Black Feathers

April 15, 2013

Two children, one living during the Black Dawn, an apocalyptic breakdown of Earth's environment and the rise of a totalitarian government, the other existing in a future time of recovery and attempted healing known as The Bright Day, embark on separate quests for the Crowman, who might be the world's salvation--or its destruction. D'Lacey (Meat) launches the first volume in a duology that assumes the quality of myth. A must-read for mythology fans.

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2013
Known for such bloody good fun as Garbage Man (2011) and Snake Eyes (2012), D'Lacey strays from the horror genre in this ambitious dark fantasy, with mixed results. This first volume of a planned duology splits the narrative into two stories. The first takes place in the near future, when ecological damage results in not only global calamaties but also a military crackdown by the nefarious Ward. Prophecy decrees that everyday kid Gordon, 14, must find the enigmatic Crowman, a black-winged dark messiah who may lead the world into destructionand, perhaps, rebirth. Gordon flees would-be captors through an apocalyptic world, and, though additional plot signposts would have been appreciated, it remains fast-paced, violent (so many gooey eye injuries!), and intriguing. The second story is more problematic. Set in the Bright Day, a simple but peaceful future, it follows young Megan as she undergoes a wandering, protracted tutelage to become the final Keeper of the Crowman's story. Overall, this is fascinating but uneven. Let's see what D'Lacey can do in next year's The Book of the Crowman.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)