I really enjoyed this book! The writing style was easy to get sucked into, and I loved the way the author created the characters and the world where the story takes place. I would definitely be interested in reading more from this author. Great book!

Such an enchanting read!! I'm not usually one for "romantasy", but I love Swan Lake and the premise of having it rooted in Celtic folklore and from the perspective of the Odile/black swan was intriguing. Selene's writing is lush and lyrical, and while I felt the plot moved a bit slowly, it kept chugging along and was a great before-bed read for me. I loved Fia and really wanted the best for her! It was hard to see characters manipulating her and her trying to please them because she wanted to be loved so badly. Some scenes I felt moved a bit quickly or needed a bit more build-up (the Rogan scene in the very beginning when they were running from that group, and the apology and then spice scene with Irian after *spoiler* Fia's earlier betrayal *end spoiler*). But overall, I absolutely adored this and I cannot WAIT for book 2 to come out. I have been recommending it to everyone I know!!

Unfortunately, I couldn't get past 20% of this book. I recognize that it is beautifully written and the world seems well thought out, but it just wasn't capturing me. I can see how other reads may really enjoy this, it just wasn't for me.

A Feather So Black was a wonderfully mystical and beautiful fairytale. It is a story of finding yourself, your family, and your home - for both good and bad. There were many passages that were so beautifully written that I saved them to return to and read again and again. Fia was a strong character. She at times questioned herself, which made her all the stronger in the end. I was a bit frustrated with Rogan for most of the book, but I didn’t really mind. Irian was wonderfully dark and intriguing and Eala was exactly what she needed to be to make this dynamic sing. There were parts of the story that I expected, but not in a bad way. There were parts that I didn’t expect at all. Overall, this was exactly what I wanted it to be and I can’t wait to read the next one!!

This literally sent me down a rabbit hole of Irish mythology and I adored it - from incredibly folklore-rich settings to characters that were compelling, this was such a fun read.

This was so good. Its been a few days and my mind is still drifting back to it constantly. I loved the premise, the characters, the setting, literally everything the author chose to do I can't think of any way to make it better. Except maybe more of my new favorite MMC. Eagerly (Desperately) awaiting book 2.

Mysterious, enchanting, and easily enticing. 

Plain and simple, I fell in love with this story for its captivating world-building. The Swan Lake retelling and Celtic mythology inspiration felt like they intertwined and fit so perfectly. Add in the political intrigue, and you’ve got a story that leaves you on the edge of your seat. I also liked the complex and layered character of Fia; however, I didn’t really feel like we got a lot about the nature of characters such as Irian and Rogan or their relationships with Fia. 

Overall, I liked the premise of the novel but struggled to feel the chemistry between Fia and Irian and the nature of the relationship between Fia and Rogan. A love square just felt very overwhelming and, at times, felt more like a soap opera in a fae-inspired setting. I would most definitely read the sequel, but I also hope we get to know more about the supporting characters as well.

Thank you to orbit books and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

Solid 3 stars but overall had some problems. The pacing was very slow, the character development was off, and I felt the reveals were either too slow or too fast. I did not like the fact that they only entered the other word once a month because I made the pacing and relationship development feel off. A little too tropey for my taste.

I was excited to read this based on the description. I could not get into the story or characters but was hopeful it would get better as I read. It had potential but could not hold my attention.

I thoroughly enjoyed this romantic fantasy! The characters were engaging and the storyline was unique. I really enjoyed Selene's writing style and it kept me reading late into the night. Loved it!

For the first book in a new series, this book went hard. It was everything I want in a romantic fantasy story. Lyra Selene’s writing style is magical and reels you into her world from the very first page. This is a Swan Lake/Swan Princess retelling, which was unique in itself as I’ve not read one like this yet. As one of my favorite ballets, of course I had to read this book.

Our main character, Fia, is a changeling. Swapped for a human princess as a child, Fia is raised by the human High Queen to be her spy and weapon. Fia was a wonderful main character. I felt for her and wanted so badly for her to have her happy ending. We have curses, a tragic fae ‘shadow daddy’, a prince, magic and plenty of romance with spice. There is a love triangle and I normally really dislike that trope, but it’s so good here. It makes sense to the story. It becomes obvious towards the middle who Fia is meant to be with. The magic system was really fun. The way Fia uses her magic was really interesting. How she grows into it was one of my favorite parts of the story.

The ending was perfect. I was glad it left off where it did, though I am still very excited for the second book. I can’t wait to get back to this world and find out what happens next for Fia and everyone else after that ending. I’ve read a lot of really good books this year, but so far this one is definitely one of my top reads. A strong 5 stars from me. Thank you Netgalley and Orbit Books for the ARC.

I am dead tied on a solid 3.5 stars. It had such great magic settings although the concept of a full moon being the only time to cross the gate got redundant. I would've rather more happen on EACH full moon and have less full moon's? It had such great descriptives but I would've loved for there to be MORE to the MMC Irian. It got a little muddled WHY Fia is attracted to him beyond his Fae beauty so in that regard, I was cheering more for Rogan.

THANKS to NetGalley and their cooperating publishers for the ARC.

This book was an interesting take on the swan lake fairytale. In it, Fia is a fae changeling who took princess Eala's place in the human world, while Eala was stuck in the fae world under an evil sorcerer. Fia has been trained all her life by the queen to serve as her assassin and to one day save Eala from the Fae lands. At the start of the book, the time for Fia to save Eala has finally come, but Fia must work with her childhood crush and Eala's betrothed, Rogan, to travel to the Fae lands. To complicate things further, as Fia gets to know Irian, the evil sorcerer who rules over Eala and the other swans, it begins to erode everything she thought she knew about herself and her world.

I liked the dark fariytale take here and I liked Fia a lot as a character. Irian was also very interesting, but if you've read any other book with a "dark and mysterious fae lord" you can get the gist of his character very quickly. Even with that said, Irian was refreshingly petty and had a warped sense of justice that really does fit the morally grey moniker. Rogan I found to be charming at first but he quickly became incredibly annoying. The only thing I didn't enjoy is that certain parts of the book felt like they dragged in the sense that we knew something was going to happen on X date, and we spent a long time waiting and thinking about what was gonna happen until X date arrived. In that way, it felt sometimes like we were just waiting for plot and less that plot was happening. Still, it was a fun read and I will definitely be reading the sequel.

I haven’t read a retelling like this one in a long time and enjoyed the fantasy storytelling. I was entranced and it was exactly what I wanted. From a romance perspective, this had spice, touch her and die, long triangles, enemies to lovers and more and it was incredible. It ended on a cliff hanger that has me yearning for book two!

There is a ton of fae-based "romantasy" out there right now since the rise of fiction like ACOTAR. It's difficult given the complete inundation of the current book market to publish something that feels fresh. However, that's just what Lyra Selene did. This fairytale-inspired tale has a uniqueness, while still containing the elements that more mainstream readers will enjoy.

Even though she was swapped for the princess, Fia hasn't lived a cushy life. The queen has raised her as a weapon and given her love like one would for a dog learning to sit. Affection only when she's done a good job. As anyone would be raised like that, Fia spent a lot of time with her inner dialogue on repeat. You really just want her to wise up and realize that she's worthy already. Fia could get on your nerves quickly yet you found yourself cheering her on at other times.

Fia and Rogan can only access the fae world on the full moon so a lot of the book was character development. I loved the development of Fia's botanical magic and bringing the greenhouse back to life. Fia's relationship with the sprite Corra added a spot of mischief to the story. Despite that, A Feather So Black's ending got dark. I was surprised at how dark a turn it took.

This is going to be one of those dividing books. You are either going to love it or hate it. I enjoyed the world-building and the mythology. The romance wasn't my favorite thing about the book but if you like enemy-to-lover tropes and insta love, it may just work for you.

I adored this book! If asked, I would say that this story belongs on your shelves alongside such books as Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier, For the Wolf by Hannah F. Whitten and Uprooted by Naomi Novik, only heavier on the spice.

The writing is dark, lush and lyrical. Its world building of the Fair Folk and Tír na nÓg swept me away it was so atmospheric and intriguing.

If you are a fan of retellings and Celtic mythology, then you definitely should check this out. 🦢

The story centers around Fia, a changeling, left behind by the Fair Folk when they stole the High Queen's daughter. Raised by the queen and trained as a spy, she is sent on a quest to retrieve the princess and break her curse.

I love how loyal, fierce and prickly Fia is. Her green magic is everything! An outcast and despised by the court she finds comfort in her childhood friend, Prince Rogan who is betrothed to the queen’s missing daughter. (See love triangle.) But … when the dark fae lord enters the story, things become seriously intense. 🥵

“𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔. 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔. 𝑨𝒅𝒎𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎. 𝑳𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎. 𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎.”

There are so many layers to this story. Complicated family dynamics. The heroine’s journey. Plot twists, magic and a SWOON-WORTHY romance made me fly through this book.

This is a slow-burn plot, filled with quote worthy passages and an ending that guarantees you need more. I gave it 4.5 stars because it gave me all the feels and checked ✔️ all my boxes.

What you can expect:

Fairytale reimagining (Swan Lake)
Celtic mythology
Botanical magic
Monsters & Fae
Complicated family dynamics
Morally gray love interest
Love triangle
Steamy Spice

Thank you, @orbitbooks_us and @netgalley for my advance reader copy 🫶🏼

Wow. Where can I start with this one? I'm sad I'll never be able to experience reading this book for the first time again - and so excited for all the people who are going to be picking it up for the first time!

Fia is a changeling, left behind on the night Eala was stolen, the girl she's grown to think of as her sister. While furious at first, her queen mother did something unexpected - unlike everyone else in the castle, she came to love Fia. To love her the way only a mother could, <i>her</i>, the girl made of rot and thorns and ruin.

Coming into the thirteenth year since Eala was taken, they've finally stumbled upon something. An opening, a way to get into Tir na NOg and finally find a way to set Eala and the other swan maidens free from the geas they've been bound to. To bring them home. Fia is willing to do whatever it takes to save her sister, even if it means her life. Even if it means watching her wed Rogan, the only boy she's ever loved, the one who was never meant for her.

Set over a course of 13 full moons - the one night the gateway is weak enough to permit them entrance to the fae realm - Fia and Rogan will need to work together to find the girls and a way to free them.

Wow. There is so much I want to say about this book. I feel like I've already been talking about it forever to fellow book lovers, and there just aren't enough words to convey how special this one is. How magical, and dark, and hurting, and hopeful. Wow. This one is good.

Thank you so much to the publishers through NetGalley for the ARC!!

This beautiful book is a romantic dark fantasy retelling of Swan Lake and releases in a week.

💬 “I was made of earth and sky and endless waters. I was made to be loved fully, or not at all.”

This was an easy 5 🌟 read for me, and I devoured it in two days. If you know me, you know I don’t give out 5 stars often. I’ve already told anyone who will listen to grab a copy of this book.

A Feather so Black is a must read if you love:
✨Celtic mythology
✨Friends to lovers
✨Enemies to lovers
✨Love triangles
✨Clever and wicked fae
✨Spice (I’d give it 🌶️🌶️ /5)

I cannot wait for the next book! Thank you so much for providing me with an ARC.

I am feeling some type of way that this book has only just come out and I can’t find mention of when the next book in this series will be released. A Feather So Black is a beautiful and otherworldly fantasy that will transport readers through space and time to the ethereal land of Tír na nÓg where nature runs wild and so to do the fae.

Fia has always been other. In the human realm, she is an unlovable changeling, too fae to be considered anything but a monster. Taught to fear her natural magic and to hate the side of her that spouts vines and flowers into the world, she also does not belong with the fae. Her narrative is one of death and hatred, but it is through her journeys to Tír na nÓg that she begins her journey of healing and self-discovery. Her whole worldview is built on lies to serve those who seek to gain more power, and only by confronting the difficult truths of her past will Fia be able to pull herself out of the darkness and make peace with the beautiful magic inside of her.

The writing in this book exudes the magic that it describes. The words chosen by the author are fantastical in their own right, transforming this from a simple book into a twining magical tale. It fully transports the reader to the mythological Irish setting that is as gorgeous as it is dangerous. The truth is elusive and only Fia can uncover what is real and what is a self-serving half-truth. This world is dark and mysterious, but beneath the deceptions and the danger, there is a loveliness and purity that aches to be released.

Romantasy lovers rejoice! This story hits on some of the top tropes of this genre and doesn’t disappoint. Morally grey characters, check. Enemies to lovers, check. Shadow daddy, check. Moderate spice level, check.

With two male leads, a human of golden light and a fae of darkness of shadows, you know there’s going to be a good love triangle. While I’m not normally a fan of this trope, Selene carves it out in such a way that it does make it difficult to know which is the right choice. There is right and there is easy, but it is not always clear which choice will allow Fia to truly be herself and find a beloved who will give her full acceptance and safety.

Many of the characters in this story are operating in the morally grey areas. The lines between right and wrong are so severely blurred, as our resident shadow daddy says, “here, we are all villains.” No one is entirely good, or entirely evil. There is power, often untapped and seemingly boundless, that can cause the scales of balance to be tipped at any moment.

I absolutely adored this book and it’s coming out at the height of my fantasy era. I’m living for this moment and this book has served to full the fire. I hope you’ll love it like I did.

Dnf at 28%.

This books is really boring. How is it so long? There wasn't really anything happening in the story at all, and nothing pushing it along. I hated Rogan. At this point I haven't even found out what happened with his nonsense of leaving the fmc years ago (I'm sure it's a miscommunication trope and I legitimately hate that trope). I tried on many occasions to finish this and even renewed it on netgalley hoping that I would push myself to do it, but instead I finished 7 other books that were so much better. Unfortunately this one just isn't for me. I wish the story was compelling or had picked up a bit or maybe if there had been better world building I could have at least hung on a little longer, but I couldn't force myself to complete it. I'm giving it two stars with the hope that it somehow got better (fyi I read a bunch of reviews on Goodreads and looks like it doesn't). Sad.

Thanks to netgalley for the early e-arc to read. I hope the next read is better!