BOOK REVIEW | THE DARK FEATHER | ANNA STEPHENS

BOOK REVIEW 

THE DARK 

FEATHER

 

BY Anna Stephens 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ixachipan is in flames.

Rebellion rages in every land and across every hill as the Empire of Songs battles to maintain control, but nowhere more fiercely than in the Singing City itself. In the great pyramid at its heart, Shadow Tayan faces the awful consequences of his actions, and their seductive possibilities.

In the city streets, Xessa and Lilla lead their warriors in increasingly desperate battles, their unity riven by betrayal and deception, while far to the north, Whisper Ilandeh discovers the freedom – and obligation – in making her own choices.

But war is fickle, and so are people. Sometimes, the only peace possible is that bought with blood and lies.

And when vengeance sings, the choices made will determine whether the flames of war are fanned – or drowned.

 

REVIEW

The Dark Feather is the culmination of the story of Songs of the Drowned that was begun in The Stone Knife.

In the Dark Feather, the revolution against the Pechaqueh rages in The Singing City. Whilst Lilla and Xessa fight against the tyrannical rule of the Singer, Tayan is controlling the song in the great pyramid whilst attempting to save The Drowned. The monsters that inhabit the rivers of Ixachipan.

The Dark Feather masterfully brings the series to an end in this much anticipated conclusion to one of the most interesting stories in modern fantasy.

In a Mesoamerican recreation of the fall of the Roman Empire, The Dark Feather charts the final days of the Empire of Songs.

Originally in The Stone Knife, we were introduced to the main players of the story and how The Empire of Songs was encroaching on the various different tribes of the continent of Ixachipan. The story continued in The Jaguar Path after the downfall of the Tokoban Sky City and caught up with Lilla, Xessa and Tayan as they were forced into slavery in the various different roles in the Singing City. The Dark Feather centres around the revolution as the rebels attempt to break the stranglehold of the Pechaqueh and its meglomaniac Singer, Xac.

Anna Stephens keeps up the tension throughout the whole of the book and drives the plot to its unexpected conclusion.

Throughout the book, Anna Stephens never lets her grip of the plot loosen as she maintains the tension throughout the whole of the book. However, be warned folks, keep your favourite characters close as she chucks them into various stages of jeopardy and double jeopardy, and you never know if they are going to escape their fate.

Not only that, Anna Stephens manages to bring some wetness to the eyes with various touching reunions that you don’t expect. And if Ossa doesn’t steal your heart then you have a stone in your chest.

With The Dark Feather, Anna Stephens meets all expectations and more as she drives the plot to its compelling conclusion and brings the series to a close with an absolute belter of an ending that you don’t see coming at all.