Thank you Little Brown Book Group UK (Orbit) and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

“I was made of earth and sky and endless waters. I was made to be loved fully, or not at all. “

This story starts off strong by dumping a lot of names and information of the world on you in the first five pages.

The changeling princess has to travel to the fae realm to rescue the princess she replaced. In her company is the man she used to love. And to be fair I don’t see what she saw in him because he is obnoxious. (I saw him as Prince Charming from Shrek) he keeps pushing for her although she clearly said no.

And because she was so demoted by her environment she believes the shit he tells her and then goes along with it. I was screaming out loud after this point. Girl he is engaged to your sister!

The monthly visits to the fairy world are mysterious and almost had me skipping forward to get to the next visit. I loved the mysterious fairy stranger waiting for her and was really looking forward to see if he would be friend or foe.

The ending was a bit unexpected but even better because of it. Although the story tried to be a lot of different things. I liked the main part of it thoroughly.

🌶️: 2/5
⭐️: 4.5/5

“𝐼𝒻 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊,” 𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝓇𝒶𝓌𝓁𝑒𝒹, “𝐼 𝓌𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝑔𝑜 𝓉𝑜 𝒶𝓃𝓎 𝓁𝑒𝓃𝑔𝓉𝒽𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝓀𝑒𝑒𝓅 𝓎𝑜𝓊.”

A Feather So Black is a sizzling fantasy romance heavily inspired by Celtic folklore, weaving a tale of magic and moonlit forests, forbidden romance, and delightfully dark creatures.

We follow Fia, a defiant changeling who replaced a stolen Princess, as she begins a quest to defeat the dangerous fae lord keeping twelve cursed Princesses captive, save the Princess she replaced, and restore power to her family.

I really enjoyed Fia’s character arc in this book - as an unwanted changeling living amongst human royalty, she has been taught to hate the magical aspects of herself that didn’t conform for her whole life, and I loved watching her overcome her hatred and fear throughout the book.

The thing that initially sold me on this book was the intricate, whimsical world building and lyrical prose reminiscent of The Cruel Prince. I immediately picked up on this when I started and it got me really excited about reading it!!

The romance and tension in this was just DELICIOUS. I absolutely love a forbidden romance and this was just everything.

I loved Irian SO much in this. From the start, I couldn’t help but love him. Morally grey men are a weakness I can’t overcome. Most of my favourite quotes from this book are the things he said that had me screaming and kicking my feet. I’m obsessed with him.

The beginning of the book did feel a bit slow for me and it definitely took some time for me to really get hooked (maybe around the first 100 pages or so) but once I was into it I was IN.

Thank you so much @orbitbooks_uk for the arc! I’m very excited to see how this story continues in book two! 🖤

I liked this book. It was a fairly quick read with some bits that I wasn't a big fan of but all in all, I finished in nearly one go. The writing style was great and kept me wanting to read more. All in all, it was a good experience and I'll definitely keep an eye out for the author's next works.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for granting me an arc.

I enjoyed A Feather So Black, it gave Swan Lake vibes with maidens trapped to be swans during the day and human at night. One of the maidens is a princess named Eala and her mother wants her back, understandably. She sends Fia to retrieve her, a changeling who was swapped with Eala when she turned eight years old.

She journeys with Rogan, her childhood crush and the boy betrothed to Eala. A love triangle slash square occurs with Fia wanting Rogan, Rogan wanting Fia, Rogan betrothed to Eala and then Fia falling for the supposed villain. It's a bit of a mess and slightly chaotic. There is some spice too so I wouldn't recommend this to a younger audience.

I really liked Fia, I enjoyed seeing her come along as a person and figure out who she is as a person and Irian was great. I loved the way he was with Fia and how he let be, unapologetically, herself. I didn't like Eala and I didn't trust her. There was something about her that didn't sit right with me. All in all a good read and I'm glad I read it.

3.5 stars.

It's not that this was bad, it's more like there are questionable choices being made that taint the story in some kind of way.

Fia is a changeling, left in exchange for the princess Eala, who was taken just before all twelve gates to Tír na nÓg were closed permanently after a war between humans and the fair folk. Now, years later, a secret thirteenth gate has been discovered, and the queen has tasked Fia and her childhood crush Prince Rogan (who is betrothed to Eala) to save Eala and retrieve a weapon that could bring magic back to the human world.

So far so good.

This is more Romantasy than anything else, unfortunately. The base for the first half of the book is basically Fia pining over Rogan, who has a personality made of cardboard and white bread. She describes him as good and kind and warm, but on page all he does is sulk and drink, not a crumb of charm or warmth in sight. They end up back together, break up, have sex, break up, confess their undying love, break up. It's very repetetive and boring, considering that we readers go into this with the understanding that he is 1. the first love interest, who is never final in books like this, and 2. has no development or movement whatsoever. We know their "love" (which seems little more than childish infatuation, tbh) is doomed from the start. So why are we spending so much time on their weird back-and-forth? Maybe if Rogan (or, let's be honest, even Fia) was a more compelling character, it would work. But alas, it doesn't.

Plot-wise, Rogan and Fia saddle their horses and ride to that hidden gate to Tír na nÓg, which only Fia can open, and only once a month during the full moon. Thus, the story is split into single days, each a month apart, which hacks the book apart and doesn't allow the plot to flow organically. Furthermore, a major plot point is Fia's restauration of a ruined castle garden at the edge of the gatelands, which she initally starts because "she doesn't have anything else to do while waiting for the next full moon." Meanwhile, the castle she lives in is a day's ride away.
A day.
Not a week.
A day. She could go home anytime she wanted. Go to the gate, do their day-long exercise in running around Tír na nÓg to free Eala (who transforms into a swan for half the day), and then go home and continue their usual duties and works. Nothing is forcing her to shack up in that castle with only Rogan and a devious fey spirit comglomarate called Corra (admittetly one of the best characters in the entire book). Fia actually DOES go home, once. It takes her a day. It's a cute lil vacation. So why is she acting like she's stuck with Rogan? As if there's nothing else to do except garden and talk to Rogan? Hell, even if she didn't want to go home, she could visit the neighboring village which apparantly exists!
I don't know why this particular plothole irks me so much, but it does.

Eventually, she meets Irian, who is described as the one who keeps Eala and her swan maidens captive, and of course he is the most gorgeous being Fia has ever interacted with. Her relationship with Irian is definitely textbook Romantasy, with nothing really surprising happening, although they are much more intriguing than anything that Rogan could possibly bring to the table. Irian is so obviously the main love interest that it makes anything that happens between Fia and Rogan even more annoying and pointless. And of course he's mORalLY gReY (basically being good and nice, but with a gruff exterior), so ...

One thing I really did love about this book is the athmosphere created. It truly feels like stepping into a forest of thorns and brambles and broken things.
The prose is beautiful, if a bit strained and purple-y at times.
Eala is a VERY compelling villain. It's funny, because Fia's whole shtick at the beginning is the fact that no matter how hard she tries, she cannot ever reach the levels of love and devotion that Eala commands even in her abscense - and it turns out that yes, indeed, Eala is more interesting than Fia. By far. I wish we'd have seen more of her and her scheming.

So, yeah. Beautiful athmosphere, but it felt just a bit too clumsy to be truly good.

"But I should never have had to work so hard to be loved."

In A Feather So Black, Fia the changeling girl, forged to be a weapon by her human foster mother, is sent to the land of the folk with her childhood friend to rescue a cursed princess and steal a magical weapon to help save the human realm.

Ultimately this is a story of growth and self love and realisation. I'll be honest, it took me a while to really get into this book, I was interested but not entirely gripped until around the 60% mark. I don't want to spoil it but Fia made a choice that resulted in something I feel I don't get to read about enough in books happening.

The character development is very heavy, there is a lot of grey and no one person is portrayed as being ultimately good or bad which I thoroughly enjoyed. That's not to say there aren't some heinous decisions made because there are - but the reasoning and intentions behind those choices blur the lines of good and evil.

I would definitely say this is more new adult than adult as I felt a little too old to be the target demographic but I'm invested and look forward to the sequel.

This was such a unique story and I absolutely loved it!
A story of folk and humans and all things magical. Loved the celtic mythology aspect!
Fia,who isn’t human but isn’t folk, is left in the place of a princess when she is stolen away. She is brought up to be a spy, to hate the very people she came from and in turn herself and all that she is.
There is love and spice and heartbreak galore in this book as well as plenty of action and great plot twists.
The morally grey man you think you should hate..maybe you won’t! The princess you should want to see rescued..maybe you won’t!
Fia’s journey and her self awakening were a joy to read!!
I couldn’t put this book down and I cannot wait for the second one ❤️ This is the first book of Laura’s that I’ve read but it won’t be the last!!

🖤Celtic mythology
🖤Botanical magic
🖤Morally grey man
🖤Spice
🖤Touch her and die
🖤Enemies to lovers
🖤 dysfunctional family

Special thanks to Little Brown Group UK and Netgalley for providing me an advance copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review!

Lushly imagined dark fairytale! I fell in love with the dark atmosphere evoked by the beautiful writing style. Swan lake has never been anywhere on my favorites but this reimagined fairytale just captured me. It has so much that I was missing in The Cruel Prince.

Spoilers below:
The only thing I'd critique would be the needlessly long relationship between Fia and Rogan. It goes upto 60% of the book and made me question who was the MMC in this story. I wish there would have been more of a gap between when they end their relationship and when she begins one with Irian. I loved their meeting, but their relationship could have used more build up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was super excited to read this book, especially as it’s a dark retelling and has been compared to the Cruel Prince, which is one of my absolute favourite fantasy books. Sadly, this book did not live up to my expectations at all.

A Feather So Black follows Fia, a human/fae changeling who was switched with a human princess as a young child. Having been raised by the high queen, a now 20 year old Fia is tasked with rescuing the princess from the fae realm, accompanied by her ex lover, who is betrothed to the princess. This was such a fantastic premise, but unfortunately this story fell flat in every aspect.

Firstly, the characters were all one dimensional, bland, and lacked personality. I couldn’t connect with Fia at all, and found myself getting annoyed by her internal monologue. She was either pining after her ex lover (who was equally as bland as she was) or reminding us that her mother had raised her to be a weapon.

The relationships between the characters were also very disappointing. There is a love triangle/square in this book, and I felt absolutely no chemistry or tension between any of the characters. The one relationship felt very insta-lovey, because the couple barely spent any time together (one night a month!) The love declarations felt so silly because it felt like they’d known each other for two minutes.

The world building was not well done. The hierarchies of both worlds were poorly explained, and the author regularly dropped Gaelic terms and mythological creatures in without explaining them. After finishing the eARC, I found a glossary of terms at the end of the book, which would have been better placed at the beginning before I started reading it.

The plot bored and failed to grip me, as well as being very repetitive. Being in the fae realm was by far the most exciting part of this book, but the characters barely spent any time there. This was because the fae realm was only accessible on a full moon, and the characters had to return to the human realm before sunrise. It felt like as soon as things got semi-interesting in the fae realm, I was yanked back into the human realm and had to endure mundane filler of the characters arguing, gardening, eating, and having boring sex.

A lot happened at the end of this book, which made the pacing feel very off. Unfortunately, nothing surprised me, and I finished A Feather So Black feeling very unfulfilled. I really should have DNF’d this book, but I just kept reading and hoping it would get better. Not one I will be recommending, and I will not be continuing on with this series.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for this ARC in exchange for a review. Initially I felt that this story was lacking, but I was glad I persevered as I did eventually enjoy it.

There is a lot of ground work within this book which is clearly preparing the reader for the rest of the series. However it was very slow and clunky in places which I disliked. There is potential for the romance to become a major part of the plot line and I look forward to seeing how this is developed. However it is complex in terms of the love-triangle aspect. This left me feeling frustrated on a number of occasions and I was not fully invested in this aspect.

I loved the development of the FMC and felt that this combined with the magical world really held its own within the complex love story. I was left not knowing who to trust and who was on our FMC's side.

My main issues was that the writing style just wasn't for me. I felt I was using the dictionary function on my kindle more than actually reading the story. I am also not familiar with Celtic Folklore and felt that this hindered my immersion into the world.

Overall it is a good read and I would be interested in reading the sequel.

Below is the text of my review from my Goodreads account

Thank you, Lyra Selene, Netgallery, and Orbit Books for my advanced readers copy. This e-book was provided in exchange for my fair and honest review.

This book took me by surprise. In simple words, one might describe it as a cruel prince x Dark Swan Lake retelling. Indeed this book is what I think a lot of people on TikTok thought The Cruel Prince – more mature and romance-heavy. However, this book is a darker, fae-inspired re-imaging of Swan Lake where the villains Rothbart and Odile may be the ones you end up rooting for.

In this instance, Odile is our beautiful Fia, a former changeling child who was swapped out with her human sister Princess Eala who is trapped in the Fae land Tir na nOg. Her “mother” (Eala’s birth mother) charged her with the task of retrieving her daughter from the realm. Fia alongside her former love (and Princess Eala’s betrothed) the handsome Prince Rogan set out to find Princess Eala. However, when she finds that Princess Eala is trapped by the mysterious and cold-hearted Fae King Irian

This book blew my mind, captured my heart, and infected my soul. This is for the following reasons

Plot

Some may say this book is more character-driven than plot-driven. Indeed, because the plot is set up where all the action happens around the full moon, there are periods dedicated to character growth. The book has elements of the Cruel Prince trilogy due to the grapple for power between humans and Fae, but there is also a unique inspiration from Celtic mythology. I loved how every character operates in the shades of grey and you never truly know who to trust. For me, I was in anticipation of seeing who would betray whom, and things became action-packed at the end of the book.

Characters

Fia is an extremely likable character. You want to root for her. This book quickly becomes not just a quest for her family but a search for herself. The way we see Fia start as a willing political tool and “spare” to her sister slowly transform and own her power and worth is amazing. It was heartbreaking to see her portray herself as this ruthless assassin when in reality she had empathy and love for every other character. Fia is for those girls who don’t see their self-worth but start to realize they are badass and start taking matters into their own hands.



I really loved her Fae abilities and how she was a competent FMC but still found herself up against hurdles. The complicated relationship she has with her adoptive mother and sister is really interesting and fleshed out.

Let’s move on to our first MMC- Prince Rogan. The author described him as a toxic golden retriever and I think that is an apt description although I would describe him more as an immature golden retriever. However, a lot of his actions and dilemmas are based on the fact he is a Prince and has a duty to his kingdom. In a way, he reminds me of Liwei from Daughter of a Moon Goddess. I am excited to see how his character and relationship with Fia changes in the next book.

Fae Lord Irian is our morally grey bad by that you just secretly love from the moment you meet him. I love how he remains a morally grey person throughout the book and honestly a villain. But he isn’t “morally grey” in a tropy way, we realise that there are reasons he has turned out the way he has.

The way he talks to Fia and builds her confidence honestly makes me swoon. This man’s love language is positive affirmations for sure. I know the way Irian and Fia speak to one another through stories in the third person about their childhood, may not appeal to all readers. But I honestly gobbled it up.

Love Triangle

It felt, real raw, complex, and just as bit messy as real life. There is quite a bit of spice (definitely an adult book) but I felt real and necessary for the character growth- it didn’t feel out of place with the plot of the book. What I love about the two main MMC is, they are not superficial caricatures of tropes. Much like Peeta and Gale from The Hunger Games, Rogan and Irian represent two different pathways and facets to Fia and her self-love journey. I can see why Fia is attracted to both of them and loves them in different ways.

And when this love triangle started looking like a love square… oh boy… cannot wait for book two!

Writing

Special love must be given for Lyra Selene’s writing. It is magnetic and compelling. Lyra Selene to me has a poetic quality reminiscent of Lana Del Rey- you just feel the romanticism emanate from her soul onto the words on the page
There were several times I had to stop the book, and just do that weird silent cry you do when you read something heart-achingly beautiful. I hope she continues this way in the next book- and by the looks of the bonus chapter from book two, it looks like she will. Here are a few quotes that I fell in love with


“When you give yourself to me, I want all of you. I am not willing to share.”


“That is what loving you feels like. Everything hurts, yet I want more of it. To climb a little higher, to press a little harder, to drive the blade a little deeper.”

3,5/5 stars.

It took me a while to really get in tot his book. But once I did I really really enjoyed it and honestly couldn’t put it down.

The world and magic in the book was amazingly portrayed & written. Especially loved the botanical magic.
The romance was interesting, messy and infuriating at times, which made it even harder to put down. It both features enemies to lovers and friends to lovers.

I liked the character development of the FMC the most. Seeing how she went from a girl who didn’t belong anywhere, who hated herself and her gifts. To the a strong woman who fully embraced herself and everything she had to offer. Was honestly beautiful to see.

Thank you Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK (Orbit) for the e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 Stars.

Fae, Swan Lake + the 12 dancing princesses and romance - safe to say I was very excited to read this book and it did not disappoint!

While I was not hooked from page 1 (the beginning was kind of slow for me), the book was easy to read and entertaining at all times, the writing fits the vibe of the book very well and I enjoyed the mythology and worldbuilding. Without wanting to spoil anyone, the story and pace picked up after the first few chapters passed and made me look forward to picking it up again. The romance and spice was there, the only thing that I was kind of „meh“ about was the love triangle, I‘m not the biggest fan of Rogan but that might be a me problem 😄.

All in all it‘s a solid first book for a trilogy and I‘ll definitely read the next one!

This faerie take has been pegged for fans of Cruel Prince, which as a Holly Black fangirl, I can totally see this link, it really is up there topping the dark and twisted charts!

Firstly, this is my personal opinion, for my tastes a little slow from the start (first 15%) and a little heavy on terms and names that are quite unfamiliar but reading with Kindle it easy to flip back and forth from the glossary. However, that being said once that ground work is set, the plot took off and I didn't want to put it down.

This book has strong fairytale vibes, vivid world building, I really felt like I was stepping into this world.

There are some real, raw and relatable themes of self love and self discovery in this story, explored within the strong FMC character's perspective. These moments were tender in places, brutal in others - this reader loves an emotional rollercoaster.

The supporting cast of character span across a broad morally grey spectrum, which adds depth to their decisions, drives the plot and just keeps you guessing with each page turn who you can trust.

The romance...well it's certainly here! And much like everything else about this book, it's an emotional rollercoaster; sweet, naive, tender, seductive, heart healing, heart breaking.

An intriguing, addictive and exciting read for fans of dark fairytales and morally grey characters.

Beautifully written with rich descriptions and poetic. This tale centres on Fia, who is a changeling after the Fae abducted 12 daughters, including the Queen' She is brought up to be an assassin and to despise the Fae.
She is sent on a quest by the Queen to free the 12 stolen daughters and lift the curse on the Fae world. Her childhood closest friend Rogan, who is also a princess, is assigned to accompany her in order to aid in their rescue.

Such a amazing book, and can’t wait for the next book. Highly recommend

Thank you to NetGalley and The Little Brown Book,Orbit for sending me a copy of this book.

3.5*

Synopsis:
With Celtic influences this romantic fantasy is set in a world where magic has been lost and the Fair Folk are feared above all else. We follow Fía, a changeling who was left by the Fair Folk when they kidnapped the true princess, Eala, as a small girl. Eala was taken beyond the locked gates of Tír na nÓg, cursed to be a swan by night along with the other stolen girls.

Taken on as fosterling of the High Queen, Fía is trained to be a weapon and a spy. When a hidden gate is discovered, Fia is sent to retrieve the rightful princess. She must go up against Eala’s captor - a powerful and wicked fae lord, Irian.

The more time Fía spends in Tír na nÓg, the more secrets unravel and the past starts to reveal itself. The true nature of her mission may not be what she thought.

My Thoughts:
Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for this ARC in exchange for a review.

I feel this was a really solid start to a series, I would say that it has set up a lot of the groundwork for an incredible romantic-fantasy series with the potential for an incredible plot line and further romance. That being said, I feel that this first novel was a little slow for my liking. There is an ongoing love-triangle (square?) and while this initially adds some complexity to the romance I couldn’t help but feel frustrated when we were still following a vaguely bland love interest for more than half the book. I just wasn’t invested in the initial love interest.

Things really started to pick up the more Fía was venturing beyond the gate, we got to see much more use of magic which was incredibly exciting. I adored her green blood and influence over all living things. I think this is a unique power and one which I can see having huge potential in the future books of this series. I feel like we got a snippet of what she can do and I’m expecting big things. The world building and imagery of the forest was beautiful and perfectly mirrored Fía’s affinity with all things which grow.

What I really loved is how the author made us mimic Fía’s emotional experience - I honestly didn’t know who to trust, I had absolutely no idea who was on her side and who was ‘evil’. I didn’t trust the mother from the word go but I pretty much trusted Irian straight away. The sister was an odd character and I really couldn’t get to grips with how I felt about her, I had a bit of whiplash with her at times.

In all honesty my main difficulty with this novel was the style of writing - it was beautiful without a doubt but the amount I was using my kindle dictionary/the glossary was just taking me out of the story. This may not be the case for others, if you enjoy a metaphorical style of writing or have more familiarity with Celtic Folklore then you may not struggle as I did.

An interesting start to a series which I think will only go on to bigger and better things!

4.5 stars. I really loved this book, it took me by surprise. The Celtic language and folklore used throughout was lovely, I also really enjoyed the authentic forest/woodland fae lands which were a welcome change from the modern settings we often see in fae romantasy these days.

My favourite character was Corra - what’s not to love about sarcastic but sentient magical house?! I liked that there were plenty of riddles, bargains and curses slipped into stories and rhymes, it was very on brand for the fae. I also enjoyed the elemental magic system, the descriptions of Fia’s greenmark/magic were beautiful and conjured really strong imagery.

The spice was hot but not overdone. Despite only having a handful of scenes but they were steamy enough that it didn’t feel lacking. One thing I noted and appreciated, was the lack of purity pressure for the female main character. She spoke of past and present lovers openly and without shame. Even when jealousy reared its head, it was directed at her current affections and future commitments, not past choices. This is so refreshing to see, as in romance as a genre we so often see unrealistic and unfair expectations put on female main characters, that aren’t extended to the males.

I felt the dynamic between Fia and Rogan was also realistic and heartfelt. The author did a great job of portraying their connection as it grew through childhood friendship, teenage infatuation and adult companionship. Anyone who has fallen out of love with a friend or fallen in love with the wrong person, can relate to that urge to comfort yourselves and each other, of trying to extend the peaceful protection of being in their arms for just one more night before facing the harsh reality that you are not meant to be. As well as the back & forth of each of them trying to do “right” at different times, despite it feeling all wrong.

Of course, I adored Irian as a character. A morally grey, dangerous, cruel, tortured shadow daddy? Take me, I’m sold.

It was frustrating to read Fia be so trusting and accepting of Eala and the Queen’s words and intentions, especially when they did so little to camouflage their backhanded compliments and scheming. I hope we get to see a moment of vengeance and Fia taking the upper hand against the other women in future books, as she has suffered a lot at their hands.

Not to judge a book by its cover but I think the US cover art does not do the story any justice. I wasn’t expecting much and probably wouldn’t have purchased this based on the cover alone, I ended up blown away. I think the UK cover is so much more aligned with the story inside. I’m really looking forward to the next book, Lyra Selene has gained a new fan in me.

Thank you Orbit Books and Lyra Selene for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

"A Feather so Black" is the first installment of "Fair Folk," an adult fantasy romance trilogy written by Lyra Selene and currently in progress.

A retelling of "Swan Lake," a sprinkling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," and numerous references to Celtic mythology. A world without magic, inhabited by humans and recovering from a long and devastating war with the Fair Folk. Magic portals closed or hidden and forgotten to the realm of the Folk. A mansion as wonderful as it is abandoned and dilapidated, located in the midst of nature. A changeling, with the power of greenery in her veins, exchanged for the only daughter of the realm's High Queen. A cursed princess, trapped in the Folk realm. A quest to rescue her. A loyal, caring and kind prince. A dark and dangerous fae lord. These are just a few of the elements that make up "A Feather so Black," a bewitching, enchanting and enthralling novel that won me over completely. Now, I do not think it is anything fully original. On the contrary, in my opinion several elements, some dynamics and certain characters wink at other famous fantasy romance books, but this did not affect my very high liking. On the contrary, it probably helped to accentuate it, since these are dynamics that I appreciate and like to find and read again when done well. And in "A Feather so Black," in my opinion, these dynamics are handled fantastically! The evocative and lyrical writing paints a magical world building, almost suspended in time, embellishing a story that takes on the outlines of an elegant dark fairy tale and portraying the complex characters vividly and intensely. The presence of a poignant, swoon-worthy enemies to lovers and that of a pained and tender friends to lovers sent me into juices! And yes, I live for enemies to lovers, but in general don't really appreciate friends to lovers. But here it fully convinced me! And what about the love triangle, which I basically detest?! Well here it is there and I loved it! I loved everything about this book and can't wait to continue!

The story takes place in the insular nation of Fódla, dominated by High Queen Eithne and divided into four major provinces controlled by their respective under-kings. A realm inhabited by humans, devoid of magic, marked by famine, pestilence and brutal pirate raids on the coast. A territory once at war with the Folk realm, to which they were connected through magical portals, now closed or forgotten. Few Folk remain in Fódla, and those few, if discovered, are captured, exploited and/or killed. That's because humans consider the Folk to be dangerous, cruel and brutal, creatures to be feared and eliminated. I was fascinated by this enchanting, dark and well-elaborated world building, full of references to Celtic mythology. There are numerous words in Irish Gaelic in the book, and in this regard, I found the glossary with the explanation and pronunciation of the various terms really helpful. I would like to talk about the Folk realm, but I risk unintentional spoilers, so I avoid. I will just say that I loved it very much and was hypnotized by the brilliant, intense and enchanting descriptions. The magic system, the concept of balance, fascinated me a lot. The writer paints everything in a magical, evocative and lyrical way, creating elegant paintings, almost suspended in time. Seriously, there are scenes that left me breathless because of the beauty of the settings, the situations narrated. A world truly worthy of a dark fairy tale, about which I can express nothing but compliments!

The story proceeds slowly, placidly and sometimes almost sleepily. "A Feather so Black" is a book that takes its time, without hurry, focusing on the introspection of the characters and their analysis. Unlike what it might seem from the plot, in my opinion there is little action, scattered here and there and concentrated mainly in the second half. The narrative follows a recurring pattern for much of the book, with a dynamic that is repeated over and over again, albeit with slight variations, due to a matter precisely of plot. It is a type of narration that one may or may not like, but I personally loved it. In my opinion it helps accentuate the suspended, fairy tale atmosphere even more, allowing the characters to express themselves to the fullest. Through the allusive prose,, rich in sentiment, I sensed a slight melancholy between the pages, which affected me a lot. And then of course there is angst, abundant and tasty, which made me melt and at the same time suffer a lot. I admit that the ending felt a bit rushed compared to the rest of the story, the various plot twists predictable, but still I enjoyed everything!

Fia, protagonist with her only first person pov, won me over! Fia is a changeling, swapped as a child with Princess Eala, the only daughter of High Queen Eithne. Gifted with a powerful and impetuous botanical magic that runs under her skin, Fia remembers nothing about before her arrival in Fódla. Growing up among humans, amid the fear, distrust, mockery, and scorn of others, Fia clung to the queen, whom she considers a mother. A cunning, rigid and manipulative woman, who turned her into her personal weapon, to exploit for her own purposes, trying to deprive her of compassion, tenderness and love. Fia grew up with the belief that only her mother could love her, learning to fear and hate her powers, her Folk side. A belief that has pushed her to try to keep herself at a distance from others, to despise herself, until she is sent to rescue Eala, the perfect sister, the true lost princess. The journey to find the portal first and into the Folk realm later begins to challenge her view of things, leading to unexpected developments. Fia is a complex and tormented person, seemingly tough and indifferent, who hides under a mask of sarcasm years of suffering, loneliness and a sense of inadequacy and not belonging. And then there is Rogan, prince of one of the provinces of Fódla, Fia's childhood best friend. The first to have shown her kindness when they were children, the only one she allowed to get close. A spoiled man, but at the same time kind and loyal, with whom Fia is secretly in love. A man she cannot have, since he is betrothed to Princess Eala. Rogan joins Fia on the journey to rescue the princess, and their sudden and close proximity, alone after years apart, rekindles feelings that were never buried. Rogan is a character I enjoyed in his imperfections, mistakes, and frailties. As mentioned above, I am not particularly fond of friends to lovers, but here I enjoyed it a lot! The short and several flashbacks reconstruct the evolution of their relationship and moved me a lot! The suffering in their scenes, due to all their shared experience, their memories, is really intense! And then there is Irian, a fae lord, kidnapper of Eala and holder of a weapon that Fia must retrieve for Fódla's well-being. A character as fascinating as he is dangerous and dark, endowed with great powers, to whom Fia feels unexpectedly attracted. Their relationship is a sizzling enemies to lovers that made me swoon so much, laced with a good dose of subterfuge and a lot of angst. I would like to tell more about Irian but risk spoilers, so I avoid it. I will just say that I loved him from the start and obviously he has my heart and my preference! As anticipated, there is a love triangle in "A Feather so Black," but I found it so well handled that it did not cause me any annoyance. The spicy then made me sweat a lot, with some really juicy scenes that prompted my hormones to do somersaults.

All in all, this is a start to a series that I loved very much and I can't wait to read the sequel!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Rechtmar’s son desires you.” “I noticed, may I kill him for it?”

From this quote near the beginning of the book I knew I would love Fia the female main character.
The world Lyra has created is rich with lore and magic. With dark forests, haunted castles and a whole variety of magical beings.

The first book in the Fair Folk series follows Fia, a changeling left to a human queen following the kidnapping of the Queens own daughter. Fia has grown up within the Queens court and has been forged into the Queens weapon. Her and her childhood crush Rogan a Prince from another court are sent by the Queen to rescue the Queen's daughter by passing into the land of The Folk during the full moon.

Fia was a relatable main character and the cast of supporting characters added depth to the story.
The interesting love interests with some spice mixed in made this an enjoyable read and I look forward to seeing how the story pans out in the next book.
I must say that I felt I wanted some more depth to the romance aspects of the story and would love to have seen more development of Fia and Irian's relationship but appreciate the author was trying to find a balance between the romance and fantasy parts of the story.

Lovers of romantasy will enjoy!

3,5 stars.
Let's delve into the book's intricacies. The plot is quite the rollercoaster. Right from the start, it's action-packed and engrossing, especially for someone like me who enjoys faerie tales. The dark tone is expertly handled, and the incorporation of Celtic mythology adds an intriguing layer to the narrative.

However, I hit a bit of a lull in the middle. The story becomes repetitive, particularly during the characters' ventures into the forest. It loses some of its momentum, and I found myself disengaging.

The ending, on the other hand, packs a punch. Kudos to the author for the unexpected twist.

Regarding the characters, there's a bit of a mixed bag. While I enjoyed Irian and Fia as individuals, their romantic relationship felt rushed. As for Rogan, his presence seemed somewhat superfluous.

Overall, despite its flaws, it's a commendable book. I'm intrigued enough to continue with the series and see where the story leads next.