An Interview with Margaret Owen, Author of The Merciful Crow

July 9, 2019 | 2:00 PM

An Interview with Margaret Owen, Author of The Merciful Crow

By Team Fierce Reads
An Interview with Margaret Owen, Author of The Merciful Crow

Do you love gritty fantasy full of murder and magic? The Merciful Crow is almost here and it’s sure to be a new favorite! Check out this interview with author Margaret Owen to get you in the mood for an epic, high stakes adventure that will leave you crowing for more.

What makes Fie Fierce?
Her father would tell you her temper will leave a mark, but I’d say it’s that she knows her worth, and isn’t afraid to remind people when necessary.

If you could give Fie one piece of advice, what would it be?
Sleep with your sandals on. (But she knows that one already!)

What's the most interesting thing you learned while researching The Merciful Crow?
I learned all kinds of interesting things! Like how medieval European executioners were allowed to claim property from the executed person's estate. Unfortunately, Fie is a mercy killer who deals with a plague and uses teeth for magic, and I will tell you: after googling ‘the black plague,’ ‘human teeth,’ and ‘how fast does someone die from a cut throat,’ the ads generated from your browsing history are NOT GREAT.

If you'd met Fie as a teen, would you have been friends?
She would have destroyed me as a teen. I would have wanted to be her friend so badly, but also I have a terminal deficiency of chill, and it was much worse in high school. It would be like a golden retriever puppy trying to befriend the meanest, scruffiest, most anti-social cat in the county.

What's one fun fact most people don't know about you?
I’m absolutely terrified of bees. They’re like spiders that can move in 3D to me. One time I punched a perfect fist-sized hole through about 3” of layered cardboard because a yellow jacket flew into the car. (I was in the backseat with my friend’s art project. We were in the fast lane of southbound I-5. Imagine a battered black sedan veering across three lanes of traffic to pull over and let the yellow jacket out while I, screaming, performed a flawless five-finger death punch on the project my friend had spent months painstakingly sculpting. Friendship!)

What's your favorite part of being an author?
Pleasantly devoid of bees, for the most part. But also there’s a funny kind of thrill every time something happens for my book, like getting a cover or holding my first-ever ARCs, where I remember all over again that this thing that started as me barfing into a Word document is going to actually be a real book on real bookshelves. It's completely surreal!

What's the most challenging part of being an author?
It turns out my competitive streak has paired nicely with the tidal wave of insecurity that goes with being a debut author. It can be hard to turn off the voice that asks why don’t I have as many reviews as this other debut? Do I need to have more followers on social media? Does this mean no one’s gonna buy my book? All nonsense, of course, but insecurity and rationality don’t quite see eye-to-eye.

Which 3 fictional YA characters would you want to go on a quest with and why?
I would assemble an elite squad of Girls Who Get Sh…tuff Done: Alice Kingston of A Blade So Black, Zoya Nazyalenski of King of Scars, and Amaya Chandra of Scavenge the Stars. We would get it done in half the time and stop for ice cream on the way back.

Describe your book in 3 words.
Magic! Kissing! Teeth! 




The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen

One way or another, we always feed the crows. 

A future chieftain 

Fie abides by one rule: look after your own. Her Crow caste of undertakers and mercy-killers takes more abuse than coin, but when they’re called to collect royal dead, she’s hoping they’ll find the payout of a lifetime.

A fugitive prince 

When Crown Prince Jasimir turns out to have faked his death, Fie’s ready to cut her losses—and perhaps his throat. But he offers a wager that she can’t refuse: protect him from a ruthless queen, and he’ll protect the Crows when he reigns. 

A too-cunning bodyguard 

Hawk warrior Tavin has always put Jas’s life before his, magically assuming the prince’s appearance and shadowing his every step. But what happens when Tavin begins to want something to call his own? 

Debut author Margaret Owen crafts a powerful saga of vengeance, survival, and sacrifice, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Kendare Blake.


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