Feathertide is a stunning debut novel by Beth Cartwright that seamlessly blends elements of fantasy and magical realism. Set in a world where some humans are born with wings, the story follows the life of a young girl named Marea, who is abandoned by her mother and raised by her father in a remote island.

The writing style is lyrical and poetic, creating a vivid and immersive world that readers will want to lose themselves in. Cartwright’s prose is elegant and evocative, transporting readers to a magical realm where anything is possible.

One of the strengths of Feathertide is the way in which it tackles complex themes such as identity, belonging, and the search for meaning. Marea’s journey to discover her true self is a poignant and relatable one, and readers will find themselves rooting for her every step of the way.

Overall, Beth Cartwright’s Feathertide is a beautifully written and enchanting novel that is sure to captivate readers. With its richly imagined world, well-drawn characters, and poignant themes, it is a must-read for fans of fantasy and magical realism alike.
Truly a perfect read for fans of Erin Morgenstern, Katherine Arden and Alix E. Harrow. Oh, and mermaids!

Well this was so very whimsical and unique. I loved it. Such a breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre. Mouthwatering. I cannot recommend this enough.

This is such a beautifully written coming of age story that has such a magical and fairytale quality to it. Its slow paced, character driven and with a lush setting and atmosphere however, I do feel that the secondary characters could have been a bit more fleshed out and there is definitely a lack of adventure or any real tension throughout.

Overall, I gave this 3 out of 5 stars.

Triggers warning for mentions of sex work.

I tried reading this one, several times, but either the story didn't catch my attention/didn't keep me interested, or the author's writing style wasn't for me. It's best to part ways with it.

Maybe it was me and my mood reading, or maybe it was the book. Who knows? But if the synopsis sounds interesting to you, give it a try.

I voluntarily agreed to read a copy via Netgalley. My ratins is 2 stars.

*So What's the Story...*
On the night of the winter solstice a baby girl was born in a brothel to a woman named Lemàn. What was so special about this babe that it is the opening of a story, you ask? Well she was a beautiful girl, for starters. A girl with a full head of sunset coloured hair and feathers on her neck & shoulders. Yes, feathers. Also, the fact that her mother could not eat anything except fish all throughout her pregnancy might be important.

This baby was named Maréa and she was kept well hidden in the brothel cellar, far from the prying eyes of men. And perhaps, someone else too. It seemed Maréa's mother had another reason for hiding her.

The girl with feathers down her back grew over the years in the dark cellar with just one oblong window that promised of a great world beyond. Maréa never wanted for love. Oh no, there was plenty of it. What she DID want for, however, was freedom. Her feathers rustled as she gazed longingly out of that lone window. As if they would become wings and take her far away.

When Maréa turned 18, she chose to step out of the cellar into the world and find out who she truly was. Her mother accepted this decision even though it broke her heart. Her daughter had chosen freedom.

And so it was that Maréa stepped out into the unknown to find a magical floating city.

The City of Waters.

The City of murmurs.

A place of dreams, illusions and mermaids. A city where her mother had met her father. This , she knew was the place, where she could find the answer to all her questions.

And thus, begins the magical journey.

*Reasons to Read 'Feathertide'*
1. The author Beth Cartwright sure knows how to weave magic into her words. Even though the story starts in the real world we know of, you can still feel the undertones of magic from just the first few lines.

2. The whole story is centred around fluidity. From the floating magical city to Maréa's attraction to water. There is fluidity of identity and sexuality which is nothing short of refreshing.

3. 'Feathertide' is a story of love and freedom. And that makes for a journey that leaves you feeling happy and hopeful.


*Do I Recommend?*
Yes. Definitely. Although, I would like to suggest you get into this story without any particular expectation. 'Feathertide' is not only one thing. It is not just paranormal or romance or self discovery. It is all of the above and so much more.

A charming and magical coming-of-age romantic fantasy. I loved the vibe, descriptions and characters, although I did find it a slow read that lacked tension. Things happen very conveniently and just when you think something drastic, adventurous or confrontational might occur it usually gets tied up or glossed over. I'd certainly read another novel by Beth Cartwright, especially if I need to read a nice fluffy dreamy story after a nasty grimdark one...

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

Marea has always been different from everyone else. She was born with feathers and never understood why. When she reaches adulthood she decides to visit the City of Murmurs in hope of finding her Father and the answers she needs. Whilst there she'll find adventure, love and herself.

Unfortunately the book did not really keep me hooked or engaged but I still wanted to finish the story to see what happened at the end. I think I would have prefered if we could have much more backstory and mythology to keep me way more engaged and be able to see myself there with the characters.

It was an ineteresting and easy read but there was not much to the story and no tension. I do believe the author is a promising one and the second book might be a bit more powerful.

I was initially pulled into young Marea’s world – not only being able to visualise, but smell and taste it, too. This sensitive, intelligent child, brought up in a brothel, is tucked away for her own safety – but that doesn’t make the long hours alone any easier to bear. That said, I found Marea’s mother beautifully portrayed – the sense of her trying to do the very best for her child in difficult circumstances, along with her love for her feathered daughter was one of the most poignant and moving parts of the book, for me.

However, this isn’t a short book and round about the halfway stage, once I’d become accustomed to the rhythm of the writing and settled down with the characters, I was expecting the pace to increase somewhat, or at least find the story taking an unexpected turn along the way. Sadly, neither of those things happened and as I’d already worked out where the story was going, I was conscious during the second half of an increasing sense of disappointment when it did just that. While the descriptions and sense of wonder that Marea experienced within the City of Murmurs (think Venice with magical corners) were delightful, and would have been outstanding had this only been novella-length, the actual plot wasn’t sufficient to sustain a book of this length and density.

However, Cartwright is certainly One To Watch and I’m hoping that her next effort is better paced – her worldbuilding is fabulous. Recommended for fans of lush, beautifully described fantasy tales. The ebook arc copy of Feathertide was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest opinion of the book.
7/10

Marea has been hiding her life, but on her eighteenth birthday her wish of freedom is granted and she uses it to go out in the world and find the father she never met. All in all, I enjoyed the story, but it didn’t really captivate me. I’ll admit that the story is very well-written and it features a unique protagonist, but I had a bit of a trouble getting completely into the story and there were moments of dullness that had my mind wandering. This is a book of fantasy with a fairy-tale atmosphere that talks about love, about self-discovery, about feeling like you belong, about forgiveness. It is enjoyable, but I wish I liked it more.

An engrossing and fascinating book that kept me hooked and fully immersed in its magical world.
The excellent world building and character development, the poetic and dreamy style of writing kept me hooked.
It's a book that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This was quite a sweet book, a child of a whore, hidden, until she comes of age, and must leave and go into the world alone, whilst trying to work out who she is...half human, half bird.

Determined to find her father, she heads to the City of Murmurs, trying to track down clues to find him and work out who she is.

This is a sweet book, with loads of likeable characters, and was an enjoyable book.

My thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House UK, Ebury Publishing for the copy

This was a difficult one to rate, it was very magical, had a bi main character, a mermaid and bird people. However I found the writing a bit too flowery and wordy and while the world was interesting I found that the story was just missing something. I think it was because it was a coming of age story so there wasn't anything particularly exciting that happened. It was more about her journey of discovery and becoming brave enough to show who she was and find acceptance. I appreciated how the stories that the main character was told as a child and her mother's fear for her influenced her as she got older.
The characters were weird and wonderful, I especially liked the mermaid, she was suitably mysterious and alluring. The mystery of the bird people and who her father was interesting though I felt more could have been done with it.
The pacing was slow and measured but I think the ending just kept going, every time I thought it was the last page there was another chapter! However when we got to the actual ending I thought it was very appropriate to the general feeling of the story.
I'd definitely be open to reading another book set in the same world since I would love to explore it more though it would need to have a more exciting plot. If you find a magical coming of age story intriguing then give this a try!

A beautifully written novel. Beth Cartwright has created a vivid and colourful world and is clearly talented. However the plot didn’t grip me and some parts were overwritten explaining the meaning rather than giving the audience the chance to enjoy the subtleties. It needed more editing. Nice but not brilliant.

Such a magically little book and so easy to read. I would love to see more work based in this world, from Sky Worshippers to the mermaids. A lovely little coming of age although, I kept waiting for something to go incredibly wrong and it didn't - which I am both glad for and surprised about!

Some lovely descriptive writing and I loved the main characters and the ending to their stories!

Where to start describing this book…

The main character, Marea, is a young woman born with feathers covering her body. Her mother keeps her hidden until she’s old enough to travel to find out the mysteries of her own origins – something that she can’t give her.

For me, this is the very definition of a coming of age story; Marea’s emotional growth is impressive and the result of hard earnt experiences after leaving her childhood home. This is what I enjoyed the most, seeing her grow as a result of her own actions, though they weren’t always the kindest or the most well thought out. When she arrives on the island where her parents met, she has to live in the open for the first time in her life and the ensuing identity crisis is another major theme in the book.

Another thing that stood out to me was that the protagonist is bisexual, there’s no angst over this fact beyond typical teen romance angst, which was perfect. The lack of conflict meant that she could explore her romantic feelings freely, which was liberating and sweet to read. Despite the lack of conflict in this particular area, do prepare yourself for a lot of feelings. Everyone in this book has a lot of feelings.

The first part of this book was quite slow going and the poetic writing style did feel like it was slowing down the course of events, but once Marea has made her voyage to the City of Murmurs, it picks up the pace and I couldn’t put it down. The writing in this book is as beautiful as its cover – and what a cover!

I would recommend this book to young adults and fans of light fantasy and magical realism, it would be an excellent introduction to the fantasy genre for those who haven’t read much in that area yet.
If you’re looking for something with a lot of action though, this isn’t the book for you.

In places, really beautiful writing and an atmospheric setting, however, I struggled with the pace of the story.

The problem for me was that although the setting was beautifully told, with the brothel, the women, the town itself etc. I didn't really connect with the first-person narrative. The premise was attractive: a girl with feathers. And I found the opening really interesting, especially with the beautiful writing. But then I started to drift apart. The plot didn't grip me, I wasn't really connecting with Merea, and in the end, I had to skim most of it sadly. I think this just wasn't the right one for me.

Everything you need to know about Feathertide by Beth Cartwright
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Rep: Bisexual protagonist, Sapphic romance.
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What you get?
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🍷Marea, born with feathers and kept hidden from the world in a whorehouse, ventures out to the City of Murmurs at the age of 17 to find her father and her true identity.
🍷Things happen exceptionally fast in this story and the author carefully avoids any mishaps. I mean, how lucky can a person be? Things are way too easy for this lady.
🍷A lot of effort has been given to beautifying and perfecting the outside world. The world building is exquisite, with Venice like vibes.
🍷An emotionally engaging read. The loose ends are tied carefully and neatly, for the most part.
🍷The themes that are recurring in the story are that of longing, fleeting relationships, self acceptance, personal experiences and difficult choices.
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What you don't get:
🍷A first person narration, but I could hear the author in my head and not the protagonist.
🍷Minimal character development.
🍷Very little Mermaid time (you can't get away with drawing a Mermaid on the cover and disappointing us later).
🍷Severe lack of adventure with zero nail-biting experience.
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Special Mention:
🍷It's a crime to compare this to The Bear and The Nightingale by Katherine Arden.

Magical, and mystical, this book is well worth a read, I really enjoyed it.

Merea is different from those around her - across her back she sprouts feathers, and spends her childhood hidden in a cellar by her mother Leman, to protect her from exploitation. As she comes of age, she takes the decision to leave those she loves and to seek out her father, responsible for the feathers.

Travelling to various mystical islands, she finds a new home in a city where being different does not matter, and gradually comes to accept her beauty. With this come more decisions she has to make, where will love lead her?

These beautifully woven story is about a girl brought up in secret, with a secret, in a house frequented regularly by men of all ages and from all areas of society.
Covered in feathers, she is trapped in the brothel where her mother works, unable to fly to freedom. As she grows, she is assigned a teacher. While Maréa was covered in feathers like a bird and felt a connection to the flocks outside, she herself was unable to fly and it is her teacher who tells her about farflung magical islands, lands of magical beings, one of which was the place where her mother met the man of feathers who fathered her.
It takes almost a third of the book before she leaves her home to begin her real adventure.
The beauty of the book is all in the writing. For some it may be too poetic - too much inward-thinking and not enough action - but if you love the beauty of the spoken word, the way words can be threaded, knitted and sewn to make tapestries out of imagination, then you'll adore every page.

From the moment I opened this book, I was just enchanted by the magical world of mermaids and murmuring cities. Beth Cartwright's amazingly dreamy prose left me enthralled and I love this style of writing.

This is a book to fully immerse yourself into, it's not a face-paced thriller. It gives the reader time to savour the world, the language and the characters.

Perfect piece of escapism - loved it!