Okay, yes! I loved this book! The character development, the amazing writing style, and the way that I was just able to fall straight into the book without a care in the world all were amazing! I could read ‘A Queen’s Wing’ again and again until the second book comes out, because trust me, I will definitely be waiting. I felt that the characters had the perfect amount of tying to the plot, and yet still giving enough space to leave you wondering whether or not they are everything that they make out to be. Unless, of course, they are a Mecha in disguise. Hmm….

However, most will know that I absolutely love the Red Queen Series by Victoria Aveyard . And I did, at more than one point at the beginning of the book, wonder "Am I reading another version of Red Queen Series ?" But fear not! It took me only another chapter or so to realise how wrong I was, how I had badly interpreted this book because this is obviously one of the authors own imaginative writing style. I thought, however, that Bel did not display as many of her fears and losses as much as I would have thought. Yet, on a different note, I was impressed on how Jessica Thorne was able to (in my opinion) show the difference between Bel’s relationships, and what she had wanted, needed and believed in at the time.

This book gave me serious The Selection vibes however, this was much, much better.

This book follows the story of Bel who loves flying and longs to be a pilot like her brothers and mother however after an attack by the Gravians the royal family is killed and Bel’s father finds himself in the role of King. This leads to Bel taking the place of the late princess in a marriage allegiance with Con, the Anthaem of another planet and must give up her dream of freedom to accept this new life.

I really liked Bel as the main character she is determined and loyal and I loved the strength she showed throughout. There is a love triangle in this but it’s one that I didn’t actually mind, and I did enjoy the angst throughout this,

This book is very action packed and is go go go right from the very beginning. I can understand how some people may find that too much happens in this one book but personally I really enjoyed it. This book is really fast paced and there is never a dull moment.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to see what goes down in the next book. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars.

Like a few others have said, the blurb for this book doesn't do it justice. Bel is a minor noble, who grew up loving to fly alongside her brothers. However, when her planet's palace is attacked by a race known as the Gravians, Bel's father takes the throne as the only one who is in line for it, and Bel becomes the Vairian Princess. As princess, she is to fulfill a role that was meant for her cousin, she is to marry Conleith, King of Anthaeus, another planet looking for an alliance with The Empire. Bel travels to Anthaeus with her Vairian guards, one of which is Shae, a man she has secretly loved since childhood. Bel deals with the difficulty of choosing between duty and love, assassinations attempts, learning to be a princess, and constant threats from the Gravians.

The Queen's Wing was a relatively short and easy read. While the plotlines were rather predictable, I enjoyed the story. There was a good mix of science fiction, romance, and action. A book like this needs a good balance and it was definitely struck. I didn't find myself getting bored, but instead interested with the fast pacing of the book.

The princess who doesn't want to be a princess is a trope that I hate that I love and Bel fits this trope perfectly. She continually yearns to be part of the action and flying instead of primping for the next big dinner or ball. She was strong and committed to her cause, but I did find the love triangle a little frustrating. I understand she was trying to come to terms with marrying Con, but the constant tension in her head about how much she wants to kiss and tell Shae about her love did get a little irritating. It might have been because the book was written completely from Bel's perspective, but Con and Shae seemed to fall a little flat in character development.

Overall though, I enjoyed the book. I loved the blend of genres and look forward to seeing what direction the second book is going to take. I'd love to see other characters like Con, Jondar, and Bel's bodyguards to be a bit more developed.

I loved the plot of this story! Sci-Fi, fantasy, steampunk and romance all in one! The story revolves around seventeen year old Bel, who is raised to be royalty. She only dreams of being in the skies flying with her brothers. When her home is attacked she has to become the princess she's been trained to be. She's sent away to marry a prince from another planet.

The writing was great. I hate the love triangle thing, but it doesn't drone on for long, so that was a plus. I enjoyed the book overall, although I would have preferred a longer ending. I think it could have been drawn out a bit longer and made more exciting.

Great read.
3.5 Stars

I received a copy of this book from the publishers, in exchange for an honest review.

Space opera meets fantasy in this YA novel about Bel, a girl that dreams of flying but must face her responsibility as heir to the throne after her family are destroyed by conflict.

This was a really interesting concept with the potential to explore a unique idea about fighter pilots in space and the writing flows reasonably well without compromising on the pace of the story. At times I think it struggled to decide what genre it was trying to portray, with a mix of science fiction, steampunk, romance and fantasy all brought to the table. This made the plot a little hectic at times, without any clear direction and the world building suffered as a result as it all felt like a bit too much.

The characters are interesting, especially Bel. I liked this idea that she’s a fighter pilot who just dreams of flying, like her family members. She initially comes across as powerful, different to other protagonists and inspirational in her commitment to following her dreams. However, I felt this aspect of her personality peters out into nothing as it went along, which I found disappointing. This was mainly due to the introduction of the ‘love interest’, and then to make matters worse, the ‘love triangle’.

I didnt enjoy the romance aspect at all. If felt forced and took away from Bel’s otherwise strong personality. I’m not a fan of YA novels centering around romances as often (such as in this case) they add very little to the overall story, and turn the heroine into a bumbling romantic damsel, when she’s been set up to be independent and badass. It spoils the character, and turned an otherwise interesting plot and character into a very predictable YA novel.

I also found the ending rather rushed compared to the pacing of the rest of the novel, although it was wrapped up to my satisfaction without any major loose ends. A really interesting plot with buckets of potential, but I really could have done without the romance.

Bel isn't a princess, she's a distant relative of the King, and is allowed to follow her dream of fighting and flying.
When tragedy strikes, Bel is thrown into a role she never prepared for; but perhaps she is the Queen that the empire needs.

I received a free copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This story follow Bel, a Vairian noble who had the luck to grow up away from the pressures of court. She has trained all her life, to fight, and most of all to fly. She wants nothing more than to be a hero like her mother, and to spend time with her best friend/crush Shae.
After an attack on the capital wipes out the Royal house, Bel and her family are thrust into roles they never prepared for.
Before she can come to terms with any of it, Bel is shipped off to marry a complete stranger, for the sake of a political alliance. When she arrives at the incredibly elegant Anthaeus, Bel constantly feels like an outsider, and a barbarian.

The first half of this book was pleasant, but felt familiar. Despite the sci-fi setting, it felt like the standard YA story, with a girl who is "different" and pretty-but-doesn't-know-it. There's clearly some setting up of a love triangle, with Shae and Bel's new fiance Conleith. Bel is a duck out of water, and has to suffer the casual contempt of the people she is supposed to rule, along with a few that ramp up their poor treatment of her.
It was nice, and interesting enough, and at first I thought this was just going to be a light read.

The second half kicked off in a way I didn't expect. The universal enemies - the Gravians, and the re-animated corpses that make up their army (yes, you read that right) - arrive and all hell breaks loose.
Suddenly, having a barbarian queen that fights and flies is the only hope Anthaeus has.
The plot keeps you guessing, and is brilliantly original from this point.

This reads as a stand-alone, but I'm happy to see there will be further books in this series.

When all is said and done, by the time I finished the book, I had truely enjoyed it. But it took me a long time to get there. From the blurb and cover I expected a YA romantic fantasy. But what I got was a sci fi adventure. Now aliens are not my usual fare, so I was wary, to say the least. And in the beginning I had a hard time picturing both the characters and the world. But about a third of the way in I became acclimated, and by half way I was all in. This ended up being a great story with strong characters, and I will definitely look for,the next book by this new to me author.

Comparing the blurb, to the construction of the story I have to say in this instance - don't judge this novel by the cover, or the synopsis. 

“We don’t always get what we wish for”, Elara goes on. “But sometimes the responsibility is worth more than wishes. Sometimes we need the things we are given.”

Jessica Thorne's novel, the Queen's Wing - is the first, in a series of the same name. Being pitched as a romantic-fantasy novel, the novel centres around 17-year old Bel, who, is being raised as a Princess - despite being on the very-edge, of the Royal Spectrum. But angsty-rebellion to a pre-decided destiny, combined with the need for a plot, leaves Bel, in a tough situation. Convincing her Governess to let her escape - metaphorically of course - Bel gets her chance to fly. Returning, to a city that has been attacked and ravaged, in her absence. Sadly for Bel, this is the least of her worries at this point. 

The attack, resulted in the decimation of the Royal Family, leaving (you guessed it), Bel's father as the new King. Bel, becomes the unfortunate pawn of alliances, and is betrothed, to Con (who is on another planet, weird). Bel, of course, becomes target practice for everyone, escaping multiple attempts on her life in the process. 

I enjoyed this novel - which surprised me after reading the synopsis - she had a innate strength about her, that was established early, and helped to create some authenticity and depth. As the story continued to shape itself, and the creativity of the author was combined with an interesting (if not predictable) story-line, Thorne has effectively constructed a new-world in which, she starts this series on a strong note. 

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. For more, visit https://ljkastermanslibrary.wordpress.com/

Jessica Thorne is a new author for me, so this book was one I anticipated as maybe being an introduction to an author I can follow for a while - and I was right! With it being a YA romance, I wasn't sure what to expect. I am outside the target audience for those books, so occasionally I find myself too jaded to read them. Teenage angst and drama can become too much for me, and I have to put the book down because I can't adequately identify with the characters. In The Queen's Wing, there is plenty of youthful drama, but with there also being a lot of political intrigue and impending war involved, I tended to forget that the characters I was reading about were young! This, in my opinion, is the sign of a good fantasy YA book.

Bel has grown up without the responsibility that would usually come for a girl of her station. Her father, a prince of Vairian, having married beneath him, has raised their family separately from the royal family. Born to fly, she loves to pilot her own flying machine, and when she's not flying, she's dreaming of her future with her childhood friend, Shae, who doesn't know of her true feelings. But politics are volatile, and when an enemy makes a king of Bel's father, her whole world is turned upside down. Now she is Belengaria, Princess of Vairian, and engaged to Conleath of Anthaeus, a widowed king. Torn from her family and facing a future without love, Bel must navigate the treacherous waters of court life while also deciding where her heart's true loyalties lie.

I really enjoyed the characters of Bel and Con, and while Shae was the third in this love triangle, I found myself not so interested in him over time. I became invested in Bel and Con's relationship fairly quickly, especially when Con's personality is slowly revealed and the reader learns about all his hidden depths. Bel went through a lot of character development in this book, which makes me very excited for the next book in the series, now that she has fully morphed from unexpected princess to queen. While she appeared very juvenile initially in her reactions to things, it didn't last very long. Over time I saw her become stronger and put others before herself, and as she got to know Con better, it became clear that her heart would find love there. Shae was definitely a temptation, and I wanted to see a bit more of him than I did. However, his role needed to go in a different direction for the story, and I liked the drama it created later on.

Definitely excited that this is the first in a series, and I can't wait to follow Bel and Con in their adventures together!

**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review.**

The Queen’s Wing by Jessica Thorne is the first book of the romantic fantasy series by the same name. And before I begin talking about this one I will mention it does have a bit of a love triangle but before the groans start it’s one that blends well and resolves itself.

The story centers around seventeen year old Bel who wants nothing that to become a flyer like her older brothers. Born on the fringes of royalty however Bel is still being trained to be a princess much to her dismay. One day Bel manages to talk her governess into letting her take her Wasp out on a flight and while Bel is gone her city is attacked.

The Gravians managed to attack and destroy the majority of the royal family leaving Bel’s father the new king. In order to secure a new alliance in the wake of the attack Bel is betrothed to Con, an Anthaem on another planet. With a new potential husband Bel leaves her home and is immediately the target of numerous attempts on her life during the ongoing fight for power.

Starting off reading this one I really liked our heroine in this story, she has a strength and determination about her established early on. The story really took a shape of it’s own and didn’t remind me of this or that. There is creativity to the world and plenty of action all throughout. A few things along the the way really surprised me but I will admit to some others seemingly a tad predictable but overall a nice start to this fantasy series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

wow wow wow, what an incredible debut from Jessica Thorne. The Queen's Wing is a gripping tale full of action, romance, strategy and finding the strength within and with those you care about.

Belengaria is a fantastically written heroine and I was besotted with her and her story from the first chapter. She shows strength alongside empathy so you never doubt that she's not doing things for the sake of her people. Bel is intelligent, kind and a headstrong female to boot.

The world building was top notch and I felt like I was vividly within the worlds created. The other characters within the book were also fully developed and I connected to each and every one of them, the villains were also fully well rounded.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action packed fantasy novels, slow burn romances and strong-willed heroines.

*thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

*I received a free copy of this ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This book was not what I was expecting at all, to be honest. The description says Bel goes to “a distant land,” which puts things mildly. She actually goes to an entirely different planet (37 hours of hyperspace travel—“distant land,” haha!). It’s a big mashup between steampunk, space opera, science fiction, romance, and royal court life. Which makes sense when you read the author’s inspiration: Star Wars, A Princess of Mars (the first John Carter book), medieval queens, Say Yes to the Dress, and Jupiter Ascending. Sounds like a strange mix, but it works.

Both the main and supporting characters were written well. The story flowed well, and nothing felt forced. Wait, I take that back—the stuff with Thom and Jondar toward the end was far too convenient and did feel somewhat intentional and, well, convenient. But I already said that. Aside from that, however, the events in the book moved quite naturally.

My biggest complaint was word usage and some other technical things that I hope were fixed in the final printing. I can overlook a few mistake here and there—honestly, perfect editors are rare. But I got to the point where I was fixing the mistakes in my head as I read so that I was hearing the corrected version in my head rather than what was actually written. Someone needs to learn the difference between “that” and “which,” when to use each of them, and how to use a comma with the latter. The author almost exclusively used “which” when “that” should have been used. And she rarely, if ever, used a comma with “which” when it was needed.

Bel (17) is a likable character. She is not a typical princess because that role fell to her suddenly and unexpectedly; she is a trained flyer and wishes to be a soldier like her late mother. From what I understood, her father hadn’t allowed her to join the military, so it’s a little confusing how she attained all of the training that she exhibits throughout the book. I assume she turns 18 during the book, as she is almost that age at the beginning and the book spans months of time (adding it up, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was close to a year).

Ordinarily I do not like love triangles, and I suppose this book only sort of has one since it’s not as if Bel has a choice between two love interests. Bel has been in love with Shae (23) for as long as she can remember, though she had always recognized the likelihood of any relationship for them beyond friendship is slim—he’s a soldier who has given her no indication of feelings for her, and she is the daughter of minor nobility and will be expected to marry someone for political reasons. Not that it makes things any easier, especially when she becomes the only princess and is shipped off to marry the king of another world, with Shae leading her guards. Shae is a good character, and I genuinely liked him. Not a fan of the age difference, but oh well. Conleith (19 or 20?) is also a good character, and I liked him immediately. He’s king, but he’s also an engineer; he fits both roles well, somehow, being regal and normal at the same time.

I’m happy to see that there will be a sequel ("In the next book Bel takes the throne at last, but can she keep it when there are enemies at every turn?"), but at this point, I have no idea when that will be. Hopefully not too long; I look forward to reading it.

Note: Some swearing.

My Review: I am so sad that this one was just ok. I loved this cover and the premise of the story. This story has a love triangle in it that for me just didn't seem to fit well to this story. The story was very predictable and I guessed the ending from a mile away. The world building is a little weird and when you think its a fantasy its really a science fiction story because, aliens! In the end of this one there were characters that just didn't know what they wanted to be and a confusing storyline that I just couldn't grasp.

The Queen’s Wing by Jessica Thorne is an action-packed adventurous read and I cannot wait for more.

From the very beginning this story intrigued me. As I continued, it consumed me. I loved being submersed in this world the author created. I loved the different races of people and their worlds not to mention the characters.

I did find in the beginning that there was a little too much information spouted in such a short time and that during this time it slowed down the pace a little.

Overall, a wonderfully entertaining read full of action, devotion, friendship and love.

I received an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A gripping narrative that caught my attention from the first chapter, and that is something not all books can do. This book happened to do that and further piqued by interest by its great heroine. Then; followed this by its lovely world building which just got even better as the story progressed.
In some books, I find that secondary characters I don't care for too much but not This one. This author made me care for the secondary characters, both in happiness and in heartache. I adored the great storylines happening aside from the main characters. I loved the whole rollercoaster ride. It made me more emotionally invested in the entirety of the book. At the core, I think that's why we as readers love books.

This book was provided for me by netgalley

Thank you for the opportunity to read The Queen's Wing ahead of publication. The Queen's Wing reminded me a lot of other popular dystopian books: like Hunger Games and Divergent. I really enjoyed Bel as a character, she reminded me of Katniss from The Hunger Games. Doesn't really fit in anywhere, and is seen to be wild and unruly compared to the other woman in the story. Fans of popular dystopian novels will enjoy The Queen’s Wing for it’s light-hearted romance and the political subplot.
Just like in the Selection there was a bit of a love triangle, but I wasn’t really as invested in it. I’m sure with the second book, Bel will make her choice a little clearer. This book was not what I was expecting. I didn’t think there would be so much sci-fi with the space ships. It was a pleasant surprise.
The Queen’s Wing was an enjoyable book that I’m sure fans of the Selection will enjoy. Some parts were a little predictable because it reminded me so much of previous novels. I will definitely want to read the second one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

In The Queen's Wing, a noblewoman named Belengaria is thrown into royalty and then a political marriage after an attack on her home world. Her dream was to become a fighter pilot? And now she must adapt to life on a new planet with the leader of said planet as her fiancee. When war and destruction ensue from the same attackers of her home world, Bel must assume a leadership role and become a true queen...

Ok, enough summary. I did enjoy the story quite a bit, but was also confused mostly in the beginning of the book. The author took evident inspiration from Star Wars and the book has more of a sci-fi feel than fantasy or romance. There are elements of all three, including mythical old creatures left to defend(?) their home planet, and a love triangle that didn't add much to the story.

I did appreciate the relationship building between Bel and Conleith, and feel like the characters are the strongest point of the novel. Bel had a lot of personal development and Petra was another strong female character. I never got into the Shae character or some of the others. There was a great LGBQ reference with Jondar and... No spoilers but it was a cool addition.

Overall I am going to go with 3.5 stars. Some parts were just not believable and others didn't make a lot of sense, but I still enjoyed it as a well-edited read with strong character building. It is definitely appropriate for YA, and I would recommend to anyone who likes a sci fi read and strong female leads!

This review also appears on my blog at https://onenursereader.wixsite.com/onereadingnurse-1/home/the-queen-s-wing-by-jessica-thorne

Hey, book dragons! So its only day one of November and I have finished a book. And that book is actually not out till the 21st of this month. So I have an ARC review for you all! "The Queens Wings" was written by Jessica Thorne. It is a young adult fantasy that was right up my ally after reading the summary. 
Also, may I say it has one of the prettiest covers I have seen so far this year (expect to see it in the top favors later!!)

So for those of you who have been in the reading game a while. Yes I know it sounds like other books we have all read. But if I may be so daring to say, that yes it is similar but it is still an excellent book. I was quickly in love with the story and to say it became a guilty pleasure is putting it mildly. 

I found this book, and characters both exciting and interesting to read about. I am very happy to say I like our main character for the whole book. And I was even ok (more than ok) with the love interest and its development. 

Bel and Con are some of my favorite characters as of right now, and I think they will be for a long time. 

So if you are into a fantasy story that takes place in space, has a badass princess who flies planes and leads rebellions, this is your book. It is fast paced and I couldn't put it down. I have to say if you like the Selection, Bella Forrest and Sarah J Maas you are going to love this book as well. 

So a huge thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this book in return for my option on it. I am so glad I got to read it!!

Till next time at the nook!

E.

It took me a little while to get into this book. First off, I should have paid more attention to the blub and not just the cover (which is amazing). I assumed I was delving into a fantasy romance novel and when the book started with planets and spaceships I was a little thrown. I'm not a big fan of sci-fi books. I did continue reading and found that I rather enjoyed it though.

Bel is the main character and after the royal family of Varian (her distant cousins) are murdered by the Gravians, Bel becomes a princess and her father the King. A marriage with the prince of Anthaeus is arranged and Bel leaves her planet for his. There's plenty of action on the way to the new planet and we get to meet Shae, Petra, and Thom. Bel has been in love with Shae for as long as she can remember, but will never get to explore this now. Bel is torn between her feelings for Shae and doing the right thing by her planet. She's a strong character and well written. She's by no means weak and proves herself to be extremely strong and competent in the final parts of the book.

Con is the prince and we don't really get an insight into his character. He's portrayed as being a brilliant inventor but we don't get to see why this is. He's a likeable character all the same and I look forward to finding out more about his as the series progresses.

There were so great things in this book. I loved the Rondet and the mind speak between Bel and Con. This to me was the fantasy elements. I loved the underground city and the author's descriptions of places. The sci-fi weaponry and flying machines were a little out of my reach but I'm sure they are spot on and fans of sci-fi books will love them.

The love triangle played out well and I feel there was a good conclusion to it. The raging war, the battle scenes, and the destruction at the hands of the Gravians was well written too and by the end of the book, I did wonder how this could become a series. There was nothing really left to do except for Bel and Con to get married. Would each book just be another war for Bel and Con to fight? The end of the book does give a snippet from book 2 which I was excited to read. Unfortunately, this is told from Petra's point of view and I immediately thought of The Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard. A brilliant first book, but poorly written and drawn out boring books 2 and 3 with action only appearing towards the end. I'm hoping this isn't going to be the case for this series.

I received a copy of this book from net-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my good lord this book was AMAZING. Bel is an absolute badass of a character, the world was so unique, and the plot was tantilizing. I've never been lucky enough to read a space fantasy novel as unique as this one and I loved it. The ending was a little confusing and it seemed like it couldn't decide whether to be a romance novel or an action adventure, but overall it worked. I really did enjoy Bel so much as a character, especially how she developed from an insecure newly appointed princess to a mature, confident leader. A great, unique read with a terrific world(s) surrounding it!