Reviews - Wings of Ebony | The StoryGraph

It took me longer than I would have liked to settle into this book although that was possibly because I was only able to listen to an hour or so at a time initially. I found Rue difficult to love but I also understood the way that she was acting.

The latter half of this book was much, much stronger and I really enjoyed the reveal of this book.

Spoiler

I found the reveal that the magic was stolen from the black tribes to be very clever and also really confronting to read. This was an exceptional revelation and made me feel exactly as it should have made me feel.

I really enjoyed this author's perspective and hope that there will be further books to continue the story but I will gladly read more books from the author regardless.

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nolagal's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

leahsbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense fast-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

4.5

This is one of the 2021 debuts that I was really looking forward to, and I’m glad to say that it did not disappoint. You know when you start reading a book and know right away that it’s just going to be amazing? Yep. That’s what happened here.

It’s a crossover between urban fantasy, taking place in the hood of Houston, and fantasy, in Ghizon, which is an incredibly well-crafted world. The world building is done beautifully, with an entire caste-based society, history, language, magic system, and holidays/customs all described in such a clear and intriguing way. Just like any other society, Ghizon has a dark side to it as well, and involves discrimination.

J. Elle doesn’t shy away from portraying Rue’s Houston neighborhood realistically either, displaying both the good and the bad. While it’s clear that there is no trust between the people and law enforcement, media doesn’t show any interest in what happens to the residents of East Row, and the people living there are no strangers to drugs, violence, and death, the community is more than just neighbors — they’re family.

I loved the emotional impact this book had. Rue dealt with some heavy emotions throughout the entire story, but her feelings were all so realistic. She was dealing with grief, fear, anger, frustration, hurt, and loneliness. Rue is angry but channels it to create positive change for herself, her family, and her community, and even brings that change to wider circles. She faced an uphill battle, leaving a predominantly Black community that functioned as a supportive family after a traumatic event, and then being transported to a society where she’s basically an outcast and one of two Black people.

Rue wasn’t the only character who showed growth during the book. So many of the main characters had amazing growth arcs over the course of the story, and that wasn’t even the best part! The story itself was exciting, and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. I was actually disappointed when I had to adult and put the book down, and would count the time down until I could start reading again. The author wasn’t afraid to discuss racism, empowerment, hate, social justice, family dynamics, and forgiveness, and I can only hope that the next book in this series come out soon, because I’m here for it!

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