The Gathering Books in Order

The Gathering is a slim but important slice of Shelly Laurenston’s Norse myth inspired universe. Set before the main Call of Crows trilogy, it introduces the idea of human warriors resurrected by gods and gives an early look at the Crow and Raven clans that will matter so much later.

The central story, told in Hunting Season, follows Neecy Lawrence, second in command of the Crows. Neecy died young and hard in her first life, and Skuld’s bargain gave her wings, strength, and a new purpose. She takes that purpose seriously. Neecy is focused almost entirely on keeping her fellow warrior women safe and paying off what she sees as an unpayable debt for past mistakes.

Will Yager, leader of a Raven clan that serves Odin, has wanted Neecy for years. Where she is guarded and prickly, he is stubbornly patient. Their paths keep crossing as the Crows and Ravens fight rival clans and hunt down threats that could trigger Ragnarok. Yager is determined to show Neecy that there is more to her second life than guilt and violence, even if it means risking his own with every mission.

The book lays out many of the building blocks Laurenston will use in Call of Crows: the idea of warrior houses scattered across the world, divine politics spilling over into city streets, and ancient grudges playing out through very modern people. The tone balances romance with action, and even in this earlier work you can see her fondness for sarcastic banter and found family dynamics.

You do not have to read Hunting Season before starting The Unleashing, but doing so gives you extra context for how the Crows and Ravens operate and where some of their wary alliances began. It is also a more contained, relationship focused story, which makes it a good choice if you want to try the Norse side of Laurenston’s work without committing to a full trilogy right away.