Black Feathers

Black Dawn #1

by Joseph D'Lacey

Black Feathers is a modern fantasy set in two epochs: the Black Dawn, a time of environmental apocalypse, and generations into the future in its aftermath, the Bright Day.

In each era, a child undertakes a perilous journey to find a dark messiah known as The Crowman. In their hands lies the fate of the planet as they attempt to discover whether The Crowman is our saviour… or the final incarnation of evil.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Post Apocalyptic, Fiction, Dystopia, Urban Fantasy, Apocalyptic

432 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 2013

About the author

Became vegetarian after writing MEAT. Fond of meditation, unfathomable questions and cats.

Repped by Robert Dinsdale.

"Joseph D'Lacey rocks!" Stephen King.

Reviews

[karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

who knew joseph d'lacey had chops??

see, i have come across his name before. in fact, i own both



and



because they looked like such good/bad horror novels: cannibalism and creepiness, and i figured when i needed a dose of splatter-horror, they would be there waiting for me.

but i may have misjudged.

because this book is actually good-good, not some campy b-movie book that is junk food for the brain. and looking more closely at his other books, seeing them labeled as "eco-horror," this book begins to make more sense in the parade of his ouevre.

because this one is eco-pocalypse.

it is darkly entertaining, and there is story and style and substance. this is the real thing.

there are two narratives woven together: the story of gordon black, which takes place just as the earth is beginning to lash out at humanity's transgressions and return the abuse it has suffered for so long. and the story of megan maurice, who lives generations after gordon, in a tech-free, agrarian environment, where the skeletons of cities can still be seen in the far-off distance, like a less-touristy acropolis.

gordon is either the boy who is going to save the world, to hasten its destruction, or both.

megan is the one chosen to tell his story for posterity.

their narratives are linked by the shadowy and ambiguous figure of the crowman. like gordon, his purpose is shrouded in mystery. he appears in visions, in dreams, in lore, but no one can truly define his significance.

and this book isn't going to give you the answers, either. not yet.

but it is going to dish out two equally engaging coming-of-age, fulfilling-of-prophecy narratives that are gripping and bleak and just crackling good prose.

there is also a fair amount of ocular damage. seriously, as someone who cannot even watch someone use eyedrops or put in/take out contact lenses, this one was a shiveringly squeamish good time.



(GIS was a bad idea. i am using this gentle one, and for that, you should just say "thank you.")

this is the first in what i understand is going to be a two-part cycle, so there are going to be a lot of unanswered questions at the end. but it doesn't feel unsatisfying, because the story that it does contain is great, and page-turning and action-packed, and only occasionally does it get a little finger-wagging preachy.

i am definitely going to be all over the sequel to this one.



come to my blog!

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 Gathering Blue 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, The Book of the Crowman, 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!

[Regina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much and just realized I never posted my review. If you like fantasy and apocalyptic books, then you should read this book. Black Feathers is a beautifully young adult story set in England at the time of an apocalypse. This books looks at what people do to survive but yet there is also an interesting mythology. I am often not impressed with world building in an apocalypse novel -- I am reading it for the story of how people survive. But this book impressed me. Interwoven into the typical end-of-world panic is a complex fantasy tale of the "Crowman" and those that want to stop him. I am not doing this book justice, check out my group review on Badass Book Reviews for more on this book.

[Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

“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 sometimes Black Jack. I know him as the Crowman”

This excerpt is from the very first line of the novel.
With regard to this creature with black feathered wings and sharp lethal beak I have had many a harrowing encounter. There was, let me mention first, this movie The Birds by a master of the dark Alfred Hitchcock and then there was appearing of this black feather creature many times in The Stand by Stephen King a master-craftsman storyteller of the macabre. To top it all one day of a winter month driving my car, stooped at a red light, I see to my right on a patch of grass two crows attacking a beautiful cute squirrel mercilessly, it had no joy in escaping the onslaught of this creatures of death, these symbols of doom.

Now to bring you to the attention of this story aptly titled Black Feathers I feel a conspiracy brewing here and the markings of the darkness rising the Crowman cometh. This being a story of fiction I agree has no resemblance in the realm of the real world I know but low and behold I cant helpeth, I seeth the signs of the darkest days riseth upon us all.

Now to this wonderful captivating tale set in a world plagued and strife with unrest, social disorder, crime, and debt ridden. There are two gleaming diamonds among the rough from two different families who are to lead and have a part in the destiny of the earth and in its darkest days a key importance in the order of the world. One is a boy, Gordon, not yet reached adulthood that finds that he is on the run due to certain desperate and deadly circumstances, he runs from the Wardsmen, another menacing presence of the macabre.

The other main important character in that of a girl, Megan, she has been taken under the wing of Mr Keeper he is to guide her on a road, the likes of magic and the surreal.

Then finally the star of the show the Crowman when and how will he come the story shall divulge you of this knowledge, It is not often the denizens of a town have the Crowman visit, sometimes people refer to him by the name of Black Jack or the Scarecrow.

There are many images of the macabre painted with words in this tale land stricken terrified by disaster and the end of days ahead but there shall be some light for the people are in need of saving.

The author has done well crafting great characters and having the reader feel the scenes in showing the turn of events in his great writing. I still remember his successful tale of macabre Meat and as Stephen King said about that novel “Joseph D’Lacey rocks!” I am sure he would say the same and give a nod to this novel.

Megan and Gordon’s’ destiny is set in motion and to be fulfilled they are to see the dark days that befall the world ahead, the reader will learn of their part in the workings of this page turning unstoppable train journey of a tale to an unknown destination and end.

This story has epic qualities like that of The Dark Tower series by Stephen King that went on for many volumes, The Black Dawn Saga has plenty more to come in its next installment and I anticipate it to be just the right length and hope it to have volumes with the same quality of writing. The reader I hope will learn that the U.K has amongst themselves a very capable writer to paint with words and embed them amidst a realm away from the reality, of our daily trappings, a passage of time to escape to for a while the darkness sets aside into an equilibrium and balance.

“It was a man. At least, I thought it was to begin with. He was tall and thin with a proud chest. He wore black from head to foot: the black hat, of course, and about his shoulders a coat of black plumes, which dropped to below his knees. The coat was open, though, and I could see his tight black trousers over his slender legs. The bottoms of his trousers splayed out over his boots, making them seem huge. At his cuffs, too, sprouted sleek black feathers and the sun, gone cold somehow, caught them and twinkled there like quartz on velvet. The feathers obscured his hands. His black hair was long and silky, like it was wet. And his face…’

“When the Crowman returns to our land you will know that the dark times are at an end. For he will spread his wings across this nation and draw away the black veil that has covered it for so long. It will be a cleansing. It will be death and rebirth. Pray for his swift arrival that we may be delivered. Pray for the coming of the Crowman that we may be, at last transformed.”

Review also @ http://more2read.com/review/black-feathers-by-joseph-dlacey/

[Mogsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this novel we follow two stories, going back and forth between one and another. One features Gordon Black, whose birth into a world much like ours heralds the beginning of the end. Society makes its descension into the "Black Dawn", an era marked by environmental and economic collapse, poverty, starvation, and anarchy. The second story takes place hundreds of years later, focusing on Megan Maurice, a girl living in a future where humanity's level of technology has effectively reverted back to the dark ages.

Both characters are linked by a connection to the mysterious figure known as The Crowman. Gordon and Megan each undertake their own journey in their own time, struggling to discover more and understand their roles in determining the world's fate.

This book started out very strong, and I liked the development of these characters, even though I preferred Gordon story line. We are there from his birth, getting a better glimpse of his life growing up with his family. This made me feel a keener sense of sadness while following his tale as he experiences his losses, fears, and despair at what he perceives to be his personal failures.

Megan's story was interesting as well, but I just didn't feel as connected to her world or her character. While her future setting is admittedly a very unique and imaginative one, I couldn't help but feel the details lacked a certain cohesiveness, making it a challenge to wrap my head around concepts like the nature of her magic or Keeper's duties. Maybe a greater emphasis on Gordon was intended for this novel, but in my opinion the author did a much better job with his character over all, developing him and building his world.

Anyway, I wish the book could have continued its momentum for me all the way through, but around three-quarters of the way in, my attention started waning. The climax, if I was indeed correct in identifying it as such, left me cold and wasn't as engrossing as I'd anticipated, and I ended up mostly zoning out through the rest. I admit this might have cast a shadow upon my final thoughts, which is unfortunate, because this wasn't a bad book and I really enjoyed the beginning. Somehow, it'd just lost its steam for me towards the end, but I will say I'm still very much looking forward to the next book to see how things turn out.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The birth of Gordon Black signifies the end of the world. Year after year following his birth, the world slides into more and more poverty and destruction. People call it the Black Dawn and the Crowman becomes its symbol. Whether the Crowman is a harbinger of the final end or the saviour of the world, no one is certain, but when the Ward goes after a teenaged Gordon, they are certain that the Crowman must be stopped by any means and that Gordon, tasked by his family to find the Crowman, must be captured. Meanwhile, in the post-apocalyptic future where life has reverted back to a time before technology with remnants of the old world buried, a young girl named Megan is summoned to take her place as the first ever female Keeper. Her task? To write the Crowman’s story.

This book is a cautionary tale (that occasionally gets a bit too preachy in its warnings against our reliance on technology and modern comforts and convenience, etc) and is told in a very unique way with very interesting characters. Gordon’s journey is intriguing, and I liked the way Megan’s role is worked in, with her seeing the events of the past in order to record the dark and painful tale of the Crowman.

The Crowman himself is a fascinating character. Is he a creature of good? Is he evil? Throughout the book, we get glimpses of his development and his influences on the world, but we’re never quite sure of his purpose and how he will decide the world’s fate. Is the world’s fate a decision for him to make? Or is the Crowman simply just doing his part in an incomprehensible cycle?

I was not overly fond of the Ward. The Ward represents the ruling party who wish to maintain control throughout the chaos and the Crowman is a threat to their hold on everything. They are Big Bad Corporations, The Man, Big Brother and every other example of oppressive regimes that we’ve seen in the past. Personally, I would have enjoyed their part more if they weren’t represented in such a heavy handed manner. In a time of chaos, it is understandable that there are those who try to control and take advantage. But those trying to maintain order and fairness, such as not allowing people to hoard food while others starve, is not necessarily evil. I would have liked it if the purpose of the Ward was as ambiguous as that of the Crowman.

Overall, I enjoyed Black Feathers. It was very good, but there’s a “but” floating around in my head somewhere that I’ve yet to put my finger on... Whatever that may be, for better or for worse, the book has stayed on my mind since finishing it, and I definitely approve of a book that keeps me thinking long after I’ve finished reading the last page.

See more reviews at
The BiblioSanctum

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My full review is here:
http://wildersbookreview.blogspot.com...

[Christal · Rating 5 out of 5]

See this review and others like it at BadassBookReviews.com!

4.5 stars - Joint Review with Regina

The main characters, Gordon and Megan - Gordon and Megan each have their own journey to adulthood and responsibility to accomplish in this book. Even though they live in different time periods, their lives and destinies overlap and their survival really depends upon the other.

Christal: Megan and Gordon were wonderful characters. Though I was drawn a little more to Megan throughout the book, I think the growth that they both experienced was phenomenal. They both started as scared and unsure children but, by the end of the book, they were well on their way to becoming strong young adults. I cannot wait to see how they continue to adapt in the next book as they face their destinies.

Regina: I loved the empathy that these characters have for each other and for others. There is a complete lack of self focus and a real outward focus. There was a genuine caring for other people, but at times true fear as well.

The supporting characters - The book is filled with interesting characters. Some have larger roles than others, and some are more likeable than others, but they each play their part in the story and help to make Gordon and Megan into the people they need to be to save the world.

Regina: Along the way I fell in love with so many characters. I like how the author created true supports, people who loved Megan and Gordon and helped them along the way. Many authors seem to create oppositional characters for the main characters to react to, but that was not the case here. As your description states Christal, the supporting characters make the story fuller.

Christal: I really feel that they add so much to this story. I loved Mr. Keeper so much; he was just so fascinating and wise. I really appreciated seeing how much he came to care for Megan and how he took her under his wing as family. Gordon has had a much rougher time with it concerning other characters. I hated what happened to his family, Judith especially. Then for him to be on his own and have to deal with what happens to the first girl he has feelings for and the horrible, horrible men that want to hurt him... poor Gordon really experiences the worst that humanity has to offer. Good and bad, these characters do shape the people Gordon and Megan.

The interweaving plot lines - Black Feathers tells two interwoven stories. One takes place around our current time and is an apocalypse in progress. This time period is called the Black Dawn and it is when Gordon lives. Megan lives in the future where our society has begun to rebuild itself and her time is called the Bright Day. Megan and Gordon meet during their dreams, called the night town, and they influence and observe each other through them.

Regina: I really liked the jump back in time and forward in time, or perhaps how you stated this topic is the best way to state it - interweaving plot lines. At first, the change did not feel fluid rather it felt jerky --but the more enmeshed I became in the story I loved the back and forth. It seemed Megan moving back in time was matched up with the pace that Gordon was moving forward. I am not a fan of going back and forth, but it was well done here.

Christal: The back and forth time could have gotten very confusing, but you’re right. Mr. D’Lacey handled it beautifully and the two plots really enhanced one another instead of becoming twisted. The prose was also beautifully done and I loved the little limericks and poems at the beginning of the some of the chapters.

The world building - Joseph D’Lacey took our modern world and imagined what it would be like if everything we knew and relied upon fell apart. He broke down all images of society and turned the world into something scary and horrible. On the other hand, he made Megan’s future one of close-knit communities that resemble farm towns or trader villages of older times.

Regina: It has been a long time since I have been impressed with the world building in a post-apocalyptic book. This is one of my favorite genres and I am willing to forgive most repetitive plots in this genre, but I love when I am surprised. I felt like the world building in this book was a gift. It was a truly unique story line … for me anyway. The concept of society failing due to human’s lost path is not a new one -- heck it is in the bible a few times over most societies have a similar tale. And the concept of a child being born to lead the world also has resonance and is a familiar one but what the author does with this storyline and how he creates it is so unique. I was not prepared for where Black Feathers took me.

D’Lacey mentions the concept of the “72 hour rule”. The idea is that if you remove food, water and necessities from a group of people, within 72 hours they will become like beasts. Watching Gordon’s world fall apart is weirdly satisfying, not scary -- satisfying because Gordon is in a family that seems to be doing it right -- growing food, raising animals and stockpiling. They should be able to ride out the storm, or so it would seem. But I couldn’t help wondering, what would I be doing? Where would my family be?

Christal: This book was almost terrifying for me because it felt so real. I could easily see our society devolving and becoming like the one in Black Feathers. It would be so simple for things to get out of hand and for everything to go down the tubes. As you mentioned, it would only take 72-hours for people to revolt. Especially now when there is so much unrest due to our economy and politics, it is not hard to imagine this happening at all. It kind of makes me want to move out to the hill country and start stockpiling food like Gordon’s family!

The Crowman and The Black Feathered Path - The Crowman is an enigmatic figure; no one knows whether he is good or evil. Gordon must find him in order to fulfill his destiny and Megan must trust him to learn the story of the Black Dawn. As she learns the story, she walks the Black Feathered Path and allows the Crowman to become part of her. It is unknown whether she has the strength to walk the path or if she will die in her pursuit of knowledge.

Christal: In a way, I want to know the Crowman’s secrets already but I am also enjoying the slow reveal that Mr. D’Lacey is giving us. The Crowman aspect seems to be benevolent, but the Black Jack aspect was terrifying. I wonder if we will see the Scarecrow in the next book? He kind of reminds me of the Morrigan with her three different aspects, none of which are either good nor evil. This book calls to many different myths and religions and the characters are so complex, it is hard to pin down one particular inspiration.

Regina: I like the idea of not knowing if he is good or evil, because I prefer the gray and murky. But it seems clear that Gordon and Megan are very good people trying to do right in the world. Was Gordon a Jesus character? He seems that way, the Messiah coming to remake the world and suffer for the sins of everyone. Yet, I don’t think this is a heavy-handed theme at all. It is very subtle and D’Lacey takes this idea to play on it -- but changes it.

Christal: I do see Gordon as a Jesus archetype. Right now he is struggling and just beginning to find his power. I can’t wait to see what he is capable of when he comes into his own.

The Ward - The Ward are pure evil. They see the destruction that has befallen our world and they think they can use it to their advantage. The men involved might have once been trying to help, but they’re found it much easier to make themselves feared and that is what they constantly do throughout the Black Dawn. Gordon is a major target for them because, if he fulfills his destiny, he will be the end of The Ward and their power.

Regina: The Ward are the quintessential bad guys. Greed and selfishness seem to be their motivations and their pride allows Gordon to escape them. The Ward are an authority where government has broken down but greed and corporations still exist. This isn’t a new concept, but D’Lacey does it effectively. The Ward are basically organized bullies.

Christal: I hated the Ward, absolutely hated them and everything they stand for, but I can easily see an organization like that forming in the new world. That’s just another layer that made this book terrifying. So many of the elements felt like just a short step away from our current world and all it would take is a little push to get us there. The Ward as an entity was terrifying, but the single men within it were almost worse. A unit might be made to follow rules and have standards, but one-on-one who knows how depraved and horrible might a sick man act.

Final Thoughts:

Regina: This book is surprising, I highly recommend reading it for fans of fantasy or post-apocalyptic books. While the book involves the characters of young adults who are aging, I would not classify it as young adult.

Christal: Black Feathers was emotional and challenging. It forces the reader to think about our current society and to see how close we might be to an apocalyptic event. It takes that realness and pairs it with a fantasy world soaked in corvid legends and the respect for mother earth seamlessly. It is easy to believe in both societies and to understand how one rose from the other. The characters are on the traditional odyssey to their destiny but Mr. D’Lacey has twisted the expected into a surprising, thought-provoking plot. This book is pretty dark and like Regina said, even though it features teenaged characters, it is in no way a YA novel. This is a beautiful, dark fantasy written for adults.

Thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot for providing an ARC copy of this book!

[Mieneke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't really paid attention to Joseph D'Lacey's Black Feathers until Angry Robot revealed its cover and it intrigued me enough to check out the synopsis again. At which point it really grabbed my attention and I was pleased to get my hands on an ARC. Black Feathers is both an apocalyptic tale and a post-apocalyptic narrative, due to the two temporal strands that are woven together. I found myself equally caught up in both of them and I couldn't tell you which my favourite story arc was.

The apocalyptic strand of the story tells us of the life of Gordon Black. He is born in troubled times, as the earth is breaking down and global society is slowly being taken over by a totalitarian party called the Ward, that has shades of the Nazi party and takes corporate greed and consumerism as its lead ideologies. From the start there is something special about Gordon, who is seemingly always watched over by crows, rooks and other corvids. A sensitive child given to night terrors, he grows into manhood in a world that is slowly turning evermore nightmarish. What makes it even more disturbing is that Gordon is born in the year 2000 and some of the tale plays out in our current day. And while a lot of the elements enabling the complete break-down of society aren't as far along in truth as they are in the book, many of the things D'Lacey uses as indicators of the coming end are reflected in our world. The fact that as I write this we've just had the coldest Easter since 1964, doesn't really help to optimistically dismiss D'Lacey's vision as complete fiction. When Gordon reaches the age of thirteen, everything falls completely apart and the earth seemingly rebels and in a series of catastrophic natural disasters, mixing deluging rains, earthquakes, mudslides and everything else she can throw at humanity, wipes out a large portion of the earth's inhabitants, ending society as we known it. We follow Gordon from birth to this point of collapse in relatively quick jumps through a series of visions and dreams of the protagonist of the post-apocalyptic strand. But from the moment that Gordon's world collapses, which is a little before the actual apocalypse, we follow him without great leaps of time between his sequences. Gordon develops from a young and sheltered boy to a young man who has to confront the harsh reality of the world around him. D'Lacey manages to take away Gordon's innocence without taking away his gentleness. At times he was perhaps a little too Zen in his reactions, but in the context of his story this makes sense and as such isn't a problem. We leave him as he comes into his own and sets off on his quest renewed and even hopeful. D'Lacey takes both Gordon and the reader to the depths of despair and existential angst, but leaves them on the road to a new beginning, even if we're not quite sure what that beginning will look like.

The post-apocalyptic strand shows us what Gordon's world has come to generations later. In this future, where humanity has returned to the land and worships Mother Earth and the Great Spirit, we follow Megan, a young girl on the cusp of womanhood, who encounters the legendary Crowman in the forest. This encounter signals an ability that is rare – to communicate with the Crowman – and as a result she is apprenticed to Mr Keeper, her village's lore keeper We follow her visions and through them witness Gordon's tale and see how the cult develops. During her apprenticeship and the quests involved, Megan discovers her strength and her purpose. Her world is low-tech and society has returned to older ways, become more isolated. The description of the surrounding countryside, especially the abandoned city, is chilling and one wonders how many of these abandoned places are dotted around the planet. It did make me wonder about the complete change in society in such a seemingly short time, as there are still rusting cars in the city, which given that the story is set in Great Britain, seems to rule out that more than twenty-five to fifty years have gone by. Then again the cataclysmic forces that Mother Earth unleashed upon the world may have caused British weather to change as well, which might account for the cars not being completely rusted away.

Of course Gordon and Megan don't exist in a vacuum; they are surrounded by supporting characters. Gordon encounters more different people that play a larger role in the narrative, Megan's story and life is far more isolated than Gordon's is, mostly due to the decrease in population and the fact that society has gone back to a simpler way of living and motorised transport has disappeared. In both strands there are other points of view we follow. But the ones that stand out were Knowles' short sequences and the chapters from the point of view of the two Ward agents, who are singularly unpleasant chaps. Why these three resonated so much with me is largely due to the Ward's eerie reflection of such organisations as the Stasi and particularly the SS. For someone raised on WWII narratives the spectre of the return of such a party on a world-wide scale is frightening and the fact that nobody in Gordon's timeline was aware enough or powerful enough to stop it was disquieting. D'Lacey succeeds in extrapolating current political trends – more and more nationalistic parties, the growing influence of large corporations – and blends them into a horrifying reality that actually makes you cheer Mother Earth for getting rid of them.

D'Lacey's writing is really good, with his prose at times shifting to the poetic. The intertwined strands of the two timelines told in the differing perspectives of past (Gordon) and present (Megan) make for an easily followed narrative. There are elements of horror to Black Feathers, both in the way the apocalypse is portrayed and the way humanity treats each other. D'Lacey seemingly has a clear message about how we treat our planet and each other and the long term consequences of this treatment. But while it's never absent, this ecological warning never comes across as preachy.

In Black Feathers D'Lacey has created a compelling narrative and an amazing adventure. I was swept away both Gordon's and Megan's story and I found myself pondering them and their world between the times I could sit down to continue their story. I really enjoyed the book and I'm looking forward to returning to their stories and discovering how they link up in the concluding volume of this duology.

This book was provided for review by the publisher.

[Julie-anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gordon is born in October 2000, strange things happen and his parents seem to treat him different from his two sisters. As he hits teenage years, the world is crumbling - people are starving, the weather is destroying the earth, people have lost respect for the earth and take all she gives for granted. Many years in the future (you never find out how many), a girl sees the Crowman which means she has been marked as a Keeper - the Keepers tell the story of Gordon Black, a child linked to the Crowman. Both their lives are intertwined despite them being lived many years apart.

I really, really enjoyed this. The two stories are told alongside each other and we learn things from both sides about the other side. The devastation happening during Gordon's life has been passed in Megan's (the future Keeper) time and people have learned from the mistakes of the past.

There's an complete mystery surrounding the Crowman and what Gordon's connection to him is. There are bad guys after Gordon so they can stop whatever it is that is going to happen if he meets the Crowman. We don't actually know who the Crowman is - the devil? A saviour? Good or bad? Because of all this, I cannot WAIT to read the next book in this series.

I highly recommend this to any fans of horror, post-apocalyptic type books. Loved it, loved it - I want the next one already.

*impatiently awaits the 2nd book*

[Tiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an advance reader copy that I snagged from Netgalley. I think the book will be released sometime in March/April 2013. From this point on, there will be spoilers.

Gordon Black's birth signals the beginning of the end for the world. As each year passes, the world falls further into economic and environmental upheaval. Tired of the abuses committed against her Mother Earth rebels and begins to purge her lands of the people who harm her, leaving only those who give back as much as they take. In 2014, a few months before his 14th birthday, Gordon begins a journey to find the Crowman who he hopes can set everything right.

Megan Maurice is a young girl who lives quite some time after the collapse of everything. People are living in simpler times, reminiscent of life before technology and materialism had a firm grip on humanity. Megan is on the cusp of womanhood when she's called to become a keeper, someone who keeps the story of the Crowman alive. She is the first and only female keeper, and her teacher, a man known only as Mr. Keeper, says that she will either bring them total salvation or total destruction. He can't be completely sure of her part yet, though he knows everything will change for better or worse because of her.

No adventure is without its foes, and the foes in this story are called The Ward. They’re a group of people who believe that the earth is only there to be exploited by man, despite all the environmental warnings taking place. Their goal is to unite all the nations under one rule. In the chaos and calamity, they introduce strict laws (such as making migrant workers return to their own countries) which are lauded by the people whose fear makes them blind to what The Ward is truly trying to achieve. However, The Ward knows about Gordon, and their main goal is to stop him from meeting the Crowman, an event that will prevent them from reaching their full power.

This book entwined two stories from different points in time, the past and the future, but neither story could be told without the other.

This story was almost like reading a legend, a story passed down from generation to generation by a griot charged to help save humanity. It's a story that gives its readers a cautionary tale replete with warnings of mythical proportions, an apologue to keep close to our hearts. It pulls you in like a familiar. You can easily forget that this isn't some oral tradition that's been written down but the fictional work of a talented writer as you learn about a certain part of the past from Gordon and Megan.

Despite this, I still wanted to know where all the knowledge has gone after the collapse. Megan is aware that the earth is round. However, she'd never seen a car or electrical lights before visiting the time of Gordon's birth. Perhaps, not having the knowledge of technology might slow humanity reliving the days of the Black Dawn, which is blamed on technology and greed, but what about ancient history? I guess knowing our history could lead to people making the same discoveries and following the same doomed path as before.

And maybe they do know a bit about these things, but that's not what is important for this story. Telling the Crowman's story is what's important. And his part in this thing is the only knowledge the readers and the book's characters need. The knowledge to understand how this happened, and the knowledge of how they can prevent this from happening again. I don't know. I guess it just feels as if it's a great disservice that they'll never know who made certain discoveries--such as who discovered the earth was round.

However, you can't miss what you've never had. And I do appreciate when an author's writing makes me think about minutiae such as that. It means I'm involved. It means I care about the story and the people in it. It's not a question that needs to be answered by any means. This is just the history lover in me mourning this loss for them when they're none the wiser.

This book seems to try to capture some of that magic that makes Stephen King's novels compelling. For some reason, while reading this, my mind would drift to the Dark Tower series. That is not meant to be an insult to this book or the author. King manages to take ordinary things and people and weave extraordinary stories from them, making even the most mundane things important. He always manages to write his characters in a way that makes them seem like people you encounter everyday while exploring the good and bad in them, and these are things that I felt D'Lacey was grasping for in his own writing.

However, instead of using gore-ridden visuals to capture the reader’s attention, more of the violence is implied, leaving the reader to use their imagination. Yes, there are some very graphic descriptions in this book, but most of them are not. In fact, this whole novel relies more on dark allusion and prophetic imagery than anything else. Left with your own imagination to fill in the blank, the story can take on new meanings, meanings that may be slightly different from reader to reader.

Needless to say, I really enjoyed this book. It wasn’t without its faults, but most of it was more in the grammatical/editing vein, which is not unusual of ARCs anyway. The ending made my heart drop and almost frantic for more. I’m ready for book two, and book one hasn’t even been released yet. This is a story I will be thinking about for a very long time.

[Kara Babcock · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an odd book. I'm pretty sure it’s good, but I’m not sure I liked it. It took me far longer to read Black Feathers than I usually take to read any book. Part of that was because I spent more time focused on other things over the past few weeks. Most of it, I think was avoidance. Joseph D’Lacey’s writing is good; don’t get me wrong. But I was never in a hurry to return to this world.

Black Feathers is an amalgam of older-style dystopian YA of The Giver’s generation and new-style dystopian YA. I’m using these terms loosely only to make the distinction that, in the recent renaissance of YA and its emphasis on dystopias, authors have been experimenting with how to present “the end of the world.” D’Lacey’s storytelling is reminiscent, in many respects, of the simplistic, allegorical style of The Giver, with people named things like The Keeper, and an emphatic call to respect the land. However, he departs from the usual post-apocalyptic formula of having the apocalypse long in the past. Through a dual narrative, he depicts the end of the world even as he shows how, generations later, one young woman apparently has the ability to begin humanity’s healing process proper.

My reservations about this novel stem more from my personal reaction to D’Lacey’s style rather than any perceived problems with the writing or story. This verges on fantasy horror, or maybe more accurately, a kind of fantasy suspense—think Stephen King at his most mythological, or perhaps Tim Powers. And those authors don’t do it for me. They have an intense fascination with the psychology of broken characters and explore those psychologies by (sometimes literally) putting those characters through hell. I’ll leave that to Thomas Hardy, please. Basically what I’m saying is that if you are a King or Powers fan, you will probably get more enjoyment from this book than me, and the rest of this review might not be helpful (although there’s plenty I liked).

For example, the dual narrative structure works very well here. D’Lacey weaves the parallel times together deftly, often switching between them in media res with little in the way of a break. The stark juxtaposition between a world falling apart and a world broken beyond recognition means this isn’t as confusing as it would otherwise be. However, I did find it difficult to develop much of an attachment to Megan.

Both Megan and Gordon are, alas, Chosen Ones in a very standard mould. The Keeper quite literally goes up to Megan’s parents and gives them a textbook speech about how the literal fate of humanity lies in her hands—no pressure! Alas, Megan never crystallizes for me as a character with much agency. She follows, and while she occasionally drags her heels or questions, she is a reactionary protagonist. The story propels her, instead of the other way around.

Gordon is somewhat different in that respect: he keeps moving forward. So it is easier to enjoy his narrative (though “enjoy” probably isn’t the best word—the things he experiences are pretty bleak! Gordon is a fugitive—and far too young to be expected to survive on his own, let alone undergo these ordeals. But D’Lacey pulls no punches in his portrayal of an England falling apart from crisis after crisis. It is, in fact, all very depressing … and given the levels of denial from politicians of many countries, it resonates far too much with our current political climate.

The novel is all about the search for the Crowman. This is a mythical figure, an urban legend in Gordon’s time and simply a legend in Megan’s. Both protagonists seek the Crowman in their own way. D’Lacey sets up the Crowman as a kind of Luciferian figure—not so much the evil Devil as the Fallen Angel, the Lightbringer. In this story, the Crowman is an omen of an Earth dangerously out of balance. Although this refers in part to phenomena such as global warming, D’Lacey also makes it clear that part of this balance comes from the way humans interact with each other.

Black Feathers is an attempt at a kind of contemporary fairy tale or myth, and I love that. D’Lacey anticipates the way people of the future might talk about our society if we are the progenitors of their fallen state. At times, the level of detail and verbosity of his prose makes for some thorny, slow-going reading—there are very few pages of snappy dialogue in this book, and lots of huge paragraphs of description and introspection. But even if I don’t particularly like the end result, I appreciate that it is a cohesive, unified story with very little in the way of disappointing or untidy ends. I probably won’t read the sequel, but I don’t regret reading this book. There are just other books I’m sure I would enjoy more—whereas if this sounds like your cup of tea, then you should probably check it out.

[Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Potential! Actualized! This is a pretty swell book. It tells two stories concurrently; that of Gordon, born into current-ish day England where everything is going to hell, and that of Megan, a young girl living in the peaceful future.

Gordon Black’s world is short on fuel, food, and hope. A controlling government entity called the Ward smothers dissent, rounding up people who disagree with their ominous worldview & shuffling them off to foreboding substations from which no one returns. The Blacks are just trying to live off their own land, hoping to ride out calamity with their family unit intact. A mythical Crowman is forecast to show up & either help everyone out or destroy them all, and since crows have been hanging out with, dropping feathers on, and otherwise just being a presence in Gordon’s life since his birth, he’s probably related to all that (if you ask me, he is the Crowman, but we’ll see).

Gordon’s family, particularly his father, was the best part of his whole bit. Really, is there any lady name that’s cooler than Jude Black? I certainly hope she shows up again someday. There’s some wonderful tense stuff when the Ward starts focusing their evil efforts on the Blacks. I confess that I lost a bit of momentum once they were gone because I prefer to read about catastrophes as they're happening more than I do their aftermath (apparently, the whole collapse of society thing isn't as big of a deal for me as meanies messing with Louis & Sophie is) & also because frankly, Gordon is kind of annoying, but it all worked out in the end.

Megan’s bits are the best. In her world, the trappings of modern life have been left in the ruins & the land takes care of her simple people as long as they keep it happy. She may be the next “Keeper,” a healer/shaman/mystic who is chosen by the Crowman to retell his story & help the people keep their connection to the land. I quite like the concept of Earth basically shaking her finger at mankind – shape up or ship out, y’all. Earth Amu can get along without you if you don’t get it together. It’s also a nice touch that Megan’s being chosen by the Crowman to retell his tale is really a tidy roundabout way for D’Lacey to tell us his story. I found the tense changes between Gordon & Megan’s parts jarring & Gordon isn’t the greatest character I’ve ever read, but I’m still all about the second book when it’s published.

[Alisha-Dear Constant Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

"When the final days come, it was said that Satan walked the Earth in the guise of a crow. Those who feared him called him Scarecrow or sometimes Black Jack. I know him as the Crowman."

Black Feathers is a modern fable in which Gordon Black's birth, signals an end to our modern way of life.



The Crow Man by ~chichu-chan

Black Feathers begins at the end. In an attempt to save herself, the earth is in upheaval, ridding herself of a great swathe of humanity, "like a dog shaking off fleas." There are fires, floods, and earthquakes. Solar flares ravage satellites. Illness and disease consume city after city.


In this time, there is great prophesy. The Crowman will come. Some, like The Ward, say he is Satan. Others, believe he is sent to save humanity, and bring about a new, bright day. A singular idea that both sides can agree upon is that the Crowman brings the Black Dawn.

And here lies one of the most thoughtful aspects of Black Feathers. Is the Crowman good or evil? Gordon and the young seer, Megan are inexplicably tied to the Crowman, so we wonder, how will this end? What we know of the Crowman is terrifying, which is saying a lot when the earth is taking her last breath, and there's treachery at each turn.

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There's so much to be had in this book. The prose is stunning. D'Lacey imagery is complete without being overwhelming. The unique plot is well-paced, and populated with believable characters.

D'Lacey has crafted a novel about the dark terrors that stalk us when night comes. Black Feathers equal part nightmare and fairy tale fable.

[Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings)]

Won in the Goodreads Giveaways

[Joe Piccoli · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars. Audio. Holy shit did he write this book two weeks ago? This book is a good example of what could happen to our world when the Earth has had enough of our bullshit, continually poisoning her and giving nothing back. She will shed the cancer of humanity from her skin and keep on spinning.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a word: a dangerous and violent quest, a world on the brink of collapse, and a boy and girl who might be able to save it.

I have to admit I almost stopped reading this book a quarter of the way through, but I’m so glad I stuck with it. Black Feathers isn’t the easiest book to read, but like many other books that I’ve initially struggled with in the beginning, by the end I was so wrapped up in the characters’ stories that I’m now salivating to read Volume Two. The publisher calls this “fantasy,” which it most definitely is, but I have to call it “horror” as well. I’ve been reading horror for years and it’s getting hard to scare me these days, but there were scenes in Black Feathers that truly made me shudder. D’Lacey is one of those authors who can slowly draw out a story until the reader is practically screaming from the tension. Fair warning: most of the mysteries are not solved by the end of this book, and the author raises more questions than he answers. But if you’d like to see a master of storytelling in action, you need to read Black Feathers.

The story mostly alternates between two characters: Megan is a young girl who is chosen to become the next “Keeper,” an individual whose job is to observe and record the story of a certain boy whose existence is critical to the survival of humanity. Gordon is that boy, but he lives in a different time than Megan, so she must enter “the weave” in order to cross space and time to watch Gordon’s story unfold. Most of the book takes place when Gordon turns fourteen and is forced to flee his family and home after a group called The Ward take his mother, father and two sisters away. He manages to hide, but not without having several run-ins with two horribly nasty members of the Ward named Pike and Skelton. After receiving secret letters from his parents, delivered to him by a mole who is part of a resistance group called The Green Men, Gordon decides to follow their advice and look for the mythical Crowman, a creature who may or may not be evil and could hold the fate of humanity in his hands.

As Gordon sets out on his journey, Megan has her own quest to complete. At about the same age as Gordon, she sees the frightening Crowman in the forest near her home, and is later told that he has marked her as the next Keeper. With her parents’ permission, a mysterious old man known only as Mr. Keeper takes Megan to his home and begins to train her in the duties of being a Keeper. Megan’s part of the story is full of magic, mystery, pain and danger, as she must sacrifice her childhood in order to fulfill her calling. As the story evolves, Megan and Gordon seem to be coming closer and closer together, and it appears as though the two will eventually meet. But D’Lacey has plans for these two, and they might not be what you expect.

I was completely swept up in Gordon’s story and enjoyed it more than I did Megan’s. I think the reason I liked his story better was that his world felt more grounded and believable and was easier to relate to. As he is running away from the Ward and trying to stay hidden, he comes upon various groups of people. My favorite were a father and daughter named John and Brooke who are also on the run and hiding in the forest. Gordon only spends a short time in their camp, but he forges a tight bond with both of them, and I wanted their storyline to go on longer than it did. Gordon’s journey is fraught with violence and danger, and he escapes one perilous encounter after another, leaving a trail of misery behind him.

Megan’s story, on the other hand, is told in cryptic language and has a dream-like quality throughout. It was often hard to tell what was real and what was a dream, as Megan sometimes leaves her body to travel “the black feather path,” as Mr. Keeper calls her journey. She learns many things from Mr. Keeper, but the most important, and the true theme of D’Lacey’s story, is that she must learn to live in harmony with the land. He seems to want us to come away from this book understanding that if humankind can’t learn to live in peace with nature, our very civilization will crumble. It’s a theme that’s been done before, but never quite in this way. Both Megan and Gordon must fight to survive in the wild during their journeys, and the author even throws in an earthquake to make his point: watch yourselves, humans, or mother nature can take everything away from you.

The entire book is written in D’Lacey’s gorgeous and fluid prose. Combine that with graphic violence, the mysterious Crowman who is still not explained by the end of the book, and the unanswered question of the relationship between Gordon and Megan, and you have a story that is irresistibly addicting. For patient readers who appreciate the difficult craft of good writing and storytelling, Black Feathers is a must read.

Many thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.

This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy.

[Kate Sherrod · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've ever wondered what the result would be like if Neil Gaiman wrote a post-apocalyptic fable that attempted to rehabilitate the character of Damien Thorn, look no further than Black Feathers.

Gordon Black, one of the two protagonists of Black Feathers, is not precisely Damien, but the circumstances of and mysteries surrounding his birth are just as ominous and prophecy-burdened as that famous son-of-the-devil, and one would spend a lot of the story wondering if he couldn't really be just as evil* -- were it not for the other narrative, concerning the other protagonist, one Megan Maurice, a child living generations later than Damien, who grew up in the pastoral/agricultural paradise of the "Bright Day" following the "Black Dawn" that ended Damien's (and our) mechanized, industrialized, computerized world. From Megan's perspective, Gordon is a more of a messiah than an antichrist, a psychopomp set to guide her to revelations about an archetypal figure known as the Crowman, in whose power lies the salvation of the Bright Day world.

The novel alternates between Gordon's story of escape and pursuit as his world comes to an end, and Megan's pursuit of Gordon's story through a series of shamanistic escapades, because keeping Gordon's story alive in the minds of her people is vital to the continued well-being of Megan's community and the land it stewards, land only recently recovered from the Sheep Look Up devastations of pollution, overfarming, etc. visited on it by Gordon's people (i.e. us). The mystery of why this is so is kept artfully from us, so we wind up very much empathizing with both children, neither of whom has a clear idea of what is expected of them, both of whom are motivated by a sincere earnestness, a desire to do right by the people who love them. As clueless as they, we trip along with them, carried by some very graceful prose and imagery, and the wonderful ambiguity of the Crowman they both seek. Is the Crowman, cast by tradition as an evil, Satanic figure in black, good or evil? Or is he simply the amoral avatar of the earth itself, memorably depicted early on as "shaking off" humanity like a bad case of fleas as Gordon's world comes to its miserable end? There is an edge of brutality to him/it, as well there should be -- nature red in tooth and claw and all that. He is as compelling a figure as the archetypal Green Man which inspired him, and I want more of him, and of his prophet/harbinger/servant/avatar Gordon.

Alas, while Gordon is a vivid and sympathetic character, whose plight (trying to keep one step ahead of the totalitarian Ward -- government, police and military rolled into one New World Order nightmare -- who have "collected" his family and are using them as bait to lure him into their clutches) and coming of age are gripping and deeply felt, Megan is much, much less so. Megan is basically a Lemmiwinks, pushed through her plot line by the urging and instruction of others, proceeding from peril to peril in pursuit of her destiny as someone who has to tell someone else's story. I couldn't even hate her, like I so often hate weak/helpless females in fantasy stories, because there is nothing of her to hate. Her adventures are wonderfully (and sometimes shockingly) described, but then, so were those of a certain gerbil. One hopes she'll develop more in the sequel.

For sequel there shall be. By novel's end, it becomes obvious that these nearly 400 pages have all basically been prologue. And preaching. Lots of preaching in this novel. But it's all in the service of good solid stuff that apparently can't be repeated enough -- give back as much as you take, respect the land and its gifts that make your life possible, treat people as you would be treated -- and the preaching is never really overdone at any one point, and, as I hope I've conveyed by now, really beautifully, even lyrically done. Black Feathers has the feel of myth; it feels old and familiar and well-known even as it also feels fresh and inventive and original. Neat trick, that.

*Megan's story is hardly our only hint that Gordon's specialness is a good thing, of course. The fact that he is being hunted down by the totalitarian Ward people tells us so, as well, but I've chased enough literary red herrings in my day that I no longer feel comfortable accepting obvious villains at face value anymore, generally speaking. Of course, the fact that the two Ward Sheriff's who first come after Gordon are dead spits for Croup and Vandemar lend weight to the idea that the reader is supposed to perceive them as totes evil, which really just tells me that I way overthought my reading, here.

[usagi ☆ミ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a REALLY interesting one, guys, and definitely another feather in Angry Robot's hat when it comes to original content. After finishing "Black Feathers", this first book in the new "Black Dawn" series, I'm definitely hungry for book two, and I want it now. No, seriously, now. If you're looking for something fresh when it comes to fantasy (in this case, dystopia marrying the apocalypse and urban fantasy), this is definitely a book you simply must try out.

The only major issue I had with this book was pacing. I absolutely loved the idea of the near-future and the far future alternating in telling the Crowman/Black Jack's story, but for most of this book, the pacing is more than a bit uneven between them - and it isn't until D'Lacey starts putting both POVs in one chapter (around halfway through, I think?) that I feel like D'Lacey really starts hitting his stride in terms of the rhythms of the storytelling within this story.

However, the sheer creativity (and some of the scenes that made me raise an eyebrow - two words: mud ejaculation) of this book really wins out over its main weakness. Yes, we've seen oncoming dystopian societies and apocalypses, and we've seen the societies that come after them, but we've never seen them narrated as they're both happening at the same time/in real time. It's a really ambitious way of looking at a narrative, regardless of whose POV it is, and it's difficult to execute. The fact that D'Lacey was able to do it in a coherent way at all has me tipping my hat in his direction, because by the end, he definitely had things well in hand.

I do feel like Gordon's character got a little more thorough character building in compared to Megan's, but we do have another book coming, and that's something for D'Lacey to work on. Generally, the characters of the Black Dawn are more developed than those of the Bright Day - but I think that's partially because the Black Dawn era is pretty much more or less our current time period right now, so there's more to work with. The Bright Day feels like a big teaser of what's to come after the Black Dawn, and I feel like that's how D'Lacey's playing it here in book one as a way for those of the Bright Day/the Black Feathered Path to look back toward the past, to untangle how the Black Dawn happened just like we as the audience are. Really, it's a brilliant way to do things, but this also means you have roughly half the book and its characters more than a bit underdeveloped. I think out of all of the Bright Day characters, Mister Keeper is the most developed, and while we watch Megan really start to hit her own stride as the next Keeper, I don't quite feel it's equal to that of Gordon, who's also doing the same thing in the Black Dawn era. Hopefully, since things more or less evened out at the end of this volume, things will be better balanced in the next.

The worldbuilding is interesting because it's double-worldbuilding. Actually, it might even be triple/quadruple worldbuilding (if we include Gordon and Megan's internal worldbuilding in that count), and it's done really well on both ends. Again, we only get kind of a tantalizing glimpse of the Bright Day era, but we get a pretty clear picture of how Megan is developing as Keeper's apprentice internally. The Black Dawn and Gordon, however, are both very clear (almost startlingly so) and I had no issues really relating to both of those worlds. It's the Bright Day era as a plot device and as a world, that needed the most development, though for now, it's good enough to serve as a stark comparison to how the world is falling apart in the Black Dawn era.

Finally, we have social commentary. Yes, I do feel like D'Lacey did get a bit preachy when it came to the environmental apocalypse thing, but it wasn't so much that it lessened my enjoyment of the book. It was simply there, and as it's a big plot element, I can see why he was able to slip in a little thought or two about why the environment (and getting along with it) is important. Not optimal in terms of preachiness, but not over the top, either.

Final verdict? This is definitely one of the most creative urban fantasy books I've read within the last five years, even with its flaws, and I really can't wait for book two, whenever it does decide to come out. "Black Feathers" is out now in both North America and the UK from Angry Robot, so definitely be sure to check it out when you get the chance!

(posted to goodreads, shelfari, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)

[Abhinav · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can find the full review over at my blog:

https://shadowhawksshade.wordpress.co...

Shadowhawk reviews the first in a new post-apocalyptic fantasy series from Angry Robot Books.

“Spectacular is the word I’d use to describe the novel. Nothing else can capture the reading experience.” ~The Founding Fields

Post-apocalyptic fiction isn’t really my thing, and for a simple reason: it’s just never really interested me all that much. However, reading D’Lacey’s latest has turned around me thinking for a bit. Black Feathers is a novel that is set in two very different times. The first is the post-apocalyptic world where we follow Megan Maurice in fulfilling her destiny as a keeper of knowledge from the lost times.. The second is the pre-apocalyptic world as we see the birth of Gordon Black and through him see how the world, specifically England, falls into anarchy and tyranny (with lots of shades of V for Vendetta mixed in). The approach used by D’Lacey eases the reader into his world, and his narrative, although the novel hits the ground running from the get go.

As with all Angry Robot books I’ve enjoyed since I started reading their publications last year, the stand-out element of D’Lacey’s novel is his characterisation. He has captured the feelings, the attitudes and behaviours of his two protagonists really well and he has given them an almost equal page-time. That is doubly great since neither character feels neglected at the expense of the other.

Whether we see Gordon Black as a young kid, or as a teenager, his character always rings true. When Gordon’s world is irrevocably shattered by the actions of the new British police force, the Ward, that’s when he really comes into his own. His story arc is one where he has to learn to grow up while still young, still inexperienced in how the world functions. It would have been a challenging enough circumstance had the world been as we know it. But it’s not. The old government, the old social mores, the old relationships, they are all gone, and all that remains is the basic family unit, struggling to survive in an increasingly hostile world. Gordon’s oddness, both in terms of his personality and the events surrounding his life, are what drive his story arc. There are lots of hints throughout the novel that he is someone special, someone unique, and that ultimately he is going to leave his mark on the world. What made this aspect of his arc compelling was that D’Lacey teases out all this information, often providing snapshots of Gordon’s life through his diary entries. It all added immensely to the dark fantasy atmosphere he was creating from the get go, and contributed to a wonderful reading experience.

With Megan, it was like reading a low fantasy novel with young adult characters, very much like the early parts of Peter V. Brett’s The Painted Man, a novel I’ve recently read and which bears similarities to D’Lacey’s own novel. Megan’s arc is all about hidden mysteries and discovering a lost past, which fits the tone of the novel rather well, and complements Gordon’s own arc. The two stories are parallels of each other and it’s fun to see how the two intertwine and come to a conclusion later on, right towards the end. The magic in this section of the novel is very low-key and subtle, almost innate and elemental in nature, which made for a nice change of pace from the magical realism aspect of Gordon’s own story arc. The dichotomy between the two serves to enhance and enrich both stories, further adding to the immersive experience of the novel.

Of course, the two stories are also connected by the Crowman, a distant and mysterious individual about whom people are conflicted: is he good or is he bad? Is he a saviour or is he Satan himself? Throughout the book, D’Lacey toys with these conflicting questions and rather than laying it on thick, he plays up the mystery of the character. It was a little frustrating at first since I wanted to know everything about him, but by the end, I liked the approach used by D’Lacey. The Crowman is the connecting horror element for both Gordon and Megan’s arcs, and whenever he gets involved in a scene, the tension really ramps up. The horror aspect of the character comes into its own in the sense that there is never any certainty about what he is, who he is, or what he wants. I really enjoyed that he was made out to be a possible lurking menace in the human psyche, someone who could perhaps be classified as Lawful Evil in a way!

[All Things Urban Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joseph D’Lacey is an author who has been on my radar for some time now. I was intrigued enough by his first novel, MEAT, to purchase a copy, but sadly it’s been a neglected member of the black hole that is my to-read pile ever since. After reading BLACK FEATHERS I’m most certainly going to rectify that.

I’m finding it hard to describe BLACK FEATHERS. I don’t think I’m the only one either judging by the incredibly short official publisher’s blurb that you can see above. I feel that in this case that is actually a good thing. BLACK FEATHERS is a book you want to discover on your own and too many spoilers would most certainly make the reading less enjoyable.

With that said, here’s my spoiler free attempt at discussing the book in a little a more detail.

BLACK FEATHERS is told from two narratives. The first is told from the point of view of Gordon Black (who has an incredibly awesome last name, by the way). Gordon is a young boy in England at the time of some sort of environmental collapse. This is all present day/near future stuff and it deals with English society turning into a police-state run by a quasi-corporate operation known as The Ward. I was slightly disappointed we didn’t get the nitty-gritty details of the events leading up to the disaster that caused the collapse of civilization, but this is Gordon’s story – not humanity’s as a whole. It deals with Gordon’s quest to find the Crowman (also known as Black Jack and the Scarecrow depending on which of the myths you happen to believe). Gordon believes that if he finds him he can save his family and what remains of the rest of population.

The second narrative is brought to us by Megan – a girl roughly the same age as Gordon. This part takes place in the far-off future and the people of the Earth are now living an almost peaceful medieval-ish existence. There’s no high-tech gadgets and whatnot, though there are the decayed remains of large cities of the past. Megan, too, is searching for the Crowman. He appeared for her and chose to place her on the Dark Feathered path. Because of this she comes under the tutelage of a wandering healer known as Mr Keeper. This is who Megan is to become – a Keeper. These are the people charged with keeping the story of the Crowman. It is told that the first female Keeper will also be the last of all of the Keepers. Does this mean the end or salvation? That’s what Megan needs to find out.

D’Lacey does an excellent job interweaving the two narratives and the story moves along at a brisk pace. To tell any more of the plot of the book would be a disservice to the wonderful tale that the author has woven. D’Lacey’s definitely an author you should be checking out and this is an excellent book with which to start.

[Victoria Eaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

First up, I have to say that I was not in a right state of mind to read the story. We are moving in 8 weeks (to a different country), so I am very anxious and it is hard for me to really concentrate on anything. I did had some difficulties following the prose, and had to reread some parts (English is not my first language). But never less it grabbed me and it was beautiful written. It wasn't so much about the action but really more about the development about two young people faced with an extraordinary faith.

The story is told in two POV and different areas. It did get confusing at the beginning of the chapter to know which POV I was following, but after I got into the flow of the book I had no problem picking it up.

The story is told by Gordon and Meghan.

Gordon's birth sets of the Eco-pocalypse! He is as the one who will safe or destroy us all. He has to find the Crowman to ensure the survival of humankind. The Crowman is also referred to as Black Jack. I believe if he is referred to as the Crowman he represents the good in us, where Black Jack stands for the evil. But honestly the whole Crowman thing left me with a lot of questions. So I wont really go into that.

Meghan is born generations after Gordon. It is her fate to recapture his story and retell it to the world so history wont repeat itself.

Both undertake a breathtaking journey to fulfill their destiny. Where Gordon is faced with the Ward, who is determined to kill him, and the discoveries of his powers, Meghan's struggle is more based on her insecurities and fears. The way they develop through out the book is wonderful, and I found myself connecting with both of them, to the point I was filling physical ill for them.

That is another thing, the world setup was so realistic, and no far stretch from how our society would react if faced with environmental disasters on an epic scale. You know, when I read the Hunger Games, the idea that society would send children to fight to the death and think this would be entertainment, was something I just can not see happening. But everything in Black Feathers is so realistic that it did give me a sense of how it would be.

The Ending leaves you with enough unanswered questions to ensure you will read Book 2 "The Book of the Crowman" which has no release date as of yet!!!

Highly recommend this book!

sparkofallure.com

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Urban fantasy and legend meet the post apocalyptic in BLACK FEATHERS created from the wickedly dark imagination of author Joseph D’Lacey. This new world takes all that it’s been given; decimating the populace and crumbling the society that has so scarred its land for as long as time can remember. Now, rivers overflow, volcanoes spill hot lava, the very crust of Earth splits and soil is borne anew. BLACK FEATHERS leads to a cleansing of the planet where savours are few and survivalists are the government made of single mindedness determination with a ‘control at all cost’ mantra.

For Gordon Black, a young boy blessed and cursed to follow the path of the Crowman, this new world takes everything from him while subjecting him to daily torment at the hands of the Ward and the ills of mankind in general. Gordon knows he’s special, his parents told him so all his life until the moment they were taken away for hoarding food and supplies during a time when rationing and natural disasters ran rife. Now on the path alone he looks deep within to discover what the Crowman is, and how he can influence the second coming of man.

The other side of the equation is Megan – a young woman set to become a Keeper; the person responsible for documenting and remembering the Crowman’s path and plight. Throughout BLACK FEATHERS she endures other worldly experiences and follows a distinctly similar path to that of Gordon, only, in Megan’s eye, past, future, and present blend into one. It’s a disturbing and slightly disorienting side to BLACK FEATHERS but makes the book that much more enjoyable.

The thing that impressed me the most about this book is the non conformity with the post apocalyptic genre in general – D’Lacey blends elements of the fantastical with almost spiritualistic remedies to provide a sense of hope to his characters that otherwise wouldn’t have had such a purpose.

Needless to say, book #2, THE BOOK OF THE CROWMAN has jumped near the top of my TBR.

[Deniz · Rating 4 out of 5]

better late than never i guess....

4.5 Stars

Beautiful dark fantasy!

The story is told from two POV and set in two different times. While at times it was rather slow, I enjoyed the way the entire novel was paced, it has a slow steady flow to it. I loved how the two MC, living in different times, experiencing completely different things, still were connected by the same thread and how things slowly unfolded.

The two MCs, Megan and Gordon, are both adolescents who are embarking on a journey of change and discovery. They are connected by their destiny despite a century of difference. I personally found myself more drawn to Megan, but I think partly because Gordon went through a much bigger and stranger change. They are both extremely well written characters and I felt I got to know much about them, but more so I took part in the growth and changes the went through. By the way this is written in 3rd person, so in my opinion it's even harder to bring these things across to the reader. D'Lacey did an incredible job at it.
In fact all characters are written with much insight and are extremely well developed!

The world-building is really well done. I think it's one of my favorite things about the book Megan's time and Gordon's time have such a vast difference that in a way D'Lacey did create two worlds and cleverly connected them. While Gordon's time has a dystopian feel to it, Megan's is more medieval. I really like how they are interlinked and make slowly sense and how in a way either could be real.
The bits about the Crowman are beautiful mystic and enticing. They are so well written they feel like part of real mythology.

The prose was beautiful, dark and a testament to D'Lacey skills as an author.

A wonderful new series, for me it's a must read for dystopia and classic fantasy lovers. I already put the second book on my wishlist for next year

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

So we come to Black Feathers by the wonderfully funny (on Twitter!) Joseph D'Lacey a book I've been dying to get around to and finally did! Stephen King, my favourite author, reckons Joseph D'Lacey rocks. Having completed this novel I have to say I'm in utter agreement. He sure does.

This is a fable of sorts. A dark fairy tale. Telling two stories, interlinked but in different times, it follows two young people on their journey towards a prophetic future. Megan has an encounter that will change her life forever, Gordon is learning who he is and what his part will be in the world. Is an apocalypse coming? Shadowing them both is the Crowman, a mythical figure, and one who is absolutely fascinating. As we journey with them, there are unexpected challenges and both will have to grow up fast. As plot details go thats all you are getting. But its brilliant!

Pacing is perfect for the story being told. Slowly but surely the plot unfolds and it will have you turning pages - a warning, the temptation WILL be there to flip forward a bit - I nearly did at several stages because I was dying to know but don't do it. It comes when it comes and when it does its electrifying. I held my breath through the last few chapters and boy, I'm not sure how patient I'm going to be waiting for whatever comes next. Thanks Mr D'Lacey. You rock!

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly bought this book as a joke. Reading the back, it sounded like some over the top trying-to-be-edgy horror novel, and the author's photo in the back didn't convince me otherwise.

So imagine my surprise when this book turned out to be something completely different. Parallel coming of age stories, adventure, fantasy...

What really struck me was how real the two main characters felt. As someone who used to be an avid reader of YA fiction, I feel that this is the first time I've read a teen character (or two) written by an adult that didn't feel like it was trying Too Hard to connect with its audience. The kids, Megan Maurice and Gordon Black, are in extraordinary circumstances, but at the same time there's the familiar glimpses of fear and uncertainty with regards to ones future and purpose, confusion, the feeling of not being Good Enough despite the incredible path you're on, the inevitable comparison of oneself to the parent they wish to emulate. There's so many familiar teenage emotions and I was impressed with how easily D'Lacey wrote them.

The writing style is as easy and gorgeous as the landscapes described throughout. While environmentalism and leaning to live with nature in symbiosis is a huge theme, it never feels preachy. It just feels like an entertaining story.

[Joe Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gordon Black and Megan Maurice are from two different times and each has their own story to tell. What connects them is the Crowman, who also goes by the names Blackjack and Scarecrow. Gordon lives in the beginnings of post-apocalyptic England. Climate change, dwindling resources and Man’s general abuse of the environment have caused the fabric of society to start to collapse. Megan lives generations later when people live a simpler existence. What they have in common is that they’re both too young and are forced to take on responsibilities far beyond their years.

Yes, we have seen this idea before of a young boy or girl who finds out their destiny is to save the world. Here we even have two of them. Don’t let that stop you from trying this book. The author pulls you in right away and keeps you immersed in his world. Along the way he introduces some great characters to keep the story moving. I will warn you there were some incidents that were quite jarring to me and unexpected.

Part fantasy, part horror and part coming of age story, this book will entertain you and make you think. This is the first book in a planned two book series, which I wish I knew before I started. It is going to be a long wait until 2014!

[Victoria Hooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Feathers is the first in a dark fantasy trilogy from horror writer Joseph D’Lacey. It has a very interesting setting, being split between two time periods, neither of which is very common in fantasy, and the combination of the two seemed quite unusual to me. There’s a modern-day pre-apocalyptic Britain. Whereas post-apocalypse is a well-trodden sub-genre, the actual build up and early days of the end times is much less common, perhaps featuring more in the thriller genre than fantasy. This setting in Black Feathers had elements of familiar disaster stories, but the apocalypse here is not sudden and obliterating; it’s much subtler, creeping up on civilisation and killing it slowly. It’s actually quite disturbing in its intensity and realism – more than any other apocalypse in fiction this one felt to me like it really could happen, or is perhaps already happening.

These are the present day sections of the novel, which are actually told in past-tense. The other sections are set in the future in present tense, post apocalypse but far enough ahead that civilisation now lives as normal, albeit in a less numerous and more rural and at-peace-with-the-land state. In this sense, Joseph D’Lacey is telling the story of an apocalypse in a more literal sense of the word – an uncovering and a change, a transition from one state of living to another rather than the end of everything. It’s not just a story of the end of the world as we know it, but its decline – the why, and the effect it has on people – as well as a story of the world that exists beyond it.

I thought both these settings were very interesting, and the inclusion of subtle magic (mainly in the future setting), a well-created sense of folklore, and prophecies of doom all made the world of this book a really memorable one. The author has an amazing ability to evoke a dark, tense and brooding atmosphere, as if there is always someone watching, something waiting, or disaster about to strike. There were points where the tension was so thick it felt like the characters must have trouble breathing. And over everything there’s a strong sense of menace, of some kind of lurking intent.

This feeling ties in well with the mythology of the Crowman in the story. What is this mysterious being – a man, or something else? What does he want, and is he here to save the world or to destroy it? Is he evil or good, or something beyond either? Although the reader sees events through the eyes of two children who are searching for the Crownman, who both have strong reasons to believe that he will help them and the world, it’s still impossible to say whether the Crowman is really something good. The figure is creepy, his folklore is creepy, and events, particularly towards the end of the book, left me questioning whether we are seeing the story of some kind of manipulating devil-creature after all. This was well done, complementing the story and the atmosphere, and leaving a sense of mystery.

The book did have some problems for me, the main one being that there were sections that felt as if they dragged for too long with very little happening. It’s a very slow-moving story, and at points this frustrated me slightly, particularly the more repetitive aspects – Gordon walks for a while and the section ends with him determined to find the Crowman, then in the next section Gordon walks some more and the section ends with him determined to find the Crowman, etc. There were times when all either Megan or Gordon were doing was walking and thinking, which I would have preferred to be cut a bit shorter.

However, having said that, Joseph D’Lacey’s writing style is beautiful and always a joy to read, with the dryer sections lifted by some wonderful imagery. I also found both Megan and Gordon to be very intriguing characters who grow a lot through the course of the novel. The parallels between the two were clever, as if they were mirror images of each other, or driven by fate to repeat the endless cycle of the past. This drew the two storylines together, helping to keep all aspects of the story feeling relevant. I found myself wondering a lot about where each character was heading – at points Gordon seems to be choosing a rather dark path, and there is clearly more to Megan’s story than we have been told.

The book has some strong messages about the way humans interact with their environment and the way we treat the Earth. The apocalypse is not brought on by some kind of freak accident, but through the incessant build-up of human belligerence, selfishness and greed. The author does a great job of showing that it is people who are the true horror – the way they treat both the world and each other – and most of the true danger in the book (particularly to Gordon) comes from other survivors. I’m not sure that returning to such a rural, pre-industrial form of life is necessary to solve our environmental and social issues, but I do think the themes in this story are very important ones, and that they were handled well by the author. This is certainly a relevant book.

In the last stage of the book the pace really speeds up and some major changes begin to happen. An even greater sense of magic and the supernatural comes in, and although it had felt to me like the story was stalling a little by this point, now it really gripped hard and didn’t let go until the end. By now the reader will have a lot of questions and expectations for the next books, and there’s a sense that both Megan’s and Gordon’s stories will move in surprising directions.

With memorable settings, vivid writing and important themes, Black Feathers is an extremely atmospheric and thought-provoking read.

This review also appears on my blog.

Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book starts with a prologue, which to be frank, I didn't quite see the point of. While it begins to build the mythology, having now finished the book I don't think it adds anything that isn't further explored or clarified within the story. I then found the next few chapters confusing and disorientating. I understood that there were two narratives, one that follows Gordon Black from birth and another which follows Megan Maurice. Gordon's narrative takes place during our time frame in, whereas I wasn't sure at first when Megan's story was happening.

The story really starts to take off when Mr Keeper comes to visit Megan's parents and explains that Megan has been chosen by the Crowman to be a keeper. Up until this point the two stories seem unconnected and disparate, but as the reader accompanies Megan in her training we begin to realise that in actual fact the stories are intricately linked. At this point Gordon's story also begins to take off as he is faced with trial after trial as he is is driven by the desperate goal of saving his family.

Once I understood how linked the stories were it was interesting to see other connections and contrasts. For instance the pace of Megan's story is quite calm and peaceful, whereas Gordon's is filled with tension. Gordon's narrative is in the past tense (a clue I missed at the beginning), whereas Megan's is present, it's happening as we read. It is a strength of the writing that I didn't actually notice this difference at first. I say this because writing bad present tense is easier than you think.

I found the pace of the book quite slow, but in a good way. When I think about what actually happened there isn't an awful lot, but what did happen was this gradual build up of knowledge of the Crowman mythology. I liked the fact that this entity was not black or white. When I think of traditional descriptions of evil and good, it's all rather clear-cut, whereas in reality it's never like that. Part of the Crowman mythology is a great respect for the land. In a way it's almost quite fervent, but what makes it so believable is that in journeying with Gordon we live through his change and his growing understanding of how we should respect the land. His moment of realisation is quite revealing in that he choses to use certain words, which he had been feeling, but in a way was too embarrassed to use before.

The two characters development was also interesting. We start with Gordon from birth, but the reader really gets to know him when the trouble with the Ward begins. We felt his fear and powerlessness as he begins to go on the run. Gordon is never described as a gung-ho and off on a quest. He is troubled and never knows if he is doing the right thing. He is weak and strong in equal measure, he fights for his life and is vengeful. But most of all we see him developing.

Megan's character was a little more shaky. She started off quite babyish and then matured very quickly. Given the immense task she has been given, I guess this is realistic, but that was probably part of the confusion I felt with the first quarter of the book. After she has entered the weave for the first time and begins to understand her task, her character develops a little more clearly.

Two other recurring characters are Pike and Skelton who are members of the Ward trying to capture Gordon. I wasn't too sure about these two, at first they were just the baddies, but as we spend more time with Skelton became a little stereotypical, which is a shame, as the mythology of the book is anything but and plays on being multifaceted. I'm not sure about Pike yet, or even what he is. I suppose this idea of the ward is also a recurring character and one that I wasn't always a hundred percent comfortable with. Perhaps it's because they are being seen and described by a fourteen year old boy, but their ideology seemed a little simplistic to me and I wondered how they could have gained so much power.

Generally, the review is a bit mixed. There were things I didn't like, but on the whole I really liked a lot more. I found this book made me think more than scared me. There are scenes of horror within the book, but part of what makes it horrific is that is all things described could happen. There were a few bits that had my eyebrows arching (in Chapter 65) and raised a lot of questions (such as the concept of the Ward), but on the whole I really liked the world-building and myth making. I was completely sucked into Megan's world and Gordon's story enough to want to know what happens in the next book. The ending left us on a cliff and I'm not sure where the book is going to go, but I kind of like that. I liked the writing and the descriptions were beautiful (even when describing horror). This book is not an easy read, there are things that challenge your way of thinking without being preachy.

[Zoel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Feathers is a modern fantasy set in two epochs: the Black Dawn, a time of environmental apocalypse, and generations into the future in its aftermath, the Bright Day.

In each era, a child undertakes a perilous journey to find a dark messiah known as The Crowman. In their hands lies the fate of the planet as they attempt to discover whether The Crowman is our saviour… or the final incarnation of evil

Wow, this book. I honestly do not believe i’d ever read another book like it. Not only did it manage to keep me interested but had me walk away with alot of life lessons my favorite of them being.

“Everything you need will come to hand in the time of it’s requirement”

About the Characters

This book takes place in two time periods In the distant future known as the Bright day, the story is told in the point of view of a girl named Megan who on a trip to the forest, her life gets changed forever while In the present day Black dawn, where he witnesses the end of our era. This book was unique in a way that, despite not being able to relate to the characters at times, and despite them having no distinct personality traits, I loved them. They were real people, often times there’s is no distinct traits people have in their personality, they are several sometimes we find ourselves changed by situations and people are us and that’s what this book was. They changed because the situation required them too. I love their journey, their courage and most importantly seeing them go through pain, growth and development all in the name of the Crowman. I preferred Gordon’s story line more than I did Megan’s, I find he went through the most pain and often times the most growth. Gordon’s story showed you just exactly how humanity can become in the toughest of times, the harsh reality of it being kill or be killed. A world were kindness and support are as rare as the food and water supplies. Humanity rears it’s ugly head in this book and Mr Lacey does not hide it. There are alot of tough scenes which is another reason why this book may not be for everyone, I even had a full out cry at some of the things that occurred. Gordon’s world was scariest to me because it felt as if it could happen like it would happen. The supporting characters in this book i did enjoy, Characters such as Judeth, Brooke, Gordon’s parents and The Keeper I enjoyed their relationships with the main characters. This book is different role wise in the way that humans are the enemy and the earth mother nature is it’s victim, and Megan and Gordon must be the connecting factors to save them both.

About the Plot

The Plot was the best thing about this book. The world, the events as we see how both eras are woven together and thrive off each other. At first the beginning was a tad slow, so much so that I had not fully gotten into it until I had dedicated myself to going through it and it does start off a little confusing with the events and what is happening, but as the story progress we understand the world as if we were in it. And oddly, the way this story was structure, how it was placed in Gordon’s time even though because of Megan’s era we know it turns out ok we still get a sense of hopelessness within Gordon’s world, nothing is sure peace nor the safety. Not alot happens in the book but it still didn’t bore me, I couldn’t put it down at times even though I had to to study. There are alot of hard things in this book, scenes that often made me shudder or cry or just plain disturbed but I still enjoyed it, He didn’t shy away from the hardships of survival especially when the world is against you. The elements of Nature and Magic woven into one entity was a joy to read and I can’t wait to continue.

About the Writing Style

The writing style was beautifully descriptive and often times Poetic. Sometimes this was a success in the scene but sometimes especially a few times in the beginning I did get confused but it wasn’t a regular thing. The pacing of the book was slow but it wasn’t so in a bad way, it was slow pacing but not bad pacing, everything that happened occurred for a reason whether it was another lesson for Megan or a struggle to survive on Gordon’s end, even the simplest of tasks such as getting water, food and shelter was a move in Gordon’s character. Towards the end some events occurred that I thought was unnecessary but overall I sitll enjoyed this and would definitely read from this author again

Overall Thoughts

This book is definitely not for everyone, especially those who are accustomed to the fast paced and sometimes sheltered events of most YA Books but if you want to try something new, break out of the comfort zone I highly suggest this book. I can’t wait to explore more of this world.



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