A feather so black by Lyra Selene

When the wicked Fair Folk waged war on the humans of Fodla they stole away twelve girls and left a changeling in the place of one, the princess Eala. Eventually the high queen bestows her love on the changeling girl, Fia, and calls her daughter, but her purpose in life is to retrieve the stolen princess, the true daughter, from the fairy world where she is imprisoned. Fia is a thing of wild forests, twining vines, thistles and brambles, a mix of human and fae folk. She trains hard as a fighter, but has yet to test the potential of her untried magical powers.

Selene’s novel seems to have a kind of medieval setting and is full of bewitching descriptions of wild plants and forest growths. The language is frequently interspersed with Gaelic words, all conjuring a world of magic and mythology. The story is reminiscent of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, Swan Lake, and other fairy tales. Although it fits the basic structure of a quest, it also has themes of discovering one’s identity, self-empowerment and acceptance. For all her life, Fia has been called many things: Changeling, A stor (my treasure), Little witch, Colleen (girl) or Chiardhubh (dark-haired), it is only when someone finally calls for her as Fia that she feels truly known.

The novel starts well, setting the scene. Fia’s heart is torn, as she desperately loves Rogan, her companion on the quest, and the intended husband for Eala. There is much banter between them with innuendos that perhaps he desires her too. But in a twist as they enter the fairy world Fia finds herself drawn to the dark-hearted lord Irian, holder of the Sky Sword that could free them all.

I found it quite jarring how the object of Fia’s love/lust switches so quickly between Rogan and Irian. And I found myself suspecting that the sizzling sex scenes are the real focus of the story and the rest is pretty decoration without a lot to sustain the middle chapters of the book. In the end it reads like soft porn. I think it is what’s been termed ‘romantasy’ and is written for lovers of that genre.

Themes: Fantasy, Romance, Quest, Deception, Identity.

Helen Eddy