Disclaimer: I received this ebook from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: These Feathered Flames

Author: Alexandra Overy

Book Series: These Feathered Flames book 1

Diversity: dead character and sign used, f/f romance

Rating: 4/5

Recommended For...: mystery lovers, fantasy readers, ya readers, lgbt+ readers

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publication Date: April 20, 2021

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Pages: 496

Recommended Age: 16+ (Gore, Violence, Attempted assault possibly sexual)

Synopsis: When twin heirs are born in Tourin, their fates are decided at a young age. While Izaveta remained at court to learn the skills she’d need as the future queen, Asya was taken away to train with her aunt, the mysterious Firebird, who ensured magic remained balanced in the realm.

But before Asya’s training is completed, the ancient power blooms inside her, which can mean only one thing: the queen is dead, and a new ruler must be crowned.

As the princesses come to understand everything their roles entail, they’ll discover who they can trust, who they can love—and who killed their mother.

Review: Overall I liked the book. It was highly imaginative and I loved that it was based on Russian mythology. The book had well developed characters and the world building was well done.

However, the book had a lot of issues. The plot was slow and so was the pacing. The magical elements weren't well explained. And, until 80% into the book, the book was just a struggle to get through. I definitely loved Azya's storyline more than Izaveta's, as hers was an awful experience to read through. I am also not a fan of how the relationship between Azya and her love interest turned out. I felt like it was a bit cliche to older queer tropes.

Verdict: It was good, just needed a bit more on Izaveta's side.