The Crow: Stories of an Adventurer's Son

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Corvo's parents are legendary heroes. Corvo will be a hero, too.

Someday. But not yet. For now he's just a little boy. And while his mother is constantly embroiled in intrigue, drama, and adventure, he's going to have to do his best to stay safe and tag along.

It's an exciting way to grow up.

THE CROWstarts after Corvo's mother brings him to a remote tower in the wilderness, yet before long things there begin to seem wrong. What is the strange thing that lurks in the tower's darkest places, and what has it done to young Corvo's shadow?

UPDATED EVERY WEEKDAY

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2024
Author: JurassicClark

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.6/ 5.0
Followers: 804
Views: 209,232

Reviews

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Community Reviews(10)

chirpyRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is the story of Corvo, a little boy who follows along the errant lifestyle of his adventurer mother, the great witch Eris.
I must confess, I have read the prequel (Manaseared, also on RR). It has been a long time since I’ve changed my opinion on which are my favourite books, but I’m proud to say that the Manaseared series (both Manaseared and The Crow, and possibly also The Sorceress, which is a short story between the two that I have yet to finish reading) are now my number 1. Why is that?
Well, mainly because it’s way beyond in quality to most stories in RR, apart from the fact that the plot itself is exciting and keeps you glued to the page. It’s a traditional fantasy, inspired in DnD lore, and despite being heavy on action and adventure (which are amazing), its actual focus is usually character building.
You can practically see a chapter by chapter progression: if the plot advances, the characters grow as people, and the effect of it all is a story you’d devour in a week and then start up again. If I am to follow the strict structure of a review, it would be like this:
Style: Excellent, 5/5, the only story I have read that has a similarly beautiful style is maybe “Litches get Stitches”, by Hesketh II. The most you can usually find in RR is a good story with a style bland enough not to interrupt. In most cases however, the style is so bad it detracts from the story. Not here: not only is the story good, but the storytelling is so fun that you just glide through the story!
Grammar: Of course, 5/5. I believe, in the entire Manaseared series (so Manaseared + The Sorceress + The Crow) I have seen a total of 2 typos, and they were so small I barely noticed. The grammar was always perfect, as it should be.
Story: 5/5 Despite the setting being classic (and thus not new, as most high fantasy stories) the plot itself is very very good, and I would dare say excellent. The Crow is not as action-intensive as Manaseared (as the main character is a small child), it leans
ChuchundraRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Fast paced and fun. Five year old Corvo thinks it's normal to grow up in a family loaded with magic. He practices swordplay with aging adventurers, tags along on adventures with his sorcerous mom, and climbs trees to find out what happens when a witch and goblin cross paths. But is his dad really a famous hero? And do bigger adventures await Corvo himself? Looking forward to more chapters to find out.
BerothedogRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story has me hooked so far. The action scenes and fights flow realy well and are detailed but the real meat of the story are the characters and their growth. We follow Corvo, a five year old boy as he travels with with his mother on adventures. if the story is going to be anything like the preque Manaseared it"s going to be a great ride.
KLynneRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This isn't my usual fare, but I'm fascinated by corvids so clicked anyway. I am thoroughly enjoying this surprising, unusual story, in large part thanks to the immersive POV. Building the world through young Corvo's eyes adds mystery and dimension that might be missing if we viewed it from another, adult point of view. The characters are well-written, and the tone of the dialogue complements the setting perfectly. The writing and grammar make it a pleasure to read.
I look forward to leaving a more advanced review once I've read further into the story.
PakhawajRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I would recommend the prequel to get the most out of reading this one, but it is a excellent story regardless.
Personally I would prefer the author lingered on some scenes a little longer, to explore the environment, and the characters' feelings and things like that, but perhaps that would have slowed the pace of adventure too much in what is probably just meant as a short story.
Really liked it in any case!
Robopi3.14Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
(tentatively 5 stars)
One of the main characters is a pretty terrible person, but somehow no one else in the story seems to care about this. There seems to be some weird sort of cognitive dissonance that the main cast has. A different character is pretty much a punching bag, is basically unable to contribute at all and ends up failing at the one act that would've made his character remotely interesting. I like the kid corvo, but he is very very overshadowed, and doesn't really help to negate the unlikability of the rest of the main cast. I'm not going to be unfair though, and I'm willing to change this review if the character that failed at his task gets some sort of satisfying conclusion instead of literally functioning as a punching bag/plot device. Story is otherwise pretty enjoyable.
The Storm KingRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is an absolutely awesome story set in a very interesting and original fantasy world.
The main focus is on character interactions though there is a good amount of action and adventure.
The characters are all very multifaceted and complicated - with real fears and desires and irrational actions that fit their emotional state. Such intricate character work is rarely seen and always a pleasure to read.
The story is told from multiple pov’s - though almost always in the third person. It is not jarring since a chapter is always the same pov throughout.
The world is slowly shown peace by peace - but the Worldbuilding is superb and the world feels really real and lived in.
Whilst it is the second (or third?) work in a series - it stands perfectly well on its own and I found everything sufficiently well explained for new readers. The reason being that it is a sequel where many years passed and the heroine now has a son. This explains the slower worldbuilding but is also quite impressive to do it in a way that can attract both new and old readers.
Still I’d probably suggest reading Manaseared first just to get the complete package. I’ll be doing it after I finish this since I already started it.
P.S.
I am on team Skios and will be very dissatisfied if that is not resolved satisfactorily. But considering the other thing and how it was resolved I have very high hopes.
_meRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Excellent writing. I had to check out the author substack.
The story follows a young boy, however it isn't limited in perspective. This works well for the tension. The plot and storytelling have started in the right place, with growing, dynamic characters. I'm following the worldbuilding with interest, the usual races etc. Off to their other in-universe (back)story between updates...
anasincevichRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Interesting perspective and adventurers who act like adventurers - used to cruelty, danger, violence and power and still grappling with humanity and love. Would recommend!
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IronicCopperRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
Very well written with an original take on a classic premise, but I hope something happens soon.
What I thought was merely going to be the setup for the actual plot, the main character’s (Corvo?) background story, has continued on and on. At this point Corvo is a side character, and it seems like there are no plans for that to change in the near future, even though we’re almost through an entire volume’s worth of writing.
It’s teetering on the edge of being one of those stories that you read chapter after chapter filled with anticipation of waiting to get the ‘real’ story past all the setup (because the buildup has been great). If the buildup is this good, then the payoff is going to be amazing. But suddenly you realize: this is the real story, this is all you’re ever going to get, this is it. If we don’t move into Corvo’s adolescence soon, with him being able to make real decisions, I’m afraid this is going to be it. And it is good, but not what I felt I was getting myself into based on the blurb and the first few chapters.