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A review by jemimaslife
The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson
3.0
Rating changed from 4.5 stars to 3.5.
e-ARC received via Sourcebooks Fire & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was one of my most anticipated releases for 2019 so I am super thankful to these providers for granting me this ARC.
T/W: Mild-violence, Depression, Self-harm
Diverse range of sexualities
A fantasy where our main character rides on the backs of giant crows? Yes, please. Also, we can't ignore that STUNNING cover - wow!
This was really enjoyable. Things go wild from the very first chapter and what you thought to be the storyline flips completely upside down. I liked our main character, although I did have slight difficulty picturing her despite several short descriptions of her appearance. I love first person narration but I think third might've worked better in this case. I'd love to have know what was happening in the other kingdoms, not just in Anthia's head.
I loved Prince Ericen, Anthia's suitor. My only real complaint with his character was that he has a striking resemblance to Rhysand from [b:A Court of Thorns and Roses|16096824|A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546406962l/16096824._SY75_.jpg|21905102] and what I predict will be a similar character arc. Here's some examples:
'Prince Ericen was one of the most attractive men I'd ever seen. With a short crop of black hair and eyes brighter than a bluebird's feathers, he was all crisp, clean edges and rich, manicured Illucian style.'
'His lips twisted into a one-sided smile. "At least mine's a pleasant sight.'
'"Are you saying you're not normally a prick?"
"Oh no, I am. Just usually a more charming one."'
'He lounged in his chair in a lithe, imperious way, as if the chair should be grateful to him.'
Adding to that, the Illucian town reminded me exactly of Velaris in [b:A Court of Mist and Fury|17927395|A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2)|Sarah J. Maas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546406996l/17927395._SY75_.jpg|25126749] and the word 'Illucian' itself sounds an awful lot like 'Illyrian' from that same series. Maybe _ is our Tamlin! Another thing that threw me off, which is slightly more ridiculous: the disastrous event at the beginning of the novel is referred to as 'Ronoch' and all I could think of everytime I read it was 'Ragnarok' from the third 'Thor' film. This is entirely my fault but I thought it was funny enough to share.
There is a strong female friendship in this story that I really admired. Anthia and Kiva are extremely close and I thought that their differences in station made for an interesting bond. One thing that did surprise me was the boldness Kiva treated Ericen with. Some of her comments towards him were completely out of line, especially when the kingdom of Illucia threatens that of Rhodaire so harshly. It just seemed odd that a Prince would put up with an opposing General's daughter. But then again that could be because he does not wish to offend Anthia entirely.
I admire the depression rep but I would've liked that area to have been developed on further. It is great seeing mental health represented in a YA fantasy book. It is so important, especially as our main character has been through so much, and lost so many loved ones, at such a young age.
I went into The Storm Crow believing it to be a standalone. I was mistaken. It is in fact a duology, potentially a trilogy. While I am excited for the storyline to progress in further books, I was quite looking forward to reading a standalone fantasy as they are so rare. Nevertheless, it ended on a cliff-hanger so the following book(s) is(/are) sure to have some good content!
If you love fantasy, a new plot, a fresh idea, but some more familiar characters - this is the book for you!
e-ARC received via Sourcebooks Fire & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was one of my most anticipated releases for 2019 so I am super thankful to these providers for granting me this ARC.
T/W: Mild-violence, Depression, Self-harm
Diverse range of sexualities
A fantasy where our main character rides on the backs of giant crows? Yes, please. Also, we can't ignore that STUNNING cover - wow!
This was really enjoyable. Things go wild from the very first chapter and what you thought to be the storyline flips completely upside down. I liked our main character, although I did have slight difficulty picturing her despite several short descriptions of her appearance. I love first person narration but I think third might've worked better in this case. I'd love to have know what was happening in the other kingdoms, not just in Anthia's head.
I loved Prince Ericen, Anthia's suitor. My only real complaint with his character was that he has a striking resemblance to Rhysand from [b:A Court of Thorns and Roses|16096824|A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546406962l/16096824._SY75_.jpg|21905102] and what I predict will be a similar character arc. Here's some examples:
'Prince Ericen was one of the most attractive men I'd ever seen. With a short crop of black hair and eyes brighter than a bluebird's feathers, he was all crisp, clean edges and rich, manicured Illucian style.'
'His lips twisted into a one-sided smile. "At least mine's a pleasant sight.'
'"Are you saying you're not normally a prick?"
"Oh no, I am. Just usually a more charming one."'
'He lounged in his chair in a lithe, imperious way, as if the chair should be grateful to him.'
Adding to that, the Illucian town reminded me exactly of Velaris in [b:A Court of Mist and Fury|17927395|A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2)|Sarah J. Maas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546406996l/17927395._SY75_.jpg|25126749] and the word 'Illucian' itself sounds an awful lot like 'Illyrian' from that same series. Maybe _ is our Tamlin! Another thing that threw me off, which is slightly more ridiculous: the disastrous event at the beginning of the novel is referred to as 'Ronoch' and all I could think of everytime I read it was 'Ragnarok' from the third 'Thor' film. This is entirely my fault but I thought it was funny enough to share.
There is a strong female friendship in this story that I really admired. Anthia and Kiva are extremely close and I thought that their differences in station made for an interesting bond. One thing that did surprise me was the boldness Kiva treated Ericen with. Some of her comments towards him were completely out of line, especially when the kingdom of Illucia threatens that of Rhodaire so harshly. It just seemed odd that a Prince would put up with an opposing General's daughter. But then again that could be because he does not wish to offend Anthia entirely.
I admire the depression rep but I would've liked that area to have been developed on further. It is great seeing mental health represented in a YA fantasy book. It is so important, especially as our main character has been through so much, and lost so many loved ones, at such a young age.
I went into The Storm Crow believing it to be a standalone. I was mistaken. It is in fact a duology, potentially a trilogy. While I am excited for the storyline to progress in further books, I was quite looking forward to reading a standalone fantasy as they are so rare. Nevertheless, it ended on a cliff-hanger so the following book(s) is(/are) sure to have some good content!
If you love fantasy, a new plot, a fresh idea, but some more familiar characters - this is the book for you!