A Feather So Black was such a great read! Lyra Selene has created this immersive world where magic is gone from the human realm, and Fia, our main character, is stuck between two worlds. She’s a changeling, left by the Fair Folk and raised by a queen who sees her as both a weapon and a daughter. From the start, Fia’s journey captivated me as she tries to figure out if she is a tool for others, or if she can she forge her own identity.

One of my favorite parts was how Selene captured the magic and darkness of Tír na nÓg. The descriptions are so rich that I could almost feel the magic lurking in the shadows. This is one of those books where the surroundings feel alive, boht beautiful and dangerous, with secrets Fia has to uncover to truly find herself.

I also really loved the romance in the book, especially the complex and morally grey love interests. Fia is caught in a love triangle (which I normally do not like), but here it works because each relationship brings out something different in her. She’s torn between the light and the shadows, and the way it is written, it really adds layers to her story as she learns about love, trust, and her own power.

If you’re into fantasy with complex characters and beautiful writing, this book is for you! The story is filled with magic, myth and heart, and I can’t wait for the next book to see where Fia’s journey takes us next.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

My god what a book!! Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

'I told you once before - I wouldn't mind oblivion if you were the one to deliver it'.

It was different to other things that I've read. We followed Fia in her quest to fulfil her adoptive mothers wishes and find her lost sister and break their curse. She's always been in love with Rogan & he's always loved her but they were doomed never to be... She's a 'green' witch who can manipulate earth and plants around her.

But when she meets the shape shifting by day/shaddow daddy by night fae male (Irian) she instantly falls for him. My heart absolutely broke when he fell for her more and more as time went on and shared truths that he'd shared with no one else... and she believed her sister that he was manipulating her.

When it was her sister that had been manipulating her all along, just like her mother.

The twist at the end.... Irian always knew he had to die so that the magic of his line could be passed on to someone else. If it wasn't passed on then the magic would be left to roam wild and war would ensue. The story ends with Irian begging her to kill him, saying he wants her to be the one to do it. This is right after they exchange their marriage vows!!

But she carves out her own heart & offers it to the earth and she's the lost heir of the Sept of Antlers!! She says she wants to save them all, she will gladly sacrifice herself and anyone else that needs to die to restore balance in the world. But the magic accepts her tithe & allows her to live! It also allows Irian to live & they finally get to say good morning to each other!!

We still don't know whether her sister, Rogan, the other swan ladies, her mother etc are dead. But the story continues in the second book and I already can't wait to read it!

Absolutely loved this from start to finish! And the fact that I couldn't read a lot of the place or creature names really didn't matter! lol! Well worth a read!

This novel adds Celtic mythology to a Swan Lake retelling, following changeling Fia's quest to rescue a cursed princess (whom she is a duplicate of) from the mysterious Otherworld. Accompanied by Prince Rogan, her childhood love, she finds herself drawn to the dark fae lord Irian, who holds the key to breaking the curse. The story masterfully blends court intrigue with ancient magic in a moonlit adventure.

Perhaps the best part of the book is the lush, immersive writing that brings the magical world to life. However, like many other stories that incorporate mythologies, if that mythology is unfamiliar the terminology can be challenging to follow and slow you down a bit. If you are familiar with Celtic mythology and folklore though, it has been incorporated thoroughly and you will enjoy it. I am mildly familiar and it was still a great read.

Spice: 3 (this book might be spicer than you would expect from the cover/description).
Tropes:
Childhood friends
Forbidden Romance
Enemies to Lovers

This dark romantic fantasy is perfect for readers who enjoy morally grey characters and folklore-inspired tales with a darker edge.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for this eCopy to review

I recently read A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene, and it was quite an intriguing journey. The novel is set in a world of perilous magic and moonlit forests, blending Celtic mythology with a dark, romantic fantasy.

The story follows Fia, a changeling raised by the human High Queen after being left behind by the Fair Folk. Fia’s mission to rescue the cursed princess Eala from Tír na nÓg, alongside her childhood friend Rogan, was filled with tension and unexpected twists. I found myself drawn to Fia’s internal struggles and her journey towards self-acceptance, which was both empowering and heart-wrenching.

One of the highlights for me was the complex relationship between Fia and the dark-hearted fae lord, Irian. Their dynamic was intense and captivating, adding a layer of depth to the narrative. However, the love triangle involving Rogan felt a bit predictable and didn’t resonate with me as much.

While the writing was beautifully lyrical and the world-building immersive, I did find the pacing to be somewhat slow and overly descriptive, so sense of urgency was sometimes lacking.

Overall, A Feather So Black is a beautifully written tale with rich characters and a compelling plot, a good read for fans of romantasy and those who enjoy a blend of magic and mythology

It's a bit complicated to judge this book, but in a very summarized way, I would say: the retelling of Swan Lake is wonderful, as is the way the world of the fae is portrayed. I would have liked more depth in the romantic part, especially in the transition from one love interest to the other, which felt too quick to me (while I enjoyed the relationship between the protagonist and her first love in the beginning). I will read the second book because I like the writing style, the story is intriguing, and the world the author created is wonderful. And after that ending, I need to find out what she has in store.

I feel like this book had a lot of potential, but unfortunately it wasn't my favorite.

I've really loved the messaging relating to trauma and toxic parental relationships and that was an extremely important point of the book for me. I appreciate how the theme was portrayed.

The plot itself was interesting, but it had a lot of plot holes and it was very drawn out and repetitive. The romance was also pretty repetitive and I got bored of it to be honest.

I feel like if the book was shorter, I'd enjoy it more. It could have been more polished and edited down in my opinion, as I've overall sometimes felt as if it was a chore to read it.

That being said, again, I appreciate the themes and the atmosphere. I'll check out the author's next release because of that, even if this book wasn't perfect for me.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

This story drew me in, another book I was reading was abandoned in favor of this one. The book is well written, reminiscent of One Dark Window to me at times. It has stories within stories and the plot has so much promise.

Fia, brought up by a human queen who has trained her to be a weapon in her arsenal, is tasked with rescuing the Queen’s daughter, Eala, from the magical and mysterious Folk. Whilst trying to accomplish this seemingly impossible task, Fia is entangled with Eala’s betrothed human prince and the shadow-wielding Folk Heir - ticking all the romantasy boxes there, including spice.

The story is so dense with beautiful Celtic folklore but some details went unexplained, like lesser Folk mentioned once with little to no further description. It’s by no means a deal breaker, and others may not notice this at all, but I’m a bit of a stickler for details. I want to know every aspect of the world building. I think it would benefit from the addition of a map and a glossary. I also did find the pacing off, it was slow but then in the last 100 pages, everything kicks in.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Unfortunately I didn't vibe with this one, very hard to follow and the main character seemed to lack depth so I didn't feel bothered about her thoughts.

"for someone so small, you possess a shockingly large capacity for hate"

When I began this I didn't look at the comps and I'm glad. I wouldn't say this was like the Cruel Prince other than the fae element but For the Wolf is pretty accurate.

I enjoyed elements of this book. I liked the quest, I liked the fae world and I like the main characters magic. Unfortunately I didn't like much else. The ending was a little confused in my opinion, it didn't really fit and didn't make me want to read book 2 - it just made me glad it was over.

The main character's internal conflict was interesting but we were so focused on the quest and the love triangle that it never really got fleshed out enough. And despite the main character spending for one night a month to enter the fae realm we slowly see less and less of her time. From an interest perspective this makes sense but not a logistical one, I am not sure why the time frame wasn't shortened and have the portal open more often (outside as this being a 'natural' way to build the main romance)

I don't generally enjoy mini stories in a story and here this was done a lot when the endgame love interests are flirting. Typically my problem is that it's difficult to connect with these stories if they are third person without context and that's what these were which was unfortunate as it happened a significant chunk of the story.

This book was heavily influenced from Celtic mythology - I really love having the opportunity to learn about different cultures. Unfortunately in this book I found a lot of the terms very difficult to wrap my head around. There were so many new words (and pronunciations) in such short spaces of time that, even with a glossary I struggled to remember everything. A slower, more integrated approach to introducing readers to these terms could have aided my understanding significantly.

The love triangle with Rogan was a bit tedious, but luckily the romance with Irian more than made up for that. I found myself really waiting for those scenes and I loved how that part of the story played out.

Ultimately I found the writing to be rich and the story carried a lot of depth. I enjoyed it, but the elements I mentioned previously took away from the experience.

Thank you so much to Little, Brown Book Group for the arc via NetGalley. I really appreciate. being given the opportunity to give my honest feedback on this book.

This book delivered a compelling start and showed immense potential, particularly in the first half. However, the FMC's ongoing entanglement with a problematic "Tamlin-type" character until well over halfway became frustrating. Given the narrative hints pushing readers towards a different male lead, these scenes felt unnecessarily prolonged.

Additionally, while the protagonist’s allies professed loyalty, their actions conveyed otherwise. Despite being raised as a warrior, the FMC overlooked several red flags, seeming to lack self-preservation and caution. That said, the endgame MMC was a standout, carrying a familiar yet unique charm that kept the story engaging. His qualities felt reminiscent of a "Rhys" archetype, but with distinct traits that added depth and intrigue. However, his limited presence due to the FMC’s conflict with the other character left a gap.

Despite these frustrations, the plot was intriguing and captivating, especially as the story progressed. The book effectively set the stage for what could be an impactful sequel.

3-3.5*

Fia is a changeling, left in the palace at 8 years old when the Fair Folk took princess Eala to Tír na nÓg. She is fostered and raised by the High Queen, aided by the druid Cathair. Growing up, she was best friends with Eala's bethroted, prince Rogan, and fell in love with him - they haven't seen or spoken to each other since he left as a teenager. When a new gate to Tír na nÓg is discovered more than 10 years later, Fia and Rogan are send there to find and bring back Eala from her captor Irian.

I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with this book, and 5-10 years ago I likely would have been completely obsessed with it. As it stands, though, it never really clicked for me. The writing is beautiful, and I really enjoyed the Celtic-inspired mythology. I really liked the dedication and I quite liked Fia, especially in the early stages of the story. The issue is just that far too many YA fae romantasy books have been written and published in recent years, and in terms of the main storyline, this one didn't really stand apart for me. I enjoyed myself while reading it, but I just felt no need to pick it back up whenever I put it down - it didn't feel like anything I hadn't read before.

This is definitely due to the fact I've read a ridiculous amount of books like it before though, so if you are fairly new to this type of book and/or the Celtic mythology sounds particularly interesting to you, you'll probably have a pretty good time with this one! It's a solid debut, and if the author writes anything that sounds up my alley in future, I'll happily pick it up.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC.

Fia is a changeling in a mortal world... she was left in place of the High Queens Daughter Eala who was taken by the Fair Folk. The High Queen decided to bring Fia up as her own daughter... and also a weapon.
Fia is asked by the High Queen to find Eala and break the curse that holds Eala in a hidden world. Fia doesn't do this journey alone, but with the help of Prince Rogan Eala's betrothed (and Fia's childhood best friend/love interest).

I did find this story to be very drawn out and long, which did make me lose focus a few times. The storyline has great promise, and the characters and their journeys were well developed.

At the beginning of the book mostly I did also find it hard to keep up with the celtic/gaelic terms I believe they were? There is a glossary at the end - which reading an E-Book version I didn't find this out until the end.

I am sure if you love an in depth romantasy, you will most likely enjoy this.

Who doesn't love a fantasy mission with some enemies to lovers mixed in?

Fia was a character you could get invested with. Her relationships were realistic and you understand why she thought like she did. I enjoyed the romance, it didn't feel rushed 😍.

I was a bit confused by the ending, so I gave it 4*, but I'm looking forward to book 2 for more answers.

This book was amazing! The world building was intricate and captivating, the characters flawed but endearing, and the ending was intense and action packed, leaving me desperate to read the next book!

Let’s start of with positives, the world building was fantastic, I enjoyed the timeline progression and the writing was really good.

I got behind our FMC Fia and I enjoyed the idea of her partnership with MMC Irian, but, I wanted more time with them being together, experiencing some depth with each other to truly feel their connection.

A retelling of the Swan Princess and I loved the concept and plot twists, just not the delivery of said concept and plot twists.

The first half of the book was very slow paced, add onto that all the Celtic mythology inspired names it made it a difficult read as it anticipated that people already knew Celtic god/desses and whilst I know some, I did not know them all, the back and forth with similar names also made it difficult to follow in the first half. The book would have benefitted from a broader glossary of names and pronunciations, I used every single one that was provided but not everything was in there, including the 'holy days' which luckily I already knew.

I would have also preferred for less time to have been spent in the human realm as it did not feel necessary at all and barely added to the story, or character development.

As I said, it was a good concept but poorly executed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for a review.

This book is very, very slow, and very, very long. Narratively, I think it would have been way more compelling for them to be in Tir na nOg the entire time. Absolutely nothing of note happens in the human world, and it only serves to massively drag down the pacing. You could almost skip all the human world parts and not really lose anything by doing so.

The characters are.... there? Fia is a protagonist who presents herself as very smart and cunning, shaped to be a weapon, with sound judgement, and yet, is incredibly dense, brainwashed, and easy to decieve? If your protagonist is going to be lied to and make the wrong choices, you have to at least attempt to convince me there's an iota of possibility they're right. Especially in a first person narrative. Fia is so obviously being hoodwinked that it's just annoying and exhausting as a reader because it's clearly going to end in tears. At one point, she has an entire inner monologue about how shady and two-faced Eala is and that Fia can't trust her because of all the wacky things going on, and then Fia immediately believes everything Eala says and is like "she'd never lie to me!" Which is it???

Rogan is there. He's a prince. We don't know what he's doing for 80% of the book. But he's hot. And blonde. Irian has shadows. He is also hot. We don't know what he's doing for 90% of the book. I would believe their relationship more if they knew literally anything about each other.

I don't understand Fia's magic. Or the swan maidens. Or Irian's magic. Or what's going on in Tir na nOg. This book tried to do a million things and take the major fae romance tropes with it, but almost none of it was successful.

And then it's a series? After five hundred pages of absolutely nothing? i'm gonna leave this one on the shelf, and I recommend you do as well.

Two stars.

“I was born with the forest at my fingertips”

Lyra calls “A Feather so Black” the book of her heart, well, I think this may be the book of my heart as well, and greatly surpassing all my previous reads this year as my favorite book of 2024.

I have never been so heartbroken that a story was over, and the sequel is not able to be in my hands at this immediate moment.
This story was everything.
I have found myself tiring of stories of the fae, but I am so glad that I gave A Feather so Black by @lyraselene a chance, because this is possibly to be one of the best series I have ever read.
Lyra does an amazing job of making this story feel both familiar, and yet so unique.

This was a beautiful, mystical dark fairytale reimagining of Black Swan. I became thoroughly lost in this world and I did not want to come to the surface of reality from this story.

I am completely blown away by the phenomenal story telling, the complex characters, the intertwining of Celtic mythology, the unique botanical magic.

You follow the story of Fia, a bad ass changling who was left in the place of a stolen princess. Raised as a daughter of the queen, she is sent on a dangerous mission to rescue the true princess from the fae realm. In the fae realm, Fia meets my new favorite morally gray shadow man who helps her unravel her mysterious past and the source of her perplexing powers.

A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene (Book 1 in The Fair Folk Trilogy) is a romantic fantasy set in a crumbling kingdom on the brink of war. The wicked Fair Folk have stolen the queen's beloved daughter. They keep her hidden behind locked gates to the Otherworld and have cursed her and twelve other human daughters to transform into beautiful swans.

I have to admit I found the pace of the first half of the book a bit of a struggle. While I was excited by the premise, I felt like the constant back and forth to Tír na nÓg made the flow of the book a little stilted. However, I stuck with it and I'm so glad I did.

This book has layers upon layers of deception and betrayal that left me deliciously frustrated and wanting more. I stayed up to 3 am eating up the last few chapters. Each character is captivatingly flawed and damaged. I didn't know who to believe as everyone seemed to possess their own twisted motives and are also highly skilled at manipulation. 

This was a gorgeous twisted fairytale with sizzling sexual chemistry. I would have loved if it included multiple perspectives and I hope Corra makes a reappearance in the sequel - which I will 100% be purchasing in the future!