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thenovelmaura's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I wish I hadn't waited so long to write my review, because I'm afraid I won't be able to do this book justice! Wings of Ebony was a magical debut novel with a protagonist who is full of life. Unlike when characters wish they could be whisked away to a magical world, this exact thing happened to Rue and she wasn't having any of it. She'd rather be with her sister and the tight-knit community in her Houston neighborhood than learning how to wield magic in Ghizon. For this reason, East Row felt much more real to me than the fantastical Ghizon, especially since Rue chose to ignore most of what she was taught there. J. Elle was generous enough to attend our book club's discussion and said that the sequel will be based almost entirely in Ghizon, so I'm looking forward to learning more about this world in that book.
There were quite a few great character arcs in this book that I can't talk about without spoiling anything, but Rue's friend Bri and her father were the standouts for me. Even when their choices were painful to read about, Rue was both honest with them and gave them room to change, which I loved. The ending makes a powerful statement about restorative justice that was appropriate for a YA audience. I'm in awe of Elle's ability to address issues of racism, colonization, cultural appropriation and performative allyship in the context of an action-packed urban fantasy novel, and I can't wait to read more from her!
There were quite a few great character arcs in this book that I can't talk about without spoiling anything, but Rue's friend Bri and her father were the standouts for me. Even when their choices were painful to read about, Rue was both honest with them and gave them room to change, which I loved. The ending makes a powerful statement about restorative justice that was appropriate for a YA audience. I'm in awe of Elle's ability to address issues of racism, colonization, cultural appropriation and performative allyship in the context of an action-packed urban fantasy novel, and I can't wait to read more from her!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Racism
Moderate: Gun violence, Police brutality, and Murder
nightwing's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"Wings of Ebony" follows Rue who lost her mother and gained a father, and inherited her father's mysterious magical world along with all of its lovely problems.
Rue is a great character and is fleshed out very well throughout the book, all her motivations wear clear and completely understandable. Unfortunately, the side characters lost the development. Still, Rue carries the book on her shoulders and it's so fun to see her journey and feeling trapped between two different worlds with completely different expectations of her.
I think this book would've been even better had it been longer and had more time to flesh out the characters and world-building. It's really great otherwise, especially the connections with real-life events that hit hard but in a good way.
I can't wait for the next one!
Rue is a great character and is fleshed out very well throughout the book, all her motivations wear clear and completely understandable. Unfortunately, the side characters lost the development. Still, Rue carries the book on her shoulders and it's so fun to see her journey and feeling trapped between two different worlds with completely different expectations of her.
I think this book would've been even better had it been longer and had more time to flesh out the characters and world-building. It's really great otherwise, especially the connections with real-life events that hit hard but in a good way.
I can't wait for the next one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Death, and Gun violence
whysomanysams's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Cursing, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Car accident, Genocide, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Murder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Racism
Minor: Vomit
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