, set mainly during WWII, involves human children trying to avoid the Nazis and Communists; they are aided by a community of crows. A compelling read, if sometimes very dark. Nayler is getting better and better.

I wasn't expecting Nayler's next novel to move into historical fiction but still keep the speculative intelligence angle, but he's done an amazing job here. We get a novel that shuttles between the early 70s in Russia, decades removed from a small group of children's experiences as they attempt to survive the German blitzkrieg of Lithuania in the wood. This time, Nayler gets to talk about the intelligence of crows, and brings them into the lives of these four children in a truly amazing and unexpected way as they try to survive World War II and also deal with their unique backgrounds as they learn to survive. Also interesting is that Nayler chooses to take the dive into a period of time that was fucking bleak as hell, but focuses on how to get through when it looks like maybe the future isn't worth it and the present sucks. This comes out in May; highly recommend preordering this.

If you haven't read anything by Ray Nayler yet, now is the best time to pick up his work. PALACES OF THE CROW is a fantastically well-researched speculative historical fiction novel, that remains grounded and true to the historical events it follows while perfectly balancing its speculative elements throughout the story.

The story follows a small group of teens as they survive in the forests of Lithuania for multiple years during WWII. They face threats from the Germans, the Russians, and other desperate survivors, all with the help from a flock of mysteriously intelligent crows. The characters build a family with each other as they study the crows and dream about a life beyond the forest, and beyond the war that has destroyed the lives they once knew. Nayler structures the narrative with shifting perspectives and timelines that build to satisfying reveals. This choice is deliberate and pays off well, helping to explore the themes of past trauma haunting the present.

This was one of my most highly anticipated reads of 2026 and it did not disappoint. I would recommend to anyone who has read and enjoyed Nayler's work before, or anyone who enjoys speculative fiction with themes of found family, survival, and the environment.

A deeply felt book about humanity, war, and memory; about the reason to continue in a relentlessly flawed world. Grimly beautiful; speculatively realistic. A fantastic read.