False Feathers by Adara Wolf

False Feathers Reviews

• 
  the kevin (on brainrot hiatus)

  Update: Upon reflection, this is delightfully bleak. I had the wrong expectations going in originally, but it works for me now.
  
  Original review:
  
  This is kind of hard to review. First, it’s a retelling of a Grimm fairytale, which hedges it in for both plot and resolution. Extra challenge for a dark romance, which I think are especially difficult to pull off a HEA (or HFN, or a subjective HEA) in the first place, let alone when the end is already written for you.
  
  The kinks - they were a little matter of fact almost. It seemed to be more of a focus on humiliation than eroticism, which was fine, just not what I expected when I started this book.
  
  Aidan - poor baby never had a chance. He was hard to connect to with how blasé he was about everything, but then he had some sad moments where it was clear he was pretty beaten down by his mother and kind of everyone. He just wanted to be a goose herder with his goose friends but he’s trapped into the permanent king’s consort role regardless of what he wants, since he was designed for the king. Pulls that darkness in at the end.
  
  I did like that Aidan learned some compassion (sort of, barely) for others, and he bonded with the animals and Falada well. Which also made it a bit more tragic since it didn’t even matter in the end.
  
  It read kind of distant, both for how disconnected Aidan was from everything that happened to him, but also storywise. In some ways that vibes with the fairytale retelling, since I’ve always found those distant in their telling.
  
  Overall, it was an interesting read, and a bit sad for Aidan overall. At least he still has Falada.
  
  
  
  Read more reviews on my blog: 
  
  https://horsetalkreviews.blogspot.com/
• 
  Ed Davis

  I like Adara Wulf’s stories. They have really interesting characters who tend to be unpleasant people, but somehow she makes me care about them. Adrian is awful in the beginning of the story. When he’s forced to change places with Owen it was hard to feel sorry for him. But with each humiliating rape and his kindness to the animals I slowly grew to want a happy ending for him.
• 
  vrstal (Ezra S.)

  3/5 Stars.
  
  I find it hard to write a review for this, not because it isn't good, but just because I'm not quite sure how to describe how I feel. I do not think this is necessarily a romance, nor is it purely erotica. I guess in a way it is a fairytale, and I think most of all it is a show in character growth and the assumptions made by others.
  
  I'll start with the fact I really enjoy Wolf's writing. The way that she writes is engaging, descriptive, and there was very few editing issues that I noticed. I felt it flowed well, and I personally enjoyed how poetry was interwoven within this book, giving it that just-a-bit-magical property to it. The only thing I felt was missing is some of the character's descriptions being a bit more descriptive. It was hard for me to imagine Cianed, for example.
  
  Aiden as a character was rude, and bratty, especially in the beginning. However as the story is told, it continues to show there is more than just 'rich boy who doesn't give a shit'. The reasons why he acted does not justify his behavior but did make me sympathetic towards him.
  
  

  “If I try to be good at something, then it’s worse when I suck. But if I don’t even try, then there’s no reason to expect better.” Aiden stared at his half-eaten pear, embarrassed that he’d admitted something so personal. “Mom gave up on me being a success after a while. It was better than when she was constantly harping on my grades and pushing me to do more, more, more.”

  
  
  There were many ways I related to Aiden, and I believe there was just so much raw hurt exposed more by the torture he had to go through. While there are certainly plenty of kinks and such here to be found for the taboo reader, I do think this is not meant to be particularly titillating (well, except the stable scenes and the end). I think you get a bigger sense of Aiden's pain, both to his body and his mind, and the raw humiliation he felt.
  
  I think the ending is as 'happy' as it could be, and we see Aiden show compassion to the villain that he did not need to. In fact, I wish Owen had suffered more, but at the same time they both pointed out that no one was truly innocent within this story. There is a creeping sense, even in the final chapter, how this isn't a truly happy story made out of free will or anything else. The reason being for that is hinted at from the beginning: what does it mean if you were made for a person? Did he ever really have a choice for this outcome?
  
  Most of all, this book did leave me feeling sad and a bit slumpy. Yet, I think the author wanted to leave that with you. These fairytales are not so happy, even if the one this is based off of didn't have all these cruel details the maiden had suffered from. Fairytales are certainly not as kind as we would like them to be, and especially so in a series that wants to talk about and explore that darkness.
• 
  True Loveislovereview

  Aiden was mostly just a pretty face, he knew he was bad in bed, he knew he was lazy and untalented, and not very smart, he haughtily looks down the nose to his servant.
  
  His mother made a promise with a Fae King and now Aiden has to leave to the faerie realm, with his servant Owen who hates him.
  
  Everything goes wrong with Aiden, making the wrong comments, the wrong decisions, to end up at the very wrong places.
  Through mud and dirt, many many humiliations, and insults he has to find his happiness.
  Behind all the stupidity shines his real soul, he’s a poet nobody appreciates and he loves animals more than humans or fae’s
  
  Be prepared for, for me awesomeness, grim, dubcon/noncon with a lot of kinks.
  I don’t want to spoil but oh boy
  I love this story, the impossible turns into possible, from light to dark and vice versa.
  It’s a fairytale there has to be a hea :D
  
  Written in absolutely the best way, you can leave it to this author!!
  Highly recommended!
• 
  Jenn (not Lily)

  Really well-written, but...this is probably the only book I'll read by this author. It's really dark. I mean, I know that it's a dark series and creepily retold fairy tales, but...it's really, REALLY freaking dark. No, Aiden is not a good guy. He's a pretty crappy human overall, honestly, but does he deserve to be violated repeatedly by LOTS of different people? No. But...he's also at the very least dismissive of everyone around him and very much enjoys tormenting Owen. Now I need to go read something with a pinch of sweetness along with spiciness before bed!
• 
  Chelsea

  I didn't mind this, but the ending wasn't a good enough pay off for me. With these rough stories I don't want to be left feeling confused about whether it ended in a HEA or not?
  
  I do really enjoy Adara Wolf's writing though. Very messed up!
• 
  yaishin

  hell to the no. DNF at 21%
• 
  Badh

  Wow. Just very wow. Adara Wolf writes intense stories, but I think this one is probably one of the best. I mean, yeah, it's a fairy tale, but Wolf put her own touch on it, and well Adrian ends up pretty screwed for a good deal of the time.
  
  I did feel sorry for Adrian and what he had to go through, but it seemed like he found some kind of peace in his life. I think that he was stronger than he thought that he was. He survived more than he thought that he would be able to.
  
  I really hate his mother, so much.
• 
  Madigan Likes to Read [on semi-hiatus]

  Because I don't understand the purpose of this book, I don't think it's fair of me to rate it. This was one excruciatingly long, trundling thing featuring an absolutely useless and totally unlikeable human being. And sure, it's sad what happened to Aiden, but since he's so blasé about his own existence and all the things that happen to him, it was hard for me to give a fuck. But hey, at least things work out well for the horse.
• 
  空

  
  Well, unfortunately for me I didn’t realize what I had signed up for. It’s non-con and rape all the way. Ciedan (forgot his name, can’t be bothered to look it up again) was like “uwu you’re made for me,” and he meant it literally, like Aiden’s mother had crafted Aiden as an answer for the Fae King’s every desire … but that’s not actually true? So the ending is basically Aiden is stuck with the Fae King for eternity, without any confirmation that he’s actually going to be happy.
  
  On the other hand, I guess we could also ask, does Aiden deserve to be happy? He’s not the most sympathetic character — he was self-absorbed and selfish, which contributed to his gruelling experience ... but that’s certainly no reason to say he deserved what he got.
  
  But who knows, maybe I deserved what I got since I’m trash. But I never quite enjoyed any of the book and I just dragged myself through it thinking it would get better or I would like something about it, and I never did.
  
  The writing wasn’t half-bad though.
  
  
  This book certainly delivered on what it promised:
  
  

  
  the relationships are unhealthy
  may contain morally ambiguous themes
  

  
  
  ... But it’s not for me.
• 
  llv

  False Feathers by Adara Wolf
  
  Rating: 2 stars
  I was unfamiliar with the tale of the Goose Girl, so I was curious enough to read this story. I knew going in that this story wasn’t going to be rainbows and happy endings, but it went to a place that I was extremely uncomfortable with. Once I knew where it was going, I had to totally skip the part with monster in the woods. Really, I skipped most of Aidan’s abuse. The one thing that I did like was Aidan’s growth as a character. When the book started, he was totally spoiled, lazy and extremely unlikable but as the story went on you realize that he was a product of his upbringing and while he wasn’t perfect by any means, he did have his redeeming qualities.
  
• 
  Eli

  Mixed feelings over this one. It definitely has the eerie and cruel atmosphere of the best fairy tales. No hardships are spared from Adrian and every scene of horror unfolds till the end. It's a tale of revenge and suffering and of finding strength when you thought you weren't strong enough. The ending was bittersweet, neither happy not really bad, just as every good fairy tale should be. And if I felt kinda uncomfortable reading at times, I feel it was because the morally grey atmosphere was perfectly handled.
• 
  Lucia Rukia

  *4,5* Love the story so much.
  
  _You’ll learn to please me, and I shall find all the places your lovers in the past neglected. I shall make you feel so good, that you will forget anybody who is not me.
  _You were made for me, so you could never be satisfied with anybody but me.
  
  Hope someone 'll tell me these lines one day.
• 
  Gema Rodríguez

  Simply a truly excellent dark and kinky MM retelling of The Goose Girl. Great characters, great storyline, great everything. It was an awesome read.
• 
  The UHQ Nasanta

  A bit weird. Ending a bit sad. Liked it enough to stay up late to finish but not entirely sure how I feel about it.
• 
  Ana

  I really liked this book. I had a great time reading it, but there were a few things that didn't allow me to love it as I thought I would.
  
  It had all the kind of things I love to read in a dark story, and done so beautifully that I was very captivated by some parts of the book. It also have some I'm not particularly comfortable with, but not in an amount it make the read less likable.
  
  About the characters, I found Aiden fascinating. It was fantastic how unlikable he was and yet he had such amazing redeeming elements, that make me end up falling in love with such an spoiled brat. It was so easy to get in touch with his emotions. I had so much fun reading some scenes with him being bratty. Others characters, even though interesting, weren't as remarcable as Aiden was.
  
  The issue I had, mostly, was the lack of romance. I know it was a dark read, and that part I absolutely love. If that was my only expectation, this book would be everything I could hope for. But it wasn't, because I was hoping for a little more romance, and it might not be complitely absent, but I struggle to find believable emotions between the ones who were supposed to be in love. It is mention in the book and it make sense, but it was still something I was expecting, maybe because of the fairytale theme of the series.
  
  Regardless of my issues, it was an amazing read. I would't hesitate on recomended it to readers who are into dark theme books. Beware the warnings.
  
• 
  Danielle

  If you know the story of the goose girl don't read this review
  
  However, if you don't know the story of the goose girl then aren't you in for a treat because this book follows the fairytale to a T. The only difference being it's a dude instead of a princess and there's fae and a lot of non consensual sex. It's also a lot darker but this is Adara Wolf were talking about so what do you really expect?
  
  I really enjoyed Aidan's character. I liked how he didn't necessarily change so much as coming to his own being despite everything that happened to him. I also found it really hard to have any sympathy for Owen. Yes his life is unfair and terrible but his cruelty knows no bounds. Also if he's so familiar with Fae and their logic than he had to know what was going to happen eventually. I'm not saying it's right and none of these characters are particularly good people but logic of the book dictates you weren't going to get away with it my guy.
  
  Anyways I did really like the story. Especially that final chapter. It was oh so sweet (something I never thought I'd say about an Adara Wolf book) and the perfect wrap up. I even liked the epilogue which is rare. That's all I can really say without giving the book away because I know how Adara Wolf fans feel about spoilers and again it's a fairytale. As Long as you follow that logic and steer towards the darker side you pretty much know what's going to go down.
  
  The only thing that kind of got me, and admittedly it's a petty one, is I really didn't expect this to follow the original fairy tale so closely. Who knew the teasers were all from the first 30% of the book. Based off everything I know about this series and this author, the book could have gotten several ways. Many of which I think would have been a bit more interesting while still taking inspiration from the source material and ending on a HEA. That's part of the fun of retailing right? A different interpretation, not a almost direct replica. I'm not saying this is a bad retelling or even a bad book (far from it). But because it didn't quite feel like a retelling it kind of left me...wanting. For what I don't know but not sure how else to describe this feeling.
  
  Anyways, 4 stars because I still enjoyed it and the geese were cute.
• 
  Szidi ☼

  All the stars and all the love! I am speechless! This book is perfect from the first letter to the last.
  
  I couldn't wait to read this book, and while I wanted it really bad, I was afraid a little - I had high expectations. But Adara Wolf jumped it. And how she did it, HOW!
  
  This book is more then perfect. So good I have no words. It has all the kinks while it's sweet and romantic and erotic, and gives all the good feels.
  
  Aiden was a great character and his journey was really well written. It was exciting and interesting. The whole fairy-trip, the new world with it's own rules and with the new creatures. Everyting was so good. I was hooked and couldn't put it down.
  
  I think this book was the first time in this fariy tales retelling series when I really felt I was reading a fairy tale. This book is a fairy tale - with delicious darkness and all the kink you want. It has a hero, a bad guy, a king, magic and magical creatures. And the best - HEA.
  
  I loved Aiden, and the best thing was the he wasn't perfect - he was far from it, but he was a great hero material. His change was improving and it was really great to see him change and be his best self.
  And the fact that everyone said Aiden is BAD in bed, like the worst... and then comes the king, and everything became perfect because Aiden was perfectly made for him and just for him, sooooo good!
  
  As I said, it was more then perfect. My favorite from this series so far. Adara Wolf writes kink like no one else.
  
  Can't recommend this book enough! I think I will re-read this book, it's so good!
  
  kink list: monster fucking, watersports, pony play, sensory deprivation
  
  +and it has a talking horse! And geese with rainbow feathers.
  
• 
  EroticaAfterDark (Lilith)

  
  
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  Blurb:
  Aiden has known for years that his mother arranged a marriage for him. He's going to become somebody's trophy husband, living it up in wealth with some rich European.
  
  Until his mother informs him that his betrothed is a fae king. Now he has to travel through the faerie realm to honor the deal his mother made. It doesn't help that the servant sent to guide him hates him, and Aiden's body is a hot commodity in the fae realm. Aiden struggles to find a place for himself in this world, because everything he does seems to lead to pain and suffering for himself.
  
  This can't be the life intended for him. But in order to find happiness, he has to go through hell first.
• 
  The Dark Newsletter.com

  
  
  → Just released! Grab your copy now! ←
  
  
  
  
  
  → Submit or subscribe to The DARK Newsletter! ←
  
  Blurb:
  Aiden has known for years that his mother arranged a marriage for him. He's going to become somebody's trophy husband, living it up in wealth with some rich European.
  
  Until his mother informs him that his betrothed is a fae king. Now he has to travel through the faerie realm to honor the deal his mother made. It doesn't help that the servant sent to guide him hates him, and Aiden's body is a hot commodity in the fae realm. Aiden struggles to find a place for himself in this world, because everything he does seems to lead to pain and suffering for himself.
  
  This can't be the life intended for him. But in order to find happiness, he has to go through hell first.
• 
  L.D.

  False Feathers is part of the Grim and Sinister Delights series, a series based on the darker elements of classic fairytales written by different authors. Each book is standalone and can be read independent of each other. False Feathers is based on the Goose Girl story, and oh my, Adara Wolf does an amazing job capturing the structure and essence of that story but also infusing it with a level of glitzy darkness that is both disturbing and fascinating.
  
  Aiden has known for his entire life that he is destined to be a trophy husband. But his domineering, cold mother has kept secrets from him that have thrown everything he knows upside down. Now he finds himself trying to survive within the fae realm, a place where cruelty is as common and expected as breathing.
  
  Adara is a fabulous writer who has beautiful writing. The plot was enthralling, and filled with so many dark and twisted moments. This book is definitely not for everyone. Not only is it heavy on the kink and BDSM elements, but it also features some very dark topics during erotic moments. Read the warnings in the blurb. The ending reminds me of the endings in the older fairytales that weren’t Disney-fied and made palatable for young children. It’s ambiguous and twisted, but a perfect way to end a dark romance.
  
• 
  Katherine

  Very much the dark fairy tale, this gave me vibes of the older, traditional stories that served as moral lessons and warnings (but with more sex...!).
  
  Meant to marry a fae king, Aiden is a gorgeous human from a gilded cage - spoilt and a little naive, and hardly a paragon of virtue, he enters the world of the fae to find himself lost in a world that is cruel and uncaring of his suffering. Outwardly beautiful and perfect, the fae world is abusive and ugly inside. This depiction feels ancient - after all, the older tales of fairies depict them as cruel stealers of children, and were used as a threat to scare children into behaving and to deter them from wandering off on their own. They needed appeasing and were to be avoided - that definitely describes how people should approach Owen, Kurt and Rowan!
  
  The fae in this are alien - I quite enjoyed that aspect, and even among the cruelty and torture (heed the warnings, this is NOT a fun or easy read...), the lack of human standards of morality and the way Wolf paints a picture of an utterly foreign world was oddly captivating - I couldn't stop reading, even when I deeply uncomfortable.
• 
  Michi

  Oh boy, I fell in love with this one! False Feathers is a retelling of The Goose Girl (which I have NEVER read, so I had no idea what was going to happen). We start with a character I wasn't sure I was going to like - Aiden was mean, petty, cruel and yielded humiliation like his favorite tool. But after the switch, Aiden experiences all his hate and pettiness right back at him.
  
  What won me over was Aiden's heart of gold for the animals around him. He clung to that and suffered for them. Aiden also learned and worked on being a better person even though his circumstances most definitely did not lend themselves that way.
  
  And don't get me wrong, there's kink - it's Adara Wolf. The kink is amazing (and maybe a bit dark and intense for some), but I enjoyed watching Aiden suffer. I can't help myself.
  
  5 stars because this book brought all the emotions and a hero we love to watch suffer & change.
• 
  Siobhan Flynn

  A forced marriage arrangement to the Fae King doesn't sink into Aiden until he and his servant who loathes him with a passion journeys to the fae realm. Along the way Owen the servant deals a stunning betrayal leading Aiden to experience a taste of his own medicine. The fae realm surprised me with how charming it was and while it didn't go into great detail it seemed quite like the human world but with the odd surprise. Oodles of humiliation for Aiden but it does seem to have bought out his compassionate side which is shown through his sacrifices for the animals, I was in tears with how Aiden was treated and I absolutely despise Owen, I don't know i would have to capacity for any type of forgiveness. Aiden's mother was woefully neglect in tutoring Aiden on any type of Fae teachings and I feel she could of done much better. I love how tender the King was and I can only hope he stays that way with Aiden.
• 
  Ar

  4/5 "If Cianed asked, he would give his opinion on rulings. He would recite a few poems. He would kiss the king in public. And he’d be happy about it, mostly. There was no use wondering if there was anything else he could be doing with his life. He was still allowed to visit the geese, he rode Falada every day, and he had five beautiful new notebooks to fill with verse. He really had nothing to complain about. Before he’d come to the faerie realm, he had known he’d be somebody’s trophy husband. He could be that trophy husband, and use the little influence he had to do some good."
  --
  
  I was pleasantly surprised with this erotica. I genuinely expected mindless porn but I got a reflective main character who does not necessarily deserve a happily ever after and indeed doesn't get one.
  
  I came for the porn and stayed for the creepy interesting plot! Does the romance even qualify as romance? It's dark and didn't really end on a good note.
• 
  RACHEL REED

  Aiden has had it very hard in life. He has encountered alot of pain and hardship, and struggled to find a place where he truly belongs.
  He knows he is to be engaged soon, and is prepared to be married to the suitor of his mother's choosing, but what he did not expect was to be betrothed to the fae king himself.
  Now he has to venture into the fae realm escorted by a servant who hates him no less.
  
  As he travels to the realm of the fae,
  will he find happiness in his match or encounter more suffering?
  
  Inspired from the original 'The Goose Girl' comes a dark and deliciously depraved retelling.
  This was enchanting and beautifully written. The world building of the fae realm was described with such authenticity and uniqueness.
  This was twisted, hot, steamy and kinky!!
  
  A must read if you like a dark spin on a fairytale with well fleshed out characters and lots of steam.