Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Six months after the Illucian empire murdered her mother and slaughtered the elemental crows upon which the kingdom of Rhodaire depended, Princess Anthia continues to struggle with depression and grief. After she's betrothed to Prince Ericen of Illucia and sent to live with his people as part of a fragile peace treaty, Anthia finds herself surrounded by enemies. But Anthia has a secret: she has discovered a surviving storm crow egg; if she can hatch it, she might be able to rally other countries to stand against Illucia. Politics and subtlety have never been this headstrong heroine's strong point, however, and she's not sure what to make of her mercurial fiancé, who seems as much potential foe as friend. 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. The geopolitical intrigue lacks complexity, though, and the language occasionally feels contemporary for the setting. Nevertheless, this first half of a planned duology should excite readers looking for strong characters and romance-laced adventure. Ages 12--up. Agent: Carrie Pestritto, Laura Dail Literary. (July)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
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
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A familiar premise enlivened by some surprises.Princess Anthia has been depressed since the military might of neighboring kingdom Illucia destroyed her nation's magical crows and killed her mother. Months later, about to be married to the Illucian prince, Thia discovers one surviving crow egg. This gives her the strength to become angry and fight her depression, fomenting rebellion (and falling in lovebut not with the prince). There is diversity in this world; the kingdoms vary in culture, values, and appearance. Thia and her people are brown-skinned while her best friend is blonde and likes girls, something the text treats as unremarkable; the wicked Illucians are also fair-skinned. While the racial differences have some parallels to real-world power structures, the story never examines race in any meaningful way. Sadly, the worldbuilding is also reductive; as the backmatter makes clear, the values of the kingdoms are indistinguishable from the characteristics of the citizens. Pedestrian writing, particularly the overreliance on clichd similes, further detracts from the strengths. The portrayal of depression feels clinical rather than emotionally resonant. Still, the formula of feisty female lead overcoming military might in a diverse world a l Leigh Bardugo or Sabaa Tahir has plenty of sticking power, so this is likely to find some readers.Debut author Josephson may have potential but she's not there yet. (map, guide to characters/setting) (Fantasy. 12-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
