Review: The Crow Rider (The Storm Crow #2) by Kalyn Josephson

In The Storm Crow, Thia’s storyline is focused on her learning more about her kingdom and facts that had been hidden or kept from her. The Storm Crow is her personal journey of learning to live with the events that occur in the first scenes of the story, leaving her in a state of depression. The Crow Rider, the second book in The Storm Crow duology, is very much a journey book focused where The Storm Crow left off. See why I can’t wait for you to finish this series in my review below!

The Crow Rider releases on July 7th, so you have some more time to preorder and get one of two bonus scenes as a gift! Click here for details!

The ​Crow Rider (The Storm Crow, #2)

by Kalyn Josephson
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
on July 7, 2020
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
IndieBound, Audible
Goodreads

The thrilling conclusion to the epic Storm Crow duology that follows a fallen princess as she tries to bring back the magical elemental crows taken from her people.

Thia, her allies, and her crow, Res, are planning a rebellion to defeat Queen Razel and Illucia once and for all. Thia must convince the neighboring kingdoms to come to her aid, and Res's show of strength is the only thing that can help her.

But so many obstacles stand in her way. Res excels at his training, until he loses control of his magic, harming Thia in the process. She is also pursued by Prince Ericen, heir to the Illucian throne and the one person she can't trust but can't seem to stay away from.

As the rebel group prepares for war, Res's magic grows more unstable. Thia has to decide if she can rely on herself and their bond enough to lead the rebellion and become the crow rider she was meant to be.

Review

In The Crow Rider, Thia is focused on becoming the type of leader she wants to be and discovering how she and Res can work together, utilizing his amazing magical abilities to keep the kingdom free. Thia, Kiva, Caylis, and Res escape Ilucia and Queen Razel and together they journey the coast to convince other kingdoms to unite to keep their nations free. There are friendships and romances, but those are not the main focus to the story. Instead, they are a nice padding to add to Thia being a multifaceted person.

As Thia continues to develop and learn to deal with her mental health challenges, other characters have their own traumas brought to the front of the story. This continues to bring mental health rep into fantasy (something we need more of) while giving readers a brief look into the character’s history and decisions that played a role in becoming who they are when Thia meets them.

I enjoyed The Crow Rider – it was a nice escape from the world of COVID19 and into a fantasy world of magic. This book was a fast and enjoyable read and I enjoyed joining a strong female heroine on an epic journey. The Crow Rider increases the action and magic compared to the first book, with Res learning about his magical powers alongside the growing tension and inevitable war between the nations. I recommend either a reread or refresher to the characters and ending to The Storm Crown as The Crow Rider picks up right where the first book ended. 

Josephson has created a wonderful story of friendship, adventure, and magic, which brings mental health, family, oppression, and the mistakes of a monarchy together in this fantastic conclusion. My only wish is another book to this series as I can not wait to see what new adventure Josephson brings to the book world next!