*I received a digital ARC from the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Title: A Feather So Black
Author: Lyra Selene
Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: March 12, 2024
ISBN: 9780316564960
Synopsis:
In a kingdom where magic has been lost, Fia is a rare changeling, left behind by the wicked Fair Folk when they stole the High Queen’s daughter and retreated behind the locked gates of Tír na nÓg. Most despise Fia’s fae blood. But the queen raises her as a daughter and trains her to be a spy. Meanwhile, the real princess Eala is bound to Tír na nÓg, cursed to become a swan by day and only returning to her true form at night.
When a hidden gate to the realm is discovered, Fia is tasked by the queen to retrieve the princess and break her curse. But she doesn’t go alone: with her is prince Rogan, Fia’s dearest childhood friend—and Eala’s betrothed. Soon, Fia begins to question the truth of her mission. But time is running out to break her sister’s curse. And unraveling the secrets of the past might destroy everything she has come to love.
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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.
Happy reading!
Worn Pages and Ink 