A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene – Review

Published: March 12, 2024

Publisher: Orbit Books

Series: Fair Folk #1

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Pages: 496 (Paperback)

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
Set in a world of perilous magic and moonlit forests, this seductive romantic fantasy tells the story of a defiant changeling, her cursed sister, and the dangerous fae lord she must defeat to save her family.

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 with her is prince Rogan, Fia’s dearest childhood friend—and Eala’s betrothed.

As they journey through the forests of the Folk, where magic winds through the roots of the trees and beauty can be a deadly illusion, Fia’s mission is complicated by her feelings for the prince…and her unexpected attraction to the dark-hearted fae lord holding Eala captive. Irian might be more monster than man, but he seems to understand Fia in a way no one ever has.

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 feel like A Feather So Black is what I’ve been looking for in terms of fae fantasy romance. It’s not all sexy people with pointy ears, this is a Celtic inspired realm with wicked fae bound to a strict code of give and take with their magic. This does have somewhat of a love triangle, so if you’re vehemently opposed to those, do keep that in mind when picking this up.

A Feather So Black follows Fia, a changeling who was swapped for the Princess, Eala, and then raised by the Queen as her own daughter. And by daughter I mean weapon, as Fia wields a powerful magic she calls her Greenmark, turning living things to creations of vegetation. The Queen ensured Fia’s Greenmark, along with the more mundane skills of death were honed. The Queen sends Fia, along with her childhood friend turned lover, Rogan, to the site of a hidden gate into Tír Na Nóg with the goal of freeing Eala and stealing a fae relic called the Sky Sword. Ostensibly, the magic of the sword will save the humans from plague, hunger, and the like while Eala’s return and subsequent wedding to Rogan will cement the kingdom’s alliance with Rogan’s father.

I was surprised to find that the time frame of the story stretches over at least a year’s time span. Because Rogan and Fia can only travel into Tír Na Nóg during a full moon, it does actually take quite a lot of time to ultimately attain their goals. While Rogan is trying to woo Eala and find a way to break her geas that turns her to a swan during the day, Fia is trying to find a way to get the Sky Sword from its master, a handsome tattooed fae name Irian. Yes, his appearance sounds very much like a love interest in a Sarah J. Maas book, but he’s presented in a much more magical manner. He and Fia begin with a bargain of exchanged stories about their past and experiences, told in a deliberately third-person style which I oddly enjoyed. Each full moon the two meet and even while Fia is trying to find a way to obtain the Sky Sword, she begins to fall for Irian.

Obviously since our characters only spend brief spans of time in Tír Na Nóg, they spend a substantial portion in the strange fortress they’ve taken to calling home. This I feel is where the real character development happens. Not much action is going on, but Fia is experimenting with her magic, restoring the gardens and greenhouse while also exploring the grounds. Rogan mostly seems to exist as an emotional roadblock for Fia because he can’t let her go and though he knows she isn’t meant for him, he continues to pursue her. I didn’t particularly care for him, though he did help to keep things interesting while the pair weren’t in Tír Na Nóg. 

A Feather So Black was a darkly enchanting story with solid romance that felt earned, rather than a lusty insta-love situation like so many ‘romantasy’ books. This was definitely helped by the extended timeframe of the story and the important, slow moments where the characters can reflect on things rather than rushing from one crisis to the next. I particularly enjoyed the ending, which was not entirely unexpected, but was nonetheless impactful and set up nicely for a sequel. This is intended to be a trilogy, and I will be making space on my TBR for the second book once it’s released!