Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.

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.

Review:
Fantasy books with dueling sister queens seems to be a thing right now.  Books such as Three Dark Crowns, by Kendare Blake, really set a standard for complex plots, and royal intrigue.  So, while I was quite excited about reading Crown of Feathers, by Nicki Pau Preto, I was also wary.  Would this be a retread of Three Dark Crowns?  

I am so happy to say that Crown of Feathers is such an original work, full of fabulous world-building, characters, and themes that it is wholly unique.  I loved it!

Setting:
The novel is set in a world that has been ravaged by a war between two rival queen sisters.  Most people are still struggling to survive, and they are wary of Animages (people who can bond with animals), putting them into slavery.  This is a civilization in decline.  Before the war, women and men were equal.  The legendary Animages (called Phoenix Riders) worked with their regal creatures to protect the empire from invaders.

But with ending of the Blood War, men decide that female animages are too dangerous.  When Veronyka does find some Phoenix Riders, she isn't allowed to train with them because she is a girl.

Phoenixes play a central role in this book.  I loved the mythology behind these creatures, and how they bond with the animages.  The author has really thought out all aspects of the life of a phoenix, from how it is born, to what it eats, and how one would behave in a battle.  This made for a rich setting.


Characters:

I loved Veronyka.  She is a teenager who has survived years of abuse at the hands of her sister.  We begin the story seeing Veronyka as rather weak.  But as we see that kind of psychological attack she has endured, it's no wonder Veronyka is so meek.  Her journey of evolving into a strong young woman was very satisfying.

Tristan and Sev are two other characters who go through a transformative journey in the novel.  Tristan is an apprentice Phoenix Rider.  As the son of the Commander, he has a lot to live up to.  The fact that he is afraid of fire (and, of course, Phoenixes often burst into flames) complicates his training.  

Sev is an animage who is hiding from the empire in plain sight.  He becomes a soldier, an oppressor, who must witness other animages being worked to death as slaves.  Will he continue to take the easier, safer path?  Or will he risk everything to help in a rebellion? 

Themes:
One of the main themes concerns how abuse can happen among siblings.  In the case of Veronyka and Val, this abuse is more psychological than physical, but it is destructive, nonetheless.  The novel really delves into the subtle ways Val manipulates Veronyka to do her bidding.  She bullies, and threatens, but also isolates Veronyka from friends so her self-esteem is completely gone.  Although this is behavior that one would believe only happens in romantic relationships, this portrayal reminds the reader that abuse can occur in any relationship. 

Ending:
Even though this book is the beginning of a series, the ending did resolve many of the plot points, and was extremely satisfying.  I hate it when a book seems to end right in the middle of the action with the promise that there will be a big reveal when book two comes out.  Which will be at least a year later.  The ending solved enough of the problems to be gratifying, while generating interest in what could happen in the next book.


What I Didn't Like:
While I know that piracy is a huge issue for publishers, I really struggled with the protected PDF format of this book.  Is there some other format that would protect the book from being copied, but is not an Adobe product?  I certainly hope that this is an issue for review copies only, as it took me three times as long to get through the book due to the abysmal navigation of Adobe Acrobat Reader.  Please publishers,  at least tell reviewers on NetGalley that the format is a PDF.  I will avoid books in this format in the future.
               
via GIPHY


Trigger Warning for Abusive relationships.
 

Rating: 





Release Date:  February 12th, 2019

Author:  Nicki Pau Preto

Publisher:  Simon Pulse

Genre:  YA Fantasy

Page Length:  496 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  PDF (Ugh!)

Recommendation:  A very entertaining book set in an awe-inspiring world.  I can't wait for book two!!!