I did enjoy this book and think it will be popular among my teen students who like fantasy, but only for the more voracious readers. For others, there was little to make it stand out from all the other YA fantasy books out there right now.

Now this is a fantasy I can get behind. I mean.. ELEMENTAL CROWS! CROWS WITH MAGIC! You might as well have called upon me personally Kalyn Josephson because you snatched my wig with that twist.

This book is a YA fantasy, first in a new series and in this world, crows are meaningful. They are special and they are royalty. It's honestly a fantastic story to sink your teeth into. The world built by the author is lush and big. A small warning to you that the beginning of this book is quite a bit of info-dumping. (That's NOT always a negative thing.) Looking back, it proves how expansive this fantasy is. The history, the queens of old, and magical crows of lore, the women who carried it all on their shoulders; all of it is absolutely fascinating. There is a thick vein of feminism and sisterhood throughout it all that makes it even more entrancing. It is clear that this is a well-thought out tale with a hell of a lot of room to grow.

Plot twists came fast and furious that left me reeling and looking at the certain characters, past actions—the story as a whole, damn it—completely different. Everything that happened served a purpose, either for the plot, character development or future twists. It was easy to follow and well written, which deserves a star all on its own.

THE STORM CROW dives right into the action with the destruction of the royal crows by a neighboring kingdom. Princess Thia is devastated. Her sister, now the queen, insists she marries the prince of that kingdom to avert war. Thia is determined to find another way to save her kingdom...

What I loved:🖤🖤🖤
1. Loads of verbal sparring
2. An original fantasy world, including the magic of the crows
3. Simmering romance
4. Loyal female friendships
5. Unexpected twists leading to a surprising conclusion

This book is a soaring read that will leave you breathless with anticipation for the sequel.