This is truly a unique story.
This is a middle grade story filled with mythology.
However the ending was very rushed.

Really enjoyable YA, which I wish I had read in my early teens! The writing style really appealed to me and kept me reading, looking forward to more from Jessica Miller

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

"The Republic of Birds" is an enchanting and captivating novel that will transport you to a world of magic and wonder. The story follows the journey of 12-year-old Olga as she sets out to find her missing parents and discovers a hidden city of talking birds.

The world-building in this novel is simply breathtaking. Miller has created a vivid and detailed world that is full of mystery and beauty, and the way she weaves together elements of folklore and mythology is truly masterful. From the bustling streets of Saint Petersburg to the lush forests of the Republic of Birds, every setting is richly imagined and brought to life with stunning detail.

But what truly sets this novel apart is its characters. Olga is a fantastic protagonist - brave, determined, and fiercely loyal to her family. The talking birds she meets along the way are also incredibly well-developed, each with their own unique personality and backstory. Miller does an excellent job of creating characters that feel both realistic and fantastical at the same time, and you can't help but root for them as they navigate the dangers and mysteries of their world.

Overall, "The Republic of Birds" is a must-read for fans of fantasy and magic. It's a beautifully written and expertly crafted novel that will leave you enchanted and wanting more. I highly recommend it!

A wonderful tale of slavic folklore and family love.

Olga is nearly thirteen and as said in the book:
“Nearly thirteen is a dangerous age, an age where it is best to keep anything strange - even if it is only something you have imagined - to yourself.”.
But strange things keep happening to Olga. First her family, which includes her father, step-mother and little sister Mira, are forced to move out to the mountains of the Aviation centre and then her sister is kidnapped by the enemy, the bird army. Olga must go on a journey not only to find her sister, but to find her true self in the process and discover what she is willing to do for her sister's safety.

This was a great read, I love the mix of magic between the yagas and the firebird and then also the cartographer facts mixed in. Olga is a fantastic protagonist, determined and strong-willed in the face of so much. Reading the book as she lights up thinking about her map skills or remembering facts from the cartographer book always brought a smile to my face.
I cant wait to read more from Jessica Miller in the future.

Thank you to Text Publishing and Netgalley for the early eArc of the book!

Beautifully written. I really liked it. It was magical and I liked the folklore part of the story. The descriptions made you really see the houses and the landscapes, i really liked that.

This book was everything I wanted it to be and then some! The subtle weaving of folklore into the story of sisterly love was gloriously done. I had expected the birds to play a slightly larger role in the story, however, the way they were presented was really fascinating to me!

I'm a big fan of Slavic folklore inspired stories, so my favourite elements of this were for sure the presence of the Yagas and the lore of the firebird! But of course, as a huge polar fantasy fan, the snowy exploration kept me hooked from page one. This is definitely a book I'll be recommending in future

This book was everything I wanted it to be and then some! The subtle weaving of folklore into the story of sisterly love was gloriously done. I had expected the birds to play a slightly larger role in the story, however, the way they were presented was really fascinating to me!

I'm a big fan of Slavic folklore inspired stories, so my favourite elements of this were for sure the presence of the Yagas and the lore of the firebird! But of course, as a huge polar fantasy fan, the snowy exploration kept me hooked from page one. This is definitely a book I'll be recommending in future!

I believe that this book is based on an old Russian tale, which drew me to it. It’s a wonderful story of a banished family, caught up in a war between humans and birds, with a dashing rescue, and a quest...oh and magic! (trying to give nothing away here!).

I very much enjoyed this tale, all of the characters were well thought through and the author made me feel as if I knew them all.

It’s an easy read, a book you can easily get immersed in, which I did...I’d like more!

My favourite character though? Masha! Wonderful, and I need Masha in my life!!

My thanks to Netgalley and Text Publishing for the advance copy.

This book has everything: a Gorgeous cover, interesting politics, magical folklore and a snowy expedition.

Olga’s father has made a ‘promotion’ for which they have to leave the city… where it is cold, every meal is made of mushrooms, there are yaga’s and (!!) birds. Her father makes it his mission to find the Firebirds egg to help the Tsarina win the war in the skies and lets them come home again. But then the birds kidnap Olga’s sister.

Olga is a very good protagonist. She isn’t perfect, but grows so much throughout the story. She has to learn to believe in herself in order to save her sister. She is passionate about cartography (even though girls shouldn’t like that stuff) and her magical powers linking to that are just superb.

The writing is excellent and so atmospheric. You could feel the could, see the houses on chicken legs, and vividly imagine the excitement when Olga touched her maps.

Overall, a magical adventure story about self discovery, and a perfect read for a cold day.

This was a fun book! I love the cover, first of all. I breezed through this book. It was a super-fast book. I loved the world that was built, and the adventure was amazing as well. I would highly recommend this book for middle graders who want to read some fantasy.

This was a really interesting read. I loved the premise of the story - that there was a war between humans and birds because of a firebird egg that had been stolen ages ago.
The yagas were by far my favorite part - their magic system, the idea of having a medium you're in control over was just so cool and I had an inkling that it would be maps for Olga and thought that was so well done!
We have everything in this book from exile to Tsarinas drunk on power and stepmothers that might seem evil but really aren't. And the impending feeling of not measuring up to your siblings.
Honestly, I loved every aspect of this book but Olga finding her way and going on her journey alone and getting help from so many unexpected sources was brilliantly handled.
I only would have wished that some of the places we get to visit alongside Olga - be it the Unmappable Blank or the School where she meets girls who are like her - would have gotten more of a spotlight and that we would have spent more time there because there was so much potential and intrigue and I feel like it felt kind of flat sometimes because we were rushing to the next venue.

Nevertheless, this was a wonderful and tension-filled novel that had me gripping the edges of my seat to see if Olga can save her sister Mira and whether she can keep her secret - and still learn to love herself.

The Republic of Birds leads you through a complex and intriguing story, which is brimming with adventure and challenges for the lead character, Olga. I loved the fact that there was a map at the start - and that it linked so closely to the main themes of the story. Olga is a believable character, stuck with her feelings of being 'ordinary', but as we find out, she is so much more than that.
The settings were wonderfully described, and so are the characters emotions throughout her journey. I really enjoyed the intertwining with Russian folklore, and the development of the characters with 'special' characteristics. I couldn't put it down! I really would love to hear that Olga will have further adventures! A book I would certainly recommend to children and colleagues. A great read!

Such a lovely captivating story, enchanting and you just need to keep reading. Loved it from page one

My nine year old daughter enjoyed it but it wasn’t one of her favourites. Involving witches and wars, this is a magical story following a girl called Olga. Interesting story but sadly didn’t hold her interest.

I read this book with my 10 year old daughter. She's an avid reader and we both liked the summary of the book. The story is engaging and exciting and we both enjoyed the evocative descriptions and absorbing characters.

This is the story of a girl called Olga. Her family are sent away to a mysterious place where there is an abundance of mushrooms and things seem a bit bleak. In this world, magical people are called yaga, and Olga has a talent for magic, but it is a bit of a secret (even to herself).
The story has a slow start, but quickly gathers pace as Olga finds herself on a journey of discovery.
So much happens in the second half of the book, and Olga's journey leads her to learning all about herself and her powers.
This is a story of magic, of learning, of a place with a troubled history, and where knowledge has often been hidden.
Lots of interesting Russian characters names to get your tongues around. Really enjoyable.

*I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

5 stars.

I entered into this middle grade expecting it to be much more plain and childish. However, I found a beautiful adventure that, as an adult, I believe I enjoyed considerably more.

Jessica Miller created another polar fantasy story based on slavic mythology and the yagas. I haven't read The House with Chicken Legs, but this one certainly captivated my attention and heart.

With an easy-to-read writing style, however not simplistic, the author introduces us to the adventures of Olga Oblomov and her family. She teaches us the importance of love, the lengths we can go to for it and how selfishness can destroy us and the ones we love.

This is a world in which a war led to the rejection of difference and despiseful rulers -any similarity with our current situation is mere chance- who, in their eagerness for even more power, destroy the essence of life: the differences that make us special.

I cannot think of anything else I can say without spoiling it, but that Olga embarks in a risky and perilous trip to save a person most beloved to her, willing to lose the thing that finally makes her even more special than her sister.

I absolutely recommend this book if you want your heart to melt.

I really enjoyed this book and raced through it. There are a few bits where the story could've been expanded and made longer to give more information such as more information on the war that started the chain of events and more on the Baba Yagas themselves.

The world is cleverly constructed with a very unique idea on sentient birds that can talk, plot and cause great mischief. I enjoyed the main character finding herself and it will be interesting to see if the author does another book on the character after as I am interested to know how she gets on after the ending.

Great story for young readers and a nice read.

I know I don't read a lot of middle grade stories to begin with, but I'm trying to change that and read at least 10 before the end of the year. I was mesmerized by The Republic Of Birds as soon as I saw the cover, and when I read the blurb and saw the mention of Russian folklore I thought this story would be a perfect fit. What I didn't expect is that I would end up having mixed thoughts instead... I'll try to explain why below.

First of all I have to say that I love the idea behind The Republic Of Birds. The winter setting in high fantasy Tsaretsvo, the Republic Of Birds, the discord between humans, birds and yagas, the Russian folklore references... It definitely set the right tone for this story and it was the perfect setting and backdrop for Olga's story. BUT. I was kind of left wanting for more when it came to the worldbuilding as a whole. We get some descriptions, and we get glimpses of the different parts of Tsaretsvo, but I would have loved to have more as some parts seemed rushed while other parts were basically info-dumps and stopped the flow of the story. The second both applies to the excerpts of a history book included between chapters and certain scenes in the book (for example the whole Bleak Steppe setting). I really feel like the worldbuilding and story could have been so much more with a little more development, although I guess long books with more descriptions might not work as well with a middle grade audience...

As for the characters... I'm not sure what to make of them. While I really liked the idea of the magic behind the yagas as well as Olga's magic, I would have loved to see it developed a little more. I felt like the short time in Bleak Steppe was used as an excuse to rush things and continue with Olga's journey as quickly as possible, ignoring the potential of a slower route. I also found it a bit hard to connect to Olga in the first place. Sure, she is the true heroine of this story, and I could really appreciate her love of maps as well as her magic, but her character came over a bit flat and the solutions she found were a bit too convenient to be fully believable. The same goes for the other characters; most lacked more development and didn't feel well rounded as a consequence. Like with the worldbuilding, I think this story would have benefitted greatly if it would have spent more time developing the characters and the magic in a credible way.

The Republic Of Birds is a middle grade high fantasy read, and as a consequence there is never true danger and things are wrapped up rather quickly. It's a story about a girl trying to save her sister while also discovering herself and her hidden powers. If you are looking for an extensive and lush worldbuilding and lots of Russian folklore elements, you might end up feeling a bit disappointed... The story didn't really flow as I hoped either, mostly due to the info-dumps, but I do think a middle grade audience might react better to the lack of details and seemingly quick solutions. It sure is a fast read though!