I really enjoyed A Feather So Black and I was so happy to get an ARC of A Crown So Silver! Even though this was a great sequel that created a much stronger plot, I feel as if the story lost its lush, fairy-tale quality that made the first book so memorable.
Fia seemed a lot more immature in this installment than she did in the first book. While I appreciated the idea that not all fairy-tale couples are perfect, I was shocked at how quickly Fia's and Irian's relationship devolved in just a few chapters after all the buildup from the first book. However, their development throughout the second half was very nicely done and I enjoyed watching both of the main characters learn how to grow and change alongside each other. The addition of more characters like Laoise and Wayland helped flesh out the plot and gave me more to root for, and I'm excited to see more of them!
The first half of the book was definitely a lot slower than the second, and the magic system was a little vague. However, once the trials began and Fia began unraveling the mystery of the Treasures, the story quickly drew me in and I was unable to put it down. The cliffhanger left me wanting so much more, and I cannot wait to read the final installment.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Orbit books for the eARC!

I’m not gonna lie, the first half of the book had a tendency to be pretty frustrating at times. But I’m really glad that I stuck with it because the second half was so good! I really enjoyed it and I’m very excited to see where things go in the next book.

I may have enjoyed this one more than the first! The characters grow and change so much in this book as their lives take on new meanings. Usually a second book in a series is short on action and feels slow as the story has to build for the third book. However, this was not the case for this one. There was a lot of action and development while also building for the next book. Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC!!

Lyra Selene’s sequel to A Feather So Black is lush, decadent, and entrancing in its prose and plot. We pick up in A Crown So Silver immediately following the events of the first book, meeting some familiar faces as well as some new ones, whom assist greatly in propelling the story forward through the first half of the novel. I love Fia as much as I did when I first read her— she’s feisty, strong willed, a skilled leader, and loyal to a fault— and it was good to be back in her head as she navigates a more permanent life amidst the magic and folk of Tir na Nog. Fia’s tenuous relationships with our cast of main and supporting characters were complex and well fleshed out. I won’t spoil the major conflict here, but I loved that as a sequel, this book stands on its own two legs as it continues the struggles from A Feather So Black while expanding on the world and magic system within it.
In my opinion, this novel’s greatest strength belies its greatest weakness: the flowery narrative and language made the pacing feel quite slow until about 50% in. I struggled to feel invested in the story prior to that point despite genuinely enjoying the writing style and characters. The intimate connection I sensed between our main couple was frought with arguments without communication, but I was reeled back in by their true connection at the end. Despite the slowness of the first half of the book, I genuinely did enjoy getting to continue Fia’s adventure and anxiously anticipate the next installment to this series! Hello cliffhanger! I’d recommend fans of Holly Black, Sarah A. Parker, Stephanie Garber, or Alex Aster give this series a look. All in all, this is a rich story filled to the brim with color and intrigue, and is well worth the read even with some pacing issues.

Thank you to Orbit, NetGalley, and Lyra Selene for this advanced copy!

I was so excited for the follow up to A Feather So Black! Thank you to the publisher and @NetGalley for allowing me to read an early review copy.

If you loved the first book, you'll recognize the same style of lyrical prose in the second book. Fia and Irian are back but both are moody, Irian is overprotective to a fault, and their love fest can't last lest there be no conflict. This book suffers from middle-series slump with a sluggish first 40% forest traipsing with no clear plot. About the half-way mark, a Hunger Games scenario emerges complete with a love triangle (and no, it's not Rogan). From here the pacing picks up, although the ending leaves us with another to be continued until book 3. I'll be looking forward to the conclusion to the series and have hope that it will be redeeming!

I absolutely fell in love with this story when I read the first book. I was so excited to get my hands on the next book in the series. The writing is so beautiful and lyrical. The tension, banter and love between Fia and Irian is top notch. I enjoyed the detail to world building in this book and how it explained more about the magic treasures. Some new characters were introduced and their addition really added to the book. The book's ending had me on the edge of my seat and the third book can't come soon enough. I highly recommend this if you enjoy Romantasy !

Thank you Netgalley and Orbit books for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

A Crown So Silver by Lyra Selene releases on 1/21/25. I was so thrilled to get a copy in advance since I could not wait for the sequel to Feather So Black. It was a satisfying read, but I have struggled with the last few sequel books. This was the same.

The first book was action packed and I could not stop reading. So I had this as a highly anticipated read. While I enjoyed being back in the world of dangerous fae, it was a bit on the slower side. Fia and Irian are together and in but then they decide to attend a tournament in another part of the fae world.

This adventure leads to new fun characters (loved the strange horse creatures) and more intrigue and deception. A misunderstanding happens upon arrival and a newish character vies for Fia’s attention. I am not a fan for love triangles. Fia is reckless and Irian is childish, even though they both have their reasons. Fia’s sister and Rogan return to add more to the already packed plot. I still despise her and my heart broke for Rogan.

This middle book was a bit frustrating but I will definitely continue reading because I must know what happens to all these characters, especially Fia!

Thank you NetGalley & Orbit Books for providing me with an ARC 🖤

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My two favorite things about A Feather So Black were the almost lyrical descriptions Lyra Syrene creates and that I didn’t know who to root for in the love triangle.

In the sequel, A Crown So Silver, the beautiful writing continues AND we get a few great new characters that had me questioning things a couple times. 👀

A Crown So Silver is set in a deceptively beautiful new location- which did create a bit of a slow pace for the first 30% (ish) of the book since there was some world building and new character intro. The aughisky that Fia so lovingly called “Pond Scum” truly carried the beginning of the book.

Once the competition begins, the pace picks up and there’s some frustration in the tumultuous relationship of Fia and Irian. There’s so scheming, lots of danger, and some questionable decisions.

Fia has gone through many changes- and they both are coming to terms with those. She always remains true to herself, even when that becomes stubborn. Her growth in this book was sensational. If you ever get frustrated with either character (which you totally will), trust the process 👀

Eala is the other side of the coin to Fia and I honestly wanted to punch her in the face at least six times. I cannot wait to see more of their duality in book 3.

Now I need book 3 ASAP to get over that cliffy.

Thank you so much Lyra Selene and Net Galley for allowing me to have an ARC copy of this book! I have been foaming at the mouth for book 2 in this series since I read A Feather So Black this past Spring. Once again, I was absolutely immersed in the beautiful world and story that Lyra Selene has painted for us. This book picks right where Book 1 ended, thank God, and we are immediately introduced to new challenges our main characters need to overcome. We have trials, more information on Irian & the Fae in general, more Celtic Lore (YAY!) and a lot of problems and tensions with Fia and Irian’s relationship. My favorite large theme from this book is to not let men, specifically men in power, control or collar you, and I think that is a very important sentiment in times like these. I also adored the new side characters that were introduced, they added great layers to the story. My only critique is that the first 50% of the book was a little bit slow, but once you hit the second half of the book you literally cannot put it down. Overall I still adore the series and cannot wait until Book 3!

The link to the content I created about this primarily discusses Book 1 because I did not want to give any spoilers away, but I still mentioned the large themes and takeaways from A Crown So Silver.

*A Crown So Silver* by Lyra Selene is an enchanting sequel that masterfully blends high-stakes action, intricate magic, and emotional depth. The snowy, mysterious Silver Isle sets the perfect stage for the Tournament of Kings, where Fia and Irian's relationship faces intense trials amidst shifting allegiances and ancient power. Packed with twists, vivid world-building, and compelling characters, this story will keep you hooked until the final page. A must-read for fans of fae fantasy and gripping romance!

A Crown So Silver was everything I wanted it to be and MORE. It's prequel, A Feather So Black was one of my favorite books read earlier in the year...the gasp I gusped when I received this eARC🤩

Lyra Selene really knows how to transport a reader with such beautifully written prose.

Things I keep thinking about after finished this book, the character development, the tension, the unexpected twists, THE ENDING 😱 can't wait to set my eyes on book 3

While not quite as strong an entry as the preceding book in the series, it doesn’t suffer from quite so bad a case of middle book syndrome as other fantasy stories tend to. While the plot wasn’t quite as engaging, I do believe Lyra Selene’s prose is a bit more mature and refined in this second book, which I thought was a weak point in “A Feather So Black.” All in all, excited for book 3!

I cannot get enough of this story and these characters! I absolutely loved A Feather So Black, and was so excited to be approved for this sequel. The writing is beautiful and lyrical, and I was immediately pulled back into the world of Tír na nÓg. We learn so much more about the Septs, the magic system, and Irian’s upbringing.

All the characters are extremely well developed - I loved the addition of Laoise and getting to know Wayland. His relationship with Fia was exactly what she needed and I adored how much he supported her goals. Pond Scum/Linn is a personal favorite of mine - I think she personally carried the first half of the plot and I cannot wait to see her future antics.

The most realistic part of the story was Irian and Fia’s relationship - both reeling from Fia’s death and resurrection, navigating a marriage neither expected to last beyond a night, and a death threat still hanging over their heads. I loved how they worked through their individual heartbreaks and wants to come together even stronger.

I look forward to seeing how Eala and Fia’s duality comes into play as they come closer to their inevitable battle. Both opposite sites of one coin - light and dark, life and death, the white swan and the black swan.

I loved everything about this story - it’s perfect for lovers of fairytales and those who like to see authentic growth and relationships between characters. The ending left me shook and I cannot wait to get my hands on the third book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The writing style is lush and beautiful, but I do not feel invested in the story. I am having a hard time staying in the flow of the story due to many words I need to look up in the end of book glossary. By interrupting my reading flow I cannot maintain interest or investment. I appreciate other cultures very much and think it’s important to recognize them in books, but I do not think this book is a good fit for my attention span.

This book is going to be a DNF for me sadly, I got to about 30% and the story was just draggggging. I had the same issue with the first book but naively thought this duology conclusion would’ve been a bit more substantial.. alas no. This should have been 1 book

I enjoyed A Feather so Black and as such, I was very happy to receive the eArc for this next book.

The first half is slow but spicy. Honestly, I think I could have done without the spice. I enjoyed the first book so much because of the lyrical writing and world building. I didn’t need the spice.

If you love Irian in the first book, I don’t know if you’ll like him as much. He comes off as possessive and controlling and because of this there’s tension between him and Fia.

Halfway through, I did feel the book began to pick up! Some Hunger Games type competition with a little love triangle action.

This does end on a cliffhanger!

Overall, this was okay for me. I still would recommend to readers that picked up A Feather so Black and enjoyed it.

I absolutely LOVED this sequel to a great first novel. I am such a fan of trials (think Hunger Games, Lightlark, etc)...it just adds so much suspense to a novel. The main character definitely grew on me during this book and had great development throughout. Such a good book in the genre and would definitely recommend!

I received this arc and am giving my honest opinion.
A Crown so Silver, the sequel to A Feather so Black was an odd mix. I wanted to love it but I didn’t. The first half was really slow. Mostly just sex scenes and traveling. The second half was okay. I just didn’t love Fia. The first book was a love triangle and then the second was an additional triangle that was absolutely unnecessary. Irian who I liked in the first book was awful in this one. He’s supposed to be super romantic and touch her and die but he just comes off possessive and needy. They do fight about it but she forgives him. In this whole saga poor Rogan (who is my favorite character) sits as a robot and never gets a chance to come back.
There was just way too much going on. A lot of threads never finished. Like why did the one fae want a bad memory? What is he going to do with it? We’ll never know I’m sure. Then at the end poor Rogan is still left in the dark.
The added characters seemed like a boon but other than one they weren’t really fleshed out. Insta friends and trusting Fia when she was trained as an assassin doesn’t seem accurate.
This middle book just wasn’t what it should have been. Will I read the conclusion probably, I just hope things become a little clearer, a little less tangled with more fleshed out characters.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

A Crown So Silver is book 2 in the Fair Folk Series and continues following the characters from book 1.

This book is full of mystery, action, unexpected turns, and an ending that leaves you wanting more. I devoured this book right after I finished A Feather so Black because I needed to know what was going to happen.

The romance, friendships, rivalries, and angst make this book absolutely amazing. The only thing that keeps this book from being 5 stars for me is the same argument between the main characters keeps coming up again and again and doesn’t get resolved until the end of the book.

Just like the first book this was hard FOR ME to read in some spots because I’m newer to fantasy books. I think if I come back to this later on, it will be easier to read.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

I loved A Feather So Black and have been looking forward to this next book in the series. It started a bit slowly, but definitely picked up about halfway through. I'm glad I stuck with the story because it ended up being so so good!!