Kalyn Josephson Books In Order

Publication Order of Ravenfall Books

Publication Order of The ​Storm Crow Books

Publication Order of This Dark Descent Books

Kalyn Josephson
Kalyn Josephson is a fantasy writer best known for The Storm Crow duology. By day, Josephson works in Silicon Valley as a Technical Writer, which means that she knows a lot about prose, narration, and all other useful writing elements. The San Luis Obispo born writer currently lives in the Bay Area together with her four friends. Josephson loves books, her cats, and reading books with cats.

The Storm Crow
The Storm Crow is the first book in The Storm Crow series. The book stars Anthia, a crow rider and princess in the kingdom of Rhodaire and Ericen, the prince of Illucia. In the Rhodaire kingdom, magical Crows dominate in every aspect of life. This is before Illucian invaders destroy everything. Anthia is out with Kiva when the attack that also kills her mother happens. After that terrible night, the princess goes into depression, and she spends a good number of days unable to get out of bed. Her sister is forced to take their mother’s role as the Queen. Among the new Queen’s priority is safeguarding the kingdom from Illucian invasions.

The Queen, Caliza, is forced to agree to marry off Anthia to the prince of Illucia as part of the two kingdoms’ peace deal. Anthia is not thrilled by this arrangement, and she fights it in every way possible. However, her efforts do not bear fruits. Just when she is beginning to think that all is lost, she stumbles upon a crow egg, and this marks the beginning of a dangerous plan to save her kingdom. Anthia accompanies Ericen back to his country with the crow egg well hidden from sight. The plan is to find a way to hatch the egg and get whatever the Illucian kingdom took back.

Ericen is a smooth mouth and everything Anthia did not expect. It turns out he is not as bad as Anthia anticipated. The banter between these two is priceless, and Anthia can’t help noticing how handsome he is. The new kingdom also provides a few friends that the princess can rely on to accomplish her plan. With the help of Caylus, Anthia discovers her ability to hatch the egg, and a Resyries or Stormbringer is born.

In her new home, Anthia also makes a few discoveries. One, the evil Queen has many crow eggs that she wanted Anthia to hatch. The only way the princess can ensure her people’s safety is by taking down the wicked Queen. Will Anthia and her gang accomplish this fete? Can the kingdom of Rhodaire be saved? Join this determined princess and her team as they work to get out of an evil Queen who leaves nothing but destruction in her wake.

Anthia is an intriguing character. The author’s writing is outstanding, and the gorgeous prose gives this book quite an edge. It is easy to follow the story as it is not cluttered, but it is detailed enough to hold your attention. This story comes with all the ingredients of a good fantasy story. There are complicated sibling relationships, strong friendship, and well-developed characters that stay in your mind long after you are done reading. The story is well-paced, and the numerous turns will keep you guessing about Anthia’s fate. If you enjoy fantasy stories with a strong female lead character and outstanding world-building, The Storm Crow is an ideal choice.

The Crow Rider
The Crow Rider is the second book in The Storm Crow series. At the start of this book, Anthia and Resyries are plotting a rebellion to take down Illucia and Queen Razel for good. However, these two cannot complete the mission alone. Anthia has to find a way to convince neighboring kingdoms to help them take down the enemy. Other obstacles standing their way include Ericen, the one person Anthia cannot keep away from, and Anthia’s injury. While Resyrie is doing exceptionally well in his training, his unstable magic has left his trainer with an injury that would take some time to heal. Resyrie’s unstable magic will only get worse with time.

The action in this book will leave you at the edge of your seat. Everything from political espionage to betrayals is involved, so you can expect to be captivated from start to finish. Even the politics here is interesting. It is incredible how the characters stay united despite their differences. All the characters are complex, and while they err now and then, they learn from their mistakes and try to be better. There is also some element of romance. Anthia is forced to confront her feelings about the two men in her life. Will anything grow out of her relationship with Caylus, or is Ericen, the man for Antha? In the end, Alliances are made, the battle happens, and the enemy is defeated.

Just like in the first book, Anthia is incredibly brave, brilliant, yet still human. The young woman is still struggling with depression, but this doesn’t prevent her from confronting the challenges that come her way. Res is growing bigger by the day, and so are his magical abilities. The storyline is exceptional, and the focus is on Res and what lays ahead. For a bird, Res is quite the genius, and he is among the characters that will leave you with a big smile on your face. The rest of the cast is just as exciting, and it is impressive how they all work together for the greater good.

The Crow Rider is a conclusive read that answers all the questions you may have been left within the first book. While the characters have to deal with more serious issues such as politics and war, they have also grown and can handle more significant problems. There is a lot of fighting in this book, but the good thing is that the good guys win in the end. This book is ideal if you like stories with giant birds, magic, and a good dose of romance. The writing is excellent, and the relentless pace will keep you turning the pages.