Reviews with content warning for Animal cruelty - Crown of Feathers

This was so good omg
It was a little slow at the beginning and there may have been too many flashbacks/ exposition towards the beginning but other than that it was amazing
I love Mulan inspired books/ retellings because she’s my favorite Disney character and the storyline has so many possibilities

like how more modern ones can make it obvious that Li Shang-inspired character (in this case, Tristan) is bi because they still have romantic feelings for the Mulan-inspired character (Veronyka here)

and I love it. I wasn’t aware that this was going to be a trilogy and now J need the rest because that twist at the end was incredible and I need more

I think I wasn’t paying enough attention to the timeline because I didn’t realize that the end of the Blood War was so close to Veronyka’s birth time (though her being Avalkyra’s niece/ “shadow sister” makes is clear it’s only 16 years later and also the book description says it, I just wasn’t paying attention lol) and also the niece/“shadow sister” thing was very unexpected but very interesting.

Very very good book, definitely picks up a lot after getting the backstory stuff out of the way (but it also weaves the history into the rest of the book and it’s very good).

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stellenelcielo's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional inspiring sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Okay, so I did like this, ended up loving it, really. But I cannot ignore how the pace slowed to a crawl after the first ten chapters. However, once it finally picked up, the book ended and I loved the direction it went.

I love the characters, I love the plot and I can’t wait to read the next book.

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sj_elli's review

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adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I have read very few books with phoenixes in them and I really enjoyed seeing them in a story more than just a background kind of there for a chapter. I sometimes felt a little annoyed with the MC, Veronyka - she was a little whiny at times and I definitely wanted to shake her. But I did like the multiple POVs and the bits of historical context mixed in. I look forward to seeing how the next book goes.

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beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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aloeverra's review

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

This story has elements of mythology and lore placed throughout the book and I really enjoyed it. It almost read like a modern fairytale in a way. The magic system is relational and doesn't have hard defined rules. It does come with consequences in the world though, so it has a balance. There are three points of views from very different walks of life. LBGTQ relations are a very natural part of this world both in its history and in the present.
A group of us read this book for bookclub and we were able to discuss themes of hidden identity, healthy vs toxic relationships, how gender effects identity, and how the past structures the present. We also had a great time trying to predict what would happen next since we met a few times in the middle.

This book has no cursing, sex, or graphic violence and would be fine for any age.

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