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A review by theheelerbooklife
A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene
adventurous
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I listened to A Feather So Black on Audio and enjoyed the narrator.
A Feather So Black weaves a compelling tale with a strong emphasis on world-building and fantasy elements. The romance added a nice touch to the story and had many tropes handed well.
I found A Feather So Black to be unique. It delves into the journey of our protagonist, Fia, a rare changeling abandoned by the wicked Fair Folk. Despite the disdain many hold for her fae blood, Fia finds solace when the queen takes her in and raises her as her own. The queen, recognizing Fia's unique abilities, even trains her to be a spy. When a hidden gate to the realm appears, the queen tasks Fia with a mission that could change everything, retrieve it, and break the princess's curse. As she takes on this quest, she has an unexpected companion. This companion is her childhood friend and the princess's betrothed, Prince Rogan. But then, Fia finds herself attracted to the princess's capture, Irian.
There is a love triangle woven into this story. As someone who grew up with young adult fantasy in the mid-2000s and 2010s, I experienced many love triangles in fantasy. I am not fond of the trope when it pops up in books. I am still not fond of it in this book, but the author handled this trope well, so I was not rolling my eyes and not hating the romance.
I found this book enjoyable and unique, with its retelling of Swan Maiden. All the characters were likable and fleshed out well. An issue I did have with A Feather So Black was the pacing. At times, the pacing felt fine, with a great pace, but then there were times it dragged.
If you are a fan of high fantasy, romance, or romantasy, do not hesitate to pick this book up. I will be reading the sequel in the future.
A Feather So Black weaves a compelling tale with a strong emphasis on world-building and fantasy elements. The romance added a nice touch to the story and had many tropes handed well.
I found A Feather So Black to be unique. It delves into the journey of our protagonist, Fia, a rare changeling abandoned by the wicked Fair Folk. Despite the disdain many hold for her fae blood, Fia finds solace when the queen takes her in and raises her as her own. The queen, recognizing Fia's unique abilities, even trains her to be a spy. When a hidden gate to the realm appears, the queen tasks Fia with a mission that could change everything, retrieve it, and break the princess's curse. As she takes on this quest, she has an unexpected companion. This companion is her childhood friend and the princess's betrothed, Prince Rogan. But then, Fia finds herself attracted to the princess's capture, Irian.
There is a love triangle woven into this story. As someone who grew up with young adult fantasy in the mid-2000s and 2010s, I experienced many love triangles in fantasy. I am not fond of the trope when it pops up in books. I am still not fond of it in this book, but the author handled this trope well, so I was not rolling my eyes and not hating the romance.
I found this book enjoyable and unique, with its retelling of Swan Maiden. All the characters were likable and fleshed out well. An issue I did have with A Feather So Black was the pacing. At times, the pacing felt fine, with a great pace, but then there were times it dragged.
If you are a fan of high fantasy, romance, or romantasy, do not hesitate to pick this book up. I will be reading the sequel in the future.