Here’s a short summary of Crown of Feathers:
Veronyka lives with her sister in a cottage in the woods, far from any of the things happening across the kingdom. When her sister finds a phoenix egg, Veronyka eagerly hatches it, raising it to be her own - before her cruel sister takes a match and burns it. Devastated, Veronyka leaves, setting out to be a phoenix-rider, those who domesticate and bond with phoenixes. However, laws have changed, and to be one, Veronyka must be a boy. So, as a result, she cuts her hair and takes up the name “Nyk.” Witness her journey to become a phoenix-rider, her sister’s journey at getting back to her, and the son of the phoenix-rider’s general, who is as desperate as Nyk to become a phoenix-rider.
Here's a short review of the novel:
This story has also been adapted into a webtoon. This story was hard to read at first, its worldbuilding sloppy and chunky, but it made sense in time. It provided a system of magic that was average at best, but still, it gave the reader hints and drops of complexity. The character Veronyka was a pacifist, and she was enjoyable in the middle where she growed a spine. The sister of Veronyka was also interesting, and she was far more of a sadist in a sense; she was controlling and hurtful, which gave her a villain-like complex; this created a deep complexity with her character, which I couldn’t fault and nitpick. The last character - Tristan - brought a healthy dose of desperation to the table, making his motives hopeful and ambitious. He was also a good character - nothing brilliant, but he was intricate all the same.