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These Feathered Flames
by Alexandra Overy
Phoenixes/firebirds are literally the best magical creatures, and we need more of them in fantasy, please!
These Feathered Flames is a YA fantasy novel with plenty of court intrigue that pulls from Russian folklore to create an enticing story about a pair of royal twin sisters. This book has been on my TBR for a while, mostly because of the Firebird mythology, but I was honestly surprised by the "murder mystery" aspect and the fact that I was completely blindsided by the plot twists.
Izaveta has lived her whole life in the castle with her mother, whose untimely death leads Izaveta to step into the role of queen way earlier than she anticipated. As Izaveta's sister, Asya is the Firebird - the mythological being who controls the balance of magic by exacting prices from those who have used magic without "paying" for it. Both girls are forced to embrace their roles in the wake of their mother's death, but someone in the court is obviously still out to get them. The story was quite fast-paced, which I enjoyed, and the stakes were higher than I anticipated, which I also greatly appreciated. I didn't call any of the plot twists somehow, but the cliffhanger is very well done, and I'm excited to pick up the next book.
I really enjoyed the dual POVs from Izaveta and Asya, and I liked most of the cast. Izaveta is a very intriguing protagonist, given she tries to see the logical side in every situation and is not afraid to make difficult choices to protect her country. Nikov was probably my favorite, and I hope we get to see more of him in the next book, especially seeing as he's the only person who can get Izaveta out of her shell. I liked Asya as well. It was interesting to see her passion and reluctance to harm others in contrast to Izaveta's personality. I also thought her relationship with Yuliana was exciting, although I did think Yuliana was a lot older than her at first and got a bit confused.
These Feathered Flames is the first book in a fast-paced YA fantasy series filled with court intrigue, Russian folklore, mystery, and the beginnings of romance.
3.75/5
These Feathered Flames is a YA fantasy novel with plenty of court intrigue that pulls from Russian folklore to create an enticing story about a pair of royal twin sisters. This book has been on my TBR for a while, mostly because of the Firebird mythology, but I was honestly surprised by the "murder mystery" aspect and the fact that I was completely blindsided by the plot twists.
Izaveta has lived her whole life in the castle with her mother, whose untimely death leads Izaveta to step into the role of queen way earlier than she anticipated. As Izaveta's sister, Asya is the Firebird - the mythological being who controls the balance of magic by exacting prices from those who have used magic without "paying" for it. Both girls are forced to embrace their roles in the wake of their mother's death, but someone in the court is obviously still out to get them. The story was quite fast-paced, which I enjoyed, and the stakes were higher than I anticipated, which I also greatly appreciated. I didn't call any of the plot twists somehow, but the cliffhanger is very well done, and I'm excited to pick up the next book.
I really enjoyed the dual POVs from Izaveta and Asya, and I liked most of the cast. Izaveta is a very intriguing protagonist, given she tries to see the logical side in every situation and is not afraid to make difficult choices to protect her country. Nikov was probably my favorite, and I hope we get to see more of him in the next book, especially seeing as he's the only person who can get Izaveta out of her shell. I liked Asya as well. It was interesting to see her passion and reluctance to harm others in contrast to Izaveta's personality. I also thought her relationship with Yuliana was exciting, although I did think Yuliana was a lot older than her at first and got a bit confused.
These Feathered Flames is the first book in a fast-paced YA fantasy series filled with court intrigue, Russian folklore, mystery, and the beginnings of romance.
3.75/5