The Merciful Crow Books in Order

The Merciful Crow is a two-book young adult dark fantasy set in Sabor, a kingdom divided by a harsh caste system. At the bottom are the Crows, who tend plague victims, carry away the dead, and provide mercy killings when needed. They are necessary to everyone else's safety, but they receive little respect or protection in return.

Fie is a sixteen-year-old Crow chief-in-training who lives by a simple rule: look after your own. Her band travels where the plague appears, and the Crow magic they use comes through the teeth and bones of the dead. That makes their work powerful, frightening, and easy for the higher castes to dismiss until they need it.

Then Fie's crew is called to collect royal bodies.

The supposed dead include Crown Prince Jasimir, who has faked his death to escape a dangerous queen. With him is Tavin, his Hawk bodyguard, whose duty has always been to keep the prince alive. Fie sees a chance to win lasting safety for the Crows: she will get Jasimir across Sabor and out of the queen's reach, and in return he will protect her people when he takes the throne.

The Merciful Crow follows that bargain as a tense journey through a country where nearly every road carries danger. Fie has to weigh the needs of her Crow family against the risks of trusting two royals, while hunters close in and old prejudices shape every choice. The story keeps its focus on loyalty, class, survival, and the cost of asking young people to become leaders too soon.

In The Faithless Hawk, Fie is now chieftain of the Crows, but the promise of royal protection is far from secure. The death of a king gives Queen Rhusana an opening to seize power, and she uses the plague to turn Sabor against the Crows. Fie and her band are forced into hiding, short on food and allies, while the threat to their people becomes a threat to the whole nation.

This is a complete duology with a grim, fast-moving mood, a close-knit found family, and a slow-burn thread of romance. Start with The Merciful Crow. The second book continues directly from its aftermath, so the pair works best read in order.