WOW!!. I’m shocked by how amazing this was. I figured I would enjoy this because it’s fantasy but I did not expect to be blown away by how creative and unique this was! This is basically magical fairytale heaven right here. This was like the swan princess meets the 12 dancing princesses meets Rapunzel (like the mother Gothel/Rapunzel relationship) meets I don’t even know what. But OMG this was just so unique and creative! Even if you think you know these fairytales this book turns all of that upside down and you won’t see the constant twists and turns coming. I thought this was very well paced and beautifully written. I am SO GLAD there will be a second book. I was actually getting very stressed out at about 80% through this book because I was like “oh no, there is absolutely no way this can be wrapped up happily.” I got way too invested in the characters and was genuinely anxious about how this would end. I’m happy to say it’s a mild cliffhanger and I’m very much looking forward to the second book.
My vote is go into this blind don’t try to figure out what you’re about to read and just go for it. Enjoy the ride. This was easy to get into and held my attention the entire book. Everything was enjoyable and like I said it was so well paced, not a single moment when I didn’t want to pick this book up and jump back into this world. This is a book that will have you thinking about it even when you aren’t reading it. I highly recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley for my eARC.

Fia is a changeling, not entirely human nor fae, the adopted daughter of the queen, whose real daughter was taken 13 years ago to Tir na Nog, the land of the Fair Folk. Fia was honed into a warrior, with strange powers over growing things, a Greenmark living beneath her skin.
“I was not born of these human realms. I was not human. But neither was I one of them. Too much of each, yet not enough of one to be accepted by either.”
The boy she grew up with and loved, Rogan, is betrothed to the true princess, Eala, the one trapped in Tir na Nog, a swan by day with the other twelve kidnapped maidens, a human only by night. Now Fia has been tasked with finding the Willow Gate, an entrance into Tir na Nog, to bring back her sister and a magic sword of power, the Sky-Sword. Even if she must kill its wielder, the handsome, clever, silver-eyed tattooed man she encounters on her every visit to Tir na Nog to gather information, both of them trading stories and flirtations in an effort to learn what the other may know of how to save their worlds. In trying to save her sister and her kingdom, she has lost herself. But Tir na nog, the land of magic, holds the answers she seeks, not only about how to save both worlds, but also her own lost history and questions of who she truly is, and whether anyone can ever love her as she is. Nature and magic demand balance, and she must find a way to restore it in the old tomes of the castle where she waits with Rogan until the full moon each month to visit the land of the Fair Folk.

A Feather So Black is a fantasy fiction novel with a love square of power, a magic castle, a handsome prince and a haunted man of dark magic, filled with betrayal, deception, and a girl who belongs nowhere, searching for someone, anyone, to truly love her. A perfect read for fans of Celtic fantasy stories, love triangles, or learning how to accept and love all of yourself.
The dedication is also a wonderful window into the intent of the novel:
“For anyone who has ever doubted if they were the main character in their own story. You are.”

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

3.5/4 stars rounded up. I really love the premise of this book, centering around themes of love, strength, brutality, and hatred. I had a hard time with Rogan's character, however, he was central to Fia's own character growth, Irian was okay - just as broken as Fia, but I LOVED Corra's character. Every time they showed up, I found myself thoroughly enjoying my reading. Overall, the story was well, written with lyrical prose and beautiful world-building - I'll definitely read the next installment. The only issue I had with this book, and the main reason I rated it below 4 stars, was the pacing. I wanted to read this book, but it was so slow due to the nature of only getting to spend one night per month in TIr na nOG, which meant that it was a lot of filler and frustratingly slow story weaving outside of those nights.

Thank you as always to NetGally, Orbit Books, and Lyra Selene for giving me early access to read A Feather so Black in exchange for my honest review.

5.0 / 5.0

A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene is a beautiful story of love. I read through this twice and found it to be even more compelling with each reading. It is Swan Lake, it is Black Dahlia, it is The Swan Princess all crafted into a singular, timeless tale.

I cannot recommend it enough and am excited to read the second book.

Until Next Time,
MC

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this ARC for review and to the author for her masterful story.

This book was rather unexpectedly delightful.
Fia is the unwanted changeling in her"mother's" court. Honed as a weapon, feared and reviled by most she is told countless times that her mother.. well actually her original's mother... is the only one who can truly love her. Even her childhood friend has deserted her.
And her mother, the Queen, has an all important task for her. Fia must contain her memories and feelings for Rogan, her old friend and her "original" sister's fiance and travel with him to Tir na nOg to rescue her sister, and the other stolen girls, and also secretly steal an enchanted sword to bring magic back to the human realm. No problem for a changeling girl who has been training her whole life to please others, no mater to cost to herself, right?
Throw in some unrequited love, a cursed bevy of girls, a delightful little spirit? sprite who aids Fia, and it was a fun adventure, love story with a bit of coming of age almost as Fia learns a bit about who she when she's not buried under the expectation of her "mother's" love.

If there was ever a novel that made me long for verdant forests and blooming flora it is this one. A Feather So Black is comprised of dreamlike prose that weaves together elements of Celtic mythology and Swan Lake folklore. It is dark, mystical, and deeply romantic - a combination which takes impressive skill to balance. Author Lyra Selene toes these lines expertly, crafting an unforgettable romantasy.

In a time where fae books are at their most popular, A Feather So Black stands in a class of its own. The world building is unique and the characters are thoroughly engaging. Our protagonist Fia undergoes an epic journey of self discovery that forces her to deconstruct everything she’s ever been taught. As a changling raised in the human world, she has always been treated as “other” and watching her come into her own was empowering. The juxtaposition between Fia and Eala - the human princess whom Fia was switched with as a child - was intricate and interesting. Both women have forged similar wills of strength due to their circumstances but the paths they deviate down make for compelling plot.

This book is also rich with romance! Fia’s heart is divided between her childhood companion Prince Rogan and the enigmatic fae lord Irian. While Rogan offers Fia the comforts and protection of home, Irian evokes her desire for discovery and adventure. A love triangle can be tricky to navigate but I thought Selene did a great job of outlining both men’s strengths and vulnerabilities, showing why they are worthy of Fia’s affection. I’m very interested to see how this romantic entanglement will play out in the sequel.

Additionally, I enjoyed the use of Irish Gaelic words scattered throughout and it was helpful to have a glossary in the back of the book to reference definitions or pronunciations. The language kept me immersed in the world and reinstated the link to Celtic lore.

Many thanks to Orbit and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book. The descriptions of the fantasy world were moody and dangerous. Ela's relationship with Rogan was complex and fraught with problems yet very human. It is a time in a young person's life when they are beginning to know themselves and others for who they truly are. I felt this fantasy told a very human story. Irian the fae lord is a mystery that Ela is beginning to have feelings for but should she? When you are young it is hard to tell who the demons really are, Ela is learning to trust herself to understand the differences.

Fia is a Changeling. A Fae creature that is left to replace human children who are stolen away from their nurseries. Forced to live in a human land that is unwelcoming to her kind and uncaring to her needs, Fia grows up as the queen's creature. The queen's every gruesome, selfish wish is Fia's demand. Fia is the queen's blade, hond by cruelty and conditional love. After years in the human lands, the queen learns where her daughter, a girl named Eala who Fia was left to replace, has been located within the vengeful, beautiful, percarous Fae lands. Only Fia, with the help of her once lover and Eala's betrothed, is able to enter the Fae lands and recover the princess.

This book includes:
- atmospheric scottish countryside setting, complete with lush forests and mythical creatures
- childhood lovers forced to confront their past now as adults
- dark fairytale with elements of Swan Lake, Howl's Moving Castle, Rapunzel, and other Scottish myths
- gallant, generous prince
- secrets, lies and manipulation
- broken hearts and unbreakable curses
- fantastic, wonderful FMC
- an elusive foe and vengeful fae

I can't speak highly enough of "A Feather So Black.' An instant favorite, I can't get the characters, story, and the stunning scenes out of my head. The prose is so gorgeous and the character development is so exquisite at every turn. Fia's character growth was so wonderful read. She is so dynamic: brave in the face of fear, kind, cruel, naive and still distrustful, lonely, and loving. She is so deliciously full of contradictions. Selene really injected so much heart and soul into each and every page of the book. You in Jane Austen's "Emma" the love interest tells Emma "If I loved you less I may be able to talk about it more"? That's how I feel about this book. Knowing that Fairyloot is releasing a special edition and i'm going to get it in the mail in a few weeks has me beaming with excitement.

I recommend this book to fans of:
- Thornhedge
- The Cruel Prince
- A Dark and Drowning Tide
- Swan Lake
- Howl's Moving Castle
- Crown of Blood and Glass

I received this ebook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Lyra Selene, and Orbit Books for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted to GoodReads - check out my profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863

3.25⭐️ rounded up

This is a beautiful romantic fantasy. I really enjoyed the writing, and that this was inspired by Celtic fantasy. I also loved Fia as our main character, and I’m excited to see what happens in the next installment. But I truly loved how the love interests go to know eachother through telling

stories 🥺 it was so beautiful.

There were some aspects that fell flat for me. I almost wish this was drawn out longer so we could see more interactions with Rogan and Fia, I honestly did not feel the chemistry between them that friends would have and I felt repeatedly told about their friendship, but never shown it. I also didn’t feel like any of the other characters were that fleshed out besides Fia. I would have loved to see more of the other swan maidens, but we just got 1 other who also wasn't fleshed out. I also saw the Eala plot twist coming a mile away, and more character development/interactions were needed to have that be more impactful than it was.

I will check out the next installment because the ending has me very intrigued.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for my review. If you are interested in a unique romantic fantasy, I do recommend this.

This sounded like such a fun and intriguing read that would fall right in my wheelhouse. It even made my list for most anticipated reads of 2024. Unfortunately, this book did not live up to my hype and I ultimately wished I had DNF'ed it.

Here's what didn't work for me:
- I love fantasy romance that has good banter and slow burn tense moments. I felt like this tried to have that, but ultimately did not succeed. I felt like it was not helped by the premise of the FMC and MMC seeing each other for a 12ish hours once a month. It felt like there was never any real flow because it was always interrupted by narrative that I didn't really care much about.
- It felt like we had to go through way too much of the book before anything to actually happened.
- I love a strong female character. It felt like we were supposed to believe that Fia was a strong character, and in some ways she was, but it was all undercut by so much transparent manipulation. I could tell from a mile off that no one in Fia's world truly loved her, so it felt a little painful when Fia was so naive.
- The love triangle. This almost didn't feel like a true love triangle (which is actually good because I don't like love triangles). It felt like the reader could obviously see that Rogan was not endgame. Rogan drove me nuts and it felt like we had way too much of him. I would have gladly trade page time with him for more with Irian.
- That being said, I didn't feel much for Irian. Again, I think it was due to the premise of seeing him once a month. And then when that happened, we got stories every time and it didn't really feel like a romance was developing.

Unfortunately, I don't have much that I really enjoyed about this book. The three things I would be able to say are:
- The writing is beautiful
- I forget her name, but the non-compliant duckling is intriguing. I would like to see how she develops in future books.
- The ending was exciting. Unfortunately it didn't make up for the rest of the book.

Sadly, this book wasn't for me. I don't anticipate continuing the series, but wouldn't rule it completely out if I see positive reviews countering some of my disappointments with this book.

I had a hard time getting into this book, and the start was a little slow. I started it over multiple times and still couldn’t follow along.

Fia is simply a frustrating character. We are reminded all the time of how she was trained to be a weapon, to never trust anyone. But she trusts everyone, all the time. She is just so easy to manipulate even when it's pretty clear that she should not trust nor do what a certain character wants. But she keeps doing it, on and on and on.

I couldn't care less about any of the love interests. Both threads just happen so quickly, specially with Irian - they meet maybe once before they are already obsessing with one another (and they meet a total of 4 times).

Nothing happens either. Because of how the story is told (they can only go into the Fae realm once a month), chapters go by when nothing happens, just Fia taking care of her garden - why can't they just go home (they are one day away) and do something for the plot and then come back when they can re-enter the Fae realm?

By the end, it's just a frustrating and exhausting read.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

This book was incredible! The writing and story just capture you and you are unable to put down the book. I loved reading about Fia's growth and understanding the meaning of love and how much she went through to grow an understanding of it.

Let me begin this review by saying that I am not a regular reader of romantasy. I occasionally read romance and I occasionally read fantasy, so I thought I might like to occasionally read romantasy.

The main character of the story is Fia. Fia is a changeling who has been left in place of a princess. The Queen raises her to be a weapon, with the plan of sending her out to retrieve the princess. Fia is raised along with the prince, Rogan, who is supposed to marry the Princess. There is an attraction between Fia and the handsome blond, Rogan.

Rogan and Fia set off to find the hidden gate and retrieve the princess. It turns out that a handsome, dark-haired Fae lord, Irian, is holding the princess captive. So, we have all the makings of a love triangle - a fair-haired prince and a dark-haired evil lord.

When I started the book, I immediately loved it! The writing was so lyrical, the descriptions of the characters so vivid. But then it became repetitive. Everyone and everything smelled of… or tasted of… then usually two or three random things. Like “He smelled of moonlight and ice water.” It felt like too much of a good thing. A few of these peppered through the book would have been lovely, instead of every couple of pages.

I enjoyed the story, I enjoyed the vivid descriptions, I just wish there hadn’t been so much repetition.

"The tableau was like something out of a story: a proud, tragic queen; a druid foretelling doom; a golden prince promising heroics. But stories were by nature false—designed to fool the eye and twist the mind, to make us believe in things that couldn’t ever be true. Stories gave us hope, and I hated them almost as much as I hated my stolen face, my uncertain origins, and my wild and wicked magic. Real life wasn’t like the stories. Real life ended in deception, betrayal, or tragedy. Which meant this pretty tale was either untrue or incomplete."

My husband and I are currently in the process of looking for a new house. We recently toured one, and while there was nothing overtly wrong with it, I realized that there were several small things that, when combined, resulted in a home that wasn’t for me. In many ways, that is how I feel about A FEATHER SO BLACK.

Starting with the positive aspects, I loved the fairytale-like world filled with monsters (both human and fae) and maidens. Selene's writing is lyrical, and I highlighted numerous passages simply because they were beautiful. The audiobook narrator (Heather O'Sullivan) was PHENOMENAL. She brought the dialect and pronunciation to life, and her performance of Corra was stellar. It brought me joy, which isn't something that I can say happens often simply due to the way an audiobook narrator portrays a character. Additionally, I am always a huge fan of protagonist growth, and Fia was a great example of learning to love oneself.

"Our stories had all begun the same way—with a queen and her enemies, with war and magic, with stolen girls and vengeance. But this moment—a prince on a fine steed, riding into strange lands to deliver a damsel—was where Rogan and Eala’s story diverged. They would get their tale of rescue, redemption, and true love. I would never be part of their story. And whatever might happen in mine, I feared it would have a darker end."

This is the part of the review that pains me. I'm more than willing to share when I feel that something doesn't work for me, and while that was the case with A FEATHER SO BLACK, I can also truly appreciate the author's creativity. That said, the book is filled with plot threads, but nothing is truly expanded upon with the exception of the main geas and Fia’s internal growth. There is a scene early on where Fia is attacked in the forest by a member of the Gentry, and someone had to save her. We're never told who he is or why that scene mattered. I kept expecting him to appear again, but he never did. Will he appear in book two?

A FEATHER SO BLACK gave off "Mother Knows Best" (picture: Rapunzel's mom from Tangled). It was easy to root for Fia finding her path forward even when so many people in her life were manipulating her. Speaking of, I'd be remiss if I didn't discuss Rogan. Oh, Rogan. Yes, most of us know of or have dated someone like him, but it didn’t make his appearances in the book any more pleasant to read (and there were many). Selene hit the nail on the head when she described him on her Instagram as having "toxic golden retriever vibes".

“Only I know how to love someone like you,” she reminded me. “And no one will ever love you more than I do.”

We never really get to understand the how or what of Fia’s powers other than what is provided to us at the end (left intentionally vague to avoid spoilers). I also really struggled with the pacing of the book. New information was consistently introduced, yet very few things were fully fleshed out, and there was a lot of time spent "between" the scenes with forward motion.

I feel incredibly torn on my thoughts, including as to whether or not I'd like to read book two. The story itself has so much potential. I want to highlight the fact that 2 out of 3 of my Goodreads friends that have read this (to date) have given it 5 stars. Thank you, Orbit and Hachette Audio, for the complimentary copies in exchange for an honest review.

A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene introduces readers to a new world among an overabundance of “faerie” fantasies. Which, maybe this segment of the genre isn’t my fancy, so perhaps I am not the best judge. I have read many novels featuring the fae, and they all blend together after a while. They have the same clichés, and they get to be predictable. While A Feather So Black had original elements, much I felt I had read previously.  Lyra Selene is a talented author, and her writing style kept my attention far better than other novels I’ve read in the genre, but her new novel just didn’t do it for me.

The Fair Folk took the High Queen’s daughter; in her stead, they left behind a girl gifted—or cursed—with powers of controlling flora. The queen raises Fia as her own child, disciplining and training until she could be described in one word: weapon. Fia loves the woman and calls her “Mother.” The queen only has her best interests in mind, Fia thinks (ha, as if). The High Queen tasks Fia with rescuing the princess from the Fair Folk before Samhaim. Who goes with her? Prince Rogan, Fia’s closest childhood friend and first love, who also happens to be betrothed to the princess.

Childhood best friend and first love? There’s fantasy cliché number one. He seems kind and caring toward Fia, but at least to me, I also found him to be manipulative. Rogan wants Fia to be a certain way, and Fia fits herself into his “box.” She doesn’t think she can be anything else, to the point she denies her true nature and tries to be normal. I didn’t much like Rogan, which was probably Selene’s point. She offered him as a contrast to another character—Irian. The lord of the fae who kidnapped and cursed the princess years ago.

Brooding, misunderstood fae lord? Who defines himself as a “monster?” Who’s a protective alpha? Check, check, and check to the fantasy clichés. From the moment Lyra introduced him, I suspected what would happen. Even more so with the addition of the “If this doesn’t happen, I’ll die” idea. Who do you think Fia will choose: the best friend or the fae lord? One, who holds her back, and the other who breaks her chains?

I have read better fantasy, but I have also read far worse. Even though I found A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene to be predictable, I enjoyed it. I rolled my eyes at it sometimes, but Selene still drew me in. There’s more I could say, but I can’t without spoiling. Just a note: A Feather So Black does have some language and sex, though the latter is more tasteful (if that’s possible) than some scenes I’ve encountered. Or rather, skipped, as I didn’t have eye bleach on hand. I just felt it was worth the warning.

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.

I really loved this blend of 12 Swan princesses and high fae! Even though several male characters were not my cup of tea I still enjoyed their presence in the story and I loved the strength Our FMC had. A beautiful and magical story reminiscent of Naomi Novik.

Lyra Selene borrows from Swan lake for a tale of stolen princesses who turn into swans during the day. They were brought to the land of the Fae, Tír na nÓg, where they are guarded by the Fae lord Irian who bears a magical sword. All of the princesses were replaced by illusion except the High Queen's daughter Eala. In her place was Fia, a changeling not Fae and not human. Then a gate is found into the fae land and Fia, along with prince Rogan, Fia’s childhood friend betrothed to Eala. They can only enter Tír na nÓg one night a month, and it will take a full year, till the time is right to recover the swan princesses. A Feather So Black (paper from Orbit) has a number of twists leading to a satisfying ending. It is a wonderful adult fairytale and sequels are promised.

This is a lovely Swan Princess retelling. Written in first person, it makes everything that much more immersive. The writing is beautiful and I CANNOT wait to read the next in the series!

Fia is so complex and just wants love. She’s left in the place of the princess of the kingdom where she was raised as the queen’s adoptive daughter. Her entire life, she’s been training to be a weapon and told that no one will ever love her. Her mother sends her and her sister’s betrothed, Rogan, to save Eala from the Folk.

The attachment between Rogan and Fia ended five years ago when his father and her mother discovered their relationship. Fia was told that her mother gave Rogan a choice. He could abandon his betrothal in favor of staying with Fia. When he left, he said she was no one. Her entire life for the next five years was molded around that single moment. Her mother knew that all she wanted was to be loved and played on that.

As everything Fia knew fell apart, she began to question everything she’d ever known. Lyra Selene makes this so immersive that I felt like I was coming to this realization with Fia.