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The Phoenix Feather #1
Fledglings
This four-volume feel-good pandemic project has earned praise from lovers of The Goblin EmperorIn the grand tradition of martial arts fantasies, The Phoenix Feather begins twenty-five yearsafter a pair of lovers ran for their lives from an angry prince and washed up on an island where they adopted new identities—and found themselves blessed by an omen promising great things, a single golden phoenix feather.Their eldest child, a natural martial artist like his father, seems destined for those great things. The second son, an artist and a dreamer, has no desire for greatness—he wants to be left alone to paint. And the youngest, a daughter, used to wearing her brothers’ castoffs and trotting at their heels, is the least promising, always scamping her studies in favor of sword lessons and play.All three vowed to keep their parents’ dangerous secret. But in this first volume, Fledglings, the family learns that sometimes children must follow their own paths . .
324 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 31, 2021
70 people are currently reading
278 people want to read
About the author
Sherwood Smith
168 books37.5k followersI am a writer,( Patreon here) but I'm on Goodreads to talk about books, as I've been a passionate reader as long as I've been a writer--since early childhood.
I'm not going to rate books--there are too many variables. I'd rather talk about the reading experience. My 'reviews' of my books are confined to the writing process.
I'm not going to rate books--there are too many variables. I'd rather talk about the reading experience. My 'reviews' of my books are confined to the writing process.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
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January 12, 2022When I first encountered Chinese television series and novels six years ago, with their complex manners and customs and long braided stories and the underpinnings of a yearning for beauty in all things, I was utterly blown away.
My tastes in reading tend toward braided tales, with characters growing and changing in a world both breathtaking and strange, where striving to become the best one can be matters. (And how that gets defined is what drives the story.) Romance is frosting on a very delectable cake.
After six years of happy immersion in Eastern history, language, literature and art, last year when we got sequestered in our homes, I wanted escape into such a world, so I began writing The Phoenix Feather as a xuanhuan (an offshoot of the far older wuxia genre, which borrows freely from various mythologies), just to see where it would take me.
I deliberately put in all the tropes I love the most—disguises, hidden secrets, martial arts training, beauty in people, places, and things. This first book is pretty linear--I just let it write itself, and tried to keep things fairly simple, like not getting into naming traditions.
What I was going for was the same feel-good I got from The Goblin Emperor only in a completely different type of story. (Whether it succeeds is up to the reader!)
My tastes in reading tend toward braided tales, with characters growing and changing in a world both breathtaking and strange, where striving to become the best one can be matters. (And how that gets defined is what drives the story.) Romance is frosting on a very delectable cake.
After six years of happy immersion in Eastern history, language, literature and art, last year when we got sequestered in our homes, I wanted escape into such a world, so I began writing The Phoenix Feather as a xuanhuan (an offshoot of the far older wuxia genre, which borrows freely from various mythologies), just to see where it would take me.
I deliberately put in all the tropes I love the most—disguises, hidden secrets, martial arts training, beauty in people, places, and things. This first book is pretty linear--I just let it write itself, and tried to keep things fairly simple, like not getting into naming traditions.
What I was going for was the same feel-good I got from The Goblin Emperor only in a completely different type of story. (Whether it succeeds is up to the reader!)
October 13, 2021
This was such a fun read! It has an alt-China background and an oriental flare for a story that flows like a mountain stream—fresh and quick and joyful.
The story centers on a family with a deadly secret at the cusp where the children are ready to branch out into their destinies according to their individual desires and talents. Mouse, the youngest, is center stage more than her brothers as she passes as the orderly for her eldest brother during the beginning of his martial career. It's clear that all three are destined for great things, with their unique background built up from supportive, and deeply talented parents who taught them all everything they knew (according to their interests and inclinations). I loved how deeply this family loved and supported each other. And how they did so unselfishly and largely due to the outstanding example of the parents who sacrificed and shared and loved so completely.
I don't know much about the xuanhuan tradition/style that the author is following, beyond that it's a follow-on of the wuxia stories I gobbled up opportunistically in my young adulthood when they entered my life as kung fu fables. I can't judge how successful this is in that tradition, but I loved this description about an artwork one character encounters "Everything about the scene bespoke order, but nothing was symmetrical or grouped into arrogant lines". This story is exactly like that description. Ordered, but nothing symmetrical or grouped into arrogant lines. I loved that.
I highly recommend this fascinating fantasy story. Smith excels at character and setting and I was deeply engaged throughout. This is easily five stars, but that's not a surprise given I'm a huge fan of her other stories as well. It's something of a departure as most of her stories are interrelated and this one is a new world, entirely. It's a great success as an experiment, I have to say and I'm glad the story continues because I love these characters so much.
The story centers on a family with a deadly secret at the cusp where the children are ready to branch out into their destinies according to their individual desires and talents. Mouse, the youngest, is center stage more than her brothers as she passes as the orderly for her eldest brother during the beginning of his martial career. It's clear that all three are destined for great things, with their unique background built up from supportive, and deeply talented parents who taught them all everything they knew (according to their interests and inclinations). I loved how deeply this family loved and supported each other. And how they did so unselfishly and largely due to the outstanding example of the parents who sacrificed and shared and loved so completely.
I don't know much about the xuanhuan tradition/style that the author is following, beyond that it's a follow-on of the wuxia stories I gobbled up opportunistically in my young adulthood when they entered my life as kung fu fables. I can't judge how successful this is in that tradition, but I loved this description about an artwork one character encounters "Everything about the scene bespoke order, but nothing was symmetrical or grouped into arrogant lines". This story is exactly like that description. Ordered, but nothing symmetrical or grouped into arrogant lines. I loved that.
I highly recommend this fascinating fantasy story. Smith excels at character and setting and I was deeply engaged throughout. This is easily five stars, but that's not a surprise given I'm a huge fan of her other stories as well. It's something of a departure as most of her stories are interrelated and this one is a new world, entirely. It's a great success as an experiment, I have to say and I'm glad the story continues because I love these characters so much.
January 24, 2022
it was fun, exciting and very well written! all characters are well written and likeable in a the way humans are, the make mistakes and sometimes are selfish and not too bright all the time. and well mouse is delightful, even if i wanted to sometimes kick her, sometimes because she was too innocent and sometimes because she did everything a bit too well, but then this is an action/ adventure story and for middle graders and so i think it was perfect for the target audience and not too bad for the everyone else. loved the time i spent reading it and going on to the second book. this is not a standalone, though doesn't end in a cliffhanger really; just that one part of the story is finished but it's not all told and i think you'd want to read the second, the third and the fourth one, be warned.
September 26, 2024
The first in a series following the development of two brothers and their younger sister. The latter follows first brother into military cadet training as his orderly, but excels herself in sword play and martial arts taught to all the siblings by their father who in turn has to hide his skills. Said father, took off with the emperor's "girl" long ago. So, the origin of skills of the siblings has to be hidden to prevent the discovery of the father in hiding. Worse, the young sister is caught up in a sea of boys, so has to hide her sex.
The setting is Smith's oriental, thousand islands. I was expecting some development of this "world," but very little is offered in this first book going by publishing date. I'm not sure of the chronological order of this tale with respect to the three later published books I read in the same setting. Perhaps there is none.
A young people's tale, but Sherwood Smith throws enough wrinkles in to keep it interesting. Light reading, but sometimes 'light' is just what the old brain needs. I'll continue and see where this leads.
The setting is Smith's oriental, thousand islands. I was expecting some development of this "world," but very little is offered in this first book going by publishing date. I'm not sure of the chronological order of this tale with respect to the three later published books I read in the same setting. Perhaps there is none.
A young people's tale, but Sherwood Smith throws enough wrinkles in to keep it interesting. Light reading, but sometimes 'light' is just what the old brain needs. I'll continue and see where this leads.
August 31, 2021
This is a fabulous book in the xuanhuan tradition, set in alt-China. The characters are wonderful, the adventures and challenges exciting, and the setting pitch perfect. I read this in beta form and loved it. I'm well into the second book now, which Sherwood is releasing on her Patreon chapter by chapter, and I love it EVEN MORE. Hop aboard this train, my friends--it is a wonderful ride!
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April 30, 2022In an empire that is close to Chinese than other empires in our earth, a couple flees the anger of an emperor who wanted to marry the woman. They have three children and teach them the skills they know. The first son learns to fight the way his father did (as the best sword fighter in the imperial staff), the second son is an artist, and the younger daughter learns about the "essence", which is a subtle type of magic (she also is a good student in her father's style of fighting). The parents teach them that the emperor will want vengeance if they catch them.
The story really starts when the children are in town without their parents.
The eldest competes for and wins admission to an officer's academy. His sister, disguised as a boy, is his servant.
The sister is the main character in this book, and probably the sequels.
The story really starts when the children are in town without their parents.
The eldest competes for and wins admission to an officer's academy. His sister, disguised as a boy, is his servant.
The sister is the main character in this book, and probably the sequels.
September 16, 2021
This book combines comforting, familiar tropes with an engaging fantasy world based on Chinese literary traditions (specifically the wuxia genre). The story follows Mouse, a ten year old girl, and her two older brothers as they join a society that is as dangerous as it is welcoming. This book is both accessible to younger readers and enjoyable by older ones. It was great to read a fantasy book that wasn’t set in the same vaguely-medieval European world as so many other fantasy novels are. In some ways, it feels like this is the story that Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan wishes it was.
You can listen to episode 17 of our podcast (Fiction Fans) for an in-depth interview with Sherwood Smith.
You can listen to episode 17 of our podcast (Fiction Fans) for an in-depth interview with Sherwood Smith.
June 1, 2024
Very similar in style to Tribute. I love the way she tells a story.
March 13, 2025
I finished this series (4 books) in 5 days. For that reason, I can't quite remember what happens in which book.
I've always adored this author's work, and this is familiar but different. The setting is Asia-inspired and from the beginning the characters and story are compelling. This first book focuses on the characters as they are young, but the series follows them as they age and it gets deeper and more complicated as the characters grow. I love stories that show characters working hard to grow and learn, and much of this one takes place in a military training school, so I enjoyed that portion a lot.
I've always adored this author's work, and this is familiar but different. The setting is Asia-inspired and from the beginning the characters and story are compelling. This first book focuses on the characters as they are young, but the series follows them as they age and it gets deeper and more complicated as the characters grow. I love stories that show characters working hard to grow and learn, and much of this one takes place in a military training school, so I enjoyed that portion a lot.
January 28, 2022
Great fun! Loved the characters; the tropes were familiar but the setting is new (though also familiar, being based on ancient China); motifs and themes reminiscent of the Inda stories and Stranger to Command.
Why is it that some writers take formulaic plots and write predictable, formulaic stories, while others—like Smith—can take the same formula and write endless variations on it that never get tiresome?
An immersive comfort read; exactly what the doctor ordered. I bought the second one right away.
Why is it that some writers take formulaic plots and write predictable, formulaic stories, while others—like Smith—can take the same formula and write endless variations on it that never get tiresome?
An immersive comfort read; exactly what the doctor ordered. I bought the second one right away.
November 18, 2024
I read this early in the year, loved it, and forgot I hadn't reviewed it. It's great. If you love Asian-influenced (alt-universe?) fantasy (there is a Chinese word for this I have forgotten), this is the series for you. I was captivated at the prologue--there's another element that may surprise those of you who reflexively dislike prologues; here is an example of how they can be done right. I found this first volume extremely satisfying and look forward to reading the rest of the series, once I break through this nasty disinclination to read anything...
December 2, 2024
I am so pleased to find this new series by Sherwood. She has long been one of my favorite authors and i have reread the Inda series several times and rejoiced when she revisited that saga to tell the women's side of the story in two large volumes. This seems a clean and enchanting continuation of her girl hero martial magic line that i enjoy so much. Reaching for the second volume right now. It is a very great shame, shame on you mainstream publishers, these aren't more widely available.
June 16, 2022
A true epic in the classical sense that feels like a Chinese drama put to the page with intricate world building, great characters, amazing fights. It feels like a modern, hidden gem of a book. i cannot wait to read the rest of the series.
September 5, 2023
I initially didn't read this because I was afraid I wouldn't like the story structure, but I should have trusted Sherwood Smith's character skills. This is really one book in 4 parts-- each goes on immediately to the next.
November 7, 2022
Outstanding bit of fiction.
January 17, 2023
A gentle cultivation novel that I can appreciate more now that I have a better feel for the genre and know what to expect.
September 10, 2021
I love Sherwood Smith’s writing and I loved getting into this new China-inspired world. We follow Mouse as she follows her brother to help him fulfill his destiny. Contains: mild violence and some language (the s-word about 10 times)
I’ve been lucky enough to read the beta version the Phoenix Feather on Patreon.
I’ve been lucky enough to read the beta version the Phoenix Feather on Patreon.
October 31, 2021
I love Sherwood Smith's writing, so I was delighted to find this.
Three siblings raised on a remoter island grow up not realising that their parents (Hanu and Danno, now known as Olt and Iley) are a pair of lovers who ran away from an unforgiving angry prince. A single phoenix feather is an omen that promises great things.
The eldest child, First Brother Muinkanda, has learned advance martial arts techniques from his father. The middle boy, Second Brother Yskanda, wants nothing more than to be an artist. The youngest, a girl, Arikanda, known as Mouse, wants nothing more than to follow her brothers around, usually dressed as a boy in their cast-offs. She is determined to help First Brother to greatness. Second brother gets a place as an apprentice scribe – his dream job. When First Brother Muin is accepted as a cadet for officer training in the army, Mouse, disguised as a boy, goes with him as his servant. Her quick wits often direct him to success as foretold by the phoenix feather, but Mouse has talent and skills of her own, skills she must hide lest they lead investigators back to her parents. Highly recommended
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Three siblings raised on a remoter island grow up not realising that their parents (Hanu and Danno, now known as Olt and Iley) are a pair of lovers who ran away from an unforgiving angry prince. A single phoenix feather is an omen that promises great things.
The eldest child, First Brother Muinkanda, has learned advance martial arts techniques from his father. The middle boy, Second Brother Yskanda, wants nothing more than to be an artist. The youngest, a girl, Arikanda, known as Mouse, wants nothing more than to follow her brothers around, usually dressed as a boy in their cast-offs. She is determined to help First Brother to greatness. Second brother gets a place as an apprentice scribe – his dream job. When First Brother Muin is accepted as a cadet for officer training in the army, Mouse, disguised as a boy, goes with him as his servant. Her quick wits often direct him to success as foretold by the phoenix feather, but Mouse has talent and skills of her own, skills she must hide lest they lead investigators back to her parents. Highly recommended
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October 2, 2022
An absolute delight
I found this book a little slow to get into, but after the third or fourth chapter, I couldn't stop reading! It's halfway between Tamora Pierce and Louis Cha - a great coming of age story with wonderful characters, but on an epic scale with an omniscient narrator and lots of characters. Upon finishing, I immediately bought the rest of the series. The best part for me was the world-building - the whole setting is inspired by wuxia and is obviously lovingly researched, but it's also an original world full of unique and delightful details! This series was actually introduced to me by a fan of my Immortal Beings series, and I would highly recommend it to others for the same reason - it's a page-turning epic with a foundation in Asian lore and fantasy.
I found this book a little slow to get into, but after the third or fourth chapter, I couldn't stop reading! It's halfway between Tamora Pierce and Louis Cha - a great coming of age story with wonderful characters, but on an epic scale with an omniscient narrator and lots of characters. Upon finishing, I immediately bought the rest of the series. The best part for me was the world-building - the whole setting is inspired by wuxia and is obviously lovingly researched, but it's also an original world full of unique and delightful details! This series was actually introduced to me by a fan of my Immortal Beings series, and I would highly recommend it to others for the same reason - it's a page-turning epic with a foundation in Asian lore and fantasy.
December 22, 2021
Glorious, Asian take on the themes of Inda
Mouse and her brothers, sought after by family enemies holding a deep grudge, venture out into the world, discovering their own talents. A lot of military school, coming of age stuff, and a bit of the magical martial arts that make wuxia tales. Looking forward to the next!
Mouse and her brothers, sought after by family enemies holding a deep grudge, venture out into the world, discovering their own talents. A lot of military school, coming of age stuff, and a bit of the magical martial arts that make wuxia tales. Looking forward to the next!
September 3, 2021
Fun
Mouse tags along with her older brother into adventures. Deliberately slow paced, there's a lot of military academy stuff and Mouse both failing to notice she's gifted and hiding the parts she does notice. I enjoyed it.
Mouse tags along with her older brother into adventures. Deliberately slow paced, there's a lot of military academy stuff and Mouse both failing to notice she's gifted and hiding the parts she does notice. I enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews