The Republic of Birds

February 15, 2021
A magical cartographer faces an avian empire. Following her architect father's disgrace, 12-year-old Olga Oblomova has been exiled with her family to the frozen northern reaches of Tsaretsvo. She's perfectly happy to miss her Spring Blossom Ball debut given that her lack of grace, as well as her unfeminine interest in cartography, sets her apart from her peers. Complex plot strands weave around a firebird egg, which is the linchpin in the ongoing tensions between the human empire and the bird Republic beyond the mountains, the recent banishment of yagas (traditional Slavic witches with mobile, bird-legged huts), the Bleak Steppe Finishing School for Girls of Unusual Ability, and Olga's own magic involving her ability to bring maps to life. When her little sister, Mira, a talented dancer, is kidnapped by a flock of birds, Olga has to use all of her special abilities to get her back. This unusual and intriguing setting includes a subtle message about state-sponsored propaganda and the manipulation present in fears of the Other without relying on questionable racial allegories. The many fascinating elements mean that the story feels a bit compressed, but each is intriguing enough to spark a follow-up. The book follows a White default. A solidly done adventure mixing familiarity and originality. (map) (Fantasy. 10-14)

COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 23, 2021

Gr 4-6-Olga Oblomova and her family have been exiled to a cold outpost of Tsaretsvo. Their new home is the Imperial Center for Avian Observation, which borders The Republic of Birds. In Olga's universe, The Republic of Birds has a lot of power, and relationships between humans and the birds are tense due to past civil war and political strife. Olga tries to make the best of her new life, but she's jealous of her younger sister Mira and her beautiful dancing abilities. Olga tries to connect to her sister and her stepmother, Anastasia. However, she feels pressure to hide her magical abilities as a yaga; magic is outlawed in her kingdom, and she fears being sent away to a boarding school from which no one has returned. But when Olga's sister Mira gets unexpectedly kidnapped by the birds, Olga has no choice but to tap into her magical abilities, despite the risks. What does being a yaga mean for Olga? Will she be able to bring Mira back safely? This suspenseful fantasy adventure has an engaging hero's journey plot and important messages related to female empowerment and mentorship. The world-building takes a while to develop at the start of the novel, but it's a worthwhile journey for patient young readers. Olga and her family are cued as white. VERDICT A wonderful addition to classroom or school libraries.-Margaret A. Robbins, The Mount Vernon Sch., Sandy Springs, GA

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2021
Olga Oblomova's father has been "promoted" (i.e., exiled) to the remote Imperial Centre for Avian Observation. Olga, her little sister Mira, and their melodramatic stepmother Anastasia are sent to the Borderlands with him. Then Mira is kidnapped by birds and taken to their city, Ptashkagrad. Years ago, a war was fought between birds and people over the possession of a firebird's egg, which a coven of yagas (witches) hid in the Unmappable Blank for the good of everyone. Now, with Mira's kidnapping, the tentative peace between humans and birds is shattered. Olga takes it upon herself to embark on a perilous journey to find the firebird's egg and bring her sister home. Slavic folklore is woven throughout this inventive and wholly engrossing fantasy, giving it a rich history of magic and lore from which to draw. As Olga learns to embrace her hidden yaga talents, she also grows to celebrate what makes her unique. A story of intense bravery with a stalwart heroine. Sarah A. Berman

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from April 15, 2021
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* When the War in the Skies was waged over who should possess a firebird's egg, it divided the previously friendly and much entwined Republic of Birds and human Tsardom, driving both birds and magic-wielding yagas from the latter. It is into this richly imagined world, a fantastic reshaping of Slavic folklore, that Miller (Elizabeth and Zenobia, 2017) invites readers to accompany Olga Oblomova, almost 13, as she and her family are transferred to the outskirts of the Tsardom for displeasing the tsarina. Their fall from grace becomes a true tragedy when Mira, Olga's younger sister, is brazenly snatched from their new home by a bird. The girls' father immediately commands searches of the Tsardom, but Olga knows that Mira will only be found in the Republic of Birds. So the older girl, who never considered herself special, strikes out with a gift from an exiled yaga, a book of maps, a touch of magic recently sparked within herself, and quite a bit of courage. Miller crafts a dangerous fantasy world, where birds are as legendary as bathhouse spirits and chicken-legged houses careen on society's fringes, that doesn't seek to villainize; rather, it shows the universal loss of beauty and magic when power is mishandled. And she does this through an unassuming heroine who spectacularly charts her own path.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2021
Olga Oblomova's father has been "promoted" (i.e., exiled) to the remote Imperial Centre for Avian Observation. Olga, her little sister Mira, and their melodramatic stepmother Anastasia are sent to the Borderlands with him. Then Mira is kidnapped by birds and taken to their city, Ptashkagrad. Years ago, a war was fought between birds and people over the possession of a firebird's egg, which a coven of yagas (witches) hid in the Unmappable Blank for the good of everyone. Now, with Mira's kidnapping, the tentative peace between humans and birds is shattered. Olga takes it upon herself to embark on a perilous journey to find the firebird's egg and bring her sister home. Slavic folklore is woven throughout this inventive and wholly engrossing fantasy, giving it a rich history of magic and lore from which to draw. As Olga learns to embrace her hidden yaga talents, she also grows to celebrate what makes her unique. A story of intense bravery with a stalwart heroine.

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

February 6, 2020
In her second middle-grade novel, The Republic of Birds, Jessica Miller has crafted a mythical world inspired by Russian folklore but steeped in a rich history of its own. Growing up in Tsaretsvo, Olga has always felt different from other girls. She isn’t graceful like her ballerina sister, Mira, nor does she have any interest in making her debut at the upcoming Spring Blossom Ball. Olga would much prefer to read about the Great Cartographers of the Tsardom, men she admires and hopes to someday emulate—if girls are one day permitted to do so. When her family is exiled to the border of the Republic of Birds, Olga discovers that she is even more different than she had assumed. And when Mira is kidnapped by a flock of birds in a surprise raid, she must not simply recognise her newfound magical powers, but master them in order to save her. While the initial chapters are a bit slow, and the ending feels anticlimactic, for the most part this is a well-paced novel that will engage fans of adventure stories and strong female characters. Olga is a smart and determined heroine, and while she does face genuine danger in her quest, The Republic of Birds shouldn’t be too scary for older primary readers.

Emily Smith is a Melbourne-based freelance reviewer