He says, “Come on, I want to see if the shop has Baked Lay’s,” and she decides to save the brainstorming for another time.

Instead, she makes a face. “The entire array of American snack foods is in front of you, and you’re on a quest for Baked Lay’s? They taste like almost nothing.”

“No, they taste both salty and bland,” he says. “All the comfort of a saltine cracker but with the satisfying snap of a chip.”

“Are the Lay’s people paying you to say this? Blink twice if you’re being blackmailed.”

Dymitr just grins, and leads the way to the store. Ala ignores the gnawing in her stomach. It feels a lot like dread.

In this scene, Dymitr is me.

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To Clutch A Razor, sequel to When Among Crows, is out today! It’s been awhile since I had a sequel to anything come out, and I’m pretty excited for this one. Since I’d already built the sandbox, I just got to play in it, and in To Clutch A Razor, everything is deeper— the relationships, the worldbuilding, the characters’ histories and personalities. TCAR is like the dark chocolate to When Among Crows’ milk chocolate— still a treat, but a little more complicated flavor-wise.

Last night at the event in Los Angeles we talked about this book being about family—it’s like the worst family gathering…ever was my joke. And that’s true. I think most people understand the feeling of hiding parts of yourself away around family, or certain family members. For some people, that’s just run-of-the-mill stuff like not swearing around Grandma; for other people, it’s all the best, most genuine, most interesting parts of them that have to be tucked away. And that can be painful—the pain of not being known, and not being seen.

But sometimes you find friends who do know you, and who will walk with you through the hardest moments. And that’s what To Clutch A Razor is about— the (exaggerated through fantasy) hardships of reuniting with a family that doesn’t really see you, and the wonder of friendship in the midst of it.

I hope you love it.

Sometimes people ask me what’s actually helpful for an author when it comes to supporting their book. The biggest answer is just to buy it or request it from your library, of course! But if you’re feeling particularly enthused about this or any other book, here’s some things you can do that authors really appreciate (and they really do make a difference):

Order a copy for yourself or a friend. Grab it from your local independent bookstore, of course (I suggest The Book Stall or The Book Cellar!) but if that’s not something that’s available to you there’s also Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Bookshop | Walmart

Share the cover reveal on Instagram, Facebook, or Threads with your network.

Mark the book “Want to read” on Goodreads. Yes, believe it or not, this does help a book get some visibility!

If you’ve read it already, leave a review wherever you bought it, or on Amazon or Goodreads.

And hey, if you’re in a book club, consider suggesting the book (To Clutch A Razor, in this case!) for your next read. Spread the wonderful agony to your unsuspecting friends and neighbors! They’ll love it!

No matter what, dziękuję (that means “thank you”) to everyone who has offered up their enthusiasm for this book! I so appreciate you.

Just Some Goodies

A TCAR Playlist:

Some songs I listened to while writing. Spotify link to a playlist for both books in the series here.

ANIMAL - PVRIS

ANXIETY - Lilyisthatyou

Lonely Dancers - Conan Gray

Eat Them Apples - Suzie Wu

Shine - Collective Soul

Forest - System of a Down

Zegar Bije - Albert Pyśk

A Tear In Space - Glass Animals

Hellhounds of the Deep - Karliene

Simmer - Hayley Williams

Smoke & Retribution - Flume, Vince Staples, Kučka

Ghost - Saint Mesa

A Starred Review:

(From Publisher’s Weekly. Some spoilers ahead!)

In bestseller Roth’s equally emotional and action-packed second Curse Bearer fantasy (after When Among Crows), series hero Dymitr contends with the consequences of his actions. Once a monster-hunting Knight of the Holy Order, Dymitr doomed himself to life as a zmora, a creature that feeds on human fear, when he gave up his prized bone sword to Baba Jaga. Baba Jaga agrees to give back Dymitr’s sword, but only if he completes a horrifying task: killing 33 Holy Order knights, his own kin. Dymitr balks and seeks a workaround, hoping that stealing a spell book from his family home will be enough to appease the witch. The death of his uncle gives Dymitr the perfect excuse to return to Poland, despite his apprehension about facing his family. His friend Ala tags along apparently to help Dymitr with his quest, but really for secret reasons of her own. Meanwhile, Niko—Dymitr’s love interest and a strzygón, a creature that feeds on anger—travels to Poland in hopes of killing a Knight known as “The Razor.” As the trio’s tasks become intertwined, Roth ratchets up the stakes—with bloody consequences. Roth’s darker sequel maintains the seamless worldbuilding of the previous book while giving each member of the main trio a distinct and well-developed character arc; probing themes of intergenerational trauma, familial duty, and morality; and setting the stage for the finale. It’s impressive work.

I’m headed to Des Moines today and St. Louis tomorrow and Indiana the day after that! Come see me if you can!

<3,

V

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