Eyes of Crow

by Jeri Smith-Ready, Eden O'Neill, Alex Brown, et al.

Book Overview

For Rhia was bound to the Spirit of Crow, gifted with the foresight of Death's approach and doomed to the isolation of one feared and set apart. There must always be one whose magic can ease the passage of the people of Asermos to the Other Side. But to be the guide her people require, to truly know the depth of her gift--her curse--Rhia must surrender herself to the wisdom of the Great Forest...and drink deeply of Death itself. And though two powerful...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0373802587
• ISBN13: 9780373802586
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: Luna Books
• Length: 480 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.1" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

I am now a fan of this series!

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

I really liked this book. It's an easy, engaging read into the fantasy world the author has created.

First in Aspect of Crow Trilogy

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)

Loved It!

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.

Excellent read..

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!