The Republic of Birds by Jessica Miller

The Republic of Birds takes us to an alternate czarist Russia, where humans are at war with an avian nation.

The Republic of Birds by Jessica Miller. Amulet, 2021, 279 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12

Recommended for: Ages 10-15

“Before the War in the Skies, before the map of Tsaretsvo was sliced in two and divided into the human Tsardom and the Republic of Birds, birds and humans lived in peace.” But now the two species are enemies, keeping a watchful eye on each other. That’s why the title “Director of Avian Intelligence,” recently bestowed on Olga Oblomov’s father, makes sense. But Olga knows her father has not been “promoted” to that position. In plain terms, he displeased the Tsarina and was exiled, along with his family, to the Borderlands: the alternate equivalent of Siberia. The family includes Olga’s stepmother and her lovely and talented younger sister Mira.

Olga herself is not lovely, and never thought of herself as talented in any way. But upon the family’s arrival at the Borderlands, she encounters various women of peculiar abilities, all of whom cause her to suspect that she may be one of them. She may, in fact, be a yaga, or witch. Not the kind of witch who casts spells and traffics with demons, but the kind with special affinities for nature or artefacts. Though she doesn’t at first realize it, her own affinity for cartography will stand her in good stead when Mira is kidnapped by enemy birds.

Once a reader gets a handle on Russian names and customs, the story moves quickly. Olga, who narrates her own story, is a sympathetic and well-rounded character with her own faults and blind spots. Other characters come into sharp focus as we get to know them. The wintry, Czarist Russian-inspired setting is other-worldly enough to seem familiar yet strange, as the best fantasies should be.

Overall Rating: 4 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 3.5
• Artistic/literary value: 4.5

Read more about our ratings here.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Review: For more Russian-inspired fantasy, see our reviews of A Wolf for a Spell and The Haunting of Falcon House.
• Reflection: Some Christian families object to stories that include witches or other supernatural beings. We try to hash out the issues in “So Your Kid Is Reading Harry Potter . . .”

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