Comparing your book to The Cruel Prince right out the gate is a bold move.

A Feather So Black is just what I needed. An easy, fast paced story with a beautiful, well written world. Though, despite its pretty words and intriguing, Celtic inspired mythology, it’s far from a perfect book.

⚜ Fae Romance is Fae Romance.

Rogan is a human prince. The childhood best friend. He’s blonde. On the other hand there is Irian. He’s fae. He’s the ‘morally grey’ one. He has dark hair. Now, from that alone, which one do you think the romance book girly gets with?

Yeah okay, so, the love triangle feels a little… Hollow. In my opinion a love triangle just isn’t that fun when you know, without a doubt, who the main character is going to end up with. Plus, the end-game relationship felt lacking and rushed because so much time was spent building up the relationship between the FMC and the other MMC.

While we’re talking about fae romance tropes- This book, of course, has smut. In which ‘velvety’ is used a little too many times for my liking but that’s just me. There’s really nothing special about these scenes. At this point, if you’ve read one hetero romantasy sex scene, you’ve read them all. There’s not much else to it.

⚜ The Love Interests

I found Rogan to be fairly likeable. I think the banter between him and the FMC was cute and their closeness seemed genuine. At first. As the book continued, Rogan seemed to be a little hot and cold which was frustrating. I suppose it made sense in context but I swear, every other scene was him sulking until they kissed and made up. It just made him feel so immature. Perhaps this was a purposeful character flaw but I feel like it was never really addressed in the story which was disappointing.

Rogan was also just kinda… Pushy. There was more than one scene that made my raise an eyebrow. There was never anything non-consensual but the consent certainly wasn’t enthusiastic. The internal narration would assure that Fia was okay with it but of course Rogan didn’t have that context. This plus his tendency to disappear to sulk really made me distrust him in a way I’m not entirely sure we were meant to.

Irian was fine. Another dark haired "morally grey" MMC. If you were hoping for enemies to lovers, you’ll be disappointed. I’m not sure what it is about ‘enemies to lovers’ writers and instalove but it’s like they physically can’t help themselves from making the enemies lovers as soon as feasibly possible. I’m still not entirely sure why Fia liked him so much. They’re both fae. He's hot. They discussed their tragic backstories. That’s about it.

This was definitely not ‘The Cruel Prince’ type of enemies to lovers. As soon as the tension started, he was basically confessing his love to her.

⚜ The Writing, The Characters, and The Positives

I really enjoyed the FMC. I think her personal character arc was a lot more interesting than her romance plot. Fia doesn’t really know who she is. Her drive and desires are in conflict with what she is ‘supposed’ to want. She isn’t a particularly unique character but I think the author’s style and the interesting magic system really helped make Fia feel more dynamic.

Her friendship with Corra was by far my favorite relationship in this book and felt the most natural in terms of pacing. The author’s style works so well when writing about Fia’s slightly terrifying magic and Corra’s whimsical, mischievous nature. I think the author did an amazing job at setting the tone in this book, too. Her writing paints a vivid and very pretty picture of the world without getting carried away and blatantly lore-dumping every few pages.

I don’t believe romance is this authors strong suit. I found most of the characters outside of Irian and Rogan to be far more interesting. I really wish we got to meet more of the swans because I would’ve loved to see how the author portrayed them. I would’ve loved more interactions with the mythological creatures too. Honestly, I just wish we got less of the MMCs. Or I wish the romance was good. Either/or.

⚜ Final Words

The main antagonist was predictable, the romance was underwhelming, the main storyline could've been more engaging. But the writing style and the world building made it hard to put down. (It also helped that the narrator of the audiobook was fantastic)

If there’s a 2nd book in the works, count me in. But only if Corra is in it.

I really liked this a lot and I thought the narrator was fantastic. I loved her accent and I learned how to correctly pronounce words that I would have butchered on my own. This was such a beautiful, magical, romantic story and I can't wait for the next book.

Immersed in a world of perilous magic and moonlit forests, this enchanting romantic fantasy initially held promise. However, it ultimately failed to deliver due to several glaring issues. While the story possessed potential and the prose was beautifully crafted, my journey through the book halted as I failed to finish this book.

The primary issue lay in its pacing, which felt erratic and disjointed. Transitioning hastily through Fia's ventures in the human realm only to languish in the magical realm left me disoriented. The purpose behind her constant shifting between the two realms remained obscure, deterring my investment. Furthermore, the character relationships lacked depth and authenticity. Fia's perceptions of others seemed hastily formed, devoid of meaningful interactions. Her feelings towards Rogan, her sister, and Irian felt contrived and lacked a convincing foundation.

Despite my initial anticipation, I struggled to engage with the character dynamics presented. Although I had hoped to embrace this book wholeheartedly, it failed to sustain my interest.

I extend my gratitude to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing the digital ARC of this book.

I saw places online describing A Feather so Black as a good book for fans of The Cruel Prince, and For the Wolf two book series a really enjoyed and figured this would be a fairly safe bet, when I started I highly disagreed with those sentiments but it eventually did pick up and I was actually able to get into the book about 40% of the way in.

In A Feather so Black we follow Fia the Changeling daughter of the high queen as she and her former lover and childhood best friend, Rogan, try to rescue the princess that she replaced. Fia also is tasked with stealing the magical sword of the princesses captor., Irian. When meeting and eventually getting to know Irian she begins to question her relationship with her adoptive mother and Rogan.

Honestly the beginning of this book isn’t very good, I almost DNFed it several times. It takes 40% to finally get into the story and for things to actually start working and even then I had some serious issues with what is going on. I found the story as a whole fairly predictable, and the love triangle unnecessary anyone reading books written recently can easily predict it’s going to be the morally grey love interest that comes out victorious. I will say when the book begins focusing on Irian and Fias relationship it pivots to actually being very interesting and I did enjoy the last half of the book and plan on continuing the series.

The narrator of the audiobook does a fantastic job, her voice is clear and easily understood. I probably wouldn’t have been able to make it past the first parts of the book if it wasn’t for her fantastic narration.

As someone who was obsessed with The Swan Princess movie when I was younger, I’m obsessed with this book! The magic, the story, the writing, the characters, the Celtic influence… it was beautiful. This book is wonderful, and I can’t wait for the sequel.

I found the audiobook speed a little slow and listened to most of the book on 1.5 speed. However, the narrator's different accents for each character made it clear which character was speaking even at a faster speed, and I never had trouble understanding what she was saying.

This book is disappointing because it has so much potential and just misses the mark. The premise of the underlying plot is interesting. The imagery was beautiful and did a great job setting the scene, particularly around the ruins where Fia and Rogan stay. I appreciated how Fias's magic was shown working in both good and bad ways. I also thought Fia's "sister," Eala, was an intriguing, compelling character when she was introduced, and I loved how we learned little pieces of her personality at a time as the book progressed.

Unfortunately, there were too many issues with the book for me to enjoy. While I appreciated the imagery and world-building initially, it became excessive by about 1/3 of the way through, and it felt like the book needed help finding its main plot. Not only were backstories and side stories scattered in a disconnected way throughout the book, but a lot of time was spent on them, which made the book feel disorganized and poorly paced. While I do not need a perfectly wrapped-up Disney ending to consider a book good, I would like the ending to feel worth it. This book didn't do that. I was left wondering what the point of many characters and mini-stories was.

The book is classified as adult, but it's New Adult. While it does have on-page spice, the characters read as very YA/NA, with Fia and Rogan constantly in a cycle of miscommunication. Fia also spends a great deal of time reiterating the dark things she's "made of" and how she is unloveable. This repetitive internal dialogue of "Who am I?" makes her seem very YA and irritating. I am not a big fan of spice, and while there was not an excessive amount, the scenes were generally just meh and had odd wording that felt out of place.

Who's it for? I recommend the book for those who like fairytale retellings, prefer romance-focused fantasy with some spice, and are okay with a slower pace and unresolved questions.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Orbit for this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“I might not mind oblivion if you were the one to deliver it”

•Dark Swan Lake retelling
•Celtic folklore
•Quests & botanical magic
•Enemies to lovers
•Love triangle / square 
•Secrets & Betrayal

The whimsical & descriptive writing had me immersed into the land of Tir na nog immediately. The pacing was on the slower side but I found myself excited for the full moon each month when Fia would continue her quest.

Fia had a very repetitive inner monologue which often felt annoying however it made sense as she had deep abandonment issues & struggled with her identity. Ultimately, this is what made her character feel so real!

The messy love triangle/square fell a little flat, Rogan & Fia had the same conversations on repeat and Eala was cold and unlikeable. Thankfully Irian carried the romance & I enjoyed that he shared himself with Fia through stories.

The ending was unpredictable, the last 2 hours of the audiobook had me on edge & my jaw on the floor!

“Tomorrow was more than either of them had ever hoped for”

——-

I listened to the audiobook and I loved Heather O’Sullivan voice, her accent helped with feeling truely immersed into the Celtic inspired world. I highly recommend listening to the audio as there are a lot of unfamiliar words.

This audio/book has really helped me get back into my romantasy vibes. I loved it, and devoured it in 2.5 days as I worked to finish the edits on my wedding photos.

What I loved:
- Narrator has a beautiful voice and a compelling accent.
-The story is captivating and has all the essential elements of a fantasy novel
-This has more thoughtful portrayals of fae than a lot of romantasy out there right now.
-The quest is fun and gives us an opportunity to understand both the human and fae worlds.
-Involvement of fairytale elements such as the dynamic of swan lake and the 12 sisters fables, evil and scheming adoptive mothers, and trickster fae exchanging children in the night.
-Setting of a fantasy Ireland or Scotland is beautiful and immersive

what I didn't enjoy:
- Main character being gullible and easy to trick despite being honed into a weapon. you would think her training would include the mind as well.
- weird pacing, due to the gates of the worlds only being opening at a certain moon phase, we mostly ONLY see those nights and not much of what happens the other 27-30 days.
-The villain is cheesy and predictable.
- Everything, felt extremely rushed during the last few chapters, where it felt we were not shown what was happening, but merely told in passing before the big climax.

I loved the brooding love interest. I was partial to the love triangle. There were moments where I was kicking my feet because of how irresistable the love interest was. A lot of the chemistry between Feia and the two love interests were so hot.

I wish there was more exploration into Cora and the spirit of the forest, here's to hoping we'll see more about that in book two.

I give this 4 Stars, despite loving it and having a great time, there were some areas of the story that felt underdeveloped for me.

This book was very interesting and the narration was done beautifully. the narrators accent added extra depth and charm to the story. The story itself was a little hard to follow on audiobook due to how heavily steeped in folklore it is, and I think this is one story that would have been better if for me if I physically read instead of listening. However overall I really enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more in this series.

I absolutely loved this story! I listened to the audio version and feel the narrator did a great job. I do think that parts of the imagery/descriptions were repetitive and unnecessary. I'm a fan of romantasy books but feel the one extra smutty scene towards the end, in particular, seemed a bit out of place compared to the rest of the book. I would definitely read more by this author. Thanks, netgalley, for the audio arc.

2 1/2 Stars ⭐️

Book
This story sets itself apart from most fairy romance books through its use of Celtic lore. The writing places you in a magical place full of potential for the book’s plot and characters. However, besides the poetic writing and imagery the plot is very predictable, the romance storylines are not well developed and feel rushed to advance the main character’s arc instead of a progressive growth. Most of the book felt like events were happening to the main character and she was just passively living through the book, until the very end where her arc ends and she comes into her own. The ending leaves things in tír na nÓg unresolved, which is explained by the book having a sequel, but that only made me feel like the book got nowhere in the end. Overall, it was a very entertaining story that left me wanting more Celtic fairy romance.

Audiobook
The Irish accent of the narrator lends itself to immersing the listener into a magical place. As someone in America, I read this at a 1.5X speed and easily understood the narrator. Sometimes, I would get lost when the passage would shift from regular storytelling to a more poetic writing, but that does not take away from the beauty of the writing itself only my being caught of guard with the change. Also, the audio itself at times felt edited and I could feel the change in tone of the narrator from a minute to the next.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me access to this audiobook, I thoroughly enjoyed it and I hope my review can help.

I loved this one! Beautiful, poetic story by a lovely author. I especially love a heroine who is raised to believe one thing about herself, only to find power in herself and reclaiming her identity. Can't wait for book two!

I really liked this book! It’s a fascinating twist on the Swan Princess story told through the experiences of a changeling Fae who grew up in the mortal world. It was both rewarding and a little heartbreaking to follow along as Fia endeavors to rescue the girl whose shadow she’s lived in for as long as she can remember.

The audiobook is narrated by Heather O’Sullivan. She did an excellent job bringing Fia and the world of Tír na nÓg to life. I highly recommend listening to the audio for this one. There are a lot of unfamiliar words, and it helped me to hear the pronunciation.

I loved this swan lake retelling! The narration for this audiobook by Heather O'Sullivan was amazing and enhanced my reading experience immensely. I felt immersed in the fantasy world Selene crafted based on Irish folklore. The author used many popular tropes, but it was so well done I did not feel like I was reading another version of the same formulaic fantasy novel. I cannot wait for the next installment of this series!

*Amazon review pending*

Thank you to Orbit Books, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this audiobook.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read an arc in exchange for my honest review.
3.8 stars

Contrary to most people I was enjoying the beginning of the book and getting to know Fia although that not much was going on. By the time the characters go on they quest and things start happening I felt like a lot of it was kind of fillers. I'm not sure if that was the point but I did not like most characters and I honestly tried so hard to like Fia (although that I understood her character, she still annoyed me) but I couldn't most of the time. Rogan was a very weird Character, the way I read it, it felt like the author was trying to save his relationship with Fia and at some point she changed her mind. I did understood his reasons to leave and I honestly for like the first 50% of the book I thought it was building up to a second chance relationship but it took another path. I honestly don't know how I feel about Irian, maybe is just me because I have read many characters with an alike personality and I'm just picky now. However, I did like how supportive he was of Fia and how in general he was better for her.

I loved the world building, the Celtic lore influences and the dark take on the Swan Princess story. I enjoyed very much the twist with the black swan and the ending. Although I didn't like Fia I was happy to see how she chose herself when it mattered.

I'm curious to see what will happen next.

As soon as I started this book, I knew it was going to be divisive, if I had picked it up another time in a different mood, I’m fairly certain I would have gone the other way, but as it is, I picked it up at exactly the right time & right mood, so I LOVED it!

I don’t even know where to start with this review, I feel like I can’t do it justice. Look, I know purple prose isn’t for everyone, I have liked some books with it but disliked many more because of it, this one though, blew me away! It was just so beautifully written, every word & metaphor felt thought out & carefully placed, it was overtly flowery (figuratively & metaphorically) which I loved. The vibes were also impeccable, it read in my head like a pre-Raphaelite painting, if that makes sense? Or a hazy flashback in a film, almost fever like in quality. I loved it either way!

The pacing was fairly slow, especially in the first half at least, but I enjoyed the build up & world building that gave. It’s definitely a slower paced book, however I think it pays off very well by the end. The slow reveals leading up to the ending were executed well & left me wanting more! Although it’s a loose Swan Lake retelling, it goes off nicely in its own direction but still incorporates the story we know & love seamlessly. One of my favourite things about this book was how tricksy & brutal the fae are! I love it when they’re still feral, rather than just humans with magic, so this was good to see!

I really liked Fia, she felt real & well thought out, her journey throughout the book was very plausible & I wanted her to succeed. Her flaws made her a more substantial character to me, I’m sure a lot of people won’t agree with some of her actions but that’s what made her believable, I definitely would have made those choices in her position, no one is perfect! Rogan I mostly just wanted to slap tbh, but I guess we need one of those in every book…? Irian I took a while to warm up to (again, planned), but by the end I was rooting for him! Special shout out to Corra for being an absolute delight!

I would definitely recommend the audiobook, Heather O’Sullivan does an incredible job! Her accent suits the material so well & her pronunciations were so helpful for when I flipped between the 2 formats especially. Her voice added a beautiful dreamlike quality to the book, I would definitely listen to more books narrated by her. I really appreciated that the publishers chose an Irish native to read this book too.

Thank you to Orbit UK (e-arc)/Orbit US (audio arc) and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.

To begin with, the narrator, Heather O'Sullivan, I found to be amazing. Their natural style and accent really helps in setting the scene and plunging you into the depths of Irish folklore. Honestly, I cannot fault a single thing about the narrator, and fully appreciate their work.

As for the book... maybe it was because in a new format that I was not overly fond of, but I found myself struggling with this book, occasionally struggling to follow, and honestly, it felt incredibly long. I did consider DNF'ing this one, just because it was so long and I didn't feel invested in it at all.

That's not me saying that was a fault of the author, though. Selene's words were poetic and raw, and I loved that. I loved the natural imagery, the depth of folklore, it was so beautifully done.

The characters, for me personally, felt a bit flat. I didn't feel invested in their fates or the love that was shared. There were a few spicy scenes, which is fine, but it felt like those were the climax of the book (pun very mildly intended) rather than the adventure. My preference is fantasy first, romance as a sub-plot. This felt more romance first, fantasy sub, which again, is fine, but it's just not my cup of tea.

Overall, it's not a bad book. Just be ready for a very long read and a thriving romance.

A Feather So Black is the first novel in Lyra Selene’s Fair Folk series of Celtic romantic fantasy. I loved the magic, mystery, romance, and intrigue. Our changeling heroine Fia was easy to root for, and I found the other characters interesting, though I wasn’t sure if any of them could be trusted. The story kept me guessing right up to the end, which was not at all what I expected (and that’s a good thing).

Readers seeking constant action may be disappointed, but I found the story easily held my attention, and I want to know what happens next for all of these characters. I recommend this book for fans of romantic fantasy, Celtic mythology, and political intrigue.

The audiobook production was excellent, and I loved the narration by Heather O’Sullivan. She’s a joy to listen to, with a delightful accent and distinctive voices and speech patterns to suit each character, and the ability to convey mood and emotion effectively. The story works very well as an audiobook.

I received a free advanced review copy of the audiobook through NetGalley. I volunteered to provide an honest review.

ENCHANTING!

“But if Love demands alternation to exist, is it even love at all?”

•Swan Lake retelling
•Irish folklore
•Enemies to lovers
•FMC w/ botanical magic
•Wild wicked MMC
•Enchanted Forest
•Compelling villains
•Slow burn romance
•Love square?
•Magical creatures
•Betrayal

I took my time with this book and LOVED every second of it. I listened to the audiobook with my ears while reading the ebook with my eyes simultaneously, and I think it’s the best form of consumption. Trust me. This was filled with words I didn’t know existed.. did I know half of them? Absolutely not. Loved learning though. 😄 hopefully the glossary is in the front of the book when printed. (Not in the back please)

The author’s lyrically poetic prose had me enthralled. The world was so enchanting I never wanted to put this book down. Like Irían, I was “savoring” it.. 😏 all the magical creatures, mythology and Irish folklore woven throughout.. masterpiece.

“Liberate yourself from ideas of heroes and villains, good and evil, right and wrong. Here, we are all villains.”

The characters.. I fell in love with our kickass FMC with nature magic. 🥹 she was everything I wanted. Yes she could be silly and imperfect, but it just made me love her more. Her character arc is just.. perfection.

“She fell in love with the forest. She fell in love with the night. But she never-ever--thought to fall in love with herself."

Irian… ❤️‍🔥 wild, wicked, and dangerous. Just how I like em. Beastly beauty.

Corra! Corra had me ROLLING. I have oh so many highlights. Please read for Corra.

“Corra preformed a saucy little dance.”

The ending?! Gah. I need book two like now.

Also this was her debut? I’m sorry.. debut? Insanity. This is one of my top reads of 2024. All the stars. I want to start over and read it again.

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

Absolutely loved the audiobook narration. Definitely recommend.

As a changeling, Fia has grown up in the human realm despised for her fae blood. Left to the High Queen in place of the Princess Eala, Fia has been raised as the queen’s fosterling and trained as a spy.

When a hidden gate to the fae realm of Tír na nÓg is discovered, Fia is sent with her childhood friend, Prince Rogan, who is also Eala’s betrothed, to rescue Eala and retrieve a fae treasure that will bring magic back to the human realm. However, nothing is quite as it seems.

With nods to Celtic mythology and Swan Lake, this dark Romantasy is a touch long and tends to drag. The events that drive this story fall on the nights of full moons and span over the course of a year. So there is quite a bit of down time. However, the intrigue and beautiful imagery of this dark world push the story along. I also enjoyed seeing Fia grow and come to realizations about her life and her world.

Listening to the audiobook enriches the experience and helps depict each character distinctly. I can still hear Eala’s refined and teasing voice quite clearly. The voice actresses tones defined the differences in each character and there was good distinction between all the female characters.

Thank you Hachette Audio and NetGalley for this unique read.