“I was made of mountains and forests and burned-out stars. I was not made for an ending I hadn’t earned.”
This book was a complete surprise from beginning to end. We find the same luscious and descriptive writing style of the first book, but a completely new setting and scenery, which I loved. Every single page kept me entertained and eager to keep reading, and while I did guess some of the plot twists I can honestly say this book continuously surprised me, going in a completely different direction than I thought. Where the first book was slow-paced and rich of fairytale retellings, this second instalment is much quicker-paced and darker.
My only issue is that the middle dragged a little and felt particularly irritating: Fia and Irian’s personalities and relationship became insufferable, and while I do agree that they had to work through their (justified) issues I found myself constantly screaming at them to just talk and listen to each other instead of going around in circles!
Once that was solved I flew through the rest of the book. I loved the Silver Isle setting and all the new characters that were introduced (especially Wayland), so many questions are answered and so many others are raised and I am so eager to read how the story concludes in the next book.

Sadly I have DNF’d this book. I persevered with the first book as I struggled with the style of writing and the volume of descriptive writing for describing the settings in the book but I have really enjoyed the story line. The volume of descriptive writing slows down the story (by descriptive writing I mean a page plus to describe a tree) and this has meant that the slow moving story line has made me lose interest.

I can recommend this book to everyone who read the first book for the romance and the worldbuilding. (So if you're really into romantasy)
I have very mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, the writing is still amazing, the world is becoming even bigger and I love every aspect of it. On the other hand, it was a letdown from the first book. I missed the fairytale aspect that was the reason I loved the first book so much. I didn't enjoy the romance and the probably needless love triangle. I was in a block when I started it so getting through the first, slower part was a struggle. But the best redeeming thing in the book was the ending. I'm not sure I'll be continuing the series after this book.

In so many ways i preferred this book to the 1st one. I loved the progression of Fia's character, and even when she is chained her spirit and magic doesnt diminish which is a great lesson for young women everywhere. This picks up right after the events of the 1st book and Fia and Irian continue their fight of Fia's sister Eala and her quest for total dominion over both worlds.

Their adventure takes them to the Silver Isle and a competition of Kings where we meet Wayland who damn it i prefer to Irian in every way. I was actually rooting for them to get together all the way through the book. He is a much better match for Fia and i dont get the obession with Irian at all, he is controlling and obnoxious, Wayland on the other hand is sweet, caring, vulnerable, and hot as hell. I was actually rooting for a throuple all the way through, i thought it would happen at one point when Weyland casually commented that Irian would be more than ok with sharing Fia with Wayland, internally i was like yes Fia go for it!

I enjoyed the story, the quests and the side characters and i found it really engaging and fun.

That being said, i am half Irish, Lyra can you please, and im begging you, to stop Irian constantly using the term colleen when he talks to Fia. It is not a term of endearment no matter what the internet says, its actually very patonising, and i cringe every time i read it. In Irish colleen means girl/woman, so when Irian is saying what do you need from me colleen, he is saying what do you want from me girl/woman. I find it infuriating, and if i were the editor i would go in and replace it with her actual name Fia. I hate terms of endearment though in general so this is a personal thing, i dont like love, honey, darling etc, just use my name please.

Anyway, overall i think this is better than the 1st one, it was certainly more interesting to read, and i am looking forward to reading the next one.

Great follow on from A Feather so Black. Really enjoyed the continuation of the story and the world getting richer and deeper - long may this continue! I need more

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As the creator of the ship name Firian, nobody loves this story more than me (I expect Lyra to be a close second lol) and I loved this sequel so much. Sorry not sorry Fia, Irian is THE man, and I will protect no matter what. Both A Feather So Black and A Crown So Silver are so immersive. I simply forget everything about this horrible world and just are. I exist in that world with Irian and Fia, their immense love, and the awful odds they are against.

If A Feather So Black was about finding yourself and shed others' expectations of you, then A Crown So Silver is about choices and free space. Space to make your own choices whether they are smart or stupid. Space to exist with your own mind and free will.

I'm sort of biased here because I loved Irian from the moment we met him in the first book, and while I also like Fia, well....Irian is Irian, my man, the husband of my soul. Did Irian cross a certain boundary? Yeah he did. Was it also the right thing to do? Well yeah. The way he did it was stubborn and off the boundaries, but what he did was the right thing to do, and I am sort of surprised that Fia didn't realize it much sooner... Though, she was always headstrong and very set on her beliefs.

If you love Irian a lot, you will be irritated with Fia. If you love both more equally, you will realize what Lyra has been trying to do much sooner than I did lmao. Irian and Fia love each other a lot, but both of are very determined and opinionated. And they have been alone and starved for love, care, and intimacy for many, many years. If they didn't clash, it wouldn't be authentic. How can you communicate well with your person (with any person) if you haven't been close to someone before? How can you communicate well when you yourself have change drastically recently? How can you communicate well when all you've ever done is survive?? Fia is driven by a sense of purpose after her transformation, while Irian is desperate to protect his love after losing her. She wants to fight, he wants to flee so she can live. Was I annoyed with Fia? Yes. Do I understand her now? Yeah. My problem was that I love Irian too much so anyone who hurts him becomes enemy number one lmao....

And there's spice, people. Lots of spice!! Because Irian is a hulk and Fia can't stop herself which is the most relatable thing in the book haha

We had many plot twists and new elements! Lyra Selene manages to expand the world and the stakes masterfully. I would comp it to Nisha J. Tuli's Artefacts of Ouranos series!! If you loved that one, you will like this too.

Loved it all!!

Sincerely,
The feather on Irian's shoulder
Irian's protector
Firian's creator and president

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

I absolutely loved the first book in this series so much, it was one of my best books of the year so I was really excited to continue this series.

Book two broadens this world and introduces us to new characters and new parts of the realm, with challenges introduced building on the events of the first book. I did enjoy the expansion of the world and the new folkloric elements that were brought in to the second book. This was my favourite part of the book seeing the new elements of Irish mythology we were given to explore.

The books started off and ended well, but I found the middle section lost a bit of pace. There was a bit of repetition in the dialogue between two characters and it felt like we were rehashing the same issues over and over again which derailed the story for me a bit. However it did pick back up towards the end to reach a satisfying conclusion.

One of my favourite parts of the first book was how strong the characterisation was. Character building was just so distinct and excellent! We did lose that a bit in this book which that strength of character dipping a bit. However we’re set up well to get those strong voices back in book three.

A wonderful exploration of mythology and an incredible world is delivered in this book that just had a touch of middle book syndrome. Still an incredible series overall!

A Crown so Silver takes place in such an enchanting world but the characters in this book just weren’t the characters from book one, this took away from the beautiful yet deadly settings. I found the romance to be utterly frustrating and uncoordinated. I don’t understand the motives behind many of their decisions. Something was generally off. Like I said I love the dreamy fairytale world but this wasn’t the focus at all. In the last book there was plenty of lore, this told as stories within the main story, I think this happened once in this book. As I didn’t connect with the characters and lost interest I found this slightly a chore to read. I would have been interested in the deadly tournament but this was in the background as well.
I would say it’s well written and full of action…after the first 30%. The ending was also epic and made the rest of the read worthwhile.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

I’M SORRY, MY BABY, IRIAN DESERVES WAY BETTER THAN THIS!!!

If you had told me a few days ago I would be giving A Crown So Silver a 3.75-star review and would not be continuing the series, I would never have believed it. Yet here we are.

I will preface this by saying—objectively, this is a pretty sound book, which is why I have given it a 3.75. The worldbuilding and setting are beautiful; it was fast-paced, and Lyra Selene knows how to wield the pen. A lot of those who critiqued ‘A Feather So Black’ for lack of action would probably prefer this book. I honestly feel like I am in a relationship with a ‘good guy’ who technically is doing all the right things, but I know in the depth of my bones he is not “the one for me.” So, in a desperate attempt to justify this breakup, let me answer the question, “How did it end?” All spoilers are blurred.

Fia and Irian

Why are these two still together? Seriously, does Fia like Irian? Because love doesn’t equate to like, and from spending an inordinate amount of time in Fia’s head, I can’t say for sure she does like him. Fia treats poor Irian like a thorn in her side who she inexplicably loves and therefore is stuck with.

Irian is just as traumatized as Fia. He has also been thrust into an expedited marriage to someone he does not know. I guarantee you, if Irian was the one speaking as condescendingly to Fia as she does to him, the readers would be in an uproar.

(view spoiler)

I also went into this book expecting intimate moments between Fia and Irian. I wanted to hear the beautiful stories they used to share. Instead, all I got was repetitive fighting scenes sprinkled in with a little sex here and there. Let me tell you, not one sex scene felt powerful and intimate; it was like watching a long-term couple have mandatory sex once a year. Fia had more intimacy with Wayland (yuck) than her own husband. Whenever Irian tried to connect with Fia, she would immediately try to bite his head off. It was very tiring to read.

Fia and Wayland

This pairing frustrated me so much. I honestly felt like if Wayland and Fia had been friends from the start and there was no sexual tension, Lyra Selene would have nailed the found family trope. She tried to shoehorn the found family trope in the end, which doesn’t make sense given that Fia has created an invisible wedge between foster brothers. How fun it would have been if Fia and Wayland had an older brother and younger sister dynamic! Instead, I got creepy Wayland lusting over his foster brother’s wife and holding this “kiss bargain” over Fia’s head. Newsflash: You are not friends if one of you has unrequited feelings for the other.

(view spoiler)

Also, Wayland makes a weird insinuation that Irian would enjoy the three of them being in bed together. Are we talking about the same Irian who guards Fia like a hawk? I wanted this to be explored more, but it is never mentioned again.

Fia and Rogan

Juggling two love triangles can be hard. Which is why poor Rogan is only remembered when he is being used as Eala’s pawn. It is such a shame because Fia only seems to remember Rogan when she wants to fight with Irian or when Rogan is right in front of her.

Fia and Eala

You know something is wrong when I like Eala more than Fia in this book. At least Eala is not scared to be the villain. I really enjoyed their dynamic and would have preferred more of these two in the book, instead of Fia thinking about the men all the time.

Fairytale aspect

What I loved about ‘A Feather so Black’ was the fairytale and dreamlike aspect. While I understand we are in a grittier world, the tone of the book felt completely different. The tales told between Irian and Fia also were a big part of the fairytale aspect in the first book. So, by removing stories from this book, I felt like this book was stripped of everything that made the first unique.

Plot

The overall plot was interesting, but I didn’t feel like Fia had to work very hard to figure things out. Her biggest obstacle was Irian and Wayland, so it was hard to take her seriously. The actual ‘big bad wolf’ of the book didn’t feel very threatening at all compared to Eala in the first book. Also, why did we spend a good portion of the beginning of the book grappling with her new powers for her not to have to use them for the majority of the book? (I understand the reasons why, but it was a bit disappointing.) We kept being told how powerful and unique Fia is, but I rarely felt it in the book.

Conclusion

Irian might have promised Fia to love her through all the seasons; I certainly did not make this promise. I just found her stunted, immature, and quick to place blame on other people, namely Irian. The ending was good, I liked the plot twist. But if I don’t enjoy the journey, there is no point in continuing. It is such a shame because this book integrates more mythology, and I want to learn more of the lore. However, I think if you like books like Powerless, you probably would really enjoy this book compared to ‘A Feather So Black’. I would still read more books from Lyra Selene, because she is an incredibly talented writer, unfortunately like Rogan and Fia, it is time for me to part ways with this particular series.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC, all thoughts are my own.

I’m so happy I got to read this book early, I adore this world and these characters so much.

Book 2 did not disappoint, I like how much the book expands on Irian’s past and details we were unaware of, plus we are introduced to new and vital characters. I really need my girl Fia to catch a break because she has been going through it and book 2 did not relent. Things take such devastating turns this book and THAT ENDING omg, I’m so hurt that are left at that point and book 3 is looking good already.

I loved the first book sooooo much, and was really excited for book 2. Unfortunately I didn't feel it with this one. The writing is still stunning, and I'm not really sure what felt off, but the vibe wasn't the same. If book one had been a standalone, I would have been very happy with that.

I really wanted to give it four stars but the beginning was so slow that I really had a hard time getting into it.

Fia wasn’t really likeable. She was still headstrong and more powerful but also somehow lost her rationality. It wasn’t until a third of the book where her behaviours started to make sense again, she was her own person again with a clear stream of thought. That was also the point where the book became interesting.

I love how Fia and Irian went separate ways to fulfil their own storylines and develop their own characters, only to come together again as a whole. Anyway, Sinead should’ve killed Eala.

I’m not even going to lie to you, I was really worried that this book was going to only be 3 stars for me. It started off slow but not in the usual info dumping way that most books start out slow”. It was more so that I was actually getting frustrated with just how long it took to get a thought out.

For example, there’s a line that says how she stepped out of her crimson-and-black dress, meanwhile it could have just said dress, with no descriptors — the entire chapter before it was literally ABOUT the damn dress and how that colour meant something specifically and yadda yadda (I don’t want to spoil anything). This happens quite frequently where you’re just like GET ON WITH IT.

Honestly, that almost lost some stars but there was REDEMPTION in the trials. They were done so well and the outcome was not what I expected.

The ending though? HOW DARE YOU GIVE ME AN ARC OF THIS BOOK AND THEN END IT LIKE THAT?! What if I don’t get the next ARC? What if I have to wait FOREVER for the next book? Please DO NOT do that to me 🙏🏼

A Feather So Black was one of my top 5 reads of 2024 (really, I just have five favourite books, all in number 1) and now I have to add A Crown So Silver into the mix as well. Excellent.

I really enjoyed A Feather So Black So A Crown So Silver was one of my most anticipated reads. Unfortunately, it was a letdown. Fia was selfish, reckless and too stupid to live. While Irian's behaviour was toxic in the first half of the novel, I was sympathetic, Fia was needlessly stubborn, and for someone who was so ignorant, she tried awfully little to remedy that.

Aside from Fia's foolishness, the plot was very slow-moving in the first half and it took a fair bit of effort to push through to the end. While I'm generally not a fan of multiple POVs, A Crown So Silver would have benefitted from a few more Irian chapters, some Eala chapters, and maybe even some Chandi chapters. Not only would it have provided a break from Fia's annoying behaviour, but it would also have driven the plot forward more effectively. Eala has the potential to be a more nuanced villain, so if there were opportunities to explore her motivations, the novel would have been far more compelling.

The ending was not satisfying given the generic plot and two dimensional characters but the romance aspect was also lacking given Fia's lack of growth throughout the novel, I found it frustrating that she acknowledged her behaviour was reckless but does not take accountability for her part in her relationship struggles let alone try to adjust her behaviour. Irian at least showed some growth by admitting his faults and vowed to do better.

Overall, it was a disappointing and frustrating read.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK | Orbit for providing me with this ebook in exchange for an honest review*

This was...unexpected. I loved the first book yet this one, felt like it dragged a lot. And come on, it's December 2024, nearly 2025. Stop with love triangles. It's messy and it doesn't raise the stakes as you think it does! Ugh!
Other than that, I loved it. Just for the world building!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A gorgeous 4 star read book from me. What an exciting plot, vivid storytelling and relatable, rich characters. I could put this book down – absolutely loved it.

This book took me a while to get in to and I feel as though it lulled quite a lot at the start, given the fact that it is a longer than average book, I do feel as though the fist 40% could have been condensed.

I feel as well that there were quite a few plot holes which weren’t quite filled by the end of the book. It was definitely interesting to get to know more about the characters, but again I really struggle with love triangles which was a theme in the book.

The authors writing is good and descriptive.

First of all i’d like to thank netgalley and the publisher for granting me a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Honestly I had pretty big expectations for this one. From the moment I started the first book in the series, I was deeply immersed in the story and found myself highly enjoying the unique world the author constructed. So yeah, expectations were raised pretty high!

I have to say, which i’ve seen mentioned in other reviews aswell, the book took a bit to get truly going. I’m not a very patient person (at all), so you can imagine, I struggled quite a bit at the beginning. But fortunately, when the story did get going, it truly GOT going. As a reader you were taken an quite a wild ride, and the author dished out quite a few new plot points that were highly intriguing.

Yet again, just like in the previous novel, I adored the relationship between Fia and Irian and the way it was portrayed very realistically. No relationship is without it’s hardships and I heavily respect when an author doesn’t shy away from this.

The only thing I was a bit disappointed about is that we didn’t get a lot of scenes from the competition itself. Of course the story took place around it, and in the end it made sense storywise, for it to feature as a more background storyline, but still I would’ve loved to see just a few more scenes, just to raise the stakes a bit higher.

Other than that, I really liked this second book and i’m looking forward to the next one!

4/5

I was so so looking forward to this book. I loved 'A Feather So Black' so much that I couldn't wait to read this.

I loved the story direction in general. But I did have issues with the character development. They held each other back a lot throughout the story which became frustrating after a while. The relationships seem disjointed between Fia and Irian which seems completely different to the direction they were headed in he first book.

The tournament was giving a bit of tri-wizard tournament, but we don't actually see any of the trials which I think would have added a little something to the story. And would have made her side quest to find out the source of the kings power make more sense, so that we actually felt like she was juggling multiple things, trying to keep herself afloat.

I almost wish the first book had been a stand alone which ended with the first section of the second book. The first chapter could have been an epilogue.

REVIEW TO COME. I am currently broken and need to put my pieces back together before I form a coherent review instead of nonsensical ravings about how much I adored this.

All in all, 10/10 I NEED MORE OF IRIAN PLSS. I shall edit this with a full review VERY SOON. Give me two days to shed all my tears.