Feathers so Vicious: A Dark Fantasy Romance (Court of Ravens Book 1)

My heart breaks for Galantia!!! I knew something wasn’t right, but I did not see that twist coming. It was interesting for the audio book to have a duet hold different characters. It would have been better if they had went back and forth instead of male chapter and female chapter. Eventually I got into it but at first it was a little confusing. I can’t wait to read the rest of this series.

I went into Feathers So Vicious expecting dark fantasy romance with heat. Oh honey, I got heat, but also SO much chaos. First up, the sex scenes. Whew. These are fire. Like really hot, graphic, in-your-ear, eyes-closed, clutching-the-armrest type of scenes. Malyr and Sabien are both dominants in very different ways, and the chemistry is fiery. If explicit smut keeps you reading, this absolutely delivers. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️. Here’s where I have feelings. The plot? I struggled. Early on, we’re tossed into rape and torture of Galentia by raven shifters. Yeah, that’s as dark and uncomfortable as it sounds. Then there’s court politics that honestly made my eyes glaze over more than once. It felt like every other chapter was a detour back to bureaucracy when I just wanted the heat to continue. Sabien wants her, Malyr terrifies her, and I loved the tension. The rest of the story was uneven for me. Galentia herself? I got annoyed when she instantly became a horse girl and suddenly that was her whole personality outside of being ravaged by her two raven men. Relatable? Maybe. A bit cringy? Also, yes. Now, the why choose dynamic between Sabien and Malyr was interesting. Sabien is sweetly caring with this strong protective energy. Malyr is filthy, sadistic, and intense. I loved the dynamic created by them. The thing that really kept me listening was the tension. Especially that scene where Malyr makes Sabien take her right in front of him. Um, I was clenched over here. The world-building and political plotlines just did not hold my attention. I found myself longing for more clarity and focus in the story rather than chaos. By the end, I could see where the betrayal and the set-up for part two were going, but I’m personally not picking up book two. The sex scenes were the standouts and the rest was just, okay. The narrators didn’t help. The female voice made Galentia sound whiny and sometimes plain slow. The male voice was barely used enough for me to care. Also, I hate when narrators switch voices depending on POV. I prefer consistency, and the faked male or female voices just threw me out of the immersion. This was a fine listen with great smut and less-great storytelling. You’ll vibe with this if you’re here for heat and morally gray dominants in a dark fantasy setting. You might skip this if you want plot and stakes that don’t feel like wandering through court bureaucracy.

Definitely very dark and spicy. Read trigger warnings if you have some. 3/4 spice; 1/4 plot — two morally grey, strong MMC and a naive sheltered FMC. Male voice actor is good; it was harder with the female voice. Plot twist at the last chapter will get you to at least start book 2.

Spicy! Check your triggers! I loved this duology!

2.5/5⭐️ This book was a slog. If I wasn’t reading this book for book club I would not have finished it. The book did not get interesting until about the last 100pgs. Unfortunately, it also got good around that time and ended on a cliffhanger so now I have to read the second book. On a side note: I’d love to be Eiffel Towered by Malyr and Sebian.