angelaann88's review against another edition
3.0
Something about this book didn't draw me in fully. I read the whole book because I wanted to see what happened, but it didn't draw me in enough to keep reading the series.
dvester's review
5.0
Absolutely loved the book. Aella is automatic badass considering where she lives, fighting the Forbidding daily. The Prince is the worst, you automatically hate this guy which made me have a love hate relationship with Osprey. You love him but you hate what he is, especially near the end. The ending leaves you wanting more. I can’t wait to read the next one in the series.
momwithareadingproblem's review
4.0
I received an eARC of this book via the author. This does not effect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
What a start to the series! Sting Magic by Sarah K.L. Wilson is a fantastic, quick read that takes you on an adventure through a cursed woods with a daring heroine and a caged bird. Friends if you like YA fantasy, I highly recommend you read this one.
The story begins on Aella’s Hatching Day at the far edges of the Winged Empire. Aella is a force to be reckoned with. On her Hatching Day, she doesn’t expect to hatch, show magic, but she does. However unlike everyone in the empire, Aella doesn’t hatch a bird, but bees. She is an abomination, an oddity, and the prince claims her as his, taking her with him as they continue their track across the empire.
Le Majest claims he is there to bring peace, yet he sows discord, taking the villagers’ weapons, their only defense against the Forbidden. Aella has spent her entire life at the edge of the empire fighting the Forbidden, a twisted sort of magic that consumes everything in its path. Seeing her family and others forced to give up their only defense stirs a resentment that has been building within her.
I really like Aella. She’s snarky, stubborn, and rebellious by nature. Her disappointment in her bee magic is quickly tempered by her fascination with them. Why is she different? What can she accomplish with her bees? How can she get back to her family? All of these questions run in a loop in her mind.
The plot of this story follows Aella as she travels with Le Majest. She meets another hatchling that he picked up on the journey and initially clashes with her. Then there is Osprey, the prince’s bodyguard. He also has a fascination with Aella, but he seems to be on her side. She wants to trust him, but his ties to the prince hold her back. Os is my favorite character. I can’t wait to figure him out more.
Overall I really enjoyed Sting Magic. I read it in one sitting, devouring Aella’s story. I love the world-building and can’t wait to find out more about the Winged Empire, the Forbidden, and what Aella’s magic means for her. If you’re looking for an adventure, look no further than Empire of War and Wings.
What a start to the series! Sting Magic by Sarah K.L. Wilson is a fantastic, quick read that takes you on an adventure through a cursed woods with a daring heroine and a caged bird. Friends if you like YA fantasy, I highly recommend you read this one.
The story begins on Aella’s Hatching Day at the far edges of the Winged Empire. Aella is a force to be reckoned with. On her Hatching Day, she doesn’t expect to hatch, show magic, but she does. However unlike everyone in the empire, Aella doesn’t hatch a bird, but bees. She is an abomination, an oddity, and the prince claims her as his, taking her with him as they continue their track across the empire.
Le Majest claims he is there to bring peace, yet he sows discord, taking the villagers’ weapons, their only defense against the Forbidden. Aella has spent her entire life at the edge of the empire fighting the Forbidden, a twisted sort of magic that consumes everything in its path. Seeing her family and others forced to give up their only defense stirs a resentment that has been building within her.
I really like Aella. She’s snarky, stubborn, and rebellious by nature. Her disappointment in her bee magic is quickly tempered by her fascination with them. Why is she different? What can she accomplish with her bees? How can she get back to her family? All of these questions run in a loop in her mind.
The plot of this story follows Aella as she travels with Le Majest. She meets another hatchling that he picked up on the journey and initially clashes with her. Then there is Osprey, the prince’s bodyguard. He also has a fascination with Aella, but he seems to be on her side. She wants to trust him, but his ties to the prince hold her back. Os is my favorite character. I can’t wait to figure him out more.
Overall I really enjoyed Sting Magic. I read it in one sitting, devouring Aella’s story. I love the world-building and can’t wait to find out more about the Winged Empire, the Forbidden, and what Aella’s magic means for her. If you’re looking for an adventure, look no further than Empire of War and Wings.
the_aries_dragon_reader's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
loreofthebooks's review
3.0
3.5 stars
Thanks to the author, I won a copy of this book in a giveaway.
I enjoyed this book, and thought it was a good start to a fantasy series. I don't have too much to say about it, as I think that the book itself was good. I didn't really SUPER LOVE any parts, but nor did I think any parts were bad either! I fell in the middle of the road on this one. I think it just wasn't a book that I fell in love with. Certainly one I enjoyed.
Thanks to the author, I won a copy of this book in a giveaway.
I enjoyed this book, and thought it was a good start to a fantasy series. I don't have too much to say about it, as I think that the book itself was good. I didn't really SUPER LOVE any parts, but nor did I think any parts were bad either! I fell in the middle of the road on this one. I think it just wasn't a book that I fell in love with. Certainly one I enjoyed.
bookwormbunny's review
5.0
Sting Magic is the first book Sarah K.L. Wilson's new series and I was swept away into a unique new world where there is literally danger at every turn and the main character finds herself in a huge fight for her life and those that she cares about.
Sting Magic is truly a thrill ride from beginning to end. Aella is the main character in this book and she has a lot of spunk to say the least. She desires to protect her family, but when the crown prince royal makes a sudden appearance in their village...all of their lives are are put at risk. He takes from them in the name of peace, threatens the lives of her family and children, and then leaves them defenseless against the Forbidding that lurks and slinks through the land devouring it and reclaiming it for its own. Aella dreamed at times of Hatching, but upon seeing the cruelty of the Prince...she'd rather die. But she does Hatch...and it's not a bird. Now she is the property of this cruel man and if she rebels her family's lives are a stake.
This book is so hard to put down and I enjoyed most of it. I love the world building and the flashbacks are really teasing as they give you hints at other moments in time, but not enough to truly understand all that is going on. I'm really hoping that there will be more in the next book.
I hate to say it but Aella really tries my patience...and from the book I'm not the only one. Haha! She wants revenge for her family and what they have suffered. I understand that, but I can't help but feel that she's selfish in her actions. She's been TOLD the consequences but yet she persists. She knows that all it takes is ONE bird with a message, but yet she has the arrogance in her heart to think that she can somehow beat a bird back to her village. I'm disappointed that she doesn't use her head much at all in this book. I kept waiting for the warnings and hints to get through to her but it's like it goes in one ear and out the other. I'm not saying that I would yield in her position, but I'd bide my time and wait instead of just attacking and thinking "Oh well maybe they'll think he was killed by accident."
I truly did enjoy this book, but I found Aella to be a character who made it hard not to want to yowl at her hard headedness. I felt that her actions were more selfish than about protecting her family. I think you'll understand when you read this book, and I really do encourage you to read it because it's a truly fascinating story. I am rating this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. I'm hopeful that Aella would get some sense in the next book now that...she's had a taste of what she's in store for if she doesn't. If you enjoy thrilling fantasy novels then this book is a must read.
Sting Magic is truly a thrill ride from beginning to end. Aella is the main character in this book and she has a lot of spunk to say the least. She desires to protect her family, but when the crown prince royal makes a sudden appearance in their village...all of their lives are are put at risk. He takes from them in the name of peace, threatens the lives of her family and children, and then leaves them defenseless against the Forbidding that lurks and slinks through the land devouring it and reclaiming it for its own. Aella dreamed at times of Hatching, but upon seeing the cruelty of the Prince...she'd rather die. But she does Hatch...and it's not a bird. Now she is the property of this cruel man and if she rebels her family's lives are a stake.
This book is so hard to put down and I enjoyed most of it. I love the world building and the flashbacks are really teasing as they give you hints at other moments in time, but not enough to truly understand all that is going on. I'm really hoping that there will be more in the next book.
I hate to say it but Aella really tries my patience...and from the book I'm not the only one. Haha! She wants revenge for her family and what they have suffered. I understand that, but I can't help but feel that she's selfish in her actions. She's been TOLD the consequences but yet she persists. She knows that all it takes is ONE bird with a message, but yet she has the arrogance in her heart to think that she can somehow beat a bird back to her village. I'm disappointed that she doesn't use her head much at all in this book. I kept waiting for the warnings and hints to get through to her but it's like it goes in one ear and out the other. I'm not saying that I would yield in her position, but I'd bide my time and wait instead of just attacking and thinking "Oh well maybe they'll think he was killed by accident."
I truly did enjoy this book, but I found Aella to be a character who made it hard not to want to yowl at her hard headedness. I felt that her actions were more selfish than about protecting her family. I think you'll understand when you read this book, and I really do encourage you to read it because it's a truly fascinating story. I am rating this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. I'm hopeful that Aella would get some sense in the next book now that...she's had a taste of what she's in store for if she doesn't. If you enjoy thrilling fantasy novels then this book is a must read.
clairisa's review
5.0
What a great book full of unique magic and great a fantasy world full of mystery. I especially loved the magic system of the hatching and their manifestation into the different kinds of birds that match their manifestor or hatchling. But Aella has a different kind of magic that's actually bees that doesn't fit into this world. She's taken from her family by the crown prince and desperately tries to find ways to go back to them. Then there's the Wing/Guardian Osprey who wants her to join him on a mysterious mission. There are a lot of great characters and I look forward to reading the next book to see what happens to them.
ksmarsden's review
5.0
Aella is content with her harsh life on the Far Stones, until she summons magic, and is claimed as property of the empire.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Aella and her family have carved out a life for themselves in one of the harshest countries, where there is danger around every corner and the land itself is trying to kill them.
They lead a happy life, which is relatively-free. They are so far away from the Empire's capital that they are left alone. Except for taxes, and Hatching ceremonies.
After witnessing the violent atrocities that the Prince and his soldiers perform, it is Aella's turn to take part in the ceremony, where she hatches, and is taken as property by the Imperial party.
I loved the world that the author has created, an empire that is known for its use of birds in everything - in sigils, fashion, ranks and names. The most feared and respected are the magic users who hatch a spirit bird. These are always bound into service to the Emperor and his family.
For as long as anyone can remember, every magic user has manifested birds, until Aella comes along.
I liked how the history and rules of the empire were woven into the story. Having grown up on the edges of the empire, Aella has much to learn, and we learn alongside her, as she travels back to the capital.
To begin with, I thought that Juste Monpetit (the Emperor's son and heir) was just a generic bad guy; a spoiled little prince who took pleasure in bullying others, but he became very scary and interesting as the book continued.
I also liked how the empire went from Aella's view of being the generic evil oppression that must be fought against, to being a lot more nuanced. Especially with her new frenemy Zayana, Aella learns that not everyone hates the empire, and many believe their lies of peace and unity.
I thought the Forbidding was a bit vague at times. Aella mentions in the beginning that it can take over trees and living creatures, like a disease, which needs a host.
Then when it appeared a few times later in the book, I got the mental image of lava rolling over the land, having its own physical body.
Then again, there's a big scene at the end where it came across as almost an alternate reality, twisting things in its path.
I wasn't quite sure which, if any was true.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I look forward to the rest of the series.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Aella and her family have carved out a life for themselves in one of the harshest countries, where there is danger around every corner and the land itself is trying to kill them.
They lead a happy life, which is relatively-free. They are so far away from the Empire's capital that they are left alone. Except for taxes, and Hatching ceremonies.
After witnessing the violent atrocities that the Prince and his soldiers perform, it is Aella's turn to take part in the ceremony, where she hatches, and is taken as property by the Imperial party.
I loved the world that the author has created, an empire that is known for its use of birds in everything - in sigils, fashion, ranks and names. The most feared and respected are the magic users who hatch a spirit bird. These are always bound into service to the Emperor and his family.
For as long as anyone can remember, every magic user has manifested birds, until Aella comes along.
I liked how the history and rules of the empire were woven into the story. Having grown up on the edges of the empire, Aella has much to learn, and we learn alongside her, as she travels back to the capital.
To begin with, I thought that Juste Monpetit (the Emperor's son and heir) was just a generic bad guy; a spoiled little prince who took pleasure in bullying others, but he became very scary and interesting as the book continued.
I also liked how the empire went from Aella's view of being the generic evil oppression that must be fought against, to being a lot more nuanced. Especially with her new frenemy Zayana, Aella learns that not everyone hates the empire, and many believe their lies of peace and unity.
I thought the Forbidding was a bit vague at times. Aella mentions in the beginning that it can take over trees and living creatures, like a disease, which needs a host.
Then when it appeared a few times later in the book, I got the mental image of lava rolling over the land, having its own physical body.
Then again, there's a big scene at the end where it came across as almost an alternate reality, twisting things in its path.
I wasn't quite sure which, if any was true.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I look forward to the rest of the series.