Crown of Feathers

By Nicki Pau Preto

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.

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.

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.

Crown of Feathers is an epic fantasy about love's incredible power to save or to destroy. Throughout is interspersed the story of Avalkyra Ashfire, the last Rider Queen, who would rather see her empire burn than fall into her sister's hands.

PRAISE FOR CROWN OF FEATHERS

"Draws you in with the first flaming feather and doesn't let go." - Kendare Blake

"A feast of magic, action, and romance." - Elly Blake

"A fierce and incendiary tale of warrior women, sisterhood, and the choices that define us." - Lisa Maxwell

"A beautifully told story about justice, sisterhood, and warrior women. This richly woven world had me turning pages well into the night. Nicki Pau Preto is one to watch." - Shea Ernshaw

"The unique and imaginative world of the Phoenix Riders had my rapt attention from the first sentence. Nicki Pau Preto is a bright new talent, and I can't wait to read more!" - Morgan Rhodes

"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." - School Library Journal

"This is a new twist on fantasy favorites, and Pau Preto's first novel is as ambitious as it is lyrical." - Booklist

"Epic in the truest sense . . . it's the perfect series kickoff." - Quill and Quire

"Debut author Pau Preto's series opener steadily gathers steam before closing with a pulse-pounding crescendo. Veronica, 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." - Publisher's Weekly

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ink Road
• Release date: Apr 25, 2019
• ISBN: 9781785302572

Nicki Pau Preto

Nicki Pau Preto is a fantasy author living just outside Toronto—though her dislike of hockey, snow, and geese makes her the worst Canadian in the country. She studied art and art history in university and worked as a graphic designer before becoming a full-time writer. She is the author of the Crown of Feathers trilogy and the House of the Dead Duology, and you can find her online at NickiPauPreto.com.

Reviews for Crown of Feathers

[yonitdm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It wasn't until the very end what I realized what kind of book this was. All along the way, the hero's journey kept me guessing. We see the story unfold from several characters POV, each with backstories, motivations, trials, and contributions to the main conflict and resolution. Yet it's not until the end when we see the front of the woven tapestry for what it is. I very much enjoyed the rich mythology, world building and created history as well as the different characters we meet along the way. Losing some of the characters was hard, but they all seemed to further the plot without being gratuitous.

I'm very much looking for the saga to continue as there are so many open questions and potentials to explore!

[akshaygrg · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Just amazing! A must read! A total page turner. I guess we have a story worthy of it's own web series, after game of thrones. I hope we get the sequel soon!

[shahnareads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really really liked it.
My emotions hurt.
I don't want to wait until next year for book two.
*cry face*

[velmeran · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A captivating book with interesting and relatable characters and enough twists to keep in interesting. Plus, kudos on having a book one end without a dramatic cliffhanger!

[acciohaley · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Every time I think about this book my head is just filled with insistent, incoherent screaming and every time I think about what I want to say in a review the screaming just gets louder so my initial thoughts after finishing this were just: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. But also: I NEED TO FORCE EVERYONE I'VE EVER MET TO READ THIS BOOK.Alas, that would be a really shitty review so let me try to put my thoughts into words. Crown of Feathers comes with three perspectives: Veronyka, a girl who disguises herself as a boy so she can join the phoenix riders, Sev, an animage in the empire's army who inevitably gets swept up in a traitorous plot, and Tristan, a boy currently training to be a phoenix rider. Those are very brief descriptions of very complex characters, but I don't want to go too in depth in order to avoid spoilers. Among the three main characters we get a plethora of interesting side characters that further the plot and make the lives of the main characters very interesting. One of my favorite characters is Kade, a boy at the forefront of the traitorous plot that Sev gets caught up in and someone I have a lot of feelings about that, like many of the feelings I have for this book, can generally be summed up with: AHHHHHHHHH.While interesting and well written characters are at the forefront of the novel, it's not all we get. For a debut fantasy novel with a lot to explore, we really do get fantastic world-building, an interesting magic system and brilliant history all wrapped up within an intriguing plot. Seriously, the history is so in-depth and well done I would love to see an entire book solely expanding on the empire's rich history. That's how much I love this world. While Nicki Pau Preto gave us a rich world filled to the brim with information, she didn't have to sacrifice the plot to do so because everything was integrated perfectly. Every time I felt like the plot was about to start dragging, something happened to pick up the pace and keep me on the edge of my seat. I honestly can't think of anything about the book that I hated; I loved every aspect of it. Is every person who reads the book going to love it as much as I did? No, that's entirely unrealistic. But this is a fantasy novel that truly felt as if it was made for me. It's exactly what I'm looking for in fantasy and I am so glad it was owlcrate's book last month because that's how I learned about it.If you're a fan of Tamora Pierce, like I am, you will almost certainly love this. If you're looking for your next big high fantasy novel or if you're just looking for something to spice up your TBR, I highly recommend you at least give Crown of Feathers a shot. It definitely deserves at least that much and maybe you'll find your next favorite read. Side-note: if you loved this book and want someone to scream about it with, please scream about it with me. I have so many feelings and this review doesn't do all of them justice.

[mrnattania72 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This has a really cool twist, I mean the idea enters the head, but with so much going on and how the main character's story collide together, you kind forget about it. Veronyka is one cool cucumber, Val is a bitch, Triston is wishy-washy, and Sev is closeted. Oh Yeah, Trixxy is the wise, crazy, secretive old lady. I loved this cast of characters and the side line narrative in each chapter.