The Queen of Crows by Monica Valentinelli

The Queen of Crows Reviews

• 
  Jess Hartley

  As a writer and reader, I'm intrigued by the possibilities that technology affords the publishing industry, both mainstream publishers and the "little guys" who are out there creating stories and other works of wordsmithing and looking for ways to share their creations with hungry readers. Because of this, I was very excited to hear about Monica Valentinelli's "The Queen of Crows". More than your run-of-the-mill short story, this product offers readers the opportunity to truly immerse themselves in not only the history and magic of the world Valentinelli has created, but also the evolution of the tale, the inspiration behind it, and a glimpse at the very-talented creative spirits who brought the whole thing together.
  
  The high points? Well, first, of course is Valentinelli's presentation of her work. Not only is her fiction writing a joy to read, but her research is impeccable, and her autobiographic material presents just the right combination of academia and personal interaction. If Queen of Crows was "just" the short story or the story and the author's "Inspiration" chapter, it would have been well worth the $4.99 by itself.
  
  But it doesn't stop there. Valentinelli goes on to offer us more in-depth material on one of the main characters, as well as the setting - material which, while it is not vital to the story, intrigues as it informs. The combination of fiction and additional material really give the reader the feeling that they've gotten more than they bargained for--in a plethora of ways.
  
  In addition, the production values are extremely well done. I opened it for the first time with Foxit, and was a little disappointed. I could see some of the art, but not all of it, and there were blank spaces that fairly cried out to be filled in the layout. But when I realized it was likely an application problem rather than an issue with the actual product, I quickly pulled up Adobe and got to see my first glimpse of what was from start to finish a truly beautiful product. The cover art is striking. The interior layout complements the story without overpowering it. The character illustration is gorgeous, and even the font and labels chosen for the novel-draft at the end of the product do exactly what they should - reinforce the nature of that piece without distracting from the reader's enjoyment of it.
  
  I'd recommend The Queen of Crows for anyone who has a soft spot for hard topics, who likes their historic fiction a bit on the dark-and-yet-beautiful side or who is looking for a glimpse into the creation process of a darned-good read. If you enjoy Orson Scott Card's Alvin the Maker series, you might well be intrigued by The Queen of Crows as well as any other Violet War materials. I know I'll be keeping my eye out for what Valentinelli and her cohorts have up their sleeve next!
  
• 
  Bill

  We are living in a new age of publishing. Digital products are on the verge of becoming the norm rather than the exception, which is one of the things that makes Queen of Crows such an exciting project. Written by Monica Valentinelli, Queen of Crows is a story about a Navajo Medicine Man, Tse, who must perform a powerful ritual in an attempt to save his people. The question is, will the ritual work and summon a powerful spirit to help Tse's people, or will it only cause more grief and suffering?
  
  One of several intriguing things about this book is that it's a short story publishing without benefit of an anthology wrapped around it like a comforting blanket. Valentinelli puts her story out there (along with a nice assortment of bonus features) and it's a tale strong enough to stand on its own two feet.
  
  Besides the story itself, this ebook package also includes a number of bonus features: a first draft of the story - dramatically different from the finished product; folkloric background on one of the major characters; an introduction to Valentinelli's work-in-progress, Violet War; a letter to the reader; and a brief note explaining the inspiration for the story. The fact that this package exists is a tantalizing taste of things to come in the publishing world. This ebook gives the reader a look into the mind of the author, providing tantalizing hints of insight and previews of things to come. In addition, this package includes a beautiful, full-color rendering of the character Mahochepi, the Queen of Crows herself, lovingly brought to life by Leanne Buckley.
  
  Buy this ebook for the story; you won't be disappointed. Consider the additional features a very large bonus, making the pittance paid for this work seem trivial indeed.