The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Raincoast Books
Published: July 9th, 2019
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Recommended Age: 12+
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mental Health, Adventure, Romance, Friendship, Magic

REVIEW:

For some people, what apparently drew them to this book are the crow element as well as the allusion to Six of Crows, which I have yet to finish. Feel free to hate me. But what made me excited to start this personally was the fact that mental illness is discussed, even though fantasy worlds prefer to focus on the action and magic more than the relationship one has with themselves, their own body – mental health. I think bringing something typically contemporary into a non-contemporary genre can be refreshing, interesting and the pavement for new establishments in the said genre.

I could go on and on about why this is so important but I want to discuss the other elements that make this story worth your while. There is mystery surrounding the Crows, especially the ways in which they make Thia’s world go round. Her kingdom relies on them almost completely. There is also mystery surrounding Thia’s enemy, whom she must marry. It’s not simply a love-hate relationship between these two, even though that’s a type of relationship I find very entertaining. I was genuinely curious to learn more about the prince and understand his true role in the story. I don’t know about you but I do so love when characters surprise me and many of these protagonists managed to make me raise an eyebrow.

It feels familiar, seeing that kingdoms are often in danger and so forth, but there’s more than a touch of originality. Plus I’m on vacation far, far away so it’s not easy for a book to hold my attention when so much over here is tugging at my sleeve. But this book succeeded.

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