I needed a sweet romantic fantasy in the style of Beauty and the Beast, and that’s exactly what I came across. “Wings of ink” by Angelina J. Steffort is a fun romance novel and just the thing if you’re looking for something with the “enemies to lovers”, an “arranged marriage,” a slow burn romance, and a world with secrets and dark, sexy male character. And yes, after dragons, I also had a soft spot for crows…
Book Review: “Wings of ink”
- Author: Angelina J. Steffort
- Series: Wings of Ink #1
- 468 pages, Kindle Edition
- Published February 28, 2024
The Plot
We follow the story of the main character, Ayna, who is imprisoned for piracy. Having lost her family, her crew and the love of her life, she is completely desperate and without a goal in life. But just when she thinks things can’t get any worse, she learns that she is to be given to the King of Crows as his next bride. And everyone knows that this is tantamount to a death sentence, and one of the most terrible kind.
In the realm of the crows, Eyna meets her monstrous husband and his entire court, which is half-crow, half-human. Unfortunately, most of Myron’s subjects wish her dead, and the heroine has no idea what happened to the previous 99 brides… At the Court of Crows, nothing is as it seems, and there is something else behind the monsters’ mask. As Eyna struggles to survive and discover the truth about the crows’ curse, feelings develop between her and Myron that the heroes are not prepared for.
In summary
From the beginning, Wings of Ink grabbed me and I progressed quickly with the story. There were definitely surprises and secrets that made me want to continue without stopping. But towards the end, that changed a bit. There was a lot of intrusive repetition in the text and a somewhat predictable development. It was interesting to unravel the mystery surrounding this curse and I was a little disappointed with the way the author wrapped things up. The ending of the book, while a little predictable, wasn’t bad at all and deserves a mention. The author managed to keep me hooked and I’ll be taking a look at the sequel.
My rating is 3 stars and the same goes for Spice. There is an open door scene. Don’t expect too much but the suspense was good. Don’t consider my rating a criticism because I really enjoyed the book. I read it pretty quickly and my overall experience with the plot was satisfactory. I would definitely recommend it to any romantic fantasy fan looking for a light, entertaining read with an intriguing ending.
The seductive and thrilling first book in the Wings of Ink epic romantic fantasy series from award-winning author Angelina J. Steffort.
Stuck in prison, pirate Wolayna Milevishja is waiting to be dealt her punishment—one worse than death, her captors promised when they closed the door of her cell over nine months ago.
Now that punishment has come to collect her.
Wolayna is taken to the mystical fairylands as this year’s bride for the Crow King, and that, even the humans in this world know, means there is no hope.
As Wolayna quarrels with her fate, frosty disdain melts into heart-stopping attraction, and she realizes that, maybe, King Myron, has just as little choice as she has. Something ancient and vengeful is at work in the Crow realm, and the intrigue at court is just the surface of the looming danger closing in on them.
Will Wolayna outsmart fate and find the freedom she’s owed, or will this new world of winged horror and surprising beauty be the death of her?
If you like witty, independent heroines and morally-grey, tormented heroes, you will devour this sizzling, addictive fantasy adventure.
Perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses, From Blood and Ash, and Beauty and the Beast, WINGS OF INK is an epic romantic fantasy with enemies-to-lovers, arranged marriage, slow-burn spice, and a magical world filled with mysteries and monsters.
