Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing company for this Digital Advanced Readers Copy! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I have loved all of Kate Quinn's novels and I enjoyed this collaboration with Janie Chang. I've never read historical fiction about the early 1900s and didn't know anything about the San Francisco area at that time so it was interesting to learn about. My favorite part of the story was the friendship formed among the four women. I also liked the mystery that was woven throughout the novel.

This was such a fun, interesting look at early-1900s San Francisco! I highly recommend to anyone looking for a historical mystery about a time and place oft forgotten.

A rare occurrence where two authors co write a book and it works seamlessly. I thought Gemma and Suling’s stories were interesting on their own as they navigated San Francisco in 1906, but everything got even better when all of the characters met up and their stories intertwined. Reggie’s story was a total shock and really provided some drama.

What an interesting book! I learned so much, I felt like the authors did a great job of placing the reader in San Francisco in the early 1900's. Everyone's storyline was captivating, and I loved how they all came together. I liked hearing about the Queen of the Night, a flower I had never heard of before. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for some historical fiction or just a good dramatic read. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC!

While I was overall entertained by this book, I did feel that it lacked the extra spark that usually keeps me connected to the characters and storyline. Some parts of the story dragged while others felt rushed. Perhaps that has to do with there being two authors, though I didn't notice any significant differences in writing style. The writing itself felt seamless throughout.

That being said, I have read other books by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang separately and enjoyed them so perhaps this one just wasn't for me!

A costume ball, Versailles and women's fiction by Kate Quinn - sign me up!
What a wonderful book to read.
Highly recommended for fans of Kate Quinn and Julia Kelly.

This book followed two strongwomen in a time where woman were not able to do things by themselves, one was an opera singer the other an embroideress. It was great to have the point of view of both authors. . The book focused more on what was going on in the big house and the earthquake.
I thought that there were any slow spots in the book, i alos didn't relate to the characters which made it hard to read.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

I have long been a fan of Kate Quinn, with several of her books earning 5-star ratings. Because of that, I eagerly anticipated The Phoenix Crown, co-written with Janie Chang. I was so disappointed that I almost didn’t finish it. Here’s why.

In 1906, opera singer Gemma Garland moves to San Francisco to join the New York Metropolitan Opera’s traveling company, hoping to room with her old friend Nellie Doyle. Instead, she meets and falls for railroad magnate Henry Thornton. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Feng Suling, disguised as a boy to avoid an arranged marriage, is trying to forget her missing lesbian lover, Reggie. When a 7.9-magnitude earthquake devastates San Francisco, Thornton disappears, leaving behind a mystery.

The premise held promise, but the plot dragged, and Quinn’s usually vivid writing felt muted, possibly because of the collaboration. I ended up skimming the last 20 percent of the book.

Initially, the characters intrigued me, but including LGBTQ characters seemed forced, as if to adhere to contemporary trends. It’s almost like the publisher provided a checklist that included the line item, “Make sure there is a gay storyline.” Also, inserting Alice Eastwood, a real historical figure, into a fictional storyline felt inappropriate.

Having read other novels about the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, I found The Phoenix Crown lacking in comparison. It didn’t capture the horror of the disaster. I expected more from a writer of Quinn’s caliber.

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book. The opinions are my own.

I absolutely love Kate Quinn's books. Sadly, I must agree with others that this wasn't her most memorable. I have read other books that she has written, and I instantly emailed the titles to friends to say, "You have to read this!" I have not read any books yet by Jamie Chang.
I didn't do that with this book. I did enjoy the setting, the perspective of the two women, and learning more about San Francisco just before the earthquake.

I liked the dual perspectives of this book and had high hopes for it but ultimately it didn't work for me.

Kingfisher feathers in a Phoenix Crown. . . .1906 San Francisco Earthquake. . .Chinatown in SF. . .Enrico Caruso. . .? Add to that two of my favorite authors, and it all adds up to a book I must read!

It was an interesting weave, these writings of two authors. I wondered if I'd be able to tell who did what, and I have to admit to not being able to pick out who did what, so for me it was a seamless weave. I enjoyed the characters who were very well seated in the lives of the people on whom they were based (Authors' notes after identified fictional v non-fictional characters), and it was fun to reconnect with my favorite San Francisco celebs. As an avid fan of all reports about the 1906 SF Earthquake since I first heard of it has brought me many books of those who were there, how they managed (or didn't), and who and what rose up and out of the ashes to resurrect that great city. This book echoed and embellished many of the stories - in a good and interesting way.

I stayed with this one, right through to the end!

*A sincere thank you to Kate Quinn; Janie Chang, William Morrow, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.* #ThePhoenixCrown #NetGalley

Quinn has catapulted to the top of the biographical fiction author list. Chang has carved a niche for herself by infusing her historical fiction with the mystical elements of Chinese folklore. This collaboration draws from each authors' strengths. There are historical nuggets such as the 1899 NY Windsor Hotel fire, the sponsoring of art and culture by the wealthy, the richness and cultural significance of Chinatown, and of course the San Francisco earthquake. Readers get a fast paced historical mystery with this book. The characters are complex and offer plenty of insight into each of the segments of the population that they represent. Perhaps we can look forward to a standalone highlighting Alice Eastwood one day.

This one held nostalgia for me, set in San Francisco and during the earthquake, which is so fascinating. But add in the mix of such a diverse and fascinating set of characters and it truly ups the ante. I fell in love with Gemma - so naive, but so strong. And Suling - how hard it was for her. The lead up to the earthquake was fascinating, the mystery interwoven with life for these two women. Then that early morning in 1906 when the whole of San Francisco was changed irrevocably - the description of this absolutely did it justice.

The four women in the aftermath of this, clearly struggling with what they went through before, during and after the earthquake, were so interesting and strong - seeking truth and justice in a variety of different ways and places. Lastly, I absolutely loved the epilogue. Very well done!

San Francisco, 1906. An intertwined world of privilege and poverty. An earthquake that respects none and changes the fate of all of them.

I was curious about how Quinn and Chang would fashion a story together, merging their unique story telling style. I love Quinn’s intense, fast paced, thriller-esque way of sharing a historical event and, while there were glimpses of that in the Thornton storyline, especially at the end, this was a much toned down version of her usual penmanship. Chang’s influence was obvious in the descriptions of San Francisco’s Chinatown and the beautiful story telling around the Chinese culture. Little tidbits thrown in about things like attitudes, color and food that added to the richness.

I think where readers will connect with this one is with the characters. The story weaves together the lives of four women who form a bond that will last a lifetime. Each one is unique, flawed but full of potential.

It feels like people are looking for historical fiction that isn’t world war 2. If that’s you, this one might just fit the bill. As a side, don’t skip the author note at the end. It was full of historical tidbits.

It did make me want to go to San Francisco. I haven’t been since I was in high school and I feel like this would be a different experience. Have you been? What were some of your favorite things to see and do?

Huge thanks to @uplitreads and @harpercollinsca for getting this one into my hands. I truly appreciate it.

This book was entertaining and an easy read. I found it wrapped up a little too neatly for my taste, but I was always invested enough in the plot to continue.

3.5⭐️ rounded up

I love these two authors separately- I love the idea of them using their talents together! I felt slightly disconnected from the characters and had a hard time getting into the story. The rich details slowly drew me in.

This book had a bit of a slow start for me. It felt like it took until about halfway through the book to really get to the good story and then it was a quick read.

I liked the characters and how the pace of the book picked up once the earthquake happened. Overall, it was an interesting historical fiction read based in California during the great earthquake.

THE PHOENIX CROWN is set during the 1906 San Francisco earth quake. The story follows the lives of three women. Gemma Garland is an opera singer who is to sing in the chorus of a new production. Gemma was to meet her best friend Nellie an artist. To Gemma”s dismay Nellie isn’t at the boardinghouse she was living in. Seuling is a young Asian woman and talented seamstress working for her uncle in his laundry business.
How the lives of these women’s connections is revealed as the story unfolds.
I thoroughly enjoyed THE PHOENIX CROWN. It was refreshing to read a historical fiction novel that wasn’t set during WWll. I would recommend THE PHOENIX CROWN to fans of historical fiction.
Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced digital edition of THE PHOENIX CROWN by Kate Quinn & Janie Chang.

The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang is a novel that left me underwhelmed. With a hundred pages in, I found myself questioning whether I should continue or walk away. The appeal of Quinn’s previous works nudged me forward in the hope it would get better. Unfortunately, it did not.

The narrative introduces two women: Gemma, a soprano seeking the next step in her career, and Suling, a Chinatown embroideress desperate to escape an arranged marriage. Their paths intersect by chance and their story, involving friends, family, and foes, is the basis of the book.

It wasn’t until the last third of the book, when the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 took place, that this book took off.

I commend the research the authors put into this book, but the characters failed to grab my attention. Gemma’s voice fell flat, and Suling’s determination was lost. Their shared backstory—losing parents and being orphaned—seemed to have been a ‘heard that before’ trope. Perhaps their pasts weighed them down, but I was searching for more. The book felt like it went on for far too long. The promise of intrigue—Thornton’s disappearance, the missing Phoenix Crown—fizzled. I found the surrounding characters far more interesting than Gemma and Suling.

As a warning, Quinn and Chang stir up the era, but some terms make the reader shudder and constantly need to remind themselves of the times this book took place.