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Summary
Summary
"Absolutely unforgettable." --Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Three Dark Crowns series
"A beautifully told story about justice, sisterhood, and warrior women." --Shea Ernshaw, New York Times bestselling author of The Wicked Deep
"Epic in the truest sense." -- Quill and Quire
An Ember in the Ashes meets Three Dark Crowns in this lush debut fantasy novel about a girl who disguises herself as a boy to join a secret group of warriors that ride phoenixes into battle.
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.
Crown of Feathers is an epic fantasy about love's incredible power to save--or to destroy. Interspersed throughout is the story of Avalkyra Ashfire, the last Rider queen, who would rather see her empire burn than fall into her sister's hands.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up-Phoenix Riders are the warriors and heroes who defend their kingdom with the help of phoenixes. When a war between two sisters rips their kingdom apart, the Riders are hunted and phoenix eggs become scarce. Veronyka dreams of being a Phoenix Rider and even begins to bond with a newly hatched phoenix until her sister, in an attempt to control Veronyka, kills the legendary bird. Disguised as a boy named Nyk, Veronyka leaves her home and joins the remaining Riders, caring for animals and helping the local commander's handsome son Tristan train with his phoenix for battle. Just as Veronyka feels like she's made a place for herself, her sister appears and things get complicated in the web of lies surrounding them. In the midst of this sticky situation, the army finds the Riders and marches to destroy their stronghold. The novel begins a little slowly as world-building develops, but it soon becomes an action-packed adventure that will leave fans of epic fantasies eager to find out more. The ending is the perfect setup for a sequel. VERDICT Recommended for fantasy shelves.-Terri Lent, Patrick Henry High School, Ashland, VA © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Sixteen years ago, legendary Phoenix Rider Avalkyra battled her sister, Pheronia, for the empire's throne. Pheronia's forces prevailed, executing Avalkyra's army of Riders for treason and ordering the registration and taxation of animages, people who are magically able to communicate with animals. Now, impoverished animages such as 16-year-old orphan Veronyka and her sister, Val, must hide their talents or risk becoming indentured bond servants. The siblings have spent years searching for phoenix eggs so that they might become Riders and fight to restore animage rights, but after a jealous Val betrays Veronyka, they part ways. Veronyka discovers a fledgling all-male squadron of Riders in the mountains and poses as a boy in order to join them, then falls for fellow recruit Tristan and faces a difficult choice. Initially dense with worldbuilding, debut author Preto's series opener steadily gathers steam before closing with a pulse-pounding crescendo. Veronyka, Tristan, and conflicted imperial soldier Sev trade chapters, their stories interweaving to heighten tension, deepen character, and illustrate the importance of empathy, equality, community, and knowing one's own truth. Ages 12-up. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
From the ashes of rebellion, a force of Phoenix Riders rises to protect their people in Preto's debut novel.Sixteen years ago, the Feather-Crowned Queen died in a glorious blaze fighting her sister for her claim to the throne. Her rebellion turned the Council of Governors against Phoenix Riders and animages, people with the power to understand and communicate with animals. Veronyka, an orphaned animage with brown skin and black hair, and her controlling older sister, Val, who has brown skin and red hair, dream of hatching phoenix eggs together and flying like the warriors of the past. However, when Val betrays her sister, Veronyka discovers the strength to find her own path, disguising herself as a boy to join a secret operation of Phoenix Riders. Written in the third person, the chapters alternate between three perspectives, building tension with cliffhangers. Most characters described in the text have brown skin. While representations of same-gender romances appear in the story, Pau Preto repeatedly uses binary language and makes no distinction between gender and sex. No one sees through Veronyka's disguisecut hair and (unsafely) bound chestbut Veronyka fixates on how her presentation makes her a liar. The resolution and the epilogue set the stage for the series to continue.Trans erasure casts a shadow on this otherwise fiery fantasy aflame with descriptive prose and simmering with suspense. (map, timeline, glossary) (Fantasy. 12-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Queen Nefyra was the first in a long line of Rider Queens, women who walked through fire and emerged to ride the great phoenixes. Hundreds of years later, with Riders called rebels and phoenixes almost never seen, Veronyka has only one dream: to become a Rider. Her sister Val had once wanted the same thing, but a great betrayal has split the siblings apart. Veronyka seeks out the hidden Riders, dressing as a boy named Nyk to infiltrate their training program. Meanwhile, Val lurks in the shadows, and her return could ruin everything as the two mage sisters relive the great war that left their world divided. Also included in this story are enslaved Sev and apprentice Rider Tristan, who are both connected to the legendary phoenixes in strange ways. Interspersed between alternating chapters are pieces of scripture about Nefyra and the history of phoenix riders. This is a new twist on fantasy favorites, and Pau Preto's first novel is as ambitious as it is lyrical.--Stacey Comfort Copyright 2018 Booklist