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willrefuge's review against another edition
3.0
2.7 / 5 stars
I first read Black Feathers in 2014 and really enjoyed it. Just goes to show what difference five years can make. The second time I got through it, I was put off by its inconsistency, an unsatisfying conclusion and a “look but don’t touch” world. D’Lacey manages to tell an interesting, entertaining story populated by real, human characters, in a world that (initially) can draw many parallels to our own.
The characters themselves are D’Lacey’s greatest achievement. Gordon Black is our pre-apocalypse narrator. Crows herald his arrival into the world, following his story from then on. The tale follows him from birth, early on casting him as the herald of the coming doom. His is very much a coming of age tale, as Gordon is just a regular boy. Dark hair, dark eyes, and crows follow him everywhere—but normal just the same. D’Lacey really manages to portray him as a flesh and blood kid, someone very real and human. This is a triumph for any author: creating a relatable, mortal lead.
Megan, the post-apocalypse DJ, is… inconsistent. When I went to choose a paragraph to describe her, “inconsistent” was as far as I got. Hers’ is as well billed as a coming of age tale. She is as well chosen by the Crowman. But, rather than to live his tale like Gordon, she is tasked with telling it.
Megan isn’t a believable POV. What I mean is… okay: it’s a coming of age story for her. When the reader is first introduced to her, Megan is just a kid. No puberty, no experience with the world, no Crowman. And she acts like any other kid. Until her second chapter. She runs across the Crowman before the first, in the first we find her fleeing from him. In the second, she begins her tale about seeing him. And she completely departs from her background (as just any other kid) thus far. Only to fall back into it after the story ends. I understand that D’Lacey is probably trying to set the mood here. But she’s just a kid. The words she uses, the pauses, the explanations, her state—they all change. They’re too advanced, too professional, too… scripted. D’Lacey flip-flops on her enough, going between her being just a kid, maturing into a young woman; to a mature, well-worded and serene woman—sometimes even chapter to chapter.
The looming apocalypse seems very plausible at first. A world wracked by natural disasters, solar flares, a tanking economy, an outbreak of war and strife. One full of shades of grey. When the Crowman is entered into it, the plausibility is muddied somewhat. Later, when he/it takes center stage, I felt a real disconnect between the story I was reading, and the one carries on from there.
It was a very dark tale. But it tried to be something more, even should’ve been something more. D’Lacey makes a play for a realistic apocalypse. Something that could very well happen today. Black Feathers is almost… could’ve been this, maybe. But loses itself shortly after inception. Gordon Black’s story (the story of the Crowman) gets distracted, and becomes the story of the Ward.
The Ward is the organization running Britain. Through the beginning of the tale, they become more and more prevalent in the UK, gaining political strength and support. They represent control and stability—or try, at least. A quasi-communist, nationalism, isolationist state. Eventually, they go after Gordon, trying to prevent him from reaching his destiny. And in doing so, any realism the story might have cultivated goeth out yon window. I mean, the reasoning behind this—the prophecy, or whatever—isn’t well explained. There are bits and pieces but. It doesn’t feel realistic. Or like a good scifi story. By attempting to toe the line between these two, any chance at being either is gone.
It’s not that Black Feathers isn’t a good read. It presents an adequate premise which it carries out reasonably well. But slowed down by inconsistent characters and a story that can’t decide what it is, D’Lacey’s possible masterwork becomes just another book, though an interesting one. Any lack of conclusive ending left a bad taste in my mouth, even through beginning the second one (note: I never finished #2, for a number of reasons) Worth a read, though. Maybe get it from the library, or on sale.
I first read Black Feathers in 2014 and really enjoyed it. Just goes to show what difference five years can make. The second time I got through it, I was put off by its inconsistency, an unsatisfying conclusion and a “look but don’t touch” world. D’Lacey manages to tell an interesting, entertaining story populated by real, human characters, in a world that (initially) can draw many parallels to our own.
The characters themselves are D’Lacey’s greatest achievement. Gordon Black is our pre-apocalypse narrator. Crows herald his arrival into the world, following his story from then on. The tale follows him from birth, early on casting him as the herald of the coming doom. His is very much a coming of age tale, as Gordon is just a regular boy. Dark hair, dark eyes, and crows follow him everywhere—but normal just the same. D’Lacey really manages to portray him as a flesh and blood kid, someone very real and human. This is a triumph for any author: creating a relatable, mortal lead.
Megan, the post-apocalypse DJ, is… inconsistent. When I went to choose a paragraph to describe her, “inconsistent” was as far as I got. Hers’ is as well billed as a coming of age tale. She is as well chosen by the Crowman. But, rather than to live his tale like Gordon, she is tasked with telling it.
Megan isn’t a believable POV. What I mean is… okay: it’s a coming of age story for her. When the reader is first introduced to her, Megan is just a kid. No puberty, no experience with the world, no Crowman. And she acts like any other kid. Until her second chapter. She runs across the Crowman before the first, in the first we find her fleeing from him. In the second, she begins her tale about seeing him. And she completely departs from her background (as just any other kid) thus far. Only to fall back into it after the story ends. I understand that D’Lacey is probably trying to set the mood here. But she’s just a kid. The words she uses, the pauses, the explanations, her state—they all change. They’re too advanced, too professional, too… scripted. D’Lacey flip-flops on her enough, going between her being just a kid, maturing into a young woman; to a mature, well-worded and serene woman—sometimes even chapter to chapter.
The looming apocalypse seems very plausible at first. A world wracked by natural disasters, solar flares, a tanking economy, an outbreak of war and strife. One full of shades of grey. When the Crowman is entered into it, the plausibility is muddied somewhat. Later, when he/it takes center stage, I felt a real disconnect between the story I was reading, and the one carries on from there.
It was a very dark tale. But it tried to be something more, even should’ve been something more. D’Lacey makes a play for a realistic apocalypse. Something that could very well happen today. Black Feathers is almost… could’ve been this, maybe. But loses itself shortly after inception. Gordon Black’s story (the story of the Crowman) gets distracted, and becomes the story of the Ward.
The Ward is the organization running Britain. Through the beginning of the tale, they become more and more prevalent in the UK, gaining political strength and support. They represent control and stability—or try, at least. A quasi-communist, nationalism, isolationist state. Eventually, they go after Gordon, trying to prevent him from reaching his destiny. And in doing so, any realism the story might have cultivated goeth out yon window. I mean, the reasoning behind this—the prophecy, or whatever—isn’t well explained. There are bits and pieces but. It doesn’t feel realistic. Or like a good scifi story. By attempting to toe the line between these two, any chance at being either is gone.
It’s not that Black Feathers isn’t a good read. It presents an adequate premise which it carries out reasonably well. But slowed down by inconsistent characters and a story that can’t decide what it is, D’Lacey’s possible masterwork becomes just another book, though an interesting one. Any lack of conclusive ending left a bad taste in my mouth, even through beginning the second one (note: I never finished #2, for a number of reasons) Worth a read, though. Maybe get it from the library, or on sale.
mama_turtlez's review against another edition
DNF at 35%. I normally try to finish books but this one I could not get through. The writing felt super bloated and mixed with the slow pace, I was quite literally falling asleep while reading. There's also this, what seems to be, a weird sexualization of a teenage girl that just made me really uncomfortable. The main character and his sister have this almost incestuous relationship. Maybe I was interpreting it wrong, who knows, but overall this book was not for me.
Content Warnings
Minor: Incest and Pedophilia
dantastic's review against another edition
5.0
In a time much like ours, the world is falling apart and Gordon Black is on the run for reasons he doesn't completely understand. In the far future, a girl named Megan Maurice finds herself chosen to learn the Crowman's story. Is the Crowman the world's savior or its destroyer? And what is the connection between Gordon and the Crowman?
Wow. If I knew how great this book was going to be when I bought it, I wouldn't have let it linger on my to-read pile for so long.
Black Feathers tells two stories, one featuring Gordon Black in a world that's quickly going to hell in a hand basket because economic and environmental collapse and another featuring Megan Maurice in a world that's almost medieval in tech level, centuries after the events in Gordon's tale. There's a lot going on so I don't want to give too much away.
Gordon is on the run from The Ward, a bunch of heavies that have risen up and taken over when things started going south. The Ward are slowly gaining power and fear Gordon for reasons he is initially unaware of. Megan has been selected to be a Keeper, someone who learns and tells the Crowman's tale and has special nature-priest abilities.
Gordon and Megan are both compelling characters. Gordon's loss drives him toward a destiny he isn't very sure of and Megan's role as the next Keeper helps fill in some of the gaps in Gordon's tale and hint at things to come.
The two settings are well developed. The Black Dawn, the near future of Gordon's time, is all too believable with food shortages and martial law. Megan's time, the Bright Day, is a simpler time of people living in harmony with nature in the ruins of the past. Megan's time reminds me of the world of [b:Gathering Blue|12936|Gathering Blue (The Giver, #2)|Lois Lowry|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1347750315s/12936.jpg|2134456] while Gordon's, although nearly the present, definitely has a dystopian feel.
The book has a strong ecological message: If you don't treat the Earth well, she's going to settle your hash. With the two young adult protagonists, this could be classified as a YA book but it lacks the tedious love triangles and teen angst so I can see why it isn't marketed as such.
If I had to gripe about one thing it would be that I have to wait for the concluding volume in the series, [b:The Book of the Crowman|18142557|The Book of the Crowman|Joseph D' Lacey|/assets/nocover/60x80.png|25489288], to see how things shape up.
Nothing like a really good book to make you see how crappy a lot of the things you read are. Five stars!
Wow. If I knew how great this book was going to be when I bought it, I wouldn't have let it linger on my to-read pile for so long.
Black Feathers tells two stories, one featuring Gordon Black in a world that's quickly going to hell in a hand basket because economic and environmental collapse and another featuring Megan Maurice in a world that's almost medieval in tech level, centuries after the events in Gordon's tale. There's a lot going on so I don't want to give too much away.
Gordon is on the run from The Ward, a bunch of heavies that have risen up and taken over when things started going south. The Ward are slowly gaining power and fear Gordon for reasons he is initially unaware of. Megan has been selected to be a Keeper, someone who learns and tells the Crowman's tale and has special nature-priest abilities.
Gordon and Megan are both compelling characters. Gordon's loss drives him toward a destiny he isn't very sure of and Megan's role as the next Keeper helps fill in some of the gaps in Gordon's tale and hint at things to come.
The two settings are well developed. The Black Dawn, the near future of Gordon's time, is all too believable with food shortages and martial law. Megan's time, the Bright Day, is a simpler time of people living in harmony with nature in the ruins of the past. Megan's time reminds me of the world of [b:Gathering Blue|12936|Gathering Blue (The Giver, #2)|Lois Lowry|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1347750315s/12936.jpg|2134456] while Gordon's, although nearly the present, definitely has a dystopian feel.
The book has a strong ecological message: If you don't treat the Earth well, she's going to settle your hash. With the two young adult protagonists, this could be classified as a YA book but it lacks the tedious love triangles and teen angst so I can see why it isn't marketed as such.
If I had to gripe about one thing it would be that I have to wait for the concluding volume in the series, [b:The Book of the Crowman|18142557|The Book of the Crowman|Joseph D' Lacey|/assets/nocover/60x80.png|25489288], to see how things shape up.
Nothing like a really good book to make you see how crappy a lot of the things you read are. Five stars!
dearestdorian's review against another edition
1.0
This book started slow, and then descended into chaos and WTF-ery around the halfway point, with such delights as I know this is classed as a horror, but it wasn't scary, it was just gross.
Basically:
Spoiler
rape and crucifixion against a tree, attempted rape and fucking a hole in the ground.Basically:
mxsallybend's review against another edition
4.0
For a book in which very little actually happens in terms of plot development, Black Feathers was a fantastic read. It's the story of twin journeys, separated by untold years, and intersecting at the moment of the apocalypse which lies between them. What Joseph D'Lacey has crafted here is a story that's equal parts Stephen King and Robert McCammon, but with an environmental message at its heart, as opposed to a spiritual one. It's dark and it's grim, but it's also magical . . . wondrous, even.
The plot, as I mentioned, is deceptively simple. On the one hand you have a young boy by the name of Gordon Black, feeling from the martial law brutality of The Ward, and searching for a mysterious, messianic figure known only as The Crowman. On the other hand you have a young woman by the name of Megan Maurice, apprenticing herself to the village Keeper, and searching for the young boy from her dreams . . . who may just be The Crowman. Gordon's is a tale of apocalyptic horror, a struggle for survival in a world that is rapidly approaching its end. Megan's is a tale of almost epic fantasy, a coming of age story marked by dreams, prophecies, and magic.
Similarly, the world-building is just as simple, enough to set the stage and ground our expectations, but not to overwhelm the characters at its heart. We see a world dying around Gordon, marked by food shortages, civil wars, and environmental catastrophes - all of which takes place off the page. We see a world reborn around Megan, marked by medieval like struggles for survival, with only the barest glimpses of the world left behind. It's a smart move, with the subtlety of the landscape making the ruined city of the story's final set-piece work so well.
This is primarily a character study, which is fine because both Gordon and Megan are such strong, well-developed characters. They're authentic in terms of their age portrayal, making their accelerated maturity that much more convincing. Neither is convinced they are anything special, and neither feels the need to step up and achieve any sort of heroic deeds. They are young and vulnerable, but with a core of strength that is only revealed through conflict and challenge. Both are likeable characters as well, children you desperately want to protect, even though you know you have to let go . . . to let them find their shared destiny.
As for the men of The Ward, they are appropriately sinister, single-minded, and religiously dedicated to their cause. They do seem as if they may actually be intent upon saving the world, but only so that they can control everything in it and about it. These are men for whom torture begins with pain and disfigurement, merely for the sake of making their subjects uncomfortable, long before any sort of questioning begins. They're also a bit comic, in a morbid, black-humour sort of way, and in the most unexpected moments.
It's a great read, well-told, with a narrative style that flows quickly and easily. I was hooked by the end of the first chapter, and kept finding it harder and harder to put the book down. There's a great sense of mystery to the story, one that is guaranteed to keep readers coming back for the second volume. I suspect it will be a very different story, with the world-building established and coming-of-age element already covered, but I'm anxious to see how it all gets resolved.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
The plot, as I mentioned, is deceptively simple. On the one hand you have a young boy by the name of Gordon Black, feeling from the martial law brutality of The Ward, and searching for a mysterious, messianic figure known only as The Crowman. On the other hand you have a young woman by the name of Megan Maurice, apprenticing herself to the village Keeper, and searching for the young boy from her dreams . . . who may just be The Crowman. Gordon's is a tale of apocalyptic horror, a struggle for survival in a world that is rapidly approaching its end. Megan's is a tale of almost epic fantasy, a coming of age story marked by dreams, prophecies, and magic.
Similarly, the world-building is just as simple, enough to set the stage and ground our expectations, but not to overwhelm the characters at its heart. We see a world dying around Gordon, marked by food shortages, civil wars, and environmental catastrophes - all of which takes place off the page. We see a world reborn around Megan, marked by medieval like struggles for survival, with only the barest glimpses of the world left behind. It's a smart move, with the subtlety of the landscape making the ruined city of the story's final set-piece work so well.
This is primarily a character study, which is fine because both Gordon and Megan are such strong, well-developed characters. They're authentic in terms of their age portrayal, making their accelerated maturity that much more convincing. Neither is convinced they are anything special, and neither feels the need to step up and achieve any sort of heroic deeds. They are young and vulnerable, but with a core of strength that is only revealed through conflict and challenge. Both are likeable characters as well, children you desperately want to protect, even though you know you have to let go . . . to let them find their shared destiny.
As for the men of The Ward, they are appropriately sinister, single-minded, and religiously dedicated to their cause. They do seem as if they may actually be intent upon saving the world, but only so that they can control everything in it and about it. These are men for whom torture begins with pain and disfigurement, merely for the sake of making their subjects uncomfortable, long before any sort of questioning begins. They're also a bit comic, in a morbid, black-humour sort of way, and in the most unexpected moments.
It's a great read, well-told, with a narrative style that flows quickly and easily. I was hooked by the end of the first chapter, and kept finding it harder and harder to put the book down. There's a great sense of mystery to the story, one that is guaranteed to keep readers coming back for the second volume. I suspect it will be a very different story, with the world-building established and coming-of-age element already covered, but I'm anxious to see how it all gets resolved.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
petealdin's review against another edition
5.0
Is this book horror or scifi or fantasy? The answer is, Yes.
A very very clever blend of the three with a plot that starts as a slowburn and just keeps ramping up up UP ... all the way to the final page.
The worst thing is having to wait for the sequel!!
If you like post-apocalyptic, you'll love this. It's a cut above most everything I've read and on a par with The Stand (but completely different). The world and its demise make perfect sense as depicted. There are some bad guys with logical motivations for whom I found myself craving the worst punishments possible. And some genuinely likeable characters such as Gordon, Megan and Mr Keeper.
Loved it. Worth perservering with the slow burn opening 100 pages even if you don't like that, because by the end of the book, it's hard to put the blessed thing down.
A very very clever blend of the three with a plot that starts as a slowburn and just keeps ramping up up UP ... all the way to the final page.
The worst thing is having to wait for the sequel!!
If you like post-apocalyptic, you'll love this. It's a cut above most everything I've read and on a par with The Stand (but completely different). The world and its demise make perfect sense as depicted. There are some bad guys with logical motivations for whom I found myself craving the worst punishments possible. And some genuinely likeable characters such as Gordon, Megan and Mr Keeper.
Loved it. Worth perservering with the slow burn opening 100 pages even if you don't like that, because by the end of the book, it's hard to put the blessed thing down.
moirwyn's review against another edition
5.0
This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2014/03/28/black-feathers-joseph-dlacey/
Black Feathers is the first book in The Black Dawn, a series by Joseph D’Lacey that is set in the aftermath of an environmental apocalypse in a world not unlike our own. When I saw this book at Barnes & Noble, I was immediately sucked in by the opening lines of the prologue, and knew that I just had to read it.
Black Feathers is divided between two protagonists, one in the present, and one in the distant past.
A girl named Megan sees the Crowman in the forest, and thus begins her training to become a Keeper, which is kind of like a Native American medicine man. The Keepers preserve mankind’s connection to the Earth. So far all the Keepers have been male, and there is a prophecy that the first female Keeper will either be the one to save the world or destroy it.
As she is trained, Megan has flashbacks to the distant past. A little boy named Gordon is born in a society like our own. Gordon is special. From the day he was born, crows have flocked to him, and they appear to protect him. As he grows up, mankind’s abuse of the environment causes the very earth to revolt. As corporations cling to power, food shortages and natural disasters become ubiquitous and mankind’s technology begins to fail. Gordon embarks on a journey to find the mysterious Crowman, who appears as a symbol of hope throughout urban legends.
Both characters have compelling life stories despite being from completely different worlds. Megan’s adventures take on a spiritual nature, and her greatest enemies are in her own mind. Gordon, on the other hand, is being chased by an entire organization of cold-blooded killers. Normally when I read books with two protagonists, I end up liking one more than the other, but in Black Feathers I quickly became attached to both of them.
D’Lacey presents a strong message of environmentalism, but it doesn’t get so preachy that it detracts from the story. He focuses on the need to give back to the earth and to take care of it. The story’s worst villains are those who believe in profits at the expense of life, and they are more terrifying because we can see in them a reflection of problems in our own society. And yet, Megan’s presence in a simpler village after the apocalypse shows that there is hope for humanity and that we aren’t all doomed if we make an effort to make better choices. For more about this, you might want to check out the guest post that the author wrote for me a couple weeks ago about the role of environmentalism in his stories.
All in all, Black Feathers was a good read, and I look forward to continuing the series.
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2014/03/28/black-feathers-joseph-dlacey/
Black Feathers is the first book in The Black Dawn, a series by Joseph D’Lacey that is set in the aftermath of an environmental apocalypse in a world not unlike our own. When I saw this book at Barnes & Noble, I was immediately sucked in by the opening lines of the prologue, and knew that I just had to read it.
When the final days came, it was said that Satan walked the Earth in the guise of a crow. Those who feared him called him Scarecrow or Black Jack. I know him as the Crowman.
I speak for him.
Across the face of the Earth, in every nation, great suffering arose and billions perished. An age of solar flares began, rendering much of our technology useless. The cataclysms that befell us, the famine and sicknesses, the wars–it was all the work of the Crowman, so they said. Yet it was ignorance that fueled our terror of him and the rumors of his wickedness.
Ignorance and convenience; we needed someone to blame.
Black Feathers is divided between two protagonists, one in the present, and one in the distant past.
A girl named Megan sees the Crowman in the forest, and thus begins her training to become a Keeper, which is kind of like a Native American medicine man. The Keepers preserve mankind’s connection to the Earth. So far all the Keepers have been male, and there is a prophecy that the first female Keeper will either be the one to save the world or destroy it.
As she is trained, Megan has flashbacks to the distant past. A little boy named Gordon is born in a society like our own. Gordon is special. From the day he was born, crows have flocked to him, and they appear to protect him. As he grows up, mankind’s abuse of the environment causes the very earth to revolt. As corporations cling to power, food shortages and natural disasters become ubiquitous and mankind’s technology begins to fail. Gordon embarks on a journey to find the mysterious Crowman, who appears as a symbol of hope throughout urban legends.
Both characters have compelling life stories despite being from completely different worlds. Megan’s adventures take on a spiritual nature, and her greatest enemies are in her own mind. Gordon, on the other hand, is being chased by an entire organization of cold-blooded killers. Normally when I read books with two protagonists, I end up liking one more than the other, but in Black Feathers I quickly became attached to both of them.
D’Lacey presents a strong message of environmentalism, but it doesn’t get so preachy that it detracts from the story. He focuses on the need to give back to the earth and to take care of it. The story’s worst villains are those who believe in profits at the expense of life, and they are more terrifying because we can see in them a reflection of problems in our own society. And yet, Megan’s presence in a simpler village after the apocalypse shows that there is hope for humanity and that we aren’t all doomed if we make an effort to make better choices. For more about this, you might want to check out the guest post that the author wrote for me a couple weeks ago about the role of environmentalism in his stories.
All in all, Black Feathers was a good read, and I look forward to continuing the series.
andimontgomery's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars. This was well written, but the plot ambled along too slowly for my taste. I doubt I'll read the conclusion.
trinforeman's review against another edition
4.0
Very reminiscent of Robert McCammon's writing. Full review to come later.
atarbett's review against another edition
2.0
It took me awhile to finish this one, mostly because I really didn't care about any of the characters. Or the story. It was 500 pages of "meh." I normally like post apocalyptic novels, but I was unmoved. Still, you should read it for yourself. Perhaps you'll have better luck.