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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
slow-paced
slow-paced
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a buddy read with some friends. I enjoyed it overall. I really like our main character, she was great. The love triangle felt unnecessary overall. The world building was lush and descriptive sometimes and other times just randomly thrown in. I actually wish there was less romance in this book because my favorite bits were just the folklore aspect or the yearning from the characters. The romance itself felt like it took some of that away for me. I love a slow burn yearning romance and it felt like that was going to happen but then the author changed their mind like 25% in. I don’t know if I will continue the series. I do however fell like this is a romantasy that should be way more popular because I actually enjoyed it which for a lot of romantasy that is not the case personally.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A Feather So Black is an atmospheric retelling of the swan princess. This book is perfect for those who love the mystery and the Celtic folk traditions of the fae. It is one of those books that is poetic which can either be a strength or slow it down depending on your preference. Maybe it was because of the narrator of the audiobook but felt reminiscent of the Elements of Cadence duology by Rebecca Ross.
It is one of those stories that makes you reconsider the side or "evil" characters in a traditional tale. I enjoyed the FMC's growth into understanding who she was and learning how to see herself through her own eyes and not those around her.
It did drag a bit for me at times but overall I enjoyed it!
It is one of those stories that makes you reconsider the side or "evil" characters in a traditional tale. I enjoyed the FMC's growth into understanding who she was and learning how to see herself through her own eyes and not those around her.
It did drag a bit for me at times but overall I enjoyed it!
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
I chose to read this because I received a special edition in on of my mystery book boxes and the art is so gorgeous, I love how it looks. The premise sounded really interesting too but unfortunately I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to.
I chose to listen to the audiobook as well since my commute is long enough to get through at least an hour a day. Didn't expect it to be 17 hours, that's more than my usual listen. I enjoyed the narrator they chose though, she had a soothing voice with a lilting accent that helped me to push through the story.
I found it very atmospheric and poetic, romantic in a very specific way. I think this would be a great read for someone who enjoys a little more flowery, rich prose. For me, I got a little lost in it but that's my personal attention span and taste. I like listening to fiction that plays more like a movie in my head, so to speak.
The characters I also found to be a wee bit flat. Also feels like my personal taste and biases but I didn't find the prince appealing at all. I liked the fae male love interest enough but overall the story moved too slowly for me, with much meandering in the middle. It was a gorgeous meandering but again, I like things to move more quickly.
Some of the story beats were predictable, though much of the lore felt original and very cool.
I don't want to continue the series though, and may even resell my copy. Having said all that, one man's trash is another man's treasure and I do think there is an audience for this.
I chose to listen to the audiobook as well since my commute is long enough to get through at least an hour a day. Didn't expect it to be 17 hours, that's more than my usual listen. I enjoyed the narrator they chose though, she had a soothing voice with a lilting accent that helped me to push through the story.
I found it very atmospheric and poetic, romantic in a very specific way. I think this would be a great read for someone who enjoys a little more flowery, rich prose. For me, I got a little lost in it but that's my personal attention span and taste. I like listening to fiction that plays more like a movie in my head, so to speak.
The characters I also found to be a wee bit flat. Also feels like my personal taste and biases but I didn't find the prince appealing at all. I liked the fae male love interest enough but overall the story moved too slowly for me, with much meandering in the middle. It was a gorgeous meandering but again, I like things to move more quickly.
Some of the story beats were predictable, though much of the lore felt original and very cool.
I don't want to continue the series though, and may even resell my copy. Having said all that, one man's trash is another man's treasure and I do think there is an audience for this.
3.5 ⭐️ This story started off slow, I had a hard time getting into it. The second half of this book was great.
‘Nature is not good or kind or clean. But it is fair. Day demands night. Summer demands winter. Life demands death.’
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5 Stars!
I was captivated by this dark and whimsical tale of love, loss, belonging, and curses—a sizzling fantasy romance inspired by Celtic mythology. I was hooked from the first chapter. The writing was beautiful, and the characters were well-developed. Our main character, Fia, is a changeling left in the place of a princess. She's tough but flawed, and despite her strength, she remains vulnerable, displaying human traits even though she is part folk—a being from the faerie realm where the inhabitants are cunning, magical, and conniving.
Fia is tasked with finding her sister, the princess she was swapped with twelve years ago. Alongside her childhood friend Rogan—her sister's betrothed and the man she secretly loves—she ventures into the faerie realm. Their mission is to rescue the princess and retrieve a magical sword believed to hold the power to save the human realm. There she meets Irian, a dark, mysterious fey lord. There is tension in the beginning, their interactions fleeting yet powerful, but also an undercurrent of desire, which I ATE UP! Eventually their barriers fall, and secrets are revealed, twining their fates together.
‘Whatever stories I’d tried to tell myself, the truth was he and I had always been at war.
So I smiled back at the man I meant to destroy.’
The story did start with a love triangle, but it was obvious where Fia’s heart was going. I loved the twists and turns of her relationships with both Rogan and Irian, and the turbulence of each scenario. I’m a sucker for love triangles, so I loved this aspect.
The only little thing I found that drew me from the story was using creatures from faerie as part of the description, but no detail was given about them to know what they were. I found myself stopping, wondering what they looked like to be compared to. But that didn’t take me out of the story – in fact I found my mind conjuring up its own images of beasts so whimsical.
I am fully invested in this story and its characters and cannot wait to dive into the sequel!
I was so very lucky to receive a physical ARC from Hachette Australia, and I am SO grateful. I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5 Stars!
I was captivated by this dark and whimsical tale of love, loss, belonging, and curses—a sizzling fantasy romance inspired by Celtic mythology. I was hooked from the first chapter. The writing was beautiful, and the characters were well-developed. Our main character, Fia, is a changeling left in the place of a princess. She's tough but flawed, and despite her strength, she remains vulnerable, displaying human traits even though she is part folk—a being from the faerie realm where the inhabitants are cunning, magical, and conniving.
Fia is tasked with finding her sister, the princess she was swapped with twelve years ago. Alongside her childhood friend Rogan—her sister's betrothed and the man she secretly loves—she ventures into the faerie realm. Their mission is to rescue the princess and retrieve a magical sword believed to hold the power to save the human realm. There she meets Irian, a dark, mysterious fey lord. There is tension in the beginning, their interactions fleeting yet powerful, but also an undercurrent of desire, which I ATE UP! Eventually their barriers fall, and secrets are revealed, twining their fates together.
‘Whatever stories I’d tried to tell myself, the truth was he and I had always been at war.
So I smiled back at the man I meant to destroy.’
The story did start with a love triangle, but it was obvious where Fia’s heart was going. I loved the twists and turns of her relationships with both Rogan and Irian, and the turbulence of each scenario. I’m a sucker for love triangles, so I loved this aspect.
The only little thing I found that drew me from the story was using creatures from faerie as part of the description, but no detail was given about them to know what they were. I found myself stopping, wondering what they looked like to be compared to. But that didn’t take me out of the story – in fact I found my mind conjuring up its own images of beasts so whimsical.
I am fully invested in this story and its characters and cannot wait to dive into the sequel!
I was so very lucky to receive a physical ARC from Hachette Australia, and I am SO grateful. I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.