3.5 ⭐

This book feels like a retelling of Fourth Wing, as it takes significant inspiration from the original story. The book has military setting, featuring flying creatures (birds) that form bonds with skyriders. One of the main characters possesses draining magic (cursed magic) which is forbidden in the kingdom.

Ara (FMC), is a daughter of high ranking military officer and carries a curse. To protect herself and her family, she joins skyrider academy in Telos, hoping to become a skyrider. She secretly enrolls without her family’s knowledge and disguises herself as a boy while also searching for answers about her curse.

Tate (MMC), broody, dark-haired, tall skyrider, centurion (division leader) with mysterious past and marked as deserter.

I really enjoyed the tension, romance, and witty exchanges between the main characters.
The story was so engaging that I was hooked almost from the second page. I couldn't stop reading until the very end, and now I must wait for the second book.

Overall, I lowered my rating because the plot felt quite similar to Fourth Wing. However, I hope the next book will be more unique, as the ending and cliffhanger show a lot of potential. A very promising debut, I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Thank you NetGalley, Edwyn Publishing and author for this book for review. All opinions are my own.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Upon reading the blurb my immediate thought was 'here we go, another Fourth Wing". But, hey, why reinvent the wheel. But after reading it, I was like, this is something different, better even. This book improved on a lot of things where Fourth Wing failed, Mainly, the slow burn romance. This book is totally Fourth Wing meets She's The Man. I loved that! Have not read anything like that in fantasy romance. It was truly a sloooow burn. I enjoyed her/his interactions with the friends at the academy. My only, and I mean only, negative feed back with this book was that I felt lost up until chapter 7 of this book. I really didn't understand Ara's true reasons for signing up at the Academy. Nor did I understand why the Academy exists as there was not a lot mentioned about the political climate. So I felt that more world building was necessary. Other than that, I really look forward to reading the second installment. I will recommend this book to others.

This story had potential, with moments of engaging action and emotional depth. However, it was hard to ignore how closely it mirrors Fourth Wing—from the plot structure to character dynamics and even some of the world-building. While it’s normal to draw inspiration, the similarities here felt too overt, making parts of the story predictable rather than fresh.

That said, the writing style is solid, and there are glimpses of originality that shine through. With more distinction and bold choices in future work, the author could really develop a unique voice. As it stands, this was an enjoyable read, but not one that stands out in a crowded genre.

This book was a fun read for me. I like the world building. The tension between the two main characters was also something that I enjoyed. It wasn’t instantly romantic. I like the banter between them. I can’t wait for the second book because the cliffhanger left me wanting more! I give it a five out of five stars!

Tate and Ara are attracted to each other... but both tried to stay away because of their own secrets. But their feelings become undeniable....

Love this roman-like story. Enjoy the magical part and the romance.... Ara and Tate are interesting characters and I enjoy their romance.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

I couldn't put this book down! It had me hooked from the first page. The slow-burn between Ara and Tate, their banter, the tension, the secrets… The dual POV made it even better. I loved the pacing it was fast and gripping, and I was completely immersed in the world. I’m already counting down the days for book two. If you're into magic, romance, and characters that stay with you, this one's for you!

I absolutely loved this book!! I love that it’s a dual POV book from the beginning. The banter is also brilliant. I cannot wait for book two!

DNF at 20%

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book due to the level of similarity between the story so far and the plot of Fourth Wing. I understand that a lot of stories in this genre take inspiration from others, but the similarities here made it difficult to enjoy the story in its own right. I tried to push through as I assumed the plot would eventually diverge away from the Fourth Wing inspiration but the parallels between Ara’s conversation with Joel after her assessment and the conversation Violet has with Dain after she crosses the parapet were just too much for me.

I think the author had some really interesting ideas here. Both the magical creatures and the Roman Empire inspired setting really drew me to want to pick up this book, but the plot didn’t feel unique enough to set it apart from other books in the genre.