
Member Reviews

These Feathered Flames is truly a masterpiece. Every piece of its world is crafted masterfully, with attention to even the smallest details. Every character is conflicted and compelling. Every second of this kept me hooked, and even the worldbuilding was interesting. This book needs to be read and savored, because every little bit of it is intricate,
One of the things that stood out to me so completely was the world-building. In the blurb, this is compared to Wicked Saints, which I just read and hated. Thankfully, this was everything Wicked Saints should've been. Whereas both Wicked Saints and These Feathered Flames are set in Russian inspired worlds, These Feathered Flames did Russia proud. Russian influence was found everywhere: in the clothing, in the food, in the customs, and in the names. One of my huge complaints about Wicked Saints was how complicated the names were, they took Russian inspired to a whole new level. While the names in this were clearly Russian, they were easy to pronounce, and memorable. All of these elements transported me to the world beautifully, into the winter wonderland this book is set in.
Another element of the world that I loved was the mythology. Some books that try to include mythology make it complicated, and it feels like their trying to shove it down your throat. Every other page is an info-dump, and you never truly understand. This book on the other hand, had a beautifully fleshed out belief system. I honestly feel like I could explain the folklore and magic system to a friend, which is always something I look for. The magic system in this felt unique, and enchanting. I loved how prevalent birds were, they were spun into the story's very heart, and just contributed to the mystical atmosphere. There is still a lot of room for the next book to expand due to the questions posed at the end of this, and I'm super excited to see where the next book goes with this story.
Now that I'm done fawning over the world-building, I guess I should move on to the characters. Have you ever read a book in which every character's voice feels the same? I definitely have, and it's always a danger in books with multiple point of views. This book avoided that pitfall, and both Asya and Isaveta felt distinct. They each struggled with their own conflicts that felt realistic, and I loved both of them. I preferred Asya's chapters, but I may prefer Isaveta as a character, I loved how she was raised to manipulate, but struggled with how she used people. Having a character involved with the kingdom's politics was a great move, we learned about the court without running into info-dumps. There's a lot of potential for some of the secondary characters to be explored in the next book, which I am definitely looking forward to.
And now, saving the best for last, let's talk about the romance! This book is advertised as being an enemies to lovers romance, which is one of my favorite tropes when it's done well. Sadly, most of the time, enemies to lovers just feels like an excuse for hasty insta-love between characters. This book somehow pulled off a slow burn enemies to lovers. As soon as we our main romance started building, I was in love. Both of out budding romances hold incredible potential, and I can't wait until we get to seem them grow. Seriously, this may be my favorite romance I've read recently! If you're always looking for an enemies to lovers romance, this is for you!
After I've raved about the world-building, mythology, characters, and romance, I bet you guessed that I loved this. As a lover of fantasy, I'm very had to satisfy, but this is more than I ever expected. Fantasy duologies seem to be a growing trend, and I can see this series owning a spot on my favorites shelf in the years to come.
Thanks to Alexandra Overy and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I was very excited about reading this one. I haven't seen a lot of Russian folklore retellings, so this was a fresh one! These Feathered Flames follows 2 sisters, Aysa and Izaveta, who are called to different fates and separated, placed on opposite sides of the board of life. They're drawn back together after tragedy and have to struggle to see if they can trust each other the way they once did as children.
I really enjoyed the world building here, but I would have wished for maybe a bit more detail surrounding the magic system. We really only find out about in bursts, and I would have liked it to be more consistently developed. But…there were bears! That you can pet! There's also a lot of court politics and intrigue in this one, which was different for me, but I really enjoyed it.
This was a very character driven story, which I always love. The girls are both strong, driven, and sure of themselves. Aysa, being the new Firebird, struggles with her new duty to keep the balance, and those struggles are really well written. I also really enjoyed the relationships with the side characters. My main complaint is that we were in the character's heads a lot, being described of how they felt. I'm always a big fan of figuring out how they feel from their actions, but that's more a personal preference.
Some parts were slower than others, but overall it was consistently action packed and steady to move through. Alexandra's writing is beautiful and flows wonderfully. It never felt choppy or harsh, it was almost lyrical in some places.
This is an OwnVoices story, and the diversity within the story was amazingly well done. I'm super excited for the next book and will definitely be checking it out! These Feathered Flames releases in April and will be a great spring read!

Book: These Feathered Flames
Author: Alexandra Overy
Rating: 2 Out of 5 Stars
I would like to thank the publisher, Inkyard Press, for sending me an ARC.
Guys, I really wanted to like this one. In fact, I actually gave it two chances and both times, I found myself not enjoying it. I don’t know why, because I love retellings and I love Russian folklore. I just don’t know why this book kept falling short for me. This book is very character driven, which normally isn’t something that I have an issue with. I think my whole thing was the fact that I honestly just didn’t care about them. I had kind of a disconnect from them. If you are reading a character driven book, this isn’t a good thing.
The characters were actually well done and well thought out. These are the kind of characters who I should like. They are strong, dedicated, and very sure of themselves. I liked getting their different conflicts. Asya has been called to carry out the Firebird’s power and has that whole internal struggle going on for her. We get to see her struggle with trying to come up with a way to keep the balance of the land, which involves a lot of pain and suffering. Then, we have Izaveta, who is going to be queen. We see her struggle with trying to hold a just court and stay away from her corrupt mother’s rule. These struggles and internal battles should have made me feel something, but they did not. I felt disconnected from it. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that there was a lot of time in the characters’ heads, during which we were told about their struggles and how difficult it was for the characters. I think that had we been given a chance to actually experience these struggles with the characters, then it would have been a lot more meaningful and impactful.
Going off of that, we did have a beautiful world, but didn’t really get to experience it. We have this amazing magic system added with the Russian Saints, but it fell flat. This is because we were not given the chance to really experience the world. We are only told about through the characters and are expected to be okay with this. This may work for some people, but it just doesn’t work for me. When I’m reading a fantasy book, I want to experience the world and the magic with the characters. This should not have been an issue-given how character driven this book was, but it was. If you are going to create this world, even if it is a retelling, you have to give your readers a chance to experience the world and give them something to cheer for. You also need to use your world to explain why things are the way they are.
I just felt like so much of this book fell flat. The writing didn’t though. I do feel like Alexandra is a very gifted writing. Her writing flows very nicely and does have almost a lyrical feeling. I mean, I thought that was going to love this book for the sake of the writing, but the writing just didn’t save the book for me. You can’t have great writing and have almost nothing to help carry it. There are so many authors out there whose writing I do enjoy, but they lack the ability to keep me hooked. Sadly, I do feel like this author is going to be the same for me. I think that had she found a way to expand on the world and give us a chance to experience the story with the characters, then she probably would be on my top new authors to watch.
Anyway, I do get why so many people enjoy this one, but it just wasn’t for me. I’m actually kind of disappointed that I didn’t enjoy this, because I really did think that I would.
This book comes out on April 20, 2021.

“The Firebird’s flames burn scarlet, The mourning skies shine blue, If you don’t pay the price, She’s coming for you.”
🔥 These Feathered Flames is the story of twin sisters Izaveta and Asya, born as royalty but both expected to serve their country in different ways. At a young age Izaveta began training in the ways of politics and court life to rule as queen, while Asya is destined to become the Firebird — a feared creature who is tasked with enforcing magical balance. After all their time apart preparing for their different roles, can Izaveta and Asya still trust each other?
This book was a lot of fun! It is an ownvoices queer retelling of the Russian folktale The Firebird, and it kept me on my toes. Izaveta and Asya were both deeply impacted by their separate childhoods, and I think it was reflected really well in their actions and character. Overall this one gets 3.5 stars from me, and I’m looking forward to continuing the journey with these characters. Keep an eye out for when this book is released in April! 🔥

I tried picking up this book several times over the course of several months, but never seem to make it past the first few chapters. Perhaps an action packed book like this one would do better plunging the reader straight into action. Ultimately, this just wasn't the story for me, though it seems like many other people enjoyed it.

Lavish furs, silk dresses, firey monsters and bears you can ride! If that doesn't get your attention, I'm not sure what will. Alexandra Overy weaves a wintery world. The tale of two sisters chosen for two seperate burdens, finding their way back to eachother and themselves. The ending legt me in awe and now I'm just sitting here, twiddling my thumbs waiting for a sequel.

Thanks to netgalley.com for proving an ARC in exchange for an honest review! I gave this book 4/5 stars. It was fast paced and kept me up until 3am reading, but a few issues kept it from a full 5 stars.
What I loved: the sisters and their slow return to one another. I also enjoyed the court intrigue and magic system. The storyline kept me up late at night and I was constantly turning oages to see what happened next. The ending was unexpected and I am intrigued because it seems the next book will be totally different.
What I didn't love: there was A LOT of action packed into this book! I would have lived more character/relationship building because nearly every scene was super dramatic and eventful. At a certain point, I felt like I barely knew any characters because I just kept seeing them in desperate situations. Some of the action didn't even seem necessary and they moved on right away. Due to all the action, the romance and relationships didn't feel very realistic to me. I also couldn't really follow some of the plot because there was just so much going on!
TL/DR: a fast paced and action packed book that will keep you reading. Interesting plot and characters you will want to know more about. Could benefit from slowing down and some increased character development at times. I recommend!

i really enjoyed reading this book, the retelling of the Firebird was really well done and I enjoyed reading this book. I look forward to more from the author.

Two separated sisters, one raised to be a queen and the other raised to be a monster, finally come together after seven years and the mysterious death of their mother. The story was advertised as being “ Three Dark Crows meets Wicked Saints in this queer #ownvoices retelling of “The Firebird”, a Russian Folktale. The story follows twin sisters Izaveta ad Asya. Izaveta is raised to be manipulative, paranoid, and above all a future queen while Asya has been raised to be the next Firebird, a mythical creature with vast amounts of power. Heres the thing, they are two ends of the spectrum, Izaveta being cold and suspicious of everyone and using lies to get what she wants, while Asya is soft to a fault, naive, and too trusting, to the point where she can barely even do her job as the next Firebird. There is friction between both sisters as they learn to adjust to the new sibling in front of them, as so much time has passed and so much is at stake. If Izaveta cannot properly handle the murder of her mother and taking over the kingdom she will lose it all, while if Asya cannot learn to do her job as the next Firebird everything will come down in flames and chaos will follow. Throw in a f/f enemies to lovers storyline and a cute but snarky scholar, and here we have this story. The overall plot was interesting with the court intrigue and the deceptions, I actually found Iza’s plotline to be interesting, more so than Asya’s. The story ends on a cliffhanger and it is confirmed there are more books coming in this series, so I can’t wait to see what happens next!
*Thank you Netgalley and Inkyard Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I really enjoyed reading this book and have already recommended it to friends and family. This book is about twin sisters who are destined to rule and protect their kingdom. I really enjoyed the relationship between the sisters and how time and distance has strained their bond. I found the characters to be extremely well thought out and written. The two main characters were likeable, but flawed and nuanced enough to be realistic representations. I also really enjoyed the plot progression and pacing. For me, there wasn't a dull moment and I found myself wanting to read this book during all my breaks at work and late into the night. I will definitely look for more titles from this author.

A solid debut. I am really looking forward to reading more from this author in the future! Slow-burn, lush, and engaging, this is a well-written tale that explores fairy tale themes and Russian mythology. I don't know if the author themselves in Russian so I cannot speak of that authenticity of the details included, but from my limited point of view, it appeared well-researched with a lot of love & heart that went into it. My only quip is that part of this book felt slow and a little drag-y but I don't mind this too much as slow books appeal to me. The ending also seems to imply that there is another book coming--or at least, planned-- so I will keep an eye out for that when the times comes.

I loved this book so much! I love Russian-inspired fantasies, and These Feathered Flames was full of references to Russian myths.
The two main characters, Asya and Izaveta, were twins, but completely different. Asya is the Firebird, whose duty is to claim the price of magic, sometimes even by killing the person who performed magic. Izaveta, on the other hand, is set to be crowned queen after the mysterious death of her mother.
I absolutely loved this world. There was so much political intrigue woven in with the elaborate magic system, but there was also enough romance for me to stay interested. The romances were downplayed, which I appreciated, but I really liked them and I’m very excited to see how Asya’s romance in particular will work out in the next book.
This was such a great debut novel and I’m so excited for the next book, This Cursed Crown!

These Feathered Flames was a slow burn that I couldn't put down. The intrigue, the twists, the red herrings! When twins are born to the royal family, their destinies are decided by the gods. One will be Queen and lead the Queendom until the end of her days, the other will become The Firebird a neutral power that keeps the magic of the land in balance. All magic has a price, if that price isn't paid the Firebird will come to take what is owed. Thus begins the story of Asya and Izaveta, sisters who have been separated for years in preparation for their destined roles. But when the Queen dies unexpectedly, the twins will need to decide if power is what they truly want.
This novel was gripping. I love the use of Russian folklore as a main element and the characters felt very real. There were moments where I really didn't know how everything was going to end, which was a delight. If you want a book with some amazing political intrigue, magic, and some amazing LGBTQIA+ blooming romance, do not miss These Feathered Flames. I will also point out, I didn't know this was going to be a series until the final page and I don't know how I will stand the wait for book two!

These Feathered Flames was a refreshing entry into the ever-growing lexicon of Slavic inspired YA novels inspired by native fairy tales. With its strong female leads, complex relationships and characters boasting impressive strengths among relatable flaws, it quickly excuses itself from the shadow of Katherine Arden's Winternight Trilogy to stand firmly on a center stage of its own making.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a great YA fantasy that had excellent world building. I liked the elements of the firebird pulled in and the dynamic between the two sisters. This book has kind of a slow start but was worth sticking to it.

Two sisters must navigate political scheming, dying magic, secret societies, and a nation on the brink of war in order to claim their throne and restore magic to the world.
I absolutely loved this novel. It was smart, fresh, and enchanting. The author did a stellar job with world-building. The story takes place in a Russian-reminiscent land of dying magic in which people travel by bear and a firebird demands retribution for irresponsibly used magic. I was instantly drawn into this world and found myself committed to the land and the people, hoping to unravel the secrets before they were revealed. I finished this book a week ago and can still vividly recall the world.
The book is largely character-driven and each character, even the side characters and antagonists, were well-developed. The sisters, Izaveta and Asya, have been raised independently and each struggle with the brutality of their upbringings and the expectations of their political roles. The side characters and love interests were equally compelling and constantly kept me on edge as I tried to determine their loyalty.
Though I loved the heartfelt, complicated, and gripping relationship between the sisters, my favorite relationship was a f/f enemies to lovers storyline. In YA novels especially, I love LGBTQ+ relationships that are offered without social commentary or scandal. The characters in this novel grew together and developed feelings for each other, and they were able to act on those feelings without facing judgment from others. I think this kind of representation is so important and I will enthusiastically hand it to teens at the library based on this storyline alone.
Readers who love more plot-driven stories might find the first third of this book to lag as the characters are developed and the intrigue is set. But, the last 2/3 of the book move briskly and are packed with action, intrigue, and character growth. There is something for everyone to enjoy in this lush, immersive, and inventive story. I am anxiously awaiting the sequel and cannot wait to share this with patrons

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing this digital ARC.
What an incredibly rich and beautiful ride! I loved this book with all my heart. It had everything—magic! f/f enemies-to-lovers romance! Russian folklore! I absolutely adore retellings and this one stole my heart. I can’t wait for the sequel!

Asya smells magic . I like the name Asya. Asya owes it to Tarya to be successful. Tarya is also a pretty name. I liked the descriptions of events . The mark of the firebird is on a young girl and a debt must be paid. Tarya is the fire bird. The young girls arm is now gone as debt. Arya will one day be the firebird. I liked the characters

This rich tale brings new fire to the firebird mythos. This Slavic inspired story has so many glittering touches that will leave the reader at the edge of their seat. The beginning is a slow burn of twists and turns as we journey with the firebird to complete her calling. The end of the book is action packed as all of the threads come together. Readers will definitely ask for more as they burn to find out what happens next.

Okay first off this book is extremely different from anything I’ve ever read before!! It’s a Russian folktale and that is something I’ve never read. I adored this and I can’t wait to read another book by Alexandra Overy!