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The Selene Trilogy #1
The Last Feather
South African born, debut author brings a threat-and-danger, hidden-world fantasy with touches of Suzanne Collins which fans of VE Schwab or Sarah J Maas will love.
Twenty-two-year-old Cassia's sister is dying, and she doesn't know why. Soon after, Cassia wakes up in another realm, not only does she find her missing best friend, Lucas, but he knows how to save her sister.
Meanwhile Lucas is part of a community of Reborns, people who were born on earth and after death, were reborn in this realm with magical abilities. The original beings of the realm, the Firsts, rule over them.
But, to keep the Reborn numbers manageable, the king of the Firsts releases a curse to cull them and Cassia finds herself in the middle of it. She needs to break the curse before her time runs out, otherwise she will be trapped there forever.
content warning
- Death of a pet
Twenty-two-year-old Cassia's sister is dying, and she doesn't know why. Soon after, Cassia wakes up in another realm, not only does she find her missing best friend, Lucas, but he knows how to save her sister.
Meanwhile Lucas is part of a community of Reborns, people who were born on earth and after death, were reborn in this realm with magical abilities. The original beings of the realm, the Firsts, rule over them.
But, to keep the Reborn numbers manageable, the king of the Firsts releases a curse to cull them and Cassia finds herself in the middle of it. She needs to break the curse before her time runs out, otherwise she will be trapped there forever.
content warning
- Death of a pet
314 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 19, 2022
12 people are currently reading
747 people want to read
About the author
Shameez Patel Papathanasiou
8 books143 followersShameez Patel Papathanasiou was born and raised in South Africa. She lives there with her husband, child and two cats named Turbo and Charger.
She considers herself a professional binge-watcher and fangirl. Don’t be surprised should you bump into her dressed as a Hobbit or Lady Loki and should you need anything from her, offer her a choc-chip cookie and her heart is yours forever.
Shameez fell in love with fiction, especially fantasy fiction at a young age. Her parents fondly recall receiving her first handwritten story before the age of ten, titled The Treasures of Zombie Island, which surprisingly featured no zombies at all.
She has been writing ever since.
She considers herself a professional binge-watcher and fangirl. Don’t be surprised should you bump into her dressed as a Hobbit or Lady Loki and should you need anything from her, offer her a choc-chip cookie and her heart is yours forever.
Shameez fell in love with fiction, especially fantasy fiction at a young age. Her parents fondly recall receiving her first handwritten story before the age of ten, titled The Treasures of Zombie Island, which surprisingly featured no zombies at all.
She has been writing ever since.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
July 20, 2022
In a Nutshell: Alternate realm fantasy with some hits and misses. Interesting characters, decent world building, a lot of action in the second half. First of a planned trilogy.
Story Synopsis:
Where the book worked for me:
😍 The book goes ahead at a fairly steady pace, medium towards the start and faster as it progresses.
😍 I liked the concept of the beings in the alternate realm. The Firsts, the Reborns and the Rahlogs are distinct, and yet not so distinct when you get to know them.
😍 I LOVED the fact that there is no clichéd romantic angle between the main characters. I am so fed up of shoehorned romance in fiction.
😍 Cassie is not an easy character to like. If this were a first person narration, I would have disliked the book for sure as she seems too full of herself. But keeping a distance from her is easier with the third person narration. The other characters are better, not necessarily good or bad but morally grey, which adds to the complexities of knowing them.
Where the book left me with mixed feelings:
😑 The world building was decent. But the detailing was somewhat hazy. I loved the villages, the various beings (as I mentioned above), the Baskian wolves, the magical abilities… But I felt like I didn’t get to know the place at all. It seems like it could have been any old village in Europe, albeit one with plenty of bananas!
😑 There are a few unforeseen twists that add to the fun. However, some of the twists are spoiled by foreshadowing.
😑 The ending isn’t exactly a cliffhanger ending, though it completes just one arc of the story and sets up the stage for the next part of the series. To this extent, it did well. But there is no closure to what happened a chapter before. Again, no spoilers, but things are at a very dangerous point, and in the next chapter, we hear from the said character something as vague as “All is well. Everyone is fine. It ended well.” But what happened? How did it get sorted out? Am I supposed to wait till the next book to know that?
😑 Some of the characters’ abilities are mentioned again and again but they aren’t used consistently. Cassie is supposed to have an eidetic memory yet she uses a highlighter on her medical textbooks to remember what’s important. Lochlan can teleport but doesn’t do so a crucial moments when it is really needed. The characters supposedly need a recharge time after excessive use of their magical abilities but just when their “downtime” starts varies as per the scene. Sometimes, it is after just one magical action, sometimes after multiple. I wish the plot sketching had been more precise.
😑 The basic writing itself is, at times, inconsistent. Here we have a book with characters openly talking of having sex (though there are no sex scenes). And at the same time, we have lines like “She threw him a vulgar gesture”? (And this comes twice in the book!) If the target audience is adults and not the YA segment, this periphrasis doesn’t make sense.
😑 The titular ‘feather’ is relevant to the plot in two ways, thus making it an interesting choice. But I don’t think it represents the story well.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
😒 Misleading marketing. I picked up this book on the assumption that it was a standalone. If I pick up a book that’s part of a series, I like to know about it in advance. The blurbs on NetGalley/Goodreads/Amazon don’t mention that this is the first of a planned trilogy. The only place where this is revealed is on the cover. Just see if you can locate that line on the teeny cover pic. Furthermore, the blurb on all three sites highlights the fact that this is a debut work. I always cut some slack for debut authors. But it turns out that this author already has a published book named “An Acquired Taste” to her name.
😒 As there are more books in this series, I don’t know if some of these below points will be tackled in future. But there are many lacunae in the plotting. Without going into spoilers, certain things are mentioned and then swept aside, as if they weren’t relevant at all. (Example: the portal that opened to another realm – what was its significance and who did it?) Some characters behave in a very biased way towards certain other characters, but there’s no rationale provided for their behaviour. (Example: Ro’s behaviour towards Lochlan – why was she so antagonistic with him?)
😒 Trivial point this, but the character names of Cassia’s family sounded very odd to me. Cassia and Calla are both names of Greek origin, their father is named “Deo”, which has Hindu roots, and their surname is “Khan”, which is a common Muslim last name. Their racial identity is not mentioned at all, nor is any of these cultures (Greek/Hindu/Muslim) relevant to or used in the story. Were they “Khan” just to provide a token PoC representation to the story?
Overall, a nice story with the good vs. evil trope, but with the lines blurred between the two. Somehow, the writing has a YA feel to it though it isn’t a YA book. Still, not bad, and I am sure the flaws will sort themselves with more writing experience. I might just pick up the rest of the series.
3.5 stars, rounding up because it kept me going ahead despite the shortcomings.
My thanks to Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Last Feather”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
Main triggers: Brutal animal cruelty, cannibalism, behind-the-scenes gore and death.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
Story Synopsis:
Cassia’s younger sister Calla is dying but doctors have no clue about what’s ailing her. This is the latest in a long run of tragedies, including the death of their dad and the sudden disappearance of Cassia’s best friend Luke four years ago. Luke still keeps appearing in her dreams but what she doesn’t know then is that Luke is alive, and is trying to contact her from another realm. Soon, Cassia finds herself in this strange ‘Selene Realm’, with Luke and his new friends who call themselves “Reborns”. They have varied magical abilities but are under the rule of the original beings of the realm, the cruel “Firsts”. Cassia finds herself dealing with the difficulties and dangers of her new world, which involves a threat to the very existence of the Reborns through the monstrous Rahlogs. At the same time, she wants to get back home as soon as she can so that she can save Calla. How will she manage all this with the limited time she has in the Selene Realm?
Where the book worked for me:
😍 The book goes ahead at a fairly steady pace, medium towards the start and faster as it progresses.
😍 I liked the concept of the beings in the alternate realm. The Firsts, the Reborns and the Rahlogs are distinct, and yet not so distinct when you get to know them.
😍 I LOVED the fact that there is no clichéd romantic angle between the main characters. I am so fed up of shoehorned romance in fiction.
😍 Cassie is not an easy character to like. If this were a first person narration, I would have disliked the book for sure as she seems too full of herself. But keeping a distance from her is easier with the third person narration. The other characters are better, not necessarily good or bad but morally grey, which adds to the complexities of knowing them.
Where the book left me with mixed feelings:
😑 The world building was decent. But the detailing was somewhat hazy. I loved the villages, the various beings (as I mentioned above), the Baskian wolves, the magical abilities… But I felt like I didn’t get to know the place at all. It seems like it could have been any old village in Europe, albeit one with plenty of bananas!
😑 There are a few unforeseen twists that add to the fun. However, some of the twists are spoiled by foreshadowing.
😑 The ending isn’t exactly a cliffhanger ending, though it completes just one arc of the story and sets up the stage for the next part of the series. To this extent, it did well. But there is no closure to what happened a chapter before. Again, no spoilers, but things are at a very dangerous point, and in the next chapter, we hear from the said character something as vague as “All is well. Everyone is fine. It ended well.” But what happened? How did it get sorted out? Am I supposed to wait till the next book to know that?
😑 Some of the characters’ abilities are mentioned again and again but they aren’t used consistently. Cassie is supposed to have an eidetic memory yet she uses a highlighter on her medical textbooks to remember what’s important. Lochlan can teleport but doesn’t do so a crucial moments when it is really needed. The characters supposedly need a recharge time after excessive use of their magical abilities but just when their “downtime” starts varies as per the scene. Sometimes, it is after just one magical action, sometimes after multiple. I wish the plot sketching had been more precise.
😑 The basic writing itself is, at times, inconsistent. Here we have a book with characters openly talking of having sex (though there are no sex scenes). And at the same time, we have lines like “She threw him a vulgar gesture”? (And this comes twice in the book!) If the target audience is adults and not the YA segment, this periphrasis doesn’t make sense.
😑 The titular ‘feather’ is relevant to the plot in two ways, thus making it an interesting choice. But I don’t think it represents the story well.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
😒 Misleading marketing. I picked up this book on the assumption that it was a standalone. If I pick up a book that’s part of a series, I like to know about it in advance. The blurbs on NetGalley/Goodreads/Amazon don’t mention that this is the first of a planned trilogy. The only place where this is revealed is on the cover. Just see if you can locate that line on the teeny cover pic. Furthermore, the blurb on all three sites highlights the fact that this is a debut work. I always cut some slack for debut authors. But it turns out that this author already has a published book named “An Acquired Taste” to her name.
😒 As there are more books in this series, I don’t know if some of these below points will be tackled in future. But there are many lacunae in the plotting. Without going into spoilers, certain things are mentioned and then swept aside, as if they weren’t relevant at all. (Example: the portal that opened to another realm – what was its significance and who did it?) Some characters behave in a very biased way towards certain other characters, but there’s no rationale provided for their behaviour. (Example: Ro’s behaviour towards Lochlan – why was she so antagonistic with him?)
😒 Trivial point this, but the character names of Cassia’s family sounded very odd to me. Cassia and Calla are both names of Greek origin, their father is named “Deo”, which has Hindu roots, and their surname is “Khan”, which is a common Muslim last name. Their racial identity is not mentioned at all, nor is any of these cultures (Greek/Hindu/Muslim) relevant to or used in the story. Were they “Khan” just to provide a token PoC representation to the story?
Overall, a nice story with the good vs. evil trope, but with the lines blurred between the two. Somehow, the writing has a YA feel to it though it isn’t a YA book. Still, not bad, and I am sure the flaws will sort themselves with more writing experience. I might just pick up the rest of the series.
3.5 stars, rounding up because it kept me going ahead despite the shortcomings.
My thanks to Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Last Feather”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
Main triggers: Brutal animal cruelty, cannibalism, behind-the-scenes gore and death.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
February 28, 2022
This book got me into reading fantasy again.
Following the story of Cassia, a strong and assertive POC lead, as she is thrust into a world of magic and power.
I became entwined in the realm, just as she did and the world around me fell away.
While I definitely have my favourite characters, I loved that everyone gave me something different.
From Lucas' protectiveness ("Touch her again and you'll regret it.") to Lochlan with his smart mouth and witty banter ("I, on the other hand, know how to use a whip.") and last, but certainly not least, Min-Jun who I just want to keep in my pocket because he is so soft, sweet and gentle. ("He swallowed the piece of apple he'd been chewing and nodded once before closing his eyes and sending a wave of calmness over her. Xanax had nothing on him.")
The world descriptions had me inside the hospital with Cassia, to picking bananas with Min-Jun and baking in the kitchen with Brie (I have never wanted a plate of freshly baked bread and cheese more in my life!)
With found family, witty dialogue and nail biting action, this book will drag you away from reality and you'll be sad to put it down once you're done (but knowing that there is more will definitely keep the flame alive!)
Immersive is the one word I would use to describe it.
Following the story of Cassia, a strong and assertive POC lead, as she is thrust into a world of magic and power.
I became entwined in the realm, just as she did and the world around me fell away.
While I definitely have my favourite characters, I loved that everyone gave me something different.
From Lucas' protectiveness ("Touch her again and you'll regret it.") to Lochlan with his smart mouth and witty banter ("I, on the other hand, know how to use a whip.") and last, but certainly not least, Min-Jun who I just want to keep in my pocket because he is so soft, sweet and gentle. ("He swallowed the piece of apple he'd been chewing and nodded once before closing his eyes and sending a wave of calmness over her. Xanax had nothing on him.")
The world descriptions had me inside the hospital with Cassia, to picking bananas with Min-Jun and baking in the kitchen with Brie (I have never wanted a plate of freshly baked bread and cheese more in my life!)
With found family, witty dialogue and nail biting action, this book will drag you away from reality and you'll be sad to put it down once you're done (but knowing that there is more will definitely keep the flame alive!)
Immersive is the one word I would use to describe it.
February 28, 2022
A solid 4.5 ⭐
What a beautiful story the author has woven!
It started out a bit slow and a touch more heartbreaking than a new story should but you get the sense as you go along that this is needed to understand our main characters.
The heroine, Cassia, was written for the modern girl. Strong, smart, perhaps a little too stubborn but she stands by her principles which is what readers want. She adapts easily to her circumstances which shows character development.
The hero (1 half), is just as strong. For a young man of his age, the author writes him maturely and with so much responsibility placed on such young shoulders.
But the meat of the story is in the supporting cast! And what a diverse cast it is. Their individual stories, powers and how their circumstances have shaped them, makes for compelling reading and then some.
Not much focus as yet is placed on romance as the world building is forefront but at the end, you become immersed in it and you just know it's the start of something good good.
Highly recommend this for anyone looking to pick up a new fantasy series.
ARC kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
What a beautiful story the author has woven!
It started out a bit slow and a touch more heartbreaking than a new story should but you get the sense as you go along that this is needed to understand our main characters.
The heroine, Cassia, was written for the modern girl. Strong, smart, perhaps a little too stubborn but she stands by her principles which is what readers want. She adapts easily to her circumstances which shows character development.
The hero (1 half), is just as strong. For a young man of his age, the author writes him maturely and with so much responsibility placed on such young shoulders.
But the meat of the story is in the supporting cast! And what a diverse cast it is. Their individual stories, powers and how their circumstances have shaped them, makes for compelling reading and then some.
Not much focus as yet is placed on romance as the world building is forefront but at the end, you become immersed in it and you just know it's the start of something good good.
Highly recommend this for anyone looking to pick up a new fantasy series.
ARC kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
March 2, 2022
*Sometimes all we need is a little magic*
I was lucky enough to get my hands on an early version of the first instalment of this trilogy and I could not put it down. The realm the author has created is out of this world and the story transports you to Selene along with the heroine, as she reunites with someone she thought was forever lost and is faced with the ultimate decision - stay or go back to her old life knowing what she does after being thrust into a magical world with very real enemies and dangers that she may be the key to solving.
Patel Papathanasiou has brought everything into this debut novel, including magic, adventure, romance, tragedy, and the power of friendship.
I can't wait to read how the rest of the story unfolds. I'll certainly be back for books 2 and 3.
I was lucky enough to get my hands on an early version of the first instalment of this trilogy and I could not put it down. The realm the author has created is out of this world and the story transports you to Selene along with the heroine, as she reunites with someone she thought was forever lost and is faced with the ultimate decision - stay or go back to her old life knowing what she does after being thrust into a magical world with very real enemies and dangers that she may be the key to solving.
Patel Papathanasiou has brought everything into this debut novel, including magic, adventure, romance, tragedy, and the power of friendship.
I can't wait to read how the rest of the story unfolds. I'll certainly be back for books 2 and 3.
February 27, 2022
An unexpected adventure that had me turning the page late into the night for “just one more chapter”. I adored each and every character, from the found family in the Manor, to Cassia and Lochlan’s banter, to the lush magic system. What a thrilling ride!
March 17, 2022
I was part of the first round of betas on this book and I fell in love with it immediately. It's only become better with each revision and this version is nothing short of perfect.
The found family trope is absolute drugs to me and all the relationships feel so organic and I very much want to be part of the Thistle family.
Cassia and Lucas's friendship is beautifully portrayed. It's so rare that you see girl/boy best friends portrayed this way. And I love it DEEPLY. Oh Lucas, my bb!
But Lochlan is HANDS DOWN my favourite and please just read it so I can gush about him. The mouth on that man!
The story is exciting and so fun with a fresh take on portal realms. I quite enjoyed the slow build up and introduction because it establishes the world and the characters so well. The author's voice is easy to follow, which makes The Last Feather a quick read for that burst of magic we all need.
The found family trope is absolute drugs to me and all the relationships feel so organic and I very much want to be part of the Thistle family.
Cassia and Lucas's friendship is beautifully portrayed. It's so rare that you see girl/boy best friends portrayed this way. And I love it DEEPLY. Oh Lucas, my bb!
But Lochlan is HANDS DOWN my favourite and please just read it so I can gush about him. The mouth on that man!
The story is exciting and so fun with a fresh take on portal realms. I quite enjoyed the slow build up and introduction because it establishes the world and the characters so well. The author's voice is easy to follow, which makes The Last Feather a quick read for that burst of magic we all need.
November 5, 2024
The way I love this book!
I absolutely ploughed through it because I could not stop reading. It has everything you could want : loveable characters, magic, pet wolves, found family and even zombies.
The blend of fantasy and magical realism was seamless and really well done. The pace was fairly fast, so I found that if I had a question the answer usually came within the next few pages.
This may be the first time I have ever gotten secondhand embarrassment from a scene in a book. It was hilarious, and I was dying. It was brilliant.
I’m counting the days until book 2.
Everyone should read this.
I absolutely ploughed through it because I could not stop reading. It has everything you could want : loveable characters, magic, pet wolves, found family and even zombies.
The blend of fantasy and magical realism was seamless and really well done. The pace was fairly fast, so I found that if I had a question the answer usually came within the next few pages.
This may be the first time I have ever gotten secondhand embarrassment from a scene in a book. It was hilarious, and I was dying. It was brilliant.
I’m counting the days until book 2.
Everyone should read this.
April 26, 2022
Cassia Khan’s sister is dying and she doesn’t know why. Things don’t get any easier when Cassia finds herself in another realm, a realm where her missing presumed dead best friend, Lucas is alive and has a solution to save her sister.
But all is not well in Lucas’ realm. As a reborn with magical abilities, Lucas has found himself as a leader within the Reborn Community. A curse has ravaged Reborn land, and although Cassia is on borrowed time, Lucas needs her help in order to break it.
It’s been a while since I’ve devoured a fantasy the way I did with this book! From the first page, I was hooked. The writing style flowed effortlessly as we shifted from the human realm to the Selene realm. I really enjoyed the world-building, as it wasn’t presented as one massive info dump - instead the world unravelled as Cassia learned more and it was an immersive experience. This book was also dual POV (!) which worked so well, as we were able to have a better understanding of the realm’s politics as well as the magic system at play.
From the plot to the characters, this story was refreshingly original. As a POC, I love reading about diverse characters like me, and this book is filled with them. Cassia is strong, smart, and so incredibly stubborn (in an endearing sort of way). Lucas is a refreshing male protagonist, and I love his relationship with Cassia. Lochlan is the classic morally-grey reluctant ally, but I wouldn’t want him any other way! We learned just enough about all of the secondary characters to be intrigued, and I have a good feeling we’ll be seeing more of them in the following books to come!
Thank you so much to NetGalley for sending me a e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
But all is not well in Lucas’ realm. As a reborn with magical abilities, Lucas has found himself as a leader within the Reborn Community. A curse has ravaged Reborn land, and although Cassia is on borrowed time, Lucas needs her help in order to break it.
It’s been a while since I’ve devoured a fantasy the way I did with this book! From the first page, I was hooked. The writing style flowed effortlessly as we shifted from the human realm to the Selene realm. I really enjoyed the world-building, as it wasn’t presented as one massive info dump - instead the world unravelled as Cassia learned more and it was an immersive experience. This book was also dual POV (!) which worked so well, as we were able to have a better understanding of the realm’s politics as well as the magic system at play.
From the plot to the characters, this story was refreshingly original. As a POC, I love reading about diverse characters like me, and this book is filled with them. Cassia is strong, smart, and so incredibly stubborn (in an endearing sort of way). Lucas is a refreshing male protagonist, and I love his relationship with Cassia. Lochlan is the classic morally-grey reluctant ally, but I wouldn’t want him any other way! We learned just enough about all of the secondary characters to be intrigued, and I have a good feeling we’ll be seeing more of them in the following books to come!
Thank you so much to NetGalley for sending me a e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 21, 2022
THIS BOOK IS FANTASTIC!
SWOON-WORTHY.
EXCELLENT.
ACTION-PACKED.
GREAT FRIENDSHIPS.
MAGIC POWERS.
WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT?
(disclaimer: I received a free NetGalley copy of this book and the author is a friend, BUT YOU SHOULD STILL GET THIS BOOK!!!!)
SWOON-WORTHY.
EXCELLENT.
ACTION-PACKED.
GREAT FRIENDSHIPS.
MAGIC POWERS.
WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT?
(disclaimer: I received a free NetGalley copy of this book and the author is a friend, BUT YOU SHOULD STILL GET THIS BOOK!!!!)
March 7, 2022
I'm not a big fantasy reader but Shameez's storytelling skills just reeled me into this intriguing, sometimes dark, magical world she created. The book has many characters, elements and twists and turns, but the author's writing makes it easy to follow. Her voice and style of writing is very clear throughout the story - and despite being a fantasy book, it touches on relatable themes, like family, friendship, and romance. It's also unexpectedly funny! I fell in love with these characters, I want to know them and I'm excited to see more of them. It's the kind of book I can see being adapted for the screen. Looking forward to the next books in the trilogy!
March 7, 2022
Wow. I absolutely love this book. It got me back into reading after the longest time. A world beautifully created with just the right amount of detail to absorb but not overwhelm. The characters are 😍😍😍 sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes NSFW lol but mostly thrilling and just so so good. Get it, read it NOW
July 6, 2022
All the stars in the universe.
The Last Feather is a stunning and captivating debut novel written by South African author Shameez Patel Papathanasiou.
I highly recommend this not only to my fellow fantasy lovers but especially to those new to the fantasy genre. SPP has an ease of writing that makes you want to devour the book in one sitting. This is the first book in the Selene Trilogy and it sets the foundation for what I'm sure is going to be a phenomenal series.
We've all probably wondered what it would be like to get transported into a magical fantasy world - well, Cassia is living that dream. Cassia is your average medical student but she just happens to get thrown into a new world or rather, a new realm where there's magic, her missing best friend and a possible cure for her dying sister. With each new character that we are introduced to, SPP ensures that the world and magic system is built on and explored. We learn about the Selene Realm as Cassia learns about it; we get answers as Cassia gets answers and just like us, she has a lot of questions. There are other twists and turns - some of which you may see coming and others not so much. SPP finds a way to keep us on the edge of our seat by making it fun and exciting and a literal world filled with possibilities.
The story captivated me and I'm completely invested in Cassia's story. I went into this with high expectations and it met all of them and then some. I enjoyed the dual POV and it allowed us to look at the Realm from a different perspective of someone who has been there for a few years. I can't wait to see what happens next for this group of characters and I'm eagerly waiting for the announcement of book two (and three).
Highs:
- POC main character,
- Unbreakable friendship that knows no bounds (or in this case realms),
- Found family,
- Morally grey character,
- Unique magic system,
- Vanilla will never smell the same again.
Characters:
- Cassia is smart and strong willed (sometimes to her own detriment) and I hope the next two books builds up her character and I get to know /her/ a bit more rather than just the world around her
- Lucas is a cinnamon roll but I have a lot of questions that need answering
- Lochlan is.. I have nothing to say other than I'm calling dibs so hands off. I have my pen ready and I will fight you off. I need more.
Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for the free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
All opinions are my own.
The Last Feather is a stunning and captivating debut novel written by South African author Shameez Patel Papathanasiou.
I highly recommend this not only to my fellow fantasy lovers but especially to those new to the fantasy genre. SPP has an ease of writing that makes you want to devour the book in one sitting. This is the first book in the Selene Trilogy and it sets the foundation for what I'm sure is going to be a phenomenal series.
We've all probably wondered what it would be like to get transported into a magical fantasy world - well, Cassia is living that dream. Cassia is your average medical student but she just happens to get thrown into a new world or rather, a new realm where there's magic, her missing best friend and a possible cure for her dying sister. With each new character that we are introduced to, SPP ensures that the world and magic system is built on and explored. We learn about the Selene Realm as Cassia learns about it; we get answers as Cassia gets answers and just like us, she has a lot of questions. There are other twists and turns - some of which you may see coming and others not so much. SPP finds a way to keep us on the edge of our seat by making it fun and exciting and a literal world filled with possibilities.
The story captivated me and I'm completely invested in Cassia's story. I went into this with high expectations and it met all of them and then some. I enjoyed the dual POV and it allowed us to look at the Realm from a different perspective of someone who has been there for a few years. I can't wait to see what happens next for this group of characters and I'm eagerly waiting for the announcement of book two (and three).
Highs:
- POC main character,
- Unbreakable friendship that knows no bounds (or in this case realms),
- Found family,
- Morally grey character,
- Unique magic system,
- Vanilla will never smell the same again.
Characters:
- Cassia is smart and strong willed (sometimes to her own detriment) and I hope the next two books builds up her character and I get to know /her/ a bit more rather than just the world around her
- Lucas is a cinnamon roll but I have a lot of questions that need answering
- Lochlan is.. I have nothing to say other than I'm calling dibs so hands off. I have my pen ready and I will fight you off. I need more.
Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for the free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
All opinions are my own.
March 22, 2022
I am in no way suddenly into fantasy and I'll probably never be swayed that way, but this was a situation where just the one book, just this one fantasy book.
I really enjoyed this book. No one is more shocked than I am that I got as into it as I did. It was action-packed and gripping and I was highly entertained. It was one of those books where you couldn't read fast enough because you couldn't wait to see what happened next. The fantastic elements were original, the drama was peak and the fight scenes were on point. Lest I forget how I was absolutely living for the moments between Cassia and Lochlan. I realise how messed up it is to be routing for the obvious bad guy but I find myself uttering the words 'maybe, he's just misunderstood' and I wanna slap myself because something must be wrong with me. But I've chosen my favourite and there's no going back. It's not often that a book has me in an emotional tailspin, but I found myself squealing and yelling. Suffice it to say, it was an experience reading this book.
I still view fantasy as too bizarre for me to get on board with and I much prefer stories rooted in reality, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this book and am quite excited about the next book because apparently I'm invested now.
A job well done to the author. I would definitely recommend this book.
A thank you to Netgalley for gifting this arc in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. No one is more shocked than I am that I got as into it as I did. It was action-packed and gripping and I was highly entertained. It was one of those books where you couldn't read fast enough because you couldn't wait to see what happened next. The fantastic elements were original, the drama was peak and the fight scenes were on point. Lest I forget how I was absolutely living for the moments between Cassia and Lochlan. I realise how messed up it is to be routing for the obvious bad guy but I find myself uttering the words 'maybe, he's just misunderstood' and I wanna slap myself because something must be wrong with me. But I've chosen my favourite and there's no going back. It's not often that a book has me in an emotional tailspin, but I found myself squealing and yelling. Suffice it to say, it was an experience reading this book.
I still view fantasy as too bizarre for me to get on board with and I much prefer stories rooted in reality, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this book and am quite excited about the next book because apparently I'm invested now.
A job well done to the author. I would definitely recommend this book.
A thank you to Netgalley for gifting this arc in exchange for an honest review.
June 21, 2022
Although I'm lucky enough to be friends with the author, this review is completely objective. I've read a few of her works now, and I'm not lying when I say that I'd read her grocery list and I'd still love it.
I'm not much of a fantasy reader, so loving this book this much took me by surprise. Cassia and Lucas are such loveable characters in their own right, and seeing their journeys was something magical. The story unfolded in such a lovely way and it kept me guessing, and wanting more. I completely devoured this book, so much so that I didn't put it down while reading it. To me, the true mark of a good book is its ability to keep you enthralled and this one did exactly that.
In addition to living Cassia and Lucas' friendship, I loved the found family they had there, the unexpected allies and the pure love we could see between multiple different characters. The twists and turns captivated me, especially when we get to the last few chapters of the book.
I'd recommend this to anyone who lives a good, interesting fantasy. You won't regret reading this!
I'm not much of a fantasy reader, so loving this book this much took me by surprise. Cassia and Lucas are such loveable characters in their own right, and seeing their journeys was something magical. The story unfolded in such a lovely way and it kept me guessing, and wanting more. I completely devoured this book, so much so that I didn't put it down while reading it. To me, the true mark of a good book is its ability to keep you enthralled and this one did exactly that.
In addition to living Cassia and Lucas' friendship, I loved the found family they had there, the unexpected allies and the pure love we could see between multiple different characters. The twists and turns captivated me, especially when we get to the last few chapters of the book.
I'd recommend this to anyone who lives a good, interesting fantasy. You won't regret reading this!
March 8, 2022
I loved this book! I LOVE reading about a strong female character & this one was full of them. The magic and plot was something totally different to anything I've read in fantasy before, which was very refreshing and exciting.
The romance was awesome, and I found it very easy to get emotionally invested/attached to every character, not just the lovers.
Looking forward to the rest in the series, they can't come soon enough!
The romance was awesome, and I found it very easy to get emotionally invested/attached to every character, not just the lovers.
Looking forward to the rest in the series, they can't come soon enough!
March 6, 2022
An unique plot, a fast pace story, it grabs you and holds you until the end.
4 stars
~ I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own ~
4 stars
~ I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own ~
March 18, 2022
First of all, full disclosure: I did not finish this book. I could not finish this book. The reason that I could not finish this book was that it was so mediocre at every level: The individual sentence-level writing was clumsy and pedestrian; the characterization was, I *think* going for #relatablecontent, but instead slipped into something that felt like a cliche of itself. The progression of events through scenes either repeated material that did not need to be repeated, or else introduced elements out of nowhere and never explained them. People make utterly bizarre remarks that are clearly an attempt to introduce exposition, but fail dismally at being believable in the context of the book. I can't comment on whether the broad plot structure worked, because I did not finish the book, but there's nothing about the set-up that is at all surprising or novel, so I have no doubt that I can guess how it ends, and care so little about it that I can't make myself slog through to see if I'm right.
Let us consider each one of these problems in turn.
First: The sentence-level writing. It wasn't bad or anything, but it was awkward. For example: "Cassia held on to the reins and Lucas reached around her. "Hold on, they go pretty fast."' Leaving aside the fact that reins are not grab-handles--no, not even when you're riding a wolf instead of a horse!--she's *already* holding on. We were told that she held on in the immediately preceding sentence--with the very same phrasal verb, no less. Sure, it's not outside the realms of possibility that someone might tell you to do something that you're already doing, but it's irritating and frustrating in real life, because it indicates that the speaker is either unobservant or else some kind of condescending mansplaining asshole. But Lucas isn't either of those things--or isn't supposed to be, which makes it all the more exasperating when he fails to read the previous sentence before he speaks.
Next: Characterization. Our heroine, Cassia, is a med student, and her beloved little sister is sick with some strange disease. Cassia is very studious and very fond of her sister. We learn this because her sister complains about her math homework, and Cassia offers to help her with it. And we get this:
"Stop showing off that you're good at math," Calla joked and groaned loudly. "I hate this. I'm never going to use it."
"Math is extremely useful," Cassia said as she picked up the thin notebooks and shoved them into the superhero-themed backpack."
What, exactly, do we learn in this conversation? That Calla doesn't like math? That Cassia is good at it? I didn't finish the book, but I'm pretty sure the 'importance of math' theme is not going to come back. The whole conversation doesn't feel real; it feels like a placeholder conversation that is intended to represent 'I am eleven and struggle with eleven-year-old frustrations' and 'I care about your education and I am a smart person'. Except the placeholder is never replaced with actual characterization, and we're left with details--such as they are--that are so generic that they don't add any depth.
Likewise, another time Cassia is studying from a textbook, using a highlighter to highlight important bits, except 'at the rate she was going, the entire textbook would be highlighted in shades of yellow and green and it would be easier to identify the sentences that weren't highlighted.' Leaving aside the fact that this is not a terribly good study skill, we learned in the previous chapter that she has an eidetic/videographic memory. Why is she still highlighting textbooks? If her memory is that good, she shouldn't need it. It's as if the plot-relevant characterization (eidetic memory) is ignored because the author wants to cram some #relatablecontent into the book, because who hasn't overhighlighted a textbook, amirite?
All of the characterizations feel like this: I can tell exactly when details are supposed to be #relatablecontent, because they add nothing to the book and feel generic and pointless, and don't fit with the details are going to be plot relevant (eidetic memory).
Next: organization of information in events: Cassia is kidnapped into an alternative world through a portal and meets her long-lost childhood best friend Lucas there. And what is the first thing he tells her when she asks what's going on? 'We're in another realm. It runs on the same timeline as your world, so we're still the same age, kind of. Physically, I'd start aging slower at some point.'
WTF? Why do aging and timelines matter? If I were Cassia, I'd want to know, oh, let's say, how I got there, how I can get back, who is this asshole who kidnapped me, am I in danger, why did he kidnap me, how did you get here, why have you never come home, and that's just off the top of my head. Nowhere in that list of things I want to know does 'do we age at the same rate here as we do at home?' That's the kind of question that I wouldn't even consider until I'd been there long enough to think about the passage of time and the aging of bodies. Not in the first ten minutes!
Similarly, from Lucas's perspective, the list of things I'd imagine Cassia needs to know badly include facts like, 'By the way, you can do magic, and so can your sister, and that's why she's sick, but I can teach you how to help her; there's a lot of political strife here in this realm and you're not entirely safe; we've got monsters in the basement so don't go wandering around too far; here's how travel to and from the realm works; also my dead mom's here.' I know that he wants to say these things, which are all extremely plot relevant, because he does eventually tell Cassia all about them. But first he finds it necessary to talk about timelines and relative aging, which is wildly bizarre.
This weird approach to deciding how to share information is in the narrative, too, not just the dialogue. At one point we have a time jump: Cassia has lunch, and then we jump to bedtime. This is fine if a character has a normal routine and we can imagine they proceed as usual until the next plot-relevant event. But this is Cassia's first day in the new realm. She doesn't have a routine. It's all new to her. So what did she do during the afternoon? It clearly didn't involve asking anyone any questions, because that evening she's still asking extremely basic questions, and the next morning she's wild with frustration at having all these other questions that she hasn't had a chance to ask anyone. So she didn't spend the afternoon talking to people and asking question. Maybe she spent it learning how to use her magic? Because the next morning Lucas asks her if she's ready to try using it, and I presume that the only reason she'd be more ready tomorrow than the day she arrives is if she started working on developing the skill. But if she did, we didn't see it, because the next scene is Doing Magic 101. So, again, what did she do that afternoon? It's as if the development of her understanding got stalled when the book decided to skip over the afternoon. If the author wanted her to go to bed immediately after arrival, then why didn't she arrive at 6pm or something? What's the point of this blank afternoon? It's baffling.
But, in addition to missing information, we also have repeated information. Remember the wolf-riding? We learn all about the wolf-riding when Lucas goes on a wolfback ride before Cassiaarrives in his realm, but when she arrives we get to be in her head when she learns about it. But her reaction isn't interesting or illuminating. She just thinks, 'wolfback riding? Wow, that's weird and different from home.' There was no point in going on that journey of discovery for her. It's just a boring delay in the action while we have to wiat for her to deal with her disbelief.
I recognize, reading back through this list of flaws, that each one is incredibly trivial. Each one is small and niggling and would not even make me blink in a better book. But the book is not a better book, and these trivial niggling irritants are not the only trivia niggling irritants. They are a sample, a subset of the full set that I highlighted as I read. Every trivial niggling irritant sits cheek by jowl with multiple other trivial niggling irritants. I could not turn a page without running into some weird conversation, some oddly dumb decision, some random appearance of two dudes who wander up, say hi, and then are forgotten because monsters attack and the plot moves on. I couldn't take it. I gave it up. DNF.
NB: I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley. Inasmuch as I can be sure of such things, I believe that this has not affected the content of my review.
Let us consider each one of these problems in turn.
First: The sentence-level writing. It wasn't bad or anything, but it was awkward. For example: "Cassia held on to the reins and Lucas reached around her. "Hold on, they go pretty fast."' Leaving aside the fact that reins are not grab-handles--no, not even when you're riding a wolf instead of a horse!--she's *already* holding on. We were told that she held on in the immediately preceding sentence--with the very same phrasal verb, no less. Sure, it's not outside the realms of possibility that someone might tell you to do something that you're already doing, but it's irritating and frustrating in real life, because it indicates that the speaker is either unobservant or else some kind of condescending mansplaining asshole. But Lucas isn't either of those things--or isn't supposed to be, which makes it all the more exasperating when he fails to read the previous sentence before he speaks.
Next: Characterization. Our heroine, Cassia, is a med student, and her beloved little sister is sick with some strange disease. Cassia is very studious and very fond of her sister. We learn this because her sister complains about her math homework, and Cassia offers to help her with it. And we get this:
"Stop showing off that you're good at math," Calla joked and groaned loudly. "I hate this. I'm never going to use it."
"Math is extremely useful," Cassia said as she picked up the thin notebooks and shoved them into the superhero-themed backpack."
What, exactly, do we learn in this conversation? That Calla doesn't like math? That Cassia is good at it? I didn't finish the book, but I'm pretty sure the 'importance of math' theme is not going to come back. The whole conversation doesn't feel real; it feels like a placeholder conversation that is intended to represent 'I am eleven and struggle with eleven-year-old frustrations' and 'I care about your education and I am a smart person'. Except the placeholder is never replaced with actual characterization, and we're left with details--such as they are--that are so generic that they don't add any depth.
Likewise, another time Cassia is studying from a textbook, using a highlighter to highlight important bits, except 'at the rate she was going, the entire textbook would be highlighted in shades of yellow and green and it would be easier to identify the sentences that weren't highlighted.' Leaving aside the fact that this is not a terribly good study skill, we learned in the previous chapter that she has an eidetic/videographic memory. Why is she still highlighting textbooks? If her memory is that good, she shouldn't need it. It's as if the plot-relevant characterization (eidetic memory) is ignored because the author wants to cram some #relatablecontent into the book, because who hasn't overhighlighted a textbook, amirite?
All of the characterizations feel like this: I can tell exactly when details are supposed to be #relatablecontent, because they add nothing to the book and feel generic and pointless, and don't fit with the details are going to be plot relevant (eidetic memory).
Next: organization of information in events: Cassia is kidnapped into an alternative world through a portal and meets her long-lost childhood best friend Lucas there. And what is the first thing he tells her when she asks what's going on? 'We're in another realm. It runs on the same timeline as your world, so we're still the same age, kind of. Physically, I'd start aging slower at some point.'
WTF? Why do aging and timelines matter? If I were Cassia, I'd want to know, oh, let's say, how I got there, how I can get back, who is this asshole who kidnapped me, am I in danger, why did he kidnap me, how did you get here, why have you never come home, and that's just off the top of my head. Nowhere in that list of things I want to know does 'do we age at the same rate here as we do at home?' That's the kind of question that I wouldn't even consider until I'd been there long enough to think about the passage of time and the aging of bodies. Not in the first ten minutes!
Similarly, from Lucas's perspective, the list of things I'd imagine Cassia needs to know badly include facts like, 'By the way, you can do magic, and so can your sister, and that's why she's sick, but I can teach you how to help her; there's a lot of political strife here in this realm and you're not entirely safe; we've got monsters in the basement so don't go wandering around too far; here's how travel to and from the realm works; also my dead mom's here.' I know that he wants to say these things, which are all extremely plot relevant, because he does eventually tell Cassia all about them. But first he finds it necessary to talk about timelines and relative aging, which is wildly bizarre.
This weird approach to deciding how to share information is in the narrative, too, not just the dialogue. At one point we have a time jump: Cassia has lunch, and then we jump to bedtime. This is fine if a character has a normal routine and we can imagine they proceed as usual until the next plot-relevant event. But this is Cassia's first day in the new realm. She doesn't have a routine. It's all new to her. So what did she do during the afternoon? It clearly didn't involve asking anyone any questions, because that evening she's still asking extremely basic questions, and the next morning she's wild with frustration at having all these other questions that she hasn't had a chance to ask anyone. So she didn't spend the afternoon talking to people and asking question. Maybe she spent it learning how to use her magic? Because the next morning Lucas asks her if she's ready to try using it, and I presume that the only reason she'd be more ready tomorrow than the day she arrives is if she started working on developing the skill. But if she did, we didn't see it, because the next scene is Doing Magic 101. So, again, what did she do that afternoon? It's as if the development of her understanding got stalled when the book decided to skip over the afternoon. If the author wanted her to go to bed immediately after arrival, then why didn't she arrive at 6pm or something? What's the point of this blank afternoon? It's baffling.
But, in addition to missing information, we also have repeated information. Remember the wolf-riding? We learn all about the wolf-riding when Lucas goes on a wolfback ride before Cassiaarrives in his realm, but when she arrives we get to be in her head when she learns about it. But her reaction isn't interesting or illuminating. She just thinks, 'wolfback riding? Wow, that's weird and different from home.' There was no point in going on that journey of discovery for her. It's just a boring delay in the action while we have to wiat for her to deal with her disbelief.
I recognize, reading back through this list of flaws, that each one is incredibly trivial. Each one is small and niggling and would not even make me blink in a better book. But the book is not a better book, and these trivial niggling irritants are not the only trivia niggling irritants. They are a sample, a subset of the full set that I highlighted as I read. Every trivial niggling irritant sits cheek by jowl with multiple other trivial niggling irritants. I could not turn a page without running into some weird conversation, some oddly dumb decision, some random appearance of two dudes who wander up, say hi, and then are forgotten because monsters attack and the plot moves on. I couldn't take it. I gave it up. DNF.
NB: I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley. Inasmuch as I can be sure of such things, I believe that this has not affected the content of my review.
August 27, 2022
I'm not much of a fantasy reader but this one has pulled me into a world I never want to leave. Absolutely loved the world building and character development. Well thought out plot and entertaining story. Can't wait for no2!
April 21, 2022
This book had me glued from beginning to end! It begins with a mystery (the main character's best friend has been missing for four years), which I feel is always a great way to start.
I enjoyed the characters - while many of them are the typical "good guys, nice people", there are a few more morally grey ones (ahem, Lochlan) who I found really interesting and enjoyable. The relationship and dynamic between Cassia and Lucas was also really lovely to read about.
I love that the story ended in a place that clearly shows there's more to come (because I need more!), and I feel that the author ended it in a really good place. I would love to see more world-building in the Selene Realm in the next book.
A solid 4.25 stars from me!
Thank you so much to the author for sending me an e-ARC to read and review.
I enjoyed the characters - while many of them are the typical "good guys, nice people", there are a few more morally grey ones (ahem, Lochlan) who I found really interesting and enjoyable. The relationship and dynamic between Cassia and Lucas was also really lovely to read about.
I love that the story ended in a place that clearly shows there's more to come (because I need more!), and I feel that the author ended it in a really good place. I would love to see more world-building in the Selene Realm in the next book.
A solid 4.25 stars from me!
Thank you so much to the author for sending me an e-ARC to read and review.
August 6, 2024
This was incredible! When I started with it, I could quiet literally not put it down. And I also couldn't wait for the next book. It's a mix of fantasy and a bit of romance. Very well written.
July 3, 2022
3.5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
What a lovely debut! The author skilfully weaves together a rich and totally unique fantasy world that I look forward to spending more time in. The characters are memorable, and the plot twists keep the reader invested in the story.
One of my favourite aspects is the skilful way the author incorporates romance into the dialogue and narrative, and I found myself chuckling or giggling several times while reading.
I loved the hints of an enemies to lovers romance and would have loved to see more of it, but I will have to content myself with a slow burn. Cassia and Lucas’ friendship is also so well-written, complete with a lot of history, inside jokes and soft moments. I loved the fact that the story didn’t fall into certain cliches with them … Cold food (iykyk).
The ‘side characters’ stole my heart, and I would die for the wolves.
It took a while for me to get fully engrossed in the story, but that is true for me with most books and after I reached the halfway point I could not stop reading. The plot twists toward the end were full of impact, and the continuous falling of the feathers aided in creating a strong sense of suspense and tension, which kept me turning the pages.
The reason I ended up giving 3.5 and not a full 4 stars, is because I did notice a tendency to tell rather than show, which unfortunately resulted in some important moments and action scenes lacking in impact. I also felt that the * emotional damage * could have been turned up a notch, and there were a few small continuity errors and repetitive or contrasting phrases that a good editor should have spotted.
However, I enjoyed the story a lot and believe it to be a very well written debut. I look forward to reading the rest of the series because that ending really left me wanting more in the best way! I'm convinced the author will only grow in skill after this great start.
Thank you to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
What a lovely debut! The author skilfully weaves together a rich and totally unique fantasy world that I look forward to spending more time in. The characters are memorable, and the plot twists keep the reader invested in the story.
One of my favourite aspects is the skilful way the author incorporates romance into the dialogue and narrative, and I found myself chuckling or giggling several times while reading.
I loved the hints of an enemies to lovers romance and would have loved to see more of it, but I will have to content myself with a slow burn. Cassia and Lucas’ friendship is also so well-written, complete with a lot of history, inside jokes and soft moments. I loved the fact that the story didn’t fall into certain cliches with them … Cold food (iykyk).
The ‘side characters’ stole my heart, and I would die for the wolves.
It took a while for me to get fully engrossed in the story, but that is true for me with most books and after I reached the halfway point I could not stop reading. The plot twists toward the end were full of impact, and the continuous falling of the feathers aided in creating a strong sense of suspense and tension, which kept me turning the pages.
The reason I ended up giving 3.5 and not a full 4 stars, is because I did notice a tendency to tell rather than show, which unfortunately resulted in some important moments and action scenes lacking in impact. I also felt that the * emotional damage * could have been turned up a notch, and there were a few small continuity errors and repetitive or contrasting phrases that a good editor should have spotted.
However, I enjoyed the story a lot and believe it to be a very well written debut. I look forward to reading the rest of the series because that ending really left me wanting more in the best way! I'm convinced the author will only grow in skill after this great start.
March 5, 2023
"In a world so full of pain and horror, it isn't a sin to feel happy. It's those moments that keep us going, that keep us sane, that remind us that there's something to fight for."
So this may seem reversed but I couldn't post this first because it would appear as backwards on my feed and would just look wrong.
The Last Feather is the first book in the Selene Trilogy by @shameezwrites and it is the perfect entry into the realm of Selene.
Twenty-two-year-old Cassia's sister is dying, and she doesn't know why. Soon after, Cassia wakes up in another realm, not only does she find her missing best friend, Lucas, but he knows how to save her sister.
Meanwhile Lucas is part of a community of Reborns, people who were born on earth and after death, were reborn in this realm with magical abilities. The original beings of the realm, the Firsts, rule over them.
But, to keep the Reborn numbers manageable, the king of the Firsts releases a curse to cull them and Cassia finds herself in the middle of it. She needs to break the curse before her time runs out, otherwise she will be trapped there forever.
Cassia is a strong character who desperately wants to help her sister but is also struggling to come to terms with her best friend disappearing a few years ago. One evening, she is whisked away to the realm of Selene where she finds Lucas living and working with a group of people to survive despite a cruel king imposing harsh conditions on them. Cassia joins them, racing against the clock to save her new friends and her sister Calla before time runs out and Cassia is stuck in Selene forever.
The world-building in this, is slow in the beginning to ease you into complex realm of Selene and it sets the scene perfectly for this story and allows the sequel to build onto this seamlessly.
I love the development of the relationship between Cassia and Lucas and don't even get me started about Lochlan who is the perfect morally grey character.
If you haven't picked up this yet, make sure to add this and the sequel, The Eternal Shadow, to your TBR when it releases on 11 April - you will not be disappointed
So this may seem reversed but I couldn't post this first because it would appear as backwards on my feed and would just look wrong.
The Last Feather is the first book in the Selene Trilogy by @shameezwrites and it is the perfect entry into the realm of Selene.
Twenty-two-year-old Cassia's sister is dying, and she doesn't know why. Soon after, Cassia wakes up in another realm, not only does she find her missing best friend, Lucas, but he knows how to save her sister.
Meanwhile Lucas is part of a community of Reborns, people who were born on earth and after death, were reborn in this realm with magical abilities. The original beings of the realm, the Firsts, rule over them.
But, to keep the Reborn numbers manageable, the king of the Firsts releases a curse to cull them and Cassia finds herself in the middle of it. She needs to break the curse before her time runs out, otherwise she will be trapped there forever.
Cassia is a strong character who desperately wants to help her sister but is also struggling to come to terms with her best friend disappearing a few years ago. One evening, she is whisked away to the realm of Selene where she finds Lucas living and working with a group of people to survive despite a cruel king imposing harsh conditions on them. Cassia joins them, racing against the clock to save her new friends and her sister Calla before time runs out and Cassia is stuck in Selene forever.
The world-building in this, is slow in the beginning to ease you into complex realm of Selene and it sets the scene perfectly for this story and allows the sequel to build onto this seamlessly.
I love the development of the relationship between Cassia and Lucas and don't even get me started about Lochlan who is the perfect morally grey character.
If you haven't picked up this yet, make sure to add this and the sequel, The Eternal Shadow, to your TBR when it releases on 11 April - you will not be disappointed
November 12, 2022
REVIEW: The Last Feather by Shameez Patel Papathanasiou
Plot 4
Action 4
Characters 4
Writing 4
World Building 4
Spoiler free reviews!
Read this if you like:
- Found family
- Different realm/s
- Found family /friend troupe
- Curse
- Magic and monsters
- Morally grey hottie (LOCHLAN)
SUMMARY: Cassia’s sister is dying and she doesn’t know why. Soon after Cassia wakes up in another realm and finds her missing best friend Lucas who also knows how to save her sister. Lucas is a Reborn who after death are reborn with magical abilities but the Firsts (who rule over them all) has a curse to cull them – if Cassia doesn’t break the curse she will be trapped there forever.
DEBUT DELIGHT
Hats off to this community friend and South African debut author! Writing a novel is what I can only imagine as one the most difficult things one can accomplish.
This book starts off strong as we get to know Cassia’s life/routine, her 11 year old sister Calla and how intensely she misses Lucas, her friend that vanished four years ago.
Cassia’s love for her sister is so authentic and I could really relate to the love she has and that overpowering determination to save her.
Shameez has a very precise writing style (which I really enjoyed) and this makes the pages fly by as we head into one action scene after the next.
The characters are vivid, endearing (LUCAS) and tbh, addictive! The chemistry and banter between Cassia and Lochlan was *swoon*
Don’t forget about a curse breaking book, shocking twists and reveals and a very ominous last line from Lucas himself!
RECOMMEND IT FOR: If you are new to fantasy or want to explore something different in this genre, this is the perfect book for you!
Publish Date: 2022
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 275
Young Adult/ Fantasy /Magic/ Contemporary
Thank you to @jonathanballpublishers and @jonathanballkids for the review copy, opinions are my own.
August 25, 2023
I haven't read many fantasy books, but I couldn't pass up an opportunity to support a South African author. And I loved it! This could be the book that finally gets me into the genre.
I was gripped from the start. It's got magic, monsters and mystery. I think what hooked me, though, is the way the story appeals to the heart.
We meet Cassia in the human world. She's a medical whizz on a mission to find out what happened to her missing best friend Lucas while trying to heal her sister Calla's idiopathic illness.
Understandably, she has a LOT of questions when she is dragged to a place that she didn't know existed. In the Selene realm, she finds curses, fiendish royals, strange creatures and Lucas. He can heal Calla, but he needs Cassia's help first. Before the feathers run out.
The story takes us on a journey through both of their perspectives, featuring many fascinating side characters along the way.
I adored that even though lovable giant Lucas is fiercely protective of her, Cassia is tough. She adapts swiftly and soon shows her worth. She was taken there for good reason, after all.
The pace is fast, the story tense and thrilling, the characters rugged and raw. Ultimately, it's about love, family and friendship and, with the author's featherlight touch, the heart overpowers the horror in this story. I highly recommend it! I can't wait for part two of the Selene Trilogy.
It was such a pleasure to take part in #thelastfeatherblogtoursa. Thank you so much Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for the eARC of this brilliant book!
I was gripped from the start. It's got magic, monsters and mystery. I think what hooked me, though, is the way the story appeals to the heart.
We meet Cassia in the human world. She's a medical whizz on a mission to find out what happened to her missing best friend Lucas while trying to heal her sister Calla's idiopathic illness.
Understandably, she has a LOT of questions when she is dragged to a place that she didn't know existed. In the Selene realm, she finds curses, fiendish royals, strange creatures and Lucas. He can heal Calla, but he needs Cassia's help first. Before the feathers run out.
The story takes us on a journey through both of their perspectives, featuring many fascinating side characters along the way.
I adored that even though lovable giant Lucas is fiercely protective of her, Cassia is tough. She adapts swiftly and soon shows her worth. She was taken there for good reason, after all.
The pace is fast, the story tense and thrilling, the characters rugged and raw. Ultimately, it's about love, family and friendship and, with the author's featherlight touch, the heart overpowers the horror in this story. I highly recommend it! I can't wait for part two of the Selene Trilogy.
It was such a pleasure to take part in #thelastfeatherblogtoursa. Thank you so much Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for the eARC of this brilliant book!
March 31, 2022
Book 2 now please.
I absolutely loved this read, and am so very much here for it. We have the usual fantasy tropes - person thinks they're just average, life throws stuff at them, and then they have to find out and deal with having important magic powers. Here though the life stuff is losing your important people, a sick sister that they just can't find out why and the dealing with important magic powers is to save a realm...no big deal. Only it is and Cassia shows that it is, and reacts in ways most folks would get...like getting stuck on random small details - anything to have some sense of control when you very clearly don't.
There are some other characters I'm eyeing up suspiciously - Xo and the horror show of a parent.
Be warned you need to make sure you have a solid block of time to dive right in.
*I'm a lucky fish and received a copy via NetGalley*
I absolutely loved this read, and am so very much here for it. We have the usual fantasy tropes - person thinks they're just average, life throws stuff at them, and then they have to find out and deal with having important magic powers. Here though the life stuff is losing your important people, a sick sister that they just can't find out why and the dealing with important magic powers is to save a realm...no big deal. Only it is and Cassia shows that it is, and reacts in ways most folks would get...like getting stuck on random small details - anything to have some sense of control when you very clearly don't.
There are some other characters I'm eyeing up suspiciously - Xo and the horror show of a parent.
Be warned you need to make sure you have a solid block of time to dive right in.
*I'm a lucky fish and received a copy via NetGalley*
May 1, 2022
*I was gifted an eARC of this book for an honest review*
I am blown away by this book!
Shameez describes this book as a soft fantasy, and I honestly love that. Because that is what this is! It's fantasy and magic all wrapped up in such a wonderful, heart-warming easy read that ties in with every day life.
The world building was done so well, it never once left me confused or wondering where we were or what on earth something is.
The MC, Cassia, is so genuine and her relationships with the other characters are very well written. Her love for her sister is unmistakable and from the very beginning you know she would go to the ends of the earth for her.
Found family, young love, friendship, magic, and a twist I didn't see coming.
Congratulations, Shameez, this is such a wonderful debut novel.
I am blown away by this book!
Shameez describes this book as a soft fantasy, and I honestly love that. Because that is what this is! It's fantasy and magic all wrapped up in such a wonderful, heart-warming easy read that ties in with every day life.
The world building was done so well, it never once left me confused or wondering where we were or what on earth something is.
The MC, Cassia, is so genuine and her relationships with the other characters are very well written. Her love for her sister is unmistakable and from the very beginning you know she would go to the ends of the earth for her.
Found family, young love, friendship, magic, and a twist I didn't see coming.
Congratulations, Shameez, this is such a wonderful debut novel.
August 10, 2024
I first read this book in 2022 and did a re-read in 2024.
It was even better the second time around if that is possible!
Cassia, Lucan and Lochlan are the best characters!
The world building is fantastic. The character development is steady and great.
The storyline keeps you on your toes!
Calla is a sweetheart and can't wait to get to know her more. I also adore the found family in the Selene Realm.
The character that gets under my skin the most... Rosheen but guess that is a sign of a character well written.
A great start to what will be a great trilogy I am sure.
It was even better the second time around if that is possible!
Cassia, Lucan and Lochlan are the best characters!
The world building is fantastic. The character development is steady and great.
The storyline keeps you on your toes!
Calla is a sweetheart and can't wait to get to know her more. I also adore the found family in the Selene Realm.
The character that gets under my skin the most... Rosheen but guess that is a sign of a character well written.
A great start to what will be a great trilogy I am sure.
May 15, 2023
OK, I found this author this book on BookTok and I'm SO glad I did. Another great read that isn't getting enough hype.
I'm not sure what I can say without giving too much away but let me say, it is definitely worth reading, especially if you enjoy YA fantasy, romance and magic. I am dying to tell you about the Rahlogs (😲) but not sure if that would be saying too much but read the book and you'll find out. Wonderful YA fantasy filled with all the good stuff and then some. Easily 5 stars *****
I'm not sure what I can say without giving too much away but let me say, it is definitely worth reading, especially if you enjoy YA fantasy, romance and magic. I am dying to tell you about the Rahlogs (😲) but not sure if that would be saying too much but read the book and you'll find out. Wonderful YA fantasy filled with all the good stuff and then some. Easily 5 stars *****
July 14, 2022
Papathanasiou does an outstanding job with the novel “The Last Feather.”
This Novel begins with young medical student Cassia Khan and her best friend Luke. Cassia has been having dreams about Luke who disappeared 4 years ago while they were out with friends camping on their 18th birthday. Since then, Cassia has been having dreams of Luke trying to talk to her, or so that is what it seems to her. But every time she tries to reach out to him, or say something to him, nothing happens, and she wakes up. However! In the real world, something terrible is actually happening, her little sister Calla is extremely sick. Actually, she is dying, and it cannot be explained. Cassia and her mother have taken Calla to every Doctor possible; they have had every test run to no avail. They all come back that Calla is perfectly healthy and yet she is wasting away. Neither know what to do for Calla or her pain. Then one day while Cassia is at work at the hospital, she is kidnapped and taken to the Selene realm by Prince Lochlan. (What she does not realize when she is kidnapped is that she is being taken to the one person who she so desperately wants to see for the past 4 years.) When she wakes up Luke is by her side, she cannot believe he is real, and she demands an explanation. He explains and tells her about the necklace she has on, that however she is a guest as long as she returns before the last feather drops, she can return to her realm (Talm). She then ask’s him did he choose to stay in Selene, which he did. But she does not give him a chance to explain fully before she gets incredibly angry. So, he just blurts out that he and his friends can save Calla. Cassia does not believe him at first, but he goes on to explain that Calla is special and that is the reason she is dying is because of her constant grief. They can make her a suppressant to bring back to Calla that will help her until she is older.
Cassia is extremely grateful! Along the way she meets Luke’s friends XO, who is Luke’s best friend and who found him and saved him in Selene. Brie, Nisa, Min Jun, and poor Jean (turned into a Rhalog) Then there are the Princes’ Lochlan and Kain. Kain is pure evil, and Lochlan is just a spoiled brat who needs to be loved. In their attempt to get snails for Calla’s suppressant, XO is bitten by a Rhalog which means it is only a matter of time before he will turn into a full monster. Cassia refuses to let Luke lose his best friend in Selene also. It is also then that Cassia has a vision of her having an electrifying kiss with someone, but she cannot tell who exactly it is. Then once again Lochlan kidnaps her, he begs her for her help this time and promises to help with Calla. So, Cassia helps Lochlan find the furry white cat in her vision and as soon as she is found. She actually knows Cassia to Cassia’s amazement, But Cassia cannot believe her eyes. Lochlan’s vision and mother all this time has been none other than Cassia’s …………?
This is where I must leave you dear reader. However, Papathanasiou dropped that in the readers lap, and I think we were all taken by surprise. I certainly did not see that one coming.
Papathanasiou gives great word building, absolutely love the parallel realms between Selene and Talm.
But the real question is, what in the world happened at the end?
Can someone say ‘WHERES BOOK 2 QUICKLY PLEASE’?
NEED TO KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON ASAP!!!!
PLEASE!
This Novel begins with young medical student Cassia Khan and her best friend Luke. Cassia has been having dreams about Luke who disappeared 4 years ago while they were out with friends camping on their 18th birthday. Since then, Cassia has been having dreams of Luke trying to talk to her, or so that is what it seems to her. But every time she tries to reach out to him, or say something to him, nothing happens, and she wakes up. However! In the real world, something terrible is actually happening, her little sister Calla is extremely sick. Actually, she is dying, and it cannot be explained. Cassia and her mother have taken Calla to every Doctor possible; they have had every test run to no avail. They all come back that Calla is perfectly healthy and yet she is wasting away. Neither know what to do for Calla or her pain. Then one day while Cassia is at work at the hospital, she is kidnapped and taken to the Selene realm by Prince Lochlan. (What she does not realize when she is kidnapped is that she is being taken to the one person who she so desperately wants to see for the past 4 years.) When she wakes up Luke is by her side, she cannot believe he is real, and she demands an explanation. He explains and tells her about the necklace she has on, that however she is a guest as long as she returns before the last feather drops, she can return to her realm (Talm). She then ask’s him did he choose to stay in Selene, which he did. But she does not give him a chance to explain fully before she gets incredibly angry. So, he just blurts out that he and his friends can save Calla. Cassia does not believe him at first, but he goes on to explain that Calla is special and that is the reason she is dying is because of her constant grief. They can make her a suppressant to bring back to Calla that will help her until she is older.
Cassia is extremely grateful! Along the way she meets Luke’s friends XO, who is Luke’s best friend and who found him and saved him in Selene. Brie, Nisa, Min Jun, and poor Jean (turned into a Rhalog) Then there are the Princes’ Lochlan and Kain. Kain is pure evil, and Lochlan is just a spoiled brat who needs to be loved. In their attempt to get snails for Calla’s suppressant, XO is bitten by a Rhalog which means it is only a matter of time before he will turn into a full monster. Cassia refuses to let Luke lose his best friend in Selene also. It is also then that Cassia has a vision of her having an electrifying kiss with someone, but she cannot tell who exactly it is. Then once again Lochlan kidnaps her, he begs her for her help this time and promises to help with Calla. So, Cassia helps Lochlan find the furry white cat in her vision and as soon as she is found. She actually knows Cassia to Cassia’s amazement, But Cassia cannot believe her eyes. Lochlan’s vision and mother all this time has been none other than Cassia’s …………?
This is where I must leave you dear reader. However, Papathanasiou dropped that in the readers lap, and I think we were all taken by surprise. I certainly did not see that one coming.
Papathanasiou gives great word building, absolutely love the parallel realms between Selene and Talm.
But the real question is, what in the world happened at the end?
Can someone say ‘WHERES BOOK 2 QUICKLY PLEASE’?
NEED TO KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON ASAP!!!!
PLEASE!
July 27, 2022
The book is listed by the publisher as epic fantasy, but it felt more like NA portal fantasy to me. (In portal fantasy, a person is transported from one world to another by some sort of magic, usually through a specific place or object such as a wardrobe, rabbit hole, or mirror.)
Anyway, if you're a fan of the genre, you just might enjoy this book! There's a whole new world to learn about and explore, an interesting cast, and an especially strong female POC lead. If you have a soft spot for family and found family, you'll have plenty of interactions to like and maybe even characters you want to adopt. If you enjoy some enemies to lovers kind of banter, this will make you grin and snicker in places. If you just want to get lost in a magical world? You've come to the right book. And there's apparently more than one realm, but we probably need the sequel/s to get there?
It's fast paced and easy to read, which is why I think it's more NA than adult epic fantasy to me. There were some parts that annoyed and/or confused me, and I noted some inconsistencies, but they weren't dealbreakers, at least for me. The whole thing also ended quite abruptly, but I suppose it had to be dealt with the way it did. Still, I'm pretty forgiving when I'm satisfied with the book overall, and I am!
RECOMMENDED LISTENING: "The Dreamers" from the Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle OST
Anyway, if you're a fan of the genre, you just might enjoy this book! There's a whole new world to learn about and explore, an interesting cast, and an especially strong female POC lead. If you have a soft spot for family and found family, you'll have plenty of interactions to like and maybe even characters you want to adopt. If you enjoy some enemies to lovers kind of banter, this will make you grin and snicker in places. If you just want to get lost in a magical world? You've come to the right book. And there's apparently more than one realm, but we probably need the sequel/s to get there?
It's fast paced and easy to read, which is why I think it's more NA than adult epic fantasy to me. There were some parts that annoyed and/or confused me, and I noted some inconsistencies, but they weren't dealbreakers, at least for me. The whole thing also ended quite abruptly, but I suppose it had to be dealt with the way it did. Still, I'm pretty forgiving when I'm satisfied with the book overall, and I am!
RECOMMENDED LISTENING: "The Dreamers" from the Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle OST
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