Wings Unseen
by Rebecca Gomez Farrell
Meerkat Press
August 22nd 2017
YA Fantasy
To end a civil war, Lansera’s King Turyn relinquished a quarter of his kingdom to create Medua, exiling all who would honor greed over valor to this new realm on the other side of the mountains. The Meduans and Lanserim have maintained an uneasy truce for two generations, but their ways of life are as compatible as oil and water.
When Vesperi, a Meduan noblewoman, kills a Lanserim spy with a lick of her silver flame, she hopes the powerful display of magic will convince her father to name her as his heir. She doesn’t know the act will draw the eye of the tyrannical Guj, Medua’s leader, or that the spy was the brother of Serrafina Gavenstone, the fiancèe of Turyn’s grandson, Prince Janto. As Janto sets out for an annual competition on the mysterious island of Braven, Serra accepts an invitation to study with the religious Brotherhood, hoping for somewhere to grieve her brother’s murder in peace. What she finds instead is a horror that threatens both countries, devouring all living things and leaving husks of skin in its wake.
To defeat it, Janto and Serra must learn to work together with the only person who possesses the magic that can: the beautiful Vesperi, whom no one knows murdered Serra’s brother. An ultimate rejection plunges Vesperi forward toward their shared destiny, with the powerful Guj on her heels and the menacing beating of unseen wings all about.
Readers of all ages will enjoy Wings Unseen, Rebecca Gomez Farrell’s first full-length novel. It is a fully-imagined epic fantasy with an unforgettable cast of characters.
MY TIDBITS
A rich world with endless layers of woven intrigue, secrets and hidden agendas make this an intriguing plot with tons of potential.
Two kingdoms live in truce but are extremely different from each other in many ways. Vesperi, a noblewoman with the power to turn people to ashes with the touch of her finger, is determined not to be married off like other women in her country, and intends to, instead, take over her father's rule--an almost impossible feat. In the other kingdom, Prince Janto and his bride Serra are shocked to find that Serra's brother has been killed. When Serra then discovers a great evil which is threatening them all, the three must come together to save both of their kingdoms.
The first chapter pulls in with a powerful scene and hooks in for an exciting read, leaving questions open as to what really happened. When the next chapter switches to the other kingdom and the next characters are introduced, the intrigue thickens. There is so much to love in this book, so many twists and layers of thoughts and dangers. It has the richness a great fantasy should. But while this wonderful world unfolds, background information is assumed and the blocks of information are missing, which creates a bit of confusion at times. It's an amazing world with great descriptions, but missing some of the groundwork in the first chapters. Still, it was impossible not to read on.
The characters are rich and have tons of story surrounding them. They are determined and heroes in so many ways. The very opposite attitudes form an interesting environment as both sides attempt to come together. Where the character depth falls short, the action does not. Something happens on every pages, which keeps the story going. There is something like a romance, but it losses punch in the complexity of the rest of the tale.
The writing is descriptive and artistic. The descriptions are never long-winded but let the world build. Still, the book wasn't a light read and held weight. It took longer to read than most Young Adult novels of this length.
Fantasy fans will enjoy the complex world and woven plot.
And here she is . . .
In all but one career aptitude test Rebecca Gomez Farrell has taken, writer has been the #1 result. But when she tastes the salty air and hears the sea lions bark, she wonders if maybe sea captain was the right choice after all. Currently marooned in Oakland, CA, Becca is an associate member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Her short stories, which run the gamut of speculative fiction genres, have been published by Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Pulp Literature, the Future Fire, Typehouse Literary Magazine, and an upcoming story in theDark, Luminous Wings anthology from Pole to Pole Publishing among others. Maya’s Vacation, her contemporary romance novella, is available from Clean Reads. She is thrilled to have Meerkat Press publish her debut novel.
Becca’s food, drink, and travel writing, which has appeared in local media in CA and NC, can primarily be found at her blog, The Gourmez. For a list of all her published work, fiction and nonfiction, check out her author website at RebeccaGomezFarrell.com.
2 comments:
Thank you so much for this thoughtful review! A pleasure to be hosted at Bookworm for Kids.
Great review! This sounds so well written and compelling overall! Glad you liked it! :)
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