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.
Goodreads | Amazon
Rating: ★★★★★
My Review: This book was stellar!! That prologue held nothing back! I mean one minute the character is getting in to trouble for doing stuff she isn't supposed to be doing. Then the next she's hanging with her friend. Then BOOM her world goes up in literal flames around her. The pacing of this book was just so spot on that I don't think it could have been more perfect if it tried. I am so glad that this was only two books and that I have book two. Because, if I didn't and I had to wait for that month I would totally die. It was just that good.
The characters in this one were amazing. The author did a fabulous job showing us the depression that Thia goes through and how much she overcomes in this first book. The other characters were all amazing and I hope we get more from them in the second book.
The romance in this one was great. Although it was a love triangle I really consider it Love Triangle Light since it wasn't reciprocated by all parties. But I think that this one worked well for the story at large. I am excited to see what happens in book two with this aspect of the story.
The action is jam packed in this and you never know what is going to happen as each page goes by. There is a lot of deception that goes on throughout this book that you just don't know who you can trust. I also loved the world building and the story about the Crows it was just so beautiful. It would make the perfect bed time story. The magic that the author has created in this was wonderful. I loved all the parts where this culture relied far to much on the Crows to survive and I hope we get to see them stand on their own two feet.
The ending of this one had a major twist that I didn't see coming and I just can't say enough that when you pick this one up make sure you have book two on hand.
Go Into This One Knowing: Have book two on hand!!
From School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up—Magical crows have established Rhodaire as a beacon of power until a surprise attack by neighboring Illucia renders them broken and defenseless. Princess Anthia has lost her mother, the queen, and her future as a storm crow rider, sending her into a deep depression. Months after the attack, her sister Caliza is now queen and is struggling to maintain order following Illucia's invasion. As a last-ditch effort toward diplomacy, she is forced to agree to a marriage between Thia and Ericen, the Crown Prince of Illucia. Yet after finding a crow's egg hidden away in a derelict rookery, Thia convinces her sister that hatching the egg might give them enough power to thwart Illucia's complete takeover and regain their former glory. Poor pacing results in underdeveloped characterization; however, the book has diversity in race and sexual orientation. The world-building is lacking—many of the settings are boiled down to a few pages and barely remarked upon again. The meat of the story is the elemental crows and the extraordinary powers they offer Thia's people, but the plot structure does not provide an experience intense enough to amplify the loss of the crows. Real-life issues, such as grief and depression, are not examined in a meaningful way. VERDICT This generic premise might find an audience among new readers of YA fiction.—Elise Martinez, Zion-Benton Public Library, IL
Review
"Josephson's debut displays ambitious worldbuilding and an engaging premise involving the magical crows, which affect everything from storms to healing; Anthia's battle with depression is portrayed with frank authenticity, and features well-developed LGBTQ characters." - Publishers Weekly
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FTC Guidelines: In accordance with FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials for bloggers, I would like my readers to know that many of the books I review are provided to me for free by the publisher or author of the book in exchange for an honest review. If am compensated for any reviews on this site I will state that post has been sponsored.
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