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.

I really loved the first book in this series (A Feather So Black).
And I loved this one just as much. Such a visually beautiful world, true fantasy and I love the characters so much!
Can not wait for the next one!

If you enjoyed book one, you'll enjoy book two!

I continued to be invested in Fia's hope for a better world and finding her place in it. She doesn't rely on others to achieve her goals, but builds true friendships to support them.

The relationship between Fia and Irian continues in this book, but I would class it as a fantasy romance book rather than a romantasy - I enjoyed the story and how it all pulled together to conclude book 2.

I'm giving this 4 stars but may up it once I've read book 3 in the trilogy!

Also, I really don't like Eala! I hope karma gets her!

I have never squealed in delight at receiving an arc before… but I did for this! We dive straight back into the action after a Feather so Black and its wonderful, Fia has survived and she’s a swan, when she’s ready she transforms back to herself and she’s straight into Irian’s arms, is beautiful - but…
Irian is so worried about losing Fia again he becomes oppressive, he takes away the partnership they’d built and starts keeping things from her and stops consulting her with plans, and it’s hard to read. Fia pulls away and it’s so heart wrenching.
I loved the idea of the trials to gain a wish, but it was so difficult to get into what was happening while Irian and Fia were at odds, and especially when she leaves him and breaks their marriage vows - I couldn’t fight back the tears!

After being sent from the trials by Irian in an unexpected act of control, Fia joins Weyland - Irian’s foster brother - to find a way to destroy his father and remove him from power effectively, this part of the story was brilliant, I loved The Years and how they tried to unbind her from Galvin - but I didn’t expect her to bind herself to Fia, and after Irian and Fia FINALLY came back together, Irian lost her AGAAAIIIINNNNN, it’s just so hard to see it happening again, especially when Irian had finally accepted Fia is her own person and needs to make her own choices and mistakes.

Overall, I don’t think the book was as gripping as the first, whether it was because of the relationship troubles or something else, I’m not sure.

Most importantly though, Lyra has created characters that I’m so invested in, her writing style is magical, and the world building is beautiful- for me to have such a passionate reaction to a book is rare, so that says a lot for whether you should dive into book two (and in case it wasn’t clear - you should!)

I have mixed emotions over this book. because I loved the first book SO much, I was expecting this one to be just as great. however, I just couldn’t overlook a couple of things that bothered me and that’s why I have to give this 4 stars instead of 5.

starting with the setting, I think it was a great move to have the plot centred in a different location than the first book - it really brought something fresh and interesting to the story. I fell in love with the Silver Isle and its many secrets and intricacies.

I also appreciated that we get introduced to a new cast of characters, while maintaining the focus on the ones we’ve come to love from the first book (I’m looking at you, Irian 🫶🏻). there’s a certain found family dynamic that fit in really well with the plot and the really high stakes.

now, in terms of aspects that I didn’t particularly enjoy, I have to mention Fia’s behaviour towards Irian for most of the book. I know that it’s a popular choice in second books to have the main couple go through a conflict and be separated for the majority of the book, but I was hoping for something else in this case. Fia had a complete change of personality for about 50% percent of the book in order to drive the conflict forward, and it just wasn’t believable. I do have to admit that when Irian and Fia weren’t at odds with each other, their interactions were EVERYTHING. Irian, the man that you are 🖤

another thing that was sort of misleading from the synopsis are the trials. I was expecting them to play a much larger role than they actually do. we don’t even see or know much about each trial.

all in all, I did enjoy this book after the action started picking up and it became clear what the characters’ motivations were, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the final book!! 💚

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Love love love! My most anticipated released.I absolutely loved A Crown So Silver.From the very first page, I was swept away into an enchanting world filled with intrigue, complex characters, and a plot that kept me hooked until the very end. The author’s world-building is simply masterful; the descriptions of the settings are vivid and immersive, making it easy to picture every scene in my mind.

The characters are so well-developed, with emotional depth that makes them feel real. I found myself rooting for the protagonist, as they navigated the challenges of power, politics, and personal growth. The romance in the story was equally captivating — it was slow-burn, perfectly paced, and full of tension that kept me turning the pages.

The twists and turns in the plot were unexpected and kept me on the edge of my seat. The pacing was spot-on, with enough action and emotional moments to balance the tension.

Overall, A Crown So Silver is a beautifully written fantasy that I can’t recommend enough. If you love fantasy with strong world-building, compelling characters, and a plot full of twists, this book will not disappoint!

So I've got to be honest. I really regret applying for this book as an ARC, as now it means I need Book 3 injected into my veins, and I get that's such an unreasonable feeling when Book 2 isn't even out!!!!
I enjoyed A Feather so Black so much, and I genuinely screamed when I was approved for this. I cannot thank those involved enough. This book was beautifully written, and so poetic and beautiful. I love the world building, and the characters, and just everything.
I genuinely haven't felt this way about a book since I read ACOMAF; every single page kept me gripped, I loved the characters and they made me feel so much. There were times I was so worried about Fia and Irian, and slightly in love with Wayland, and so annoyed at Eala. My favourite character is Pond Scum, and I hope this iconic beastie makes a comeback in Book 3.
The relationships in this are so genuine; Irian and Fia are both reeling from Fia's death and resurrection, and whilst Irian did act in crappy ways, it's really easy to see where he's coming from. I won't lie, I was really worried we were getting "Tamlin'ed" at some points of this. Both characters go through their own heartbreaks, and they come together so much stronger. I really liked getting to know about Irian's past. Also, Lyra Selene is diabolical by giving us 2 Irian POV chapters.
My favourite thing about this was the fact it picks up immediately from Book 1 - there was no awkward time jump or anything, just straight into it.
I wrote down quotes that I loved to include in my review, but I've ended up with like 100 quotes written down which is probably too many to use without giving away major spoilers, but I plan on posting a few here and there on my instagram @a_pixie_bookshelf in the months coming up to release

Also side note, there was a little thing early on in the book hinting Book 3's title and as stupid as I sound, I felt so smart when I guessed Book 3's title.