Reviews - Gilded Wings | The StoryGraph

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You can find this review of Gilded Wings on my blog, Heart's Content!

A big shoutout and thank you to the author, Jaymin Eve, and Peachy Keen Author Services for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review!

I realize I haven’t spoken too much about Jaymin Eve before, but she’s long since become an author whose work I follow with a mild-obsession. I loved her Shadow Beast Shifter series—I’ll admit I only read the Shadow Beast’s story though. However, I had so much fun and add my best friend in this mix and we were rolling with laughter and just couldn’t wait for the final book in the series to release. The series is fully released (lucky brats, the lot of you), available for free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers. You can thank me later.

So when I saw Jaymin Eve post about Gilded Wings, I dived into the form that would give me a chance to be a part of the blog tour. I loved the author, I loved the blurb and I loved that it was a brand new series—though I realized this later. Special mention to the fact that the heroine loves books and works at a library (I’d rather not talk about the level of jealousy this small factoid raked up).

Just as all other Jaymin Eve books, Gilded Wings too is so easy to sink into. The book has maybe one or two chapters that can be categorised as introductory. The story basically springs into action and the way it’s arced is not one that I would have expected. To say I was surprised would be putting it mildly. If y’all don’t at least raise your eyebrows, text me, we need to have a talk about the kind of books y’all have been reading.

The plot I think is very slow to reveal itself and it certainly wasn’t anything I expected. The world is layered differently and follows completely different rules, so it’s hard to see the story coming at you. In your defence, you’re facing forward and storyline hits you from the back. That being said, I do think book two will bring more details with regards to the plot and story arc; but book one definitely laid the foundation for it.

The world building I think happens a little slowly and then all at once, somewhere in the middle. I will admit this is where I lost a little bit of interest, because there’s was a lot of information coming in about the world but I wanted to know more about what was happening currently. But, but, but, if you wait a bit Jaymin Eve brings it right back and I dove straight back feeling the book all over again. There was this incomplete feeling I sensed, like there was more to what was happening on page and I realize now perhaps Jaymin Eve wanted us to feel that way. If she did, she has succeeded, because when she brought those extra somethings I was looking for, I was like “Yep, this is it. This was what I was looking for.”

The pace, objectively speaking, remained the same throughout, but the only time I struggled was for the above mentioned reason, but this might not be true for every reader. All of Jaymin Eve‘s books have always been very fast paced, with lots of humour, action, plot-twists, mind-twists etc. Gilded Wings was honestly no different in that regard, while still maintaining its own personality that’s very different from the other books that I’ve read in the fantasy genre written by Jaymin Eve.

Now, for the characters. I think I would compare the character introduction to the way the world building unfolds: slowly and then all at once. However, I will say that it’s alright if you don’t remember everyone all the time, mostly because the most important characters you will remember well and the new ones will make sense with the context in which the interaction is taking place.
Among the primary characters, I’m choosing to speak only about the heroine, simply so that you can go through the rollercoster of shocks and surprises just like I did. Morgan—bless her soul—is both rather relatable (and enviable with that librarian job of hers) and a wonderfully throw hands character. In her defence, I do feel like her situation pushes her to act-first-feel-later. My favourite thing about a heroine is them being real. Anyone that can say “I’m going to stay right here, I know for sure that there’s no way I’m not going to get killed otherwise and I’m also not going to be of any help right now.” balanced with knowing when to step in, I can get behind. Be smart, people!

So, to conclude, I loved where the book was going and I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen in book two and I’m sitting here wondering how this is going to end in book two. Shouldn’t this be a three-four book series at least? Wishful thinking? Maybe.

Four and a half stars! Happy reading! Check trigger warnings, my friends. Nothing’s worth emotional pain. Also, I have so many highlights on my Kindle for the quotes I liked—there are some real gems in here—that choosing one was my biggest challenge. The book is funnnnn. Kindle Unlimited subscribers, run. This book is absolutely free for you! Gilded Wings is also out in India!