Four women, four stories, told days before the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Suling, a young woman in Chinatown about to be forced to be a third wife who has extraordinary artistic talents with her needle and thread; the love of her life, Reggie (who also happens to be white) has disappeared and Suling is distraught. Gemma has come to San Francisco for a new job in the chorus of the Metropolitan Opera (even though with her talent she should be a lead) and to stay with her best friend from NYC, Nellie. But when Gemma arrives, Nellie has mysteriously left for Colorado. Alice, an accomplished botanist who lives in the same building as Nellie is there to welcome Gemma and befriend her. Gemma immediately falls for her wealthy patron, Mr Thornton, who also offers Suling an amazing opportunity mending a priceless robe (for more money than Suling has ever had and enough for her to escape to NYC). What the two don’t realize is that Mr Thornton is much more than he appears, and when the earthquake hits, all four women will need to save each other from the dangers of the earthquake and the subsequent fires as well as Mr Thornton.

The only way to get revenge on Mr Thornton is find him, and five years later they find his priceless Phoenix Crown which means he will not be far behind.

I found this novel to be almost instantly engaging and loved all four characters with such different stories and personalities. I thought it was really smart to add the countdown to the earthquake at the beginning of every chapter (it added that extra sense of urgency to every action). The characters stories’ intertwined wonderfully and it was just a great fun and fast read. Part 2 of the book is after the earthquake and the subsequent revenge tale which tells how Mr Thornton has effected them and how the get back at him (which was also exciting in a different way). Kate Quinn’s books are always going to be an auto-buy for me and now I am going to have to look into Janie Chang’s as well. I also highly recommend reading the author’s notes at the end.

4.25 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the ARC to read!

Two authors blend their voices and writing angles together in their first joint book.
I held my breath for most of the book because each chapter ticks away toward the horrible 1906 San Francisco earthquake and devastation.
I knew Gemma was headed for trouble and I liked how the lives and actions of she and Suling intersected and were woven together.
I had heard both authors describe their writing process for this book and their collaboration is flawless.
It’s a rich tapestry of needlework, opera, friendships, and danger set against the backdrop of a,horrible historical event.
See the story rise out of the ashes….

The Phoenix Crown is an intriguing, heartwarming story with thrilling moments that falls just a little flat in the end.

The story centers on Gemma, an opera singer and transplant from New York, and Suling, a Chinese American who grew up in San Francisco, at the time of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Duo authors Kate Quinn and Janie Chang have created complex characters and a well-researched setting, and to their credit, it was thrilling to read the characters’ experience of the earthquake and subsequent fires. The resolution of their issues with the story’s villain just didn’t quite do it for me. I wish the stakes had stayed high after the first act.

That said, I enjoyed the book and would definitely read stories from both authors again. I also loved the behind-the-scenes authors’ notes at the end. I would be just as interesting to read a history book from them! I look forward to the next book, and maybe another partnership?

Special thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this one did not entertain me. I found myself skimming instead of reading so that I would not DNF it. Kate Quinn is one of my favorite authors to read and that is why I kept going.

This was pinned as historical fiction but it felt like very little history was in it. Only 2 characters were actually real people but 99% of what they did in the book was complete fiction. The characters didn’t seem very deep and the ending felt rushed.

An enjoyable read, but a very (perhaps overly) ambitious project. Two authors and an ensemble of four heroines covering a huge cross-section of San Francisco society in the drumroll to the 1906 earthquake and fires, all with a distinctly modern set of values... it's a lot of ground to cover. As a result, much of the history comes out in tell-don't-show bursts of exposition and the synopsis covers about 80% of the plot.

Quinn's sweeping, dishy style peeks out from time to time. I regrettably don't have other experience of Chang's writing to say whether the book showcases her voice well. But despite the evident fun they had in collaborating and the importance of having a Taiwan-born author writing a Chinatown heroine, I wonder whether editing two authors' work together wound up flattening out their unique writing styles and that's why this book struck a more medium note with me.

Fun to read, especially if you enjoy glamorous historical fiction with a side of social consciousness, but I can't quite shake the feeling of... gosh, didn't this have more potential.

3.5 stars rounded up

By far the most impressive part of this book was that it managed to keep up with so many moving parts without any of them feeling like they were neglected, and connect them to each other in the end. It was easy to follow and sympathize with each protagonist, but if I had one gripe with the handling of the multiple narrators, it was that I didn't get much of a sense of their importance to each other before the last third of the book. You could definitely argue that the man who connects them all exerts enough influence on their futures that it makes sense for them to remain closely connected to one another, but I wished I would have felt a little more convinced by their friendships. Otherwise, The Phoenix Crown did a wonderful job of keeping its sprawling narrative tight and cohesive, and I'm impressed that co-authors managed to integrate their parts of the book so seamlessly.

The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn & Janie Chang captured my attention when I read that it was to take place during the early 1900s in San Francisco. I went into it thinking there would be more emphasis on the earthquake of 1906 that is detailed in the write up. Sadly the build up of the earthquake ended up being a little bit of a let down for me. I appreciated the countdown to the earthquake when reading the chapters leading up to it, but by the time we reached the moment, it was a bit anticlimactic. My part about the book was the relationships between the four women…Gemma, Suling, Reggie, and Alice. I think it showed that given a tumultuous moment, women will band together and be connected to each other, even once the moment is gone. The book was good all in all, but I was left at the end wishing there had been a little more of something, but I’m not entirely sure what. I would give it a 3.5, but can only score on the whole numbers. I would still say the book is worth reading. I had expected one thing but didn’t get it. Doesn’t make it a book that you shouldn’t try! Thank you to NetGalley, the authors, and William Morrow Paperbacks for the advanced read copy.

Book Review: The Phoenix Crown
Stars: 4 x 5
Authors: Kate Quine @katequinn5975 Janie Chang @janiechang33
Publisher: William Morrow Books. @williammorrowbooks

This is a historical fiction that starts in San Francisco just before the earthquake of 1908. That earthquake devastated the San Francisco Bay Area and many people went missing.

Just before the earthquake, Gemma garland a travels to S.F. to meet up with her best friend Nellie Doyal. Gemma is an Opera Singer and Nellie is a painter.
Alice works at the California Academy of Science. She is botanist . Suling lives in Chinatown her uncle arrange for her to marry a much old man who happens to be a doctor. These ladies all live in the same boarding house and the all end up knowing Henry Thornton. Henry Thornton is just pure evil and what he puts these ladies through is horrible as he brings all of them into his web of deceit. Henry is rich and charming and these ladies have no way to escape him. Henry has a collection of significant amount of artifacts and relilcs. One of these is called “the Phoenix Crown”. This particular relic is from Beijing’s Summer Palace. After a bit the girls start to realize that the way Henry does things and the motives he has are not good.
Henry deals with bad people and sometimes things do not go as planned. The police have suspicions about what Henry has been doing. The earthquake occurs and San Francisco is sent in chaos. This is the perfect time for Henry to escape and take the “Phoenix Crown” with him. After thing settle down a bit and recovery is slowly occurring, the ladies are determined to find a way to expose all that Henry had done. As time passes by about 5 years later the ladies find out the ”Phoenix Crown” is to worn at a costume ball in Versailles. They know the if the crown will be there then so will Henry. The ladies plot and plan and head to Versailles. Will they get their revenge or will Henry win out again?

What wonderful story of these women. It shows strength and diversity and how they will do what ever it takes to take down an evil man.

#bookstagram #thephoenixcrown #sanfrancisco #versailles

Sally a.k.a. Gemma is going to San Francisco she is not only going to be a soprano in the upcoming opera she also wants to see her friend Nelly especially after the horrible time she’s had in New York but when she arrives there on Taylor Street instead of seeing Nelly she meets Alice Eastwood a botanist and is the head curator at The California Academy of the sciences. Since Nelly is gone Gemma rents her room and quickly takes a trip to see the local opera house this is where she meets a guy named George who will be her accompanist it is also where she meets the rich Henry Thornton who seems to not only remember her from an opera she did in New York but also seems to be quite infatuated with her. Three blocks away Suhling is mourning the loss of her parents and now for the past three months has been mourning the loss of her beloved Riggie as well. The last place she saw her beloved happened to be at Henry Thornton‘s house when they were working there and so it’s the place she continues to go back to, in search of the love of her life. Soon Henry Thorton becomes Jim is patron and she moves into his home and inevitably falls in love with him her friend Nelly still missing but the more she is around the octagon mansion the more she distrust Henry Thorton she soon learns her in the seamstress Suhling has way more in common especially when it comes to their missing loved one will they find the one they love and is Henry Thornton as bad as the women think or could he be even worse. Right when they start to piece the puzzle together the San Francisco earthquake happens in devastates all their lives not to mention Thorton goes missing himself. I love these authors books and so I knew I would love this one I’d read it in two days and absolutely adored all the characters Alice Gemma Sueling I thought their nack for historical accuracy was definitely well researched and well written I loved learning about Chinatown and I also love that they didn’t just go with the same old opium and prostitute version of Chinatown that most American books get away with. This was a great book and one I definitely recommend I absolutely loved it I loved the mystery the conclusion to the mystery and I especially loved the epalogue that was a brilliant way to do the epilogue I love Jimma‘s name change I loved it all kudos to you ladies for a great read! I want to think William Morrow and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Kate Quinn has knocked it out of the park again. Well written with delightful plot twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time.
The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn; Janie Chang is an interesting and well written historical novel.
Her stories are so well thought out and every single time I am amazed at the research and creativity she puts into each one of her stories.
Very well written, exciting and detailed. Kate Quinn writes wonderful books about extraordinary women.
She does a wonderful job of transporting readers to another place and time.
Such a great read, highly recommend.

Thank You NetGalley and William Morrow for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I loved this book! Kate Quinn always has a way of bringing historical events to life with the most intricate details and characters that you cheer on as they face key moments that shaped our society. Janie Chang is new to me, but I can see her touches from what I know about her writing.
This book addresses some key issues, including the Chinese experience in the US in the late 1800s and early 1900s. There is a moment in the story, when it could have wrapped up nicely, but the beauty here is that the authors keep going, unfolding just a bit more to truly bring their story full-circle.

I really enjoyed this book! It’s great to see to see a group of women from various backgrounds come together and support each other, rather than compete against one another. There’s lots of drama and action, but ultimately it’s inspiring. I feel like it may have started out a little slow, but about a third of the way in it really took off and I was hooked to the end.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, William Morrow, for providing me with ARC in exchange for an honest review *

I am a devoted Kate Quinn fan and have read nearly all her books. I was thrilled to hear that she was releasing a new book. I couldn’t what adventure she would take us on. Since she was co-authoring the book, I was interested in how it would turn out. I was delighted when I got approved to read an early copy of the book. I was hooked from the beginning to the end; every page left me wondering what would happen next. I am very familiar with Kate Quinn's work. She draws you in and makes you love the story and the characters. I had never read any books by Janie Chang before, but now I can't wait to read more of her work. I enjoyed reading their narratives, and their collaboration was evident. I hope they get to work together again in the future.

Reading narratives can sometimes be challenging, but Kate Quinn and Janie Chang have made the women's narratives compelling and engaging. I found it difficult to put the book down, as every time I thought of stopping, the stories kept me hooked for hours. My favorite books are the ones that keep me engaged and wondering what's next for the characters. I loved how the narratives were given from different points of view, and I enjoyed reading each of the women’s separate stories, but I was also wondering how their stories would connect. If I had to choose a favorite character, it would be difficult because each one is unique and has an interesting story. I experienced a range of emotions while reading The Phoenix Crown.

I thought the first half of the book was more action-packed and mysterious than the final few pages. I felt as if I had learned far more about the historical period than I had previously known. I believe that each of the characters evolved during the book, but Gemma changed the most. After finishing the book, I found myself contemplating the story. I would recommend it to any fans of historical fiction.

3.5*
Gemma and Nellie are good friends. Gemma is an opera singer and Nellie is an artist. Their careers have taken them off in different directions. When Gemma needs to flee NYC and gets hired to sing with the San Francisco Opera, she takes the job and heads to California to stay with Nellie. When she arrives, she is surprised that Nellie has disappeared and not left a message for her friend.

It's 1906 and Gemma is stranded with little money. She meets the famed botanist Alice who lives in the same boarding house as Nellie did. She also meets Suling, a talented Chinese embroiderer who delivers laundry for her uncle. The four women become involved together due to their connection to Henry Thornton. He becomes a patron of Gemma’s operatic career, he hires Suling to be a hostess at his party and he had known Nellie. Suling was close to Nellie whom she calls Reggie. She, like Gemma, is worried about the sudden absence of Nellie/Reggie.

As the women work together to discover what happened to their friend, they also learn more about Henry and his plans. He likes to collect fine things and owns at least two artifacts that once were part of the ancient Chinese Emperor’s household. Suling identifies the Phoenix Crown and a robe that once belonged to one of the Empresses. Henry’s interest in collecting extends to rare plants which brings Alice into the picture.

The characters are well-drawn and carry the story. Unfortunately, the plot is a bit of a mashup of different events. There’s the countdown to the San Francisco Earthquake that underlies all the action. Thrown in are insane asylums, rare Chinese artifacts, forced marriage of a teen, revenge, attempted murder, drugs, theater competitiveness, and greed, all amidst the natural disaster.

The four women are talented and the bond between them is sound. But there might be some people and events that seem thrown in to liven up the plot. The author’s note at the end explains the fictional and nonfictional people and events. Such commentary from the author is always helpful and enriches the reading experience.

While not quite as compelling as her earlier books, it’s still a worthwhile read. Quinn is a very talented author and expectations for her books are very high.

The earthquake of 1906, in San Fransisco, is the backdrop to this historical mystery. We met two female protagonists: a young Chinese women and an aspiring opera singer journeying from NYC to join her friend in the bay city.

Gemma arrives is the flourishing landscape on the coast, ready to jump-start her vocal career. She meets a rich financier, who introduces her to right people, and lavishes her in gowns, jewels and the most beautiful home in the city. Her only heartbreak is her friend left before she arrived, and she doesn't know how to get in contact with her. Suling is also heartbroken as her love left without a word too. The connection for these two women is that they are both missing the same person.

Both soon discover something nefarious is at play is the rich man's octagon house, but then the earthquake hits. This unlikely duo, along with a botanist, form an alliance to uncover this man's game to right the wrongs he's inflicted.

These women rise from the ashes of cities destruction to serve justice on a greedy, powerful man.

Thank you, William Morrow.

The Phoenix Crown is one of those books that reinforces why I love Historical Fiction! Placed in San Francisco starting 2 weeks before the the great earthquake of 1906, we meet four courageous women of the era. Suling, a young Chinese American who lives in Chinatown and is a great seamstress/embroiderer, she has to dress as a boy to leave Chinatown because it is not safe as a woman. Gemma, a soprano with a contract to sing in the Opera's chorus as they travel the US, but of course, dreams of a starring role. Alice Eastwood is a botanist who will do anything to protect her research and Reggie/Nellie a painter who is the connection between Suling and Gemma.

There is lot based on factual history in this book, most notably the earthquake itself and the fires in its aftermath. It is obvious that the authors did a tremendous amount of research for this book and I was fascinated to find that the character of Alice Eastwood was the real life Alice Eastwood.

The lives of these women are ruined not only by the earthquake but the man, Henry Thorton, who latches on to talented women promising to help make them famous. But when they become inconvenient, he disposes of them. I admit there was a time in the beginning when I thought he wasn't that bad even though he tells Gemma when he meets her that he is not good. His true self is revealed and as a reader I relished the women working together to bring him to justice.

I really loved all these women and appreciate that they were able to be successful in 1906. They all had jobs where it was acceptable to participate as a woman and their successes made sense in the time period. The authors did a great job of showing us San Francisco in the early 20th century especially bringing Chinatown to life, along with the prejudices and racism involved there. I truly felt that I understood Suling and her lack of choices as a woman of Chinese descent.

I highly recommend this book! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

CAPTIVATING!

Kate Quinn has an incredible talent and voice for drawing you in immediately and captivating you with her characters and storylines. I am very familiar with Kate Quinn‘s works, but had never read Janie Chang’s. I can’t wait to read more from her. I loved all of the women’s powerful narratives and how they came together. I discovered so much about a period in history I was less acquainted with. An overall outstanding read.

I was drawn in from the very beginning. It’s one of those books you simultaneously want to read all at once, because you can’t put it down, and slowly cherish because you don’t want it to ever end.

Thank you NetGalley & William Morrow for sending this book for review consideration.

A mesmerizing and unforgettable story that intricately connects the experiences of two women who have endured unfair treatment. This captivating tale transports us through a range of settings, from the chaotic aftermath of the San Francisco earthquake to the magnificent grandeur of the palaces in Versailles.

This was a fun and interesting historical novel set mainly during the days immediately before, during, and after the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. An unlikely foursome of women are brought together by a complicated series of events in the days leading up to the earthquake. After the quake and the traumatic events surrounding it, the women separate to try to continue their lives—only to be called back together to find revenge and closure.

I enjoyed the story. The individual experiences of the women were all interesting and enlightening, and the plot was fast-moving. The writing was excellent. My only criticism is that perhaps it tried to do a bit too much—an historical, action, feminist, caper novel? It was a bit overwhelming—but in a good way. I loved it and highly recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What a fantastic collaboration from Historical fictions Queens, Kate Quinn and Janie Chang. This tale of San Francisco in the weeks leading up to the historic earthquake of 1906 focuses on the lives of 4 fierce women. A young Chinese American embroiderist , a elderly botanist, a under recognized Opera singer, and her artist friend. All 4 of their lives intertwine in the days leading up to and after the deadly earthquake. This story is every bit a Historical fiction based on real people, events and details. Of course it weaves in fictional characters and takes small timeline liberties but it is also steeped in mystery and intrigue. At times even reading like a fast paced thriller. The voices of the two authors blend beautifully and it didn't feel that the book had more than one author. I loved how most of the book was a count down to the earthquake and I had goosebumps at times and I cried more than a few times. These are powerful women characters that you can't help but love. Phoenixes rising from the flames of their struggles like the city of San Francisco after the historic earth quake, the characters and this this book are descriptively beautiful, captivating and it could be one of my top reads of the year.