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Kingdom of Birds and Beasts #3
Kingdom of Feathers
The King is dead. Chaos reigns…
A life of messy politics and war was never what Brianna planned. Now she has to navigate a world where everyone seems set against her while trying to fix the country’s problems. She must show no weakness, for only then can she marry the man she loves and take her place as queen.
But while Spirit-Beasts and Borderland nobility argue over alliances, Queen Geraldina works to take everything Brianna loves, and she has been playing this game for a long time.
More sinister powers are rising behind the scenes, seeped in Old Magic and with the strength to destroy the continent. One such power is growing within Brianna herself, and she can only ignore it for so long.
Will she learn to become the savior, or will she cause the world to fall?
A life of messy politics and war was never what Brianna planned. Now she has to navigate a world where everyone seems set against her while trying to fix the country’s problems. She must show no weakness, for only then can she marry the man she loves and take her place as queen.
But while Spirit-Beasts and Borderland nobility argue over alliances, Queen Geraldina works to take everything Brianna loves, and she has been playing this game for a long time.
More sinister powers are rising behind the scenes, seeped in Old Magic and with the strength to destroy the continent. One such power is growing within Brianna herself, and she can only ignore it for so long.
Will she learn to become the savior, or will she cause the world to fall?
413 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 22, 2022
54 people are currently reading
399 people want to read
About the author
Alice Ivinya
32 books311 followersAlice is a USA Today Bestselling author who writes low spice fantasy and fairytales.
She lives in Bristol, UK, and has loved fantasy all her life. Her favourite authors are Holly Black and Brandon Sanderson.
When she's not off gallivanting in other worlds, you can find her looking after her two young sons, hanging out with her church family, or walking the best dog in the world with her husband.
She lives in Bristol, UK, and has loved fantasy all her life. Her favourite authors are Holly Black and Brandon Sanderson.
When she's not off gallivanting in other worlds, you can find her looking after her two young sons, hanging out with her church family, or walking the best dog in the world with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
November 15, 2022
3-ish stars, personally.
What an interesting end to this trilogy. I will easily say that I read these nearly 1000 pages within 28 hours--I started at Sunday evening around 7pm and finished the final book on Monday around 11pm. This is because, yes, the plot interested me but mainly because the fantasy elements reminded me of the fantasy elements I enjoy reading in Korean manhwa stories. Pretty dresses and sword fights, my kind of fantasy right there, apparently.(I may have also pushed out a few items on my to-do list for the day to finish this series, but I will be completely them as soon as I finish this review, I promise. ;)
I'm putting this as 3-ish stars because I did enjoy different aspects of this plot line, but also because of the cute romance and how well spoken Jian was. I honestly would be very interested to see the whole series told from his point of view, but I suppose Brianna has more of the action scenes. He communicated so well to her (which she didn't do the best at) and I honestly highlighted some of his parts because they were so sweet without being over-the-top cheesy or corny. Props to the author for that.
Personally, my main dislike of this third book was the hinted fade-to-black scene (when married) that started with kisses in the bedroom and drifted off. However half of the couple was majorly injured so....there's that. I still don't like the hints to sexual content, but this was a much cleaner series than I expected. If you've never seen my reviews before (hi!), I read 90-95% only Christian Fiction and prefer what a lot of people call "squeaky-clean" books. Most of the secular books I've read or attempted to read are riddled with curses, God's name taken in vain, and sexual innuendoes if not actual smut. Needless to say, the bar of my expectations of this trilogy when starting the first book was on the floor it was so low. Especially since none of my Goodreads friends (who also prefer to read clean fiction) had reviewed this series. But it surprised me in a lot of ways. I'll still say I'm not completely sure on my feelings about the Spirit-Beasts and all of the actual fantasy content in this fantasy trilogy (it should be noted that I'm not actually a big fantasy fan) but by this third book I think I was able to understand it well enough. (However, if there were loopholes, I have absolutely no idea.)
I'm glad I happened to read this book after all three books were published because I think I won't have continued the series, despite my curiosity of the plot. The writing -style was well done and was one of the better first-person POV books I've read from the secular market. I've had quite a few instances where a first-person POV of a girl who's ✨special✨ can sound whinny or just frankly, get on my nerves quickly. Brianna did annoy me just a tad in this final book because I wanted her to slow down and think, but overall I liked her as a character. I really liked the writing style, the pacing, and all the action. It was an entertaining and clean story, so, once again, props to the author for that!
Main Content/Trigger Warnings
I'll ask you to refer to the content listed in my review of the first book because this one was about the same. My GR review of book one. Main differences were some of the fighting went up to what I would consider border-line detailed.
There's a lot more on the fantasy side with people's blood being used.
More kisses (most were just sweet kisses, but a couple could be considered detailed because of the length of the kiss) and then after marriage, there was a fade-to-black scene, mentioned above, and also sharing a bed and blushes with all the falling in love/being in love emotions. (I personally found it to be more sweet than sexual tension filled.)
Much less animal cruelty and killing, but there are some animals/beasts (both good ones and bad ones) that die/are killed in battle scenes and to prevent secrets from being revealed to the enemies.
No actual cursing, but words like 'By the beasts' and 'Spirits' are used as fictional-world cursing.
What an interesting end to this trilogy. I will easily say that I read these nearly 1000 pages within 28 hours--I started at Sunday evening around 7pm and finished the final book on Monday around 11pm. This is because, yes, the plot interested me but mainly because the fantasy elements reminded me of the fantasy elements I enjoy reading in Korean manhwa stories. Pretty dresses and sword fights, my kind of fantasy right there, apparently.
I'm putting this as 3-ish stars because I did enjoy different aspects of this plot line, but also because of the cute romance and how well spoken Jian was. I honestly would be very interested to see the whole series told from his point of view, but I suppose Brianna has more of the action scenes. He communicated so well to her (which she didn't do the best at) and I honestly highlighted some of his parts because they were so sweet without being over-the-top cheesy or corny. Props to the author for that.
Personally, my main dislike of this third book was the hinted fade-to-black scene (when married) that started with kisses in the bedroom and drifted off. However half of the couple was majorly injured so....there's that. I still don't like the hints to sexual content, but this was a much cleaner series than I expected. If you've never seen my reviews before (hi!), I read 90-95% only Christian Fiction and prefer what a lot of people call "squeaky-clean" books. Most of the secular books I've read or attempted to read are riddled with curses, God's name taken in vain, and sexual innuendoes if not actual smut. Needless to say, the bar of my expectations of this trilogy when starting the first book was on the floor it was so low. Especially since none of my Goodreads friends (who also prefer to read clean fiction) had reviewed this series. But it surprised me in a lot of ways. I'll still say I'm not completely sure on my feelings about the Spirit-Beasts and all of the actual fantasy content in this fantasy trilogy (it should be noted that I'm not actually a big fantasy fan) but by this third book I think I was able to understand it well enough. (However, if there were loopholes, I have absolutely no idea.)
I'm glad I happened to read this book after all three books were published because I think I won't have continued the series, despite my curiosity of the plot. The writing -style was well done and was one of the better first-person POV books I've read from the secular market. I've had quite a few instances where a first-person POV of a girl who's ✨special✨ can sound whinny or just frankly, get on my nerves quickly. Brianna did annoy me just a tad in this final book because I wanted her to slow down and think, but overall I liked her as a character. I really liked the writing style, the pacing, and all the action. It was an entertaining and clean story, so, once again, props to the author for that!
Main Content/Trigger Warnings
I'll ask you to refer to the content listed in my review of the first book because this one was about the same. My GR review of book one. Main differences were some of the fighting went up to what I would consider border-line detailed.
There's a lot more on the fantasy side with people's blood being used.
More kisses (most were just sweet kisses, but a couple could be considered detailed because of the length of the kiss) and then after marriage, there was a fade-to-black scene, mentioned above, and also sharing a bed and blushes with all the falling in love/being in love emotions. (I personally found it to be more sweet than sexual tension filled.)
Much less animal cruelty and killing, but there are some animals/beasts (both good ones and bad ones) that die/are killed in battle scenes and to prevent secrets from being revealed to the enemies.
No actual cursing, but words like 'By the beasts' and 'Spirits' are used as fictional-world cursing.
August 8, 2022
2.5 stars. Whew, was this ever a hot mess. I get that the author has a lot to wrap up, but wow. I lost count of how many people or creatures died in this book, and so much was happening all at one that it sort of glazes over a bit. She basically ends up razing almost the whole world and then at the end she’s like “oh wow, I went too far. My bad, won’t happen again” and everyone just accepted it? Sure.
Plus the ENTIRE premise of this book was based on her swallowing some seeds and they’d stay and give her power forever? I know it’s a fairy tale and there’s literally magic, but I couldn’t get past this one since the body’s digestive cycle is not more than three days long. Those seeds wouldn’t be there more than 72 hours tops, much less weeks.
Plus the ENTIRE premise of this book was based on her swallowing some seeds and they’d stay and give her power forever? I know it’s a fairy tale and there’s literally magic, but I couldn’t get past this one since the body’s digestive cycle is not more than three days long. Those seeds wouldn’t be there more than 72 hours tops, much less weeks.
April 26, 2022
I'd been eagerly but patiently waiting for this book since I finished the previous one. The Goose Girl is one of my favorite fairytales, so when I had come across the first book, I immediately picked it up. Little did I know that a simple fairytale would turn out to be such a masterpiece.
I'm sad that the series is over, but at the same time, I feel like this was the right time and way to end it. The first two novels explored the character dynamics and the complications faced by the people and the kingdoms, while this one took all those threads, neatly tied them up, and presented a beautiful outcome at the end.
Brianna's character had so many layers in this one. She went from being a scared and obedient person to finding her voice and making her own decisions. It also showed a side of her that battled temptations and made some not-so-good decisions. Basically, she was flawed, but it made her more realistic.
I loved Jian even more in this book. His constant support and understanding towards others, especially Brianna, was heartwarming. I like it when male protagonists, who are seen as broody and stoic, are shown to have a vulnerable side when they're with the person they love.
The best part, however, was the various tribes of animals. The way they functioned, their beliefs, and nature was explained in detail. While reading, I wished animals also had an equal say in how the world was run; maybe then they wouldn't be exploited so terribly by humans. The author did a wonderful job of imparting this message through the story.
The twists and revelations kept things interesting. I devoured this book within 2 days; it would have taken less time if it wasn't for all the interruptions. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy fantasy romances, unique magic, animals who are equal to humans, and strong female protagonists.
I'm sad that the series is over, but at the same time, I feel like this was the right time and way to end it. The first two novels explored the character dynamics and the complications faced by the people and the kingdoms, while this one took all those threads, neatly tied them up, and presented a beautiful outcome at the end.
Brianna's character had so many layers in this one. She went from being a scared and obedient person to finding her voice and making her own decisions. It also showed a side of her that battled temptations and made some not-so-good decisions. Basically, she was flawed, but it made her more realistic.
I loved Jian even more in this book. His constant support and understanding towards others, especially Brianna, was heartwarming. I like it when male protagonists, who are seen as broody and stoic, are shown to have a vulnerable side when they're with the person they love.
The best part, however, was the various tribes of animals. The way they functioned, their beliefs, and nature was explained in detail. While reading, I wished animals also had an equal say in how the world was run; maybe then they wouldn't be exploited so terribly by humans. The author did a wonderful job of imparting this message through the story.
The twists and revelations kept things interesting. I devoured this book within 2 days; it would have taken less time if it wasn't for all the interruptions. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy fantasy romances, unique magic, animals who are equal to humans, and strong female protagonists.
January 18, 2024
This series had a ton of potential but the ending felt forced. The MC made a lot of choices that didn't fit, her growth felt kind of stunted, and the ending was total chaos. I genuinely thought the author was making her the villain for a bit there, and there's no going back from some of that... 😳 But the saddest part was how Jian changed. I adored him in the first book but by the end he was a sappy 1 sided poster of a man with nothing interesting and without a single ounce of realism. Yuck! And their relationship bordered on toxic and unhealthy at the best of times... So sad considering how amazing it started.
I'll definitely be trying other books by this author though. I loved the setting and loved how it started. Maybe she has some other good stuff out there!
I'll definitely be trying other books by this author though. I loved the setting and loved how it started. Maybe she has some other good stuff out there!
November 18, 2023
As much as I loved the previous books from the series, I'm quite disappointed with this one. I just didn't like it as much as the other two. The plot often seemed messy, some things were dragged and I just couldn't stand Brianna - the heroine - for the most part.
May 18, 2022
◦ I've received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ◦
The book picks up right where the last one began and that was just the perfect way to begin the book because it didn’t took me long to remember where the last one ended. I just adore when books pick up right where the previous one ended making it easier for me to remember instead of doing a re-read.
The story is being told from the first person which has been enjoyable because I could feel and see what Brianna felt or saw, however, some of her feelings towards different actions just felt flat. I was expecting to feel a little bit more emotional on some circumstances because they were big events, instead the feelings just weren’t there.
The magic system has been mind-blowing for me from the very beginning because it feels it’s so simple but yet so complex. Everyone got some magic in them, some more some less but each one of them can be easily corrupted by the old magic which for me was really intriguing because in the majority of the books the magic helps the people but in this book if one indulges too much into the magic gets corrupted and very bad things happens.
Beside the magical system the book has, it gave me the feeling more than once that humans are so inferior to the animals because the animals are so big, so powerful than the humans and they’re practically ruling most of the territories in the book and makes the people fear them which is to be expected when you’ve got gigantic flying birds that can be used as riders in the sky.
Brianna’s growth on Kingdom of Feathers has been amazing. She’s grown a lot from the shy girl, but in the same time the multitude of events made her loose herself along the way and made her be very close on getting herself “broken”. I’ve hated a little bit at the beginning her way of being reckless, because everyone warned her and tried to help her but her stubbornness has won, but then exactly what broke her has made her grow even more and see that some of her ways weren’t the right ways because she was never alone.
The romance in the book was pretty clean, there’s nothing on-page about their love on the contrary their romance is sweet and very clean and I’ve enjoyed each moment of their times together giving me all the fuzzy feelings.
The world-building was mind-blowing, and I’ve loved all the events taking place into this book and everything just played so smoothly behind my eyes. The adventure this book takes you is pure bliss.
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The book picks up right where the last one began and that was just the perfect way to begin the book because it didn’t took me long to remember where the last one ended. I just adore when books pick up right where the previous one ended making it easier for me to remember instead of doing a re-read.
The story is being told from the first person which has been enjoyable because I could feel and see what Brianna felt or saw, however, some of her feelings towards different actions just felt flat. I was expecting to feel a little bit more emotional on some circumstances because they were big events, instead the feelings just weren’t there.
The magic system has been mind-blowing for me from the very beginning because it feels it’s so simple but yet so complex. Everyone got some magic in them, some more some less but each one of them can be easily corrupted by the old magic which for me was really intriguing because in the majority of the books the magic helps the people but in this book if one indulges too much into the magic gets corrupted and very bad things happens.
Beside the magical system the book has, it gave me the feeling more than once that humans are so inferior to the animals because the animals are so big, so powerful than the humans and they’re practically ruling most of the territories in the book and makes the people fear them which is to be expected when you’ve got gigantic flying birds that can be used as riders in the sky.
Brianna’s growth on Kingdom of Feathers has been amazing. She’s grown a lot from the shy girl, but in the same time the multitude of events made her loose herself along the way and made her be very close on getting herself “broken”. I’ve hated a little bit at the beginning her way of being reckless, because everyone warned her and tried to help her but her stubbornness has won, but then exactly what broke her has made her grow even more and see that some of her ways weren’t the right ways because she was never alone.
The romance in the book was pretty clean, there’s nothing on-page about their love on the contrary their romance is sweet and very clean and I’ve enjoyed each moment of their times together giving me all the fuzzy feelings.
The world-building was mind-blowing, and I’ve loved all the events taking place into this book and everything just played so smoothly behind my eyes. The adventure this book takes you is pure bliss.
Follow me on my social media for more than just reviews:
BookBub
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April 23, 2022
Yes! Fiinnaalllyyyyy
I received this book as an arc and this is my honest review.
I know that Alice ( as do all authors ) work their tail off to get out their books in a series as quickly as they can... but, I'd like to say:
FREAKING FINALLY ITS HERE IVE LITERALLY BEEN DYING TO KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AND IM SO HAPPY TO KNOW WHAT A WHIRLWIND IT WAS AWESOME.
In case you wanted details:
Book1: an awesome twist on the goose girl retelling and I loved it. Until Alice BROKE THINGS at the end.
Book 2: dives head first into her lush and wild Spirit animal wilderness and the lore of the land and it was fascinating. And some things were fixed (or nearly) and then things WERE BROKEN. (What is this, a middle book?!).
So I was ready in book 3 to see this girl mc that I love finally get all that she deserves and more. But man-alive did she have to work for it.
This book has so much to fix and tense political chaos and an evil giant bird and someone trying to kill them both but all they want is peace and love. And not to mention there are spirit seeds inside Brianna wooing her with power and MOAR POWER.
I was tense. And I was ascared.
And it ended gloriously.
-sigh of relief like a cat in the sun-
So:
If you like full second world epics where there is clean romance but as a secondary story to literal world ending evil queens and evil ginormous spirit birds. And you love a good coming to power, and justice and love conquers all (but by the skin if their teeth), then this is for you.
What a perfect wrap up to a wonderful series.
All the stars.
I received this book as an arc and this is my honest review.
I know that Alice ( as do all authors ) work their tail off to get out their books in a series as quickly as they can... but, I'd like to say:
FREAKING FINALLY ITS HERE IVE LITERALLY BEEN DYING TO KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AND IM SO HAPPY TO KNOW WHAT A WHIRLWIND IT WAS AWESOME.
In case you wanted details:
Book1: an awesome twist on the goose girl retelling and I loved it. Until Alice BROKE THINGS at the end.
Book 2: dives head first into her lush and wild Spirit animal wilderness and the lore of the land and it was fascinating. And some things were fixed (or nearly) and then things WERE BROKEN. (What is this, a middle book?!).
So I was ready in book 3 to see this girl mc that I love finally get all that she deserves and more. But man-alive did she have to work for it.
This book has so much to fix and tense political chaos and an evil giant bird and someone trying to kill them both but all they want is peace and love. And not to mention there are spirit seeds inside Brianna wooing her with power and MOAR POWER.
I was tense. And I was ascared.
And it ended gloriously.
-sigh of relief like a cat in the sun-
So:
If you like full second world epics where there is clean romance but as a secondary story to literal world ending evil queens and evil ginormous spirit birds. And you love a good coming to power, and justice and love conquers all (but by the skin if their teeth), then this is for you.
What a perfect wrap up to a wonderful series.
All the stars.
May 31, 2022
ARC REVIEW
*I received a free digital copy. This does not affect my review, which I leave voluntarily
Clean, YA romantic fantasy fairytale retelling of A Goose Girl.
Book 3 in the trilogy with beautiful world building, lovers anticipating a wedding after a long time waiting, magical gigantic beasts and trees, painful deaths and storming castles.
I struggled a bit with the arc of the heroine in this story. She seemed to be making a lot of horrible decisions, quite late into the story still, that had a horrible cost on so many other people. And I felt like she kind of got away with it a little too much at the end.
Having said that, the story was still an absolute page turner for me. Especially the romance between the two MC's filled me with excitement and made me want to quickly read more, more more.
Sexual content: none, a non steamy kiss or two
Coarse language: none
Violence and gore: moderate
*I received a free digital copy. This does not affect my review, which I leave voluntarily
Clean, YA romantic fantasy fairytale retelling of A Goose Girl.
Book 3 in the trilogy with beautiful world building, lovers anticipating a wedding after a long time waiting, magical gigantic beasts and trees, painful deaths and storming castles.
I struggled a bit with the arc of the heroine in this story. She seemed to be making a lot of horrible decisions, quite late into the story still, that had a horrible cost on so many other people. And I felt like she kind of got away with it a little too much at the end.
Having said that, the story was still an absolute page turner for me. Especially the romance between the two MC's filled me with excitement and made me want to quickly read more, more more.
Sexual content: none, a non steamy kiss or two
Coarse language: none
Violence and gore: moderate
September 26, 2024
While reading this book, I had the distinct thought that perhaps this story is a thinly veiled metaphor for drugs. And while I think that idea might have some merit, I don't feel the need to fully flesh that idea out.
What I really want to talk about is how great Brianna is as an MC. She is strong and brave, but also mistrustful and skeptical. Watching her develop throughout this series has been a treat, I have not read such a likable and dynamic character in a while. Brianna is stubborn and determined, but her fatal flaw is not pride but rather selflessness. Near the end of the book, Brianna makes a decision that profoundly and irreversibly charts the rest of the story. Watching her make this decision was painful, but watching her work to fix everything was admirable.
Some other characters stood out to me as well. Jian is a good MMC. His character arc is also good, and it's cool seeing how he and Brianna balance each other out. I do wish we had seen a little more of the subplot with Brixia, but I understand that the time which that subplot happened was greatly overshadowed by other plot points. Bua'la'mi is awesome. Tata is adorable. Jeremiah is such a sweetheart, and I hope he gets his own novella sometime.
The worldbuilding is very thorough and creative. It took me a couple of books in the series to actually understand what exactly was happening, but once I did, I was able to appreciate the intricacies of the world. In a way, the worldbuilding is vaguely similar to the world of Wild Born, but like vaguely.
I think the only critique I have is that the pacing was inconsistent. It dragged a little in the middle, and then things went from 0 to 1000 very quickly.
This was a good series, and congrats to it for being the first series I actually finished in a while.
What I really want to talk about is how great Brianna is as an MC. She is strong and brave, but also mistrustful and skeptical. Watching her develop throughout this series has been a treat, I have not read such a likable and dynamic character in a while. Brianna is stubborn and determined, but her fatal flaw is not pride but rather selflessness. Near the end of the book, Brianna makes a decision that profoundly and irreversibly charts the rest of the story. Watching her make this decision was painful, but watching her work to fix everything was admirable.
Some other characters stood out to me as well. Jian is a good MMC. His character arc is also good, and it's cool seeing how he and Brianna balance each other out. I do wish we had seen a little more of the subplot with Brixia, but I understand that the time which that subplot happened was greatly overshadowed by other plot points. Bua'la'mi is awesome. Tata is adorable. Jeremiah is such a sweetheart, and I hope he gets his own novella sometime.
The worldbuilding is very thorough and creative. It took me a couple of books in the series to actually understand what exactly was happening, but once I did, I was able to appreciate the intricacies of the world. In a way, the worldbuilding is vaguely similar to the world of Wild Born, but like vaguely.
I think the only critique I have is that the pacing was inconsistent. It dragged a little in the middle, and then things went from 0 to 1000 very quickly.
This was a good series, and congrats to it for being the first series I actually finished in a while.
April 28, 2025
So I'm not sure how I feel about the last 100 pages. I feel like Brianna went off her rocker and was like "Whoops!" and everyone forgave her right away, even though she left a path of destruction. Her decision-making skills were so off and I was frustrated frequently with her in this book when I liked her in the other 2 books. Jian can do no wrong in my eyes. But Brianna definitely went down in likeability for me in this book.
July 19, 2022
Kingdom of Feathers is Alice Ivinya’s grand finale to her Kingdom of Birds and Beasts trilogy. This book was so highly anticipated by me that it took me 3 months to allow myself to pick it up. Lol. I didn’t want the magic to end. (Yes my brain has no logic :P) Here’s some thoughts I had.
Jian is ultimate #boyfriendgoals I don’t care if you disagree because you are just wrong. He is perfection and we will go to the grave stanning him.
The magic system was awesome to the very end. Brianna dealing with the voices in her head and the 4 different old tribes. Super cool. Plus who doesn’t love a talking Paramore/familiar? I read in an interview that Ivinya’s inspiration for this trilogy was partially wanting to have a talking sidekick and TBH it was a big sell for me. Lol. (One day my cats will be able to talk to me. I will continue to put this wish out into the universe.)
I felt like there was a lot less actual romance in this one though. Yes, there’s a heavy focus on the main couple’s wedding and being married. But those small but significant romantic moments between them happened less often. And I get WHY Jian was so focused on getting the marriage official for legal purposes. But I’d have liked to see more intimate moments between the couple. Intimate =/= sex. Intimate could be them being silly behind closed doors or talking walks in the garden ect.
My biggest ‘issue’ with this installment was Brianna. She was so frickin reckless. And I kept waiting for her actions to backfire on her and for her to learn the lesson. I waited for 85% of the book. And even then, she wasn’t super repentant. So much happened super quickly at the end of the book that it was almost glossed over. I didn’t take off a full star for this because I know Indie authors need all the hype they can get. But just know that Brianna was getting REAL quick to just do what SHE WANTED and I wanted to smack her on the head with my book.
Overall I do recommend this series. I loved these characters. I loved this world. I loved the magic. And the romance was so sweet. Note that this is a ‘clean romance’ so there’s no on page sex. But I’ll say that even without that aspect I could feel the intimacy between this couple. <3 Def check it out!
Jian is ultimate #boyfriendgoals I don’t care if you disagree because you are just wrong. He is perfection and we will go to the grave stanning him.
The magic system was awesome to the very end. Brianna dealing with the voices in her head and the 4 different old tribes. Super cool. Plus who doesn’t love a talking Paramore/familiar? I read in an interview that Ivinya’s inspiration for this trilogy was partially wanting to have a talking sidekick and TBH it was a big sell for me. Lol. (One day my cats will be able to talk to me. I will continue to put this wish out into the universe.)
I felt like there was a lot less actual romance in this one though. Yes, there’s a heavy focus on the main couple’s wedding and being married. But those small but significant romantic moments between them happened less often. And I get WHY Jian was so focused on getting the marriage official for legal purposes. But I’d have liked to see more intimate moments between the couple. Intimate =/= sex. Intimate could be them being silly behind closed doors or talking walks in the garden ect.
My biggest ‘issue’ with this installment was Brianna. She was so frickin reckless. And I kept waiting for her actions to backfire on her and for her to learn the lesson. I waited for 85% of the book. And even then, she wasn’t super repentant. So much happened super quickly at the end of the book that it was almost glossed over. I didn’t take off a full star for this because I know Indie authors need all the hype they can get. But just know that Brianna was getting REAL quick to just do what SHE WANTED and I wanted to smack her on the head with my book.
Overall I do recommend this series. I loved these characters. I loved this world. I loved the magic. And the romance was so sweet. Note that this is a ‘clean romance’ so there’s no on page sex. But I’ll say that even without that aspect I could feel the intimacy between this couple. <3 Def check it out!
April 24, 2022
Utterly new, original & epic retelling of the Goose Girl fairytale, final instalment
I’ve been waiting for this final book in Ivinya’s Goose Girl trilogy retelling to come out and the end of this story is fab! After being found out as the stand-in-princess, after her adventures with the Spirit Birds & saving Prince Jian, Brianna returns to Stonekeep wherefrom she was exhiled with a scandal. Brianna is torn between political games and self-doubt of being able to be the Queen Jian needs, all the while thinking how to defend Stonekeep against the imminent attack as everybody undermines her. I love Brianna’s no-nonsense attitude, even in matters of the heart, putting duty before love (as you do in epic fantasy, at least the one I’ve managed to get my paws on). It’s interesting to see how people around her dub her actions as rash, which some of them were, and in the end I was glad Jian was the tempering presence. There are some twists and turns, this is an enjoyable, if lengthy read with amazing world-building. Recommended for lovers of epic fantasy, slow-burn fade-to-black romances, action-adventure and completely and utterly new original fairyte retellings.
I’ve been waiting for this final book in Ivinya’s Goose Girl trilogy retelling to come out and the end of this story is fab! After being found out as the stand-in-princess, after her adventures with the Spirit Birds & saving Prince Jian, Brianna returns to Stonekeep wherefrom she was exhiled with a scandal. Brianna is torn between political games and self-doubt of being able to be the Queen Jian needs, all the while thinking how to defend Stonekeep against the imminent attack as everybody undermines her. I love Brianna’s no-nonsense attitude, even in matters of the heart, putting duty before love (as you do in epic fantasy, at least the one I’ve managed to get my paws on). It’s interesting to see how people around her dub her actions as rash, which some of them were, and in the end I was glad Jian was the tempering presence. There are some twists and turns, this is an enjoyable, if lengthy read with amazing world-building. Recommended for lovers of epic fantasy, slow-burn fade-to-black romances, action-adventure and completely and utterly new original fairyte retellings.
April 29, 2022
Kingdom of Feathers is the third and final part in the Kingdom of Birds and Beasts serie by Alice Ivinya. Where the first part, Feathers of Snow, really was a retelling of The Goose Girl, the second part Feathers of Blood felt more like a sequel to the first part in stead of a retelling. This third part also felt like a sequel to the story, but will I enjoy this part just as much as I liked the previous parts?
Find out in my review on my blog Boekensteeg
Find out in my review on my blog Boekensteeg
April 30, 2022
Wow what a rollercoaster of emotions!! I was thrown all over the place and couldn't see the ending! Wow Brianna what a journey and what massive changes she went through. Seriously so so much happens in this amazing final book and woohoo what a ride! I absolutely adored this final book in the series! Wow Alice you have outdone yourself!!
April 27, 2022
I just couldn't get into it. The first book in the series was really good, but the second one not so much. This one... it just didn't interest me. I wasn't pulled in by anything or anyone. It felt like a chore to read so I decided to stop.
May 4, 2022
Really cool and interesting series! Enjoy the writing style and the characters are wonderful. I’d recommend reading the previous books for the best reading experience. Exciting magical adventure! This has been a fun series!
May 8, 2022
3,5
I must say that at some parts I was skimming through, and still I felt like I didn’t miss out on anything. It was a nice conclusion but some things I didn’t enjoy and the main protagonist kept doing and saying things that annoyed me. Jian is still my fictional crush though.
I must say that at some parts I was skimming through, and still I felt like I didn’t miss out on anything. It was a nice conclusion but some things I didn’t enjoy and the main protagonist kept doing and saying things that annoyed me. Jian is still my fictional crush though.
May 2, 2022
A little bit of an anti-climactic end to the series. Not much happened and the end felt a little rush.
December 1, 2024
DNF - got bored - shouldn’t have dragged the story out for 3 books - this one is much more political with the impending war and I just don’t get the bad guy’s (bird’s) objective
December 6, 2024
One star removed for the ending… I’ll talk about that in a minute.
This is the final book in the Kingdom of Birds and Beasts trilogy and Brianna is finally taking the gloves off and taking on both Queen Geraldina as well as Jala’ban in order to save everyone she holds dear in the Borderlands as well as in Sybera. ALL ON HER OWN!
I feel like I should have more exclamation points there…
!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Literally kisses Jian goodbye, hops on her Spirit Bird and away she goes. Sure, she takes a couple of other people with her, but by now we all know she’s going to find a way to muck it all up, right?
But that’s like at the 80% mark, so I may have jumped ahead a little.
We open with our final myth of the ancient spirit animals and yup, as before, it is a warning of what could come. I think it is my favorite of the stories shared in the series actually and it’s a good life lesson so you shouldn’t skip it.
We find Brianna recovering from her wound received in book 2 and wanting to use her bonded Spirit Birds to help the people outside of the city walls who are cut off and suffering despite the council’s wishes. This way maybe the kingdom will see not all Spirit Beasts are evil, and it would go a long way towards winning the support of her becoming Jian’s Queen. Between that and testing what the 3 seeds inside of her can and will do, while making sure not to follow Jala’ban’s temptations keeps her pushing her limits.
It takes long enough but the wedding that nearly doesn’t happen is worth the wait. Finally, Brianna is bound to Jian and is crowned Queen, but you’ll never guess the lengths Queen Geraldina will go to destroy Brianna’s HEA. Or maybe you will- I barely managed to guess who it was right before their identity was revealed (there are some very subtle hints), but dang, it’s still a shocker when it happens.
We get to spend more time in the realm of the Spirit Beasts, which is always a joy…. Yay!
My one issue other than the ending (be patient) is that while Jian is present he seems to have stepped into the role of a supporting character rather than be the male lead. Sure, he’s still the strongest male presence for a human, but Jala’ban feels like he has a lot more weight than Jian in this one as some very important Jian scenes happen off-the-page. I wanted to see Jian bonding with Brixa, I wanted to read his view of the wedding day and for him to be more present, but he’s faded into the background here, which is a shame because the interplay between the two has been so good up until now.
And the ending… I thought there must be a 4th book coming as I was so close to the end and there was multiple threats (epic-sized) from all sides but it’s all suddenly dealt with in a few short pages and most of it in a generic narrator-style roundup of events, like someone is giving you a bare bones summary or sound byte. I felt like I was cheated or massively shortchanged. And then we get the lousy time jump to wind it all up.
I hate that.
I wanted to know what happened before Brianna got to Jian’s side at the end. Did they feel hopeless? Discouraged but still battling on clinging to hope? What were the people of Sybera’s capital going through in the immediate aftermath? What? What? What?
C’mon, gimme details!
The wrap up, clean up and time jump could have been a whole book of its own- so yeah, one star removed. I’d take another off for almost reducing Jian to the damsel in distress role instead of an equal partner… but the story deserves more than just 3 stars, so I’m letting it go. He’s certainly lost his bite in here though and I miss it.
All in all it was an amazing ride with a few holes- we learn Brianna could bond one of the Tamunden Spirit Horses and yet that’s suddenly dropped… unless it’s deliberate as not to spoil the end? And why didn’t she consider or ask about perhaps bonding someone from Bula’s tribe? It seems like an opportunity wasted- she’s not of Sal’hadar until marriage but she has a bond there… it just seems like there could have been a way to include the Bula tribe more than we get.
I’d definitely read this trilogy again though.
This is the final book in the Kingdom of Birds and Beasts trilogy and Brianna is finally taking the gloves off and taking on both Queen Geraldina as well as Jala’ban in order to save everyone she holds dear in the Borderlands as well as in Sybera. ALL ON HER OWN!
I feel like I should have more exclamation points there…
!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Literally kisses Jian goodbye, hops on her Spirit Bird and away she goes. Sure, she takes a couple of other people with her, but by now we all know she’s going to find a way to muck it all up, right?
But that’s like at the 80% mark, so I may have jumped ahead a little.
We open with our final myth of the ancient spirit animals and yup, as before, it is a warning of what could come. I think it is my favorite of the stories shared in the series actually and it’s a good life lesson so you shouldn’t skip it.
We find Brianna recovering from her wound received in book 2 and wanting to use her bonded Spirit Birds to help the people outside of the city walls who are cut off and suffering despite the council’s wishes. This way maybe the kingdom will see not all Spirit Beasts are evil, and it would go a long way towards winning the support of her becoming Jian’s Queen. Between that and testing what the 3 seeds inside of her can and will do, while making sure not to follow Jala’ban’s temptations keeps her pushing her limits.
It takes long enough but the wedding that nearly doesn’t happen is worth the wait. Finally, Brianna is bound to Jian and is crowned Queen, but you’ll never guess the lengths Queen Geraldina will go to destroy Brianna’s HEA. Or maybe you will- I barely managed to guess who it was right before their identity was revealed (there are some very subtle hints), but dang, it’s still a shocker when it happens.
We get to spend more time in the realm of the Spirit Beasts, which is always a joy…. Yay!
My one issue other than the ending (be patient) is that while Jian is present he seems to have stepped into the role of a supporting character rather than be the male lead. Sure, he’s still the strongest male presence for a human, but Jala’ban feels like he has a lot more weight than Jian in this one as some very important Jian scenes happen off-the-page. I wanted to see Jian bonding with Brixa, I wanted to read his view of the wedding day and for him to be more present, but he’s faded into the background here, which is a shame because the interplay between the two has been so good up until now.
And the ending… I thought there must be a 4th book coming as I was so close to the end and there was multiple threats (epic-sized) from all sides but it’s all suddenly dealt with in a few short pages and most of it in a generic narrator-style roundup of events, like someone is giving you a bare bones summary or sound byte. I felt like I was cheated or massively shortchanged. And then we get the lousy time jump to wind it all up.
I hate that.
I wanted to know what happened before Brianna got to Jian’s side at the end. Did they feel hopeless? Discouraged but still battling on clinging to hope? What were the people of Sybera’s capital going through in the immediate aftermath? What? What? What?
C’mon, gimme details!
The wrap up, clean up and time jump could have been a whole book of its own- so yeah, one star removed. I’d take another off for almost reducing Jian to the damsel in distress role instead of an equal partner… but the story deserves more than just 3 stars, so I’m letting it go. He’s certainly lost his bite in here though and I miss it.
All in all it was an amazing ride with a few holes- we learn Brianna could bond one of the Tamunden Spirit Horses and yet that’s suddenly dropped… unless it’s deliberate as not to spoil the end? And why didn’t she consider or ask about perhaps bonding someone from Bula’s tribe? It seems like an opportunity wasted- she’s not of Sal’hadar until marriage but she has a bond there… it just seems like there could have been a way to include the Bula tribe more than we get.
I’d definitely read this trilogy again though.
February 27, 2025
I enjoyed the first two books in the series, but this one just didn't land right for me. There were so many threads that needed to come together, but instead of narrowing the plot, everything kept expanding into a confusing tangle.
In the end, there was so much stuff happening, and the main character was so unlike herself (not to mention unlikeable) that I found myself forcing myself to pick up the book just so I could see how it ended. While I could kind of understand some of Brianna's choices—after her traumatic upbringing, it makes sense that she would be tempted by the power to protect the ones she loves—I struggled with the fact that there were no consequences for her decisions.
She draws on the Old Magic, and struggles briefly with the temptation to keep it, then Jian saves her with the power of love. Her spirit is fleeing her body, and a few days later, it's settled back in place again. It took Bua'lami weeks (maybe more) to recover after drawing the Old Magic.
People (including the King and Queen of Sybera) and spirit beasts died needlessly as a result of her actions, and instead of suffering severe consequences, she apologises and all is forgiven.
For me, the ending felt rushed and chaotic. I think I would have actually enjoyed it more if Brianna had died in the end, sacrificing herself to save the border landers and Sybera in recompense for her mistakes.
In the end, there was so much stuff happening, and the main character was so unlike herself (not to mention unlikeable) that I found myself forcing myself to pick up the book just so I could see how it ended. While I could kind of understand some of Brianna's choices—after her traumatic upbringing, it makes sense that she would be tempted by the power to protect the ones she loves—I struggled with the fact that there were no consequences for her decisions.
She draws on the Old Magic, and struggles briefly with the temptation to keep it, then Jian saves her with the power of love. Her spirit is fleeing her body, and a few days later, it's settled back in place again. It took Bua'lami weeks (maybe more) to recover after drawing the Old Magic.
People (including the King and Queen of Sybera) and spirit beasts died needlessly as a result of her actions, and instead of suffering severe consequences, she apologises and all is forgiven.
For me, the ending felt rushed and chaotic. I think I would have actually enjoyed it more if Brianna had died in the end, sacrificing herself to save the border landers and Sybera in recompense for her mistakes.
March 10, 2024
I don't like the growth of the heroine. She kept doing selfish things and never learned from it until the very end where everything miraculously fell into her lap and was resolved. How? There was no sense in this ending. Then she was like "oh I'm so sorry" and everyone was like "okay cool.".... erm no.
I felt this book let down the heroine as any character growth achieved in the previous books was lost. Also bua'la'mi' died thinking that the heroine was a selfish turd. He was angry at her in their last discussion and then poof gone. I was angry because of this. I felt like his death was added just to try and justify her choices but it all just fell flat. Nope nope nope. Not happy. Bua'la'mi could have added so much more to the ending alive....The ending could have been much better.
Also the fade to black was so pukey. If I had known that a book discussing blood and gory battle scenes would also be a fade to black, I would have skipped it. Just a little hypocritical don't you think...for the blood a gore to be so important but a bit of heavy petting or an actual sex scene was too much? Gah makes me angry.
So much time invested in this series... only for the last 20 to 30 pages to ruin it all.
I felt this book let down the heroine as any character growth achieved in the previous books was lost. Also bua'la'mi' died thinking that the heroine was a selfish turd. He was angry at her in their last discussion and then poof gone. I was angry because of this. I felt like his death was added just to try and justify her choices but it all just fell flat. Nope nope nope. Not happy. Bua'la'mi could have added so much more to the ending alive....The ending could have been much better.
Also the fade to black was so pukey. If I had known that a book discussing blood and gory battle scenes would also be a fade to black, I would have skipped it. Just a little hypocritical don't you think...for the blood a gore to be so important but a bit of heavy petting or an actual sex scene was too much? Gah makes me angry.
So much time invested in this series... only for the last 20 to 30 pages to ruin it all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2022
Throughout this story, Brianna gains power, but continues to doubt her potential as she remembers her past and that she used to be a nobody. She struggles trusting people and often acts impulsively on her own, even though she and Jian are finally able to fully work together. Ultimately, she has to decide if harnessing supreme power is worth all the sacrifices, or if she can work together with others and have strength as herself and being part of a team
I really enjoyed this book and the expanding of the spirit-beast world. There were times when I was cheering for Brianna, and then there were times when I was thinking, "No, Brianna! What are you doing?!" It was very well written, so I felt the struggles that Brianna was experiencing and was often wondering, "How is she going to get out of this one?" Her relationships with Jian and the spirit-beasts continue to grow, and I really liked the relatable characters and their development.
Overall, great book. I kind of wish there were more, but this one ended really well, so I am happy with that.
I really enjoyed this book and the expanding of the spirit-beast world. There were times when I was cheering for Brianna, and then there were times when I was thinking, "No, Brianna! What are you doing?!" It was very well written, so I felt the struggles that Brianna was experiencing and was often wondering, "How is she going to get out of this one?" Her relationships with Jian and the spirit-beasts continue to grow, and I really liked the relatable characters and their development.
Overall, great book. I kind of wish there were more, but this one ended really well, so I am happy with that.
November 26, 2024
meeeeeeeh
This started out good then I was waiting for the story to pick up
….and waiting
…….aaaaaaaand waiting
There was too much politics and sitting around discussing what should happen and not enough action
Even Brianna was tired of the boring politics of everything
Then towards the very end there was action but it was caused by Brianna being really dumb and letting her emotions control her not listening to any voice of reason
I mean I know everyone has a right to their feelings and makes mistakes
But she ignited several people who were like “hey! Soooo this is insane!”
like..
If there’s one thing that pisses me off it’s a heroine who causes chaos from stupid choices
Character development but not in the way I wanted
Thankfully by the end Jian helps her to see reason again
This whole book talked about a plan for this a plan for that
Girl the plan was barely executed
I’m disappointed
This started off strong then fell flat
you guys may like it though! This was just my honest opinion girlie pops
I still love Alice!
This started out good then I was waiting for the story to pick up
….and waiting
…….aaaaaaaand waiting
There was too much politics and sitting around discussing what should happen and not enough action
Even Brianna was tired of the boring politics of everything
Then towards the very end there was action but it was caused by Brianna being really dumb and letting her emotions control her not listening to any voice of reason
I mean I know everyone has a right to their feelings and makes mistakes
But she ignited several people who were like “hey! Soooo this is insane!”
like..
If there’s one thing that pisses me off it’s a heroine who causes chaos from stupid choices
Character development but not in the way I wanted
Thankfully by the end Jian helps her to see reason again
This whole book talked about a plan for this a plan for that
Girl the plan was barely executed
I’m disappointed
This started off strong then fell flat
you guys may like it though! This was just my honest opinion girlie pops
I still love Alice!
August 23, 2022
I don’t ever want to see a good series end but man oh man did I love this final book in the series!
Plus the line on the corner of the cover…
Soldier,
Sovereign…
Saviour?
Sums it up perfectly!
Brianna was introduced in book one as the shy, broken girl who was forced to take the spoiled princess’s place in an arranged marriage. Book one is a Goose Girl retelling.
Book two saw her cast out and forced into the lands beyond the border where she found her strength and embraced her magic.
Book three is a warrior queen torn between war on multiple fronts. Betrayals, shaky trust and new alliances. Plus…and this is the best…her slow burn, second chance love is here!!!
A m/f epic romantic fantasy adventure with unique kinds of magic, magical creatures, slow burn, found family, battle and redemption.
Steam level is mild and fade to black but Jian, our prince, is so stinky sweet in this book I was melting!
Plus the line on the corner of the cover…
Soldier,
Sovereign…
Saviour?
Sums it up perfectly!
Brianna was introduced in book one as the shy, broken girl who was forced to take the spoiled princess’s place in an arranged marriage. Book one is a Goose Girl retelling.
Book two saw her cast out and forced into the lands beyond the border where she found her strength and embraced her magic.
Book three is a warrior queen torn between war on multiple fronts. Betrayals, shaky trust and new alliances. Plus…and this is the best…her slow burn, second chance love is here!!!
A m/f epic romantic fantasy adventure with unique kinds of magic, magical creatures, slow burn, found family, battle and redemption.
Steam level is mild and fade to black but Jian, our prince, is so stinky sweet in this book I was melting!
May 24, 2024
It was okay
So this was not my favorite due to several reasons, I won’t list them all but a big one is the couple gets married half way through, whitch let me tell you gave me the biggest scare because that normally means heavy sexual content, hence why I stay away from it. But I was surprised bc the only thing that was really important to note was a hint to a fade to black, i still prefer way more squeaky clean but I did not DNF it so I suppose it was okay.
Also the magic system is very complex, as someone who is a fantasy connoisseur this is saying something, I was quite confused most of the Time and by the end I gave up.
But not a bad series but I don’t think I will be collecting the series or anything.
So this was not my favorite due to several reasons, I won’t list them all but a big one is the couple gets married half way through, whitch let me tell you gave me the biggest scare because that normally means heavy sexual content, hence why I stay away from it. But I was surprised bc the only thing that was really important to note was a hint to a fade to black, i still prefer way more squeaky clean but I did not DNF it so I suppose it was okay.
Also the magic system is very complex, as someone who is a fantasy connoisseur this is saying something, I was quite confused most of the Time and by the end I gave up.
But not a bad series but I don’t think I will be collecting the series or anything.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2022
Happy Ending
I really likes this series, and I highly recommend it. Great story, beautiful world building.
My only critique with book 3 is that I hated Brianna the entire book. I hated her choices, her thought process, and that she was spoiled and whiny the entire time. It made the HEA less fulfilling. I wish she had learned Anything before the last 10 pages of the book.
I will be buying a hard copy of this series because it definitely deserves a place in my library.
I really likes this series, and I highly recommend it. Great story, beautiful world building.
My only critique with book 3 is that I hated Brianna the entire book. I hated her choices, her thought process, and that she was spoiled and whiny the entire time. It made the HEA less fulfilling. I wish she had learned Anything before the last 10 pages of the book.
I will be buying a hard copy of this series because it definitely deserves a place in my library.
January 7, 2024
I really liked this finale to this series, but it wasn't my favorite. I thought that Brianna was so reckless in this one to the point where it was a bit out of character for her. I just wish she would've thought things through and actually listened to Jian. I did love like 98% of this book. I love the characters and the world and I am so sad that it is over now. The story is so unique and I love the spirit animals so much.
July 14, 2024
In which Brianna becomes a Chosen One™, makes many bad decisions, learns little, makes more bad decisions in an attempt to escape the consequences of her earlier decisions, and still manages to come out on top in the end.
The writing and characters were still very good, but I was disappointed with the plot. Double disappointed, because I had high hopes that the previous book was just a middle book slump and had been looking forward to this one.
A low 3 stars.
The writing and characters were still very good, but I was disappointed with the plot. Double disappointed, because I had high hopes that the previous book was just a middle book slump and had been looking forward to this one.
A low 3 stars.
June 14, 2022
Neat ending
While I didn't love this one as much as the first two, the story was twisty and full of political strife, cool magic, and more of our favorite beloved characters! Jian is still the best character ever. Brianna makes some Poor Decisions.
But happiness is had in the end, and lessons are learned.
While I didn't love this one as much as the first two, the story was twisty and full of political strife, cool magic, and more of our favorite beloved characters! Jian is still the best character ever. Brianna makes some Poor Decisions.
But happiness is had in the end, and lessons are learned.
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