I was really excited to see how this duology would end and it was such a good read!! I do think it wasn't as great as the first one. The first one felt very intentional and this one felt a bit chaotic, but I still really enjoyed it. I really liked how we delved more into the firebird and queen mythology. And the ending was very unexpected!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

The world-building in "This Cursed Crown" is meticulous and immersive. The author's ability to create a diverse and vibrant realm filled with magic, mythical creatures, and unique cultures is truly commendable. The various magical systems and their rules are intricately detailed, making the story's magical elements feel both believable and enchanting.

The pacing of the novel is generally well-executed, with a balance of action, character development, and political intrigue. However, there are moments when the plot seems to meander slightly, particularly in the middle of the book, which may test the patience of some readers. Nonetheless, the story regains its momentum as it hurtles toward a thrilling climax.

A book of adventure and intrigued, the story draws the reader in and, in my opinion, keeps the reader well intrigued.

The world building and characters were absolutely great, waht you've come to expect from the author.

This Cursed Crown is such a beautifully written YA fantasy. It is an incredible sequel to These Feathered Flames. The world-building is outstanding. The story is well written with an enchanting storyline and well-developed characters that engage from start to finish. The world is atmospheric and feels real with vivid descriptions and rich imagery. I cannot get enough. Highly recommended. Be sure to check out This Cursed Crown today.

A great ending to this duology. i found the pace of The Cursed Crown faster than These Feathered Flames and I think that is because Alexandra Overy was able to complete the world building in the first book. In this book, we jump straight in to the story with Asya and Izaveta as they try to figure out what is happening to the people around them and how to fix it all.

4.25 Stars

This Cursed Crown is the sequel to These Feathered Flames which ended in a cliffhanger so I will not summarize this book since I don’t want to spoil that first one. It is also the end of this duology.

To be perfectly honest, I’ve read this over two months ago now and I don’t remember it as well as I should. I did enjoy it. It was great meeting back with the characters and I really liked seeing how the dynamics evolved and how everyone reacted to the big twist at the end of book 1. But, I kind of felt like something was missing, something the first book had, but I could not tell you what. Still, overall, this was good. I enjoyed the world, the characters and the plot. I definitely recommend this series and I cannot wait to read The Gingerbread Witch and everything else Alexandra Overy writes.

I found this one to be a little hard to follow. I think the world building could have been a wee bit better. It wasn’t bad though.

Thank you to NetGalley, Inkyard Press, and Alexandra Overy for the opportunity to read This Cursed Crown in exchange for an honest review.

This is the final book in the These Feathered Flames duology. Similar to what I reviewed with the first novel, this one felt too long for what it is and just felt like a drag to read through, though on the same token it is a well-written and enjoyable novel. It just didn't need to be 500+ pages necessarily.

This book takes place right where the first book left off, with Asya miserable about the loss of her sister. But the Firebird must have its price when a spell is cast.

What Asya doesn't know is that Izaveta is till alive. It was not her life that was taken to pay the price of magic, but something else...

Asya's storyline revolves around stopping the wrong people from trying to take the crown while Izaveta is presumed dead. Meanwhile, Izaveta is working on escaping from the place she is held prisoner. She believes her captor to be someone of mal intent, though the person turns out to be a malicious sorcerer set on revenge against the Firebird and the crown.

Together, Asya and Izaveta, with the return of Nikov and Yuliana, must try to quell this evil before it takes total control. There must be a way to end this cursed crown! 

Despite the length of the novel, it is really a great ending to the duology. It does what it needs to do, and a duology is the perfect length for this series.

With a doozy of a cliffhanger at the end of the first book, I was anxious to see what was next for these twin sisters/princesses.

Asya believes her sister Izaveta is dead, and she’s floundering without her. Izaveta understands court politics and manipulates people like a master chess player, but Asya is entirely out of her depth. As the Firebird, she’s required to collect payment from magic casters to maintain balance in the realm – the rules are clear-cut and something she understands. But because of her actions at the end of the first book, she’s now being cast as a criminal, and the girl she loves is missing. With Izaveta presumed dead, the throne sits empty, and someone must be crowned. Among power struggles, betrayals, lies, imprisonments, and dark magic, it’s unclear who will succeed.

I honestly didn’t know how these two would find their way back to each other, reclaim the throne, or even survive, and their circumstances look grim for most of the story. Selfish decisions and mistakes are made, and every time they gain ground, the twins are outsmarted by a very clever villain. When long-kept secrets are revealed, their paths become very murky.

I’m a fan of morally gray characters, but I had a love/hate relationship with Iza and Asya on and off throughout the book. Each makes unpopular choices at certain points, but there’s also admirable character growth in both of them throughout the course of the story. When the chips are down, their sister/twin bond only grows stronger, and they’ll always choose each other over everyone else.

These books are based on the Russian folktale The Firebird, so fans of fairy tales or folklore may find the series appealing. This Cursed Crown is a satisfying conclusion to an exciting duology filled with magic, power quests, and deception.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Last year I read and liked THESE FEATHERED FLAMES, so when I saw this sequel, I decided to read it and find out how the story ends. I enjoyed the story world a lot. There are some really interesting elements with magic. If someone uses magic, they have to pay a price. It can be as small as a few strands of hair or as large as someone’s life. If they don’t pay a price for using magic, then the Firebird, Asya, finds them and exacts the price through the power of the firebird, which lives in her.

I like that the story alternates between the points of view of the sisters Asya and Izaveta. I was really drawn to both points of view in this book, and I liked the complexity of their relationship.

The only thing that I struggled with reading this book is that it felt like it took a long time to read, especially at the beginning. Like, I felt like I’d been reading for a long time and when I checked my progress, I was only 10% through the book. I don’t know if the writing is more complex than other books that I usually read, or if the plot was slow to start or what.

Once I got to about the 40 or 50% mark, I seemed to be moving through the story more quickly. The end was pretty climactic, so that definitely helped.

Overall, I would say I enjoyed the book and am glad that I read it. I think the end kind of made up for the slow start in its higher action and satisfying story elements.

I think readers who enjoyed the political intrigue and magical elements of SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo or THE WAKING LAND by Callie Bates will like this one.

#ThisCursedCrown #NetGalley Beautiful and cunning this book will pull you in! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel. I encourage you to check this one out!

I had a good time! I read These Feathered Flames kind of on a whim from a bookish box offering last year. And I have to admit that it was a great choice. I appreciated the intrigue, the betrayal and the angst that the first book garnered and continued to give us into the second.

It was a solid YA fantasy read and I adored the main characters, even if there were some times that I wanted to help them myself.

My only qualm with the book is that there was a lot of despair. Which I can appreciate why, especially since it's meant to be a duology, you've got to pack a lot into two books, but I would have been happy with one less "everything is totally fucked" moment. Otherwise it was a delight!

3.5 stars
Much more political aspects in this novel and the intertwining of more Russian and Slavic myths and tales: Koschei the deathless & the Firebird.

The separation of the twins and how much different their journeys were were strangely both a hit-and-miss for me. I wasn't as involved in this book as in book one, and I cannot put my finger exactly on why. The writing was good; the flow could have been better on part but generally, excellent lore mixing!

The reveal of the truth about the twins and the Firebird curse was exciting and was a clever twist.

3 out of 5 stars (3 / 5) I adored book one, These Feathered Flames. It was unique and fun and the writing grabbed me right away.

I struggled a bit with this one. I was excited for the continuation of the story (what a cliffhanger!) but it never quite grabbed me.

For quite some time I didn’t fully understand what was happening in the story. It slowly came together and I did not care for the fact that the sisters were separated. The strongest points in book 1 came from their relationship and I missed that aspect. While the political intrigue and more was high, my attention remained low.

Duologies are tough! If book 1 is fabulous, the expectation is just as high for book 2. Very few series can hold that and keep it from falling. This was a solid book 2 but I wish there was a book 3 to redeem itself.

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

How do you fix something that has been broken for a long time? How do you atone for the sins of the past? What price are you willing to pay to do what’s right? And who will you choose to be at the end of the day in the face of losing everything, even yourself?

These questions I believe sum up the circumstances of this sequel and the crux of the duology as a whole. With so many long-kept secrets being unearthed, devious plots to foil, identities tested, and lies to unravel, there’s hardly any time for Asya and Izaveta to breathe. Let alone save the queendom whilst making sense of their splintered relationship and destined roles. It’s a heart wrenching and difficult journey for the two as individuals and as sisters.

Asya has never fully embraced what it means to be the Firebird despite the fear and hatred towards it. The balance of magic has always been essential above all else. Asya continues to fight to hold on to her humanity and good nature, so court politics and deceptions are a challenge to maneuver through.

Izaveta was trained by her mother (and her mother before her, etc.) in subterfuge in order to maintain control and power. But now, trapped in a tower far from her sister, for the first time ever Izaveta is at a loss, unsure of how to proceed forward after making so many grave mistakes.

"This Cursed Crown" is a reckoning. The carefully conducted chaos and cruelty is daunting. You and the twins are often left to wonder if good can truly triumph over evil. Because at the end of the day, change is inevitable, actions have consequences, and magic demands sacrifice. But what I like about Izaveta and Asya is that they never stop trying to do the right thing. Thus the story becomes an entrancing, emotional roller coaster.

I think this duology has always gone in the right direction for all of the characters with appropriately made choices indicative to each. This helped spur the story along through ups and downs and extensive character development. It further entangled conflicts as things escalated towards a bit surprising but suitable conclusion for the main characters.

Overall, "This Cursed Crown" was an exhilarating, high-stakes story.

This Cursed Crown is the second book in These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy. Once I started reading, I could not put this series. I could not stop; I was pulled in from the beginning and left wanting more. This story expands a bit more on the mythology of this world and the magic. This Cursed Crown is a satisfying and compelling conclusion to a YA fantasy series about sisters, magic, and destiny.

I'd like to thank the publishers and Netgalley for providing an advanced readers copy in return for my honest review.

3.5*

This book has a lot that happens in it, so much that it probably could have been two books instead of one. I still enjoyed it and I will say I liked it more than the first book. I enjoyed Izaveta's pov more and thank goodness for that because I feel like this was her book. One thing I didn't like was that there were cliffhangers at the end of most chapters, you'd get one and then have the pov switched and then you'd get one on that chapter too before being switched back to resolve the first cliffhanger.

***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with an electronic copy of this book.***

I loved the first book in the duology, and while the second book is just as well-written, it seemed a little repetitive and drawn-out. I enjoyed the twists and turns (although even those got old after a few hundred pages), and the world-building was excellent as usual - including a little back story for the Firebird, the Fading, etc. was a strong addition to the overall plot. While I didn't love this book as much as the first, it was an entertaining read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.