The Storm Crow is the first book in a series written by Kalyn Josephson and will be published on July 9, 2019 from Sourcebooks Fire
I was given an Advanced copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review
Synopsis
In the tropical paradise of Rhodaire, humans live in harmony with magical, elemental crows that are used to control weather, help grow crops, and are involved in all aspects of daily life. Princess Anthia, has always had a special connection to the crows, and while her older sister Caliza will be Queen, Thia has always wanted a crow of her very own to ride in Rhodaire’s arial legion. In the course of one night, an enemy attack on the rookery wipes out the entire race of elemental crows, leaving the country helpless to protect themselves.
Six months after the attack, Thia has not been able to let go of what happened that night, and has been dealing with debilitating depression ever since. Her sister Caliza has become Queen, but Thia’s depression has left her unable to create a place for herself in her now drastically altered kingdom.
When the enemy nation demands that Thia marry their crown prince or face all out war, Thia has no choice but to accept; however a third option appears in the form of a remaining unhatched crow egg that survived the attack. Thia and Caliza formulate a dangerous plan that involves Thia going along with the engagement, moving to the heart of enemy lands, and attempting to hatch the crow in secret.
I love this book. It is honestly spectacular. One of the best things about this book is its extremely realistic portrayal of depression. The author really hits the nail on the head, with not only the medical facts, but also with the descriptions and imagery that are used. I don’t want to take up too much space here, but I plan to do a full separate review of depression in this book, because I feel like it’s such a stunning depiction. The other great thing about it, is that Thia actually states that she is depressed, some fantasy authors don’t use exact language to define mental illness because it doesn’t fit into the context of their fantasy world; but since she defines “this is what depression feels like” hopefully YA readers will be able to recognize the symptoms that they have and seek help!
I also love the relationship between Thia and her body guard Kiva. They have a beautiful friendship and it’s very clear that they would die for each other.
Also this book gets bonus points for LGBTQ representation. This is actually the first YA fantasy book I have read this year that had representation. And it is not the main romance story line, but several of the side characters are obviously gay or bisexual.
Recommended for
Fans of YA Fantasy.
Fans of the Throne of Glass series.
Contraindications/ Cautions
Character with clear signs of depression. This may or may not be triggering for those with depression.
Character with recent traumatic loss of a parental figure. This may be triggering for readers who have just lost a family member or close friend.
Side effects
Crossing your fingers for an enemies-to-lovers story line
Crying over dead crows
Wanting to give Thia a big hug and some prozac and some talk therapy.
Final Thoughts
This book gets a big thumbs up from me! Great for YA fans who loved the Throne of Glass series or who are looking for a well written YA fantasy. Also for readers who are looking for mental illness representation in the fantasy world! Definitely put this on your TBR list!
Buy on Amazon
This book is available for pre-order and will be published on July 2nd, 2019
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Check out my review of another YA fantasy book that’s available for preorder: Beasts of the Frozen Sun
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Doctor's Orders 
This book sounds interesting too! I love an interesting female lead! I like how she has so much potential, but she also not perfect. It makes her very relatable.
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Yes exactly! I also love books that highlight mental health. I had a lot of issues with depression in high school, and I can’t think of a YA heroine at that time who struggled with it. I feel like as more books include that kind of representation, more YA readers will be able to identify signs in themselves and be able to seek help!
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That’s so true! More awareness can help people struggling with these issues know that they are understood! It’s ok if you’re not ok, and it’s ok to reach out for help!
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