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A review by aforestofbooks
Wings of Shadow by Nicki Pau Preto
5.0
Hi what's up, hello, my name is dead.
One of the hardest things to do is writing a review for the final book in a series. What do I even say that will do this justice? How do I write my thoughts into words that make sense? Why can't SJDKFLJSDKFLJSDLKFJ be enough *sobs*
I'm just going straight into it. Beware of spoilers.
My biggest fear with this book was that we would not get a satisfying conclusion for Val's character. NOT. EVERY. VILLAIN. DESERVES. A. REDEMPTION. ARC. I live by this, and especially so with Val. She's a very powerful character, but she's also brutal and unforgiving. And when things don't go her way, the only option is to destroy everything and everyone, because if Val can't get what she wants, then no one else can either. I literally get shivers down my spine thinking about it. But this book does humanize her a little. We see Val slowly fraying at the edges. She's impatient, restless, desperate to be the best, the most powerful. She's just as manipulative as she was in the previous books, except Veronyka has grown and come to realize her tricks, yet Val knows this and still tries anyway. I've said this in previous reviews, but Val's mind is a very dark, but interesting place.
That final confrontation...when Val pushes Veronyka to fight because she doesn't want what relationship they have, the one thing she has been living and fighting for, to end...it fit so well with Val's character arc. And then she jumps in front of Veronyka so Sidra's arrow doesn't hit her. Val does love her, in her own twisted, very messed up way. We see that in her POV when she thinks back to how she didn't stop the bond forming between her and Veronkya. But I'm also sure a part of her wanted to be the one to end Veronyka too. In that moment, she realizes that even if Veronyka saves her, there is nothing left for her to fight for, no purpose, no more battles...
I loved this so much. Avalkyra recognizing that she is a war criminal, that there is no way she could be redeemed because of her actions. She almost accepts her fate. I say almost because she wouldn't be Val if she didn't have the last word or the last swing of a dagger. She still goads Veronyka to fight her in the end. But I think those final seconds, when she sees Sidra's arrow flying straight towards Veronyka, it hits her there that this is it.
This book made me almost cry so much. I was literally making choking noises while trying not to sob.
Veronyka saving Tristan.
Sev's reunion with Kade.
Sparrow and Ignix.
Tristan and his dad.
Veronyka meeting her dad and then her grandmother. I actually shed a tear because it broke my heart seeing her with a family who loves her unconditionally. It's such a huge contrast with her relationship with Val. I honestly don't know how Veronyka was not walking around sobbing because I would 100% not be able to stop myself.
Jinx protecting Kade and Sev. And Sev's phoenix. I think I shed a tear here too.
Baby Iggy stepping out of the ashes and Sparrow bonding to her. I knew it was going to happen and yet it still hurt me (in a good way).
ugh this book just has so many good things.
Speaking of Sev though. I was a tiny bit annoyed at how Sev sees Kade and Jinx together and immediately decides "nope, I can't be with Kade anymore because I'm not a phoenix rider and I suck and am useless." BUT...I have to always sit back and remind myself "hey, if you were in Sev's position you would 100% be jealous of a phoenix and also think you suck and don't deserve happiness." So what I'm saying here is, we're all Sev and we need to appreciate and love him more. Kade admits that he and Trix treated Sev as if he had no value unless he was always doing something for someone. It just makes so much sense. All his life, Sev has felt useless. He couldn't save his parents, he hid his animage skills to survive rather than fighting for what was right (until Trix blackmailed him into doing it), and just when he was finding a purpose, it was suddenly all over and he no longer had anything to do.
The second Theo's backstory was revealed, I connected the dots and knew what was going to happen, but what really threw me was seeing how pure and good Sev is. He doesn't take credit for the rescue mission being his idea, but instead uses that opportunity to bolster support for Veronyka. LIKE DUDE WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS BUT ALSO I LOVE YOU AND YOU'RE SO PRECIOUS. When he finds the little baby phoenix and pockets him and they make eye contact in those final moments before everything explodes and Sev knows he's done the right thing because he's saving all of these animages and hopefully turning the tide for the battle... SJFSDKLFJDSLKJ. Sev deserved this. He really did. And I'm emotional thinking about him riding Jinx with Kade and having a little fluffy phoenix in his hands. ALSO CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW FELIX AND IGNIX ARE IN CAHOOTS AND ALWAYS ESCAPING THE EYRIE TOGETHER LIKE GIVE ME A SHORT STORY ABOUT THEIR ADVENTURES ONLY AND I WILL DIE HAPPY.
Speaking of Ignix...we have Sparrow. I was so excited to see her POV because she's one of my favourite characters and it's so rare to have characters in books who are blind, so the disabled rep was just great. Her relationship with Ignix was perfection. The way she could sense which was the right direction because her "sniffer" is better than Ignix's lol was amazing. You can see Ignix slowly growing on the girl. And we finally get to learn more about Sparrow's history. It was no surprise to me that Ignix was going to come back and bond with Sparrow, but that moment, watching her wait with Elliot and Jax, and little baby Iggy coming out of the ashes and Sparrow bursting into tears. If anyone deserved a phoenix it was Sparrow, and I am so happy for her I could explode.
While I wasn't a huge fan of Elliot and Sparrow's relationship (I always imagined Sparrow as quite young, though we are told she's older than she looks, and I just thought it would be nice to have a POV where romance wasn't an underlying plot) it was cute at times, and I think Elliot grew a lot as a character, realizing that he didn't need to stick by Riella's side. I'm not sure how I feel about Elliot promising Sparrow to never leave her side and always be there for her. I think it could have been done a little differently because in reality he can't always be by her side. Though I think Sparrow has proven that she doesn't need someone to watch over her always. It almost felt like Elliot wanted to protect Sparrow and be there for her because she's blind and needs him. And while in some cases that can be true, I wish there was a bit more to their relationship.
Tristan grows into his own and seeing him become the commander at the end was a lovely conclusion to this series. I loved his and Veronyka's relationship. The romance isn't too in your face, it's sweet and cute, and I didn't mind it at all since I've been rooting for them all this time. His relationship with Commander Cassian has changed so much since the first book, and while I still think Cassian was an abusive parent and his reasoning for the way he treated Tristan didn't justify his actions, I did like seeing Cassian surprise Tristan.
Veronyka is honestly my favourite character. And I loved her character arc. She goes from being impulsive and thinking with her heart instead of her head, to slowing down and considering the consequences before acting. She struggles to take on a leadership role, not just as a Phoenix Rider, but also as an Ashfire. It's difficult picking up a mantle that has a bloody history. When she comes out of the flames and Tristan calls her Veronyka Flameheart, I think my heart broke. Not only was she able to start a fresh chapter of history, she was also reclaiming her birthright, and she 100% deserved it.
The scene where she meets her father. I was internally balling my eyes out. And then her grandmother comes down from the treehouse and she's like "EXCUSE ME MY GRANDDAUGHTER WAS SLEEPING ON THE GROUND OUTSIDE AND SHE IS STICK AND BONES WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE." And then she proceeds to stuff Veronyka with food and give her all the love she deserves. LIKE WERE YOU EXPECTING ME TO BE OKAY AFTER THAT BECAUSE I WAS NOT. It was really interesting seeing the dynamic between Alexiya and Theryn and Agneta. I kind of loved how they all argue with each other, yet love each other just as much. And I'm also glad none of them died because Veronyka deserves a family and a big happily ever after.
The pacing in this book was phenomenal. I was a bit worried because of how long this book is, but it literally took off at a run and didn't stop. I was not expecting so much to happen so quickly into the book. I literally sat on the edge of my seat and my mouth was hanging open multiple times, especially when Val decided to take over the Eyrie and when Veronyka realizes what she can do with heartfire. I think I got emotional there too because more phoenixes !!! Also...
Wings of Shadow: there's literally going to be a huge battle, you've been warned
Me: okay
Wings of Shadow: so we're going to kill Lysander's phoenix, and Fallon, and Beryk, oh and also Maximian, and might as well stab Doriyan in the neck because why not
Me: *pikachu meme*
LIKE I KNOW WHAT WAR IS BUT STILL. Also, I have no complaints because people do die in war and that is realistic BUT IM STILL SAD.
The last few chapters...It was the best way to end off a very fast-paced book and it really read like an epilogue. I actually delayed reading them because I didn't want this book to end. I love this world and the characters so much and I just want to hug every single one of them. Also, this book makes me realize how lacking our world is. Like imagine if we had phoenixes irl. The idea of having a magical animal companion who will always be by your side is just a huge mood and I'm sad it isn't a reality.
4.75/5 stars. One of my favourite YA trilogies that has come out in the last few years. It deserves way more hype and all the love for such a diverse cast of characters, rich and detailed world building, and a plot that really hooks you right in.
One of the hardest things to do is writing a review for the final book in a series. What do I even say that will do this justice? How do I write my thoughts into words that make sense? Why can't SJDKFLJSDKFLJSDLKFJ be enough *sobs*
I'm just going straight into it. Beware of spoilers.
My biggest fear with this book was that we would not get a satisfying conclusion for Val's character. NOT. EVERY. VILLAIN. DESERVES. A. REDEMPTION. ARC. I live by this, and especially so with Val. She's a very powerful character, but she's also brutal and unforgiving. And when things don't go her way, the only option is to destroy everything and everyone, because if Val can't get what she wants, then no one else can either. I literally get shivers down my spine thinking about it. But this book does humanize her a little. We see Val slowly fraying at the edges. She's impatient, restless, desperate to be the best, the most powerful. She's just as manipulative as she was in the previous books, except Veronyka has grown and come to realize her tricks, yet Val knows this and still tries anyway. I've said this in previous reviews, but Val's mind is a very dark, but interesting place.
That final confrontation...when Val pushes Veronyka to fight because she doesn't want what relationship they have, the one thing she has been living and fighting for, to end...it fit so well with Val's character arc. And then she jumps in front of Veronyka so Sidra's arrow doesn't hit her. Val does love her, in her own twisted, very messed up way. We see that in her POV when she thinks back to how she didn't stop the bond forming between her and Veronkya. But I'm also sure a part of her wanted to be the one to end Veronyka too. In that moment, she realizes that even if Veronyka saves her, there is nothing left for her to fight for, no purpose, no more battles...
"Avalkyra was a war criminal. She had killed queens and sisters and daughters and mothers. She had torn the empire apart, had brought Pyra to its knees, had laughed and spat in the face of any who would dare to check or challenge her. And she had lost..."
I loved this so much. Avalkyra recognizing that she is a war criminal, that there is no way she could be redeemed because of her actions. She almost accepts her fate. I say almost because she wouldn't be Val if she didn't have the last word or the last swing of a dagger. She still goads Veronyka to fight her in the end. But I think those final seconds, when she sees Sidra's arrow flying straight towards Veronyka, it hits her there that this is it.
This book made me almost cry so much. I was literally making choking noises while trying not to sob.
Veronyka saving Tristan.
Sev's reunion with Kade.
Sparrow and Ignix.
Tristan and his dad.
Veronyka meeting her dad and then her grandmother. I actually shed a tear because it broke my heart seeing her with a family who loves her unconditionally. It's such a huge contrast with her relationship with Val. I honestly don't know how Veronyka was not walking around sobbing because I would 100% not be able to stop myself.
Jinx protecting Kade and Sev. And Sev's phoenix. I think I shed a tear here too.
Baby Iggy stepping out of the ashes and Sparrow bonding to her. I knew it was going to happen and yet it still hurt me (in a good way).
ugh this book just has so many good things.
Speaking of Sev though. I was a tiny bit annoyed at how Sev sees Kade and Jinx together and immediately decides "nope, I can't be with Kade anymore because I'm not a phoenix rider and I suck and am useless." BUT...I have to always sit back and remind myself "hey, if you were in Sev's position you would 100% be jealous of a phoenix and also think you suck and don't deserve happiness." So what I'm saying here is, we're all Sev and we need to appreciate and love him more. Kade admits that he and Trix treated Sev as if he had no value unless he was always doing something for someone. It just makes so much sense. All his life, Sev has felt useless. He couldn't save his parents, he hid his animage skills to survive rather than fighting for what was right (until Trix blackmailed him into doing it), and just when he was finding a purpose, it was suddenly all over and he no longer had anything to do.
The second Theo's backstory was revealed, I connected the dots and knew what was going to happen, but what really threw me was seeing how pure and good Sev is. He doesn't take credit for the rescue mission being his idea, but instead uses that opportunity to bolster support for Veronyka. LIKE DUDE WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS BUT ALSO I LOVE YOU AND YOU'RE SO PRECIOUS. When he finds the little baby phoenix and pockets him and they make eye contact in those final moments before everything explodes and Sev knows he's done the right thing because he's saving all of these animages and hopefully turning the tide for the battle... SJFSDKLFJDSLKJ. Sev deserved this. He really did. And I'm emotional thinking about him riding Jinx with Kade and having a little fluffy phoenix in his hands. ALSO CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW FELIX AND IGNIX ARE IN CAHOOTS AND ALWAYS ESCAPING THE EYRIE TOGETHER LIKE GIVE ME A SHORT STORY ABOUT THEIR ADVENTURES ONLY AND I WILL DIE HAPPY.
Speaking of Ignix...we have Sparrow. I was so excited to see her POV because she's one of my favourite characters and it's so rare to have characters in books who are blind, so the disabled rep was just great. Her relationship with Ignix was perfection. The way she could sense which was the right direction because her "sniffer" is better than Ignix's lol was amazing. You can see Ignix slowly growing on the girl. And we finally get to learn more about Sparrow's history. It was no surprise to me that Ignix was going to come back and bond with Sparrow, but that moment, watching her wait with Elliot and Jax, and little baby Iggy coming out of the ashes and Sparrow bursting into tears. If anyone deserved a phoenix it was Sparrow, and I am so happy for her I could explode.
While I wasn't a huge fan of Elliot and Sparrow's relationship (I always imagined Sparrow as quite young, though we are told she's older than she looks, and I just thought it would be nice to have a POV where romance wasn't an underlying plot) it was cute at times, and I think Elliot grew a lot as a character, realizing that he didn't need to stick by Riella's side. I'm not sure how I feel about Elliot promising Sparrow to never leave her side and always be there for her. I think it could have been done a little differently because in reality he can't always be by her side. Though I think Sparrow has proven that she doesn't need someone to watch over her always. It almost felt like Elliot wanted to protect Sparrow and be there for her because she's blind and needs him. And while in some cases that can be true, I wish there was a bit more to their relationship.
Tristan grows into his own and seeing him become the commander at the end was a lovely conclusion to this series. I loved his and Veronyka's relationship. The romance isn't too in your face, it's sweet and cute, and I didn't mind it at all since I've been rooting for them all this time. His relationship with Commander Cassian has changed so much since the first book, and while I still think Cassian was an abusive parent and his reasoning for the way he treated Tristan didn't justify his actions, I did like seeing Cassian surprise Tristan.
Veronyka is honestly my favourite character. And I loved her character arc. She goes from being impulsive and thinking with her heart instead of her head, to slowing down and considering the consequences before acting. She struggles to take on a leadership role, not just as a Phoenix Rider, but also as an Ashfire. It's difficult picking up a mantle that has a bloody history. When she comes out of the flames and Tristan calls her Veronyka Flameheart, I think my heart broke. Not only was she able to start a fresh chapter of history, she was also reclaiming her birthright, and she 100% deserved it.
The scene where she meets her father. I was internally balling my eyes out. And then her grandmother comes down from the treehouse and she's like "EXCUSE ME MY GRANDDAUGHTER WAS SLEEPING ON THE GROUND OUTSIDE AND SHE IS STICK AND BONES WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE." And then she proceeds to stuff Veronyka with food and give her all the love she deserves. LIKE WERE YOU EXPECTING ME TO BE OKAY AFTER THAT BECAUSE I WAS NOT. It was really interesting seeing the dynamic between Alexiya and Theryn and Agneta. I kind of loved how they all argue with each other, yet love each other just as much. And I'm also glad none of them died because Veronyka deserves a family and a big happily ever after.
The pacing in this book was phenomenal. I was a bit worried because of how long this book is, but it literally took off at a run and didn't stop. I was not expecting so much to happen so quickly into the book. I literally sat on the edge of my seat and my mouth was hanging open multiple times, especially when Val decided to take over the Eyrie and when Veronyka realizes what she can do with heartfire. I think I got emotional there too because more phoenixes !!! Also...
Wings of Shadow: there's literally going to be a huge battle, you've been warned
Me: okay
Wings of Shadow: so we're going to kill Lysander's phoenix, and Fallon, and Beryk, oh and also Maximian, and might as well stab Doriyan in the neck because why not
Me: *pikachu meme*
LIKE I KNOW WHAT WAR IS BUT STILL. Also, I have no complaints because people do die in war and that is realistic BUT IM STILL SAD.
The last few chapters...It was the best way to end off a very fast-paced book and it really read like an epilogue. I actually delayed reading them because I didn't want this book to end. I love this world and the characters so much and I just want to hug every single one of them. Also, this book makes me realize how lacking our world is. Like imagine if we had phoenixes irl. The idea of having a magical animal companion who will always be by your side is just a huge mood and I'm sad it isn't a reality.
4.75/5 stars. One of my favourite YA trilogies that has come out in the last few years. It deserves way more hype and all the love for such a diverse cast of characters, rich and detailed world building, and a plot that really hooks you right in.