I feel like I'm constantly hitting a wall of generic YA fantasy with books lately and, unfortunately, The Storm Crow fell into that category. Aside from the fact that I should have put it down long before the end, I found the characters fell flat and the story far too predictable to make it an enjoyable read for me.

I was instantly drawn into the idea of a world filled with magical creatures (in this case crows) that are integral to the way of life. Reminded me a lot of Dinotopia in that aspect which was one of my favorite movies as a kid. Unfortunately that world exists for all of. . . the prologue. If I'm being perfectly honest, it's the primary reason I was interested in this book because, beyond a pretty cover, the synopsis read with the strong potential for a "rebellious princess" and "chosen one." I like a well-used trope as much as the next person but it wasn't working with The Storm Crow for me.

The princess in question, Thia, read pretty flat. She tended to focus inward a lot and her constant stream of thoughts made me want to skim until something happened, usually her reacting to something else. I felt like Thia was more of a bystander in a larger story and tended to be more curious about what her friend and guard Kiva was doing -- except her friend was soon reduced to a bargaining chip to get Thia to obey. And then we get the prince Thia is supposed to marry who's typecast as a total jerk with a tragic history that's made him tough. Except it doesn't make me feel bad for him, only confused with the personality 180 he pulls halfway through the book.

Then there's the romance. Every romantic encounter in this book read as majorly insta-lovey. The relationship between Thia and one of the side characters came completely out of left field and felt unnecessary. She didn't need to have a thing with him to make anything else in the story happen, and the romance seemed like it was added in last minute. Oh, and then there's this whole love triangle potential presented near the end??? Thanks, but I'll pass. I can see that coming up in the next book and I'm not here for it.

I will say that I really appreciated the diversity of the cast. Thia is described as a woman of color and the races of the various kingdoms are described across a wide range of racial backgrounds. In addition, several same-sex couples pop up as secondary characters and are simply part of the world which I thought was well done rather than calling it out. It felt natural. Granted, I can't read into how good the rep for either aspect.

When it comes to the story, I can't deny that the writing is solid. The pacing is good and isn't bogged down with flowery descriptions. To be honest, the descriptions of, well, everything are kind of limited that I only visualized about half the book. But with the clean writing style, this book was a very quick read even though I wasn't invested in any part of it beyond finishing. The actual plot is predictable at best, with an evil queen who is nothing but evil (seriously, can we get a better motivation to her because the one that's given never felt strong enough to support her character) and a princess who doesn't want to get married. Throw in the last crow egg and suddenly we're dealing with a serious Chosen One dilemma. 

I'm okay with predictability. Most books are to some degree, especially if it's a genre you read a lot (and I read a lot of YA fantasy). But what finally lost The Storm Crow for me was the fact that everything came so easy for Thia. Each time she had a challenge, it suddenly resolved or wrapped up with minimal effort. Her foreign guards are trailing her? All she does is ask and they're gone. It seems ridiculously easy to communicate with the rebels. When she's forced to face her fears to save a friend, she comes out nearly unscathed. I never felt like she was in danger. There was no tension. And so I didn't care what happened to Thia because everything would work out. 

I had the ending pegged halfway through the book. It follows what I've seen time and again in other books and sets up for the sequel. The Storm Crow had no surprises for me which was disappointing and partially why the low rating. For finishing the book, I gave it a star. For the solid writing and interesting world idea of the crows, there's another star. But that's all I can give it unfortunately and don't think I'll bother with the sequel.

Sometimes, nothing makes me happier than picking up an author’s debut, and soon realizing their book is one of the best things you’ve read in a while. THE STORM CROW is no exception, and I’m happy to report I’ve found a new love.

Ugh, this was such a good read. I know I said that already, but I mean it. I devoured this over the weekend, not wanting to put it down. While a little slower-paced than expected, it was still thrilling, emotional and riveting. It reminded me a bit of Crown of Feathers, which I champion when I can.

The story takes place across the countries of Rhodaire and Illucia, two kingdoms at war, following Thia as she is roped into an engagement with the prince of Illucia as a peace offering. Illucia is established as the enemy within the first chapter, which by the way, is devastating. The magical crows so crucial to the way of life in Rhodaire are all killed in a scene that is not explicit or graphic, but still so very heavy-hearted. I made the mistake of reading it right before bed, not expecting this book to pack a punch so strong right out of the gate.

The elemental crows were a fascinating twist. I didn’t know what to expect with this book, but I really enjoyed this aspect. In Rhodaire there are magical crows that grow big enough to ride and are an integral part of life in the kingdom, from watering crops to weather regulation, spy-work to battle fighting. Each crow has an affinity for certain elements such as fire, water, shadow, earth. In this story, the egg Thia finds belongs to a storm crow, a crow that can manipulate the weather, creating storms of lightning and wind. But how to hatch it?

This is quite a strong feminist cast of characters. Thia is a wholly relatable protagonist. As we see in the first chapter, everything she has loved and cherished has been taken from her, and she slips into the grip of depression. Her development as she fights back against it and takes those steps forward, head held high, both at home and in enemy territory, is admirable. (Bonus representation points because I believe depression is something the author has struggled with herself.) She is a clever girl, and resourceful. And indomitable despite every fear she harbours. On top of that, just about every person who is important to her is a fierce female. Her sister is Queen of Rhodaire, making the hard decisions to keep her people safe. Her personal guard, Kiva, is a girl warrior who will stop at nothing to be there for Thia. Even those who died and are mourned by Thia are women she takes after or looked up to.

As far as villains go, Queen Razel is one nasty woman. Nasty. Prince Ericen’s mother, Razel is the woman orchestrating the slow and steady capturing of the neighbouring kingdoms. She is ruthless, manipulative and cold, and I applaud Thia for how she behaves with her. Thia is understandably pissed with this woman for destroying her home, her family, and her life, and she. does. not. back. DOWN.

While I know it is impossible, I do wish there had been a bit more crow riding and less of what I guess you would call a love triangle? It’s not full-fledged, but I have a feeling Book 2 will bring it to a head. The triangle I speak of is between Prince Ericen, Thia and an inventor named Caylus. Except it’s … not. Ericen comes to like Thia in a romantic way, but for too long she has considered him to be her enemy. Someone to befriend only to thwart. Caylus, on the other hand, is an awkward boy that I kind of adored against my better judgement. Thia likes him, and the way their relationship develops is quite sweet. Although I would prefer her to fall for the prince, cuz that’s just me, I’m curious to see how it’ll pan out.

me to myself: EVERY 👏 CROW 👏 IN 👏 THE 👏 UNIVERSE 👏 IS 👏 NOT 👏 KAZ 👏 BREKKER 👏

I liked the world building of The Storm Crow.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

***Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for sending me this copy in exchange for an honest review***

The Storm Crow is a YA Fantasy debut novel by Kalyn Josephson. I thought that this book would be a perfect fit for me. It’s compared to Eragon meets And I Darken--well, quite frankly, I didn’t get those vibes at all.

This book starts with a bang. The kingdom of Rhodaire is invaded by Illucian soldiers. The soldiers destroy everything in their wake--in particular the magical crows that sustain the Rhodairen way of life. This devastation leaves not only the kingdom in bad shape but Princess Anthia too. Anthia has always been connected to the crows. They take up nearly every aspect of her life. Their loss throws Anthia into a deep depression.

I wanted to love this book. But, the pacing of this book was just way too slow for me. There’s basically zero action until the very end of the book. Things might have been better if I felt connected to the characters. I’m not sure if it was the writing style or what, but I wasn’t connected or invested in this story at all. The only character I liked was Ericen and we didn’t get that many scenes from him in the second half of the book. However, that being said, I do plan on reading the sequel so I can see where the author takes this series.

PSA: If the idea of the main character being depressed deters you from this book, don’t let it. The author captures depression very well. She depicts the feelings of depression accurately and in a relatable way.

It was so hard for me to put this book down. Josephson did such a great job of storytelling. If you get nothing else from this, know that this is one HECK of a story. It’s got so much packed into it, but it’s super well done and not overwhelming at all. The details are incredible. The characters are so well written and you can truly understand what they’re feeling. The dialogue in this book--terrific.
My favorite thing about this book is the way that Thia’s depression and PTSD are written. When the rookeries are destroyed, Thia was right there. The description and inner monologue that Thia has is so well described. It truly conveys what it feels like to have depression: the struggle just to get up in the morning, the indescribable sadness, the weight that feels lodged on your chest, the loss for words when people don’t take the time to understand that it’s not just something you can choose to move on from. For those that have never felt true depression, this is a book that I would push them towards if they really wanted to read an account. Although fiction, I think that sometimes books can do a better job of explaining things like mental illness better than we can speak it in real life. This book truly does it justice.
I also really liked the main and secondary characters and their development over the period of the book. Thia, Kiva, and Caylus are all characters that you geninuely want to be around. Thia, as the main lead, you get more of her story and all of her thoughts. Kiva was such a fun character and was truly a best friend to Thia. Kiva’s also super loyal and has a heart of gold, especially in doing what she thinks is morally right. Caylus was probably one of my top favorite characters. He really made his way into Illucia by fate and I’m glad he did. His story also gave a bit more insight into the rule and conquest of Illucia into other neighboring countries, not just Rhodaire. Also, Ericen probably has one of the best character developments I’ve read, but he’s also a product of his culture and upbringing. Once you read it, you’ll understand.
I do have to say, in the beginning I was really confused about the crows. Were they normal sized and the people small? Or were the people normal sized and the crows enormous? To end any confusion, it’s the latter. And also, this was a super breath of fresh air. Josephson, on the sly, wrote a dragon story, but didn’t use dragons, and came up with her own system of magic unlike one that I’ve read (unless I’m forgetting). I LOVED IT. And you will too.
The Storm Crow released on July 9th. This is one of my favorite reads of this year and you don’t wanna miss it!

ARC kindly provided by the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you

3.5🌟——————————————————-
“ Snuff out the only candle in a room. Watch how quickly the darkness comes”

What is this book?
After the destruction of the legendary crows and the death of their queen Princess Thia and her kingdom are a mess. Thia’s older sister is suddey thrust into the Spotlight of queen while Thias depression continues to hang over her. The treacherous kingdom responsible for the bloodshed propose a marriage between Thia and their ruthless crown prince. Thias sister has no choice but to accept. Thia leaves her home and her sister to venture into the territory of those who took everything she loved away. With the threat of Thias kingdoms’ demise what can those who took everything take away?

CHARACTERS
Thia is a badass. There is literally no other way to put it. She struggles with depression but she is trying. She is fighting. She is fighting so fucking hard and it’s beautiful. Thias devotion to those she loves is inspiring and admirable. She’s snarky, competitive and has the spirit of a storm.
One part of Thias character that i especially enjoyed was her relationship with her friend and guard Kiva. Kiva is one of the best friends I have read in literature. She truly cares. They care for each other in a strictly platonic way even though Kiva has an on page romance with another girl. A queer girl can be friends with another girl. Who knew from the way YA romanticizes everything.
Another part of Thias character that I really enjoyed was the very human way she dealt with the grief of losing things very dear to her. Thias relationship with the crows is so obviously one of pure respect, admiration and love. The way she bonded with them was clear and something I loved. Thias relationship with her mother wasn’t shied away from. It doesn’t matter if she died that doesn’t mean Thia should romanticize her or her actions.
Thia is a rare depressed badass and that is relatable.(well only the depressed part🙃)

OTHER THINGS I LIKED
- mental illness rep
- relationships explored including and not including Thia
- RES- WHAT A CUTIE PIE
- crow powers and exploration
- argumentative strong female character
-writing

SOME THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE
- the romance
- The Prince
- the romance
- The Princes Mom
- The love triangle thing that’s happening
- DID I MENTION THE ROMANCE BECAUSE I DON’T LIKE IT

Overall thoughts
This was a pretty standard unremarkable YA for me. The only thing that set it apart was the mental health representation. That was the reason this book got a 3.5 instead of a mediocre 2.5. Mental health is a big part of a lot of people’s lives and i’m glad it’s being represented more in media especially in fantastical settings.

I will be continuing on with this series.
in spite of THE FRICKING HORRIBLE ROMANCE

This book is extremely needed in the world of Young Adult. The underlying message of living with depression and anxiety really hits home. It makes it normal and let’s you know that you aren’t alone on how you feel.
The writing was amazing, world building was even better. I can’t imagine a better new Young Adult Fantasy for a summer read

3.5 stars. The writing was good, the idea was good, the characters are fully developed and interesting BUT the pacing was very slow for the majority of the book. I had to force myself to keep reading at times. I ended up enjoying this book and I definitely plan to read the next book but this book was lots of set up. I feel like parts were pretty predictable but i’m enjoying the characters enough to be ok with it. I feel like the next book will be better because it will have more action and be more focused on plot vs setup. I’m interested to see what happens next. I really did enjoy the characters and I feel like some betrayals are coming! So i’m hoping to see some ruthless twists and turns in the next book. I hope the next book has less predictability and more oh my gosh did that just happen. Because this book was a good setup to what could potentially be a very good series.

Was so excited to read The Storm Crow, plus the cover art is beautiful. Initially I was intrigued and couldn’t wait to find out more, however it then became a little predictable and I had trouble wanting to continue.

Within Young Adult fantasy often than not female characters are portrayed instantly within positions of power or their physical capabilities are unrealistic, as we imagine a world where stereotypes are broken. Female empowerment is not a straight formula, and it was wonderful to see the character development of overcoming the invisible crutch of mental illness and persevering despite surviving a traumatic event. Those who deal with mental illnesses often acknowledge that they know how they are reacting to a situation is “absurd” but are disabled to cope within the identical fashion as what the “average” person would. To see it portrayed within a fantasy debut as diverse, and intriguing as Storm Crow was exciting. Unfortunately, it did not extend throughout the entire novel, and at times certain extenuating circumstances raised questions as to why the absences of the main characters were not questioned. The lack of introduction to the tropical Kingdom of Rhodaire, and the elemental crows left much to be desired. Yet despite the bit of underdevelopment there was an instant attachment to the concept, and plot that is undeniable – leaving a sense of curiosity as to what the sequel will unveil.

Recommended for those who love fantasy, and magic. With mental health, and LGBTQ representation.

Thank you to SourceBooksFire for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I NEED MORE! WHERE IS THE SEQUEL?!!!! I. NEED. IT. NOW.

I’m so 100000% obsessed by this book! I mean, we’re talking about CROWS and guess what? Crows are good thing and you know what, I read “Six of Crows” then saw this title “The Storm CROW” in e-Galley I quickly requested it and didn’t regret anything! I’m soooo glad they accepted and read this really awesome book! Ugh! I can’t get enough. AND LOOK AT THE COVER, intriguing, mystery and GOSH I’m hugging that crow!

Okay first thing – the CROWS – this book, I think have 8 (EIGHT!!) kinds of crows in Rhodaire and my favorites are the Storm and Sun Crows. The way the author writes about the crows are really special and detailed from the start of the book. You can actually be fascinated by the fact that you can imagine each of them. It’s really that good and the coolest creatures that I’ve read so far! This is one of the high fantasy that I really love. The world here is so powerful, so unique and so cruel. Like the chances of characters are given very limited time to plan and stick whatever they have come out. Every chapter always have this story to tell, its surprises me every single time.

The battle, the surprises and the twists are endless in this story, its literary non-stop that you can’t stop reading it from the start. I have so many emotions reading this book: cry, laugh, shocked – it’s everything. I love every single thing happened in this book. To the love story, I’m surprise and it’s quick, I was like “holy sh*t that’s it?” and little disappointed since the one I want to ship is sinking – it’s always like that right? – BUT I’m not losing hope! But I think in this book, it really didn’t focus much on the love side but more on the battle and more on the crows!

Let’s talk about the characters: I LOVE THEM ALL. Like literally love them all, I won’t be saying them all since I want you guys to have this hunger to know the characters once it releases! First, we have Princess Thia, who is the protagonist and was depressed in this story because of something tragic happened to her kingdom. She’s absolutely USELESS but when the story goes, she glows like a sun. She’s literary don’t go anything for a fight, a fierce princess, always gives herself a push to her fears; she’s everything you wished for. Then we have Ericen – the prince villain, smart mouth and handsome – who’s really draw my heart closer to his character. He’s somehow very special and unique on his manly way and I can’t help not to smile every time he make Thia blush. For me, Ericen is like Nikolai in particular way, he keeps reminding me of him when I knew about his past. BUT I want to see more of him in BOOK 2 – I’m hoping! The character building in this book is upgrading every chapter. They are so much more character building in the story, this story also have strong friendship bond that I can’t even how to describe it! PLEASE trust me! You have to read this book!

Overall, it’s all you want from a high fantasy book. I’m so down that when these book hit the shelves it will be the ones to talk about. It’s amazingly written. You should pick this one once it releases, I recommend that YOU should grab this okay? I don’t want you to miss all the good things about this book! AND Please could we have the BOOK 2 release soon please?! I badly want and need it for Saints’ sake :D

This was everything you could ever want out of a debut fantasy novel. Kalyn Josephson has created a magical and unique world for us to fall in love with. The Storm Crow is about a Kingdom where crows with elemental magic are bonded with riders and help keep the cities running. When tragedy strikes and the kingdom is in shambles, the princess of Rhodaire is forced to make difficult choices and try to fuel a rebellion.

Thia is our main character and she is everything young women should aspire to be. Not only is she fiercely loyal, strong, ambitious, kind, and brave, she is also battling depression. The way that Josephson portrays mental health in this book is heartbreakingly beautiful. Thia feels the insurmountable weight of her kingdom's losses on her shoulders and we get to go on the journey to healing with her. I love that she doesn't brush it under the rug, but rather gives us the harsh reality of what it's like to live with mental illness.

Ericen is the prince of Illucia and Thia has to decide whether or not she should trust him or hate him. He is similar to Thia in the fact that he is fiercely loyal to his kingdom, but his loyalty knows no bounds and he is often forced to do awful things at his mother's behest. I fell in love with his character and I cannot wait to see how his story unfolds in the sequel.

I love Kiva and Caylus, our two main supporting characters. The relationships that Thia builds with them are crucial to her survival and help her crawl out from the dark hole shes been living in. I can't wait to read more of their adventures and see what roles they play in the rebellion in book 2.

If you're looking for your next fantasy read then I highly suggest you pre-order this gorgeous book, I promise you won't regret it. Overall this was a beautiful story about love, loyalty, loss, and how you can overcome even your darkest of days.

The Storm Crow tells the story of a depressed princess who's grappling with the death of her mother and the loss of her kingdom's main source of protection. With the crows destroyed and the new queen at her wit's end, Anthia, the depressed princess, is forced to marry the son of the woman who had her mother killed. Quick witted but not particularly discrete, Anthia now has to deal with leaving the only home she's ever known, to fit in with a ruthless new court filled with enemies. With her best friend at her side and a mysterious egg in her possession, Thia just might have a chance.

We weren't a fan of the main 'ship in the book and disliked everytime Thia and Ericen (love interest) talked to each other. We aren't ones for love found through fighting and arguments. Other than that, it was a good read (no pun intended) and we look forward to the next book in the series

Overall, I really liked The Storm Crow. The story was interesting and the concept of having magical crows that help a country was unique. The last part of this story had me on the edge of my seat. The story began a little slow, which was why I didn't give it a full five stars.

I really liked the main character. Thia was a girl whose life circumstances pushed her into a debilitating depression. It wasn't the kind of chronic depression that a person with chronic suicidality might have, but it is the kind of depression a person might feel after a traumatic event. Eventually, she had to rise above her circumstances and fight (which I realize might not be possible for some people, but it was possible in her case). Thia is forced, against her will, to leave her homeland to go live in another country with a royal family she's supposed to marry into. I can imagine how this would be an uncomfortable situation.

Another thing I liked about this book was the friendship that Thia had with Kiva. There aren't enough friendships in YA books, but her friendship with Kiva is nice.

Then there are the villains. There is one main villain here, and a few smaller villains, but I don't want to give too much away. Things might not be exactly as they seem at the beginning of the book.

Thia, Kiva, and a few allies they run into along the way grow as people during The Storm Crow, find out what is going on and by the end of the book, they get to a point where... while it's not a cliffhanger, you'll want to read the next book to find out what's happening. I plan to read the second book in this series.

I really enjoyed this book! The world-building is really interesting and I would love to know more about the crows and the different countries. Thia's a main character that you can root for and I appreciate that this book dealt with PTSD and depression, instead of simply brushing her trauma under the rug. I can't wait to read the next book!

I wasn't able to finish this book. I just didn't grab me and it feels like a lot of other fantasy I have read recently. I am just going to put it down and read something I know I'll like.

The Storm Crow is a fast paced Fantasy novel with quite a bit of action, but it fails to present a detailed world-building or a complex and well developed plot. The mythology and magic surrounding the crows is really interesting despite how little we get of it. The characters are intriguing and diverse, but not all that developed, and there is instalove everywhere.

Kalyn Josephson’s writing is good, but it could do with more fleshing out. There are almost no descriptions about the kingdoms and places in the novel, which makes it difficult to connect to the story, especially when the reader is faced with concepts like science experiments and the use of the word ‘depression’. It’s a bit difficult to situate yourself in this world and that hurts the story.

I’m disappointed. This is a really quick read in the sense that the writing is good and the pace is fast, but a few things fell off and the plot totally falls apart after a while. Thia’s depression is one thing that I appreciated a lot in the beginning, as it’s not a common thing to be addressed in YA Fantasy novels, but the use of the word ‘depression’ and the way it’s shown, addressed, and dealt with in the book is kind of really inconsistent and not well developed.

The world-building is also really scarce. The crow magic is super interesting, but it doesn’t get explored in depth all that much, and the shallow descriptions of the kingdoms and cities and everything else really doesn’t help things. It’s very difficult to imagine the word Thia finds herself in. And the way a few plot points happen makes it even harder to believe in the characters, their actions, and that they’re in danger.

Instalove is also reeeeeally present all around, but I do have to say that having a wlw couple instantly loving each other is a nice treat. The novel is diverse, which is a good thing, but it’s a bit of a bummer that the characters aren’t all that developed and don’t really change much throughout the novel.

In the end, The Storm Crow, personally, doesn’t work for me. There are too many pot inconsistencies or things that don’t make sense, the world-building is really shallow and vague, and the characters aren’t much better. Some people will definitely like this for its cool concept, but the execution failed for me.

Wow. This book was fantastic. I was so excited to get an ARC of this!

First thoughts—love the premise of giant crows with diverse magical abilities. A refreshing new take on a classic creature that appears in a lot of literature.

Second, the cover of the book is beautiful. Props to the artist!

I love that the author brought up elements of depression, as seen with Thia. So many times in books I feel like there is no relation to the emotional effects of tragedy on a character. This book really showed the progression of Thia getting out of depression, while also still grappling with those feelings throughout.

Romance....well, it’s your typical asshole prince-turned-caring, conflicted soul. BUT I do like Ericen as a character. I do feel bad for him and want to see him break free from his terrible mother. Thia claims she does not think of him in a romantic way, but i could see that changing in book 2.

Caylus’s character was okay. Wasn’t too overly ecstatic about him, but maybe book 2 will give more character development. Kiva is great. I want a Kiva as a bff.

Overall, i was very satisfied with this book. I cannot wait for the second to come out!

I imagine that while writing her debut novel, Kalyn Josephson had advisors. There are advisors from her publishers Sourcebooks and peer advisors, for example. Yet, apparently no one explained a simple rule to Josephson. In the first book of a series you build worlds, characters and intrigue. You set-up your series. She did the latter. The first two? Destroyed. Well most of them by the end of the prologue. And I can only say one thing to that. THANK THE CROWS NO ONE TOLD HER THAT RULE.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for an Arc in exchange for an honest review
Don't forget today is the last day to enter the international (wherever book depository delivers) give away for a pre-order copy of The Storm Crow! Details can be found on the Q and A Post.
Truth be told when it comes to the rules of fantasy writing, series writing and, well writing, Josephson has absolutely no... *ok let me keep this G-rated*... bucks to give. And I'm here for it. All of it. Except for knowing how to give the reader enough intrigue, and open-ended plotlines to keep them coming back, but also wrapping up enough to not leave them frustrated? She went Bob Dylan (for us old enough to remember Bob Dylan) and it worked.
Let me be clear. Josephson can accomplish this feat because her writing style is impeccable. It is poetic and terrifying. She uses powerful imagery that juxtaposes terrifying events with beautiful and compelling sensory details--provoking visceral emotion and awe in the captive reader.
I was a storm.
Then the fire seared through feather and muscle and bone, and it plummeted to the earth like a falling star. It struck the ground before me, erupting like a funeral pyre Only my raw throat told me I'd screamed the entire time It'd fallen.
It is in these moments that you meet Princess Thia and her kingdom of Rhodaire as both simultaneously torn down, destroyed and everything is changed forever. It is here that you realize Josephson doesn't fear the rules of writing the fantasy genre.
As you continue through The Storm Crow it becomes abundantly clear she has no issue eradicating them. Not for self-purpose, but because they work within the structure and plotline of her story. And if it serves her story, her characters? That is the priority.
• By the end of the prologue she hadn't built Rhodaire, the most important kingdom in the story- she burnt it down (It isn't a spoiler-- it is the prologue).
• She introduced the characters by bringing them down to their lowest possible points, all for completely different reasons.
• And even the possible relationship doesn't bother me because there are SO many different types of relationships of relationships happening that it works. And anyone who reads my blog understands what a HUGE deal that is for me to say.
• Everyone expecting all the magic action? Based on the description? The cover? Don't. Not outside of the destruction of a whole kingdom and a couple of attempts on people's lives.
o But again- rules? What rules? This is a series, not a stand-alone. It is ok because you know. You just know. You are being lulled in. It is going to come. And when it does? It is going to be spectacular. Again, this isn't a spoiler. This is my impression, my prediction and my thoughts. I really believe that Josephson is setting us up for magic and action to take center stage.
Moving on from the rule breaking... a few more essential details about The Storm Crow.
The Depression representation demonstrates how much fiction can teach us about the world, ourselves and each other as we aim for a more inclusive society, world and schools. I said it in another recent review. Books with representation of mental illness and physical disability need to be written and read fiercely. The Storm Crow now joins that list.
Relationships. Hello relationships. Friendships. Family. Friends. Allies. Enemies. And a mixture of all of them combined, because you just never know what anyone might be up to? Yeah. I'm not giving you any more than that so just deal with it.

All of them are there and they are deeply explored. They are complicated and never just skimmed over or just side fodder. Each are integral to the story and have their own unique dynamic. They have already started to show a growth over the first book, and I imagine will continue to grow during the second book.
I won't say much about newly introduced characters and one character that enters Thia's world because... you should go in and have all the fun I did, and he kicks off so much of everything.
Just know that there is A LOT OF political intrigue and tough decisions to be made. But with each tough decision comes fear, the fight of inner demons and the hope of finding the strength to beat them.
So, breathe now. While you barely still can. Because once all the above comes together for book two? We are all doomed to be held captive for whatever this writing sorceress has in store for us all. And if she is willing to break all these rules in her debut. I dare not think about what will be done in book two.

The Storm Crow was a disappointing read. When I saw the cover for this book on Netgalley, I immediately jumped at the chance to request it. But yet again, a pretty cover does not make for a great read. I felt like I’ve read this story before countless times and not in a good way. Many times I have had to put this book to the side to read something else. I didn’t like the characters, and the plot was boring. I’ve seen countless raved reviews for The Storm Crow, but I don’t see it.