A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene was a surprise hit for me that I fell in love with immediately. I listened to the audiobook with the amazing Irish accent of Heather O’Sullivan who brought the story to life. This was such a beautifully written dark fairytale with amazing lyrical prose and so many touching lines that will live in my heart. I adored Fia's character arc and how so often she had to make decisions that altered her perception of both her human home and the fae lands. Her development and learning to love herself was a refreshing aspect of the book. Irian was an amazing MMC who I fell for right away with the easy banter and slow building tension. The mythology and folklore was absolutely captivating and I loved how everything was slowly revealed and was easy to follow. My favorite side character was Corra, with her witty humor and sarcasm, really stole some scenes for me. I was lucky that I listened to the book so I didn't have to worry about properly pronouncing anything but there is a glossary in the back. I am trying to be as spoiler free as possible here but the ending was devastating in more ways than one. I normally clean or do something to keep my hands busy while listening to books but I had to sit down to listen to the last few chapters with my mouth agape not being able to move. The plot twists at the end were jaw droppingly good and I cannot stop thinking about this fabulous world.

🦢 Fantasy romance
🦢 Swan princess reimagining
🦢 Love square (??)
🦢 Enemies to lovers
🦢 Friends to lovers
🦢 Morally grey MMC
🦢 Stabby FMC
🦢 Everyone is a villain
🦢 Unique magic
🦢 Lots of angst

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this audiobook for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I will go on record as saying this is the type of book I usually stay far away from. I am not a romance novel person (much less a hetero romance novel person) and have made it a point to avoid romantasy because it just strikes me as needlessly spicy romance with some fairies thrown in for the hell of it. So off the bat, this book had a LOT to overcome when it came to my usual interests. BUT IT DID THAT! I thought I would tire of the book quickly, with it being one of my least favorite genres, but Selene did such an EXCELLENT job with her worldbuilding that I was hooked.

The idea of a changeling going to rescue the human they had replaced was such an intriguing idea to base a story on, and I really enjoyed the execution. I also loved Fia as a character. Her fleshed-out backstory <spoiler> (hello, family trauma!) </spoiler> and motives made me cheer her on. I also really enjoyed how magic functioned in this story, especially when it came to Fia's magic.

The inclusion of retelling elements from such stories as "The Swan Maiden" and "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" made this story all the more enjoyable because of these familiar (yet delightfully new) elements.

Some reviews mention that the book is a "smut without plot" story, and I did not find this to be the case, as the plot and the suspense were very well done! I think the suspense around Irian's plot line and the mysteries around his character/motive were especially interesting to read about. (Do rest assured if you like spice, there is certainly some of that as well, though for readers like myself who are generally not fans of those types of scenes, it's really not too unbearable.)

My only complaint about the book would be Rogan's character. He really sucked as far as love interests go, and for the life of me, I had no idea what Fia saw in him in the first place. I think the author intended his prince background combined with a lack of common sense to be endearing, but I found it super annoying. He just didn't have enough of a personality/motive to be interesting in the slightest. <spoiler> Hence, I was quite happy when the love triangle stopped love triangling and Fia made her choice to be with Irian. </spoiler> Despite this, I will definitely check out the next book in this series because I sincerely did enjoy this one!

I don't think this book was strong enough to push me into the romantasy girlies' world (I still will never read ACOTAR), but I think it's made it more likely for me to pick up a book in this genre if the premise seems interesting enough, and that's some high praise.

Publication Date: 12 March 2024

I rated this book 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Fia is a changeling that grew up in the castle of a human queen. Always feeling apart, she was sharpened into a blade for that human kingdom. She's sent on a quest with her best friend and first love to save his betrothed and the human world.

Overall the story was good. I however grew extremely tired of Rogan. I could have done with him not in the story at all or just as her best friend. The pace was off for me. The beginning was strong and the ending was strong! The middle was a lot of wasted time for me especially when the story focused on her and Rogan. The world building was also a little off for me which added to the pacing issues. The glossary at the end of the audiobook should have been at the beginning.

I really enjoyed the magical and mystical vibes, the Eala storyline and the love story between Fia and Irian!

The book was a 3 until the ending which bumped it up to a 3.5. A female choosing herself over the stupid boys will always excite me. She got her happy ending with Irian because she deserved it after choosing herself.

I listened to the audiobook free from Netgalley for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed the narrator of this audiobook! Her voice added to magical and mystical vibes of the book. She was perfect.

I really enjoyed this twist on a magic system! The twist of her “sister” becoming the villain was really beautifully done as was the swan imagery.
The narration was very well done and I didn’t hear any issues!

There was a lot to enjoy about this book: the otherworldly fae world, the complicated relationship between the MC and her mother, and the childhood friends to lovers subplot were all very well done. I liked the fact that the MC and that original love interest had a very real reason preventing them from being together, and the tension that added to their quest. The audiobook narration by Heather O’Sullivan was great, and added so much to the novel's atmosphere.

This was such a fun and different romantasy!

A Feather So Black is a fantasy romance that is so deeply steeped in Celtic lore & mythology, which is something I am not terrible familiar with but absolutely loved the inclusion of. This world felt enchanting in a sinister way, with all manner of strange creatures and dangerous encounters. It also explores themes of self-love and unlearning internalized beliefs that come from parental abuse and mistreatment. I loved Fia's journey related to this, and how she notices all of the ways she's been manipulated and mistreated gradually and realistically, but also so powerfully. This felt very central to the story overall, and I loved how it developed and later came to. a head within the plot.

There is a very explicit love triangle in this story, which I know some people don't enjoy, but I found that it worked very well and entangled with Fia's own internal transformation nicely. The only thing I didn't enjoy about it was not having been sold on Rogan at all, which made it a bit harder to get invested in this aspect of the story even if it worked from a technical standpoint. I much preferred Fia's later interest, and am happy with where things went for the two of them, especially as their conflict and how it "resolves" by the end truly surprised me!

I really enjoyed the adventure and action, as well as the plentiful use of storytelling and very seamless world building. The ending had me a bit emotional, although I wish it had been better explained how this outcome came to be from a magic perspective. The only other gripe I will share about this story Is that it felt like actual plot movement was slow going and rather formulaic. I did enjoy Fia's visits to the faerie realm, but it also felt a bit repetitive at times as she normally visits once a month, learns a story, and then returns to her normal routine. These stories to matter to the plot later, but the pacing of it felt strange,

Nonetheless, I did really enjoy this story. I would recommend it to those who enjoy a more classic, sinister fae story but especially those who love lots of lore and Celtic mythology. I also would recommend this to those who enjoy a good self-love and discovery story, as well as a healthy dose of suspicion and betrayal. Thank you to Hachette Audio, Orbit and NetGallet for this audio arc!

I LOVED THIS BOOK! What an incredible story and an immaculate audiobook pairing to go with it. I truly adored this from start to finish. It captured me from the first chapter and never let go.

2.25/5
Major props to Heather O’Sullivan because her lovely Irish accent is probably the only reason I finished the book. I had hopes at the beginning because there was some good, descriptive writing and I felt like the vibes were promising, but it quickly devolved into a lot of the tropes that, as much as I want to, make it hard for me to love romantasy.

Forests. Creatures. Magic. Curses. Love…squares? This book has it all, but in a sweeping, poetic voice that pulls you into their worlds. It allows the reader to be drawn to the magic of nature. The main character is both strong, yet introspective that I found very intriguing and endearing. The love interests were unique, but neither wholly terrible which created extra tension. I ended the book absolutely wanting book 2 and already planning a re-read!

I had the pleasure of both ebook and audiobook for this experience. The audiobook is read by Heather O’Sullivan whose voice added so much atmosphere to this Celtic inspired tale! I could listen to her read anything for hours!

Thank you NetGalley, Hachette Audio, Orbit Books, and author Lyra Selene for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Orbit Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

This dark fairytale was enchanting with a folklore element that includes Fair Folk, humans and magic. There is a nice balance to the story setting; the magic was present but does not overshadow the story and characters. Fia is the center of this tale, she is a kindhearted changeling who is blind to the faults of those around her. Her rescue mission between magical realms will open her eyes to the true nature of those she trust and love. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good retelling, folklores and fairytales.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio, Orbit for this Audio ARC!

Our FMC is a changeling with a green mark/connection to the forest is swapped for the princess who is taken off to the faerie lands and put under a curse. She is raised by the queen as her own child and is then sent off to save the 'sister' along with the prince who is betrothed to the princess, but has also had a relationship with our FMC.

Everything about this story captured me from the beginning, from the Celtic mythology, fairytale/black swan, and of course the quintessential romantasy plot/love story.

This book is not spicy but it really is a romantasy at heart, if you are looking for a super deep fantasy this may not be for you, but for what it is it still does a really good job with the world and character depths other than just focusing solely on the romance. I think if you approach this with the right expectations you will love it. I will definitely be continuing on with this series.

I listened to the audiobook I received from NetGalley, and I have to say that the narrator made the experience 1000 times better. The book is already really good and captivating, but the immersion that was reached with the audiobook was unmatched!
The story was very interesting and spun out very well, I particularly enjoyed the descriptions with the peculiarities of every character being translated in the language of nature. It helped with making the story more real.
4.5 rounded to 5 because I can’t wait to read the next

I very much love this story! Lyra Selene makes her original story "A Feather So Black" feel as if it is an old fairytale or retelling of a myth, FMC Fia is a changeling, with no memories of her life before 8 years of age, when she - a changeling- was left in place of the Crown Princess. Now years later, her mother, the Queen, has sent her to retrieve her "sister" with the boy she grew up with and loved, and secretly to retrieve a weapon so mighty it will win wars, from the Fair Folk. Rogan, her partner in the mission, is a Prince betrothed to the Princess. Both have spent years training, Fia particularly, to be a wielded as a weapon. The Queen has worked throughout the years to ensure Fia's loyalty to her, and her alone. But this mission allows Fia to see more of the world and to be on her own for the first time in memory.

While they discover the gates to the realm of the Fair Folk, they find so much more than the Princess. As time passes, webs become further entangled, and both Fia and the reader, won't know who or what to trust. The Princess seems skilled at playing games and manipulation, and flat out states she wants power. Meanwhile Fia has been brought up to distrust all Fair Folk yet meets and develops a trust/distrust relationship with Irian, the Fair Folk who has bound the princesses to his realm. While a month passes between each meeting, as Fia and Rogan cannot access the gate accept once a moon without trapping themselves, the progression of their mission is slow-going, and allows the time for distrust/trust, love/hate, and more to fester.

"A Feather So Black" is steeped in Earth magic, Celtic mythology, and Fair Folk. There are multiple love interests and the book is TBD as a romantasy, since it is a trilogy and the book ends on a cliff hanger. Fia is a relatable young woman, displaying a strong and fierce personality while inwardly just wanting to feel truly loved and accepted for who she is as a person, as a changeling.

I listed to the audio ARC narrated by Heather O'Sullivan, an Irish actor. The narration was PERFECT for this book, and while I cannot wait to reread this in hardback, I hope for the opportunity to review the audio ARCS will remain in the future and that Orbit continues the series with Heather O'Sullivan. Thank you to Lyra Selene, Orbit, and Net Galley for providing the ARC for an honest review.

I am really sorry to have to rate it as such, and I hardly DNF.. so in that regard a dnf equals the worst rating I could give. I will do my best however to give my feedback on this book.

I gave up around the 50% mark. Vowing to myself that I won't torture myself anymore because I really do hate to DNF a book, but this was just extremely bland.

I feel like hardly anything is happening up until this point (cant vow for the rest of the book). Our FMC Fia is a changeling and has magic (which is called green marked) and she's besties with the prince Rigan who she had a crush on since their younger days, but was denied since he is betrothed to her 'sister' Aela. He suddenly leaves and parts with her saying he is a prince and she is no-one, causing a rift in their friendship.

So when he comes back to town and they're sent on a quest to retrieve her sister from a realm she's kept captive in, the dynamic has changed however the pull towards eachother kinda stays. They go on their little quest every now and then and achieve hardly a thing. Despite finding her sister from the get go. And when she could have retrieved the sword she's after to save her sister, she gives it back to the broody character named Irian that keeps them captive because he tells her their lives are entwined. When he dies, they all die with him.

Ofcourse both him and princeling are incredibly handsome and blah, blah. I don't even see the appeal of the latter, he seems like a spoiled little brat that can't do a thing for himself and cries about his life every corner (doesn't have a choice in who he marries, don't you care what I want, my beard is itchy but I can't shave my beard myself blaaaa).

So, basically the story is quite boring as nothing really happens (and I am no stranger to slow builds in books!), the characters are very .. boring ? And the writing could be less repetitive. It felt like word vomit and just some words to hit some page number at some point.

I invested 50% of my time reading this book and I feel like it's completely wasted. I caught myself yawning and getting a bit stressed out even, forcing myself to continue. I'm really sorry to say that I can't really find anything that I liked or loved about this book, because I rather not be so negative about someones life work, but this book hasn't been it for me.

I listened to the [arc] audiobook and I'm very sad to say that I thought this was very monotone aswell.

4,5 stars

Having delved into "A Feather So Black" by Lyra Selene, the first installment in The Fair Folk Trilogy, via an audio arc from Hachette Audio, narrated by Heather O’Sullivan, I must say it's been quite the enchanting experience. Selene's writing is lyrical, with a darker edge that adds depth to the story. Despite a denser buildup, the narrative remains engaging, weaving together elements of nature magic, intriguing folklore, and imaginative world-building.

One of the highlights of the audiobook experience is Heather O’Sullivan's narration. Her lovely voice, beautiful accent, and impeccable pronunciation enhance the storytelling, drawing listeners deeper into the enchanted world of the novel.

Having delved into "A Feather So Black" by Lyra Selene, the first installment in The Fair Folk Trilogy, via an audio arc from Hachette Audio, narrated by Heather O’Sullivan, I must say it's been quite the enchanting experience. Selene's writing is lyrical, with a darker edge that adds depth to the story. Despite a denser buildup, the narrative remains engaging, weaving together elements of nature magic, intriguing folklore, and imaginative world-building.

One of the highlights of the audiobook experience is Heather O’Sullivan's narration. Her lovely voice, beautiful accent, and impeccable pronunciation enhance the storytelling, drawing listeners deeper into the enchanted world of the novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of this book for review. Format is audiobook.

I ended up DNF'ing this at 54%, after trying very hard to become invested and feel the vibes. It did not work and I am making the decision to move on. I'd like to advise readers that there is animal death (not as a result of hunting) early on in the book, occurring twice.

Firstly, I'd like to say that the narrator does a wonderful job. I would love to hear Heather O'Sullivan do more audiobooks, she has a lovely voice, a beautiful accent, and wonderful pronunciation.

This title is FILLED with purple prose. And normally overly-flowery language doesn't bother me, as a very flowery writer myself, but this was truly overwhelming. If you took a shot every time Fia compared herself to nature or the environment around her, you'd be dead pretty early on.

For a romantasy, I really couldn't tell you anything noteworthy about the character interactions. The love interests are bland and uninteresting. Rogan is kind of an ass. I didn't care for him at all. Irian was also an ass. The only part that somewhat excited me was the exchange of stories between Fia and Irian, but even that was tedious.

Fia is difficult. She's filled with copious amounts of self-hatred and loathing, she has clearly been abused and gaslit by her adoptive Queen Mother, but it was really exhausting to have to listen to it over and over again in her dialogue. I've seen first person adult fantasy done right. This wasn't it. I've seen a lot of comparisons between this story and Maas's work, and I can agree that both Fia and Feyre are annoying and unbearable to me.

The timeline was insane to me. If Stephanie Meyer doesn't know how to do a time skip, then A Feather So Black needs to be blacklisted from doing them. I literally could not believe that there were actual months passing by over the course of chapters. There was no character development over the course of MONTHS. Why would you make this magic system of revealing the super secret Fair Folk location rely on the full moon if you weren't going to use the passage of time to your advantage? The pacing was bad to listen to, especially with this being a love triangle(square?).

The sex scenes were almost entirely unbearable for me. Heather O'Sullivan, while quite a good narrator, has a rather flat, monotone voice that pairs negatively with the incredibly clinical and almost prudish descriptions of smut in this title. Multiple times I realized that sex was about to occur AS IT WAS OCCURRING, because the build up was so flat and methodical. The language used is so clinical, sterile, and detached. Which is a choice, one free to be made, but I've heard there are about eight sex scenes in this book, and the thought of sitting through any more of them makes me cringe vibrantly.

The plot was boring. Beyond Fia trying to rescue her Switched At Birth sister from Tírnanóg, I couldn't really tell you what was going on. Something about a war, surely. Swan maidens (the most boring adaptation of swan maidens I have seen to date, pray for me) turning against the cruel master holding them. A really important sword. Yeah. That about covers it.

Finally, please stop having your characters refer to each other ad nauseum with horrid little pet names. "Changeling." "Princeling." Fourth Wing was criticized for doing this with "Violence" and A Feather So Black isn't an exception to similar criticism from me. It's not cute, flirty, romantic, or charming. It just makes dialogue cringey.

I desperately wanted to love this Romantasy, as I'm aware that I should be acquiring a copy in the coming months through subscription, but I did not love it, nor enjoy it. Perhaps in the future I can take a gander at reading a physical copy, to see if that helps with the issues I listed, but until then, I'll be calling it quits on this title.

Thank you netgalley and Orbit books for letting me read this arc!

The premise of this book had me looking forward to reading it, but oh how i was dissappointed! I had a hard time connecting to the main character. She was broody and was complaining almost all the time. She was constanly comparing herself with her mother, her sister and any other character, and it honestly became to much. And I didn't quite understand if her being a changling was a reknown thing or not. Because why did we have her going like "Noone actually knows who I am. It is a state secret." to her being body slammed by a guard into the wall because he hates changlings. Like make it make sense please! I wonder if I skipped that part by mistake, or if the book didn't quite know what it wanted to do with itself.
But sadly I have decided to not finish this book, because as I said, I was struggling to connect with main FMC.

This is one of my new favorite books if I could give it 6 stars I would!
"Feather So Black" by Lyra Selene is a mesmerizing journey through a world woven with intricate folklore and vivid imagery. Selene's prose dances effortlessly, painting scenes so vivid they seem to leap off the page. The rich tapestry of folklore woven into the narrative adds depth and intrigue, keeping readers spellbound from start to finish. Every page is adorned with breathtaking descriptions that transport you to a realm where magic and reality intertwine seamlessly. A masterpiece of storytelling, "Feather So Black" is a must-read for anyone craving an enchanting escape into a world of wonder and imagination.

4.25⭐️

I really enjoyed this ALC (thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio). Heather O’Sullivan did a beautiful job with the narration and kept me gripped throughout.

I love the way the world building was done and learning more as we went. As I believe this is a series I cannot wait to learn more about the various parts of this world as well.

The tension of the relationships between Fia-Aela-Rogan kept me guessing throughout, with what choices would be made, what alliances were true, was this love or was this manipulation? I love that we have both the following and the subversion of tropes and expectations that we see in romantasy and they’re woven so expertly through the story.

I cannot wait to see the continuation of where we left Aela and what that will mean for Fia, Rogan, and Irian. I also can’t wait to see these characters explore life beyond the point that they’ve known up until now as none of them had truly looked past the moment where they have arrived. None of our cast truly allowed themselves to fully make plans or to know themselves beyond outside expectations.

If you are a romantasy fan, I think you’ll love this book. The prose is beautiful and not over done, the story is so unique, and I love that we have a strong FMC who can also be soft and is learning about herself.

I had such a great time reading this book! This world was so interesting, the Folk are a pretty popular topic to explore, and I was excited to see this take on them. The magic, of the items and the gates, and the premise of balance, I needed all the information!

Fia was abused and gaslit by the High Queen, not that she knew or realized until she had her eyes opened in this book. The queen telling her that nobody but her could love Fia, of having her trained to be a weapon, no. I really didn't like the High Queen.

Neither did I like her daughter, Eala. She was just a little bit too manipulative, and I was always searching what she was saying for hidden meanings, what her true agenda might be. So while I didn't know what she was going to do, when she did it, I wasn't surprised!

Between Rogan, Eala, and Irian, her emotions were all tangled up. They all had their moments, and there was a great cast of supporting characters like Corra, I loved Corra, with her way of speaking and helping for a price. It really rounded out this book!

This was a really great read and I can't wait to see were the story goes from here!