Reviews tagging 'War'

The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson

11 reviews

rbjennings's review

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, and War

guessgreenleaf's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Death of parent

Moderate: Violence, Murder, and War

Minor: Genocide

bratt713's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Animal death, Violence, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Bullying, Death, and Abandonment

dhiyanah's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Picked this out for a fun and light fantasy read. It really was easy enough to get through which I appreciate, though the bulk of the story fell flat in comparison to the beautiful and dynamic writing in the beginning and towards the end of the book. 

While I found myself wishing the romance here could feel more believable and less like an obligated afterthought, I was impressed by how clearly and compassionately Thia's struggle with depression was depicted. The scenes with the crows and magic were so much fun to read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: War

Minor: Violence

bura510's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Animal death, Blood, and War

robin_reads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The world building is very well done. It's a very unique setting with the Crows providing magic that helps the country and its people to live and thrive. 
Minus points for the love triangle and little things that bother me in a lot of YA books of this kind. The romance doesn't feel like one. 
The narration of the audiobook by Robin Miles is pretty awesome. Very passionate and easy to listen to. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and War

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, and Blood

meaghanelizabook's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: War

imaginingly's review

adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

literally my new favorite book. there are bipoc characters, lgbt+ characters, the book deals with depression and anxiety from the main character’s point of view, deals with grief and death of loved ones, and just—so much
there is very mild romance which i loved 
the character development is *chefs kiss* and the entire plot revolving around crows (as i’m a bird lover to start with) is astonishing

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Animal death, Genocide, Torture, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and War

egurgens's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

I love the world Kalyn Josephson wove for this story. There are different nations, all with their own gods, their own culture, and characteristics.  Aris is a beautiful city, with different sectors that favor different industries and crows. There are different types of crow, all with their specific kind of magic; wind, shadow, battle, water, earth, storm, fire, and sun. However, 'everything changed when the fire nation attacked." Haha, jk, although Illucia DID use fire to

destroy the crows.

In an attempt to keep the peace, Thia's sister, the new queen, promises her to Illucia as a bride to marry the heir, Ericen. 

Ericen is a masterpiece in my opinion; one part ice and loyalty, one part fire and rebellion, and the rest is a mess, since he doesn't know what he wants from this war. He's just a softie with a tough shell, and I adore him. I also adore Caylus, all PTSD and mismatched sweaters and science and baking. 

There is so much political drama: a mad, blood hungry queen vs the trained Crow rider who has to face the wrath of the mad queen to save her country... or does she? Thia found a storm crow egg in the ruins of the roost, and decides to try and raise it to rally her country and fight back against the Illucian oppressors. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

1quillb's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Oh my LORD this was good. Kalyn sent me a free copy of this from a TikTok giveaway, and it actually took me a while to sit down and read it, but it’s amazing. Royalty, politics, a betrothal, love triangle with hot dark prince vs cute baker-alchemist-rebel. Everything you could want. 
The representation in this is *chefs kiss*. So many queer people (and it’s NORMALISED, which I love in fantasy), so many people of colour, mental illness representation, slight disability rep- This is the kind of book I want all books to be. 
Also, elemental crows? That’s such a unique concept? Applause all around for even thinking of that. 
Overall, yes. Read this. It’s kind of confusing in the beginning because you’re introduced to so much so fast, but it’s such a good read. You’d especially enjoy this if you liked books like Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard or Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Colonisation, and War

Minor: Violence