I have only one thing to say: the book does start slow, and soon you’ll drown in historical details and characters. It’s really hard to keep up in the beginning, it’s not an easy read. I compared it to Game of Thrones and I stick to this comparison. I kept reading because I did too with the Game of Thrones series and ended up loving it, so I gave Crown of Feathers a chance... And I’m so happy I did, so much was happening, I wasn’t able to stop reading it! With all the action, the info didn’t seem to bother me as much as in the beginning of the book. And now I can’t wait for book 2!!!

Many thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for my e-copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

The first 30% of the book is a bit of a slog. I can see why people DNF’d it. There is a story in here somewhere but it’s almost entirely buried by massive information dumps.
Thankfully the story does pick up a bit. The story is told by multiple viewpoints: Veronyka, Sev, and Tristan. Veronyka has her phoenix, Xephyra, to make her interesting, otherwise she comes off as too stupid to live for most of the book. Sev is boring, dry as stale toast; I’m still not sure he added much to the story. Tristan doesn’t show up until about 15% into the book but I like him. I almost wish the story had been told entirely from his point of view.
The premises sounded amazing: fierce females, phoenixes, riding phoenixes. I just wish it had been edited better.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, and now I have to wait a year(?) for the next part! Crown of Feathers follows several characters in their individual journeys that are (of course) intertwined and they start to come together in the latter parts of this book. There is an “end” so to speak for this first book, so I wouldn’t say it’s a complete cliffhanger, although the story has left a lot of questions for us to ponder while we wait for the sequel. There was quite of bit of history dumped into the first part of the book, which made the start a little slow for me. But I liked the concept, and the characters were fairly well developed. The world building was well done. I liked the magical elements, and really want to know more about the phoenixes and their riders. I’m interested in knowing what happens next and plan on checking out the sequel whenever it comes out! I voluntarily reviewed and ARC from Netgalley. #netgalley

I didnt realize this had mutiple perspectives from the summary, but along with Veronika we also follow Sevro, an animage hiding within the ranks of the new empires soldiers, and Trystan, a Phoenix Rider apprentice hiding high up in the mountains with the rest of the surviving Riders. I found Veronikas chapters the most compelling. The way she developped into a more self assured and self reliant character was wonderful to read about. I was super invested in her quest to bond with a Phoenix and hide her gender for fear of not being accepted into the Riders ranks. Seeing Veronika deal with her sisters intensity and unpredictability made her chapters hard to put down, but for someone so cold and calculated it didnt make sense to me that she would sabotage something so important.

Trystan is struggling to overcome his anxiety and the fear of fire, but mostly his fear of failing his demanding father who also happens to be the commander of the Phoenix Riders. Trystan clashes with his fathers rules about not letting any woman join them. Which is pretty hypocrictal of his father considering the first Riders where women and if he had let them join they probably wouldn't be struggling to acquire more eggs. We also follow Sevro, who is being blackmailed by an cunning old woman named Trix into helping the animage resistance. He goes from being a coward only interested in his own survival to risking his life for something greater then himself. I thought the hate to love tension between him and the animage Kade was fantastic. The chemistry was amazing in both romantic pairing.

I enjoy the types of plots that fight against oppression. Add to that a world with riders and people whose magic is to communicate with animals and I have a recipe for a great book. My love for rider books began with dragons, but a phoenix is just as awesome. Not to mention theres a bunch of diverse representation. This book made me feel an intense whirlwind of emotions. I read some parts faster than Ive ever read anything in my life all the while gripping my heart for fear of it breaking out of my chest. Id definitely put a warning for animal death. Theres lots of extremely emotional scenes that had my heart breaking into a million tiny pieces, but I know a books amazing if it manages to make me feel so many strong emotions when Im usually indifferent or midly alert when big events happen. I had a feeling some of the twists were coming, but I still got super excited at their reveal.

The writing was pretty straight forward and easy to get into. I found the pace of the plot moved a little slower in some places, but there was enough conflict and tension to keep me engaged. I didnt need to be told three times in the span of a page or two that Phoenix Riders are immune to fire. I like the sentences at the end of each chapter that told the story of the two sister you started the war. I found the similarities between the waring queens and Veronikas relationship with her sister was interesting. There was also some world building details thrown in at the end of each chapter that could have been incorporated better. The rest of the world building was on point. Everything made sense and I didn't feel like I was missing any crucial information. Despite my few minor issues, I absolutely loved this book and cant wait to get my hands on the sequel.

I was given an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest unbiased review.

This book is very reminiscent of Roshani Chokshi’s writting; the mythology and poetry is beautiful. If you’re a fan of young adult fantasy this is one you won’t want to miss.

The story of two orphan sisters, Veronyka and Val.
When Veronyka is betrayed by her sister, shy disguises herself as a boy and joins up to become a Phoenix Rider. Whoa, wait. Did I just say Phoenix Rider? Yup, I sure did. Is there anything more wonderful than being a Phoenix Rider? I think not.
Anyways, Crown Of Feathers is a wonderful ride of a book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 4 stars

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book was really fun, took the reader for a tide and overall was very enjoyable!

I was given an eARC to review from NetGalley and the publisher, but this does not affect my opinion in any way.

( Real rating: 4.5 stars )

TW: Death & animal death.

Okay, but like… Wow.

The book that first got me passionate about reading was Eragon, and this book gave me really nice Eragon vibes, so this felt very nostalgic to me. Still, even if that hadn’t been the case, I still think I would have loved this book.

The beginning was a bit slow and filled with information, which I know may not work for everyone, but I personally adored it. I loved learning about the fascinating world this story took place in, and was especially interested by the history of the world.

The characters? They were all so fascinating, and even those I didn’t like remained thoroughly interesting to me. Even the characters from the past, who we only saw glimpses of, were impossible not to get attached to. This follows three main points of view, with glimpses of documents from the past, and I never felt confused about who I was reading about, which is always nice when reading a story told through multiple POVs.

The plot? Amazing. I thought the pacing of it all was really good, and I thoroughly enjoyed the story overall. At first, I was a bit hesitant about the whole “girl pretending to be a boy” thing because that’s not a trope I tend to enjoy (except for Mulan, and now this book), but I personally found it really interesting. I’m trying to stay vague as to not spoil anything, but like… The ending. THE ENDING. I had foreseen something similar happening, but I wasn’t entirely right, and was therefore pleasurably surprised when it came around.

The world building? Amazing, in my opinion. I fully understood the world and what was going on, and loved learning about its history. Every time there was info dumping (which there was some of), I was actually excited to read it because I loved learning about this world and its history. There was one thing that didn’t make a lot of sense to me, but I think that has more to do with me not understanding easily than it has to do with the book.

All in all, I really loved this book, and I’ll forever be grateful that I got an ARC of it. The characters were lovely, the plot was super entertaining, and the world building was fascinating. This was actually a very hard review to write due to how much I enjoyed the book, and although I wish reviews were always easy to write, if they’re all difficult to write due to the fact that I’m loving the books I’m reading, then I definitely won’t complain.

I would like to thank Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for giving me this eARC for review!

Phoenixes are the new dragons of Fantasy! About 20% through I preordered this book because I needed a beautiful hardcover of it on my shelf. It’s just that good. Crown of Feathers has inspired me to look for more books featuring phoenixes. I've always loved them and this book made them even better.

Crown of Feathers is the first book in a series, and I cannot wait for the second book. It’s a heartwarming tale of a girl who dreams of a better life among the legendary Phoenix Riders. It’s told in three POVs, Veronyka, Sev, and Tristan’s. This was well done, but also frustrating (in a good way!). It was the ultimate cliff-hanger in that one chapter ended with a shocker, and the next chapter was a POV change. I loved it, but it did sometimes make it hard to properly focus on that chapter. Once I calmed down a bit, I was able to give it my proper attention and continue on. I think it was a great writing device and I don’t think it hurt the book.

The characters in this book are so good. I loved each and every one of them, even the Val, who is Veronyka’s sister and isn't very likeable. I also really liked the names of everything in this book, a lot of it was based around fire (using the prefix of Pry) which I thought was very well suited to phoenixes. The only thing I didn't really like was Elliot, I wish there was more characterisation around him. I feel like that would have added a nice layer later on in the story.

Another strong point in this is the relationships. Veronyka and Val’s relationship is very well developed. Lately I’ve been reading about a lot of sister relationships, and I'm loving it! Val is very cunning and cold, Veronyka is the opposite. Veronyka is caring and supportive, she uses her gifts in a more positive way too. Sev and Kade/Thya is also really good. I love Thya’s character, she’s cunning and witty. I love when the “mentor” role is done well. If you’re familiar with Tarot, I’d consider her very much the Hierophant. I am interested in the Sev/Kade dynamics and suspect that’ll be a book two thing (hopefully). Veronkya and Tristan have a wonderful dynamic relationship going on throughout this book. This is very well done, and I like how they grow together. All aspects of characterisation in this book is good. Each character grows and learns on their journey and it’s a wonderful thing watching them grow.

As with any fantasy, there is some info dumping, but I enjoyed it. I liked how each chapter started with a little quote. The world lore and history seemed easy to follow and it was interesting to learn about it as you went along. It’s a world I could easily get lost in and I do want to know more about it. I'm excited for the second book!

This book is wonderful and I cannot wait for the second book. I am so thankful I requested this book. I almost didn't because I only had a few weeks to read it. This book is for anyone who wants a fantasy book with a dash of friendship, magic, and realistic romance in it. It’s well written and the ending is good by itself, but also opens the door to an intense book two. I am so ready.

Welcome to this book review,
Disclaimer: I receive an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review !

This book was unexpected, I heard about the premise of the story (riding Phoenix into war disguised as a boy) and I was hooked. I loved Veronyka she was so badass and the side characters where amazing, Tristan was funny and it was so enjoyable to read from his point of view he really brought another view to what was going on in the story.
The writing style was exquisite, it made the story flow and really immersed you into another world.
The story in itself could’ve been told in a more active way at times, while I loved the richness of it, I would’ve sometimes enjoyed to have a side character or an event explain the history of this wonderful world. The action in this novel was not only intense and captivating but also funny at times due to witty comments made by the characters or the thought process they had.
All in all, i recommend this book 100% it’s great and a must read of 2019 new releases ! (Or ever really)
Thank you for reading,
Bookarina !

I never was able to finish this book. I found the fantasy world was a little too distracting from the story and went into so much detail that I struggled to stay interested.

**I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.**

There has been a lot of hype around this book and it was one of my most anticipated reads of the year so as I'm sure you can imagine that when I got approved to read this book I was pretty excited. There were a lot of great things about this book but with most books there were a few things that I didn't like which is why I only gave this a book a 4/5 star rating.

I really loved all the characters, even the villains, they all felt really well developed and not like a run of the mill character that you don't care about or remember. The story is told through three perspectives: Veronyka, Sev, and Tristan. I find that when stories are told through multiple perspectives I end up skimming the POV's that I don't like so I can get back to the ones that I do like, but with Crown of Feathers I enjoyed all the POV's which seldom happens.

The way the story portrayed all the relationships was also really amazing whether it was friendship, romance, or sibling relationships I thought it done really well. For instance the relationship between Veronyka and her sister Val I really loved. In the beginning of the book they start off with only having one another but partway through the book something tears them apart. Veronyka runs off and grows as a character and soon realizes that her sister wasn't the person she always thought she was and even though her sister, Val, does something that is unforgivable, Veronyka still loves her.

Another reason I really loved this book was because it was unique and not quite like anything I've read before. The world is really unique and I wanted to learn more about it. There was also quite a few twists and turns in the book and I never really knew what would happen next.

The one thing I didn't like was all the info dumping. For the most part the info dumping happed in the beginning and it got better the farther along the book went but it still seemed a bit excessive. I also got a bit confused at times because of all the info dumping and at times it felt a bit repetitive. Had there been not so much info dumping I would have given this a 5 star rating.

Overall I highly recommend reading this book as it's a new and original story that has representation for people of colour and it has hints of a gay relationship. Just be prepared for all the info dumping that happens.

You had me at warrior women riding phoenix's.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The world building was excellent and I loved the descriptions of the Phoenix's and the bond they had with their riders.

As well as the tenuous relationship between the sisters Veronika grew as a character throughout the book which is what you want to see. She grew more self assured especially since she had to disguise herself in order to ride a phoenix. only men were allowed which seems backwards since the original riders were women. She also grew as a character on how she deals with her sometimes volatile sister.

When I first went in I had no idea there were going to be multiple POV's which can be off putting at times especially when we get quite a bit of backstory and info dumping put in..
Along with Veronika POV we also get Sevro who is an animage hiding amongst the soldiers. And Trystan who is a Phoenix rider apprentice who resides in the mountains with the other riders. I still found Veronikas POVs to be far more entertaining and engaging and was looking forward to hers the most.

There is a little romance but not the focus of the story more like a side to the meal. I do believe it will get more involved into the plot in book two so if romance is your thing I would still read the book and hold out for book two.

Overall I found this to be an exciting and compelling read and look forward to what book two has to offer.

This was a book that I wanted to love. I thought, girl dressing as a boy, that’s exactly the kind of thing I love. And phoenixes (phoenices?)? YES. And then I read the book. And I was so disappointed.

The biggest issue, is that none of the set up and world-building was actually woven into the story. It was just dumped in various places. It was a book in desperate need of some trimming. I still think it could have been great, but it just wasn’t there yet. There’s actually a pretty interesting back-story involved here, and the clear parallels between the two sets of sisters is very interesting (though, I’ll admit I had an idea of the twist partway through the story, I didn’t guess it all the way, but I got most of it). Anyway, given this, if you like lots of backstory and don’t mind info-dumps, this book is probably a good fit for you.

The one thing that I thought I would undoubtedly love about the book (a girl disguising herself as a boy) ended up being the thing that annoyed me the most. Mostly, it just didn’t really make sense. If, historically, all the greatest phoenix warriors were women… THEN WHY THE FUCK ARE GIRLS NOT ALLOWED TO JOIN THE SCHOOL? It makes no sense. They’re trying to re-established old traditions and literally spitting on them in the process. Honestly, this one thing grated on me throughout the book. I don’t know if I just missed something, or am over-thinking it (under-thinking it?), but it pretty much ruined the book for me.

All in all, a great idea that was largely ruined for me by the execution. I’m hoping the second one will be better, since (I hope) most of the exposition must be out of the way by now.

Anyway, moving on. I’d still recommend this one to anyone who loves YA fantasy. The description compares it to an Ember in the Ashes and Three Dark crowns, and I have to say I agree. Especially if you liked an Ember in the Ashes, give this one a go. I see quite a few reviews that are pretty positive, so I also wouldn’t suggest giving up on this book just cause a grump like me didn’t like it.

While I did enjoy this book for its elements of diversity, representation and fantasy elements I felt like the info dumping. Such as giving too much information to build the world, instead of introducing it slowly, was a bit much and took away from the plot and the build up of the action.

* I received this arc from Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. *

4.5/5

I loved this book.

The synopsis and the fact that it involved phoenixes (which I’ve never read about aside from Harry Potter before) sold me before I even started, but the story itself hooked me almost right from the beginning.

I feel like this book is definitely high epic fantasy. There is a lot of worldbuilding, not just in the beginning but dispersed throughout the book. And while I did find that I would have maybe liked the worldbuilding to be a little more show then tell, I thought it was all very interesting and you could tell the author put an incredible amount of work and thought into building not only the way the world is now, but all the past events that precede the story, a lot of which affects what happens in this story.

I really, really loved the characters. Veronyka was fierce and she felt like such a real character. Her relationships with the people around her were complex and interesting, and her story was fascinating. The relationship with her sister was incredibly important, and I really enjoyed it. While I didn’t agree with what Val did (as a younger sister myself) I can understand it to some degree, and I can certainly understand Veronyka’s need for space.

I really enjoyed the POVs of Tristan and Sev as well, They were great characters who I really rooted for. I will say I enjoyed Tristan’s pov a bit more. The author also did a great job of building up the side/supporting characters so well that you felt almost as connected with them as the main characters, and you felt their pain just as deep.

The storyline was very interesting, the battle scenes were very well written, and I got definite Mulan vibes from areas of the story which I really, really loved.

This story was so great and I definitely recommend. I cannot wait for the sequel.

There was once a grand empire built by the Phoenix Riders - people who soared the skies on phoenixes - until a war ripped everything apart. Sixteen years later, Veronyka is a war orphan who dreams of being a Phoenix Rider. She eventually decides to run away and try joining their ranks, even if it means dressing as a boy.

Honestly, I don't really know where to start with this book. I thought it was a really interesting idea - phoenixes are such a unique concept that I barely see represented elsewhere. So that idea itself was a major draw, and I do like reading about sibling dynamics.

We're not brought into the story at the height of action or in the middle of a dilemma; it's more slow going, revealing the relationship between Veronyka and her sister, Val, and how they live in the fallout of the war. And that's fine - some stories need a slow build. The problem was that 90% of what I was reading was background knowledge and history that was just thrown at me - just a lot of info-dumping. After a few paragraphs, my eyes just started glazing over at all the proper nouns. After a few chapters of mostly info-dumping, I was skimming a lot.

I made it 30%, but I don't think I'll be continuing.

There was a lot of great diversity and representation-- it didn't feel 'forced' or anything. The premise and worldbuilding were fascinating! The writing is absolutely beautiful. The characters were complex and the different POV's were easy to follow. I loved that it shared some elements with Mulan and Red Queen! The fight against oppression in this book made for a great plot!

Some parts were a little confusing.

Crown of Feathers is a young adult novel that mixes magic, animals, an empire created from war and a girl who will do anything to be part of the world from before.
The main character reminds me a little of Mulan in the way that she was willing to leave everything she knows and dress like a boy in order to become one of the warriors she admires. The story itself is a little slow to get into since there are three points of view. It also has to set up a world to that takes place that changed 16 years ago and a world that is taking place now. However, as each point of view starts moving along, the novel becomes harder to put down. I found it a little annoying that they had three points of view to follow but as they come together it having all three begin to make sense and I enjoyed having all three points.
Crown of feathers is the kind of novel that makes you second guess what you know and keeps secrets all the way until the end. I personally love a novel that keeps a surprise until the very end and it boosted my rating of this novel. Every little part of this book is perfectly thought out and even though it doesn’t have an intense cliff hanger ending I’m still super excited to see what the next one will have in store.

I love stories about sisters, and I think phoenixes are awesome, so I was definitely very much into checking out Crown of Feathers. I love the world Nicki Pau Preto has created, where magic means the ability to communicate with animals, and history is filled with powerful women, including warrior queens and mighty phoenix riders.

I especially love that the present-day phoenix army (who are ostensibly the good guys out to battle a magic-hating and corrupt government) are actually outright sexist and don't allow women into their ranks. There is also a rejigging of the world's history, such that many of the characters talk about gods rather than goddesses creating the world, and men rather than women performing heroic feats. It's a not-too-subtle but all-too-relevant critique of how religious institutions have historically suppressed the role of women, and a pointed reminder that even the good guys can have problematic beliefs.

The story is told in three perspectives: Veronyka, who can communicate with animals and wants to become a phoenix rider; Tristan, the son of the phoenix army's leader who wants to prove himself worthy of stepping into his father's shoes yet is afraid of fire; and Sev, a soldier who must hide his magical abilities and is recruited to join the rebellion. I was hooked by Veronyka's story from the start, possibly because I loved the tension between her and her sister Val, who is super protective but also super controlling. But the story overall takes a while to get going, and it took until about halfway through the book for me to care about Tristan and Sev's stories.

That being said, once the story picks up, it really takes off. There are awesome phoenix training scenes and an absolutely epic battle that made it almost impossible for me to put down the book. I was also really intrigued by the history of the two sister queens who ended up dividing the country, and splitting people along ideological lines with respect to their regard for phoenixes. I love how the relationship between Veronyka and Val is hinted to mirror the dynamic between the historical sister queens, and how this in turn hints at a much larger scale destiny for the present-day sisters. 

The jumps between chapters was a bit confusing. The story goes from present-day events to historical documents to the first person reflections from one of the historical sister queens, and I sometimes lost track of what it was I was reading. That being said, I was reading the egalley, so possibly it'll be fixed by the final copy.

Also, content warning about animal death fairly early on. That scene broke my heart, and while I see its purpose in the overall story (fortunately at least, it wasn't a senseless death), it was still really hard to read.

Crown of Feathers is the first in a duology, and after that ending, I'm very excited to see where the author takes the story next!

+

3.5 stars bumped up coz the latter part was unputdownable.

+

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for an egalley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Review to go live on my blog on Feb 8.]