Customer Reviews

Eyes Of Crow (Aspect of Crow Trilogy)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This one almost slipped past me, and would have been overlooked entirely if I hadn't accidentally noticed this novel on the wishlist of another reader. Shame on Luna for keeping this release so quiet. This novel is well worth their full support, its different, captivating. Wonderful, actually.

This is the story of a girl from child to woman, very American Indian in flavor, and her emotional journey in becoming a useful member of her society (A crow woman). It's a strong love story, from first love (you remember, the one that was everything, and hurt so badly when in ended?), and mature love (the forever one that's vital enough to include children). This is also an adventure story, the clash of societies, the explosion of religious dogma, life, death, fear, hope.

Four stars instead of five because this book cries out desperately for a sequel (a trilogy is promised), and I do prefer stories that finish in one volume.

Highly recommended, you won't be disappointed.

Eyes of Crow is a true example of the fantasy romance genre, with equal parts of each. Young Rhia feels the presence of the death spirit Crow within her. Smith-Ready adapts the Native American spirit guides to her medieval-style agrarian world with some flair. Rhia's people are called by their animal spirit, which guides their career and life. Spiders make good artists, Otters are healers, and so on. Smith-Ready enlarges well on the animal spirits theme. Although clearly Native American-inspired, she makes it her own. Rhia fears a life in the constant presence of death, and what her calling means for her future with her boyfriend Arcas. Rhia's village of Asermos is lovingly depicted, and details of life on her family's horse and dog farm ring true. The next village over, Kalindos, where the people dwell in tree houses, is less well thought through, as well as the Descendant bad guys. The sex scenes and romance are appealing, although some of the boy-girl dialogue could come from any bodice-ripper. Eyes of Crow is an enjoyable vacation read as long as you don't overthink it.

Plot Summary: This inspired fantasy world feels like a conglomeration between part Native American and part Roman Empire histories. Rhia is a teenager who lives in the Asermos tribe, where each member is blessed with an animal Guardian Spirit. When it becomes apparent that Rhia's spirit is the crow, she denies her own destiny. Rhia doesn't want the power to help her people die in peace, but her skills will be needed when the Descendants, an empire driven society to the south, invade her homeland. Rhia is torn between her people's fate, her crow powers, and two men who want her love.

I'm having a hard time believing that the author of the WVMP Radio Series, which is about disk-jockey vampires, is the same person who wrote this book. I guess technically one is an urban fantasy and the other is fantasy, but they feel about a million miles apart. I think Ms. Smith-Ready excels at pure fantasy, but it's just my preference. The characters in Eyes of Crow attained a depth of feeling that I haven't felt in her other series, and they moved me to tears at times.

I don't hand out a top rating very often, and that's because most books leave out some key element, but this one has them all. The fantasy world was reach-out-and-touch-it real, and furthermore, it's a magical land that I want to spend more time in. It's a primitive setting, filled with horses and hunters, where one group of people embrace the animal spirit world and are granted magic powers, and the other group worship man-made gods. The small tribes of the animal spirit worshipers are under threat of attack from the prosperous and non-magical peoples to the south.

The world at large takes a backseat, for the most part, and the book really focuses on the heroine, Rhia. I love it when the author invests a lot of time in developing her lead character, and lets me watch her grow from childhood to adulthood. Rhia's animal spirit is the crow, a rare and somewhat dreaded power, because crows are the harbingers of death. Even as a child, she knows this will set her apart from everyone, and she fights the powers of the crow, which only brings more trouble.

The love triangle between Rhia and two young men was completely satisfying, and in addition to the romance, there was always a surprise or some peril to overcome. I think my only disappointment is learning that this is a trilogy, and there won't be more books to read after the next two novels, which are Voice of Crow (2007) and The Reawakened (2008).

I was first introduced to Jeri Smith-Ready's Wicked Game, one of the most original vampire novels I've had the pleasure of reading. Unbeknownst to me at the time, her earlier publications included a series of novels based around a fantasy world where people bond with their totems in very dramatic and magical ways. Eyes of Crow is the first in the trilogy.

A community of people live by the abilities bestowed upon them by their totem creatures. Some are common, others less so. Rhia, our main character, fears that she may be the first Crow woman in a generation, Crow being the harbringer of death. Amid this set of growing pains, she must also navigate love, a potential war, and the loss of those around her.

While I was a little worried that this would end up being a long, dragging novel that I couldn't wait to have over with, it was actually quite a fast and enjoyable read for its size. Smith-Ready is a talented writer who has a firm grasp of both worldbuilding and character development. Both the descriptive parts and the dialogue flow smoothly, and they're well balanced.

I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a new fantasy series to read. I would also highly suggest that anyone interested in animal totems pick it up, since she does a good job of creating a fictional totemic system.

Eyes of Crow begins the story of Rhia of Asermos. The people of Asermos each have the gift of a different animal aspect, and each animal brings different talents. Rhia is bound to the spirit of Crow, a rare gift, which allows her foresight of death. Being a Crow is a great responsibility, charged with easing the passage of people to the Other side. It's a time of change in Rhia's life. She has to accept her gift - a thing which she doesn't find easy to do - and begin her training. But the Descendents (people who have abandoned the spirit animals) are seeking to invade. Rhia will have to face her fears, the loss of both friends and family and death itself.

Although I found the introduction of the various animal aspects - bear, wolf, spider, otter, wolverine etc. - slightly info-dumpy. I think it was probably best to get this out of the way and make it familiar early, so it's in the readers head. And I admit that once I started this book I couldn't put it down.

Rhia has to leave her village of Asermos and travel to Kalindos to be trained by their Crow. There is a discord between the two villages. The Asermons are an agricultural community, the Kalindons are more hunter/gatherers, living closer to the edge.

Whilst in Kalindos she begins a relationship with Marek (a wolf). Yet at the same time she's trying to find her way, to understand what being a Crow means. Her people also have to deal with the fact that their way of life is being threatened by the Descendents.

The world itself and its rules are incredibly well thought out. Each animal spirit gift has three phases. With each phase increasing the power / potential of the gift. In this society people don't have children until they're ready, this shows they're ready for the next phase of their power. The consequences for going against this natural order can be harsh. As can the consequences of denying your gift. Both of these choices are explored in Eyes of Crow.

For me Eyes of Crow was very much about trying to understand your place in the world, when the world you know is constantly shifting and changing. Rhia resists change, she puts off embracing her spirit animal, and initially runs away from taking the necessary steps to becoming a Crow. But you don't blame her for her fear, and through the course of the book, as she changes from a frightened girl to a young woman with difficult responsibilities, she grows both emotionally and spiritually.

This is definitely another series I'll be following.

Also available - Voice of Crow (Bk2)

I was hardly able to put this book down..

Smith-Ready takes us on a spell-binding journey that grips your interest from the beginning and holds-fast through the entire adventure. Though somewhat morbid and morose in areas, it is a necessary parallel that must be brought forth in order for the reader to experience what Rhia is experiencing: death, again and again.

Rhia is a young woman striving to find her place in society, yet all the while she is pushing back her true calling: she is a woman of Crow, guided by her spirit animal. Her own brush with death as a child and intense visions of the deaths of those around her have caused Rhia to put off her birthright. That is until events force her onto the path she was destined to take... Rhia must then find her way onto the path Crow has laid out for her, in addition to finding her true passage into becoming an individual, and a woman.

Chock-full of magic, spiritual endeavors and mystery-- I found myself sucked into Rhia's world, experiencing it with her through each turn of the page. The author's ability to portray amazing scenes and scenarios of a spirit-world few have thought to imagine is uncanny. Her second book in the series is coming out in 2007. Like many others who have gotten hooked on Smith-Ready, I can't wait!

Wow! Fantastic book. The idea of death can be terrifying because it is an uknown to us. But with the help of Crow and the one bestowed with His aspect, he helps to soothe that which we don't know, easing their transition to the Other side.
Rhia was chosen to have the aspect of Crow. In this first book we journey with her as she discovers she cannot run from her destiny, no matter how much she fears being Crow. With a war looming, an invasion of the Descendants (those who do not believe in the magic of the Spirits), Rhia has completed her Bestowing and trains with another Crow woman from Kalindos. There Rhia meets Marek. Their relationship is strong and together he helps her with her fear and she helps with his guilt. I thought this book was very intriguing. The detail of the world and the Spirits was well thought out and wonderfully put together. There were some tearful moments and those are always a plus for me. Definitely a great fantasy and a recommended read!

Absolutely Fabulous! I almost didn't get to read this book. I actually had it on hold at my local library, but something happened to the copy and I was dropped from the hold list. I completely forgot about it and if my library wouldn't have been kind enough to place me back on hold when the new book arrived, I would never have even given it a second thought. Eyes of Crow has a very Native American feel to it, but if you read it carefully it is easy to gather that this is some sort of future world. It doesn't explain why things changed. Why people had to go back to nature, why they had to give up their big cities--but it is obvious something occurred. Yet, this is not the forefront plot of the novel. The main plot is a story of a young girl coming of age. Trying to find her way in society--to belong, to love, to be accepted for whom she is. The story is full of magic, love, commitment, promises of something sweet. The characters are well rounded to the very smallest part. I cannot wait to read the second in the trilogy.

Oh, how I loved this world, where people were in contact with the spirit world, and each person had an animal spirit to guide them, and to help others.

Rhia is truly an extraordinary young woman! She was afraid of her gift, and had to deal with the guilt that came because of it. However, when she finally chose to embrace it, she showed both strength and weakness, confidence and insecurity. And she continued to be true to herself as she grew.

I loved how she was with Arcas, but was even happier with how she developed and became more mature, and loving with Marek.

Her relationships with others were like they are for actual people as well, sometimes, we are scared when we meet new people, and JSR really coined that awkwardness that can arise when we move to a new place.

The war scenes were truly amazing, I felt like I was running around with Rhia when the fighting was at its' peak, and I was searching for Marek with her.

i first read eyes of crow years ago when my daughter in-law bought it for me for christmas. i was so enthralled with it but had no idea there were any follow ups. since getting my kindle and going onto this site i now have the full collection and can't wait to read the rest. eyes of crow captivated me from the very start and i couldn't put it down until it was finished.it is definately a must read.