Review: Feather by Olivia Wildenstein
“Only darkness reveals the reach of a light.”
The Basics
Title: Feather (Angels of Elysium #1)
Author: Olivia Wildenstein
Published: 2020
Publisher: Olivia Wildenstein
Pages: 396
Format: Paperback
Genres: Fiction — Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal romance, Fantasy romance, Urban fantasy
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Book Synopsis
In this modern-day retelling of Romeo and Juliet, Leigh is a twenty-year-old angel, who is 81 feathers shy of completing her wings and ascending to Elysium. She has 14 months before the time allotted to her to earn her remaining feathers runs out, but given her track record, she is confident that she will finish her wings with plenty of time to spare. Her well-laid plans, however, get upended when one of the seven seraphim, the highest-ranking angels, announces that he is looking for a wife. To be married to a seraph is not only an honor but also a position of tremendous influence and power. As a seraph’s wife, Leigh could bring about meaningful change, including the striking down of several outdated, discriminatory celestial laws. It is an opportunity too good to pass up, but there is a catch – Leigh must complete her wings within 30 days to be eligible for the spousal role. There is only one way she can accomplish this herculean task: reform a Triple, the worst type of human sinner. She knows it will not be an easy feat, and it isn’t – just not for any of the reasons that she had anticipated. Then again, how could she have foreseen that she would fall in love with her sinner?
My Review & Overall Thoughts
TLDR: Intriguing enough at the onset but tedious by the end.
Warning: Spoilers ahead!
Feather has a promising start but ultimately disappoints. The primary driver of its underwhelming-ness is its pacing, namely, the last quarter of the book drags to the point of tedium. Once Jarod and Leigh get together, the barely-there plot gives way to tiresome dramatics and a string of gratuitous sex scenes. Reading this portion of the book felt a bit like watching a soap opera: over-the-top, predictable storylines and a romance too excessive to be believable. Finishing Feather required every ounce of my willpower and endurance, for I so badly wanted to shelve it at multiple points throughout the final quarter of the book.
Unfortunately, the ending offered no recompense for my struggles. If anything, it left me somewhat regretting not having shelved the book, for it is both unoriginal and infuriatingly predictable. To have Leigh and Jarod meet the same fate as their Shakespearean counterparts is not only cliché but also lazy storytelling. One can write a Romeo and Juliet-inspired tale without following the plot of the play to a T. In fact, it is preferable if the two do diverge in some manner, for who wants to read a book that they already know the ending to?
The romance itself also leaves something to be desired. I am not a huge fan of mafia romances (why would you want to be with someone who freely admits to committing brutal acts of violence?), so I was never won over by Jarod. Leigh, while more moral than Jarod, has her own faults, chief among which being her naïveté and proclivity to trust others without question. Character faults aside, the relationship between Jarod and Leigh progresses far too quickly; within a matter of weeks, they are dying for one another. Not to mention, the two of them have to drastically change themselves in order to be together – not the most auspicious start to a relationship.
As for the writing, it is a bit rough around the edges in parts. The sex scenes and accompanying dirty talk are particularly unpolished, teetering on downright laughable. For instance, in chapter 45, Jarod makes the following remark that is supposed to be titillating, but the only thing it aroused from me was laughter: “Hope you enjoyed that as much as I did, because I’ll be subjecting your sweet body to regular encores” (p. 278). And let’s not forget Leigh’s description of Jarod: “The man was part bear...” (p. 201). Descriptions like these had me tee-heeing throughout most of the book.
The good
As noted at the beginning of this review, Feather starts off on decent footing. The closing sentence of the prologue had me exclaiming “What?!” and feeling intrigued enough to continue reading. The next three-quarters of the book was by no means astounding, but it was good enough to retain my interest.
What piqued my interest and curiosity the most was the setting, namely, the alternate paranormal universe. The story is primarily set in Paris, but it is not quite the Paris that you and I know. As with other cities across the world, this Paris has hidden angelic guilds filled with fletching angles who are trying to earn their wings by reforming human sinners. Within this angelic realm, there are rules, hierarchies, and customs. For a book without much in the way of a plot, there is a commendable amount of world building.
The secondary characters, particularly Muriel and Celeste, are also worthy of praise. Muriel, with her kind, motherly demeanor, is easy to love, and Celeste, who is quick with a comeback and holds her own, is hard not to like. These two ladies effortlessly steal the spotlight from Jarod and Leigh.
Another laudable aspect of this book is its first-person narrative. Being written in the first person from Leigh’s point of view imbues the story with a sense of immersion and uncertainty. We, the reader, are learning and experiencing things right alongside Leigh and consequently do not know any more than she does with regard to what will happen next...well, given the predictability of the plot, perhaps we are not quite as in the dark as she is.
Overall
Feather is a bit of a disappointment. Given its compelling-sounding premise and imaginative setting, I had hoped that it would prove to be an exception to my tendency to not enjoy mafia romances. Alas, however, it did not achieve that distinction. Plagued by a number of issues, reading it became a chore toward the end. Nonetheless, I am unwilling to give up on the series quite yet. I believe in giving things a fair shake, so I will continue the trilogy to see if the subsequent books are any better.
Have you read Feather? If so, let me know what you thought of it in the comments section below!
