The thrilling sequel to The Merciful Crow!
Title: The Faithless Hawk
Author: Margaret Owen
Published: August 2020
Pages: 400
Publisher: Blossom Books (I read this book in Dutch, review copy)
Rating: 9/10
First posted in Dutch on October 6 2020 and updated on December 17 2025.
As the new chieftain of the Crows, Fie knows better than to expect a royal to keep his word. Still she’s hopeful that Prince Jasimir will fulfill his oath to protect her fellow Crows. But then black smoke fills the sky, signaling the death of King Surimir and the beginning of Queen Rhusana’s ruthless bid for the throne.
With the witch queen using the deadly plague to unite Sabor against the Crows–and to grow her monstrous army–Fie and her band are forced to go into hiding. But as the plague ravages the country, they’re all running out of time before the Crows starve in exile and the nation is lost forever.
Desperate, Fie calls old allies to help take Rhusana down from within her own walls. To survive, Fie must unravel not only Rhusana’s plot but ancient secrets of the Crows–secrets that could save her people…or set the world ablaze.
I love reading fantasy series, but there’s usually a downside. Because of the many details, and if there’s a bit of time between reading the next instalment, it often takes some getting used to picking up the new one. In my case, there was a year between reads, which was manageable. However, I did pick up the first book to occasionally look up things like the hierarchy. If there’s a bit of time between reads, I recommend reading the first one again. Even though The Faithless Hawk begins where The Merciful Crow ended, quite a few things have changed in Fie’s life. It took me a while to get into the story, but once I was back in, I finished the book in no time.
What I really appreciate is that both stories begin roughly the same way. This made it feel like the story has come full circle. And how wonderful it was to enjoy the unique setting all over again! While reading the first book, I got a bit of a medieval vibe, but of course with a fantasy twist. Meanwhile, our current world (I read the second novel during the pandemic) has changed considerably, and on the one hand, it felt like the story was a bit closer. Strange, isn’t it, how reading a story can sometimes feel so different when reading it under different circumstances?
While the first book is about the journey along the way, the second instalment delves much more into the political aspect and power. For me as a reader, it’s clearly noticeable that the author has paid a lot of attention to the storyline. Owen beautifully describes friendship and blossoming love, while the story also features a lot of political power plays. She has created a wonderful balance between what seem like two extremes. I really like the writing style, because the story is presented clearly and vividly. In fact, I secretly can’t wait for the author to release a new book so I can immerse myself in Owen’s new world.
If you haven’t read the first book yet, but you did read this review… I want to emphasise again how much I love this series. This duology is a fantasy that’s incredibly easy to read. Thanks to the author’s clear explanation, I was immediately immersed in the world. That’s why I think this is a good book to read if you’re interested in reading fantasy but haven’t read many or any yet. But it’s also a great read for fantasy enthusiasts!
The literary metaphors combined with humor, a dose of romance, and the sheer diversity made this duology a wonderful reading experience for me!
Love,
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