The Storm Crow, and by association/creation Kalyn Josephson, officially owns me. I should have never procrastinated reading this stunning, magical and intriguing novel. Someone really needs to strip my rights from me. Immediately. 


The Storm Crow
by Kalyn Josephson

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.


There's something I need to get off my chest: author's like Kalyn Josephson can write about anything, and I do mean ANYTHING, and I'd still be completely hypnotized by their enthralling and lyrical prose. The Storm Crow is that level of delectably fast-paced, mysterious, violent and beautiful. In a lot of ways, it reminded me of the high stakes set within Woven in Moonlight (although the stories hold no similarities at their core) and holy moly was it gorgeous.

The fact that I didn't read The Storm Crow straight away is one of the most frustrating things about me, ever. I should be shunned from the book community. Lock me up. Take away the key. I mean, I honestly have a little bit of whiplash from how engrossing and twisty-turny this novel was, and I am practically foaming at the mouth with desire to read book two.

(Instead, I am writing this review. My ARC has been calling my name, though.) 

From the very first page, and the violence and heart-ache that ensues, I was completely compelled by the way Josephson developed this story. It was so unique and instantly engulfed me with its dark, bleak, and deadly, tone. The Storm Crow is atmospheric in the best way. It is fantasy at its finest.

Part of me can feel the blossoming obsession begin to take place in my veins. The Storm Crow easily has that effect on its readers because once you settled into the intrigue and power struggles, it begins to burrow under your skin and become a part of you. Those are the kinds of stories we all long for when it comes to fantasy and The Storm Crow fulfills that in every way imaginable.

I thought that the characters were all incredibly intriguing in their own ways (namely Anthia and her personal struggles with grief, depression and the hope for independence) and something about them stirred emotions from me instantly. The Storm Crow is deeply imaginative in its magical system (though, it needed a bit more world-building) but it's at its best when it comes to the characters that drive the story home.

Overall, The Storm Crow was somehow both predictable and unpredictable. Between the high stakes political intrigue, to the burn of romance and loss, and the strength of friendship, there are so many wonderful things to get lost in within The Storm Crow. I cannot recommend this beautifully written novel enough.