Crown of Feathers

A skilled cast of narrators brings a compelling fantasy world to life in Niki Pau Preto's first novel. Joy Osmanski voices Veronyka, a war orphan whose betrayal by her sister, Val, spurs her to disguise herself as a boy in order to join the rebel phoenix riders. Sev, a war orphan on a different path, is voiced in a wary, rumbling tone by Jacques Roy, whose excellent narration enables Sev's adjacent storyline to hold its own against the main thread. The cast works together flawlessly, echoing each others' personalities and cadences to create a seamless image of each character. Drama and action are interspersed with a deeply woven history that will draw listeners into the politics and mythology of this richly developed world. H.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine