These Feathered Flames is an engaging, creative Russian fantasy. Beautifully written with amazing characters this book is sure to be enjoyed by YA fantasy readers!

Thank you NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In this stunning take on a Russian tale, two sisters are separated to learn their skills. However, the tables turn when their mother is murdered. What an amazing read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this title!

This. Is. Fantastic. This was the story I didn’t know I desperately wanted. This is about a pair of twins who were born into the same world but were forced into different roles, who are vastly different yet are bound by unwavering sisterhood. These twins, their questionable yet relatable morals, their agency, their intense capacity to love…Alexandra Overy, you have freaking slayed me. Asya and Izaveta are two halves of a whole in more ways than one, and their sisterhood is an absolute gem to read about.

Asya is a sweetheart who is thrust into a role she doesn’t want: the notorious Firebird. She’s overwhelmed with the magnitude of her position, and it’s intensely relatable. There are scenes in which she feels powerless and worthless, with the lump-in-your-throat feeling and everything, and it just breaks my heart. Yes, she is a Chosen One, but Overy does a phenomenal job of making her seem like an average girl (really, she could be any one of us) who was forced into training and now must grapple with her enormously difficult life. She cares for others, she's trusting, and she’s achingly real. She’s the epitome of good, but she isn’t perfect. I loved reading about her journey toward accepting her power; I’ve never read about such a formidable Cinnamon Roll.

Izaveta has spent her entire life in the shadow of her mother’s power. An early scene, in which Izaveta is playing zvess with her mother, who she has never been able to defeat, is a perfect representation of Izaveta throughout the novel. Iza has a good heart, but she uses people like zvess pieces because that’s all she knows. She’s imposing and put-together, but on the inside? The girl is a hot mess express. Seriously, there is so much to unpack, and I love it.

Now for the reason many of us have TBR’d this book: there is an f/f romance. And. It. Is. Spectacular. It’s enemies-to-lovers, which just so happened to be my favorite trope. God, I ship these two so hard. Our leading lady’s love interest is a stony wall of a woman, and seeing her armor crack a little during each interaction is just delicious. I think the romance took up the perfect amount of space in this book. It wasn’t prominent enough to make this book a romantic fantasy like Crier’s War or The Midnight Lie (it’s a sisterhood story through and through), but it was a perfect supporting arc.

There are a few minor things I didn’t love (they don’t really affect my overall opinion of this book but since this is an ARC review, might as well go in-depth). First, I think this book lagged a bit during the middle third. There are quite a bit of confusing political descriptions, and I found myself having to read passages multiple times to understand them. Actually, I’m undecided about whether I think this is a con, since this part still involves several minor “oh, snap!” moments that are obviously building to something bigger (and the buildup is oh, so worth it). My interest did wane a tiny bit though, so there’s that. Secondly, this book is primarily set in a castle and on royal/sacred grounds. We don’t really go on any adventures elsewhere, and there are only a few minor scenes involving average Tourensi citizens. I would’ve liked to have seen a broader physical scope in this novel, but I guess that’s just personal preference.

HOWEVER, my minor gripes are greatly overshadowed by the final 1/3 of this book. I am still reeling from the absolute AUDACITY of it. There’s a scene around 75% that sent chills down my spine, and from there, it’s a b!tch-slap till the end. I gasped three times? Four? Either way, mom had to come check on me. I won’t even go into it; it just needs to be experienced. And that ENDING?? Um. Now that makes me want to read Book 2. I mean, I was going to anyway, but *fans self* I need it like, yesterday.

Tl;dr – Read this book! There’s sisterhood, intrigue, and sapphic romance. What’s more to wish for?

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.

For starters, this cover is absolutely gorgeous and eye-catching to say the least! Be prepared to fall in love with these two sisters and their magical bond that both drives them apart and together. I absolutely think it's worth the read!

This is a really well crafted book. The world building and the mythology were just there, a part of the story, and it's all revealed to you as if you are wandering further into this world. I really appreciated that aspect because I don't like having long drawn out expository bits at the beginning of anything - makes it too hard to get into.

I felt sympathy for both main characters, and though they are twins who had very different paths in life, it's completely believable that they a) think what they think about each other and b) have become who they are. There's a mystery in the plot and you are given the perspective of both sisters and how they are affected by this mystery. And at the end there's a big twist that I did not at all see coming. I hate it when books become obvious and this one definitely wasn't.

I'll be looking forward to returning to this world in the next book.

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.

I’m on a hot streak with my reading so far, but These Feathered Flames turned out to be another book I loved. It had one of my favorite tropes—enemies to lovers—and focused on complicated relationships between women.

Perhaps it’s because I’m writing this as the election results come in, but the message of the book (or what I read as the central theme) really resonated with me—we’re not bound by the past. We can choose our own path forward.

Trigger warnings—murder, emotional abuse by a parent, gore, animal death (not a main character that the author makes you love), ritual sacrifice


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Two sisters are separated and then set on two different paths—Izaveta bound to a crown, Asya to a monster. Both of them grow up molded by strong yet stoic women whose expectations often seem more oppressive than the sisters’ destinies.

After their mother’s death, Izaveta and Asya’s paths come together again. Izaveta has grown to a calculating politician molded in the shape of her mother. Asya is on the road to becoming the new Fire Bird, an immortal creature that resets the balance of magic in the world by collecting the price owed by magic casters.

“Izaveta let her arm fall back to her side. They stood facing each other, the queen and the Firebird. Eternally doomed to be at odds, pieces on the opposite side of the board.”

The plot of the book revolves around Izaveta’s struggle to maintain power after her mother’s death. The church, led by a smug and calculating Sanislav, plots to replace Iza with someone who would be more amenable to their interests. For me, the heart of the book was the two sisters coming to realize that they didn’t have to follow the paths laid out by their domineering parental figures.

Asya’s struggles to perform the duties of the Firebird (to collect a “price” for magic) is due to her gentle nature and generally trusting personality. One of my favorite descriptions of her in the book was from Iza, who said Asya would save venomous spiders from puddles. Throughout the story, she wrestles with the burden of harming others in order to restore balance. She’s uncomfortable with being a “monster.” Honestly, this was probably one of the weaker parts of the book for me. While I liked the concept, I wasn’t sure how some people accrued this debt while others didn’t or how the Firebird hunted. Asya’s constant struggle with fulfilling her duties was very well done, though.

My favorite of the two sisters was Izaveta. I have a soft spot for flawed women who change and grow throughout the course of the narrative. She’s a scheming politician who has the tendency to use and manipulate others to her advantage. She trusts no one (not even her sister) and no one seems to trust her. I don’t want to write spoilers, but I really enjoyed her story line. Out of the two sisters, she’s the one who must face the greatest reckoning for her actions.

The sapphic romance in this book didn’t disappoint. The enemies-to-lovers trope always hits the right spot for me, and I was satisfied with the tension between Asya and her brooding, stormy eyed guard. The queer romance was front in center in the novel (not shoved off in a few quick side notes), so people looking for great queer rep will be very satisfied. I know I was!

I’m really excited for the next in this series. For most of this book the two sisters were at odds with each other, but it seems like they’ll be on the same side going into the next book.

These Feathered Flames is the latest debut novel by author Alexandra Overy. Lovers of the Grisha Trilogy setting and the mythology of Percy Jackson will truly adore this book. When I first read the pitch for the novel all I heard about it was that it was a sapphic fantasy enemies-to-lovers. Basically three of my favorite things in one sentence. In a way, I am disappointed by this pitch, not because that wasn't delivered, but because the book encompasses so much more than that. At its core, These Feathered Flames is about two sisters coming together after years of growing up apart to perform different roles in their kingdom. Izaveta is destined to be queen, Asya the Firebird. Then on top of that add an incredible magic system and a crazy deep political system that rivals that of Ace of Shades.

This book was a great example of what the first novel in a series (I don't know exactly how many books are set to be published at this moment) should be. The two main sisters characters' were developed greatly, yet the surface was just scratched for those such as Nikov and Yuliana and I hope to see more of this in upcoming installations. I also would like to see more development in the relationship between Nikov and Izaveta as I can already see this becoming one of my new favorite ships. Also, I was dying for more romantic scenes between Yuliana and Asya, and friendship scenes between Yuliana and Izaveta. I was definitely wanting more from the two girls romantically and can't wait to see more in the next book, and Yuliana and Izaveta could be such a great girl power friendship!

Overy's writing and incredible worldbuilding is going to make this novel a bestseller and anyone can quote me on that. I cannot wait for others to read and enjoy this novel just as much as I have and feel all the feels with me in April.

“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!