After reading and thoroughly enjoying The Storm Crow last month, I was excited to dive into The Crow Rider. Josephson didn’t disappoint with this sequel; in fact, she took everything I loved about the first book and, somehow, made it into an even better book.

I can’t put into words how much I love Thia, Kiva, Caylus, Res, and Ericen. They’ve completely stolen my heart. Any reservations I had before are gone. Each character, even the side characters, are well-developed and interesting. Add in the friendships, romances, tension, and banter, and you’ve got the gold mine that is this book’s squad. That might not make sense, but I’m going with it. I just...love these sarcastic fools so much. And yes, the crow is also a sarcastic fool. They’re all brilliant.

The story is even more intense than that of its predecessor. It’s absolutely wild. Despite the chapters of planning and emotional development, there’s still plenty of action and numerous twists that had me panicking. The whole thing is paced well, without any parts that seemed lacking or rushed, though it was also written in a way that had me constantly curious to see what would happen next. In some circumstances, I was desperate to find out whether or not my faves were okay.

Emotions aside, the world-building and politics are also great. Readers get to explore more of the countries outside of Thia’s and Ericen’s, respectively. Josephson paints a vivid picture of each country and intricately describes their atmospheres and the contrasts between them. She also excels at tension—not just romantic, but political. There’s lots of scheming, plenty of betrayals and alliances incorporated in unexpected ways.

I won’t lie—I was extremely worried as I drew closer to the book’s end. This isn’t only a sequel, but also a conclusion; it goes without saying that there was *so much* on the line. I’ve read fantasies where the final battles take too long and the end is rushed, leaving some loose threads. I’ve also read fantasies where the final battles seem too easy, leaving me dissatisfied despite the happy ending. Luckily, neither of those scenarios played out here. I spent most of my time reading the last few chapters tense in my beanbag, heart pounding. But the worst passed, and there was a proper resolution afterward. As I read the epilogue, I was absolutely thrilled, and more than once I found myself smiling or even giggling. It was truly a perfect ending.

I’ve rambled enough about the book at this point. I love this duology so much, and I’d definitely say it’s a hidden gem in YA fantasy. I can’t recommend it enough. Josephson is an author to watch.

Representation