Forest Guardian's Reluctant Vigil

Each year on Kupala Night, the leszy, a forest guardian spirit, leaves his beloved woods to protect the blooming fern flower in a Chicago church. The church, built by immigrants at great sacrifice, is a nexus of deep magic. The leszy is uneasy in this human-made, sacred space, but recognizes the power of debts and sacrifices that draw magic to such places. When a mortal man arrives, prepared with magical protections, the leszy challenges him to prove his worthiness to claim the fern flower. The man, Dymitr, is persistent, respectful, and oddly fearless, seeking the flower not for himself but for a stranger—a creature. The leszy, moved by this selflessness, allows Dymitr to face the flower's enchantments, which test his heart and intentions. Dymitr endures pain and scrutiny from a noonwraith, who ultimately deems him worthy, granting him the flower.

The Supplicant's Test

Dymitr's journey to claim the fern flower is not just a physical challenge but a spiritual and emotional ordeal. The leszy's contest—an archery challenge—reveals Dymitr's limitations, but his humility and honesty set him apart. When the noonwraith appears, she demands to see what is within Dymitr, threatening to open his heart literally and metaphorically. Dymitr's willingness to endure pain for another's sake, and his refusal to lie or bargain, convince the supernatural guardians of his sincerity. The flower blooms, and Dymitr, battered but unbroken, is allowed to take it, setting the stage for his quest to heal a cursed creature.

Lessons in Seeing Monsters

Flashbacks reveal Dymitr's upbringing in a family deeply aware of the supernatural. His grandmother teaches him to see through illusions and recognize monsters hiding among humans. She explains that creatures like zmory (nightmares) feed on fear and can disguise themselves perfectly. Dymitr learns that the world is full of hidden dangers and that knowledge, discipline, and emotional control are essential for survival. These lessons shape his cautious, analytical approach to magic and monsters, and foreshadow his complex relationship with both.

Among Monsters at Midnight

In present-day Chicago, Dymitr seeks out Klara Dryja, a zmora leader, at the Crow Theater—a horror movie haven and feeding ground for fear-eating creatures. He offers the fern flower in exchange for help finding Baba Jaga, the legendary witch. Klara is wary, testing Dymitr's knowledge and motives. Their negotiation is tense, laced with threats and magical illusions. Dymitr's refusal to reveal too much about himself, and his insistence on a fair exchange, earn him a grudging audience. The scene establishes the uneasy alliances and deep mistrust between humans and monsters.

Bargains and Curses

Ala, a zmora bartender cursed with relentless, bloody visions, meets Dymitr at a train station. She is skeptical of his offer to help, suspecting ulterior motives. Dymitr convinces her to show him the true nature of her curse through an illusion, witnessing the horrors she endures daily. Moved by her suffering, he proposes a partnership: he will give her the fern flower if she helps him reach Baba Jaga. Their alliance is uneasy but necessary, driven by mutual desperation. Together, they head to a secret monster boxing club, hoping to find a way forward.

The Boxing Ring Pact

At the Kostka family's underground boxing club, Ala must win a fight to gain access to the strzygi (anger-eating owl monsters) and their leader, Lidia. The club is a microcosm of monster society, with alliances, rivalries, and strict rules. Ala's opponent is a powerful strzyga, but Ala's mastery of illusions and quick thinking allow her to win. Dymitr tends to her wounds, and their bond deepens. The victory earns them an audience with Lidia, but the price for her help is steep: a painful, magical sacrifice.

Blood Price and Betrayal

Lidia demands a "gift born of pain"—a fingernail pulled out by Dymitr—as payment for her assistance. The act is excruciating and humiliating, but Dymitr endures it for Ala's sake. The strzygi attempt to double-cross them, but with the help of Niko, a strzygoń (male strzyga and family enforcer), they escape, only to be attacked by a murder of enchanted crows summoned by the Holy Order. The trio fights their way out, revealing Dymitr's skill with a bow and the growing trust among them.

Flocks and Family Ties

After the escape, Dymitr is confronted by his sister, Elza, a Knight of the Holy Order. Their tense exchange reveals Dymitr's secret mission and the dangerous stakes involved. Elza's presence and actions complicate Dymitr's plans, highlighting the personal costs of his quest. The group seeks refuge at a banshee-run hospice, where they recover and reflect. Niko's role as zemsta (avenger) for the strzygi is revealed, and the emotional bonds among the trio—Dymitr, Ala, and Niko—intensify.

The Curse's True Face

Ala's curse is traced through her family history, revealing a legacy of suffering inflicted by the Holy Order's magic. Dymitr confesses his connection to Ala's family: he was the Knight who killed her aunt and failed to save her cousin. His guilt and desire for atonement drive his quest to find Baba Jaga, not for vengeance, but for a way to unmake himself as a Knight and break the cycle of violence. Ala's forgiveness is hard-won, and the group prepares for their final confrontation.

Confessions and Revelations

To reach Baba Jaga, the trio must pass a magical test, each offering a secret or confession. Ala admits to ending her mother's suffering; Niko reveals he was not born a strzygoń but made one by Baba Jaga; Dymitr confesses he is not an ordinary mortal but a Knight. These revelations strip them bare, forging a deeper connection and granting them access to the witch's domain. The cost of truth is high, but necessary for transformation.

The Witch's Demands

Baba Jaga, ancient and inscrutable, demands a piece of Dymitr's soul—his sword—in exchange for transforming him and breaking his ties to the Holy Order. Dymitr must choose between annihilation and change. The process is agonizing: he unsheathes his soul-sword from his spine, enduring excruciating pain. Baba Jaga uses the fern flower to draw Ala's curse into Dymitr, then purges it, healing her. The witch's magic is crooked, demanding sacrifice and trust.

The Unmaking of a Knight

Dymitr drinks a potion brewed from his own pain and the witch's ingredients, falling into a deep sleep. When he awakens, he is no longer a Knight but something new—a zmora, a creature of fear and hope, bound to Ala as a sibling. The curse is broken, and Dymitr is freed from the Holy Order's control. The trio—Dymitr, Ala, and Niko—emerge changed, their bonds forged in suffering and forgiveness.

A New Kind of Monster

Dymitr, now a zmora, learns to navigate his new senses and relationships. He and Ala become chosen family, united by blood and shared trauma. Niko, once an avenger, finds awe and affection in Dymitr's transformation. The story ends with the leszy, the forest guardian, recognizing Dymitr's new nature and inviting him to a friendly contest, symbolizing acceptance and the possibility of peace between worlds.

Characters

Dymitr

Dymitr is a complex protagonist, raised in a family of monster-hunters and trained as a Knight of the Holy Order. His early lessons in seeing through illusions and controlling emotion make him both formidable and deeply conflicted. Dymitr's guilt over the deaths he has caused, especially those of Ala's family, drives his quest for atonement. He is marked by a capacity for empathy and self-sacrifice unusual among his peers. His journey is one of transformation—from a tool of violence to a creature capable of hope, love, and forgiveness. His relationships with Ala and Niko reveal his longing for connection and his struggle to reconcile his past with his desire for change.

Ala (Aleksja)

Ala is a fear-eating creature tormented by a hereditary curse that fills her with visions of violence and death. She is tough, sarcastic, and fiercely independent, yet deeply vulnerable beneath her defenses. Her skepticism of Dymitr and other mortals is rooted in betrayal and loss. Ala's journey is one of survival and self-acceptance; she fights for a cure not just for herself, but for her family's legacy. Her bond with Dymitr evolves from suspicion to reluctant trust, and ultimately, to a chosen siblinghood. Ala's illusions are both her weapon and her shield, reflecting her struggle to control her own narrative.

Niko (Nikodem Kostka)

Niko is a rare male strzyga, marked as zemsta—the family's designated avenger against the Holy Order. He is both feared and respected, set apart by his sterility and his magical power. Niko's transformation from mortal to strzygoń by Baba Jaga's hand adds layers to his identity, making him both insider and outsider in monster society. He is sharp, flirtatious, and loyal, with a deep sense of justice. His attraction to Dymitr and his protective instincts toward Ala reveal a longing for belonging and love. Niko's role as both enforcer and caretaker complicates his relationships, but ultimately, he chooses compassion over vengeance.

Klara Dryja

Klara is a powerful zmora who balances the needs of her people with the dangers posed by humans and the Holy Order. She is shrewd, skeptical, and fiercely protective of her community. Klara's interactions with Dymitr set the tone for the story's exploration of trust and betrayal. Her willingness to negotiate, despite her suspicions, demonstrates her pragmatism and adaptability. Klara embodies the challenges of leadership in a world where monsters must hide and defend themselves.

Lidia Kostka

Lidia is the formidable leader of the Kostka family, exuding both elegance and menace. She feeds on anger and wields immense influence over her kin. Lidia's demand for a painful sacrifice from Dymitr exemplifies her transactional approach to power and magic. She is a keeper of history and grudges, using her knowledge to control and test those who seek her help. Lidia's interactions with Ala and Dymitr highlight the complexities of monster society and the costs of survival.

Elza

Elza is a Knight of the Holy Order, torn between familial love and duty. Her relationship with Dymitr is fraught with tension, as she both aids and opposes him. Elza's actions—summoning crows, confronting Dymitr—reflect her internal conflict and the rigid expectations of their order. She embodies the tragedy of those caught between loyalty to family and allegiance to a cause, and her presence forces Dymitr to confront his own choices.

Baba Jaga

Baba Jaga is the story's ultimate power, ancient, enigmatic, and capricious. She demands steep prices for her magic, valuing secrets, pain, and pieces of the soul. Baba Jaga's interventions are never straightforward; her magic is "crooked," requiring sacrifice and trust. She is both judge and catalyst, forcing characters to confront their deepest truths and make irreversible choices. Her role as transformer and unmaker is central to the story's themes of change and redemption.

The Leszy

The leszy is a nature spirit who values balance and the sanctity of debts and sacrifices. He serves as both gatekeeper and witness, testing Dymitr's worth and later recognizing his transformation. The leszy's perspective is detached yet compassionate, reminding characters (and readers) of the larger cycles of nature and magic.

Dymitr's Grandmother

Dymitr's grandmother is a stern, wise figure who shapes his understanding of monsters, magic, and duty. Her lessons are harsh but formative, instilling in Dymitr both the skills and the doubts that drive his journey. She represents the weight of tradition and the difficulty of breaking free from inherited roles.

Noonwraith

The noonwraith is a spectral guardian who tests Dymitr's heart and intentions. Her role is to strip away pretense and expose the truth, serving as a gatekeeper to the fern flower's magic. She embodies the story's theme of painful revelation as a path to transformation.

Plot Devices

Magic as Debt and Sacrifice

Throughout the story, magic is not a free or whimsical force; it is rooted in sacrifice, pain, and the fulfillment of debts. Sacred spaces are powerful because of the sacrifices made to create them. Every act of magic requires a price—be it a fingernail, a secret, or a piece of the soul. This device grounds the supernatural in real emotional and physical costs, reinforcing the story's themes of accountability and transformation.

Tests and Trials

From the leszy's archery contest to Baba Jaga's demand for confessions, the narrative is structured around trials that force characters to confront their deepest fears, desires, and regrets. These tests strip away illusions and demand honesty, serving as crucibles for change. The trials are both literal (physical pain, magical ordeals) and metaphorical (emotional revelations, moral choices).

Duality and Transformation

The story repeatedly explores the idea that monsters and humans are not fixed categories. Dymitr's transformation from Knight to zmora, Niko's change from mortal to strzygoń, and Ala's journey from cursed to free all illustrate the possibility of becoming something new. This device challenges essentialist notions of good and evil, human and monster, and underscores the power of choice and self-definition.

Foreshadowing and Flashbacks

The narrative weaves in flashbacks to Dymitr's childhood, his training, and his family's history, providing context for his actions and motivations. These glimpses into the past foreshadow the revelations and transformations to come, building suspense and deepening character development.

Symbolism of the Fern Flower

The magical fern flower, which blooms only on Kupala Night, is a symbol of rare hope, the possibility of healing, and the cost of true change. Its power to draw out curses and its requirement for selfless intent mirror the story's central message: redemption is possible, but only through sacrifice and honesty.

Analysis

When Among Crows is a dark, modern fairy tale that reimagines Slavic folklore in the heart of contemporary Chicago, using monsters as metaphors for trauma, otherness, and the struggle for redemption. Veronica Roth crafts a world where magic is inseparable from pain and sacrifice, and where the boundaries between human and monster are blurred by love, guilt, and the longing for transformation. The novella interrogates inherited violence, the cost of survival, and the possibility of forgiveness—not just from others, but from oneself. Through Dymitr's journey from Knight to zmora, the story argues that true change is possible only when we confront our darkest truths, accept the consequences of our actions, and choose hope over despair. The relationships among Dymitr, Ala, and Niko illustrate the power of chosen family and the healing that comes from vulnerability and mutual support. Ultimately, the book suggests that monstrosity and humanity are not opposites, but intertwined states, and that the courage to become something new is the greatest magic of all.

Last updated: June 14, 2025