Wings of Steel and Fury is a dark fantasy set in a world where angels live and lord from above while humanity gives them offerings as tithes in exchange for a bounty of manna. After being betrayed by his half-brother, Angelus Eleazar Starson, the crown prince of Splendour, falls to the industrial human world. Injured and near death, he is found by a pair of atheist siblings and nursed back to health. Determined to return to Splendour and reclaim his place, they must travel across the war-torn land full of armies in conflict and hords of goulish undead to the only portal back to his world. But the siblings have an agenda of their own and a rebellion against the Angelus is brewing among humanity.

This is a very different take on the fallen angel story that also has an unconventional industrial setting plus zombies. It starts off with this very intimate, almost post-apocalyptic feel as the story is isolated just between the three characters as the siblings Diver and Fury take care of Eleazar and each grapples with their new reality—Diver with his trauma from all he witnessed in battle as a solder turned deserter, Fury with her own identity and feelings towards her lost mother and this angel, and Eleazar with his injury and the human world he knew nothing about. This focus on character and isolation felt intense and delivered an incredibly claustrophobic atmosphere that allowed for us to understand them and their motivations well.

The second half of the book takes a turn when they go on their journey to help Eleazar get back above. It becomes this harrowing journey then into this guerrilla-style conflict with the rebels. This is where the book falters a bit. It just had too much going on between the human politics, the angel-human dynamics, the rebellion, and the frankly unnecessary zombies. It goes from this slow, intimate and tense setting to just speed running through revelations and events in its final third with no time to process much less to appreciate. As a result, the ending felt incredibly rushed leaving so many elements underutilized, and it left me wondering if this was not actually a standalone. I liked what the story was going for and its direction, but it may not have been a good fit for just a single book.

Wings of Steel and Fury has great ideas that made it onto the page but needed more space to unfurl.

*Thank you to Angry Robot Books for the eARC via NetGalley

Unfortunately, this book was a DNF for me at 45%. I was so intrigued by the premise, and the world-building was probably my favorite thing about the book. A world perpetually at war over resources to give to their angel overlords was a really cool idea. The place where this fell apart for me was with the characters. The angel, Eleazar, was interesting, and I liked his arc of recovery and acclimating to life after his fall from Splendour. I probably would have finished the book if it had been entirely from his POV. The siblings, though, got on my nerves. I didn't find either of them very compelling, and their reactions to Eleazar just didn't feel genuine to me. Then the story started moving in the direction of a forced love triangle between them all, and I had to throw in the towel. Things in this first half of the book just dragged on, and the focus was very character heavy with a spotlight on the siblings I didn't like. I've seen in other reviews that the latter half is action-packed and has more of a plot. I just couldn't hang in there to get to it.

Wings of Steel and Fury is a dark fantasy novel written by Sarah J. Daley, published by Angry Robot Books. A different twist on the myth of the fallen angel, an emotional and layered story that is not afraid to include dark themes such as PTSD, grief and addiction in the narrative, following two siblings, Diver and Fury, reluctantly partnering with Eleazar, a fallen Angelus, in a tense and compelling journey.

Eleazar was meant to be the next ruler of Splendour, but instead, he finds himself betrayed and fallen to Below, the disgusting (according to their teachings) world of the humans; badly hurt, he's taken into care by Diver and Fury, two siblings, and probably the only two atheists of their country. Balance and trust are not easy to find between the humans and the Angelus, but they will need to learn to collaborate while journeying through a torn war country, in order to get Eleazar back to Splendour and if possible, to learn more about Diver and Fury's mother.

It is interesting how raw the main characters are: all of our three characters are struggling with their own demons, battling to overcome them, but not being shy of portraying the most difficult aspects attached to them. While the trust is lacking at the start between Eleazar and the siblings, we will see how mutual cooperation will be the seed needed for a good relationship to grow. A trio of characters that definitely was one of the highlights of the book.

I've also found the setting to be quite interesting, a secondary world in constant war (around pre-WWI technological level), all while resources are funneled to Splendour in order to avoid a punishment from heaven; a dystopic situation where only a few ones know the truth. The departure from more classical settings definitely picked my interest.
In terms of pacing, we could say the book has two clear halves, with a clear first one that is slower, with the trio recovering and journeying, while the second one packs most of the action and the tension.

Wings of Steel and Fury is a dark twist on the fallen angel myth, a great fantasy novel that you might enjoy if you like messy and complicated characters, and suffering together with them.

Absolutely a top contender for my favorite read of the year! The world-building is rich and immersive, the characters are compelling, and the plot is layered with intriguing twists and turns. I especially appreciated the strong female leads. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from this author—thank you!

This read like two different books.

The first half was more character driven, exploring the relationship between the siblings, Fury and Diver, and the fallen angel Lee. We also got some delicious world building and setting the stage for a world where war was all they had known and angelic beings flew in the sky. I wish we could have spent a little longer in the wonderful heaven like world, to really explore Lee's character and what drove the start of the plot. Not to mention just a chance to take some time in the above, to build up our villains accordingly. I really liked our two villains, I just wish we could have spent more time with them.

The second half was all action, the plot sped along at easily a full book's worth, if not more. It meant that characters had to react to things at hyper speed and character arcs were reduced to a couple of pages. This made their behaviour seem a little off at times, due to the sheer speed. There was no opportunity for moments to breathe, for revelations to be given their due because we had to move on. The ideas were great at times and there were so many twists, that deserved more time spent on them. This is one of those books that would have benefited from being two because the author clearly had more than enough ideas for the story.

The relationship between 'Lee' and the siblings felt... uncomfortable at times. There was certainly a toxic power imbalance there, talks of acolytes and gods, and both Diver and Lee thought of relationships in terms of possessions which didn't help.

There was plot being crammed into the story as late as the last 10 or so pages of the book which meant the ending was less a conclusion and more a pause. Maybe there is going to be another book in this series?

A darkly imaginative spin on angels and humanity.

Wings of Steel and Fury was such an intriguing read. This story takes the idea of a “fallen angel” and turns it into something layered, emotional, and at times heartbreaking. Eleazor’s fall from Splendour and his uneasy alliance with siblings Fury and Diver made for a tense but compelling journey. Their mistrust, clashing beliefs, and reluctant partnership gave the book a sharp edge that kept me engaged.

What I appreciated most was the way the author tackled heavy subjects like PTSD, addiction, and grief. Instead of glossing over them, they’re central to the story, shaping the characters in raw and very human ways. It added a surprising depth that grounded the more fantastical elements.

The world itself felt fresh with mythology, politics, rebellion, and even touches of steampunk blended together to create a backdrop that was unlike anything I’ve read before. At times the pacing felt uneven and a little heavy on detail, but the originality and emotional weight more than made up for it.

Overall, this was a unique and impactful read. If you enjoy fantasy that challenges expectations and mixes big, imaginative worldbuilding with very human struggles, I’d definitely recommend it. Thanks to Angry Robot for the gifted arc

I recieved a free Arc of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion, all thoughts are my own.

Wings of Steel & Fury was a great read and I really enjoyed it. Set in a magical fantasy world that is technologically similar to the first world war with some steamounk elements, the story follows two human siblings and a fallen "angel" as they work to find answers about the world's magical system and return their "angel" friend home. I saw one of the plot twists coming very far in advance, but it didn't take away from the story. The double meaning of the title was incredibly satisfying to realize after the main conflict ended, and I enjoyed the characters and their flaws.

The main character's named were a little goofy, especially considering there were also characters with normal names like Joseph, and it was a little strange that Fury's nickname "Fee" was only brought up like twice but overall the worldbuilding was done very well. I think it would make a very intering visual piece of media.

ok so this angel’s fall from grace was epic and messy, and full of grit!

Eleazar Starson, once a dazzling prince of light, gets booted down to the dark, grimy human world, and honestly, it’s a total culture shock.

This god turned fallen angel is trying to survive among demons, monsters, and...wait for it....atheist siblings who couldn’t care less about divine royalty.

Spoiler: they’d rather worship a burnt ghoul than bow to Eleazar. Yikes.

What I loved?
The wild mix of divine drama and steampunkish human chaos. Eleazar’s struggle to “fly” again, literally and metaphorically, had me rooting for him hard, even when he was a cranky, half broken god stumbling through factories and gunfire.

Plus, the vengeance vibe? Molten metal level intensity. There’s a lot of “take no prisoners” energy, which made for a thrilling ride through a brutal world that’s just as fascinating as it is unforgiving.

If you like your fantasy dark, smoky, and full of flawed angels learning to lean on humans (even the weird, scary ones), this one’s a wild and satisfying plunge.

Wings of Steel & Fury is one of the most unique sci-fi fantasy stories I've read in a long while! The worldbuilding and lore was well established and more details were revealed over time, so there wasn't any issue with info-dumping and the story was fascinating from the get-go. Eleazar's introduction had me hooked immediately, his character was delightfully cocky and I was curious to see where his unfortunate circumstances took him. Fury was definitely my favorite character - she's so badass, I want to be just like her!! Driver is a soft, traumatized boi who I want to protect from the awful world and suffering he's faced. I won't lie, the whole Fury and Driver being atheists thing cracked me up! The story wasn't necessarily humorous, but just the whole thought and dynamic of two atheists healing a god and helping him seek vengeance just made me giggle. Once we get deep into their journey, a lot more action takes place and I found myself a little lost at times in the big battle, seeing as so much was happening, but I still overall enjoyed the crazy events leading up to the cliffhanger ending. There is a very small romantic subplot and tension between the siblings and El - which if they don't end up as a sort of poly-dynamic, I'm going to be SO SAD!! I genuinely have no idea where the story is going but I absolutely plan on reading the sequel!

Thank you to Angry Robot, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy!

Ultimately, this was not the book for me. Its not a bad book, and some readers will find it's poetic style very engaging, but this was a difficult book for me to read. I couldn't really get into the characters or plot , and that was largely due to the writing style. I prefer one that is more direct, and conversational than the one here.
I was intrigued enough by the plot summary to choose this book, but I couldn't finish it.

⭐️⭐️

Sadly, this was a DNF for me.

I loved the premise when I saw it, and it held a lot of promise. However, upon starting to read the book, I could not get into it. The language was a mix of old and modern english and for some reason it made things drag out quite a ton. I found myself not being able to picture this place or these people in my head at all. I tried twice to read it but unfortunately could not make it past 20%.

This does not mean it is a bad book, it might just not be for me.

A Strong Start with a Bold Premise
The premise immediately grabbed me: a fallen angel saved by atheists who despise his kind. That hook alone promised something unique, and Wings of Steel & Fury definitely delivered a different kind of angelic tale.
Eleazor Starson is destined to be the next ruler of Splendour, the shining city of the Angelus. Instead, betrayal sends him plummeting to Below—a place angels are taught to fear and revile, full of supposed beasts and filth. You get a fresh take on the mythology of Leviathans and Angelus', interactions between two realms, and a variety of human cultures on Earth with their own belief systems.

Instead of monsters, he’s found by Fury and Diver, atheist siblings in a deeply religious country, who decide to nurse him back to health. Despite their differences (and mutual distrust), the three must journey across a war-torn land to return Eleazor home.

It’s a compelling setup—blending political tension, faith, and survival—with a backdrop of steampunk dystopia and rebellion brewing both on Earth and in Heaven.

While the adventure is front and center, the book also digs into deeper issues:

- Trauma and grief shape the characters’ decisions.
- Addiction and PTSD are explored in a way that feels sensitive and layered, not reduced to clichés.
- Corrupt leadership and discrimination add real-world weight to the fantasy setting.
I appreciated that the characters, despite their fantastical circumstances, felt human in their pain and resilience.

The early world-building is vivid and intriguing, painting a fresh take on angelic and human realms. However, toward the end, I found myself struggling to make sense at times.

The writing style may be divisive—blending old-world phrasing with modern language. At times, it added charm; other times, it pulled me out of the story. The pacing also wavered, with some sections flying by and others dragging.
Why It Stands Out
Even with its flaws, Wings of Steel & Fury stands out for its originality. It’s not just another angel story—it’s a gritty, war-driven tale with:

- Steampunk aesthetics
- Rebellion in Heaven and on Earth
- Romance woven into the chaos
- Epic battles and high-stakes confrontations
It’s messy, ambitious, and ultimately memorable.

Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a clean, light angel romance, this isn’t it. But if you want a steampunk dystopia layered with political intrigue, flawed characters, and an unorthodox take on faith and morality, Wings of Steel & Fury might just surprise you.

Sadly this was a DNF for me. I couldn't get along with the language, as a mix of 'historic' and modern, and the protagonist just rubbed me the wrong way (maybe intentionally?). I found myself getting frustrated, so I've had to put it aside. Apologies.

DNF at 20%.

Something about the writing didn't site right with me straight of the bat. I think it's more personal preference that anything I just wasn't enojying reading it. But I was still very interested in the plot so I was happy to carry on reading. Going though I couldn't quite understand the fact why the two MC's cared so much about this angel when they were atheists and didn't like everything the angel stood for so I was struggling to buy into that which is where the plot starts to fall down.

The final star for me was when two new characters were introduced and rape was used to get some heat on these characters and make them hatable. It could come into play later on in the plot so forgive me if it did. How it was dropped into the story felt to callous and un-respectful - surely there are better ways to generate hate for a character than they are rapists, and everyone knows and no one cares.

I didn't want to read on after that with already having other issues.

Splendour: the glorious heavenly realm, where winged Angelus play their games and hunt amongst the stars. The Below: the mortal realm, where humans are locked in territorial battle for resources, and pay a Hallow Tithe to their angelic gods in return for the holy gift of Manna. And the Black Silence: a dread portal which separates them both, and which cannot be crossed except by the drachen-ships at need…

Eleazar Starson is an Angelic prince, an heir to the throne, but spoiled, arrogant, hedonistic. When a terrible betrayal befalls him, he finds himself in the mortal realm: injured, broken, and with his only hope a pair of siblings who do not even believe that the angels are gods. Fury, well-named, passionate and a survivor; and Diver, shell-shocked by war and escaping from the battlefield. But Eleazar is not content just to survive. He is determined to fly again: and to wreak a terrible revenge.

This was an absorbing read, with worldbuilding I liked a lot. There are lots of things to explore: a steampunk dystopia, with rebellion on Earth and in Heaven; corrupt leadership, exploitation, romance, addiction, discrimination, war and epic battles… honestly, a whirlwind, but it all felt rich and rewarding. Some of the love story felt a little unresolved, but there was care given to the trauma bonding element. It’s hard to get standalones right, but the pacing and the vivid world carries this through excellently. The characters are painted in broad but lively strokes: the villains are extra detestable, whilst the heroes are clearly flawed, and all of them are broken in ways that aren’t narratively brushed away. Strong work, and a book I enjoyed.

Wings of Steel & Fury by Sarah J. Daley

4.25 rounded down to 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My toes relished in their solid footing upon the brown, muddied soil. I gazed through a telescope up into the starry night to discover what might appear through the lens. Indeed, the land beyond was a mystery; a place simply known as Splendour exists, where the winged Angelus live. The universe split into two, white and black backdrops, often blurring its inhabitants below in an existence of dreary grey. Color indeed exists if one looks, in the form of feathers or scales, or more morbidly in pools of crimson blood dotted throughout Avernus. With a sudden turn to my right, I noticed a majestic white flash hurtling towards our land. What I find is one of…them.

Living below in Avernus, inhabitants toil as playthings to the Angelus. They supply Angelus with an endless Hallow Tithe in exchange for sustenance, in the way of manna, food that humans can eat during these difficult times. The Hallow Tithe is a non-negotiable agreement, and any deviation comes with detrimental results: an onslaught of scourge attacks brought forth upon humanity by the Angelus. Turmoil is opening her curtains as I gaze upon the crown prince of Splendour itself, Eleazar Starson, lying upon the ground, a wing severely damaged and oozing with the remnants of jealousy and deceit. Barely alive, the life is being slowly choked out of Eleazar; I witness one of us, Private Diver Barrett-Cree, jump to the aid of the prince.

The story begins as Diver and his sister, Fury, both Gullan, are subsequently non-believers in the faith of the Angelus; however, their sympathetic sides override, and they nurse Eleazar back to health. Surrounded by those who loathe the Angelus, it is paramount to find a way to return Eleazar to Splendour quickly and safely.

Sarah J. Daley, author of Wings of Steel & Fury, unfolds her literary wings in an astounding world-building story that captivated my heart from the onset. Each flap of magically tinged wings presented more knowledge of an emotionally charged world on the brink of catastrophe. Soaring through the clouds, I floated somewhere between Splendour and Avernus. Below in Avernus, chaos had been commencing between occupants of varying opinions. Opposing factions are vying for scraps from above while attempting to survive a zombie-apocalypse-type outbreak, with seemingly the only place of refuge being Trin, a city or neutral haven. Be wary, I reminded myself, for corruption exists in even the most desirable locations. Venturing further towards the heavens, I spotted Rast, Eleazar’s brother, with ambitions to rule all of Splendour. His vindictive and ego-driven nature has kick-started a series of repercussions unfathomable by both sides.

As I finished this story, I remained in my cloud-like existence. Flying beasts, known as the Travelers, soar near; their protective scales radiate a kaleidoscope of colors, in sharp contrast, dizzying my senses. Loyalty and betrayal become a common theme, often lightly coated with traces of romance and filled with a sense of wonderment. Compliments to Sarah Daley, the chef, for the creative ingenuity that had me on pins and needles throughout.

Highly Recommended!

Many thanks to Angry Robot for the ARC through NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley and Angry Robot for the E-Arc,


What if your life, your faith was based on a lie?

Wings of Steel and Fury is an interesting twist on the concept of angels, heaven and the miraculous divine manna.

Eleazar is an angel that has fallen to earth and is saved by Diver and Fury, atheist siblings.

Despite being arrogant, acting entitled and stating humans are “beasts” the siblings, who see angles as a curse, agree to help Eleazar return to heaven.

Whilst travelling they bond and we find out heaven is nothing but a scam and angels are not immortal beings with godlike powers but just beings from another realm. A faction of humanity has worked this out and are prepared to revolt….. down with heaven!

We have a love triangle of sorts as both brother and sister fall for Eleazar but I couldn’t get onboard with it. I think this is mainly cause I didn’t really like Fury the FMC. I found her annoying and found myself looking forward to the parts Diver was in more.

Overall it was interesting read with twists and revelations, so if you want a book with a theological twist this could be for you.

Fallen angels, ghouls, heaven and hell, war, grief, betrayal. This was an interesting story and did have more mystery and twists than I had anticipated. A royal angel is targeted by his step brother, causing damage to his wings and his inevitable fall to ‘hell’. Humans live in war and poverty eating the ‘manna’ provided by angels to survive. War and death is rife but two people decide to saw a fallen angel.

From the beginning it was clear what was going to happen romantically and I wasn’t really sold on the relationship but the MMC did grow on me.
I thought for a moment the main relationship was going to take an icky turn and I’m glad it didn’t.

I enjoyed the setting scenes and most of the first half. The second half felt rushed and not explained in enough detail for me to really picture the World and what was happening.

I would recommend to Romantasy readers as I think this fits the genre well. Although there was a good plot and interesting World there was a lot of pining and relationship focus and I found myself not caring as much and wanting to know how the world worked more. How the ghouls came to be, more information about certain characters etc

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review. Oh and the cover is stunning!

The concept of the plot is a take of the 'fallen angel' myth, and drew me in to want to read this book.

It has such a strong start, diving straight into the story involving a fallen angel being saved by atheists who hate his kind.

Some possibily uncomfortable topics are covered, such as addiction and the emotional side of war, and I think they were written really well.

The ending is fast-paced and full-on, which I welcomed after a slower middle.

I could't get invested in the romance side of the book. I think if there was more tension and more build-up, then I would understand where it stemmed from. It would have been a nice addition to really see the acceptance of the two sides connect slowly romantically because it's hard to believe the two individuals, who were so hellbent on hating each other, wanted to be lovers. I think I felt like this because Eleazar was naturally kind-natured in his own world in comparison to his kin. I would have preferred it I think, if Eleazar was more cold towards humans initially.

That being said, I completely understand the need to separate Eleazar from his kin. It was great seeing he wasn't so set in the ways of his kind and was capable of change if the opportunity presented itself.

Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for this digital advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are expressed as my own.

This book is expected to be published 26th August 2025!

Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for a review.

This is a new (to me at least) take on the fallen angel theme. Eleazor Starson is meant to be the next ruler of Splendour, instead he finds himself betrayed and fallen to Below, a world that Angelus are taught is a dark disgusting place full of beasts. Fury and Diver are siblings, and probably the only atheists in their country, are the ones to find Eleazor and nurse him back to health. They have to work together, journeying through a war torn country, to try and return Eleazor to his home in Splendour.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book, I was invested in the main characters, I liked that PTSD is explored in this story - and that addiction due to PTSD is a large plot point rather than just a sudden and miraculous recovery, the world building was very well done at the start of the story but it started to get tangled and confusing towards the middle and end of the story. The "love triangle" felt very shallow and just thrown in just to say it has a romance subplot rather than to add to the story. The ending wrapped the story up in an unexpected way and I am curious to see if there will be a sequel to this story.