Really enjoyed this!
Loved the countdown to the earthquake which gave the reader a sense of dread for what was to come mixed with joy that the disaster will give some of the women an opportunity to escape. It is interesting how the four women’s lives converge to have a common enemy and experience.
The characters are so well written, each with such distinct personalities. There is a great juxtaposition between the opulence of Thornton’s world and the descriptions of Chinatown and the everyday San Franciscan just trying to survive. Suling is especially joyful to read and easily my favorite of the four women.
I love a historical novel that draws on real life characters. Alice Eastwood is a trailblazer of her time and I can’t wait to read more about her life and passion.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. This was a pleasure to read.

I am a big Kate Quinn fan but by the end of this I was really just turning pages trying to get to the end. I'm not sure if it was the writing or the plot that lost me - the middle was actually my favourite as I found the beginning and end hard to get through. The characters were classic Quinn - strong women - but I was only attached to part of the main cast and I think that made the rest of it suffer.

Very interesting historical fiction which takes place counting down to the San Francisco earthquake in the early 1900's. A ruthless businessman, HenryThorton, wants to be a patron of the arts but he also wants to take over the lives of the people he sponsors. Four women become involved with him in different ways. As they come together as friends, each of these women is affected by the earthquake and the ruthlessness of Thorton. Great characters.

I was drawn to this title as I recently read Janie Chang’s Porcelain Moon and had enjoyed it because it focused described a period in history that was unknown to me. And While I’m not a Kate Quinn fan I am interested in CA history and thought I’d give it a try. I’m glad I did. The stories of the four very different women were well constructed, the characters interesting, and the description of the city and the earthquake well done. My one complaint would be the ending tied things abit too quickly and maybe a bit too pat hiwever all in all an enjoyable read.

The Phoenix Crown is a beautifully written historical fiction novel set in 1906 San Francisco. The novel follows two very different protagonists: an opera singer with dreams of becoming a diva and a queer Chinese seamstress desperate to escape an arranged marriage and focus on her art. Add in a conniving philanthropist, an eccentric botanist, an old friend and some very expensive jewelry all set against the backdrop of the 1906 Earthquake.

The novel begins with opera singer Gemma's arrival to San Francisco and her encounter with Suling (dressed as a laundry boy) immediately sets the plot moving. After Gemma discovers her friend whom she was to live with has disappeared she must make her way alone in the big city and falls under the thrall of tycoon Henry Thornton. Meanwhile Suling is desperate to avoid an arranged marriage and fretting over her disappeared love Reggie. Suling takes odd jobs to make money including translator for the Chinese women Thornton hires to be "guests" at his parties. The two women eventually become friends and along with Alice a plant mad botanist must work together to stay alive after the earthquake devastates San Francisco,

The Phoenix Crown was so good and the twists throughout had me gasping aloud. I loved learning more about Gemma's background and Suling's life and friendships in Chinatown. I did feel like the climax was a little rushed but I was also so ready for it so maybe it was just me. I only wish we'd gotten a little more info about some of the side characters but as the authors said in the acknowledgements there were other characters they wanted to include but couldn't.

I am already a fan of Kate Quinn's works but I will definitely check out Janie Chang's books after this. I highly recommend to fans of historical fiction or existing fans of these authors.

I was provided a free copy of this book through NetGalley.

Take two resilient women from different worlds, one earthquake and a wealthy but cruel benefactor and you have the makings of a fantastic historical thriller set in 1906 San Francisco. Gemma is an opera singer who hopes to get her big break singing with legend Caruso but falls under the guiding hand and chokehold of a wealthy patron. Suling pretends to be a boy delivering laundry in Chinatown but is a very skilled embroideress who longs to set up her own shop in Paris. Both women meet through Henry Thornton's patronage and his collection of Chinese antiques.
The earthquake and fire change all their lives but it isn't until years later that the mystery and circle is complete. Rapid pace, historical drama with captivating characters make this yet another example of why these two authors on at the forefront of their genre. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

I received this advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. I was eager to read this novel as a fan of Kate Quinn, but I was mildly disappointed with the writing quality and lack of character development. I found the plot obvious and the two main characters to be very naive, even for the historical era of this novel. This may not be an issue for many readers, but I found it really difficult to be engaged with the story because of the plot/characters. Hopefully this novel will be more enjoyable for most readers.

As a result of busy season at work and school starting for me, finding time for leisure reading has been quite difficult the past few weeks. Even so, I was able to squeeze in several ARCs that I had lined up to read in September, which, given the timing, I’m glad I was able to finish.

One of those ARCs is The Phoenix Crown, a new collaborative novel by two popular authors known for writing brilliant historical fiction: Kate Quinn and Janie Chang. I’ve been excited to read this book since I first heard about it earlier in the year, not only because of the interesting premise, but also because both authors have separately written works that I’ve loved, so of course, I went into this one with high hopes. And in the end, it definitely did not disappoint.

Despite what the book summary might allude to, the narrative here isn’t actually a dual timeline, as majority of the story takes place in 1906 — it is only in the last quarter of the book or so that the story fast forwards 6 years to 1912. While the plot was not as riveting as I expected (a few scenes did feel a tad bit contrived), the historical details were superbly done — of course not a surprise given that both Quinn and Chang are established historical fiction authors. One of the things I enjoyed most though was following the character arcs of the four women at the center of the story, all of whom had distinct personalities as well as fascinating backstories — though the character I would’ve been most interested in reading more about was Feng Suling, the skilled embroideress who hailed from San Francisco’s Chinatown in the aftermath of the Chinese Exclusion Act. The Author’s Note at the end of the book is definitely a must-read, as both Quinn and Chang provide quite a bit of historical context for both the characters (several of whom were real people or based on real people) and the various events covered in the story. It was also in the Author’s Note that I learned about a reference in the story to Chang’s previous novel The Porcelain Moon, which I had read earlier this year and really enjoyed (for me, its always fun to discover throwbacks and references to authors’ prior works).

I don’t want to say too much, as I don’t want to give anything away, so I will just put my name in the hat to recommend reading this (and hope for another future collaboration between these two fantastic authors). One thing to note is that the publication date on this book seems to have changed, as I originally had this as coming out this month (September 2023), but I recently noticed that there is now a finalized publication date in February 2024 (I mention this in case it matters for those interested in reading this one). While waiting for another collaboration, I’m glad that both authors have plenty of works in their own respective oeuvres that I can continue to explore!

Received ARC from William Morrow via NetGalley.

The Phoenix Crown revolves around four women in 1906 San Francisco: a naive opera singer, Chinese-American embroiderer, curious botanist, and elusive painter. The majority of the plot counts down to the great earthquake, providing built-in suspense that drives the story forward.

I read everything by Kate Quinn (she is one of my favorite historical fiction authors), and I was intrigued to see this co-authored story about a time period that fascinates me. I appreciated the thorough research and strong sense of voice for the two POV characters; the division between Quinn and Chang worked well to delineate the parallel perspectives. I also really enjoyed the afterword on the immense amount of work it took them both to bring this story together.

Overall, I liked this one! Not as much as some other historical fiction, but it was a welcome addition to the genre. The centering of a queer character of color was excellent and felt fully realized. I found the primary antagonist a bit cartoonishly evil, but I suspect a number of robber barons/magnates/society men/philanthropists/whatever you call them from the era were really like this!

3.5/5: Great for anyone interested in the history of San Francisco, particularly the earthquake & its aftermath or turn-of-the-century Chinatown.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. Kate Quinn is one of those authors that triggers an immediate "yep I'm reading that" within me. I don't even read what the book is about, I just choose Kate. I've never been disappointed, and this book is no exception. Quinn and Chang write very well together-I'm always nervous that I'll be able to distinguish between authors if there are more than one, and I couldn't tell who did what in this book. The blurb really hooked me in before reading it, and I was instantly absorbed in the work. The novel weaves a spell around these women, their history, their searching, and their time period. This was a marvelous read.

The Phoenix Crown, written by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang is a historical fiction set in San Francisco during the days leading up to the earthquake in 1906. The book is the story of 4 women brought together in San Francisco. Gemma is an opera singer, who is down on her luck and comes to visit her friend Nellie in San Francisco. When she arrives, Nellie is not there and she meets Alice, a botanist and Suling, a Chinese-American embroiderer. Told from Suling’s and Gemma’s perspectives the story gives an insight in the difficulties the women encounter in a time where women did not have many rights or opportunities.
I loved the book! The prologue had me hooked. Set 5 years after the 1906 earthquake, one of the main characters, Alice reads in a newspaper in Paris that the Phoenix Crown is back and she sends out 3 telegrams. The story turns back in time and starts during the days leading up to the earthquake in San Francisco. The first chapters are slow paced, giving you time to get to know the main characters and historical setting. The further I read the book, the more I cared about the main characters and wanted them to succeed in life. I loved the way the characters were written and developed during the story; Suling and Gemma have distinct voices and are strong women who set out to improve their live. The book has less action than other Kate Quinn books, but it did not matter, since I loved the way the story was told.

Kate Quinn is one of my favorite authors and this book did not disappoint! I am also interested to read any of the Janie Chang books, since she is not an author I am familiar with.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy!

What an interesting book. You have four women, all of them from different walks of life. Who all get tied together through one man, and an epic night that changes their lives forever. This book is just so well written. The characters are vibrant, easy to dive into their stories and get lost. Everything about this book is beautifully crafted and will enchant readers. I loved having Suling character be able to blend in such a way that she could be anything that was needed. Just such an interesting way to look at perspective and how people viewed others during this time period. This is the perfect book for a book club, be it at the library or a private one. I am looking forward to recommending it real soon.
Thank you so much to William Morrow and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review. This will appear on Goodreads.
Kate Quinn is one of those authors that I consider a go-to when recommending historical fiction to both my patrons and our book clubs. In fact, as soon as this book was announced, I ordered copies and put it on my book club calendar. Her books are consistently good, with well developed plot and characters, and evident historical research.
In early days and without a description, I thought this book must have been set in Asia, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
This novel is set mostly in San Francisco with a countdown to the great earthquake of 1906. Told in dueling narration, we meet and opera singer and a Chinese American young girl struggling to make her way. Supporting characters include a painter, a botanist, and a wealthy businessman. The Phoenix crown is a looted headdress from China that is in the railroad magnates collection. There is also an intricately embroidered robe and a queen of the night flower that are tied into the story.
The great things about this novel are the characters, the pacing of the book during the earthquake, and the descriptions of the subplots. The books narration seamlessly goes between characters and you truly wouldn’t know which author is writing which part. That is unusual.
The book does start off slow and it took me a little while to sink my claws in, as there is a lot going on. I thought that a couple characters were superfluous to the story with their only job to be linking the main characters just a bit more.
No matter. Kate Quinn fans will love this book and it is a solid collaborative novel. For me, the best part was how seamless this book was. I’ve read many collaborative historical fiction and this feels like the authors really paid attention to detail and worked well together. Kudos to Quinn and Janie Chang.
4*

An absolutely fantastic, gripping novel that I could not put down! Intricately plotted with fascinating characters, spanning the globe from New York to San Fransisco, Paris to Buenos Aires. "The Phoenix Crown" is told from the point of view of two main characters : Gemma, an opera singer betting on success with a chance to sing with the Met's traveling company, and Suling, a San Fransisco native with a gift for amazing embroidery, but an outsider outside of Chinatown. Both women fall into the path of millionaire Henry Thornton, and the wreckage and rebirth of their lives begin with the 1906 San Fransisco earthquake.
Peopled with fascinating supporting characters and intricate detail, "The Phoenix Crown" is transportative historical fiction at its best.

The Phoenix Crown is an authentic feeling title from Kate Quinn with coauthor Janie Chang. As the 1906 earthquake approaches, four women’s lives intersect via newly wealthy Henry Thornton who has diverse interests - from botany to Chinese antiquities (with questionable cultural property issues). The insights into Chinese immigrants in San Francisco and the descriptions of Chinatown are vivid and enthralling. The differences and prejudices in the population as a whole are handled with sensitivity and depth. The plot which involves a murder is highly engaging with enough twists and turns to keep me avidly reading. I’m awarding four stars because the beginning felt slow. This should be another popular historical fiction novel that will especially please those readers with WWII fatigue.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review

I wasn't sure how a co-authored book by Kate Quinn would be, and I've never read Janie Chang, but this was definitely a solid historical novel. There are two primary female protagonists in this store - Suling, a first generation Chinese American woman who has lost most of her family and is plotting her escape from San Francisco's Chinatown, and Gemma, a 30-something opera singer who travels from New York to San Francisco to play a part in a performance and to see her old friend. Their stories intersect in some interesting ways, and also find themselves connected to Alice, a botanist. These intersections mostly occur in an octagonal house in San Francisco, owned by Henry Thornton, a successful businessman who wants to be a patron of the arts and also seems to have an obsession with stolen Chinese artifacts, like the titular Phoenix Crown. The story builds slowly to an extremely dramatic climax in the form of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and the devastating fire that followed. This was clearly very well researched, and I was impressed that it didn't feel choppy (which can sometimes happen with multiple authors). The characters were well-developed, the period details felt authentic, and it kept my interest the whole time.

The Phoenix Crown is another winner from historical fiction author Kate Quinn, this time joined by co-author Janie Chang. Loved the characters and the 1906 San Francisco setting, will definitely recommend this title.

I am a library associate and received an advance copy from NetGalley.

While the Phoenix Crown was a little slow to get going... once it did, this story took off in true Kate Quinn fashion! Kate Quinn's partnership with Janie Chang is a win for this historical fiction! I do have to say that historical fiction and Kate Quinn are one of my favorite all time pairs in the literary world!

Four strong female characters whose stories intertwine and come together during the days leading up to the San Francisco 1906 earthquake and fire. This book has it all... love, murder, revenge, diverse relationships, drugs, and suspense. It was really interesting to read about a time period that I am not as familiar with as a reader.

The Phoenix Crown will definitely be an addition to my high school library collection for both my students and staff! Thank you to NetGalley & William Morrow Publishing the opportunity to read The Phoenix Crown as an ARC.

Loved getting to know these women. This is a time period I knew nothing about and I found myself doing research on the side, to find out more about this time in history, especially the earthquake in San Francisco. And I felt so dense, that I did not even kind of see the twist where Suling's lover and Gemma's best friend are the same person!

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher William Morrow for an advanced copy of this book of historical fiction that takes place in San Francisco dealing with a missing people, family, second chances and a mysterious wealthy patron and his antiques, while a catastrophe looms closer and closer.

Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres as well obviously it combines two things I enjoy history and fiction, but it allows writers to share more about the life of people and the events they observe, sometimes in ways that are better than straight history. In well-researched books one learns about the time through food, drink, occupations, class and more. Some books have a habit of making their characters stick out too much, oh look how liberated and ahead that person is which can take a person out of the story. Also there is a fascination with changing history to fit narrative which I am not a fan of. Which is why I enjoy the books of Kate Quinn. This is a different book for Quinn, taking place at the turn of the 20th century, not World War II as she is known. And writing with a co-author, which allows her to look at the life of a great city through another person's eye, which is always great. The one thing that hasn't changed, Quinn can write and hold readers and The Phoenix Crown is another perfect book from Kate Quinn, and Janie Chang.

The book starts with Gemma, needing a change of scenery and quickly. A talented singer, Gemma has lost her position in the Opera company she was with because of a scandal, and has found a job working a chorus line in San Francisco. Gemma writers to her friend Nelllie, who runs with an interesting crowd, telling Nellie that Gemma is coming, but when she arrives San Francisco Nellie is no where to be found. Suling is a young Chinese woman caught in a desperate situation. She has been promised as third wife to a doctor, a deal Suling has no interest at all in keeping. Suling has been hiding as a male, when Suling meets Gemma ad decides to help her look for Nellie. At the same time a wealthy patron is wooing Gemma with stories of becoming her patron and bringing her up in the world. Thornton has an incredible antiques collection, might know something about Nelllie, and just seems off. And as these characters interact, a countdown is set for a catastrophe that will change many things in the city.

Again, a different kind of book for Quinn, but one that shows Quinn's range, abilities, and savviness in picking a co-writer. The story is entertaining, interesting, sad and very good. I really enjoyed the use of a countdown, or doomsday clock to when the Earthquake would hit. I though that was quite a good way of dealing with the big object that would shake the room. The story is told in alternating narratives, which are clear and make sense. Readers won't get lost following along. The writing is very good, as is the dialogue of the characters which seems to fit them well. The authors show how hard it is to be a woman, and the many travails that women have to deal with, and yet the characters loose none of their well gumption. A very good story.

I appreciate when authors change things up, not become complacent and try something new. A very enjoyable story, one that tells a very big story, and tells it well. I'm excited to see what Kate Quinn might try next.