Book Review: Daughter of Crows by Mark Lawrence
Mark Lawrence's latest grimdark tale, Daughter of Crows, holds nothing back. It's chock full of plot twists, unexpected turns, and gruesome deaths.
The story follows the elderly Rue as she tries to live out the remainder of her days peacefully in a rural village. Unfortunately, her past as a Kindness, a type of necromancy-wielding assassin, comes back to cause her all kinds of problems that her old bones are not as capable of handling as they once were.
As you may have guessed, the term Kindness is a bit of a misnomer. This convent of the goddess Morigan takes in one hundred girls each year. These children are sold to the convent by their parents, grandparents, uncles, and even themselves. The girls train mercilessly for a decade in the art of murder, necromancy, and combat. At the end of the decade, only three of the hundred will remain alive to become full-fledged Kindnesses that exact punishment on kings, peasants, and other petty lords who have done foul things.
Daughter of Crows is an interesting book. I enjoyed the story, and the multiple points of view kept me guessing as to what was actually going on. The plot twists are twisty, the murder is bloody, and revenge lurks on nearly every page of this book.
While I enjoyed the multiple POVs, one storyline didn't quite work for me, and it felt like a slog to get through those chapters. Those chapters provided important backstory, but I just didn't feel the emotional connection that I got with the characters in the other chapters. Those few areas just fell flat for me.
Some readers may find the constant jumping from “present” to “past” and back again tedious, but I would argue that Lawrence has handled this issue in an interesting and engaging manner.
I loved the magic system. I mean, what's not to like about lady assassins with necromantic powers who may occasionally explode? The bits of the book that take place in the hereafter add depth to the magic of the story that I really enjoyed.
I've not read Lawrence's Red Sister series, but the premise is similar. The convent-style setting also reminds me of Anthony Ryan's Raven’s Shadow series. So, if you've read those, you may like this one too.
Despite its few flaws, I really enjoyed Daughter of Crows, and I will definitely be continuing the story. This was Lawrence at his grittiest.
Daughter of Crows hits a bookstore shelf near you on March 24, 2026. If you enjoyed this review and are interested in reading the book, you can pre-order it on bookshop.org.
Thank you, Net Galley, Berkeley Publishing Group, and Mark Lawrence for the opportunity to review this ebook in advance of its publication. 3.5/5 Stars.
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