The Crow books are always a hard, uncomfortable read, which, honestly I don't think they would be Crow books if they weren't. I started reading this book just as some upsetting real world stuff started to go down and it was difficult to read it consistently through that time, so this one took  me a while to get through.

Amazing how, though this book was written in the late 90s, the events felt like they could have taken place last week. The villains, members of an extreme right wing militia, are despicable on every page, making our heroine's act of vengeance even more satisfying. Definitely not a book for the easily offended, as these guys use almost every slur in the book and commit some truly heinous acts.

I don't think it's the greatest Crow story I've come across, I remember The Lazarus Heart having a greater impact, but I enjoyed how unique it was in its own way. We finally follow a female Crow that isn't back to avenge a spouse, partner, or family member, but the children she took care of at her day care center that had been murdered in a bombing organized by the militia. The book focuses on a different kind of grief, centered around lost potential and innocence as well as loved ones. Truly heartbreaking at times, but worth it I think.