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Fed to Red Birds
Prepare to be bewitched by Iceland and the book that has enchanted readers for decades – and imprisoned one of them.
Elva loves Iceland for many reasons – the epic landscape of gods and volcanos, the weather that’s the polar opposite of her home in Australia, and the fact that it’s where her mother might have gone back to when she disappeared. Iceland is where Elva’s beloved grandfather – the famous children’s book author - lives in a remote village and where the beings that haunt her imagination reside.
Elva is interested in the odd things people make – Victorian collectibles, old spells, taxidermy, fairytales. The weird, the wonderful and the sometimes macabre. She’s got a few quirks of her own that she’s (mainly) keeping under control. Except one.
Working in a shop of curiosities, studying at Icelandic language school, Elva begins to explore her obsessions, and when her grandfather suffers a stroke, they threaten to overtake her. Then she meets Remy, a painter who’s got some secrets of his own …
In her captivating debut, Rijn Collins has created a beautifully evocative portrait of an enchanted mind in an enchanting place – a story of everyday magic, both dark and light; of families and the shadows they can cast; of the delights and dangers of the imagination. Fed to Red Birds will transport you to remote corners of both the world and the human heart.
Elva loves Iceland for many reasons – the epic landscape of gods and volcanos, the weather that’s the polar opposite of her home in Australia, and the fact that it’s where her mother might have gone back to when she disappeared. Iceland is where Elva’s beloved grandfather – the famous children’s book author - lives in a remote village and where the beings that haunt her imagination reside.
Elva is interested in the odd things people make – Victorian collectibles, old spells, taxidermy, fairytales. The weird, the wonderful and the sometimes macabre. She’s got a few quirks of her own that she’s (mainly) keeping under control. Except one.
Working in a shop of curiosities, studying at Icelandic language school, Elva begins to explore her obsessions, and when her grandfather suffers a stroke, they threaten to overtake her. Then she meets Remy, a painter who’s got some secrets of his own …
In her captivating debut, Rijn Collins has created a beautifully evocative portrait of an enchanted mind in an enchanting place – a story of everyday magic, both dark and light; of families and the shadows they can cast; of the delights and dangers of the imagination. Fed to Red Birds will transport you to remote corners of both the world and the human heart.
256 pages, Paperback
First published March 8, 2023
13 people are currently reading
311 people want to read
About the author
Rijn Collins
5 books9 followersRijn Collins is an award-winning short story writer, published in many journals and anthologies, as well as having numerous audio stories produced: ‘Almost Flamboyant’ won the inaugural Sarah Awards for International Audio Fiction in New York. She has been a guest at many Australian writers’ festivals.
Rijn has also enjoyed two bitterly cold writing residencies: at Listhús in Ólafsfjörður, an Icelandic fishing village that inspired this work, and at Haihatus in Joutsa, a rural forest community in central Finland. She currently lives in Melbourne.
Rijn has also enjoyed two bitterly cold writing residencies: at Listhús in Ólafsfjörður, an Icelandic fishing village that inspired this work, and at Haihatus in Joutsa, a rural forest community in central Finland. She currently lives in Melbourne.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
January 28, 2023
I’m always interested in a book set in Iceland and this one was excellent. Elva grew up in Melbourne but her mother who left when she was young was Icelandic. Elva is now in Reykjavík learning to speak the language so she pass an immigration test. Her grandfather who lives in the north has recently had a stroke and her father remains behind in Melbourne. Elva is an intriguing character. At the start she is teaching herself taxidermy and she works in a shop that sells weird stuff. But it’s clear that she is shy and has some other compulsions (counting steps for instance).
Books, mythology, fairy tales, storytelling and language move through the story of this woman her friendships and relationships, and facing her fears and past. It was an enjoyable and quick read for me. The book kept me reading and I raced through it.
Books, mythology, fairy tales, storytelling and language move through the story of this woman her friendships and relationships, and facing her fears and past. It was an enjoyable and quick read for me. The book kept me reading and I raced through it.
April 7, 2023
“My childhood house was full of books, but my father was an academic, not a hoarder. Millions of little letters on shelves lining hallways and bedrooms, all hovering above my child’s head. I knew they were alive, in their perfect rows, and I longed to be able to reach up and fish them out: point a finger and hook a J by its tail, or grasp a whole wriggling word. They were in contrast with the spoken words, rare enough that I could count them on the fingers of both hands each day”
Fed To Red Birds is the first novel by Australian author, Rijn Collins. In the nine months that twenty-four-year-old Elva-Bjalla Bloom has lived in Reykjavik, she’s been learning Icelandic, working in the quirky Cabinet of Curiosities shop, improving her taxidermy skills by practicing on random dead animals her neighbours save for her, and doing her best to control her rituals and compulsions.
She finds it hard not to be reclusive, but she has made some friends: Jirapa from her language class; Tolli from the bar she frequents; and Grace, in her early sixties, owner of the Cabinet. The latter two, especially, understand her kinks and compulsions, her fears and the triggers that set her off; they know her mother disappeared when she was seven, and are her guardian angels, always sensitive, supportive and encouraging.
When she gets a call from her father in Melbourne, it’s not good news: her beloved maternal grandfather, her Afi, the author of a much-read children’s book that plays a large part in her compulsions, has had a stroke. He’s in hospital near his northern town of Olafsfjordur, unconscious, and disquiet about his condition threatens to upset Elva’s precarious control.
As there’s nothing she can do for Afi, her friends try to distract her from worrying: Grace takes her on buying trips for the shop, to auctions and sales, and together they challenge each other cooking unusual and often bizarre meals; Tolli draws her out to parties, at one of which she gets to know a tattooed Belgian artist, Remy.
But Elva has secret compulsions of which not even her closest friends are aware; it turns out that Remy might understand them better than anyone else. But it’s not until circumstances create a crisis from which Elva feels compelled to flee, to seek out her failsafe refuge, that the reader learns the root of Elva’s unusual compulsions.
Collins conveys her setting with consummate ease: Elva’s fascination with the dramatic landscape might stir some readers’ travel bugs, and her reaction to the cold weather makes it almost palpable. Collins gives the reader interesting characters and an engaging plot, and her descriptive prose is often gorgeous and elegant.
Examples of this: “I went early in the morning, before my anxiety had a chance to wake, stretch, and scrape its claws along the inside of my skull” and “The syllables dropped from my tongue like dark little stones. They could have fallen onto the countertop beneath her hands and shattered the glass to tiny pieces” and “I would listen to the words falling down my throat like tiny bells, chiming against each other as they tumbled into my tummy, in a song so exquisite only I could hear it.”
Also “For the most part I felt achingly out of place in this spectacular and savage country, but there were some parts where my Icelandic heritage felt woven into my very spine, forcing my head up and my shoulders straight.” This is an enthralling debut novel and more from Rijn Collins is eagerly anticipated.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Simon & Schuster Australia.
Fed To Red Birds is the first novel by Australian author, Rijn Collins. In the nine months that twenty-four-year-old Elva-Bjalla Bloom has lived in Reykjavik, she’s been learning Icelandic, working in the quirky Cabinet of Curiosities shop, improving her taxidermy skills by practicing on random dead animals her neighbours save for her, and doing her best to control her rituals and compulsions.
She finds it hard not to be reclusive, but she has made some friends: Jirapa from her language class; Tolli from the bar she frequents; and Grace, in her early sixties, owner of the Cabinet. The latter two, especially, understand her kinks and compulsions, her fears and the triggers that set her off; they know her mother disappeared when she was seven, and are her guardian angels, always sensitive, supportive and encouraging.
When she gets a call from her father in Melbourne, it’s not good news: her beloved maternal grandfather, her Afi, the author of a much-read children’s book that plays a large part in her compulsions, has had a stroke. He’s in hospital near his northern town of Olafsfjordur, unconscious, and disquiet about his condition threatens to upset Elva’s precarious control.
As there’s nothing she can do for Afi, her friends try to distract her from worrying: Grace takes her on buying trips for the shop, to auctions and sales, and together they challenge each other cooking unusual and often bizarre meals; Tolli draws her out to parties, at one of which she gets to know a tattooed Belgian artist, Remy.
But Elva has secret compulsions of which not even her closest friends are aware; it turns out that Remy might understand them better than anyone else. But it’s not until circumstances create a crisis from which Elva feels compelled to flee, to seek out her failsafe refuge, that the reader learns the root of Elva’s unusual compulsions.
Collins conveys her setting with consummate ease: Elva’s fascination with the dramatic landscape might stir some readers’ travel bugs, and her reaction to the cold weather makes it almost palpable. Collins gives the reader interesting characters and an engaging plot, and her descriptive prose is often gorgeous and elegant.
Examples of this: “I went early in the morning, before my anxiety had a chance to wake, stretch, and scrape its claws along the inside of my skull” and “The syllables dropped from my tongue like dark little stones. They could have fallen onto the countertop beneath her hands and shattered the glass to tiny pieces” and “I would listen to the words falling down my throat like tiny bells, chiming against each other as they tumbled into my tummy, in a song so exquisite only I could hear it.”
Also “For the most part I felt achingly out of place in this spectacular and savage country, but there were some parts where my Icelandic heritage felt woven into my very spine, forcing my head up and my shoulders straight.” This is an enthralling debut novel and more from Rijn Collins is eagerly anticipated.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Simon & Schuster Australia.
June 3, 2023
An interesting, gentle story with a wonderful sense of place, this debut novel by Rijn Collins is well worth a read. I read the audiobook edition, which was flawlessly narrated by Jessica Tovey.
Elva has relocated from Melbourne to Reykjavik, leaving her father behind in Australia. In Iceland she will be closer to her beloved grandfather, who lives in the north. Although she would barely admit it to herself, let alone to anyone else, she’s planning to stay for a while in the hope of gaining a better understanding of her Icelandic mother, who disappeared when Elva was young. She’s set herself up in a quirky attic apartment that she loves, she’s got a job in a quirky shop that suits her down to the ground, and she has developed a small circle of quirky friends that help to tether her to this place. Still, Elva herself knows she is quirkier than many - a fact she tries to hide from all but those closest to her. The story takes place when Elva is preparing to take her Icelandic language exam, in order to qualify for the long-term visa, which coincides with her grandfather suffering a health scare.
This was a really pleasant surprise. Collins took me to present-day Iceland and gave me a glimpse of a world unknown to me in real life. The bells and whistles were the taxidermy and the sensitive portrayal of several different expressions of mental health issues. I’ll be looking to see what Collins writes next.
Elva has relocated from Melbourne to Reykjavik, leaving her father behind in Australia. In Iceland she will be closer to her beloved grandfather, who lives in the north. Although she would barely admit it to herself, let alone to anyone else, she’s planning to stay for a while in the hope of gaining a better understanding of her Icelandic mother, who disappeared when Elva was young. She’s set herself up in a quirky attic apartment that she loves, she’s got a job in a quirky shop that suits her down to the ground, and she has developed a small circle of quirky friends that help to tether her to this place. Still, Elva herself knows she is quirkier than many - a fact she tries to hide from all but those closest to her. The story takes place when Elva is preparing to take her Icelandic language exam, in order to qualify for the long-term visa, which coincides with her grandfather suffering a health scare.
This was a really pleasant surprise. Collins took me to present-day Iceland and gave me a glimpse of a world unknown to me in real life. The bells and whistles were the taxidermy and the sensitive portrayal of several different expressions of mental health issues. I’ll be looking to see what Collins writes next.
May 24, 2023
What a treat this book was, anything with Iceland and Australia in the mix and I'm on board. My first overseas trip had me stopping in Reykjavik in 1966 on a 22 hour flight from New York to Frankfort. I never got to leave the airport on my two stops there, but never forgot landing at 3am with the sun shining brightly. I've been a fan ever since, yet have not revisited. This was a partial chance.
Our narrator is Elva, in Iceland less than a year, working in a curio shop and studying to pass the language exam so she can stay beyond a year. Her grandfather lives remotely in Iceland and her mother, who disappeared when she was 7 living in the bush outside Melbourne, is trying to find her place in Iceland and the world. This was amazing, entertaining, and full of mystery. I loved it.
Library ebook. 4.5 stars
Our narrator is Elva, in Iceland less than a year, working in a curio shop and studying to pass the language exam so she can stay beyond a year. Her grandfather lives remotely in Iceland and her mother, who disappeared when she was 7 living in the bush outside Melbourne, is trying to find her place in Iceland and the world. This was amazing, entertaining, and full of mystery. I loved it.
Library ebook. 4.5 stars
April 18, 2023
Two and a half stars.
Elva has come from Australia to Reykjavik in Iceland working with older woman Grace in the Cabinet of Curiosities which sells all sorts of weird things. She is learning taxidermy, while trying to keep her quirky compulsions under control, which is not so easily done. She gets a phone call from her father telling her that her grandfather Afi had a stroke. He is in hospital and unconscious in Olafsfjordur. Her grandfather is the author of a famous fairy tale book that has had a profound impact on Elva’s life. Since there is nothing she can do for him, she stay we’re she is. Her friends Grace,Tolli and Jirapa try and help her through this difficult time. When she meets the artist Remy she discovers someone who understands her. It seems Remy has his own secrets.
The book contains some beautiful, descriptive writing and evocative pictures of the Icelandic landscape. Yet despite this, the story as a whole and Elva’s journey failed to draw me in. I never connected with Elva and the other characters at all. Felt I was always standing at a distance.
Magic realism is not my favourite genre but I do like books that relate to myths, so thought it was worth a go. Sadly, I found it disjointed and too easy to put aside as it never compelled me to keep reading.
A lot of people are going to love this book. However, I found it a rather strange read. But I do thank Simon and Schuster for my copy to read and review. Loved the stunning cover but just didn’t love the book. Just not the right book for me.
Elva has come from Australia to Reykjavik in Iceland working with older woman Grace in the Cabinet of Curiosities which sells all sorts of weird things. She is learning taxidermy, while trying to keep her quirky compulsions under control, which is not so easily done. She gets a phone call from her father telling her that her grandfather Afi had a stroke. He is in hospital and unconscious in Olafsfjordur. Her grandfather is the author of a famous fairy tale book that has had a profound impact on Elva’s life. Since there is nothing she can do for him, she stay we’re she is. Her friends Grace,Tolli and Jirapa try and help her through this difficult time. When she meets the artist Remy she discovers someone who understands her. It seems Remy has his own secrets.
The book contains some beautiful, descriptive writing and evocative pictures of the Icelandic landscape. Yet despite this, the story as a whole and Elva’s journey failed to draw me in. I never connected with Elva and the other characters at all. Felt I was always standing at a distance.
Magic realism is not my favourite genre but I do like books that relate to myths, so thought it was worth a go. Sadly, I found it disjointed and too easy to put aside as it never compelled me to keep reading.
A lot of people are going to love this book. However, I found it a rather strange read. But I do thank Simon and Schuster for my copy to read and review. Loved the stunning cover but just didn’t love the book. Just not the right book for me.
February 20, 2023
A little bit dark, a big bit beautiful and an all over enjoyable novel.
I was lucky to receive an advance copy of Fed to Red Birds thanks to Better Reading and Simon and Schuster in exchange for an honest review.
Elva is a Melbourne girl who has moved to Iceland, her mother's homeland and a place she feels drawn to because of it's rugged beauty and silence.
Fed to Red Birds is not a complex storyline but it certainly is a compelling one. Elva is dealing with the fallout of her mother leaving when she was a child, her beloved Icelandic grandfather is in hospital and the relationship with her dad back in Melbourne is not exactly close. But she does have good friends in Iceland in Grace and Tolli and she is fascinated with taxidermy and improving her skills.
Despite Elva's anxieties I found reading Fed to Red Birds to be quite a calming experience. The muted colours of an Icelandic winter come out of the page, the thoughtful conversations convey the essentials of Elva's life and the descriptions of Elva's taxidermied animals (sometimes funny but always respectful) are so sweet.
The story unfolds nicely as we learn more about Elva and her family both in Melbourne and in Iceland. I highly recommend reading Rijn Collins' debut novel.
I was lucky to receive an advance copy of Fed to Red Birds thanks to Better Reading and Simon and Schuster in exchange for an honest review.
Elva is a Melbourne girl who has moved to Iceland, her mother's homeland and a place she feels drawn to because of it's rugged beauty and silence.
Fed to Red Birds is not a complex storyline but it certainly is a compelling one. Elva is dealing with the fallout of her mother leaving when she was a child, her beloved Icelandic grandfather is in hospital and the relationship with her dad back in Melbourne is not exactly close. But she does have good friends in Iceland in Grace and Tolli and she is fascinated with taxidermy and improving her skills.
Despite Elva's anxieties I found reading Fed to Red Birds to be quite a calming experience. The muted colours of an Icelandic winter come out of the page, the thoughtful conversations convey the essentials of Elva's life and the descriptions of Elva's taxidermied animals (sometimes funny but always respectful) are so sweet.
The story unfolds nicely as we learn more about Elva and her family both in Melbourne and in Iceland. I highly recommend reading Rijn Collins' debut novel.
December 12, 2022
Fed to Red Birds was a story quite different and interesting, so it immediately caught and held my attention when I started reading. At first I wondered if it would go off in a magical realism direction, but that turned out not to be the case. Instead, I would describe it as a book focused on the role our imagination can play in the way we view the world and how this can have both positive and negative effects. Elva is a character who needs to come to terms with a past both real and imagined in order to move forward in her life. Although a part of me regretted that the magical realism angle I'd envisioned didn't come, I still found the story thought provoking and intriguing, well paced and with pleasing prose. As an aside, I visited Iceland in 2015 and loved it there, so it was also enjoyable for me to read place names I recognised, bringing back memories of that trip. Overall, I am giving this book four stars. Recommended if you like literary fiction with a quirky twist.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 6, 2023
“My childhood house was full of books, but my father was an academic, not a hoarder. Millions of little letters on shelves lining hallways and bedrooms, all hovering above my child’s head. I knew they were alive, in their perfect rows, and I longed to be able to reach up and fish them out: point a finger and hook a J by its tail, or grasp a whole wriggling word. They were in contrast with the spoken words, rare enough that I could count them on the fingers of both hands each day”
In her captivating debut, Rijn Collins has created a beautifully evocative portrait of an enchanted mind in an enchanting place – a story of everyday magic, both dark and light; of families and the shadows they can cast; of the delights and dangers of the imagination. Fed to Red Birds will transport you to remote corners of both the world and the human heart
Elva, our protagonist, is humanly complex. She suffers the immense depths of heartbreak from her mother leaving. Part of her journey takes her to her maternal home - Iceland. When her grandfather has a stroke, Elva is forced to contemplate the complexity of her conditions. Our quirky character, trainee taxidermist and working in a curiosity shop, is forced to face some of her demons when she meets the equally mysterious Remy.
While the ending left me a little unfulfilled, I was enraptured by the beauty of Iceland and the empathetic view of complex mental health needs. The magical realism floated a bit above my understanding, but I completely enjoyed the mesmerising descriptions of Iceland. This book has a truly serene quality despite the edgy content. Enjoyable.
In her captivating debut, Rijn Collins has created a beautifully evocative portrait of an enchanted mind in an enchanting place – a story of everyday magic, both dark and light; of families and the shadows they can cast; of the delights and dangers of the imagination. Fed to Red Birds will transport you to remote corners of both the world and the human heart
Elva, our protagonist, is humanly complex. She suffers the immense depths of heartbreak from her mother leaving. Part of her journey takes her to her maternal home - Iceland. When her grandfather has a stroke, Elva is forced to contemplate the complexity of her conditions. Our quirky character, trainee taxidermist and working in a curiosity shop, is forced to face some of her demons when she meets the equally mysterious Remy.
While the ending left me a little unfulfilled, I was enraptured by the beauty of Iceland and the empathetic view of complex mental health needs. The magical realism floated a bit above my understanding, but I completely enjoyed the mesmerising descriptions of Iceland. This book has a truly serene quality despite the edgy content. Enjoyable.
February 16, 2023
There’s something a little unsettling in this intriguing story.
The first line threw me:
It became pretty clear that the circumstances were, however unusual, benign. Still, a great start.
Elva is in Iceland, far from her Australian home, searching for the reason for her mother’s disappearance from her life, slowly finding a way to deal with her unusual obsessions, and anxious for her famous grandfather who has suffered a stroke. An author, his only book has become part of Icelandic folklore and haunts Elva.
Ultimately a search for truth and comfort, Elva’s journey to self-discovery is revealed in flowing, and often beautiful, prose.
It’s not an ‘edge of the seat’ story, but it drew me in and had me reading well into the night to finish it. I understand Elva’s isolation, physical and emotional, and I remained anxious for her throughout.
Our author, Ms Colins, has spent time in the depths of the Iceland chill and her attraction to the country, and its language, mythology, and storytelling is a thread throughout her debut novel. She invests her characters with it and through them we gain an insight to the strange beauty of the land.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more of Ms Collins’ work.
Thank you to Better Reading and Simon & Schuster Australia for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review.
4 Stars
The first line threw me:
I hadn’t killed it; I wanted to make that clear.
It became pretty clear that the circumstances were, however unusual, benign. Still, a great start.
Elva is in Iceland, far from her Australian home, searching for the reason for her mother’s disappearance from her life, slowly finding a way to deal with her unusual obsessions, and anxious for her famous grandfather who has suffered a stroke. An author, his only book has become part of Icelandic folklore and haunts Elva.
Ultimately a search for truth and comfort, Elva’s journey to self-discovery is revealed in flowing, and often beautiful, prose.
The day had started well: a strong clack coffee and doughy kleina sprinkled with brown sugar. Blue sky, and a neighbour’s cat rubbing her silken face against my calves. Simple gifts but I was grateful for them. Somewhere the fact has registered that I had taken action: a step out of the solitary shadows, no matter how small. The events of the day were carried around inside me, a page turned down in the corner to come back to later.
It’s not an ‘edge of the seat’ story, but it drew me in and had me reading well into the night to finish it. I understand Elva’s isolation, physical and emotional, and I remained anxious for her throughout.
Our author, Ms Colins, has spent time in the depths of the Iceland chill and her attraction to the country, and its language, mythology, and storytelling is a thread throughout her debut novel. She invests her characters with it and through them we gain an insight to the strange beauty of the land.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more of Ms Collins’ work.
Thank you to Better Reading and Simon & Schuster Australia for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review.
4 Stars
April 9, 2023
thank you simon & schuster for gifting me a copy of this book i thought it would be fun to explore a genre i don’t typically read but honestly idk what this was about.
the narrative didn’t really seem to go anywhere or have much meaning, i felt like i was only half way through the story at the end of the book because basically every element, every storyline was left unresolved ?
i feel like this idea had so much potential it is soooo unique and feels deeply personal and special but it was just executed so confusingly. i unfortunately got nothing out of this read and therefore can’t recommend it
the narrative didn’t really seem to go anywhere or have much meaning, i felt like i was only half way through the story at the end of the book because basically every element, every storyline was left unresolved ?
i feel like this idea had so much potential it is soooo unique and feels deeply personal and special but it was just executed so confusingly. i unfortunately got nothing out of this read and therefore can’t recommend it
March 15, 2023
Omg! I loved every chapter! I couldn't put it down. The world around Elva is so visual I feel like I'm right next to her, seeing what she sees, feeling what she feels and tasting what she tastes. As someone who has autism I can sympathize with everyday rituals to help with anxiety. While I understand OCD is different it is wonderful to see representation of different people in literature. Also I now want to go to Iceland and learn a language. Thank you Rijn for your wonderful words. I can't wait for your next book.
August 28, 2023
Loved the setting and the light elements of creepiness and magic. The story started strongly but didn't quite pull off the ending. Still a great read.
January 1, 2024
I became really engrossed in this book with its beautiful depiction of Iceland, interesting characters, strong friendships and the interweaving of sagas and stories.
April 14, 2023
I would give it 3.5 or 4 stars. To be critical, I will say that there were a few times I was a bit confused and felt as though I'd missed something. Other than that, I liked the book.
August 24, 2024
I borrowed this audio book from the library and liked it so much I ordered my own paperback copy. This book has stayed with me for a long time and I find myself thinking about it quite often. Elva is a young woman from Australia (my home too) who finds herself in Iceland where her mother and grandfather are from. Will she find her missing mother, could she have gone back to Iceland? While making a start for herself she begins working in a shop of curiosities, and learning the language. Elva has some quirks/obsessions of her own, one of which is barely kept in control. The shop fits her well with being interested in odd things people make and learning taxidermy for herself. Elva is examining some of her own quirks when her grandfather suddenly suffers a stroke, things begin to become uncontrollable. Perhaps meeting a new friend, Remy, a painter with some irregularities of his own, might he be the one to help her?
February 14, 2023
Here Elva travels from Melbourne, Australia to her mother's homeland of Iceland - Heimilisfangid, Reykjavik, in the hope of finding her.
Elva has been there for 9 months learning her mother's tongue and taxidermy. She also has a very unusual habit where she literally "shallows the words" from a passage in the book her Grandfather, Afi, wrote many years ago.
She hears from her father that Afi has had a stroke and is too far away from him where he lives in a very distant, remote village.
She has made friends in Grace, who runs the shop "Cabinet of Curiosities" where they sell all forms of oddities including taxidermy items, then there's Tolli, who plays guitar and runs a bar, who she has a short romantic relationship with but remained friends and then later, Remy. They help Elva out when needed.
The book is about Icelandic lore, myths and tales and what the people believe in.
#BetterReadingau
@Goodreadsau
#FedtoRedBirds
@RijnCollins
@UltimoPress
Elva has been there for 9 months learning her mother's tongue and taxidermy. She also has a very unusual habit where she literally "shallows the words" from a passage in the book her Grandfather, Afi, wrote many years ago.
She hears from her father that Afi has had a stroke and is too far away from him where he lives in a very distant, remote village.
She has made friends in Grace, who runs the shop "Cabinet of Curiosities" where they sell all forms of oddities including taxidermy items, then there's Tolli, who plays guitar and runs a bar, who she has a short romantic relationship with but remained friends and then later, Remy. They help Elva out when needed.
The book is about Icelandic lore, myths and tales and what the people believe in.
#BetterReadingau
@Goodreadsau
#FedtoRedBirds
@RijnCollins
@UltimoPress
March 16, 2023
I read, “disjointed and abstract”, in another review of this book and I agree with that. It could of been epically dark and much more than it was; it was like reading a really good idea for a story.
Fed to Red Birds jumps between ordinary, real-world people and places into abstract territory too abruptly; the whole OCD rituals and eating book pages was strange, hard to follow or understand, and barely related to the storyline at all. I enjoy strange, abstract and dark ideas but not like this.
Fed to Red Birds jumps between ordinary, real-world people and places into abstract territory too abruptly; the whole OCD rituals and eating book pages was strange, hard to follow or understand, and barely related to the storyline at all. I enjoy strange, abstract and dark ideas but not like this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2023
This is a short read that is quite poetic and wistful. The end was abrupt and I felt there should be more.
March 16, 2023
I don’t really know how to review this book.
I’ll start with the fact that I love the cover. I think it’s so eye-catching and lovely – definitely the sort of thing I’d be drawn to pick up in a bookstore. Even the ARC I have is pretty, with gold foil detailing. This is a debut novel set in Iceland, which was another thing about the book that I really enjoyed. In fact I think the setting was my favourite part, I just wished it was a bigger portion of the book.
Elva was born in Australia to an Australian father and Icelandic mother. When she was younger, her mother disappeared from her life and now as an adult, Elva has headed to Iceland to perhaps try to find something of her. Her maternal grandfather still lives there too, in a remote part of the country. Elva is studying at an Icelandic language school (to stay in the country long term, people must pass an Icelandic language test, the country is very protective of its language and its culture) and working in an antiquities/curiosities shop that contains a manner of unusual things. Elva also dabbles a little in taxidermy, it’s something she’s learning. She doesn’t have many friends in her new home: just her boss Grace, an English woman in her sixties and a former lover-turned-best-friend in Tolli, a young Icelandic man supposedly studying architecture but who really just wants to play music.
The writing in this is actually quite lovely and there were times when I felt like I was going to enjoy this book. The descriptions of Iceland were really nice – I actually wanted a lot more of that, I wanted to really be able to ground myself in the setting. Iceland is somewhere I’d love to visit one day and although there are some descriptions, I did want more from that, I wanted more of Elva describing the world around her so that I as the reader, could really visualise it and experience it with her. I’ve never visited a colder place than Melbourne, to me that is very cold so I love hearing descriptions of places that experience far more extreme weather. This is successful in a few instances (for example, the earmuffs!) but not in others and it left me feeling a little disconnected. There were times that apart from the talk of language, I could’ve easily forgotten where the book was set.
Elva as a character, is a troubled young woman, deeply affected by the disappearance of her mother from her life when she was young. She seems to have always had a rather close relationship with her grandfather, who came to Australia presumably to help raise her after her mother disappeared but her relationship with her father seems distant and something that stresses her out. Elva has a number of compulsions are there are allusions to a hospital stay in the past. I really wanted to know more about Elva and get deeper into her character but ultimately I was left feeling like I missed a lot and that this book could’ve explored more – there was a lot of day to day life, which is fine as background but I wanted a bit more depth. Especially after Elva met Remy.
I liked Remy as a character and wanted to see where things would go between them – I actually do think that the author created an interesting chemistry in their early interactions but for me, it didn’t last. I just found myself wanting more from so much of this story, maybe for some the very bare, stripped back approach works but I felt like I had more questions and wanted to know more things the further I got into the story. There’s some really rich usage of folklore and tales from Elva’s grandfather but again…a lot of it felt vague and out of reach, it takes a long time to really get to the point of the books and by the time I do….I don’t feel like I’ve had the chance to appreciate it.
Despite the fact that I appreciated the quality of the writing at times and I think the ending explains some of but not all of Elva’s actions, but unfortunately, ultimately this was just not a story for me personally.
***A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of an honest review***
I’ll start with the fact that I love the cover. I think it’s so eye-catching and lovely – definitely the sort of thing I’d be drawn to pick up in a bookstore. Even the ARC I have is pretty, with gold foil detailing. This is a debut novel set in Iceland, which was another thing about the book that I really enjoyed. In fact I think the setting was my favourite part, I just wished it was a bigger portion of the book.
Elva was born in Australia to an Australian father and Icelandic mother. When she was younger, her mother disappeared from her life and now as an adult, Elva has headed to Iceland to perhaps try to find something of her. Her maternal grandfather still lives there too, in a remote part of the country. Elva is studying at an Icelandic language school (to stay in the country long term, people must pass an Icelandic language test, the country is very protective of its language and its culture) and working in an antiquities/curiosities shop that contains a manner of unusual things. Elva also dabbles a little in taxidermy, it’s something she’s learning. She doesn’t have many friends in her new home: just her boss Grace, an English woman in her sixties and a former lover-turned-best-friend in Tolli, a young Icelandic man supposedly studying architecture but who really just wants to play music.
The writing in this is actually quite lovely and there were times when I felt like I was going to enjoy this book. The descriptions of Iceland were really nice – I actually wanted a lot more of that, I wanted to really be able to ground myself in the setting. Iceland is somewhere I’d love to visit one day and although there are some descriptions, I did want more from that, I wanted more of Elva describing the world around her so that I as the reader, could really visualise it and experience it with her. I’ve never visited a colder place than Melbourne, to me that is very cold so I love hearing descriptions of places that experience far more extreme weather. This is successful in a few instances (for example, the earmuffs!) but not in others and it left me feeling a little disconnected. There were times that apart from the talk of language, I could’ve easily forgotten where the book was set.
Elva as a character, is a troubled young woman, deeply affected by the disappearance of her mother from her life when she was young. She seems to have always had a rather close relationship with her grandfather, who came to Australia presumably to help raise her after her mother disappeared but her relationship with her father seems distant and something that stresses her out. Elva has a number of compulsions are there are allusions to a hospital stay in the past. I really wanted to know more about Elva and get deeper into her character but ultimately I was left feeling like I missed a lot and that this book could’ve explored more – there was a lot of day to day life, which is fine as background but I wanted a bit more depth. Especially after Elva met Remy.
I liked Remy as a character and wanted to see where things would go between them – I actually do think that the author created an interesting chemistry in their early interactions but for me, it didn’t last. I just found myself wanting more from so much of this story, maybe for some the very bare, stripped back approach works but I felt like I had more questions and wanted to know more things the further I got into the story. There’s some really rich usage of folklore and tales from Elva’s grandfather but again…a lot of it felt vague and out of reach, it takes a long time to really get to the point of the books and by the time I do….I don’t feel like I’ve had the chance to appreciate it.
Despite the fact that I appreciated the quality of the writing at times and I think the ending explains some of but not all of Elva’s actions, but unfortunately, ultimately this was just not a story for me personally.
***A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of an honest review***
June 3, 2023
Not sure what to think of this book. It wasn't what I was expecting. I found it hard to like or even understand the main character, maybe she was too quirky with her strange behaviours. In any case, it was an okay read and I liked the setting in Iceland.
May 8, 2025
Set in Iceland, a story about a taxidermy obsessed anxious Aussie lady. The story delicately highlighted different levels of mental illness, it was a story about many things unknown to me, but loved the myths entwined in the chapters. The ending had me thinking 'what the actual fuck?!' and could of finished with a more captivating way to tie up lose ends...
June 2, 2023
There was lots to like about this book, but the ending completely threw me.
April 5, 2023
I don’t often give 5 stars. It took me a while to adjust to the style, to feel comfortable inside an obsessed and anxious head while figuring our the mystery that was evidently being explored. I think, somewhat to my surprise, it worked. I was engaged enough to, as I often do, read the last chapter, then ( which I sometimes fail to do) come back and read all the way through.
It’s a book that will stay with me for a long time to come.
It’s a book that will stay with me for a long time to come.
April 2, 2023
This book called to me: go buy a copy and read immediately, and forget all the other books waiting patiently for your attention. And, I'm glad for it. At 256 pages it's a slip of a novel, but well worth it. The writing is beautiful in it's simplicity, and there's just enough magic woven through the story to make it truly lovely. I look forward to seeing what else the author puts forth.
June 1, 2023
Desperate to pass her language test and find a home in Iceland, this girl has so many compulsions and fears, it’s a miracle she is coping as well as she does. I love the descriptions of the place and the people and one has to hope the story is ending on a positive note.
February 22, 2023
I found, Fed to Red Birds by Rijin Collins, to be a quirky, original and interesting novel. I love the character Elva , a young lady from Melbourne in Reykjavik Iceland learning to speak her Mother’s language, working in a quirky shop of curiosities, and fascinated with taxidermy. Elva is a complicated character dealing with past, her mother that went missing, her distant relationship with her father, and her Icelandic Grandfather who has just had a stroke. She is a likeable character, working with her new friend Grace in a shop of curiosities , exploring her passion for Taxidermy, study the Icelandic language to pass her immigration test, and dealing with her anxieties and compulsions. Then there is that book, her Grandfathers book, a famous children’s Icelandic folklore book that keeps coming up throughout the story. The author paints a beautiful picture of life in Iceland through her words and also the relationships with friends and family, and the complexities of the imagination. Finally the ending of this book brings all the aspects of this story together and completes it perfectly. This was an easy and enjoyable read, it kept me curious throughout and satisfied with clear and complete ending. Thank you to Better Reading for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review.
February 26, 2023
Fed to Red Birds is an exquisite piece of work that was beautiful to read. Rijn Collins provided a nuanced view of the theme of mental illness, intertwined with grief, self-discovery and belonging. I was drawn in by the contrast of the familiar Australian landscape against the harsh but beautiful Icelandic main setting of the novel. Elva, Grace, Tolli, Afi and Remy make for a wonderful cast of main characters who were all multifaceted and loveable.
October 17, 2024
Addicted would be an understatement. This book inspired me to purchase my first taxidermy piece and reminded me to let my freak flag fly a little. It was fantastical and dark, a little like shimmers in a black sky. I was so fascinated by its freaky deaky-ness (and maybe a little bias because of how weird-cool the author is) moody and delightful and odd
December 25, 2022
Terrific read! If you like character driven books then this is perfect. The writing flows effortlessly, and really paints a picture that makes you feel like your right there with the main character. Elva was a very believable and realistic protagonist, and I found it very easy to become invested in her character arc. Could not recommend this book enough, such a beautifully crafted story!
February 11, 2023
Not a fan of this one... Maybe I missed something but I'm not sure what the reader was meant to get out of the book. Brutal, but honest. I hope there are people out there who enjoy this book. 🤞
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