The Storm Crow

Written by Kalyn Josephson

Narrated by Robin Miles

Eragon meets And I Darken in this thrilling new fantasy debut that follows a fallen princess as she ignites a rebellion to bring back the magical elemental crows that were taken from her people. In the tropical kingdom of Rhodaire, magical, elemental Crows are part of every aspect of life...until the Illucian empire invades, destroying everything. That terrible night has thrown Princess Anthia into a deep depression. Her sister Caliza is busy running the kingdom after their mother's death, but all Thia can do is think of all she has lost. But when Caliza is forced to agree to a marriage between Thia and the crown prince of Illucia, Thia is finally spurred into action. And after stumbling upon a hidden Crow egg in the rubble of a rookery, she and her sister devise a dangerous plan to hatch the egg in secret and get back what was taken from them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 16, 2019
• ISBN: 9781980043065

Kalyn Josephson

Kalyn Josephson works as a Technical Writer in the tech industry, which leaves room for too many bad puns about technically being a writer. She grew up in San Luis Obispo, California, and graduated from Santa Clara University with degrees in Biology and Creative Writing. Currently, she lives in the Bay Area with two black cats (who are more like a tiny dragon and an ever tinier owl). She is the author of the Storm Crow duology.

Reviews for The Storm Crow

[Anna Bükkösi · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I'm afraid the reader is not a good fit for a teenage protagonist's first person narration. Her intonation is all over the place, too, like the character is constantly confused and at awe at the same time. I just can't get into the book like this.

[Zenni Khan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It was a very interesting and engaging book.. but I just expected it to be more suspense. The ending seemed a little bit off as it sounded more like a chapter ending.. not a book ending and you search for another chapter but it's not there.. looking forward to read the next book of the series.

[Nor Azah Rahman · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was okay. Maybe the second book will be better

[Jennifer Lamar · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I would say this is a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

[Aidan Roberts · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing! I cant wait for the second one! What a great story.

[jennifer7089 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I would have given this 5 stars if the world building had been better. There hardly was even a bit. It did seem like the kingdoms could have been the same.

I did enjoy the characters and the writing style. I so loved the friendship between Thia and Kiva. And I was so hoping that a better relationship would have developed between Thia and Ericen. (Hopefully something will become between them in the sequal((stronger friendship that is)). And I also like the butting relationship between Thia and Caylus.

I am so looking forward to the sequel to see what happens with these relationships and the Crows.

[northernplunder · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The opening of The Storm Crow is one of happiness and joy, it gives us a great introduction to Anthia, her life that is harmonious with the crows, and her sister Caliza. (Until the Fire Nation attacked)But by the end of the prologue that has all changed. To the point I was in tears on a bus.Anthia watches her world crumble in flames before her. Every crow, crow egg, her mother, and her aunt are brutally murdered. The destruction engulfs her city and the orders are from the Illucian Queen.Also we learn the Illucian empire has taken over most other countries by now, it was only a matter of time until they looked to broaden their rule even further. They were sneaky and cruel in their actions; because without the crows Rhodaire would continue to crumble.The crows are everything to Rhodaire (and Anthia), their magic helps with weather control to help with crops, they heal, and they’re part of the army. But they’re also family.The immense loss that Anthia is dealing with throughout the story is heartbreaking. Kalyn’s writing is so amazing that the contrast we see in Anthia’s character before and after this event will definitely move you. We see her struggle with depression and PTSD but she also acknowledges they’re taking over her life.Whilst also dealing with a forced marriage to the Illucian Prince. Gross.And the struggles of hatching the last Crow, which everything relies upon. No biggie.RelationshipsTSC is a very relationship heavy which helps to build depth to all the characters and the world. This isn’t to say it’s romance heavy, no, it explores relationships of power imbalances, of romance, of necessity.Anthia and her guard, Kiva have to learn to adapt to survive in Illucia. Their moves are watched and tempers are forced into a cage. But they don’t lose their fight.They build bonds with those who might become powerful allies, try and figure out the Prince’s true nature, and try to appease the intimidating Queen.Anthia has a lot on her plate, her life prepared her to be a Crow Rider but she finds herself realising she would be benefitting from the leadership training her sister underwent.Especially as Prince Ericen isn’t all that meets the eye. The game these two are playing is a dangerous one and Anthia needs her wits about her.As his tough shell is chipped away by Anthia’s strength we’re made privy to the torments and shame he’s been facing. He’s got his own battles he’s fighting so seeing two strong characters fight, deal, and exist with mental health aspects was a very important aspect of this book for me.I really enjoyed uncovering Ericen’s secrets and can’t wait to see what he chooses to do in future books. He definitely finds himself at a crossroads and I believe his story could go either way.Added to this, there is a little romance too. Both are early stages and no doubt will get the chance to be explored further later on. But I am over the moon for Kiva’s queer love as her sexuality isn’t a big deal. There’s never any homophobia or disgust over the queer characters, it’s just accepted and common. I smiled a lot.MagicI mentioned earlier how important the Crows and their magic was to Rhodaire. It’s explored in a very intimate way with Anthia and Res which definitely hints at it being more complex than she realised. She has a lot to learn with her crow, especially when his powers are more than shocking.I loved how the magic was described, it having a thrum of power and life. As if it were awake itself.The system is definitely complex and I’m looking forward to seeing it explored in even more detail. Perhaps even from different cities too? It’d would be lovely to know there’s more magic out there.Final VerdictOverall I enjoyed every aspect of this book. Honestly The Storm Crow was such an easy read, due to great pacing and development, that it’s definitely a book I’d recommend to those who need to get out of a reading slump.It was *chefs kiss* a great read, in fact I devoured it in 3 days which for me is very impressive. Even without a blog tour I would’ve read it this quickly!

[alysinbookland · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The story started with showing us how the Kingdom of Rhodaire falls when their queen and the magical Crows have been killed by the Kingdom of Illucia. Now, because of this, Princess Anthia has fallen in a deep depression, and her sister and also the current queen needs to fix what was left. To also avoid a war, Anthia needs to marry the Crown Prince of Illucia. With everything that’s happening to them, finding a crow egg inside the burnt rookery gives them hope that they can use it to get back what was taken from them, so they plan to hide it and hatch it secretly.“A storm.” She locked gazes with me. “A tempest of lightning and thunder with the kind of heart found only in legends. A heart full of kindness and courage and strength. And when I looked at you, I saw only the woman you would become. The leader you would become.” – Kalyn Josephson, The Storm CrowThe story is unique, especially with the use of the magical crows. I like how there are different kinds of crows and how each of them matters to the Kingdom of Rhodaire. So, it was not surprising that Rhodairens are now struggling to survive without the crows because they live all their lives with the help of it.“Don’t let her silence the storm inside you.” – Kalyn Josephson, The Storm CrowThe narration is okay, but the pace of the first half was too slow for me that it was dragging me out of the story. I’m just interested to see the story to the end that is why I didn’t DNF this. But, as the story came closer to the end, the story got more interesting because of the twists and turns in it. I am sure that I’ll be reading the sequel.“For the longest time. I let those represent everything I lost, but I’m done. I won’t let my scars define me. Not anymore. From now on, they’re a symbol of what I have left to fight for. Of what I won’t let Illucia take from me.” – Kalyn Josephson, The Storm CrowAnother thing that I like is how the character’s depression was presented. I can relate to Anthia – on what she felt during those dark times of her and how she fights back to get out of it. Anthia is fragile even though she was described as stubborn and independent. I also find her brave when she decided that it is time that she does something to help her sister, who takes place as the next queen.“I am more than my emotions, more than my depression and fear.” – Kalyn Josephson, The Storm CrowThe romance in the story is great. I like it when a love triangle was done well and is not confusing. I also love it when this story includes a queer romance, though it was not highlighted that much. Then, I’m happy to see how strong the friendship between Anthia and Kiva. It seems that they are more like sisters than Anthia and Caliza is. Then, I also found a mother-child relationship in the story, which is intriguing me because it doesn’t make sense that she will act like that to her child.“The words pierced me like talons, hooking deep. I waited for the pain. Nothing came. Because this wasn’t real. This wasn’t happening.” – Kalyn Josephson, The Storm CrowThere is still a lot to discover in the story. I am not contented with what I know so far from the different kingdoms. I want to know more about their culture, tradition, and if there is history that might be beneficial in the development of the story. I like to talk more about this book, but I am afraid that all of what left unsaid are or can be seen as spoilers, so I’m leaving it to you to know more about the story.“There was no greater advantage than being underestimated for what you lacked in physical strength. It was the quick, quiet predators you never saw coming.” – Kalyn Josephson, The Storm CrowOverall, I am rating this with four stars. I am recommending this novel to all YA Fantasy readers who would like to read a story with a magical crow which touches queer relationship, family relationship, friendship, and also addresses mental health.*Buddy Read with Chelsie at Crazy4Books*