The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson: A Book Review

So, birds are pretty cool; they’re basically like little miniature airplanes that defy the laws of gravity by doing nothing but flapping their arms up and down. That’s some mind-boggling stuff right there. Now imagine a bird that’s as big as a horse and can even control the weather. If you can imagine that, then you can imagine The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson.

My Review of The Storm Crow

What I Liked

• The depression representation was EVERYTHING. I’ve often wondered why mental illness is not talked about more in the fantasy genre, and it meant so much to me to see it realistically portrayed in this book.
• Ericen is a multifaceted character who has a lot of potential, and I desperately wish we got to learn a bit more about him. Also, the way his character embodies cycles of violence and the learned need for revenge offers an important narrative.
• The Storm Crow has a solid writing style with beautiful, well-crafted imagery. There were some particularly witty banter scenes, and the author did a good job creating engaging dialogue.
• I’m a complete sucker for the arranged marriage trope. ⚠️SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️ But the thing that was refreshing here was how the heroine did not, in fact, end up falling in love with her betrothed. She just wants to be friends. So instead of haters-to-lovers, we’ve got haters-to-friends, and that was a surprising subversion of expectations.
• ELEMENTAL CROWS. SO COOL.

What I Liked Less

• ELEMENTAL CROWS. SO COOL. BUT WE HARDLY SEE THEM AT ALL. This was a disappointment considering I was all ready for that How to Train Your Dragon vibe and for lots of magical, death-defying flights through the air. Additionally, I’m still unsure how exactly the crows and their magic work, and I would’ve liked to learn more about that.
• The plot is slow and deliberate, mainly revolving around political machinations, rather than tense action scenes. I didn’t mind this so much, but others might.
• The Storm Crow is, overall, rather predictable. Much of the plot follows familiar YA Fantasy beats that I’ve seen executed many times before, and it doesn’t necessarily twist them into anything extraordinary or new.

The Final Verdict

More than anything, The Storm Crow is a powerful book about overcoming depression and finding the strength to fight another day, because it is an everyday battle. The real selling point of the novel (GIANT CROWS), didn’t get as much page time as I would have expected. But I didn’t mind so much because of all the focus placed on the excellent depression representation.

TODAY'S WAFFLE RECIPE

The Storm Crow

From the Kitchen of: Kalyn Josephson Servings: The Storm Crow #1

Ingredients:

Published by SourcebooksFire on July 9, 2019

Classified as YA, Fantasy

Cover art by Tran Nguyen

Cover design by Nicole Hower

Obtained as an eBook

Cook Time: 368 pages
Cooking Directions:

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.

CLICK HERE TO SEE CONTENT AND TRIGGER WARNINGS

Death of a Loved One, Grief, Violence (particularly regarding animal death and fire), Self-Harm, Depression, PTSD, Burning and Scars

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Have you read The Storm Crow? What did you think?

What are some other fantasy books that have good depression rep?

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