REVIEW: The Queen's Wing

The Queen’s Wing

(The Queen’s Wing Series Book 1)

Author: Jessica Thorne

Genre: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, YA

Pub Date: Nov 21, 2018 

SYNOPSIS

‘I was born to fly,’ I told my brothers. But it isn’t true. I was born to be a pawn in the great game of royal houses, married to someone – anyone – my family deems suitable. If I’m lucky, he’ll be my own age and bearable. If I’m very lucky, he’ll be someone who understands my need to fight, and to fly...

Bel, born to nobility, would do anything to spend her days alongside her brothers – soaring through the heavens in her beloved flyer. She’s faster than any of them, but she knows her days in the skies are numbered.

When a surprise attack on the palace lands Bel’s father on the throne, her life is forever changed. In order to secure her father’s empire, Bel must travel to a distant land to marry the recently widowed young ruler, Conleith.

But Bel’s new home is less than welcoming: compared to the refined ladies at court, Bel seems like a wild woman, and assassination attempts, treason and mystery threaten her at every turn. With a growing attraction to Con, her life is further complicated by the attentive leader of her bodyguards – a warrior called Shae whom she has loved since childhood…

A heart-stoppingly magical new novel that will keep you turning the pages. Perfect for fans of The Selection, Bella Forrest and Sarah J. Maas.

ADD TO GOODREADS

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MY REVIEW 

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.

EXCERPT

A flash of light on metal in the trees below is the only warning I get. I imagine I hear the whine as the weapon charges. I manage to jerk left as the pulse of a plasma rifle turns the air beside my right wing iridescent.

‘Clear!’ I crow, not that they can hear me. ‘You’ll have to be quicker than—’

The whole Wasp bucks beneath me. It feels like being kicked in the chest by a pack mule. The Wasp’s engine whines, gives a splutter and stalls. My flying machine drops from the sky.

I punch the controls, frantically trying to start her up again, turning the engine which only clunks and gutters painfully. There’s precious little gliding in a Wasp but I manage to get the machine under control before it goes into a full spin.

It’s like trying to fly a brick.

Further weapons fire lights up the air behind me. I keep the Wasp steady, tracking the ground ahead for the safest place to put down. All trees. This isn’t going to be easy. Or in any way pretty.

Transmit position – the instructions drilled into my memory replay now, my mother’s voice, calm and reassuring, persistent. Transmit position in an emergency just as fast as you can. Get the Wasp down in one piece. Take the survival pack and weapons and get clear in case of an explosion.

Training takes over. It’s effortless. I move before I think.

‘Base, come in, this is Bel. I’m going down. Repeat, going down. Co-ordinates—’

Zander’s voice cuts me off. ‘Negative!’ he yells. ‘It’s an open channel.

Negative on the co-ordinates. Over.’

What? This is madness. I’m crashing, Zander. I’m going to die.

‘Under attack!’ I protest, my voice tight. ‘Wasp is dead. Over.’

‘You know what to do! We’ll come for you. Repeat, we’ll—’

The impact with the canopy shakes the whole ship and throws me upwards. I hit the roof hard and slam down again, tumbling with the Wasp, crashing through branches, the screams of torn canvas, metal and wood drowning out my own, deafening me. My head slams into the controls and the sudden pain is blinding. With an almighty, bone shaking crash, we land, my broken Wasp and I, and all is horribly still.

The radio hisses. Something has done for it. My vision blurs as I try to look around. I blink furiously to clear it. As I attempt to move, icy pain shoots through my shoulder and my stomach heaves. Damn it, I’m hurt. And concussed, probably. And my Wasp is in bits.

I can’t think about this now. I’m a sitting duck. I have to get out.

It hurts so much that twice I think I’m going to pass out. But I push myself out of the Wasp and tumble onto the forest floor.

My goggles are cracked but the world of the shattered Wasp seems even worse when I push them out of the way and drop them. There’s blood on them too. Don’t think about it. Not now. Keep moving. But my face throbs and there’s sticky stuff covering the side of my head… more blood…

Survival gear, my training tells me adamantly, forcing me to ignore pain and damage. They don’t matter. Only one thing does. Getting out of this alive.

Oh, and weapons. Yes, weapons too.

Weapons are terribly important when anyone is trying to kill you.

A laugh bubbles up in my throat, born more from panic than humour. Is this shock? Feels like shock.

I roll out on to the churned earth and then reach inside the broken machine, feeling around for both the slim pack of supplies and my rapier. The pistol at my side is loaded at least, but I have no extra charge packs.

It’ll have to be enough. It’s all I have.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Jessica Thorne watched far too much sci-fi and read far too much fantasy at an impressionable age. And it was awesome. She writes fantasy and sci-fi romance with a steampunk edge and just refuses to face reality.

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