I feel so sad that I sat on this ARC for almost 4 years. ;__;

But I guess, better late than never. I first want to thank Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read this book early- even though it took me 4 years to be able to pick it up! I will say that I wasn't expecting how long this book is, and definitely didn't anticipate that books 2 and 3 are even larger! Crown of Feathers got me with the beautiful cover and came at a time when YA Fantasy was a hot commodity. It's not often in 2023 you see many CHONKY YA Fantasy books releasing, First off, the world building was superb which had lot's of unknown languages, a history rich with detail, and a plot that kept me hooked through all 20 hours of the audiobook. As per most first installments, we were left with a huge twist at the end and now I found myself with the sequel- hotly anticipating what's coming next. I love the idea of riding Phoenixes as opposed to dragons which seems to be the norm in fantasy novels. I cannot wait to see what comes next in the series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I can't say the reveals were particularly shocking to me but I didn't find them so obvious that they were annoying. I love the idea of animal magic and was getting major Daine from Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce vibes. And honestly, is there a higher compliment coming from me?

The author does miss a great opportunity to include mention of the trans+ community so that is my one big complaint.

DNF
I couldn't get into this book for some reason. I'll be interested in giving it a second shot but for now, I'll be setting it aside.

I absolutely adored the cover of this book, and the synopsis immediately caught my attention!!

Unfortunately, I had a lot of trouble keeping my attention focused on the actual story. It's definitely not the writing, but me. The plot twist near the end finally sucked me in, and gave a very high fantasy spin to everything going on. I would say if you have patience for a high fantasy read with phoenix riders, a bunch of camaraderie, and an intriguing (and mysterious) sister relationship, check this one out!

Right now this is one of my top series! The story continues right where we left off in Crown of Feathers and we continue on this epic adventure. I need to know the conclusion and if my ships are going to get a happily ever after or not. I do not know how I am going to wait for book 3!

I loved how in this sequel we got to have more points of view. However, continuing the trend from book one, the plot was not a, b, c set up for how the characters stories alternated, but more a rotation as needed to tell the whole story. I loved the well rounded point of view of the conflict that was going on from multiple different locations in the world.

Speaking of more POVs, I absolutely fell in love with Sev in this book. We got to know him a lot more as he told his story as a spy in Heart of Flames.

This story really reminded me of one I loved before called The Dragon Riders of Pern series by Anne McCaffery. I love the phoenix riding and bond that the characters have, causing the phoenixes to have a larger part of the story as characters and not just animated plot devices. Some characters really show that double bond of rider to rider and phoenix to rider bonds.

Make sure you are ready for a cliffhanger because Nicki Pau Preto makes you so invested in the story you don’t realize it’s going to end when it does and leaves you gripping the book needing to know what happens next.

As a debut novel, Crown of Feathers is very promising. It is a YA fantasy story that reads like a loose retelling of Mulan, except with phoenix riders and antagonistic sisters. Despite a slow start that is very heavy on the world-building, the story eventually pulls you in and I found the plot arc to be very satisfying. Told in three perspectives, I still consider our main character to be Veronyka who disguises herself as a boy so she can train to be a phoenix rider.

The world, history, political structure, and magic system are interesting and well-developed with snippets from the past at the start of each chapter. The parallels between the historical sisterly feud between queens and Veronyka's fraught relationship with her sister are really interesting as well. Overall, I thought this was an enjoyable read and pretty well-executed for such an ambitious first novel. I imagine it will really appeal to fans of Mulan. I did think it was a little longer than it needed to be and the world-building could have been more woven into the narrative. However, I thought there was a lot to like and I look forward to seeing more from this author.

Definite content warnings for depictions of animal cruelty.

On my notes while reading this book, I kept going back to this one feeling I had. Even after the 100th page, the 200th page, the 300th, I still felt it. It was both a feeling of immense awe and trepidation. And that feeling never changed. So after the very last page, I'm left thinking, so that's it then?

It's not that this wasn't a good story, because trust me, this is a wonderful fantasy to swim around it. It has a great world build, lots of personal characterization and history, and makes you feel things strongly. On page 53, for example, you will find a heart-shattering moment. God, just thinking about it is wrenching. It is those moments I honestly enjoyed the most. I see a lot of complaints related to info-dumping, which admittedly happen a lot. Fortunately for me, that's something that never bothered me and built upon the richness of the story (although it did happen every chapter). It's also probably rude to state because it's such a beautiful and well-done novel, but Crown of Feathers has the writing of an amateur YA debut author, which Nicki is. I've read other YA fantasy debut novels in the past and I've gotten that feeling and have not gotten that feeling before. It's just that I feel that there is a lot of improvement here.

But this feeling I've had is lacking. Meaning, I really enjoyed the story and characters but something was missing. There was one extra step this book did not take. I can't put my finger on it, but that part isn't palpable to us readers. I desperately wanted it to be tangible though. I so wanted to give this 5 stars but I know Nicki can do better.

Please do give this a chance! You may be surprised by some of the twists, a lovely girl disguised as boy trope, and how lively everything in this world is. I really did enjoy this and would gladly read the sequel if I had a chance.

Crown of Feathers is a beautifully written, addictive fantasy- with phoenixes. Need I say anymore to get you interested? Nicki Pau Preto is an amazing writer and had me hooked on this story from page one. I flew through it way too fast and the ending had me screaming! I can't wait for the sequel to see what happens next!

For some reason this title didn't actually send to my kindle, and now it's archived. I'm unable to review. So sorry!

DNF @ 23%

Crown of Feathers sounded so imaginative and exciting that I couldn't wait to dive in, but after numerous times of trying to get into it prior to release (and after release) , I think I'm going to have to admit defeat that this book just simply wasn't for me. I'm sure many others have (and will) love it, but it didn't work for me, sadly.

I give the book five stars. I loved the characters and how loved the world the author created. I would definitely recommend the book and would read other books by this author.

I love the magic world building with the animages and phoenixes and queens and riders.
I love the historical documents between each chapter.
I love our revolving POVs. The switching does well to keep the tension and the itch to move forward high.
I did not expect almost everything plotwise.
Adorable scene w/ archery training between LI's.
What an ending!
I have no idea where this is headed.
And I can't wait to find out.

HOWEVER....


There is a powerful draw as a cis woman to these stories, of course and I get it.

I'm going to break from the pack here a bit and say I don't like the girl joining things disguised as boys. It's hard for me to describe, but basically, girls are not socialized the same as boys, and this simplistic 'bind your boobs to be a boy' doesn't work. It's not that simple and easy and far more fraught than just dressing alike. Jokes and mannerisms and posturing and eye contact and space and so many little things are different. Even young preteen boys and girls are different this way before the hormones kick in. We're treated differently since forever before we're born. And people can tell when you're different than what's been beaten into the bone and can smell the fear of discovery.

And when straight men fear they're falling for Sweet Polly Oliver? Things get violent. I'm all for the internet sensation of Bi Li Shang & Mulan, but I'm not going to accept new cannon where it's not out loud and proud. I'm tired and we all deserve better. Where is my bi/pan/questioning rep that we deserve?

And how does little isolated cis girl get to be so flawlessly social and blend in as a boy and win everybody over?

It doesn't seem right or fair to have these stories be so...easy and flippant to blend in. When people study and fret and are attacked everyday for not meeting the invisible "normal" that's rigorously enforced. Sissy boys and pussies and tomboys and lesbos are still targetted and us bis and pans are fodder for both ends as cheaters and fakes. So this coy "I'm disguised as a boy" act is disingenuous to the spectrum of gender and attraction and socialization and acceptance and I don't appreciate at it anymore.

And don't give me that 'fantasy world' excuse. Yes, there's been warrior queens as equals and blah blah blah. But the very people that are supposed to follow such beliefs have outlawed women in their ranks. And you're telling me they wouldn't be hazing and toxic enforcing their masculinity and superiority? BULLSHIT. They're a fucking frat house now.

Maybe I'm being too harsh in my sudden vocalization of against this trope. It does have a budding m/m couple opposite our m/w to give balance. They aren't frat boy toxic, and at least the sneak works harder to blend in with the "normies". But at the same time, it's much harder for them dancing around their push/pull attraction and if it can be done with this couple, why not do it right for the m/w? Is there a message I'm not getting? Or am I thinking too hard about it. *growls and gestures in frustration, throwing up hands*

Crown of Feathers is the first installment in a series by Nicki Pau Preto, and Wow, did it fulfill all of its promises. The story switches between the three viewpoints of Veronyka, Sev, and Tristan. Now, I was wary at first when I realized this. There are many fantasy books that implement the multiple points-of-view, and many that fail to do them well. However, this book didn’t present any of the problems I tend to find with multiple POVs. In fact, I found myself looking forward to one POV as much as the next. Each character had a role to play throughout the plot and their choices were what advanced the story. It never felt like the plot was dragging these characters where it needed them to go. It was all natural and done brilliantly within this book.

And the worldbuilding! The worldbuilding was so well-crafted and developed it became a side character of its own. The history of the Empire and the Phoenix Riders was so intriguing and I loved the inserts that gave insights into the myths and stories of the past Kings and Queens, even of the ancient gods. The worldbuilding in this book alone was enough to give this a 5-star review.

And then that ending! The buildup of the final big reveal blew my mind. Very few books can keep a surprise from me without figuring it out midway through. But, boy, was I way off with my guesses. Crown of Feathers took my expectations and ran with them. Not to mention the emotions it elicits. I can’t count the number of times I screamed at the book for letting the characters do such stupid decisions, especially Veronyka. This book will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions and it will be worth it!

Crown of Feathers is the first installment in author Nicki Pau Preto's Crown of Feathers series. Sold as An Ember in the Ashes meets Three Dark Crowns, this debut fantasy novel tells the story about a girl who disguises herself as a boy to join a secret group of warriors that ride phoenixes into battle. Once upon a time, there were a group of people called Phoenix Riders who went down in flames spectacularly after their Queen, Avalkyra Ashfire, tried to do too much too quickly and were defeated by the Golden Empire.

16-year old Veronyka and her sister Val have been nearly inseparable since their grandmother died. They are both curiosities in that they are animages capable of understanding and communicating with animals. While Val is the dominant, manipulative sister, Veronyka dreams of one day becoming a Phoenix Rider. Both sisters are also shadowmages which are prohibited in this realm. The sisters have been in hiding and moving from place to place for years. When they're not hiding and moving quickly, they hunt for Phoenix eggs.

They discover two eggs but only one hatches. The one that hatches, Xephyra, chooses Veronyka to bond with instead of the elder sister Val. But, a shocking betrayal by Val pushes Veronyka over the edge, driving her to strike out on her own. Grieving deeply, she disguises herself as a boy in order to join the legendary ranks of the Phoenix Riders since they have a rule against girls joining their ranks. But, we haven't seen or heard the last of Val just yet. Not even close!

The second main character is Sevro. Sev is a soldier by choice after his parents, Riders, were killed in the last war doing what they do best. One could say that he has loads of regrets and anger simmering waiting to explode. Anyone who is an animage is either pressed into service for life as a bondservant, or killed. In the time we visit with Sev, he meets with Veronyka and her Phoenix and helps her escape. He encounters (2) bondservants who are plotting against the Empire and push him into helping. Sev makes a choice to offer a warning to the small contingent of Riders who are hiding from the Empire while also giving them hope for the future.

The third character is Tristan. Tristan is a Phoenix rider who’s afraid of fire and he feels like he’s a constant disappointment to his father. Phoenix riders have a bad rule in place that doesn't allow girls to join them. This is exceptionally hypocritical since the original riders were all women. Tristan's relationship with his father could be called tumultuous, it could also be called toxic since the father doesn't have much faith in his own son. It isn't until Tristan meets Nyk, Veronyka in disguise as a boy, that things take an interesting twist.

Interspersed throughout is the story of Avalkyra Ashfire, the last Rider queen, who would rather see her empire burn than fall into her sister Pheronia's hands. Now, 16 years later, it appears as though the Riders are attempting to regather and take a stand against the Golden Empire which despises them and seeks to end them once and forever. At the end of each chapter, there are points that tell the story of the two sisters who ended up on the opposite sides in the last war. The similarities between the warring queens and Veronikas relationship with her sister Val was interesting as well as leaving questions which needs to be answered.

This was a good fantasy. I love the phoenix riding. It was absolutely amazing. The world building was fantastic. The pace of the book was a little slow for me. It is really character focused but I wanted it to move just a little faster. I am looking forward to the next book.

A solid fantasy from an up and coming new author! I enjoyed a lot of this book--the writing and worldbuilding, along with the characters and the use of history throughout. The plot was a bit predictable, however, it didn't ruin the story as I felt for the characters. Excited to read more of the world.

Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto is the first book in the young adult fantasy series by the same name. This series takes readers into a world in which the Phoenix exist and introduces the warriors that ride them. The story is told from the multiple points of view of Veronyka, Sev and Tristan.

Veronyka is what is known as an animage who has the ability to communicate with animals. Since the end of the blood war animages have been in hiding and with a lack of Phoenix eggs the once mighty Phoenix warriors are no more but during her years of hiding with her sister, Val, Veronyka wants nothing more than to become a Phoenix rider.

While Sev is also an animage he has hidden his abilities right in front empire by becoming one of their soldiers. The empire has ruled since the blood war and would stop at nothing to wipe out the animage and riders. Meanwhile, Tristan is part of the small rebellion of Phoenix riders left in the world and along with Veronyka and Sev all three are on a path to bring them together.

I will be the first to admit being a bit hesitant picking up Crown of Feathers thinking oh boy another lengthy fantasy at close to five hundred pages but instead of my usual slow and boring rant this one shows why I continue taking a chance. While there might have been a tad bit of a slow start with this one it continued to add to the world, story and characters to keep me entertained. In the end I’ll definitely be looking forward to book two while rating this opener at 4 1/2 stars.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

As a high school teacher-librarian, we are always looking for interesting new titles for book clubs and choice reading. The premise of this one sounded great and like I could sell it. In reading it, and thinking of teenagers, I have two concerns: it's long and it slows down dangerously in the middle. It picks back up and is great if you push through, but it might be a struggle for many teens, especially reluctant readers.

This was a super fun read, Veronyka is a great protagonist, and her sister Val was able to pull emotions from me that is rare. The relationships were all well done, and the way the author writes them, you're always yearning for the next step that they take. The world building and how it presents how the present was shaped by the past was well done. It wasn't a massive info dump at once, but instead the author used moments in the present to do call backs to the past to explain things. It keeps the reader engaged without feeling overwhelmed. When I hit that ending, all I could think of was WHAT! when's book 2?

I have to make a confession. I received an ARC of this book and couldn't download it onto my kindle and so I ended up not reading it then. Instead, I ended up checking this book out from my library once it was published to give it a try. While the premise was something I had always dreamed about as a child sadly the book just couldn't draw me in. Something was always nagging at me keeping me from really diving into the world. Sadly, I can't quite put my finger on why I feel this way. Maybe it is because the older sister put me off so much or it could be anything really. Currently, this book is going to sit on my to come back to read shelf and I will give it another go later in life when I might really be able to get into this book.