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casey05's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Sexual content
Moderate: Confinement, Self harm, War, and Murder
Minor: Animal death and Violence
louisepea's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Violence
Minor: Murder, Animal death, Alcohol, Abandonment, Blood, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
heathersinkwell's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Fodla has been left magicless and is plagued by disease, failed harvests, and social strife. Fia, a changeling left by the Fair Folk in place of the princess, was left behind before the gates locked to the Fae realm, Tír na nÓg. She has spent her life reviled and ostracized, despite being adopted and raised by the High Queen. After Fia is sent on an impossible quest to break a curse in the Fae realm, she begins to learn that what she has been told is not always as it seems. Time is running out to break the curse and Fia must decide who she can trust: the people she’s known her whole life or the Fae prince who understands her like no one has before.
A Feather So Black has a strong Celtic influence and is set in a high fantasy world. It is filled with mythology and folklore. It straddles the cozy fantasy realm with its focus on character development, relationships between characters, seasonality, and domestic tasks. This book doesn’t fit neatly into cozy fantasy because it contains some gore, isn’t very heartwarming, can feel very bleak and hopeless at times, and explores some of the darkest parts of humanity. So, it has aspects of cozy fantasy but it has TONS of action and dark scenes as well.
Please check trigger/content warnings before reading!
I LOVED this book. It was full of beautiful prose that was a feast for my eyes. The character development and relationship building (or destruction) were incredible and made this book shine. The romance plot was a major focus, but the fantasy world-building did not suffer for it. Romance helped the plot move forward. There were a few open-door scenes, but they flowed with the story and made sense in the moment. They weren’t there for the sake of spice alone.
The tropes are classic but done refreshingly.
Example (possible spoiler): there is a love triangle, but it’s written as leaving/growing out of one relationship and finding a new person who fits who you are better and supports your continued growth.
(end spoiler)
I do think this book would benefit from a more comprehensive glossary/pronunciation guide. Many common items were given a different name, which makes sense in the Celtic context. Many readers don’t know how to pronounce Celtic words or what these terms mean. There is already a glossary/pronunciation guide. It just needs to be beefed up a bit more!
Tropes:
Love triangle
Fae
One horse
Swan Princess influence
Star crossed lovers
Friends to lovers
HFN Ending
Touch her and die
All the seasons vibes
Complex characters
Storytelling and riddles
Monsters
Complicated family dynamics
Morally grey characters
Lyrical writing
Hidden libraries
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, and Murder
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