If I had to review These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy in one sentence, it would be simple: I LOVED IT.

This novel was probably one of my all-time favorite YA fantasy books! I actually read it almost an entire year ago, and I can still remember it with such clarity because it was just so good. I simply cannot wait to read its sequel, This Cursed Crown. And with This Cursed Crown having been just published, I thought it would be the perfect time to revisit my thoughts about this fantastical novel!

In These Feathered Flames, the Russian folktale The Firebird is reimagined for a modern YA audience. In the world of Tourin, there are twin heirs. One, Izaveta, was designed to rule as the future queen, and her sister, Asya, was fated to become the next Firebird, a magical being who ensures that magical costs are always repaid. When their mother, the reigning queen, dies unexpectedly, both sisters are thrust into their new positions much sooner than anticipated and have to deal with the consequences these responsibilities entail.

The worldbuilding showcased in These Feathered Flames is so immersive and creative. The magical system in particular was so well designed. Every aspect of this novel was perfectly constructed from the plot to the character development. I felt like the narration revealed just the right amount to keep your interest hooked but also left you guessing until just the right moment. Between the political intrigue, relational dynamics, building tension, the unexpected plot reveals, (and that cliffhanger ending!) this novel truly has it all.

Asya and Izaveta were both fantastic leads. They had very different personalities and challenges to overcome. And I loved seeing them and their complicated relationship develop as the story progressed. Watching Izaveta learn to manage the complicated political conflicts she’s been abruptly thrown into after only ever watching from the sidelines. Following Asya as she comes to terms with the power raging inside of her that she has always only ever feared.

And I haven’t even brought up their budding relationships with others yet! All I’ll say is Overy definitely knows how to do enemies-to-lovers.

I actually loved both sisters’ romantic developments. I find in books where there are multiple leads, I often enjoy one’s storyline more than the other. But that never happened here! I really enjoyed seeing both of them navigate their own storylines and build their romances. Not only did I love both main characters, but I also enjoyed both of their love interests! They were both so fantastic in their own right.

If you’re a fan of YA fantasy, These Feathered Flames is an absolute must-read. Fingers crossed the follow-up is just as fantastic!

Thank you to the publisher, Inkyard Press/Harlequin and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I will not be giving feedback on this book as I couldn’t really get into it but I think others may enjoy it.

Apologise for the lateness of this review.

I absolutely loved this book and I cannot wait for the second one to release.

The story of Asya and Izabeta is amazing, heartwarming and heartbreaking.

The fast pace and the political intrigue and twists and turns had me hooked. Highly recommend.

These Feathered Flames is a YA Fantasy and WLW retelling of a Russian folktale The Firebird, which I was not personally familiar with prior to reading this book.

I am not a huge fantasy reader, but I thought the world-building in this book was excellent and I'm so impressed that this was Overy's debut novel.

I especially loved the duel perspectives, the exploration of the complex relationship between the two vastly different twin sisters, and the enemies-to-lovers romance. My biggest "critique" is less of a criticism and more of my own bias showing through, as I just wish we got to see more of the romance! But I know that's definitely a "me" thing.

Overall, if you're a fan of fantasy - specifically political fantasies - with sword-wielding lesbians, and complicated sibling dynamics, this book is for you!

My Rating: 3/5 stars

My Review:

I received an e-arc of this book from Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review and place on this blog tour – thanks!

I wasn’t really sure what to expect going into this book, but I did enjoy reading it. I had never heard of the fairytale that this story is a retelling of – but I don’t think that hinders the reading experience at all. It was very much a character driven story, which I don’t mind, but I felt like it was missing something. What that something is … I am not quite sure. I will probably pick up the next book, especially after the way this one ended – I need answers!!!

One thing this book did really well was building up Izaveta’s and Asya’s personalities, showing how their time apart has changed them. I felt like we really get thrusted right into the middle of their reunion, with all of the emotions and disappointments they faced when trying to rekindle their relationship. The character development in this book was *chef’s kiss*. I felt connected to these two, to the point where you can see where their actions are taking them and I think that is a sign of really great character development.

What I do wish there was more of was world building. I am still very confused by the conflicts the story presents. We are told constantly about the feuds between Tourin and other kingdoms but we are never shown what that means nor do we really learn much about how this plays into the politics of the Tourin court. The reader is expected to just accept these realities and I think that expanding upon them could have really helped build the world around the characters.

I don’t want to spoil anything about this book, but there is a very slow burn queer enemies-to-lovers subplot and it just made my heart so happy. I cannot wait to see what the next book holds for this pair.

All in all, These Feathered Flames was an excellent read, one that I think will be great for those who prefer a character driven fantasy rather than one with dense world building. I look forward to seeing where this story goes next.

Happy Reading!

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this is much as I did, especially since I was conflicted about the two characters. I couldn't help but immediately like Asya but Izaveta really surprised me, especially at the end. Also, I absolutely loved the lesbian vibes and am sad with how it ended. Except it sounds like this isn't the end so perhaps I can still hope! A very interesting story

This book had a great premise however I don't think it was executed as well as it could have been. I didn't feel overtly connected to the sisters as I really thought I should be. Unfortunately, it wasn't as interesting as I had hoped and I won't be following with this series.

Two sisters navigating court life after the death of their mother. Iza and Asya don't even know if they can trust each other, and I believe that was one of the most difficult things to get through. Filled with scheming, politics, and a fantasy land out of balance.

Aw man I wanted to like this one more. Unfortunately it took too long to get to anything interesting plot wise, and only Asya as a character engendered any sympathy whatsoever. I didn’t care or actively disliked a lot of the others, which made the POV switching a bit of a naissance to me. It happens sometimes though.
Full review on YouTube

Very dark, very heavy, very clever. You get sucked in so fast it's hard to put down!!! Definitely get a snack and settle in, you're not going to want to get up!!

Based on the Russian folktale of The Firebird, we meet two sisters, separated at thirteen--one to become the next Queen, the other to become the next Firebird. Of course, because this is a folk tale there are beats that need to be hit as we go along: the small country, the advisors with their own agendas, the sisters separation leading to an estrangement, etc.

Overy does a decent job of that part of the book, but doesn't do as good a job giving readers a real reason to care about Asya/the Firebird or Izaveta/the Queen, the matters of state, etc.. There are other books adapting this story to better effect, but YMMV as to enjoying this entry.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

I found this book difficult to really get into. I didn’t really connect with the sisters, and felt that the premise lacked depth. The world building could have been better as well. I don’t think I would follow up with this story.

This retelling of the firebird has such incredibly lush writing. I can't wait for the sequel! I loved everything about this book, especially the sibling relationship at its heart.

These Feathered Flames was a good read but I hope it gets more world-building in the 2nd book. I didn't enjoy the political aspect, it became boring and repetitive. But I enjoyed the hints of romance and look forward to seeing how they play out.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

A great fantasy read with a beautiful built world and carefully crafted characters. One of the major things I appreciated, was the fact the names weren't insanely hard to pronounce. That's a huge bonus for me!

A great book! Well written and flew by. Highly enjoyable in this genre. A four star read! I would recommend this to anyone.

While I initially liked this book the more I reflected on it the less I liked it. Life seemed hard for the main character for no other reason than her birth. While this can be life, I think this is a message we are trying to move away from.

You know those books that are so good that you can’t formulate words? That whenever you try to talk about it your brain turns into a flailing muppet? That is These Feathered Flames for me.

This sapphic enemies to lovers, Russian firebird folktale retelling is everything I craved but couldn’t put my finger on. It follows Asya & Izaveta, twin sisters with entirely separate destinies—one to be the firebird & the other the queen. Asya is perhaps one of my favorite characters, ever, officially. She is such a relatable, emotionally raw, & has a f/f, slow burn romance that dealt with overcoming biases & misunderstanding. Izaveta is a product of her environment that I loved & wanted to shake/scream at all at once. Plus don’t get me started on her romance which surprised me but I loved it. Their sisterhood & growth & years built walls? Fantastic.

The writing, the author’s voice, the storyline, the characters, the romance, the EVERYTHING? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. This made my sapphic heart soar. Read this & come talk to my about it ASAP. & bring on the art, PLEASE!

Unfortunately this book is one for the DNF shelf. The premise is really interesting but I found I couldn’t really get into the book.

The magic is interesting, though it’s not fully explained in the first couple chapters. The sisters don’t reflect on how their bond has changed, even when they think about each other. I felt very disconnected from the characters.

I love this retelling with a LGBTQ spin. Lot of adventure and dramatic storytelling which is a must in a fantasy retelling.