I tried to really like this book but found most of it was just describing all the different characters and how they looked, only to find out most of them you'd never meet up with again.
I found the writing style to be very formal and I felt like an english teacher was telling me the story in a very strict voice.
Word choice in some places felt very forced as if the author was trying to make it more fantasy but came off as more formal.
The main characters themselves were ok, I felt I knew what they looked like more then what motivated them and I had no emotional rapport with them either.
Lots of world building/species building with little actual plot, with them sitting around for ages (or so it felt) for a book to show up.
I was really hoping this book would be great as I am both a cataloger and archivist so I was sure to enjoy it. But it sadly fell flat due to not much plot going on.
The writer can write, but needs to spend more time working on getting readers emotionally evolved with the characters then what they look like, even more so with the fact of all the pictures throughout the book. (which were fine) ( )

This charming slice-of-life fantasy book was a real treat to read. Instead of focusing on big, physical, life-or-death stakes, Paper & Feathers studies the daily life and customs of its characters, and the marvelous intricacy of their fantasy world. I felt immersed in the worldbuilding almost from the very beginning, and enjoyed following the main character's journey to a very satisfying conclusion.

I am a big fan of all of Zephyr Thomas' writings, but this book is my favorite. The main characters in Paper & Feathers had struggles and problems that I found very relatable, like searching for one's true identity and discerning a marriage partner. I would recommend this book to people seeking a well-written, literary fantasy book with intricate worldbuilding, compelling characters, small-scale conflicts, and beautiful imagery.

Paper & Feathers was restful, refreshing, and thought-provoking in the very best way - definitely deserves 5 stars! ( )

I received an early reviewer copy of this book and the below review is based upon that version of the text. There is the potential for this to be an interesting idea, but the execution didn't hit the mark for me personally as a reader. While the author has gone into great detail about all the different characters' races, this seems to be at the expense of the plot and the pace. Characters who are only met in passing and don't add to the real progress of the main events of the story are described in great detail leaving me overwhelmed. Combining this detail with the description of the surroundings and a wealth of spirits, who were a constant presence in many different forms throughout but didn't really do anything in terms of the story itself, the main characters and the actual story are somewhat lost. The first half of the book focuses on introducing characters and settings. The main 'change' event happens about halfway through the book with a character who passes through briefly and then vanishes again until shortly before the end. The event changes the main character Ahlden, but no real exploration of the change and the 'why this' or the feelings and character development behind it is undertaken. Even the resolution of the event is left as a superficial outcome that isn't explored. I wanted to like this more than I did.
( )

The world building left something to be desired. The characters emotional framework was valid but it got lost in all the races presented and trying to keep track of each character's race/what they look like. I found the spirit characters superfluous to the story. ( )