The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson | REVIEW

Title: The Storm Crow
Author: Kalyn Josephson
Genre: YA Fantasy
Series: The Storm Crow #1
Publisher: SourceBooks
Release Date: July 9th 2019

Synopsis: In the tropical kingdom of Rhodaire, magical, elemental Crows are part of every aspect of life…until the Illucian empire invades, destroying everything.

That terrible night has thrown Princess Anthia into a deep depression. Her sister Caliza is busy running the kingdom after their mother’s death, but all Thia can do is think of all she has lost.

But when Caliza is forced to agree to a marriage between Thia and the crown prince of Illucia, Thia is finally spurred into action. And after stumbling upon a hidden Crow egg in the rubble of a rookery, she and her sister devise a dangerous plan to hatch the egg in secret and get back what was taken from them.

**Trigger Warnings: depression, self harm (religious ceremonies) and being burned

Plot

 I was really excited when I found out that this book would have actual crows that you can ride. Dragons are old news-crows are so much cooler! I loved the politics and the tension between the two countries we see the most of in this world. The details included to really explain the magic system and world was a nice touch, we get some myths and legends to help explain everything. I loved how integral the crows were to life in Rhodaire, to the point where it even influences their sayings which really helped to immerse me into this world.

Characters

I absolutely ADORED Anthia. I loved the depression rep that we got through her character and it really resonated with me. She’s so strong but is also very human when it comes to her thoughts and feelings, and it was great to have a character who isn’t all-knowing and all-powerful which is part of the reason I really connected with her. I also really enjoyed her amazing friendship with Kiva, we need more strong female friendships like this one! 

And don’t even get me started on Ericen! His banter with Anthia was amazing and I honestly cannot wait for the next book because I just know it’ll get even better with the characters and their development. Plus there is a F/F romance and lots of interesting family dynamics and friendships to explore!

Atmosphere/Feeling

I loved the world that we got to see and I’m hoping we see even more in the next book, because I need MORE. I loved the little touches like the fact that without Crows the climate in Rhodaire gets warmer, the different cultures and religions in each kingdom, and the differences between the people of each of said kingdoms. 

Magic System

 I do wish the magic of the crows was given more detail, but due to….certain circumstances I understand why we didn’t really get to focus much on them. I’m excited to learn more about the crows and the connection that they make with their rider, as well as the talents of the other countries and what (if any) magic they have.

Writing

I feel like a broken record at this point, but I always say that if the writing doesn’t distract me from enjoying the book then it gets a thumbs up from me. I am happy that I can say that the writing didn’t pull me out of the story! We have two perspectives (maybe three? I don’t remember if Caylus or Kiva have perspectives). Ya’ll know how much I love books with multiple POVs! 

Enjoyment

I absolutely adored this book from beginning to end and I just need book 2 ASAP. Now I just need to figure out how to get my hands on an early copy of that when the time comes. If you think this sounds even REMOTELY interesting I suggest you pick it up because you won’t be disappointed.

Rating:

Honestly, this has probably been one of my favorite YA fantasies that I’ve read in a while. I loved the depression rep and found it to be accurate, at least where it applied to myself. I just loved everything about this book and can’t wait to see how the world expands and how the plot unfolds!

Have you read The Storm Crow yet? What did you think? I’d love to chat!

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