Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene!

If you like a slow burn with worldbuilding this book is for you! I do believe this book was way too long for my liking and could have cut some parts, but I see how the author was trying to set up the new world for its readers (and future books). I definitely did not see what was coming with the climax which is always a bonus for me in books. Now that I've invested in reading this book, I will definitely be reaching for book 2 to see what happens next!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I want to start by thanking NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with an ARC of "A Feather So Black" by Lyra Selene. This novel is a mesmerizing blend of dark fantasy and intricate world-building. Selene's writing is both lush and evocative, drawing readers into a world filled with magic and mystery. The characters are richly developed, and the plot is compelling, with plenty of twists to keep you on the edge of your seat. Overall, I give it three stars for its enchanting narrative and imaginative storytelling.

I’m purely reviewing this now because this is the oldest arc on my back log and I can understand why I didn’t go to it immediately. The writing is cringey, I hated all of the characters. None of them had depth and this has been compared to the cruel prince? I’m sorry what?

3 stars

Thank you Netgalley and publisher.

This one took me a while to get through. It was not one of my favorites. The main character sort of lacked development and I didn't find myself really caring much about her. I don't think I will be picking up the sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. (As always, I'm very grateful to receive an ARC even when I don't end up jiving with the book.)

My Selling Pitch:
You cannot convince me that AI didn't write this book. This is atrociously bad ACOTAR x Barbie of Swan Lake x Twelve Dancing Princesses x Tangled the Series fanfiction.

So firmly on my do not read list.

Pre-reading:
I have low expectations because I very rarely like Fairyloot’s picks, but they really did put out a stunning edition of this book. Those edges!

Thick of it:
So somehow, the audiobook is fucked and the dedication is not text that’s within the e-book edition. I skipped it. It sounded like spoilers.

Do all these authors who introduce their characters as teeny tiny perfect seductresses who are also badasses not expect us to cry Mary Sue?

Trying very hard not to read his name as cat hair.

I know SJM doesn’t have a monopoly on Princeling and the Morrigan, but it really feels like she does.

I don’t understand the plot of this. She was all set to kill the dude and rescue the little creature. Then he interrupted, and now he’s helping her flee, but like she wouldn’t have needed to flee if he hadn’t interrupted.

Very Mother Gothel.

Are we pretending for even a second that we believe the queen is not evil?

What the fuck. I hate dead horses.

How am I supposed to take this girl seriously when she’s pining after a man she has to mother? He’s another Tamlin.

This book would be impossible to read without the audiobook

Another Rhysand clone.

You’re telling me that’s not a reference to I’ve been looking for you.

And the little tree spirit maid from ACOTAR?
I am literally just a girl.

This book is no chemistry whiplash and the author really thinks she's doing something.

No one is THAT oblivious. Even a blond man.

Oh yeah, tell me how he terrorizes small woodland creatures. That'll do it for me.

This is lazy and plot holey.

Yes, I do think he would do that.

Maybe is not yes.

Yeah, sorry, no. Definitely don’t give the magic sword to the evil manipulative princess faking being a trapped victim.

Nope, you should not love blindly.
Wow, that quote just made me so cranky.

You can’t convince me this isn’t romanticizing self-harm.

Into frost and starlight huh? I wonder where I’ve heard that before. (Take a shot every time this book rips off ACOTAR and you will be blackout within a chapter.)

Lambent

This is literally just ACOTAR fanfiction.

Gorget

This is literally just ACOTAR, jesus christ.

Oh cool, so not for any reason. Just for vibes.

That name literally feels like an anagram of Rhysand.

BK have it your way.

This book sucks.

Oh look, she has to fight a giant worm.

Oh, so she’s like definitely the king and the fairy princess’s daughter and it’s actually her magic activating at the beginning.

I can’t get over how bad this is.

This smut is not sexy.

Detritus sin

Good god, how much more?

This is like if AI wrote Scottish ACOTAR. (I’m assuming Scottish. I could be wrong.)

That’s not a punishment to the parents, though, that’s a punishment to the child.

I am so ridiculously bored literally nothing happens in this book.

I am so completely checked out from this book.

You'll just have to taste me too🎶

Maybe everyone in this book sucks.

It’s the eye of the tiger it’s the thrill of the fight🎶

This book is much funnier if you stop letting your brain AutoCorrect Colleen to girl and just believe that he doesn’t know her name even though she’s corrected him so many times.

The sword is my penis.

Saying women are lying about being raped as your big old plot twist is real shit in this day and age

I thought I saw a putty tat.

Literally when do I complain about smut, and I’m complaining. (Samantha, I don’t think you’ve ever been satisfied in your life. Pun not intended.) It’s not hot. It takes too long. It’s too much of this book.

Fuck me, sky sword! Like you’re joking. This isn’t real. This is not a real book. A human did not write this.

What’s that meme sound of like ‘Help me Skywalker you're our only hope’ because read it in that tone. I don’t know if your brain will automatically jump there, but-

I want to stay with you in your bed-

If you're a bird, I'm a bird. (There were actually no reading thoughts to be had because I was so checked out for this book, and this review is just a list of whatever intrusive thought ADHD memes got triggered.)

Anyone else getting Daine in the Immortals and her army of the dead vibes? Which like I get it. That was a brain chemistry changing scene for me as a child too, but you definitely stole that.

The author: oh no, he’s brainless
me: how could you tell?

This is literally just Tangled the Series.

That’s just Frozen.

Oh thank god, I’m done.

You’re gonna tell me with your whole chest, though that that isn’t just Lehabah and Bryce Glittertits Mcgee?

Post-reading:
I barely feel like dignifying this with a review.

It reads like you fed ACOTAR, Barbie of Swan Lake, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and Tangled the Series into an AI generator and published whatever it shat out.

The book’s pacing is unforgivable. Paint dries faster than this book’s plot, and the plot itself is every tired fairytale cliche. You genuinely do not have to read this book. I guarantee you could hear Swan Lake x ACOTAR and guess 95% of what happens.

All the characters suck. They're melodramatic and whiny and unforgivably stupid. No one has any chemistry. None of the smut is convincing or hot. It’s not even that it’s clinical. It just doesn't feel like anyone with a pulse wrote this. There's no feeling in this book.

And nothing happens. We go back and forth between the two realms in the laziest, plot holey slog. It never makes sense. Scenes just end because the author said so.

Choosing to make one of your plot twists ‘evil woman lies about being raped to ruin nice guy’s life’ is shit. Do better. Stop pushing this narrative.

Cranking the audiobook and sheer force of will is the only thing that got me through this book and for what? No closure. No payoff. Do not waste your time.

Who should read this:
No one. Truly no one
Barbie of Swan Lake girlies
The girls rabid for anything ACOTAR

Do I want to reread this:
NO.

Similar books:
* A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas-the OG romantasy series all the girlies are feral for that I will not lie to you and say I like, but you should definitely pick that one up before this one
* Faebound by Saara El-Arifi-romantasy, love triangles, sisters
* Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout-ACOTAR x Twilight fanfiction
* Bow Before the Elf Queen by J. M. Kearl-generic romantasy, enemies to lovers
* Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin-fantasy romance, evil mom
* Forged by Blood by Ehigbor Okosun-fantasy romance, love triangle
* A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand-ACOTAR fanfiction, enemies to lovers
* The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores-Twilight x Tangled, YA sapphic fantasy romance, evil mom

I love books about fairies that really seem to follow the old folklore. I liked that Tir na nOg was a major setting and the fae are not just hot, but dangerous, supernatural beings.

I also really liked the narrator, Fia. I thought she was smart and resourceful, and I enjoyed reading her thought process while she worked through the difficult relationships she had with her mother and best friend.

However, the story ultimately leaned heavily into tropes without making them fun or interesting and the plot twist could be seen miles away. I thought the prose was also a bit try hard.

Overall I liked this book, but it doesn’t add much to the romantasy genre. I am interested in reading the sequel though.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for a review.

Nothing compares to a good faerie book for me. I loved the journey of the MC throughout the book. For me, the atmosphere and lyrical quality to the writing made the book so enjoyable. Looking forward to the sequel!

While I thoroughly enjoyed A Feather So Black, I believe a front-of-book glossary or pronunciation guide would have significantly enhanced my reading experience. The unfamiliar words and concepts, even when used in context, often left me reaching for my dictionary or searching online. This constant interruption disrupted the flow of the narrative.

That said, Selene's storytelling is truly captivating. The Celtic mythology-inspired magic system and the enchanting world of Tír na nÓg were incredibly immersive. The vivid descriptions of the septs, the twelve human girls, and the creatures of the woods transported me to this magical realm.

While the pace might have slowed slightly in the middle, the ending was a thrilling climax that made the journey worthwhile.

(3.75 stars)

A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene is a fae fantasy romance and her adult debut.

I really love to read stories that involve the fae, and especially those that specifically mention changelings and Tír na nÓg. This one even has a glossary in the back with a pronunciation guide!

This is a Swan Lake retelling, and I did enjoy that aspect of the story. Our main POV character Fia is in a bit of a love triangle (or perhaps a square) with her first love Prince Rogan and a handsome shadow fae (and also perhaps her cursed sister).

The author's prose is very lush and beautiful. It was a joy to listen to; Heather O'Sullivan does a great job narrating. I really love gardening and plant-related things, and I thought Fia's forest magic was really interesting. There were a lot of ~*~vibes~*~ that I really enjoyed.

My main criticisms are that it ran a little long and the pacing felt a little off. Certain phrases were a little overused, too (especially during the steamy scenes). This is the author's adult debut--she previously published a YA duology.

I definitely plan on continuing with the series, though. I've heard it's planned as a trilogy. I'm hopeful we'll get more worldbuilding regarding the various fae factions in the next one.

I do not think I have ever read a book with such purple prose. the story, world, and characters of the book were intriguing, but I could not get past the writing. I picked this book up and set it down well over a dozen times over several months, before ultimately DNFing at 27%. Though I enjoyed some other aspects of the book, I knew I would not ultimately enjoy the book as a whole, and decided to put it down rather than give it a 1-2 star review.
I recommend this to readers who enjoy fae/celtic mythology and appreciate lyrical prose. I think there is a reader base for this book and don't want to dissuade others from reading it, however, I do not believe I am the right reader for this book.

I really enjoyed some parts of A Feather So Black, while others seemed contrived and lacked sense.

I'm going to try my best to remain spoiler-free, but a lot of the things I enjoyed & disliked are aspects of the book that don't occur until later in the novel. I will do my best! First, the parts I wanted. I loved the ambiance created through the lyrical writing. It felt like I had stepped into a Brothers Grimm fairy tale - we saw the good and bad bits of the fae, the spooky and the ethereal. I liked the idea of following a main character, Fia, who is a changeling (although she is not a changeling as I have come to know in other fairy tales). The relationship between Fia and her mother reminded me of Rapunzel and her mother in Tangled, which added to the fairy tale-esque vibes.

"'Only I know hot o love someone like you,' she reminded me. 'And no one will ever love you more than I do.'"


I found the relationship between Fia and Rogan, Fia's childhood friend and potential love interest, to be complex and interesting. Their relationship fell into a gray area, where I did not simply hate Rogan for being the obvious roadblock for Fia and Irian's (sexy shadow daddy fae) relationship. Rogan had depths that I was not expecting - it was not easy to simply dislike him. (That being said, he definitely does have his icky sides.)

But if love demands alteration to exist, is it even love at all?


Surprisingly, I found myself endeared to Eala, Fia's sister (?), who lives in the Fae realm and turns into a swan daily for mystical reasons (ooo). Without spoiling, at parts, I was rooting more for Eala while giving Fia the side-eye. Maybe it's the chaos queen in me, or Lyra Serene is excellent at creating gray characters I can't help but root for (even though I probably shouldn't).

Now for the not-so-great. A Feather So Black fell into some tropes that had me rolling my eyes quite a bit. For one, Fia is small. So small. Petite, one could say. Maybe this is a personal squabble, but I am tired of reading protagonist after protagonist who is so small but also great at fighting and is amazingly beautiful but, of course, has insecurities.

Fia made so many decisions that made no sense to me, particularly around Irian. (I'm trying so hard not to spoil). Simply put, why does Fia trust Irian before her childhood friend and kind of sister? Without any real reasoning? Just cause? And their romance was maybe an inch away from insta-love - I was not convinced and found myself having difficulty being invested in Irian as a character. I somehow felt more invested and interested in Rogan and Eala (am I the problem?). And because the relationship between Fia and Irian was such a large proponent of the book, I felt detached from the novel in general.

I didn't have an awful time with A Feather So Black, but I didn't have a great time either. Some things stood out, while others felt like I was trodding through mud trying to get to the finish line. Hence, the 2/5 stars. I don't think A Feather So Black is a bad book, and it definitely has its audience. Give it a try, and let me know what you think!

Thank you, Lyra Selene, Orbit Books, and NetGalley, for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book fell right in the middle for me. It was advertised as a mix of The Cruel Prince meets For The Wolf which intrigued me because there are some parts of The Cruel Prince that I loved, while some aspects I did not love so much. The writing in this book is beautiful and poetic and I felt like I was right there in the world alongside the characters. I did get a little lost in the Celtic terms at times, but powered through. I think this book is perfect for those who love BookTok-esque books with Shadow Daddies, tropes galore and love triangles and is definitely a the perfect book if you want to go along for a fun ride.

Fairly solid mixed fae romance with an Irish flavor to the brew. I'd definitely consider reading a sequel to this if it exists.

This story was wonderful but the pacing was off by far. So much of this book was just nothing happening at all. I wished it would have been better paced as it could have been very good.

Despite mixed reviews, I found this book lovely. Was the prose sometimes a little too purple? Maybe, but I think most of it worked so it evened out for me. It has dark fairytale vibes, complete with forests, curses, and magical objects. I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of spice in a book like this, and felt it didn’t overpower the plot. I was wary of the love triangle aspect, but I feel like it was very obvious who she was going to end up with so I wasn’t too annoyed by having to get emotionally invested in one guy just for it to turn out she ends up with the other.

The weakest point for me is the pacing. It starts off strong, but in the middle everyone is just kind of standing around waiting an entire month for the next time they can enter the fae realm. Since they can only spend one night a month there the fae realm is not as well built as it could be, which is a shame because more of the Celtic folklore could have pushed this to a five star.

I also got a little lost with the ending. It becomes a lot of fanciful notions like ‘I am the forest and the forest is me now there is peace’ vibes. I hope the sequel explains what happens a little better, because to me it read like an ayahuasca trip journal.

Other than that I am very excited to read the next book and hopefully see an expanded world now that they’re in the fae realms for good!

🌶️: 3/5

DNF this book about 100 pages in. But that was not the books fault. I was dealing with some severe health issues and I didn't have a chance to get through more before my ARC expired. But I loved what I did read. While there were a lot of difficult to pronounce Celtic words to stumble over, the writing was beautiful. The author was able to beautifully paint a picture of the scenery and characters. Since I didn't get through my ARC before it expired, I plan to get the audiobook so I can finish it. Based on what I did read, I give the book 4/5 stars for the writing style and world building alone.

Fia is a rare changeling, left by the Fair Folk in the place of the High Queen’s daughter. She is raised by the queen and trained as a spy.

Eala, the real princess, is bound to Tír na nÓg, cursed to become a swan by day, only able to return to her true form by night.

Fia is tasked by the Queen to enter the magical realm through a hidden gate, retrieve the princess, and break her curse. But Fia doesn’t go alone; Prince Rogan, Fia’s childhood best friend, and Eala’s betrothed must go with her.

As they spend time in and out of the forest of Tír na nÓg, Fia’s mission is complicated by her feelings for the prince, and her unexpected attraction to the dark-hearted fae Gentry holding Eala captive. Irian seems to understand Fia in a way that no one else can.

Fia begins to question the truth, but time is running out to break her sister’s curse. As she continues to unravel the secrets of the past, will it destroy everything she has come to love?

Read if you like:
- celtic based mythology
- fairytale retellings
- enemies to lovers

What a book. I wish I wouldn’t have waited so long to pick this up.

I was immediately immersed in the story from the first page. The writing is captivating and flows so well, you feel just like you are in the magical world of the Tír na nÓg. There is a lot of complexity to this story. I loved how Fia never really felt safe, no matter where she was or what she was up against. She is such a strong and fierce character, but full of vulnerabilities and self doubt. Rogan and Irian are also great characters - I hope we get more Irian POVs in the next book because I feel like there is so much more to learn about him.

Highly recommend for your next fantasy read! I know I will anxiously be awaiting the sequel next year.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for a free digital copy of this book. This is my honest review. Publication date: March 12, 2024.

I read the reviews and expected to hate this, but I didn’t. I didn’t find it repetitive because different things happened each time, it wasn’t just copy and paste. I liked all the characters, and I thought they each added something to the story. It was a bit predictable, but after reading just the synopsis, I guessed certain things. It is just that type of book and I didn’t think it took away from it because the details weren’t known. How the FMC kept believing that her “Mother” loved her for so long was a but annoying, but I guess she was conditioned as a child. I am curious how this is going to play out in the second book. Especially if the wild magic is that corrupting.