K. J. Altair did a fantastic job of pulling me in from page 1.

This is written extremely well for a debut novel and gives me everything I want as a reader.

The premise is that Ara has a mysterious curse that is slowly killing her. In order to survive she joins the military academy, who’s attendees are called the Skyriders and form a soul deep bond with the Aetheras (Magical Birds). Its giving Fourth Wing - but in the best way possible.

The chemistry between Ara and Tate, the tension and yearning were both chefs kiss for me!

The plot twist will give you whiplash and i cannot wait for book 2.

This book owned me!

Ara's carrying a secret a deadly secret for both her and her family so she runs to a war academy to train as a rider and protect her family yes this does give us empyrean series vibes but it is set in a very different setting which I loved. Ara is strong, smart, and absolutely relentless. Then enter Tate: her dark, broody instructor with secrets of his own. Their chemistry the tension was spot on. This story is full of action, emotion, and characters you'll root for hard. I devoured it and need the sequel now!

* Brooding MMC badass FMC
* Magic
🌶️1.5 on a scale of 1-5
* military college
* deadly trials
* bonding who talk communicate telepathically
* forbidden ❤️
* slow burn romance/ tension

K.J Altair .... the way you write and weave words into the most amazing story lines needs to be studied. I had such an amazing time reading Feathers of Ash and Hope that I never wanted it to end. Watching the growth of the characters, both on their own and together, from the start of the book to the end was such an epic journey. The premise of the story was unique and I have not read a story similar to it but I will now be forever on the hunt to relive the high I got from reading this book for the first time. Bravo! Thank you to NetGalley and the Edwyn Publishing for an ARC.

This book was honestly so dreamy. The vibes were soft and emotional, with this almost poetic writing style that felt super atmospheric. It deals a lot with grief and healing, but in a really quiet, thoughtful way that stuck with me. I will say the beginning was a little slow and took me a minute to really get into, but once I did, I was hooked. It’s one of those reads that’s more about the feeling than a fast moving plot, and if you're in the mood for something introspective with just a touch of magic, it totally hits.

I really enjoyed this book! It took a few chapters for me to get invested and understand the characters, but once I did, I didn't want to stop reading.

I liked how the pace of the book picked up once Ara was established in the academy; it was fun and attention-grabbing to read. Speaking of Ara, I really liked her character. I admire her bravery, although she seems to have a knack for getting into bad situations. I love the dynamic between her and Tate (their slow burn was worth it), and I loved their moments of jealousy and support.

This book has magic, dragons, and romance. A princess with a curse tries to find a solution joins an academy dressed as a boy to bond with a dragon. A lot of banter and slow-burn romance with spicy.

What a debut! Feathers of Ash and Hope had me hooked from the very start. Ara is a brilliant heroine – spunky, determined, and armed with all the traditionally 'male' skills like climbing and combat. She’s also properly funny, and her backstory gives weight to every decision she makes, no matter how reckless it seems on the surface. I loved her bond with her brothers and how she built genuine friendships with her fellow recruits despite withholding some key information from them!

And Tate? Well. Tate is an absolute chocolate cake of a man – dark, rich, and impossible to resist. He might start off grumpy and guarded, but watching him soften for Ara (while still holding onto his own secrets and scars) was delicious. His friendship with Jared is a particular highlight too – it’s so refreshing to see deep male friendships portrayed with warmth and humour.

The romantic tension is *chef’s kiss* – a real slow burn full of yearning, banter and sparks, but with a satisfying payoff (and one truly excellent contraceptive necklace… honestly, more fantasy books need this level of sense). The Roman-inspired setting, the giant birds, the Skyrider Academy – I was fully immersed in this rich, captivating world which felt quite original. And to think this is a debut! You’d never guess – it’s polished, confident, and just so much fun.

Highly recommended for romantasy lovers – I adored every minute and can’t wait for book two.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟+

Thanks to NetGalley, Edwyn Publishing and the author for the ARC (and apologies for the delay in reviewing). This is my honest opinion.

If Fourth Wing/Direbound had a baby with Mulan, this would be the result! Feathers of Ash and Flame has it all: an academy setting, forbidden romance, and morally gray characters that you come to love.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!

Great begining for a new series! The world is well-shown, the characters fleshed out and the story engaging. Can't wait for the continuation!

What.... A..... Read!

I had to sit with it for a few days and I'm still speedchless. The story originally reminded me of Fourth Wing but with a unique take on the system. From there on it went to a complete different direction. I was met with a description that made visualizing the events too easy to believe, a world of mystical birds who rule the skies and a tension between MC's that leaves you yearning for days!

The tagline of the book is an absolute perfect picture of the book, except that there is no warning that you'd need book two like yesterday!
Feathers of Ash and Hope is a dual POV slow burn fantasy romance set in a Roman Empire-inspired world—where magic is power, secrets are deadly, and giant birds rule the skies.

A great beginning of a new fantasy series!

The book opens with a lot of complex world building and magic to understand, but once you get your head around it and dive into the story, it builds really quickly!

Cannot wait to dive into the next book!

Feathers of Ash and Hope is a slow-burn fantasy romance full of deadly secrets, forbidden magic, and crackling tension between a cursed recruit and the centurion who can’t stay away. With a Roman-inspired world, mystical birds, and dual POV chemistry, this is a soaring start to the Flameborn series.

I received an ARC of the Feathers of Ash and Hope in return for my honest review.
Ara, the FMC is engaged to the crown prince in an arranged marriage, and to get out of the marriage she runs away to a military college. Tate, the MMC has a mysterious past and is instantly intrigued by Ara. I loved the plot, world building, the characters, they were all very well written and kept me engaged. Throughout the book we see the quirky and humorous side to Ara and how these traits either endear or make enemies of the people around her. Both Ara and Tate have a mysterious side to them that isn’t fully shared in the story and keeps you guessing as to what they are hiding. I really enjoyed the book and couldn’t put it down, highly recommend!

A Familiar Flight with a Flicker of Promise

Feathers of Ash and Hope by K.J. Altair is an ambitious entry into the romantic fantasy genre, clearly influenced by the high-flying popularity of Fourth Wing. With a military academy setting, elemental powers, and a brewing rebellion beneath layers of secrecy, fans of dragon-infused drama will feel right at home.

Altair's worldbuilding is competent, with glimpses of a deeper mythology and political complexity that hint at stronger installments ahead. The protagonist—a fierce yet emotionally guarded young woman—navigates a gauntlet of tests, rivals, and romantic tension with a voice that is engaging, if somewhat familiar. The love interest, while brooding and powerful, falls into recognizable tropes that don't quite push the boundaries readers might be hoping for.

Where Feathers of Ash and Hope shines is in its pacing and tension. Altair knows how to keep the pages turning, with cliffhangers and reveals that pull the reader along. However, much of the plot treads ground already well-worn by its predecessors. Readers who devoured Fourth Wing may find the parallels a bit too close for comfort—from the training arcs to the snarky dialogue to the enemies-to-lovers dynamic.

That said, this debut holds promise. Altair’s prose is readable and cinematic, and while it leans heavily on genre staples, it’s clear the author has more to explore. For readers hungry for more in the vein of Fourth Wing, this may be a satisfying—if not groundbreaking—ride.

Thank you to K. J. Alter and team for giving me the opportunity to read Feathers of Ash and Hope as an ARC.

Devoured this book like no other! Tate and Ara take meant to be to a whole other level. I loved the banter, not just between the two of them but Ara’s smartass comments to everyone in general.
I love that it’s dual pov so we can see just how much they are affected by each other and the fact that Ara can sense Tate’s magic 🤌. Eagerly waiting for the next book in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Edwyn Publishing for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a little while to get into Feathers of Ash and Hope—the first few chapters felt a bit slow for me—but once the story settled in, I was completely drawn into the world Altair created. The Roman Empire-inspired setting, the Skyrider Academy, and the magic system involving mystical bird bonds were all richly developed and unique.

Ara is a strong yet vulnerable heroine, and her dynamic with Tate was a highlight for me. Their slow-burn romance was filled with tension and banter.

The training sequences, the trials, and the high-stakes secrets Ara carried made the plot feel intense and fast-paced after those initial chapters. The side characters were enjoyable, and I appreciated the camaraderie and loyalty within the Skyriders. The ending was an absolute cliffhanger, and I’m genuinely excited to see what comes next in the series.

This was such a solid start to what I hope will be a long, emotionally rich fantasy romance series.

Feathers of Ash and Hope follows Ara, who wants to become a skyrider in order to protect herself from a curse. She does this against the knowledge of her family, deciding to disguise herself as a boy in order to go undetected. Told in dual POV, we also follow Tate, who is hiding secrets of his own.

It did take me a while to get into this - I sometimes found the writing a bit juvenile and I thought some of the plot points weren’t very believable. However, this was a very fun and easy read, and I did enjoy reading it.

There was more of a focus on the romance than the fantasy elements. Whilst I did enjoy reading the romance between Ara and Tate, I would have preferred more focus on the fantasy plot elements and the world-building. The world seemed really interesting, I just wish it was fleshed out a little bit more. The world-building felt very surface level.

Overall, I would recommend if you’re looking for an easy, fun read, or if you’re a reader who loves a romantasy book with a larger focus on the romance elements.

I received this through Netgalley and I couldn't put this book down. I stayed up all night to finish it. Don't let the similarities to Fourth Wing fool you...this is an exciting read all on it's own. The slow burn had me ready for more. If you like academy settings, girls pretending to be boys while flaunting the rules to do her own thing, slow burn romance and magical animals then this book is for you.

Thank you NetGalley and K.J. Altair for sending me an early copy of Feathers of Ash and Hope!

Wow—what a book!

I finally had the chance to sit down and read Feathers of Ash and Hope, and I ended up loving every second of it. If you're a fan of the Fourth Wing series, you definitely need to add this to your TBR. The pacing was fast, the writing was super easy to get into, and I felt such a strong connection to the main character, Ara. The world-building was vivid and immersive—it felt like such an escape.

Honestly, I couldn’t put it down. The characters were so well written and relatable, and there were twists, secrets, and constant scheming that kept the story moving at a perfect pace. I was hooked from start to finish.

Tropes I loved in this book:

Military college + deadly trials
Bonding with animal companions (yes, they talk telepathically and it’s amazing)
Forbidden love
Slow burn romance
Tension + yearning
Dark and brooding MMC
Badass FMC
Magic
Spice that’s tastefully done

Basically, this book checks all the boxes for me. The storyline was so intriguing and well thought out, and the slow burn/romantic tension was done perfectly. I also really appreciated how the spice was written—it fit naturally into the story and didn’t feel forced.

The ending left us with a bit of a cliffhanger, and now I’m officially in a chokehold until book two drops.👀I definitely didn’t expect that ending!

This was a well written book with some really poetic moments. I did struggled with the pacing and felt it dragged a bit for me in the middle. Some of the side characters felt a little flat as well. Overall it was good story if you’re into slower, reflective fantasy, it might work for you. Just wasn’t a showstopper of a book for me, but I’m glad I gave I read it!