A dark fairytale retelling that celebrates nature in its raw form. The language use throughout is beautiful and I loved the botanical magic. The romance was interesting and messy, which I always like. Enemies to lovers and friends to lovers both feature. The FMC doesn’t really fit in anywhere and I liked how she handled herself.
I also enjoyed how within the book mini stories were told that gave the reader information and riddles. The interwoven story telling was nicely done. I would recommend to the romantasy lovers out there. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK, for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Feather So Black started well, but around halfway done, I lost my interest. I was not a fan of the love triangle. I enjoyed Rogan's and Fia's
Arguments. Their shared history and forbidden love made them an interesting pair. I know Rogan was often selfish, but he was a way better character than Irian. I felt like he had to be perfect, so He could be the better choice for Fia. The story was way too slow and repetitive.

A Feather So Black

Thank you to the author, Netgalley and Little Brown Book for the eARC.

5⭐️

I absolutely loved this book. So much that I'm struggling to find the words to describe how it made me feel.

The story was utterly captivating and so beautifully written that I couldn't put this book down. The world building was heavy and I can see why some people struggled to get into this book but I loved it. It was well explained but to understand the mythological words using the glossary was inevitable.

Fia became one of my favourite FMCs. Her character development was my favourite thing about this story, how she went from self hatred to love and accept herself.
I usually don't like love triangles, but this book is a great example how to write one correctly.
I just couldn't hate Rogan. He made some bad decisions but not because he is a bad person but because he wanted what's the best for his kingdom.
I'm absolutely in love with Irian and I loved the relationship between him and Fia.
The spice level in this book was perfect.

The story is full of twists and turns, and after that ending I can't wait for the second book!

I will definitely recommend this book to my followers on my social media platforms close to the release date.

A Feather So Black is an enchanting fantasy romance filled with stories, wild fae and complicated family ties.

Fia is a changeling child abandoned in the human world in place of a princess, and raised as a weapon to save the sister she replaced. But when Fia ventures into the world of the fae to rescue her, she's met by a sister as complicated as the fae she has grown up among, and a curse it might cost Fia everything to break.

Selene's rich world building and beautiful natural imagery made this so enjoyable to read. I also loved the complicated relationships between the characters and would definitely like to see some of these explored further in the next book. Fia's character growth was strong, and I loved her many conflicted moments throughout this story. My favourite character, however, was definitely Corra, who was so much fun in every scene they were in!

NETGALLEY ARC

This had so much potential but it never delivered unfortunately.

The premise is good but it just doesn't hit the spot and I found it hard to get through.

The MMC was very much like the main character from a popular book and reading other reviews others see it too.

The comparison to Cruel prince isn't right in my opinion, they're completely different.

I felt no connection to any characters unfortunately, I think that's needed in a fantasy book.

this book is one of the few books I’ve read this year that managed to enthral me completely. every time I opened my Kindle, I felt transported into the story. I was at the edge of the forest with Fia, I was breaking and mending alongside her. I was giggling and crying, loving and despairing.

the story is complex, beautiful and magical. so incredibly unique, which is quite rare in fantasy book nowadays. and the writing! good, whimsical prose is such an important for me, and this book delivered. the words are woven together so perfectly, the characters feel so real, and the love (in all its forms) shines so bright.

I cannot recommend this book enough, and I will be waiting patiently for the sequel so I can dive right back in this majestic, divine world.

This is a Faerie story true to its core, mesmerizing and dangerous, where it's easy to lose track of time and truth.
There's so much I love about this book: the celtic mythology, the reversed roles (kinda), the deep dark vibes and the real strong FMC.
Fia is of the fair folk but raised as a changeling by the queen of the humans. Eala is the queen's daughter, raised by the Fairies, Rogen is a human princeling bound to save Eala, and Irian is ... shadow daddy.
In this story it's not the human entering the world of the Fair Folk, but the other way around. The dangers though are just as real, and what was a straightforward quest becomes world-changing events.
A Feather so Black is super immersive. The danger is palpable, and even though the date was stated in the chapter titles, I found myself lost in time. Sometimes things got blurry, and truth and lies were not easily separated.
These things were the absolute strength of the book, but in the middle part also sometimes a weakness. At times I wasn't sure where things were headed, and if Fia lost her way along with the storytelling.
The ending though...oh the ending! It restored my faith in the story, the author, and our protagonists. Now I can't wait to read/listen to book 2.

4,5/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @littlebrownbookgroup_uk for the ebook in advance!

#AFeatherSoBlack #netgalley #bookstagram

This book was such an enchanting surprise. Although the story and plot were built upon years of literary traditions and tropes, and were very predictable, what I did not expect was how utterly obsessed I would be with the author’s writing style.
Really. The writing was so unbelievably poetic I must have highlighted a thousand sentences and I still can’t believe the way some of those are still echoing around my head days after I’ve finished reading it.

The main character was strong and loveable, her journey was often heartbreaking, but her determination to find herself and the place where she belongs was moving.
And yes, most of these characters have been written several times before, by many different authors, but it works.

The only two things that made me give this 4.5 stars and not 5 are the fact that the glossary should have come at the beginning of the book, not the end. I quickly decided that I would not interrupt my reading to look for the translation of the Gaelic words used or the description of the creatures that all had Gaelic names, but I would have been glad to realize beforehand there was indeed a glossary at the end that I could have checked. I loved the way Gaelic was woven with English because of the atmospheric quality it gave the story, though, and it was something even more true with the audiobook (the narrator was amazing).

The second thing would be the ending, that I felt was a bit confusing as I wished there had been more explanations as to what happened before we had to leave the characters until the next book.
That being said, I CANNOT wait for the sequel and all the things that are teased at the end.

Thanks to Little Brown Book and Netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Unfortunately it's a no for me. I tried my best to finish the book but it was dragging me to a reading slump and life is too short to be forcing myself to read books that I don't vibe with. I DNF'ed at around 15% because I just couldn't understand a thing of what I was reading. I didn't like the prose which was way too convoluted for my liking, I didn't like the FMC and the way we were introduced to her, and the world-building was super confusing to me. Some mythological words were dropped but like what do they mean??? Brùnaidhaen? Murúcha? Pùcaí? Why not adding a glossary or just like... explanations somewhere? You know this confused meme? I was like this the whole time.

I originally picked this book because the description really seemed super intriguing and I loved the cover too. I really tried my best to into it with an open=mind but ended up giving up. I'm happy this book is working for some people, just not for me!

Wow this was fantastic, the magic and different realms created a fascinating world which was complex, dark and intriguing.

I’m so glad this wasnt a tale where the changling suffered abuse at the hands of her foster family. The love she received might’ve been a mirage to get what they needed from her, but it made Fia who she was in the end. I absolutely dislike her first love interest Rogan continuously calling her changeling as if to remind her of where they stood and could never be. Irian was a dark and desirable breath of fresh air for Fia in this tale.

Lastly Eala was abhorrent and manipulative, but maybe thats her experience also shaping her just as Fia was shaped.

I really enjoyed this and will be keeping my eyes out for the next book!

Huge thank you to NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK, and the author for a galley of this book in return for an honest review.

I cannot think of the last time I read something where the world building was through, or the language so deliberate. Lyra Selene has crafted a work that is utterly sublime, every sentence, every description, every exchange of dialogue, has been so deeply considered, and that attention to detail, and deliberate sense of craft is so impressive, there are hardly words to describe it. Selene delivers a master class in how to build and deploy a lexus. She also integrates elements of Irish Gaeilge, all though possibly the words are more based in Irish than taken directly from the language - either way it is done skilfully, and understandably.

A Feather So Black is a Celtic / Irish inspired fantasy romance unlike anything you will have read before. It is utterly captivating. I loved Fia, and I loved this world. Selene has taken the time not only to build a world that feels believable, even as it feels alien, she has also taken the time to answer the questions, and fill the holes, that I think some other fantasy writers get away with. There are rules here, a set of social mores and physics that govern both the mortal realm, and that of the fae.

The characters are as lovable as they are loathsome, and they respond, not like written creatures, but like people. Elements of this book were unpredictable not because Selene did not lay her groundwork, but because you could only truly rely on the cast to respond as a person would. I think this really reinforced the relationships in the narrative, nothing was perfect, but so many things felt genuine.

My only quibble with this book was the somewhat repetitive arc: as they could only enter Otherworld on set nights, and for set amounts of time, there was a criticality to the narrative that was unavoidable. I think Selene dealt with this very well, but with the length of the novel it did lend a certain predictability to some things.

Overall, this is a 5 star read, with exceptional world building, and a brilliant story.

This review will go up on Goodreads, StroyGraph, and my blog on the 1st March 2024, in line with the guidance from Little, Brown Group.

This book is literally amazing. The comparasions between it and “The Cruel Prince” are justified. I haven’t enjoyed a book as much in a long time. It has changelings and nature magic and faerie courts and a love triangle that for once doesn’t feel predestined in one direction. It’s kind of a vague retelling of the swan Princess but with a sidhe twist. It is the first in a series and I for one will be eagerly awaiting the next instalment.

The play between the protagonists had me giggling, swooning and then rooting for them. The plot is intricate with multiple sub-plots and is expertly executed. I can’t wait to read the next book by the author already.

2 Stars

I was so excited for this book as it sounded like my kind of story. Unfortunately for me, it failed in nearly every aspect and I was left bored and disconnected.

A Feather so Black is about a Fae/human changeling named Fia who was switched with a princess at a young age. She was brought up by the Queen to believe she is unlovable and only good as a weapon against others. Fia has powers that means she can control aspects of the natural world, mainly plants. Fia's best friend and past lover Rogan is the betrothed of her "sister", the princess taken to Fae lands. When the Queen finds access to these lands, she tells Fia and Rogan to go save her daughter who is cursed to be swan by day and human at night. The story then continues as they joirney into this new world and face their feelings for each other.

To start off, I wanted to DNF at about 10% but had seen reviews saying it got better so I stuck with it. A book that would usually take me 2 days to read took 8 days, which shows how much I disliked the story and felt disconnected from it. The first half was so slow and boring that I struggled on every page and really wish I had DNFed early on. The story becomes so repetitive to the point I had to start skim reading as it felt like I was reading the same story and internal monologues over and over again. The world building wasn't awful but too many Gaelic words were used without explanation which added more frustration. The plot was just so basic and vague!
The characters are also so dull, 2D and lacking in any real personality. They are meant to be in their early twenties but have the emotional maturity of fifteen year olds. This is meant to be an adult fantasy but the characters act more like YA characters, other than the odd explicit sex scene. There was nothing really in the story that made this book "Adult" as it was all pretty basic and without the (badly written) sex, it definitely would have been YA.

I need to feel connected to the lead character to be fully immersed in stories. Sadly, I really struggled with Fia as she was either constantly pining over Rogan or obsessing over the fact the Queen only thinks she is good as a weapon and that she is unlovable. I would expect this of at 16 year old but not a 20 year old. She had no real personality of her own. There was little humour or real depth and it made connecting with her impossible as she was just so irritating. Rogan was also so dull, I won't bother explaining about him.
The only character I did like was a Fae named Irian who actually had substance and a personality.

I am a HUGE romance lover but this story has a love...square?! It was all a bit too much and got old very quickly. It was the main focus of the story when the issue of saving the princess should have been. Although the romance did get better by the end, I still found it hard to care due to my lack of connection to Fia.

The writing was an odd mix of some beautiful lyrical scenes and other basic dialogue and boring prose. The pacing was also so badly done with nothing happening for 80% of the book and then tons thrown in at the end (a lot of which didn't make sense).

Overall, I wish I hadn't wasted so much time on this book and think even 2 Stars is being kind. The repetition, boring characters and lack of a cohesive story gave an exhausting read that I simply cannot recommend. Also, it is NOTHING like The Cruel Prince.

Please note that I was given this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5⭐️

In a kingdom where magic has been lost, Fia is a rare changeling, left behind by the wicked Fair Fold when they stole the High Queen’s daughter and retreated behind the locked gates of Tir na nOg. We follow Fia’s journey into the forest of the Folk, with her childhood best friend - and her sister Eala’s betrothed -, Rogan, and a quest to break the princess’s curse from the wicked and dark-hearted Fae lord, Irian, holding her captive. But things are not exactly what it seems and for the first time, Fia feels like she has found a place where she could belong.

I must be in a new round of a romantasy era or maybe there’s been quite a few romantasy books coming out recently, because I feel that I’m founding them - or are they founding me? - in the most magical ways. This was a book I had on my list to look up to in 2024 and I can say, without any doubt, this is exactly my cup of tea: childhood friends with a complicated friends-to-lovers relationship; tall, dark and fictional MMC with an enemies-to-lovers trope; a hidden power and a changeling to faerie to belong with the humans and too human to belong with the faeries. The court schemes - both mortal and Folk world! -, betrayals, dark magic, forbidden love, quests, love triangles and thrilling adventures. I simply could not put this book down.

All characters were intriguing, their relationships complex and the plot twists even sweeter! The writing is impeccable, the fairytale vibe is enchanting and Fia is a fantastic heroine to bring you on a journey full of perilous magic and moonlit forests. This is for fans of These Hollow Vows, Married to Magic series, A Curse so Dark and Lonely and Cruel Prince.

“The tableau was like something out of a story: a proud, tragic queen; a druid foretelling doom; a golden prince promising heroics. But stories were by nature false–designed to fool the eye and twist the mind, to make us believe in things that couldn’t ever be true.”

A Feather So Black follows the story of Fia, a changeling left in the place of a princess and raised by a ruthless warrior queen. Fia is tasked with travelling into Tír na nÓg, the land of the Fair Folk, to get the human princess Eala back and break her curse. She travels with her childhood friend Rogan, a human prince and the princess’ betrothed, and has to face monsters, riddles, and mysterious Fae - especially the dangerous Irian, who’s holding the princess captive.

“I was made of dusk and leaves and hidden places. I was not made to be loved by men.”

The author weaves a lot of nature into everything, using it to describe how Fia sees the world and feels in her own body. It gives the story a very atmospheric and Fae feel to it that I enjoyed immensely (as evidenced by my 41 highlighted quotes, compared to my usual 5-10). Reading it felt like I was really strolling along with the characters, through forests and over hills.
I wish there had been a glossary at the start of the book, rather than at the very back (which I didn’t realise until I’d already finished), as there are a lot of beautiful new words to learn.

“Here, we are all villains. Here, there is no judge or jury to decide whether good prevails or perishes; whether evil thrives or dies. There is only balance–in all its infinite permutations.”

The characters are all intriguingly flawed; all of them navigating lies, manipulations, Fae rules, and complicated feelings for each other.
Fia is messy and wanting and too quick to trust those she craves the love and acceptance of, and it makes for a painful and engaging read that at times left me wanting to shake some sense into her and other times made me cheer on her behalf. She is also incredibly badass, and knows her way around both weapons and nature. The dynamic between Fia and Rogan, as childhood friends separated for a while, was sweet at times but for the most part unfortunately didn’t work for me - and might honestly be my biggest issue with this book. Rogan fell into the same category as many other fictional childhood friends turned complicated crushes often have for me, where their character traits frustrate me as a reader just enough to outweigh the insight they might give into the main character’s past and other relationships.

“A heart is powerful magic.”

4,25 stars

3.5 Stars
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an eArc of this book.

A Feather so Black is a lush and decadent fairytale full of political intrigue, romance and betrayal. In summary, it has all the good stuff. Im especially a fan of stories that are more on the cloak and dagger side and I especially enjoyed the more lyrical writing style. The author has a real eye for beautiful writing and etheral descriptions which were the highlights of the book for me and made it quite difficult to decide if I should round my rating up or down.

Why have I gone with the lower rating?
As usual, because of the main character anf well the ending. This latter, I will not talk about to keep this review spooler free.
Back to Fia.
She has FMC femme fatale, not like other girls, Im tougher than you ™ syndrome which is so prevalent in YA novels, I had a hard time believing this book was adult. She is childishly stubborn and for most of the book rather insufferable save for her tender moments when she gets a bit softer and actually likeable. Shame these nice spells didnt last long. To add to this, our heroine never truly fails, sure she loses control of her magic a few times but never to hinder her personally. We dont see her ever getting denyied her goals, she is so good at everything all the time - even fighting mythical fairy beasts that bring down ancient warriors. And did I mention she's only half fae?

I really liked Irian but I never knew how or why he fell for Fia other than her looking like his dead friend. The insta love was a little off chord for me and in all fairness so were the very childish jokes made by Corra, a fae spirit, who should know better than to call people porrige face.

Rogan gave me the ick. Thats the best way to put it. Girls, dont date guys like him and run to your Irian.

All in all, I think I would have given this a higher rating if it was marketed as YA which would explain the unreasonablness of most of the main cast.

A Feather So Black
by Lyra Selene

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Religion & Spirituality, Romance, Sci Fi & Fantasy

I wasn't sure what to expect here, an adult debut, an author unknown to me but I adore stories involving fae so requested it. I loved it. After A Court of Thorns and Roses ( loved that too) there seem to be hundreds of fae stories with that type of title, trying to emulate the trilogy. Most for me are just fails, don't have the magic of the story, believable characters or decent writing/dialogue. Sue me, I'm picky about what I read ;-)
So this was a gamble, hoping it was not one of those....and it isn't. Its perfect, great storytelling and plots, realistic characters, fabulously descriptive wring with venturing into “ writing to fill word count” territory and a host of twists, turns and surprises.

I love Fia and her special talents, felt for her awful upbringing even as she's grateful for it and loves the Queen deeply. The settings were perfect, both human and Fae. I would have liked to see more of the Fae folk, mostly we just meet Irian. And Corra of course, I love Corra. I'd rhyme something but I can't..we need morra Corra, that best I can do ;-)
Poor Fia, trained for one thing her whole life and then she finds that maybe things were not as she was let to believe, maybe by following the queens orders things will be worse not better. Who is telling the truth? Who to believe, so much hinges on her decisions.
I am so keen to read more of this series, its fabulous.
I
Stars: Five, a fantastic fae read, great journey, fab ending but I need more ASAP!

ARC supplied by netgalley and publishers

So... I tried so much to continue reading this book but I just didn't have the motivation to continue. Stopped reading this book at 15%. The Reason to this was that it felt confusing to me to continue; I couldn't understand what was going on; at first I was looking forward to read and finish my first ARC but then my motivation all went down.

The book Cover is Beautiful; like that was the first thing that caught my eye; The title was the next thing and then I read the plot which I liked aswell. However after trying to read it, I noticed, maybe it was not made for me to read? First things first, I feel like we weren't properly introduced with the female lead; it went straight into action, then we met her old lover? What Was That? Yes, We met her old love interest, also in the beginning of the book, who out of the blue returned into her life; therefore there wasn't a chance to properly learn who the female lead was.

On another note; how come she liked it when he called her Changeling, but didn't like it when others did? That was confusing for me aswell... I also didn't get some words which were used in the book; didn't know what they were meant, I just know they weren't english words.

Don't get me wrong this book has its' potential; I just couldn't continue reading it..

Thank you to Little Brown Book and Netgalley for this ARC, apologies from my side that I couldn't continue reading the book.

I love anything to do with the Fae, and A Feather So Black is a fantastic addition to this fantasy sub-genre. Its rich worldbuilding and likeable characters make for an immersive reading experience, and I didn’t want to leave Fia, Irian and the land of Tír na nÓg.

There’s a lot more than meets the eye to A Feather So Black, and obviously I don’t want to spoil anything for prospective readers. I will say that it’s not a simple story, and instead has layers upon layers of magic and intrigue. The Fae are dark and dangerous rather than romantic and playful, and there’s always a sense of underlying danger peppering the pages. Fia is never safe, and that becomes apparent with every subsequent chapter.

Fia is a badass heroine from the very start, with her determined, strong personality being a personal highlight for me. I liked her more as her story slowly unravelled like a spool of thread, with more secrets and lies being revealed at every turn. Irian and Rogan are both great characters too, with Irian being my favourite — he’s layered like you wouldn’t believe, and I can’t wait to learn more about him and his shadowy exterior.

A Feather So Black is very well-written, perfect for fans of fantasy and the Fae, and is brimming with intrigue, romance, fantastical worlds and creatures. It’s a little slow in places, but that didn’t bother me at all; if anything, it let me appreciate the expanding world even more than I already did. I hope this one does really well, and I’m already looking forward to the sequel. If your book is about the Fae, I’m immediately going to be like an excited brownie with riddles on their tongue, and there’s plenty of that in A Feather So Black. Just beware, though, as they’re not always as they seem…