Reviews with content warning for Animal death - 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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fandomsandfiction's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring tense fast-paced

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

5.0

By far one of the best webtoons I have ever read!!!

Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto is the webtoon adaptation of the high fantasy trilogy of the same name. This is a visually impressive comic set in a vibrant fictional world based on Phoenix mythology. The worldbuilding is excellent - rich in history, culture and diversity - brought to life by striking art and colour.

The storyline follows multiple character arcs and developments, which all come together in a spectacular ending (that leaves you with a great desire to read the books for more).

A lot of "I-can't-stand-you" to "I -can't-stand-to-be-away-from-you" going on in this one, which I particularly enjoyed 😌 (it is well-known that I am a sucker for the angsty enemies-to-lovers trope). And character development is done so well for only 63 episodes!

This is definitely a webtoon I will never stop recommending.

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paperbackprincess19's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This is a fast paced fantasy world that will draw you in from the first few pages. I was truly hooked from the beginning.

Its a new world and the empire is trying to eliminate the previous warriors, The Phoenix Riders. They've nearly succeeded with fully eradicating them, but a few remains and those who are loyal to them remain on the mission to see The Phoenix Riders rise once more.

This book is so well written, pacing is amazing, it fitted so much information, plot and history into a not so long novel without overwhelming the readers.

The ending is satisfying, it's not a cliff hanger but I'm still wanting to read the sequel sooner rather than later.

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littlebookqueen's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

When I first read the synopsis for Crown of Feathers I thought it sounded amazing and just knew I had to read it. I was lucky enough to be able to get an ARC of it and from the very first line I was hooked. The whole concept of phoenix-riding warriors sounded epic and the fact that the main character had to disguise herself as a boy was also really intriguing to me.
There are two alternating story lines that take place throughout the novel and they are so intricately woven together. The way that Nicki connects the two is so clever and when you see some of the connections revealed, they’re shocking but make sense when you look back at them.
This story really sets itself apart from other YA fantasy. I got major Tamora Pierce vibes from it and it is the kind of quality story that seems to be missing from this genre now days. So many YA books consist of the same tropes and cliches but, Crown of Feathers is in a league of its own. It’s heartbreaking, inspiring, heartwarming, and downright amazing! My emotions were all over the place with this one.
You don’t get the corny insta-love relationships that are rushed and so often don’t seem genuine. The relationships are built over time and express more by what isn’t said. The chemistry between both sets of characters is done very well and you can really see how these characters and their relationships grow throughout the story. And can we give a huge round of applause for POC main characters AND LGBTQ representation!
Veronyka was a great main character and I loved seeing her character growth throughout the book. No matter what obstacles she encountered, she didn’t let anything stand in the way of her dream. Not to mention her magical powers were bad ass and I may or may not have been jealous of a fictional character. Plus, she was bonded to an adorable phoenix!
Sev (the other main character was written very well also. Like Veronyka, he wasn’t going to let anything stand in the way of what he was trying to accomplish. For him, this meant doing whatever it took to survive, even going as far as hiding his powers when arrested in order to become a soldier as opposed to a slave.
Veronyka’s sister, Val was purely evil and manipulative, creating the perfect villain that you love to hate. Towards the end of the book I still found that I despised her yet, I am very curious to see what role she will play in the next book.
The world that Nicki has created is utterly amazing and I adored all the small details and history built into the story. She has created characters that people will fall in love with and a story that will ensnare readers everywhere. Overall, I felt that Crown of Feathers is a one of a kind tale and I just loved everything about it.
Rating: All the stars in existence (but, seriously this book is amazing!)

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ysary's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

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stormywolf's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Audiobook Read by Cassandra Campbell, Samantha Desz, Gibson Frazier, Joy Osmanski & Jacques Roy
Unabridged Length: 17.4 Hours
Listened at 2x Speed

Read my full review at The Wolf's Den

Overall, a solid production, but not as spectacular as I might have liked. I did appreciate being able to hear the terms Xe Xie and the slightly different pronunciation of Avalkyra than I had, but there wasn't much else in the fantasy category that had me puzzled. I also noticed a couple places where the text had "community" in place of "tribe" in the audio, so I assume those were edited later, but they were the only minor differences I caught. In short, this may be a fun change of pace for those who are used to only one narrator per book, but lands pretty standard for those of us who've experienced more complex productions.

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