These Feathered Flames

Super fun read! I enjoyed the story and devoured it in 2 days! Definitely recommend … and no I won’t post spoilers and such just buy it. You won’t be disappointed

To be honest, I don\’t know the original tales of the Firebird, though I have read other books which include similar stories or the creature itself. I believe its mentioned in Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco, though as a physical bird rather than a mythical energy trapped inside of a conduit. Though I was unaware of the original stories, I was still so excited to read this book, especially as a queer retelling. And after that ending I can\’t wait for the next book! When we first meet Asya, she is following her aunt, the current Firebird, as they follow a Calling. The duty of the Firebird is to keep the balance between magic and the world. If someone uses magic and does not pay the proper price, the Firebird must take what was not given to rebalance the world. I thought it was really cool how they show Asya training under her aunt, preparing her for the day the power would be hers, especially since Asya is not only uncomfortable with the Firebird\’s power but is against the entire thing in general. As someone who thinks the power is cruel, it\’s ironic she is to be the next Firebird. Then we meet Izaveta, the other twin set to become Queen, who only wants to make her mother proud and will do anything to emulate her. Everything is a game and every word is a lie. There are no trustworthy people in court, even her own Mother, who uses her own words and actions against her. Yet, when we get to see Iza in a more intimate moment, we can tell she hates the constant games and always having to ensure she is ten steps ahead. Especially once her Mother passes and she has to fight to prove herself during the twelve days of mourning before she is coronated and becomes Queen. I loved the dichotomy between the two sisters. Both who care so much and have to hide it, yet their circumstances are so different. I honestly really loved the story told by each sister. It helped not only understanding what each is thinking and feeling, but how their actions affect each other. I love seeing the two sides of a story play out simultaneously. One of my favorite things was moving from Asya to Izaveta\’s perspective when the Firebird appeared. How Asya feels when it emerges versus what other people see as it\’s happening. It\’s so terrifying to think of the large mythical creature emerging as a column of flames and devouring those who need to pay a price or try to harm it. One thing I wasn\’t a fan of though, was the lack of time we had with Asya and Yulianna. As her personal guard, Yulianna grows to care for Asya and Asya cares for her. I wanted more time to see that affection grow between them instead of the hate to love that we do see in this book. From the ending though, it seems like we will be getting a sequel, so I hope we can get more time with the two and see how their relationship continues to grow. Besides that though, everything about this book was so fantastic. Going back to reread some of my favorite quotes made me realize that this is a book I could re-read over and over again, which is not something I feel often with books. Overall, I loved this book. From the first sentence I was excited to read this and had trouble putting it down. I knew that once I put it down, I couldn\’t pick it back up again unless I knew I was going to be able to sit and read for a while. Everything about this book is so captivating from the plot, to the imagery, to the characters themselves and I loved watching the pieces fall into place and the story build. This is definitely a favorite of mine and I can\’t wait for more!

3.5 STARS Seven years ago, the twin heirs of Tourin received their destinies. The gods proclaimed Izaveta the future queen, while in the same breath, they marked Asya as the Firebird, the being who exacts magic’s price when it has not yet been paid. Since then, the two sisters have lived a world apart, entirely without contact, facing their destinies alone. But when the death of their mother forces Asya to return to the court and fully ascend as the Firebird, everything changes. She must root out the person who has not paid the price for their hand in the queen’s death, and must navigate this new divide between Izaveta and herself. Meanwhile, Izaveta stands poised to become Tourin’s next queen, if only she can discover who her true allies are, and place her pawns on the board three moves ahead of everyone else. It’s a dangerous time in Tourin, succession uncertain, magic unstable. And only Asya and Izaveta can reach the heart of it. These Feathered Flames blends mystery, court intrigue, and Russian folklore all into one. In fact, the court intrigue elements are perhaps the strongest. Though Asya focuses on solving the Calling behind her mother’s death, she also struggles with her role in the world, both as Asya and as the Firebird. How is she meant to fit in at court, or with her sister, when she is the being who exacts terrible prices for unpaid magic? She is, after all, more dangerous than she is welcome among the people of Tourin. As for Izaveta, her mother’s sudden death leaves her stranded, scrambling for political allies and struggling to discredit her enemies. Each move she makes is met with a shrewder one from her opposition, and she must draw on everything she ever learned from the late queen to survive long enough to reach her coronation. In these fraught days, every allegiance she has ever known falls under scrutiny, and navigating her ascension may easily become her undoing. Though bursts of action punctuate these troubles, especially during Asya’s chapters, the focus is on the treachery of court and the precarious fate of queen and country. More than anything, these issues drive the novel forward, pushing the characters into deeper and deeper waters. “The truly monstrous thing would be to do nothing.” While the heavy reliance on political intrigue didn’t do it for me (I’ve always loved a good action-packed story just a bit more), I absolutely fell in love with the characters. To no one’s surprise, I’m sure, my favorite is Asya. She’s so reluctant to trust in her powers, so afraid that she’s doing the wrong thing, and her hesitancy is rooted in such heartfelt reasons. As the Firebird, she sometimes claims entire lives in order to exact magic’s price, but as Asya, she does not want to bring harm to anyone. But at the end of the day, Asya is a protector, and I always fall completely in love with the protectors. Her duty is to make sure her world does not fall into chaos, and if the price of one life saves many, then that is the price she must claim. Her personal journey on the way to realizing how she wants to fill her role warms my heart, and at the end of the day, no one else can beat her as my favorite. (A close second is Yuliana, her bodyguard and love interest. Can I get some more sapphic pining sprinkled with enemies to lovers, please?) Izaveta, though, is a character force to be reckoned with. Her calculating nature and ambition make her a sharp character, but her youth and the strain of the situation at hand sometimes make her impulsive or short-sighted. Overall, she’s cutthroat and worth acknowledging as a major player in Tourin’s future, and I love that she’s complex in that way! I just simply love Asya more because of my own personal tastes. Regardless of which sister might be your favorite, give These Feathered Flames a try! It’s a quick read, but one bursting with life and danger and the faintest glimmers of hope on every page. And that’s even before you encounter the magic, which is elusive and unsettling in the very same breath! I particularly recommend it for readers interested about stories that emphasize the bond between sisters, and for anyone who enjoys a folkloric background to their reads. And, of course, for anyone who likes backstabbing and court politicking. There’s plenty of it, I promise you, and this duology has only just started! ? CW: loss of a loved one, violence, graphic injury, gore, self-harm

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