Library Journal
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Dymitr knows that he still owes Baba Jaga a blood debt, and the cost is a book of curses hidden by his family. When he receives news that his uncle has died, Dymitr travels back to the old country to both observe the Order's ritual and acquire the book. Ala decides to accompany him, hoping to find a way to help and see if there is an answer in the book that can break her own family's curse. Not far behind is Niko, who has been set on a quest to kill a powerful Knight of the Order—Dymitr's mother. Surrounded by family, Dymitr has never felt so alone and trapped by the fact he is now a monster in a home of monster killers. This novella will leave readers hoping for more from this young trio. VERDICT The sequel to When Among Crows continues to build a world of Slavic folklore and found family. Roth creates complex characters and high-stakes action, along with emotional arcs of these three characters who are trying to find their places in the world and with each other.—Kristi Chadwick

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Dymitr, a monster hunter turned monster, must return to face his family when he’s called home for a funeral in the second of Roth’s Curse Bearer series. Baba Jaga, the great sorceress of Slavic folklore, has something that belongs to Dymitr: his bone sword, a magical weapon that comes from his own spine. As a Knight of the Holy Order, Dymitr was meant to use it to kill magical creatures, whom he was taught to regard as inhuman. After learning that everything he was taught about monsters was a lie, that they are in fact just as human as he is, and after Baba Jaga turned him into a magical monster himself, Dymitr has no interest in hunting them anymore. Baba Jaga made Dymitr a zmora, a magical being that feeds on human fear, and he’s only interested in figuring out what to do with his new life. But his bone sword is also made of a piece of his soul, and being separated from it will cause him to go mad. Luckily, Baba Jaga is happy to give Dymitr his sword back—so long as he kills 33 fellow Knights, starting with his own grandmother. Horrified at the thought of killing the woman who raised him, Dymitr hears more awful news from his sister. His uncle has died, and the family is gathering to perform the Knights’ burial rituals. Dymitr hopes that he can use the trip home to steal his family’s book of Knight curses and offer it to Baba Jaga as a bargaining chip for his sword. As in the first installment in the Curse Bearer series, Roth’s fantasy worldbuilding is efficient and effective. Most of the short—for fantasy, anyway—novel is dedicated to tense action sequences, expanding the fantasy world in ways that directly impact the plot, and to compelling character development as Dymitr faces his violent family. A character-driven fantasy story that doesn’t waste readers’ time. Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Publishers Weekly
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In bestseller Roth’s equally emotional and action-packed second Curse Bearer fantasy (after When Among Crows), series hero Dymitr contends with the consequences of his actions. Once a monster-hunting Knight of the Holy Order, Dymitr doomed himself to life as a zmora, a creature that feeds on human fear, when he gave up his prized bone sword to Baba Jaga. Baba Jaga agrees to give back Dymitr’s sword, but only if he completes a horrifying task: killing 33 Holy Order knights, his own kin. Dymitr balks and seeks a workaround, hoping that stealing a spell book from his family home will be enough to appease the witch. The death of his uncle gives Dymitr the perfect excuse to return to Poland, despite his apprehension about facing his family. His friend Ala tags along apparently to help Dymitr with his quest, but really for secret reasons of her own. Meanwhile, Niko—Dymitr’s love interest and a strzygón, a creature that feeds on anger—travels to Poland in hopes of killing a Knight known as “The Razor.” As the trio’s tasks become intertwined, Roth ratchets up the stakes—with bloody consequences. Roth’s darker sequel maintains the seamless worldbuilding of the previous book while giving each member of the main trio a distinct and well-developed character arc; probing themes of intergenerational trauma, familial duty, and morality; and setting the stage for the finale. It’s impressive work. (Sept.)