Crown of Feathers

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Author: Nicki Pau Preto

Series: Crown of Feathers, #1

Published: February 12, 2019

Pages: 496

ISBN: 1534424628

Synopsis from Goodreads:

I had a sister, once…

In a world ruled by fierce warrior queens, a grand empire was built upon the backs of Phoenix Riders—legendary heroes who soared through the sky on wings of fire—until a war between two sisters ripped it all apart.

I promised her the throne would not come between us.

Sixteen years later, Veronyka is a war orphan who dreams of becoming a Phoenix Rider from the stories of old. After a shocking betrayal from her controlling sister, Veronyka strikes out alone to find the Riders—even if that means disguising herself as a boy to join their ranks.

But it is a fact of life that one must kill or be killed. Rule or be ruled.

Just as Veronyka finally feels like she belongs, her sister turns up and reveals a tangled web of lies between them that will change everything. And meanwhile, the new empire has learned of the Riders’ return and intends to destroy them once and for all.

Sometimes the title of queen is given. Sometimes it must be taken.

For fans of: Eragon, The Poppy War, and Mulan

My Review:

Is love ever really a choice?”

I enjoyed this story and found the plot and magic system to be very unique. The concept of animages (people who can control and communicate with animals) was interesting. Also, the idea of phoenix riders who bond with their mounts, similar to dragon riders bonding with dragons, was very appealing.

There was a lot of info dumping in the beginning, but the action picks up after that. I enjoyed the little history snippets and quotes from the old queens inserted in between chapters. I liked the flash backs which provided us with more insight into each character’s personality, and I enjoyed all the different character point of views.

This story had a few shocking moments, and the characters never behaved as expected, which was very refreshing. I liked Veronyka, the main character, and I enjoyed her character growth. She taught us about living in the moment, making your own happiness, and not letting it depend solely on any one person or thing. I highly recommend this book to all YA/Fantasy fans, and I can’t wait to read the next one in the series.

I was not paid for this review, and all opinions are my own. If you are interested in purchasing this book, please consider using my Amazon affiliate link (by clicking on the top or bottom pictures) and helping a fellow book blogger out 🙂