8 / 10
Before getting into this review, there are a couple of content warnings that I would like to address. If you are triggered by depression, anxiety, or self-harm, then you might approach this book with caution. With that said, let’s get into this review.
Unique characters, wonderful world building, and elemental crows make The Storm Crow a must read this summer! More importantly, it prominently features characters with mental illness, something that I think really helped me relate with the characters in a better way. It’s not just about the good guys versus the bad guys, it’s about how people with trauma attempt to overcome not only their circumstances, but the mental illness that’s keeping them back. Also, I did mention those elemental crows right? The magic in this story is really intense, and I really want to know more about it.
So let’s talk about what this story is about! The story is set in the kingdom of Rhodaire, a tropical kingdom where elemental crows are part of all aspects of the peoples’ lives…until the Illucian empire invades and destroys their way of life. From then on Princess Anthia is thrown into a deep depression, and while her sister Caliza is doing her best to pick up the pieces of the kingdom, all Anthia can think about is the past and everything that she’s lost. When it seems like some of the darkness might begin to clear, Caliza is strong armed into betrothing Anthia to the Illucian prince. When she stumbles upon a crow egg that wasn’t destroyed the night of the massacre, Thia hatches a plan with her sister to take back everything that was ripped from their hands.
Man, I truly admired Anthia’s strength and vulnerability. It lays bare what I think YA fiction can sometimes gloss over, those struggles that characters might suffer from when significant events happen. Depression, PTSD, and anxiety are all touched on in The Storm Crow. It wasn’t just the story that I loved, but this winning small battles, and figuring out how to be strong in the face of an abuser. More importantly, Thia isn’t the only character suffering from some deep seated scars. Ericen, Kiva, and Caylus all have demons that haunt them and I think readers will all find something they can relate to in all of them.
With all of the character development going on, what about the story you might wonder? Well, this book definitely doesn’t disappoint! The story itself moves at a great pace, and I think most readers will find it hard to put down. You’ve got the thrills of the elemental crows, the suspense of being in a court of enemies, and so much more. The world is immersive, and by the end, I was wishing the next book was out so I could continue the adventure.
There’s romance, but it is not the spotlight. It builds gently, and is very sweet. Two people that are working through their problems together, and are respectful of each other’s boundaries. It felt a little more of a slow burn, but I really enjoyed the relationship. The friendships also felt genuine and made me think of my own best friend. Kiva and Thia are my favourites for sure. The sibling relationship was more strained because there was more to work through, but I found myself wanting more interactions with Thia and Caliza.
Something that I would say I needed more of in this book would be an explanation of the magical system for the crows and some other spoiler-y things I can’t mention. There were some aspects that didn’t make sense, but overall, I think it does a pretty good job in general. I’m hoping to see this developed more in the second book, however, there was a really good explanation of the wings of Rhodaire and several other things that I think readers might definitely find useful.
My final thoughts would be that you should pick up this book. Read it, if it isn’t something that will trigger you. It helped me see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel…and there’s something so empowering about that. I loved that I could find this solace at the end of a fantasy novel, and I hope that others might also see that. I would rate this book an 8/10, it’s a fantastic story, just needs a little work on the magic system. I’m all for the elemental crows, and I’m ecstatic to see where this story will go.
The Storm Crow is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers as of July 9th 2019.
Will you be reading The Storm Crow? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
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.
