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This Cursed Crown (These Feathered Flames Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Alexandra Overy (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 30 ratings
See all formats and editions
In the explosive sequel to These Feathered Flames, twin sisters Izaveta and Asya find themselves separated once again, but discovering a way back to each other may be their most perilous challenge yet.
 
Awakening to find herself trapped in a strange tower, Izaveta knows she must find her way back to the Tóurensi palace and claim the throne. But even with an unexpected ally’s help, she worries she might not be able to get news of her survival to her sister and escape this frozen land.
 
Back at home, Asya enlists Nikov’s help to prove Izaveta is still alive, even as she finds herself forced to navigate the political world she always sought to avoid to save her queendom, her loved ones, and herself.
 
But as the sisters work independently to reunite, a dangerous force lies in wait, trying to regain power in order to overthrow the monarchy…
 
Praise for These Feathered Flames:
 
“With themes of destiny, sisterhood, and sacrifice, plus a blossoming queer romance that left me yearning for Book Two, this retelling of a classic Russian fairy tale was a thrill from start to finish."—Nina Varela, author of the Crier’s War duology
 
“These Feathered Flames has all the elements I love in young adult fantasy: lyrical prose, a unique spin on folklore, and the complicated relationship between sisters.”—Mara Rutherford, author of the Crown of Coral and Pearl duology
 
Books in the These Feathered Flames duology:
These Feathered Flames
This Cursed Crown
Previous page
  1. Book 2 of 2
    These Feathered Flames
  2. Print length
    491 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Inkyard Press
  6. Publication date
    December 6, 2022
  7. Reading age
    13 years and up
  8. File size
    2729 KB
  9. Page Flip
    Enabled
  10. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  11. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  12. See all details
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From the Publisher

TWO SISTERS SEPARATED. A QUEENDOM IN CHAOS.
"A stunning debut as dark, lush, and captivating as the best fairy tales." —NINA VARELA
More Books from Alexandra Overy
The Gingerbread Witch These Feathered Flames duology
The Gingerbread Witch These Feathered Flames
Customer Reviews
4.3 out of 5 stars
17
4.3 out of 5 stars
170
Price $10.89 $10.39

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for This Cursed Crown

"Part heist, part meditation on sacrifice, love, and ambition: a riveting coming-of-age tale." —Kirkus Reviews

Praise for These Feathered Flames

"These Feathered Flames is a stunning debut as dark, lush, and captivating as the best fairy tales. Overy’s writing is both lyrical and grounded, and I was just as taken by the court politics as I was by the complex, layered relationship between sisters Asya and Izaveta—one gentle and one ruthless, both destined to protect their kingdom. With themes of destiny, sisterhood, and sacrifice, plus a blossoming queer romance that left me yearning for Book Two, this retelling of a classic Russian fairy tale was a thrill from start to finish." —Nina Varela, author of the Crier’s War duology

“As brilliant as a firebird, These Feathered Flames has all the elements I love in young adult fantasy: lyrical prose, a unique spin on folklore, and the complicated relationship between sisters. From the first page to the last, Overy’s debut will have readers burning to know what happens next.” —Mara Rutherford, author of the Crown of Coral and Pearl duology

"These Feathered Flames is a beautiful story of sisterhood, court intrigue, and ancient magic that simultaneously draws on established folklore and breathes new life into it. With luscious worldbuilding and two skillfully crafted heroines that will ensnare your heart, this book is a fantastic start to a new series!" —Kalyn Josephson, author of The Storm Crow duology

“An engrossing fantasy tale about sisterhood and what it means to be able to fully trust another person.” —School Library Journal

"This compelling series opener is narrated by both sisters as they struggle to overcome fear and distrust to be true allies. Though the sisters’ relationship is paramount, their relationships with others, including Asya’s burgeoning romance with a female guard, prove crucial. This will appeal to those who enjoy character-driven stories of magic and courtly intrigue." —Booklist

"Asya’s exhilarating, tightly plotted fights and Izaveta’s clever political machinations play out against Slavic-inspired historical and cultural elements to create a thoroughly compelling tale of strength and sisterhood." —Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Fiona Hardingham is a British-born actress, singer, voice-over artist, and AudioFile Earphones Award-winning narrator. On stage, she appeared at the Edinburgh Festival in her comedic one-woman show The Dark Show. She has also starred in the dark-comedy short film The Ballerino. She earned a BA honors degree in performing arts from Middlesex University, London, and also studied at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.



Alexandra Overy grew up in London and moved to Los Angeles to pursue her undergraduate degree in history at UCLA. She then went on to complete her MFA in screenwriting also at UCLA, and stuck around for the weather and great ice cream. She loves writing in all formats, from novels to screenplays to graphic novels, always centering on fierce women and morally gray characters, often with a bit of magic and murder. When she's not writing, she can be found baking, fangirling over her favorite books, or cuddling her kitten. This Cursed Crown is her third novel. AlexandraOvery.com

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B092MNX8Y7
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Inkyard Press; Original edition (December 6, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 6, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2729 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 491 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 30 ratings

About the author

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Alexandra Overy

Alexandra Overy

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Alexandra grew up in London and moved to Los Angeles to complete her MFA in screenwriting, and stuck around for the weather and great ice cream. She loves writing in all formats, from novels to screenplays to graphic novels, always centring on fierce women and morally grey characters, often with a bit of magic and murder. When she’s not writing, she can be found baking, fangirling over her favourite books, or cuddling her cats. These Feathered Flames is her debut novel.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
30 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Katie S Passerotti
5.0 out of 5 stars A compelling read and satisfying conclusion!!
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2022
Verified Purchase
This Cursed Crown was a compelling read and a satisfying conclusion to this duology. The spectacular world building from These Feathered Flames was expanded upon and just so immersive. I could picture the story unfolding around me and honestly, I wouldn't mind living in Tourin (I love snow!). TCC is a great mix of a character and plot driven story as the two sisters deal with the fallout of their actions from book 1. I loved the court intrigue and how I engaged I was in figuring out who the big bad causing all the problems was and let me tell you, it's not what you think! (It's better!!)

I don't want to give details, but the ending was brilliant. It wrapped up all the threads and made me want to go back and reread These Feathered Flames and when I did, I saw the hints!! I love when books have excellent follow through and This Cursed Crown definitely does.

Overy's writing is once again easy to read--it's lyrical and has so much voice. You really see the personalities of the two sisters coming through in every word. I enthusiastically recommend this book and cannot wait to read more from this author! 14/10!
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knithappens
4.0 out of 5 stars Much better than the first book
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2023
Verified Purchase
This was much better than the first book. The tension in the plot came from more places than just the two sisters failing to communicate with each other, which was about 90% of the plot tension in book one. The world building was explored a bit more and was interesting. Character development was significantly improved.

However, I have so many issues with the first one that I don't think I'll revisit this series. I wouldn't have even read this one if I hadn't already purchased the set.
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Olivia F.
4.0 out of 5 stars ultimately satisfying conclusion
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2022
THIS CURSED CROWN is an intriguing and ultimately satisfying conclusion to the THESE FEATHERED FLAMES duology. Picking up where the first book ended, we first follow Asya who is still reeling from the loss of her sister at her hands. With the Firebird, her wants/thoughts are sometimes in conflict with the role she must play, a fact that becomes clear as she performs the jobs she must to keep the balance. Meanwhile, she is also wondering about what happened to Izaveta and whether there is any chance of rescue.

Later in the story, as stated in the synopsis, we begin to also follow Izaveta, who did not expect to survive the balancing of the Firebird. She is trapped in a tower at the hands of someone she would never have suspected. However, things are even more complicated than they seem and Iza is racing against the clock and untold power to find her way back to the throne and Asya.

What I loved: While there are several themes, sisterhood remains a strong current of the story. Asya and Iza are two sides of the same coin. While they were raised for different roles, their connection and love for each other is a driving factor for both. Other themes of the story are around politics, complicated morality, power and socioeconomic disparity, betrayal, mind games, and the weight of emotions and love.

The Firebird is a tool of balance with rules that seem simple in terms of making sure everyone pays the price for the magic they cast. However, this is complicated by situations in which wealthy people force their servants (under threats of the jobs they cannot afford to lose) to finish casting their spells, so that the servants will pay the price. Asya is a tool of the system, and while she wishes that she had more of a role to play in changing things, she is powerless to evaluate the morality and fairness of these situations.

While the story is told from both Iza and Asya's perspectives, Asya really dominates the story. She has been understanding her role and relationship with the Firebird more. While this was particularly complicated in the first story, she is beginning to find her own way to embrace who she has become. At the same time, she is evaluating the connections she has to Yuliana and Iza, as these are potential weaknesses, but they are also drivers for her behavior. This conflict between love and duty is one that continues throughout this series.

This story expands a bit more on the mythology of this world and the magic. This is a particularly interesting element of the story with implications for religion and the way that fables are born from fact. History has its own twist from the people who tell it. Their religion is also not so smooth and clear-cut, with the ability to influence rituals and decisions. The plots around this world-building and related themes are strong throughout the duology.

What left me wanting more: This book felt like it meandered a lot, particularly in the early parts, which felt rather slow. The path was a bit windy, and it was tough to remember details from earlier needed later. This did get smoother later in the story as it really found its stride.

Final verdict: THIS CURSED CROWN is a satisfying and compelling conclusion to a YA fantasy duology about sisters, magic, and destiny.

Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
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tpolen
4.0 out of 5 stars Satisfying Conclusion
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2022
With a doozy of a cliffhanger at the end of the first book, I was anxious to see what was next for these twin sisters/princesses.

Asya believes her sister Izaveta is dead, and she’s floundering without her. Izaveta understands court politics and manipulates people like a master chess player, but Asya is entirely out of her depth. As the Firebird, she’s required to collect payment from magic casters to maintain balance in the realm – the rules are clear-cut and something she understands. But because of her actions at the end of the first book, she’s now being cast as a criminal, and the girl she loves is missing. With Izaveta presumed dead, the throne sits empty, and someone must be crowned. Among power struggles, betrayals, lies, imprisonments, and dark magic, it’s unclear who will succeed.

I honestly didn’t know how these two would find their way back to each other, reclaim the throne, or even survive, and their circumstances look grim for most of the story. Selfish decisions and mistakes are made, and every time they gain ground, the twins are outsmarted by a very clever villain. When long-kept secrets are revealed, their paths become very murky.

I’m a fan of morally gray characters, but I had a love/hate relationship with Iza and Asya on and off throughout the book. Each makes unpopular choices at certain points, but there’s also admirable character growth in both of them throughout the course of the story. When the chips are down, their sister/twin bond only grows stronger, and they’ll always choose each other over everyone else.

These books are based on the Russian folktale The Firebird, so fans of fairy tales or folklore may find the series appealing. This Cursed Crown is a satisfying conclusion to an exciting duology filled with magic, power quests, and deception.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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Top reviews from other countries

Vervada
4.0 out of 5 stars A solid conclusion to a gorgeous, icy and treacherous duology
Reviewed in Italy on October 16, 2023
Verified Purchase
4.5 stars

The descriptions in this book are fantastic. I read it during the first week of a very warm October and yet I could picture the icy landscape and feel the cold wind without any problems. The characters are well done as well, though I wish they spent more time together, like Asya and Izaveta or Asya and Yuliana. These two relationships were so intriguing and I wanted to see even more of them. I also loved seeing the two sisters step out of their comfort zones and seeing how much more capable they became because of it. The interesting thing about the plot was that it managed to be both pretty simple and quite filled with betrayals and treachery at the same time.

The reason that I'm giving this book four and not five stars is that there were a few times where I found it too easy to put the book down. Probably because there was too much tension and barely any calmer scenes to let the characters (and me) relax a little. It became a bit draining after a while.

A solid conclusion to a gorgeous, icy and treacherous duology.
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