Review: A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene

A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene has been on the list of my most anticipated 2024 releases since the moment I first read the synopsis several months ago. The first book in a brand new trilogy, it only took four key phrases: Romantasy, changeling, curse and dangerous fae lord, and I was sold. And you guys, I think I might have found my next book obsession!

The book follows Fia, who happens to be a changeling. Twelve years earlier the Fair Folk stole the High Queen's real daughter Eala away to the faerie realm of Tír na nÓg, and left Fia behind in her stead. Now at the age of twenty, Fia is not only the queen's beloved adoptive daughter - she's also her best trained spy. When the queen learns of a way to save the real princess from the faerie lands (and from the curse that leaves her stranded as a swan during the daylight hours), Fia is tasked with breaking the curse and bringing her back. Joining her on her quest is Eala's fiancé Rogan - Fia's childhood best friend and first love. Stranded in an long-abandoned castle with the boy - well, man now - who broke her heart four years earlier is not an ideal situation, especially when there are clearly some unresolved feelings between the two of them.

However, when the pair cross over to Tír na nÓg during the full moon to rescue the princess, it is nothing like Fia expected. She finds herself strangely drawn to the magical and deadly faerie realm, and soon forms an unexpected connection with Eala's captor, Irian. Irian is dark and troubled, and both Eala and Rogan warn Fia to stay away from him. But despite the danger the fae lord poses, he might also be the person who understands Fia the best. And she soon learns that there are bigger games at play both in Tír na nÓg and the human world, games that means she will have to make some tough choices: Should she follow the path the human mother who raised her has set for her, or should she answer the call of her faerie blood and follow her heart?

This book just checked all the boxes for me! I even enjoyed the love triangle, which is a rare occurence for me. Fia was such an intriguing main character. I could really feel her inherent loneliness in being a fae being raised among humans - she has never really fit in, but she desperately wants to. Despite her origins, Fia is more human than most actual human beings. Unbeknownst to her, she was raised to be a weapon for her so-called mother, but she still has so much love and compassion inside her. Her biggest flaw is her hunger for love and acceptance, something that makes her pretty easy to manipulate. We see this not only with her mother, but also when she meets her adopted sister, Eala. I really enjoyed how Fia slowly came to realize that she was being used as a pawn in the greedy schemes of the people around her, and how she came to understand that she should trust her own judgement. Better late than never, as they say.

The romance(s) in A Feather So Black were beautifully done - even the love triangle. There is so much history between Fia and Rogan - he is her best and only friend, in addition to being her first love. We quickly understand that their separation four years earlier was not due to a lack of affection on either side, but because Rogan put his duty as heir to his kingdom before his own happiness. And he still does. It was a bit frustrating how he kept pursuing Fia romantically, while at the same time being adamant in his plan to marry Eala. Fia deserves so much better than being his mistress, but despite his obvious love for her, he is not willing to yield. And I get it - I really do. He wants what's best for his kingdom, and he will not be able to provide for his people unless he marries the true princess. Rogan is young - he wants to have his cake and eat it too. But that is not fair to Fia, and I'm glad she realizes that their time together has come and gone even if Rogan refuses to accept it. You don't always end up with your first love, but I'm glad they had a second chance to explore their relationship.

Fia and Irian makes a lot more sense. He sees her for who she trully is, and accepts every single thing about her. Instead of being disgusted by her magic like Rogan is, he is in awe of it. Irian may be dangerous and shrouded in dark magic, but he is also so so lonely shut away in his own little corner of the world. He puts on this tough and indifferent mask for the world to see, but on the inside he is just as desperate for love as Fia is. The two of them together is pure magic. Rogan who? I will gladly die on my Fia and Irian hill, thank you very much!

Lyra Selene's writing is gorgeous and descriptive. I have seen some reviews mentioning that their biggest complaint about this book is the pacing, but honestly it was not a big issue for me. As Fia and Rogan can only cross over to Tír na nÓg on the night of the full moon, there are a lot of chapters in between of them just doing mundane things around the castle. I did not mind reading about Fia putting the old greenhouse back in order (it gives her a chance to reconnect with her nature magic) or searching the castle for clues on how to break Eala's curse. For me this just heightened my expectations for the chapters that actually did take place in the faerie realm. There was so much happening in the Tír na nÓg chapters that I liked getting a little time in between to simply slow down and process what we learned.

I cannot wait to see where the next book in this series takes us. Now that a new villain has clearly been defined (I was not suprised to see this character actually being the true antagonist of the story), I am excited to see what happens next. One thing is for sure; it promises for some interesting dynamics in the books to come!