Reviews with content warning for Body shaming - Obsidian Feathers

I enjoued this book so much i moved up my rotating KU month a whole month because i couldnt wait to finish it :)

I think the prose is lovely. This reads so naturally and sucks you right in, just like you want from a dark romantasy!

The characters are really well done. Its super easy to fall in love with this cast (and easy to hate the villains which is a nice change of pace for me! Lol). The main characters are flawed people but no less lovable for it and i adored the large supporting cast.

The setting really transported me and i love the authors descriptions. It definitely inspired me to look up the myths that inspired the unique worldbuilding!

The spicy scenes are intense and compliment the dark elements of the book perfectly.

Tread carefully! There are TWs on the authors site :)

Honestly it would be a 5 for me except there were a few sections that i think could have used a bit of trimming (or it could have been two books and been expanded!) Because i found myself getting lost or skipping ahead. Also some of the ADHD related talk was a bit too close to indigo children type theory for me. But not so upsetting i couldnt move past it to keep loving the book!

I definitely want to continue the series and I am excited for the next one coming out soon.

Content Warnings

noellelovesbooks's review against another edition

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5.0

Content Warnings: Sexual content, sexual violence, racism, blood play, dubcon, blood, gore, body horror, murder, death, fatphobia, child abuse, forced isolation, loss of body autonomy, slavery, ableism, emotional abuse, physical abuse, cannibalism, gaslighting, kidnapping, child murder, rape, self harm, drugs, man taking contraceptive control over a woman [destroying her birth control...but don't worry he learns the error of his ways real quick lol] and PTSD.
Mention of: deportation, genocide, and colonialism.

"...be a good girl, be a bad girl. I'll enjoy it either way. Though good girls get treats, and bad girls give me treats. You pick, beloved."
~Sal

Gah damn. This book...is just incredible. The amazing history and lore along with the passion of the two MCs...and the way our leading lady learns to love herself and finds her strength *chefs kiss*

This book does cover really heavy and dark subjects along with a lot of blood and violence so don't go into this without checking content warnings.

Don't read this if you "can't relate" to brown women🙄 ...this book is filled with beautiful and rich history, lore, and tradition...the story of a woman finding her strength, her truth, and love she didn't know she could have for herself, her culture, and for others. A woman who's always felt out of place...finally finds the place she truly belongs.

A freaking incredible book and I cannot wait to read the books that continue this series!

Content Warnings

discarded_dust_jacket's review

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I have such mixed feelings about my experience with this book, and my thoughts are sort of jumbled. There were some things I really really loved, and some things that disappointed me. (This entire review is going to be spoiler-y so I’m just gonna hide it all, and read at your own risk.)

I should say first and foremost, I really appreciated the focus on Indigenous culture, lore, and characters. Experiencing a glimpse into the lives of Latin American Indigenous people through this story was a treat and a privilege, even if the cultures were somewhat altered to fit in a fictional world. I deeply respect that, and absolutely no criticism of the crafting of this book is meant to reflect anything but the crafting of the book itself.

Now. Having said that. It took me a really long time to actually like and want to root for Sal to be honest. Both he and Xochitl were so all over the place for the first half of the story (maybe intentional? Idk). Sal goes from being this sort of suave, mysterious figure when we first meet him to overbearing, immature, and volatile so suddenly it gave me whiplash. The literal ONLY CHARACTER I liked from the moment they appeared on page to the very end and formed any sort of deep emotional attachment to was César, and I’m so glad that it looks like the next book will center him more (if the final chapter is any indication).

I also feel like there were a lot of plot threads that got dropped in the end (Xochi’s father/grandparents? The neighboring totoco? The broken goddess?) Are these all questions that will get resolved in future books? I know the series will include more, but I’m unsure whether those will be standalones centering different characters or if they’ll be continuations of this particular story.

As far as what I loved about this book, I have to say: it’s like 550 pages long and I managed to read it in basically two days, so. That’s saying something, lol. There was something about this story that had me wanting to keep turning the page, even when I felt tempted to skim, so it definitely managed to capture and hold my attention.

The sex scenes were really good, I’ll say that. And as an avid monster smut reader, the scene where Xochi and Itzatecuani do it while he’s in his spirit form was *chef’s kiss*.

Content Warnings

bittersweetcritiques's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thank you for the arc!

“The moon is jealous of your beauty, Xochitl.”

First of all, it's a 5🌟 read for me. But it is DARK. Please check CWs.

Xochi is one of the most lovely characters. She's fat, beautiful, glorious, kind, thoughtful, and as we see her begin to heal from her trauma, she is fiery and badass. I cannot wait to watch her bloom in the next book.

Sal is harder for me to love. He's hot, absolutely, but he is such an alphahole. Regardless if you love a "I'll burn it all down for her" attitude and were disappointed when the Beast transformed into the Prince at the end of Beauty & the Beast... this is the leading man for you.😏

Beyond the characters themselves, the plot is what really had my attention. The Cadejos were fascinating. I had never read about their lore before and if you're thinking European werewolves...it's definitely not that. Trading shadows and being two in one body (one spirit, one human) + how they feed -- W O W

Much of the novel surrounds Xochi & Sal as they try to define their relationship, but there is always an undercurrent of mystery. What is the deal with Xochi's mother? What happened to her sister? What are those pills she takes that smell like rot & death? We are gifted quite a few answers by the end, but it definitely leads into even more questions and a perfect set-up for book two.

Yes, it is SPICY. CW kind of spicy. Spicy that made me feel like vanilla ice cream🍦

Finally, N. Cáceres is an incredible writer. Her use of language and the feelings she conveys with the words she chooses....Let's just say, I've rarely read her equal.

As one of my most challenging & enticing reads this year, I highly recommend Obsidian Feathers🖤

Content Warnings

mildrenreads's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny informative inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is easily going in my top books of the year! The story was told so beautifully & had me falling in love with the characters very easily. They were flawed as anyone is but bloomed in the most magical way, I loved seeing their character development as well as their relationship. Their chemistry is undeniable & will have you panting during all the spicy scenes. My favorite thing has to be the way the FMC loves herself & her beautiful body & the way she is described helps me in ways I couldn’t begin to explain. There were also dark and tense moments where I was at the edge of my seat & I’m very proud that I was right in my theories! The representation in this book is amazing & I loved learning about their traditions! Can’t wait for the rest of this series! Thank you Nemmy for letting me be a part of your ARC team!

Content Warnings

booksandcurlz's review

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I think I am still processing Obsidian Feathers at the moment. That said, I still wanted to take some time to at least write some of my initial thoughts on this book. I loved it, it was dark, mystical, and mysterious. It touched on some heavy subjects that would be too much for some people. Please for the love of everything you find holy please read the TW/CW. This is a DARK FANTASY ROMANCE, and it is DARK This is not for everyone, be warned!

What I loved?

♥️ Xochitl (FMC) - Her journey as a character was so incredible, I was immediately heartbroken for her and as I saw the growth, and ultimately her flourishing into the goddess she was born to be I was just so happy for her, I cheered a little bit.

♥️ Itziquetzal (MMC) - I don’t know how to describe Sal without sounding obsessed. OK, he was swoony, but also feral, savage, and when his shadow swapped with him 😮‍💨 He was a total simp for Xochi. Fine, I’m obsessed.

♥️ The side characters - They were funny, full of wisdom, and kind of savage too. Julia was always throwing around threats of chopping appendages LOL was a huge favorite.

♥️ The pet names - I don’t care how many times Sal called Xochi nayeli or nonayeli (means princess and my princess in Nehualt) , I always swooned.

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