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2.5 stars. Spoiler free review! ARC provided by Inkyard Press.
So I’m not fully familiar with the Russian folktale of “The Firebird,” but my interest was piqued by the story of royal twins separated as kids to have completely different upbringings and future roles in society, one specifically meant to be a fantastical Firebird who has to maintain the magical balance in the world.
This book fell right in the middle for me.
Has that classic YA feel, more on the younger side than the approaching new adult side
I liked the characters, but didn’t feel particularly attached to anyone specifically.
The Firebird twin sometimes seemed whiny to me, but I enjoyed her lesbian/bi rep and romance, love me a cute princess-and-the-guard + hate-to-love romance, especially when the guard is also female.
The Queenly twin had a wild mind, always thinking, always trying to keep control. She seems like the cold hearted analytical queen-to-be, but she also loves her sister dearly even when she's not able to fully show it.
PS: when I took the quiz for whether I'm more queen or more firebird, I definitely got "The Queen," before I even read the book, so maybe that explains why I liked her more lol.
The “villains” in this story are multi-faceted. What I mean by that is that you don’t always necessarily know who the ultimate villain is, is it the creepy guy trying to take the throne, is it the cult trying to kill people, is it magical imbalance?
Well-paced story
Vivid, magical world
The magic system is very easy to grasp, looks like there will be more to explore about the magic in the sequel
The imagery was top notch, I really enjoyed the setting this author walked us through
The plot was pretty standard for a YA fantasy
This would be a good entry-YA fantasy, for those new to the genre, but maybe not for those well know to epic crazy complicated fantasies (because it will likely fall a little flat for you as it did for me)
Some of the potential plot twists were predictable
I feel like this story could have been wrapped up differently to make it a standalone which I think I would have preferred, but I’m interested to see where this author takes the sequel. I feel like this could also be a really interesting duology and potentially a darker and even more magical sequel is to come!
Altogether, I liked These Feathered Flames, but didn’t fall in love with it. As this is a debut novel for Alexandra Overy, I’m actually excited to pick up the sequel to see how her storytelling and writing improves over time.
Would recommend for those new to fantasy, interested in a shorter fantasy that won’t take a lot of brain power to understand the magic system and imagine the world. Not so much for the professional fantasy readers because you likely will not find it as interesting!
More for These Feathered Flames:
Buy it on Amazon!
Check it out on Goodreads!
If you liked this, then you may like (OR MAY LIKE MORE):
Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
The Bone Crier's Moon by Kathryn Purdie
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
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