The Republic of Birds

by Jessica Miller

Overview

A young witch must save her sister from evil birds in this masterful middle-grade fantasy

In the land of Tsaretsvo, civil war has divided the human kingdom from the Republic of Birds. Magic is outlawed, and young witches are sent to a mysterious boarding school, from which no one has returned. Olga and her family live a life of dull privilege in the capital until her father displeases the tyrannical tsarina. The family is sent off into exile at the Imperial Center for Avian Observation, an isolated shack near the Republic of Birds. Unlike the rest of her family, Olga doesn’t particularly mind their strange new life. She never fit into aristocratic society as well as her perfect younger sister, Mira. What does worry Olga is her blossoming magical abilities. If anyone found out, they’d send her away. But then Mira is kidnapped by the birds, and Olga has no choice but to enter the forbidden Republic, a dangerous world full of iagas, talking birds, and living dreams. To navigate the Republic and save her sister, she’ll need her wits, her cunning—and even her magic.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419736759
Publisher:	Amulet Books
Publication date:	04/20/2021
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	500,019
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Jessica Miller is the author of Elizabeth and Zenobia and a PhD student from Brisbane, Australia. She lives in Germany.

Editorial Reviews

03/15/2021

Ever since the War in the Skies, yagas and magic have been banished from Tsaretsvo. Olga Oblomova, 12, who loves cartography despite its male-only designation, feels out of place between her movie-star stepmother Anastasia and perfect younger sister Mira. But their lives are upended when Olga’s architect father is demoted to Minister for Avian Intelligence at the Imperial Center for Avian Observation. The remote outpost separates the world of humans from the Republic, the forbidden city of birds ruled by the treacherous Ptashka III, who is intent on finding a firebird egg taken by yagas that will give her ultimate power over humans. When Ptashka’s army kidnaps Mira, Olga’s fascination with legendary cartographers proves useful—especially when she learns she has magic of her own. As Olga journeys into the Unmappable Blank, a place from which no cartographer has ever returned, she weighs saving her sister against her newfound powers. Miller (Elizabeth and Zenobia) crafts a Russian folklore–infused tale, augmented by excerpts from mythical history books. While the resolution feels abrupt, the theme—“If you feel you don’t fit somewhere, change it until it fits you”—is movingly portrayed. Ages 10–14. Agent: Catherine Drayton, InkWell Management. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"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."

The Horn Book Magazine

**STARRED REVIEW**
"This middle-grade fantasy ultimately grips readers with its evocative world building, memorable cast of magic-wielders and mysterious creatures, and well-paced episodic adventure."

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Richly imagined world, a fantastic reshaping of Slavic folklore. . .shows the universal loss of beauty and magic when power is mishandled, through an unassuming heroine who spectacularly charts her own path."

Booklist

04/23/2021

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

School Library Journal

2021-01-26
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)

Kirkus Reviews