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cmitchell2781's review
5.0
Wonderful
This is a beautiful take on Greek mythology, and I am here for it. Althea is such a strong female character, but still riddled with human doubts and desires. I can't wait to read the rest of the series and watch her and her sisters grow. I'm really excited to see how the rest of the books continue this tale about the origin of the Olympians.
This is a beautiful take on Greek mythology, and I am here for it. Althea is such a strong female character, but still riddled with human doubts and desires. I can't wait to read the rest of the series and watch her and her sisters grow. I'm really excited to see how the rest of the books continue this tale about the origin of the Olympians.
darwin_girl59's review
3.0
I can smell a Greek retelling from a mile away and will always read, regardless of reviews! So I was excited to come across a new one and in a Kindle sale.
Overall, this is a novel approach for a retelling, but the author takes a lot of creative license to get the story to work. Whilst I generally enjoyed it, there were enough annoyances that I probably won't read the second in the series. This is definitely a YA and adult readers may find this misses the mark of a more mature author and all that it entails.
The story of three sisters in the era of Cronus, a second generation Titan. In the lore, humans aren't present until the next generation of gods are in power and are created by Zeus and Prometheus. This does make the story more interesting, as squabbling gods gets boring pretty quick without human toys. And of course, what's a Greek myth without a quest? Althea, the youngest sister, must save the oldest who has been kidnapped by Cronus, whilst at the same time help the young Zeus rise up and topple the tyrant ruler, Cronus.
What I liked:
- Stavra - the sisters' mother is only present in the first chapter of the book but the rest of her story is told second hand as the present story unfolds.
- Plot twist reveal - I won't say what it was but whilst it was hinted it at throughout, I couldn't guess exactly how it would play out. It's nice to be surprised, especially with stories that have been told a hundred ways already.
What I didn't like:
- Half baked world building and plot development - Ancient Greece would been rich for all the senses and I couldn't really lose myself in the era. As I was also reading on Kindle, I didn't really check to see how far through I was until I hit 70%, thinking I was probably only a third through! This had the potential to be an epic and the majority of the book felt like a warm up.
- Missing emotional reactions - a lot of the book was a description of actions "This happened and then that happened..." style. Its a sign of author still maturing and it meant I didn't feel that invested in what happened to the characters. It was also just a bit dull to read.
Other thoughts:
- Considering the era is Ancient Greece, a lot of the characters seem to have Caucasian features which didn't seem to match the setting.
- A stab in the dark at feminism - whilst at first glance, it seems like an empowering position of the central character as she points out various discrepancies with how women are treated, it falls flat and superficial as this rarely translates into an actions around equality. It misses out on a lot of nuance and complexity of feminism and so just feels like its pandering to the YA audience.
- The misogyny in the story could have been much worse given the reality of history but sensitive readers will probably find this to be their limit. There are mentions of abuse, rape and purposeful disfigurement of women.
- Relationships with men - characters are likely to form different relationships with other genders in different ways, but the MC's approach to men seems a little off. One example would be that at one point she mentions how long its been since she's lain with a man but she's grown up in a very protected nunnery essentially. It would have been very unlikely that women who lived outside of this protection would have had any pleasurable encounters with men. So how would this encounter have been possible? There are others, but this is one that stuck in my mind.
Overall, this is a novel approach for a retelling, but the author takes a lot of creative license to get the story to work. Whilst I generally enjoyed it, there were enough annoyances that I probably won't read the second in the series. This is definitely a YA and adult readers may find this misses the mark of a more mature author and all that it entails.
The story of three sisters in the era of Cronus, a second generation Titan. In the lore, humans aren't present until the next generation of gods are in power and are created by Zeus and Prometheus. This does make the story more interesting, as squabbling gods gets boring pretty quick without human toys. And of course, what's a Greek myth without a quest? Althea, the youngest sister, must save the oldest who has been kidnapped by Cronus, whilst at the same time help the young Zeus rise up and topple the tyrant ruler, Cronus.
What I liked:
- Stavra - the sisters' mother is only present in the first chapter of the book but the rest of her story is told second hand as the present story unfolds.
- Plot twist reveal - I won't say what it was but whilst it was hinted it at throughout, I couldn't guess exactly how it would play out. It's nice to be surprised, especially with stories that have been told a hundred ways already.
What I didn't like:
- Half baked world building and plot development - Ancient Greece would been rich for all the senses and I couldn't really lose myself in the era. As I was also reading on Kindle, I didn't really check to see how far through I was until I hit 70%, thinking I was probably only a third through! This had the potential to be an epic and the majority of the book felt like a warm up.
- Missing emotional reactions - a lot of the book was a description of actions "This happened and then that happened..." style. Its a sign of author still maturing and it meant I didn't feel that invested in what happened to the characters. It was also just a bit dull to read.
Other thoughts:
- Considering the era is Ancient Greece, a lot of the characters seem to have Caucasian features which didn't seem to match the setting.
- A stab in the dark at feminism - whilst at first glance, it seems like an empowering position of the central character as she points out various discrepancies with how women are treated, it falls flat and superficial as this rarely translates into an actions around equality. It misses out on a lot of nuance and complexity of feminism and so just feels like its pandering to the YA audience.
- The misogyny in the story could have been much worse given the reality of history but sensitive readers will probably find this to be their limit. There are mentions of abuse, rape and purposeful disfigurement of women.
- Relationships with men - characters are likely to form different relationships with other genders in different ways, but the MC's approach to men seems a little off. One example would be that at one point she mentions how long its been since she's lain with a man but she's grown up in a very protected nunnery essentially. It would have been very unlikely that women who lived outside of this protection would have had any pleasurable encounters with men. So how would this encounter have been possible? There are others, but this is one that stuck in my mind.
kiki6k's review against another edition
4.0
Emily R. King's Wings of Fury is an epic saga set against the backdrop of ancient Greece. It weaves themes of rebellion, feminism, and destiny around Althea Lambros, a woman defying the tyrannical Golden Age. Driven by a prophecy and a dying mother's wish, Althea embarks on a quest to overthrow the mighty Cronus. Aided by the Boy God, believed dead but harboring a shared fate, she rallies resistance. However, their rebellion faces the wrath of Cronus' growing forces, plunging them into a war for freedom.
While the fast-paced adventure and well-developed characters with their complexities are captivating, the plot adheres to a familiar YA fantasy formula. Predictable turns and convenient plot devices occasionally hinder the story's originality. The writing style is clear and propels the narrative, but may lack depth for some readers. Overall, Wings of Fury is an enjoyable adventure perfect for fans of Greek mythology and YA fantasy tropes.
corycloud's review
3.0
I enjoyed it for the most part, but it just felt like the pacing could use a lot of work. Often times I would be reading along and then realize that something really important to the plot or characters happened without me processing it. There is just no change in tone between important/emotional scenes and the rest of the book. I did, however, really like the concept of the book and the message that women should shrink for no one.
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
4.0
I am obsessed with any retelling or story based on Greek mythology and have loved Emily R. King's previous works, so this was a no-brainer! The story is an empowering one where women take charge and fight for themselves against ruthless enemies, creatures, and gods.
The story moves at a brisk, almost too quick, pace that begins with action and allows for plenty of thrilling moments. Althea is a headstrong character who is not afraid to challenge herself and stand up for her sisters when she needs to. Bronte is a great foil for her and I enjoyed their interactions. Theo is a kind, misguided man, and even though Zeus lived to annoy those who taught him, I did find him charming at times.
The story plays fast and loose with classical myths, offering an exciting and fresh take while staying true to some of the old gods and traditions. It's also packed with ferocious monsters, wild betrayals, and plenty of drama. Things seem to happen a little too quickly at some points for my taste and I think that Althea jumped to too many conclusions about Theo at other points, but I still found it to be an empowering book.
This is a great story for anyone who enjoys seeing women take charge against men, who enjoy new takes on old myths, and are looking for an energetic weekend read!
The story moves at a brisk, almost too quick, pace that begins with action and allows for plenty of thrilling moments. Althea is a headstrong character who is not afraid to challenge herself and stand up for her sisters when she needs to. Bronte is a great foil for her and I enjoyed their interactions. Theo is a kind, misguided man, and even though Zeus lived to annoy those who taught him, I did find him charming at times.
The story plays fast and loose with classical myths, offering an exciting and fresh take while staying true to some of the old gods and traditions. It's also packed with ferocious monsters, wild betrayals, and plenty of drama. Things seem to happen a little too quickly at some points for my taste and I think that Althea jumped to too many conclusions about Theo at other points, but I still found it to be an empowering book.
This is a great story for anyone who enjoys seeing women take charge against men, who enjoy new takes on old myths, and are looking for an energetic weekend read!
roguekitten93's review
5.0
Amazing
I'm a huge fam of Greek Mythology, and this book was everything I could have imagined it would be. Excited to read the next one!
I'm a huge fam of Greek Mythology, and this book was everything I could have imagined it would be. Excited to read the next one!
achavez's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
ameserole's review against another edition
4.0
Wings of Fury was so much to fun to dive into. Right from the very beginning, pages just seemed to fly by. Plus the character themselves were wonderfully entertaining due to the mixing of Gods and strong ass female Warriors.
In it, you will meet Althea. Now she is a bad ass female and her sister's protector. Like most strong independent females, she doesn't let a man control her (in any way). Which, yes, you go girl! From the very first meet and greet, I fell in love with her. It just sucked donkey butt that the world she was living in treated women pretty freaking crappy. If all the males somehow got a swift kick in the nuts from karma.. I would totally look the other way.
Other than that, the addition of Gods was a fun twist. I liked getting to know them and sort of watch them grow throughout the book. It was also pretty interesting to see how Zeus got his powers and such too.
In the end, I just really enjoyed the heck out of this book and now I'm super excited to dive into the sequel!
In it, you will meet Althea. Now she is a bad ass female and her sister's protector. Like most strong independent females, she doesn't let a man control her (in any way). Which, yes, you go girl! From the very first meet and greet, I fell in love with her. It just sucked donkey butt that the world she was living in treated women pretty freaking crappy. If all the males somehow got a swift kick in the nuts from karma.. I would totally look the other way.
Other than that, the addition of Gods was a fun twist. I liked getting to know them and sort of watch them grow throughout the book. It was also pretty interesting to see how Zeus got his powers and such too.
In the end, I just really enjoyed the heck out of this book and now I'm super excited to dive into the sequel!
ritaroo27's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0