![Cover image of A Feather so Black by Lyra Selene. One a background of blue, pink and black fade, there is a wreath of wild flowers and vines over a gold ring base. It is medium sized, and takes up on the upper half of the cover. Bisecting the wreath is the hilt of a broad sword. It is leather wrapped, and the blade below is silver. Some of the leaves from the wreath stretch down the length of the blade. On the bottom half of the image the title of the book [A Feather so Black] is written in yellow-gold in flicky a serif font. At the top of the cover the author's name [Lyra Selene] is written in the same font, but much smaller, and teal.](https://eebonnerauthor.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/image.png?w=255)
Huge thank you to NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK, and the author for a galley of this book in return for an honest review.
I cannot think of the last time I read something where the world building was through, or the language so deliberate. Lyra Selene has crafted a work that is utterly sublime, every sentence, every description, every exchange of dialogue, has been so deeply considered, and that attention to detail, and deliberate sense of craft is so impressive, there are hardly words to describe it. Selene delivers a master class in how to build and deploy a lexus. She also integrates elements of Irish Gaeilge, all though possibly the words are more based in Irish than taken directly from the language – either way it is done skilfully, and understandably.
A Feather So Black is a Celtic / Irish inspired fantasy romance unlike anything you will have read before. It is utterly captivating. I loved Fia, and I loved this world. Selene has taken the time not only to build a world that feels believable, even as it feels alien, she has also taken the time to answer the questions, and fill the holes, that I think some other fantasy writers get away with. There are rules here, a set of social mores and physics that govern both the mortal realm, and that of the fae.
The characters are as lovable as they are loathsome, and they respond, not like written creatures, but like people. Elements of this book were unpredictable not because Selene did not lay her groundwork, but because you could only truly rely on the cast to respond as a person would. I think this really reinforced the relationships in the narrative, nothing was perfect, but so many things felt genuine.
My only quibble with this book was the somewhat repetitive arc: as they could only enter Otherworld on set nights, and for set amounts of time, there was a criticality to the narrative that was unavoidable. I think Selene dealt with this very well, but with the length of the novel it did lend a certain predictability to some things.
Overall, this is a 5 star read, with exceptional world building, and a brilliant story.
Let's Talk Books 
Leave a comment