With so many amazing fantasy novels coming out in 2019, I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to interview Kalyn Josephson, writer of The Storm Crow. If you haven’t heard of this book yet, make sure to put it on your TBR list! It’s got elemental crows, some stunning character development, and some serious talks about trauma and mental health, something I don’t think often gets written about in fantasy, especially from the protagonists point of view, like we see when Thia goes through something incredibly traumatic.
I urge you to pick this book up and giveit a read when it comes out. If you’re still not sold, be sure to check out our review and this interview!
How did you come up with the idea for The Storm Crow?
I read an article about a little girl who fed her neighborhood crows. In return they brought her gifts and her neighbors called her The Crow Queen, which was the original book title. It gave me the idea for a kingdom whose way of life was based on these magical, elemental crows, and what would happen if they were suddenly destroyed.
Fantasy doesn’t always focus on the mental health of the characters, but Anthia is definitely suffering from depression in The Storm Crow. Can you tell us why you focused on this mental illness specifically?
A lot of Thia’s experience with depression is drawn from my own. Writing this book served as an outlet for me to figure a lot of that out, but it also felt like a natural conclusion for Thia’s character after everything she loses. She wouldn’t just snap back into her normal life like nothing happened. It would take time, and it would take help and support to work through that grief and pain.
Were any parts of the story difficult for you to write?
Writing about depression was definitely difficult, both because it required me to think a lot about something that was painful for me, but also because TSC is still, at its core, a fantasy novel. I had to balance giving Thia’s depression the respect and attention it deserved with still pushing the plot forward at a decent pace.
What is one of your favorite scenes in the book? (If it’s not too spoilery)
The opening scene is actually one of my favorite. In it, Thia has taken her mentor’s crow for a joyride, and her entire focus is just on how much she loves the magic of flight. Because of the setup of the plot, I didn’t get to write a ton of scenes with the crows, and so this one really stuck with me.
If you could pick an elemental crow to ride, which one would you choose…or which crow would choose you?
I would definitely pick a storm crow! I absolutely love storms. Rain, thunder, lightning—all of it!
Stories tell us a lot about the characters, their determination, ambitions, personality, but I want to know what hidden talents Anthia, Caliza, or Kiva might have?
Ooh, fun question. Caliza’s hidden talent would definitely be sewing. She’s the type of person who could see an outfit and then recreate it herself from memory. For Kiva, I’d say she can secretly clean up at any card or board game you give her. If strategy is involved, she’ll outwit you. Anthia would be the toughest! Any talent she’d have, she’d make sure people knew she was good at.
If Anthia could travel anywhere, where do you think she might go?
In our world? I think she’d love somewhere like Switzerland or Ireland. Somewhere incredibly green and full of natural wonders for her to explore.
What are your favorite reads of all time?
This list is sooo long, but to name just a few: THE DEFIANT HEIR by Melissa Caruso, WAY OF KINGS by Brandon Sanderson, and DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor.
Writing and publishing can be hard and stressful work, what do you do to unwind when you’re finished writing for the day?
I hangout with my roommates! We grab dinner most nights or else just hangout in the living room and talk.
Any hints on some future projects?
I haven’t got anything official in the works, but I do currently have a WIP that’s a Jewish SCORPIO RACES meets Peaky Blinders.
We also reached out to a few fans and readers who had a few questions for Kalyn!
What was your favourite part of writing The Storm Crow?
From @rosefacio on Instagram
My favorite part is actually a spoiler, so I’ll go with my second favorite part: the banter! I love reading banter and I love writing it.
If you could spend the day with Thia, how would you spend it?
From @theschadlershelves on Instagram
I’d split the day between sporty activities (like the beach!) and visiting as many dessert places as possible.
Kalyn Josephson is a fantasy writer living the California Bay Area. She loves books, cats, books with cats, and making up other worlds to live in for a while. THE STORM CROW is her debut novel. You can find Kalyn on Twitter and Instagram and at her website.
