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!

It's no secret that I'm a fan of retellings, so when I heard that The Firebird, a story told often in my childhood, was being reimagined in this debut, I jumped at a chance to read it. These Feathered Flames follows two sisters, Asya and Izaveta, as they are pulled apart and put on two separate paths — one raised to rule the kingdom, another trained as an apprentice to the legendary Firebird. In the aftermath of the death of their mother the queen, they are brought back together and must both take up the mantle for the roles for which they have been chosen.

For the most part, These Feathered Flames was a richly detailed story, with a heavy focus on characters and court politics. As these are all things I usually enjoy due to the subtleties and nuances present, this story really worked for me. I loved the conflict between both Asya and Izaveta and the division in their loyalties, it kept things interesting, especially with the dual points of view. The f/f relationship between Asya and the guard begrudgingly assigned to protect her was everything I needed. That alongside the build up. As for things that felt a little off kilter throughout the novel, there are only a few things that come to mind. First, there were really only a few elements connecting this story to the one it was based on, and while that didn't impede me from enjoying this in its entirety, I wouldn't say it was a retelling. The firebird is a prominent theme in the novel and there are a only few other things that reference the original story. Besides that, I would have loved more detail into the magic system and how prices are enacted as a result, but I suspect that will have to wait until book two. Being the first book in the series, I think the author really did a fantastic job setting the basis for the following books. It's clear that everything has been well thought out so far and I will definitely be on the lookout for more to come.

OVERALL:
This book is AMAZING. Holy SHIT. I was hooked from the start, and the pace was great, and the mystery was amazing to follow, and the magic was super cool, and the characters were so well developed, and the world building was fantastic and unique, and the end blew my mind. I cannot recommend this book more highly.

ASPECTS I GREATLY ENJOYED:
So, I enjoyed pretty much every aspect, as you can tell. But I think the enemies to lovers slowburn between Asya and her guard was my favorite part to read. I have a lot of feelings about them.

CRITICISMS:
I think the only thing I struggled with in this book was that early on, I didn't want to read Izaveta's chapters because I didn't care about her very much / didn't like her. Later, it got better once I was engaged in the plot, and I love that Izaveta is the kind of character she is, so it's not a gripe I actually have with the book. But it's the only criticism I have, so I suppose it belongs in this section.

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc to read and review!

First off, I love fairy tale retellings so I was excited to pick this one up to read. I also was not familiar with the Russian tale and so I enjoyed this take and would like to read the original now.
I really enjoy YA Fantasy Fiction this was a great fantasy that I can't wait to have in my classroom to share with students. It is a little spooky and has great characters. I love the twin sister protagonists, who readers will love.
The setting of Tourin was well developed and I think readers will really become engrossed in life there and the Depthless Lake that surrounds it.
This was a great debut novel by author Alexandra Overy. I can't wait to read more from her in the future.

I only rarely have come across a book that left me going "omg!" at the end of every chapter, but this one did it! With varying emotions attached to the sentiment, of course. I also found myself directing a few choice curse words to certain characters and situations.

Firstly, I love both Asya and Izaveta. Both of them struggle with self-worth issues, torn between what their morals say and what their duties command of them and trying to make the best of their bad situations. Iza especially can come across as bitchy and unlikable, but once you consider the toxic/abusive parent/household she grew up with and the constant pressure she's been under for nearly two decades, it's easy to understand her. I may not agree with how she handled situations and relationships, but her faults are what ultimately make her so very human. If you can't muster a bit of sympathy for her before the end of the book, then I'd have to wonder if we were reading the same story.

Second, I absolutely adore the imagery! Overy doesn't bog down the story with a ton of detail about what things look like, just adds enough to evoke the atmosphere and incorporates descriptions into the flow of the plot as needed. These birds look this way because they're special and relevant to how things are going to go. These dresses look like this FOR A SPECIFIC REASON. I appreciate that so much because as much as I love seeing beautifully detailed things in visual media, going into descriptive overload in text for not much reason beyond "I want to" tends to bore me. And there is not a single boring thing about this book!

Nikov, Yuliana, and Iveshkin are also favorites of mine. I really loved having a "no time for your games, stop with the bullshit" military commander in here WHO IS ALSO MUTE AND COMMUNICATES HER SASS THROUGH AN ESTABLISHED SIGN LANGUAGE WITHOUT BEING OTHERED!!! Sorry for yelling, but that made me very happy.

I have some theories about other characters that were hinted at but not explicitly stated (because the story is about Asya and Iza, not them) and I'm looking forward to possibly having those expanded on in the next book. Because I have QUESTIONS!!!

In the end, my general feeling about These Feathered Flames is this: SCREEEEEEEEEEEEECCCCHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

A Russian folklore retelling, These Feathered Flames is an immersive fantasy story with dynamically developed characters. I enjoyed the story of the twin sisters, one who was chosen as the heir to the throne and one who was chosen as the Firebird, a supernatural figure who hunts down and punishes magic users who don’t offer enough to use said magic. Both sisters are unhappy with their lives and envy the other.

Izaveta, the sister chosen to be queen, envies Asya’s freedom as the future Firebird. Stuck under the heartless manipulations of her mother, Izaveta’s life is filled with politics and strategy. Asya wishes she had the opportunity to remain with her family since she has spent a lonely decade training to be the next Firebird. I found this aspect of the story interesting as both sisters slowly realize that each other’s realities aren’t enviable. Izaveta struggles to assert and define herself as a new and young queen. Asya struggles to live up to the expectations of the Firebird, as she doesn’t like what she has to do to others.

Since their mother, the Queen, died under mysterious circumstances, the sisters spend time immersed in political intrigue, which is fascinating. There are nefarious dealings and ever-changing political moves that put the sisters at risk. Neither sister knows whom she can trust, who has ulterior motives, and who is looking out for the best interest of their kingdom, which causes much conflict throughout the story and leads to some epic battles.

The idea of balance is examined repeatedly throughout the story. The kingdom lives in a precarious balance and relies on the unknown to maintain that balance. Izaveta continually struggles to balance her beliefs and desires with the needs of the kingdom, and Asya is repeatedly reminded that her role as the Firebird is necessary to maintain balance in their world.

There is also a great f/f, enemies-to-lovers romance that is great. Slow to trust and even like each other, this couple has a great love story. I enjoyed watching their relationship grow from verbal and physical sparring into something more.

Oh, and did I mention the bears?!? They pet and ride bears! How cool is that?

With lush and vivid world-building, surprising twists, and dynamically developed characters, These Feathered Flames is a great book for people who enjoy YA fantasy. Thanks so much to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this! It had a ton of things I love in a book.
- variety of reps
- sister love
- Russian setting
- firebird retelling
- romance
- solid plot twist
- fighting; enemies to lovers, curses, political intrigue, and more! I can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

A solid debut. A first in a new series that will delighted fantasy readers who like epic adventures with lots of detail.
Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss, and the publisher for the E-arc copy of These Feathered Flames.

"How was it her sister was taken to live with a monster but Izaveta had become one?"
This highly anticipated YA Fantasy Fiction is a spooky fairy tale: part Anna Karenina meets The Hazel Wood meets the Parent Trap meets Frozen.
Though there are twin sister protagonists, it is Asya/Firebird who wins readers hearts with her endless dedication to her sister and other loved ones.
Otherwise the twisted smiles and cold stares from the power-hungry royals and bitter warriors makes the queendom of Tourin as cold a place as the Depthless Lake that surrounds it.
These Feathered Flames is an innovative, triumphant thriller from debut author Alexandra Overy.

Thank you for the ARC.

This appears to be the first volume of a series (technically a dilogy, as I discovered later), but I did not know this until I'd finished reading it and it ended on a sort of a cliffhanger. With very few exceptions, I'm not a fan of series since the first volume can only ever be a prologue, and I don't read prologues. Additionally, the other volumes are essentially repeating the same story over and over with a few minor variations. They're boring to me. I respect authors more who bring out new single volumes about different people having different adventures.

That said, this one turned out to be not bad at all. It reminded me in some small ways of my own Femarine, and it kept me engaged. Although there were parts of it that left me yawning a little, for the most part it moved and kept me moving with it. There was a hint here and there of romance, but it was not overdone, and I appreciated that. I found the idea of twin sisters, both fated to have different, but critical futures, quite engaging and the fresh take on the legend of the Firebird proved to be a really good one.

Let me deal with the elephant in the room first: Kindle! It's no revelation to anyone who reads my reviews that I am not a fan at all of Amazon and refuse to publish my books on that platform. I don't like them for a variety of reason, not least of which is the fact that they routinely turn their ebooks into Kindling. The Kindle conversion process will slice and dice anything that's not pretty much plain vanilla text, and even then it's sometimes touch and go as to whether a given book will make it through the process unscathed. This one did not, although it got off lightly.

One oddball thing I noticed, which I've seen before in Kindled books, was that everywhere the letters F and L appeared successively in a word, there was a space between them, so I read, for example, "Asya's hands tightened ref_lexively," and I also read, "warped ref_lections, with points where their images converged." The underscore I've added for clarity indicates where there was a space in the text and it occurred frequently throughout the novel in an assortment of words containing 'fl'. Why Kindle does this I do not know, but I've seen this same thing before in more than one ebook prior to this. Other than that, the text was fine except for the occasional intrusion of the page header into the text itself, such as when I read this about halfway down the screen:

An echoing screech that rattled down to Izaveta's bones.
THESE FEATHERED FLAMES 199
She looked up just in time to see the creature

But these intrusions were quite rare. (I did love that title - just not in the middle of my reading!). This is one reason why I never put page headers in my own novels. Another reason is that I see no point to it, but that's just me!

There was the occasional problem with grammar. We've all been there! The few I noticed were these:
"His gaze were unusually focused when he spoke." Which should read, 'his gaze was', or 'his eyes were'. A common one I've seen in YA books is the confusion of stanch with staunch. I read, "digging the fabric of her shirt into the cut to staunch the blood," which is wrong. The word is 'stanch'. Staunch means something else entirely. This issue was curious because this author with the amazing name of Alexandra Overy, uses the past participle of 'tread' perfectly, where other authors often get that wrong, using 'treaded' instead of 'trod'. At another point I read, "Asya gritted her jaw," but you can't grit your jaw. You can grit your teeth. Gritting teeth means to press or clench teeth together. You cannot therefore grit your jaw. Another curious instance was "trying to grasp on to her fracturing facade of confidence." 'Grasp on' felt wrong. 'Hold on' would have been better, or 'cling to'. I think the author was confusing grasp with grab, but grab wouldn't work there either.

Aside from that, the writing was fine and well done, which I appreciated. There was one oddity which I freely admit is a pet peeve of mine, and which use (or misuse!) seems to be coming more and more common. This is where someone uses a title but instead of saying I am 'so-and-so' they say 'my name is 'so-and-so'. For example, I read in this novel, "My name is Ambassador Täusch." But it really isn't, unless his first name does actually happen to be 'Ambassador'! What he ought to have said was "I'm Ambassador Täusch," but that said, people often misspeak, so maybe this squeaks by as an example of that!

The other issue connected with this was people referring to the queen incorrectly. If Täusch was truly an ambassador, then he really should know that you don't address a queen or a princess as "My lady." The correct approach is to address her initially as 'Your Majesty' and then subsequently use 'Ma'am'. This is British protocol, and both I and the author are British-born ex-pats as it happens. This novel is set in a Russian fantasy land, yet even there, 'Your Majesty' was used (or whatever the Russian equivalent was) when there used to be a queen. 'Your highness' is no longer used in Britain, but it was employed in Russia in imperial times. Not that I have any respect for the hereditary privilege of royalty or wealth, but for the sake of a story I'd use it.

In that regard, and purely from the perspective of story-telling, I found it inexcusable how disrespectful people were to the queen in this novel, and how little reaction she had to this. I know she was a teen and new to the throne, but everyone spoke to her not like she was the queen, but like she was this little girl. it was not only the queen who failed to react to this: no one else ever corrected people or took umbrage at this lack of deference! If felt wrong, and often jarred me out of my suspension of disbelief. Even Castelle, my young queen from Femarine who - the story makes clear - is shamefully lax in matters of propriety and protocol, was moved to comment on such laxity on occasion. Like I said, in real life I don't care about that nonsense, but in a novel like this I would expect someone to call out a person who wasn't respectful to a monarch. This was a relatively minor irritant, so I was willing to let it go for the sake of a good story though.

Now about that! I know it's taken a while to get here, but I'm nothing if not thorough in my reviews! So this story is of twins of royal blood in a fantasy world based on historical Russia. One of the twins, by tradition, is destined to become the Firebird - exacting a toll for the use of magic when said magic is enacted without paying a price (and they don't take American Express!); the other twin is destined to become the queen, succeeding their mother.

In Britain there used to be an exam called the 'eleven plus', which determined if a child went to a vocational school or to what used to be called a grammar school which was intended for the more academically-inclined. The system was not fair because it judged children and determined a future for them at far too early an age, so it was scrapped many years ago, but it seems the author has adopted this scheme for the twins, who at around that age - ten, eleven - were judged magically, in a ceremony which determined where they would end-up. It turned out that Asya would be the Firebird, and Izaveta the princess. They were separated and Asya sent to live with the queen's sister, who had become the Firebird a generation or more before.

When the queen dies unexpectedly early from a 'fever' Asya returns to the palace where her sister is in process of becoming queen. The two no longer know how to behave in each other's company because it's been so long, and they have both changed so much, and neither is properly ready to wield the power they have come into. The story is of their relationship, which I found intriguing, and of each's relationship to the queendom and the future. There are threats to their positions, both of them, because they are so young, and they neither of them know fully who they can trust - not even each other. I found the politics to be engrossing and entertaining - if on occasion annoying. There were times when the sisters acted foolishly, but they were also very young and inexperienced, so I was willing to let that side.

There were times when, if they'd only talked to each other and been honest, they could have averted a lot of the issues they faced. This is a common problem in YA stories, but it wasn't so bad here and again, the girls were young, so this could be explained away. Overall I loved how they interacted and grew into their roles, especially the Firebird. I felt this was an amazing and inventive take on a myth, and done very well for the most part, and I commend this as a worthy read. That said I don't have any real interest in pursuing this story any further, because like I said, I'm not a fan of series - even if it's only two volumes, and I'm just not intrigued enough to read on. Your mileage may differ. I hope it does. because it's nice to find a series that really grips. I just don't find that very often.

TFF has everything fantasy lovers will enjoy. A heroine (or in this case two heroines!) with agency, intelligence, and strength, but with plenty of conflict to keep her relatable and layered. A world with shifting political alliances and high stakes with a throne up for grabs. Family bonds that are tested. Life threatening battle sequences. Unexpected betrayals. Lovely imagery. A hint of romance. And just enough reference to a familiar fairy tale to draw in readers anxious to see Overy's new take on a story we know and love. I appreciated that not once did someone lock eyes and instantly fall in love, and none of the characters were infallible or all-powerful. Even the most nefarious of weasels had motivations beyond simply being the bad guy. And the good guys weren't always perfect. Though plenty happens within the pages--death defying battles, narrow escapes, magic rituals, a grand ball, a symbolic hunt, and lots of sneaking about the palace--interior monologue makes up the bulk of the prose, so this will appeal most to readers who enjoy a more contemplative pace. It ends on a cliffhanger, so if you dive into book one, prepare to wait anxiously for book two.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc.
I had high hopes for this novel because it seemed right up my alley. A Russian folktale retelling??? Sign me up!!!!!!
However, it ended up disappointing me. It was by no means BAD, but it also wasn’t great and it wasn’t what I had expected... so three stars. Good, but not great. I’m not entirely sure if I will continue the series either.
The synopsis led me to believe, perhaps presumptuously, that it would be like a fairytale, something akin to The Winternight Trilogy, Hunted, Deathless, Spinning Silver, etc. Whimsical, magical, maybe a bit unsettling, as all good fairytales and retellings are, but it wasn’t.
The story itself really doesn’t seem to be related to the Firebird folktales at all other than featuring a firebird as one of the main characters, as far as I could tell (not an expert though). It also doesn’t take place in Russia; it takes place in a fantasy world INSPIRED by Russia. Something about taking the barebones of a folktale and planting it in a made up world without the same context as cultural legends give it but having the first sentence of your synopsis say it’s a retelling.... doesn’t sit quite right with me. I think it would have been better set in Russia (an alternate one with magic)
More about the book: it follows royal twin sisters and because of some ancient magic law, one twin is chosen to be the queen and one is chosen to be the firebird. The firebird is a figure who hunts down people who haven’t paid the correct price for magic and are marked, so it is regarded as a monster. (If magic is left without the full price being paid, things get thrown out of balance, bad stuff happens, the usual) The twins are split up after the ritual, which took place years before the start of the novel.
The sister chosen to be queen, Izaveta, stayed at the castle with her mother the queen. The sister chosen to be the firebird, Asya, was taken away somewhere off in the woods to be trained to take the current firebird’s place. Izaveta is cunning and manipulative because she has to be to survive the court, and Asya is softer and caring and has a very hard time coming to terms with becoming something everyone regards as a monster.
But then the queen suddenly dies under mysterious circumstances, and since the queen dies, Asya’s power awakens and she takes the previous firebird’s place, but is dragged to the castle for the mourning period.
And then, the book that was pitched as a retelling, becomes nothing more than an average YA fantasy court intrigue novel. And a very introspective one, at that.
From the get go, both sisters are told by other characters “don’t trust her” “she’s not who you remember” “you can’t trust anyone” so for about 50% of the novel, it’s them not talking to each other, manipulating each other, keeping secrets. But then each of them will fret over their behavior and how they used to be close and think about talking to each other plainly but it never happens, etc. More of the typical miscommunication/no communication trope, which I find very tedious and not very enjoyable to read or entertaining.
The conflict comes from a combination of a few things; trying to figure out what happened to the queen, Izaveta trying to secure her place on the throne at such a young age, Asya coming to terms with her monstrous powers, and the fact that the country’s magic seems to be fading, and how some parties aren’t very happy with the Firebird in general.
It’s very heavily focused on Izaveta and Asya’s inner thoughts and feelings and struggles. Some action happens, but it’s mostly overtaken with the introspection. It did, however, manage to be not downright boring to me despite me liking action, plot-based books, so there’s that.
There is an enemies to lovers wlw romance! (with Asya, for parties interested) That was nice, but I didn’t feel like the romance was all that spectacular or compelling personally. Again, most things in the novel just felt.... average to me. Not bad, not stunning.
There was a reveal at like 85% that I didn’t expect, so that was pretty crazy. The climax was fairly good as well. Both of those prevented this from being a two-star read for me.
The epilogue sort of hinted at the conflict for the next novel and, without spoiling it, I don’t think I’m really interested in or like the direction it’s going.

I enjoyed this book, but the middle was hard for me to get through. Some of the stuff I saw coming, but not all of it. Overall a decent book and I will likely read the second book, but won't be dying to get it.

These Feathered Flames is a book that took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. There are strong themes of love, betrayal. sacrifice, justice, and peace. Being 100% honest, the book didn't really pick up until the second half, however, there are a lot of parts of book that deserve recognition for doing things that are not really common in YA novels.

I want to note that there is representation of individuals with impairments, which I genuinely appreciated. I cannot recall one book I've read that has included this before. This book also represents the LGBTQ+ community, which is super important to include in literature as well. The romance's in this novel are not thrown onto the reader where that is the main story line, they are more like a shoulder to lean on for our main characters.

The twists and betrayals in this novel are awesome! These are what kept me reading! With this novel finishing on a cliffhanger, I am intrigued to see what will come next.