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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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Violence
dlrosebyh's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Minor: Sexual harassment
mitone_winona's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
3.25
Two thing's I love about this book, the magical crows and the diversity of kingdom's. The character's of the book aren't necessarily bad or frowned upon, but I will admit the author took the quick approach of "YA lead girl who is traumatized falls in love super quick with a nerdy boy who is genuinely nice but has infatuation for the prince she is engaged to that is from the kingdom that destroyed her own and has talked mess on her people and kingdom but dismisses that more and more" which is pretty annoying because it happens quick due to the pace of the book going fast. I would recommend this as a usual YA read for anyone who wants to pass the time but the weird pseudo-romance triangle isn't anything new or unique, just the usual bleh factor from most YA author's.
I will say however, I do adore Thia and her sister's dynamic in the book and how mental illness and PTSD/Trauma is addressed in the book and how Thia acknowledges her mother, the queen, has created a chain reaction of mistakes but is willing to go forward to fixing them.
Overall, a good book with great lore! Just a bad romance sub plot going on that went too fast.
I will say however, I do adore Thia and her sister's dynamic in the book and how mental illness and PTSD/Trauma is addressed in the book and how Thia acknowledges her mother, the queen, has created a chain reaction of mistakes but is willing to go forward to fixing them.
Overall, a good book with great lore! Just a bad romance sub plot going on that went too fast.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
thecourtofreading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Grief
Moderate: Violence and Death of parent
Minor: Self harm and Fire/Fire injury
thewildmageslibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
4.5
I read this with the Wick and Jane book club and really enjoyed it! I love books with human/animal bonds so this was an automatic win. The way depression was handled in this book felt so authentic (and heartbreaking). Thia and Kiva's friendship gave me all the feels, too! And I just want Kiva to have a happy, sapphic love story!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, and Murder
melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
4.5
I loved this book! For me, the best part about it was how it dealt with Thia's mental health. She clearly has depression and PTSD from the events of Ronoch, and it is not slid under the rug, or ignored, or mysteriously solved by the appearance of a cute boy. It keeps coming back, and tripping her up, even though she is trying, and working, and slowly getting better.
I also really loved the side characters in this book! Kiva is great, as well as Caylus, and of course the crows!
The magic system is super interesting. I wish that we had been able to see more of it in this book, but I look forward to reading about it more in the sequel.
Definitely recommend!
I also really loved the side characters in this book! Kiva is great, as well as Caylus, and of course the crows!
The magic system is super interesting. I wish that we had been able to see more of it in this book, but I look forward to reading about it more in the sequel.
Definitely recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Gore, Infidelity, Xenophobia, and Kidnapping
Minor: Self harm
chaptersofmads's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Self harm
olivialandryxo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Storm Crow has been on my tbr for some time, and finally I checked it out on Libby, an impulse decision. I’m so glad I did. From the beginning, I was hooked. I love the world and characters Josephson created, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this.
The idea of crows having magic and essentially powering a country is so cool. You need to water your crops? There’s a crow for that. Heal a wound? There’s a crow for that too. Maybe you’re fighting a war for your country. There’s even a crow for that. There are seven different kinds of crows, each connected to a different sector of Rhodaire and tasked with helping the country run smoothly. It was very creative and I liked it immensely.
As a whole, the world-building was great. Illucia has fought and taken over all the nearby countries except Rhodaire, which is next on the list to add to their empire. It’s a bit basic for a fantasy, as many books technically have a similar base, but Josephson made her version unique, intricate, and fascinating to read about. I almost always enjoy political tension, so long as it’s not dense and boring. That was never a concern here.
One thing in The Storm Crow that I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen in a YA fantasy—or any fantasy, for that matter—is a protagonist with depression. When Illucia attacks Rhodaire and causes major problems, Thia spirals into a depressed state that lasts for six months before she is forced to take action. Throughout the book she regains her will to fight and also fights the nagging desire to hide in bed until everything is said and done. This could’ve gone really wrong, but it was handled with care and ended up working out well. I could really relate to Thia in this regard, and seeing her stand up for herself, her friends, and her country while dealing with her own mental health was truly admirable. Team Thia all the way!
I also really loved Kiva, Thia’s best friend and bodyguard. She’s supportive and snarky and will absolutely fight anyone she doesn’t like or that hurts Thia. Their friendship is amazing and among the best I’ve read in any fantasy story.
Unfortunately, there is a love triangle of sorts between Thia, Ericen, and Caylus. One of them has unrequited feelings for Thia, who falls in love with the other. I won’t give any more details due to spoilers, but I will say this: when Caylus was introduced, I liked him but was wary that something like the above situation would happen. Even though I was right, both Ericen and Caylus ultimately ended up being complex characters that I liked and/or appreciated for various reasons. I think there’s a lot more to one in particular, and I’m curious to see how all the relationships develop in the sequel.
On that note, there’s so much to be addressed in the sequel. While the whole book was entertaining, the last five chapters were especially intense and unexpected in more ways than one. I have absolutely no clue what any of these twists will lead to, but I’m certainly curious to find out.
I think I’ve said everything I can about The Storm Crow. I definitely want to buy my own copy, and I’ll be reading the sequel as soon as my hold on it comes in. Please read The Storm Crow, y’all!!
Representation:
The idea of crows having magic and essentially powering a country is so cool. You need to water your crops? There’s a crow for that. Heal a wound? There’s a crow for that too. Maybe you’re fighting a war for your country. There’s even a crow for that. There are seven different kinds of crows, each connected to a different sector of Rhodaire and tasked with helping the country run smoothly. It was very creative and I liked it immensely.
As a whole, the world-building was great. Illucia has fought and taken over all the nearby countries except Rhodaire, which is next on the list to add to their empire. It’s a bit basic for a fantasy, as many books technically have a similar base, but Josephson made her version unique, intricate, and fascinating to read about. I almost always enjoy political tension, so long as it’s not dense and boring. That was never a concern here.
One thing in The Storm Crow that I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen in a YA fantasy—or any fantasy, for that matter—is a protagonist with depression. When Illucia attacks Rhodaire and causes major problems, Thia spirals into a depressed state that lasts for six months before she is forced to take action. Throughout the book she regains her will to fight and also fights the nagging desire to hide in bed until everything is said and done. This could’ve gone really wrong, but it was handled with care and ended up working out well. I could really relate to Thia in this regard, and seeing her stand up for herself, her friends, and her country while dealing with her own mental health was truly admirable. Team Thia all the way!
I also really loved Kiva, Thia’s best friend and bodyguard. She’s supportive and snarky and will absolutely fight anyone she doesn’t like or that hurts Thia. Their friendship is amazing and among the best I’ve read in any fantasy story.
Unfortunately, there is a love triangle of sorts between Thia, Ericen, and Caylus. One of them has unrequited feelings for Thia, who falls in love with the other. I won’t give any more details due to spoilers, but I will say this: when Caylus was introduced, I liked him but was wary that something like the above situation would happen. Even though I was right, both Ericen and Caylus ultimately ended up being complex characters that I liked and/or appreciated for various reasons. I think there’s a lot more to one in particular, and I’m curious to see how all the relationships develop in the sequel.
On that note, there’s so much to be addressed in the sequel. While the whole book was entertaining, the last five chapters were especially intense and unexpected in more ways than one. I have absolutely no clue what any of these twists will lead to, but I’m certainly curious to find out.
I think I’ve said everything I can about The Storm Crow. I definitely want to buy my own copy, and I’ll be reading the sequel as soon as my hold on it comes in. Please read The Storm Crow, y’all!!
Representation:
- protagonist of color with depression
- gay side characters
- side characters of color
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Self harm
This book contains detailed descriptions of depression, as well as occasional descriptions of fire/arson and war.
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