14 December 2020

The Storm Crow / Kalyn Josephson


2.5/5

The Storm Crow was an average read. 

I think Josephson wanted to include some mental illness awareness because she gave the main character depression. I may sound harsh, but this is a YA fantasy novel, not realistic fiction, and I'm not interested in a main character that isn't going to be proactive. Luckily, Thia becomes much more active as the novel progresses and I enjoyed watching her gain that strength.

The world lacks originality, which in itself is not a dealbreaker, but the characters weren't strong either. We've got an orphaned princess struggling to lead her kingdom, her handy soldier sidekick, a hot frenemy prince, and a powerful tyrant. The relationship between Thia and Prince Ericen was a particular letdown for me. I had been hoping to see a strong transformation as their relationship grew. Instead, their dialogue always felt forced, as if Josephson was trying to strangle them into different molds.

If the blurb really excites you, skim the novel and see if it can keep your interest; otherwise I'd recommend something along the lines of The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid or Sisters of Sword and Song by Rebecca Ross.

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