chllybrd's review against another edition
5.0
I was in the middle of a Dystopian kick when I requested REBEL WING from NetGalley and I am so glad I found this new gem of a series. I weigh my decisions on what to read on not only the blurb and cover of the book but also Goodreads reviews and REBEL WING had all three in its favor (A new cover was recently revealed but this one was the one that was on the book I requested and I actually find it more appealing)!
There is two things Aris loves, flying and Calix. She has a happy life in their little town and soon her and Calix will start their engagement and she will continue to fly over her family's fields. When Calix is drafted into the military it throws her plans into a tailspin and when she is offered the chance to go to war with him as a pilot she jumps at the chance. The only problem? She's a girl and they only allow boys to be drafted so she has to disguise herself as a boy and no one can know what she's really doing.
I really enjoyed watching Aris grow as a character. The only reason she agrees to join the cause as a pilot is because she is promised she will be able to see Calix. Things don't really turn out the ways she expect though and she ends up growing a lot while fighting to find him. Her beliefs in things change, her priorities change and eventually she turns into the person she never knew she was meant to be.
The secondary characters brought a lot to REBEL WING and I am excited to see them in future books. I'm especially excited to see Aris and Milek come back together (hopefully) in book 2. Their part of the story was left unfinished and I can't wait to see what ends up happening between them. The story itself did start out a bit slow. There is a lot of buildup until the action actually starts, but once it does things move along much faster. By the end of the book I just wanted more. It's super emotional and I had no problem feeling the emotions for the characters as they were feeling them. I am really excited about book 2 and I hope I dont have to wait a long time before it comes out.
* This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
There is two things Aris loves, flying and Calix. She has a happy life in their little town and soon her and Calix will start their engagement and she will continue to fly over her family's fields. When Calix is drafted into the military it throws her plans into a tailspin and when she is offered the chance to go to war with him as a pilot she jumps at the chance. The only problem? She's a girl and they only allow boys to be drafted so she has to disguise herself as a boy and no one can know what she's really doing.
I really enjoyed watching Aris grow as a character. The only reason she agrees to join the cause as a pilot is because she is promised she will be able to see Calix. Things don't really turn out the ways she expect though and she ends up growing a lot while fighting to find him. Her beliefs in things change, her priorities change and eventually she turns into the person she never knew she was meant to be.
The secondary characters brought a lot to REBEL WING and I am excited to see them in future books. I'm especially excited to see Aris and Milek come back together (hopefully) in book 2. Their part of the story was left unfinished and I can't wait to see what ends up happening between them. The story itself did start out a bit slow. There is a lot of buildup until the action actually starts, but once it does things move along much faster. By the end of the book I just wanted more. It's super emotional and I had no problem feeling the emotions for the characters as they were feeling them. I am really excited about book 2 and I hope I dont have to wait a long time before it comes out.
* This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
momwithareadingproblem's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
gabs_myfullbookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.
Rebel Wing has a strong protagonist, good writing, and a fairly original plotline. What it failed to do, however, was ever truly grab me. There was no excitement or spark. It had all the right ingredients for a great story, but it never became truly amazing.
Aris was a main character that I could definitely root for. She's not weak, which I was really happy about. She isn't exactly the "kick-butt" type of character, but she still comes off as a strong character. I like how throughout the story her motives for joining the military progressed from just following a boy to doing it because she felt like she was meant to do it. Because honestly, risking her life to see Calix, although it sounds quite romantic, is, as the wise Dysis said in this book, a bit stupid.
The secondary characters were, although not outstanding, pretty well-developed. I liked Dysis a lot. She had a well-developed personality, and I thought she added to the story. Though her romance with Daaken was a bit unnecessary to the book; I didn't think it added all that much to the story and was kind of just thrown in there for some unknown reason.
The plot was good, but slow. Even during parts that should have been quite exciting, it felt very slow paced. A good portion of the story was Aris training for the military, which I did not find interesting.
I did not know exactly how I felt at the fact that there seems to be a setup for a love triangle in the next books. On one hand, I'm not a big fan of Calix, and if she gets another love interest (I won't say who) that would be great. On the other hand...love triangle. Ugh.
I think the main problem of this book is the fact that it tries to tell two separate stories at the same time, but it never gets fully accomplished. One story is Aris'. The other is Ward Galena's. And, while both of the storylines are important to the book, I always felt a bit jarred out of the story when it would switch from Aris to Galena. Perhaps if Galena's story would have been toned down a bit, I could have focused more on the main plot.
Rebel Wing is an okay book that I fairly enjoyed. Sadly, it had a few flawas that kept it from being a great book.
Rebel Wing has a strong protagonist, good writing, and a fairly original plotline. What it failed to do, however, was ever truly grab me. There was no excitement or spark. It had all the right ingredients for a great story, but it never became truly amazing.
Aris was a main character that I could definitely root for. She's not weak, which I was really happy about. She isn't exactly the "kick-butt" type of character, but she still comes off as a strong character. I like how throughout the story her motives for joining the military progressed from just following a boy to doing it because she felt like she was meant to do it. Because honestly, risking her life to see Calix, although it sounds quite romantic, is, as the wise Dysis said in this book, a bit stupid.
The secondary characters were, although not outstanding, pretty well-developed. I liked Dysis a lot. She had a well-developed personality, and I thought she added to the story. Though her romance with Daaken was a bit unnecessary to the book; I didn't think it added all that much to the story and was kind of just thrown in there for some unknown reason.
The plot was good, but slow. Even during parts that should have been quite exciting, it felt very slow paced. A good portion of the story was Aris training for the military, which I did not find interesting.
I did not know exactly how I felt at the fact that there seems to be a setup for a love triangle in the next books. On one hand, I'm not a big fan of Calix, and if she gets another love interest (I won't say who) that would be great. On the other hand...love triangle. Ugh.
I think the main problem of this book is the fact that it tries to tell two separate stories at the same time, but it never gets fully accomplished. One story is Aris'. The other is Ward Galena's. And, while both of the storylines are important to the book, I always felt a bit jarred out of the story when it would switch from Aris to Galena. Perhaps if Galena's story would have been toned down a bit, I could have focused more on the main plot.
Rebel Wing is an okay book that I fairly enjoyed. Sadly, it had a few flawas that kept it from being a great book.
bookanonjeff's review against another edition
5.0
Slow Burn. Great World Building. This book starts slow and never *really* picks up from there, though it does have some revelations at the end that are fairly explosive in its world. Solid story, no technical issues, looking forward to the next one (even though if there weren't one, this story felt complete anyway).
tracythewriter's review against another edition
5.0
This book is so special to me...I wrote the first draft when my husband was deployed for a year to a war zone. Aris and this story were born out of my longing and worry for him...and my desire to be with him, no matter the cost.
The story became about so much more than that, though. Questions of identity, political accountability, how far a person will go to do the right thing....and how far they'll go for the people they love.
I hope you enjoy!
The story became about so much more than that, though. Questions of identity, political accountability, how far a person will go to do the right thing....and how far they'll go for the people they love.
I hope you enjoy!
reveriesociety's review against another edition
4.0
This book didn’t made me want to marry it, but it was more like a nice boyfriend which you have a great time with, and while he doesn’t make your heart soar, it does make it flutter.
That was Rebel Wing for me.
See, to be honest, at the beginning, Aris the protagonist was a weakling and a very pathetic girl. Believe me, I was mentally groaning at her decisions, the way she thought and I swear, I wanted to hit her head for every time she swooned over her beloved Calix.
She had doubts, and fears, and was very prone to freaking out. Like this:
About halfway to the book, I understood. I’d come expecting a Juliette type of female character -you know, from Shatter Me-, which isn’t necessarily bad, but it is, in certain aspects, like the one in which Juliette doesn’t really change throughout her series (Haven’t read Ignite Me, so I wouldn’t know there.) For those of you who haven’t read it, or heard about it: Juliette is a weak-willed girl, but that has awesome powers. There is a war, and her priorities are messed up. First and utmost, her guy, and then… other stupid things, instad of focusing on the dangerous situation.
Well, that’s Aris too. But then, something happens. Aris starts realizing how important she is. Yeah, maybe she’s not a super savior, but she can fly, and she can help some people, and that makes a difference. Slowly, Calix drops down in her list of priorities.
This is when stuff gets real and I had to adjust in my very unconfortable classroom desk and scan my surroudings to make sure the teacher was distracted in order to continue reading, at this point.
And there’s also the fact that this storyline is so much similar to Mulan. :3
Another thing that gave this book some bonus points was the gender equality theme. I can’t say it was developed deeply and brought me to such a catharsis I fell into a hole of depression.
o.o
But it did explore it, and I’m satisfied with it. It was simple and to the point. Women have as much as a right as men to fight for what the believe in.
I’d have loved to see more world building, and some kind of closure on what became of Dysis (Another woman soldier), but I think I’m happy :) I recommend this book, and I’m eager to know how this series will play out!
Find this review here: A Writer's Tales
That was Rebel Wing for me.
See, to be honest, at the beginning, Aris the protagonist was a weakling and a very pathetic girl. Believe me, I was mentally groaning at her decisions, the way she thought and I swear, I wanted to hit her head for every time she swooned over her beloved Calix.
She had doubts, and fears, and was very prone to freaking out. Like this:
About halfway to the book, I understood. I’d come expecting a Juliette type of female character -you know, from Shatter Me-, which isn’t necessarily bad, but it is, in certain aspects, like the one in which Juliette doesn’t really change throughout her series (Haven’t read Ignite Me, so I wouldn’t know there.) For those of you who haven’t read it, or heard about it: Juliette is a weak-willed girl, but that has awesome powers. There is a war, and her priorities are messed up. First and utmost, her guy, and then… other stupid things, instad of focusing on the dangerous situation.
Well, that’s Aris too. But then, something happens. Aris starts realizing how important she is. Yeah, maybe she’s not a super savior, but she can fly, and she can help some people, and that makes a difference. Slowly, Calix drops down in her list of priorities.
This is when stuff gets real and I had to adjust in my very unconfortable classroom desk and scan my surroudings to make sure the teacher was distracted in order to continue reading, at this point.
And there’s also the fact that this storyline is so much similar to Mulan. :3
Another thing that gave this book some bonus points was the gender equality theme. I can’t say it was developed deeply and brought me to such a catharsis I fell into a hole of depression.
o.o
But it did explore it, and I’m satisfied with it. It was simple and to the point. Women have as much as a right as men to fight for what the believe in.
I’d have loved to see more world building, and some kind of closure on what became of Dysis (Another woman soldier), but I think I’m happy :) I recommend this book, and I’m eager to know how this series will play out!
Find this review here: A Writer's Tales
dtaylorbooks's review against another edition
5.0
It sounded like a good book, which is why I requested it through NetGalley, but I didn’t expect to LOVE it. I rarely expect to LOVE a book. It’s such a high honor and only a few books can boast that coveted moniker from me. So, statistically speaking, I didn’t expect to LOVE it. Of course, I LOVED it.
REBEL WING blew my hair back. It really did. Between the romances and the action and all of the tension there was little left not to love. Plus it was light sci-fi; all of the stuff within this world was relatable to me and it didn’t speak to me in this ridiculous science language that only the most hardcore of sci-fi junkies would be able to understand. It’s one of the reasons why I don’t like sci-fi. It’s usually not my thing, the jargon being one of those things that is not mine. But in REBEL WING it wasn’t a reach. It’s set in a vaguely Earth-like world where I often found myself saying Atlanta instead of Atalanta, Russia instead of Ruslana, and Sahara instead of Safara. I’m sure that wasn’t accidental so I’m led to believe this is a future earth that’s been broken apart from the world we now know. All the more relatable to me. So if you are into that hardcore sci-fi you probably won’t like the book so much. The technology isn’t anything you haven’t seen in The Avengers or the more recent Star Trek or anything but it wasn’t overpowering. It stayed out of the way and let me read a fantastic story.
I loved Aris. She was an unapologetic romantic that I did find rather difficult to get on board with at the beginning, especially as she kept pining away after Calix but, as shoes are wont to do, they do drop and instead of curling into herself to bemoan her lost life she channels it into something productive. Sure, she gets lost a bit, but for not very long. She finds herself, brushes off the dust and refuses to bow down to what other people expect of her. She still ends up being a romantic in the end but it’s for a different kind of romance. She’s not the same Aris at the end of the book as she was at the beginning. She’s experienced too much to not have any growth of character. She’s broken out of the shell that people built around her and she’s lost a few people as a result of that. But she swallows it and moves on.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the “disability” angle. It works for character development and the whole shell-breaking symbolism and whathaveyou but Aris wasn’t ever really disabled so I felt the story did a bit of disservice in that regard. She had weak muscles that just needed to be rebuilt. Sure it was difficult and she suffered a lot trying to work through it but truly disabled people can’t just try really hard to get rid of their disability. If that was the angle that the book was going to take I would have preferred a truer disability in her character. Otherwise it’s just a hurdle for her to get over and doesn’t set her apart from other heroines for being “disabled.” She’s not. She was just coddled and thus never pushed herself to fully recover from her illness until Dianthe forced her to. I bring this up because it is a point of contention for a good chunk of the book. The story keeps coming back to her leg and Aris has to push herself around her leg pain constantly.
Outside of that, no complaints. I loved Major Vidar and I may or may not have squealed a little at how his story progressed. I also really loved how Banghart alternated between Aris’s story and the greater political world story going on. It added depth and fueled the action that Aris was carrying out. I liked the cloaking technology too. Those disks that were placed on the backs of people’s necks that basically projected a suped-up hologram of another person over someone. Pretty neat. Not to mention it toed the line of societal roles in this world (but it didn’t give any explanation as to why women weren’t allowed in Military, just that it was just because) and it poked at the concept of people being transgendered but it was brief. Like blink and you miss it brief. Points for including it, though, I guess. I also liked how Aris came to be so comfortable as Aristos and she felt more like him as opposed to her old self. Again, playing on the line of gender roles and can give rise to the question of whether Aris isn’t of a heteronormative state or whether she just enjoys the freedom of really being able to explore who she is and not being afraid of judgment because of her sex. Either way, I liked it.
The story is just fantastic. I couldn’t read REBEL WING fast enough and it kept taking my breath away. The twists, the action, the intrigue, it was all fantastic. This book was previously self-published and picked up by Alloy’s new publishing arm and I’m glad it was. Proof that not all self-published books are lacking in quality. I’m so glad this gem was able to be raised above the slush. Plus I just found out there’s a second story in the REBEL WING world when I went to link to the author’s website for this review. Be still my heart.
5
REBEL WING blew my hair back. It really did. Between the romances and the action and all of the tension there was little left not to love. Plus it was light sci-fi; all of the stuff within this world was relatable to me and it didn’t speak to me in this ridiculous science language that only the most hardcore of sci-fi junkies would be able to understand. It’s one of the reasons why I don’t like sci-fi. It’s usually not my thing, the jargon being one of those things that is not mine. But in REBEL WING it wasn’t a reach. It’s set in a vaguely Earth-like world where I often found myself saying Atlanta instead of Atalanta, Russia instead of Ruslana, and Sahara instead of Safara. I’m sure that wasn’t accidental so I’m led to believe this is a future earth that’s been broken apart from the world we now know. All the more relatable to me. So if you are into that hardcore sci-fi you probably won’t like the book so much. The technology isn’t anything you haven’t seen in The Avengers or the more recent Star Trek or anything but it wasn’t overpowering. It stayed out of the way and let me read a fantastic story.
I loved Aris. She was an unapologetic romantic that I did find rather difficult to get on board with at the beginning, especially as she kept pining away after Calix but, as shoes are wont to do, they do drop and instead of curling into herself to bemoan her lost life she channels it into something productive. Sure, she gets lost a bit, but for not very long. She finds herself, brushes off the dust and refuses to bow down to what other people expect of her. She still ends up being a romantic in the end but it’s for a different kind of romance. She’s not the same Aris at the end of the book as she was at the beginning. She’s experienced too much to not have any growth of character. She’s broken out of the shell that people built around her and she’s lost a few people as a result of that. But she swallows it and moves on.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the “disability” angle. It works for character development and the whole shell-breaking symbolism and whathaveyou but Aris wasn’t ever really disabled so I felt the story did a bit of disservice in that regard. She had weak muscles that just needed to be rebuilt. Sure it was difficult and she suffered a lot trying to work through it but truly disabled people can’t just try really hard to get rid of their disability. If that was the angle that the book was going to take I would have preferred a truer disability in her character. Otherwise it’s just a hurdle for her to get over and doesn’t set her apart from other heroines for being “disabled.” She’s not. She was just coddled and thus never pushed herself to fully recover from her illness until Dianthe forced her to. I bring this up because it is a point of contention for a good chunk of the book. The story keeps coming back to her leg and Aris has to push herself around her leg pain constantly.
Outside of that, no complaints. I loved Major Vidar and I may or may not have squealed a little at how his story progressed. I also really loved how Banghart alternated between Aris’s story and the greater political world story going on. It added depth and fueled the action that Aris was carrying out. I liked the cloaking technology too. Those disks that were placed on the backs of people’s necks that basically projected a suped-up hologram of another person over someone. Pretty neat. Not to mention it toed the line of societal roles in this world (but it didn’t give any explanation as to why women weren’t allowed in Military, just that it was just because) and it poked at the concept of people being transgendered but it was brief. Like blink and you miss it brief. Points for including it, though, I guess. I also liked how Aris came to be so comfortable as Aristos and she felt more like him as opposed to her old self. Again, playing on the line of gender roles and can give rise to the question of whether Aris isn’t of a heteronormative state or whether she just enjoys the freedom of really being able to explore who she is and not being afraid of judgment because of her sex. Either way, I liked it.
The story is just fantastic. I couldn’t read REBEL WING fast enough and it kept taking my breath away. The twists, the action, the intrigue, it was all fantastic. This book was previously self-published and picked up by Alloy’s new publishing arm and I’m glad it was. Proof that not all self-published books are lacking in quality. I’m so glad this gem was able to be raised above the slush. Plus I just found out there’s a second story in the REBEL WING world when I went to link to the author’s website for this review. Be still my heart.
5
anto_multicoloredbookreviews's review against another edition
4.0
After the first couple chapters, I didn't have very high hopes for this book.
It seemed to be yet another dystopian with a lovestruck, googly eyed, spineless heroine (the worst kind imo). Also it jumped POVs between characters that had nothing to do with our MC. I don't really like POV jumps unless it's between the main couple, I just feel like it makes the story line unnecessarily choopy.
BUT! I was monumentally wrong to judge it so quickly! Just from the first few paragraphs it was obvious Tracy Banghart knew what she was doing. I complained in my last reviews that the series I was reading, read like mediocre fanfiction (the premise was really good; the execution, not no much). That was so not the case with this book! Instantly I knew I was reading a carefully written, carefully thought out story. The feelings and sensations she was trying to evoke came out loud and clear, the descriptions where poetically spot on and all the problems the MC faced, felt authentic and trying. I wish all books were this well written.
The growth Aris, the MC, went through felt so real. I strained and persevered right alongside her. Again, I wish more characters were this carefully developed.
I don't really have a clear picture in my head as to what Aris looks like, the only thing I know for sure is that her hair is wavy and auburn and that she's short. And strangely enough, it doesn't bother me all that much that I can't picture her. What did bother me, was that I kept imagining Major Vidar as a dude in his late 30's (kinda like Wolf from the TV show The Last Ship), when I knew for a fact he was described as being twenty-one years old, with light skin and light blue eyes (later on it also says he's blonde). And since I couldn't get the first image out of my head, I had to do a quick google image search, so I could put a more appropriate face to the young Major.
This is what I settled on him looking like:
I mean, I know the book said he wasn't handsome, but I can't help picturing all romantic interest as guys I'd be attracted to.
I can't wait to see how this story continues now that
It seemed to be yet another dystopian with a lovestruck, googly eyed, spineless heroine (the worst kind imo). Also it jumped POVs between characters that had nothing to do with our MC. I don't really like POV jumps unless it's between the main couple, I just feel like it makes the story line unnecessarily choopy.
BUT! I was monumentally wrong to judge it so quickly! Just from the first few paragraphs it was obvious Tracy Banghart knew what she was doing. I complained in my last reviews that the series I was reading, read like mediocre fanfiction (the premise was really good; the execution, not no much). That was so not the case with this book! Instantly I knew I was reading a carefully written, carefully thought out story. The feelings and sensations she was trying to evoke came out loud and clear, the descriptions where poetically spot on and all the problems the MC faced, felt authentic and trying. I wish all books were this well written.
The growth Aris, the MC, went through felt so real. I strained and persevered right alongside her. Again, I wish more characters were this carefully developed.
I don't really have a clear picture in my head as to what Aris looks like, the only thing I know for sure is that her hair is wavy and auburn and that she's short. And strangely enough, it doesn't bother me all that much that I can't picture her. What did bother me, was that I kept imagining Major Vidar as a dude in his late 30's (kinda like Wolf from the TV show The Last Ship), when I knew for a fact he was described as being twenty-one years old, with light skin and light blue eyes (later on it also says he's blonde). And since I couldn't get the first image out of my head, I had to do a quick google image search, so I could put a more appropriate face to the young Major.
This is what I settled on him looking like:
I mean, I know the book said he wasn't handsome, but I can't help picturing all romantic interest as guys I'd be attracted to.
I can't wait to see how this story continues now that
Spoiler
women are openly allowed to volunteer for Military. Plus I need some kind of reunion between Aris and Milek (yeah, Major Vidar was actually Milek Vadim, son of the Ward of Ruslana), there was some seriously hot unresolved sexual tension there, and everything was left up in the air in this book.kate_farber's review against another edition
3.0
Light and sweet. Sure, it's not Man Booker or Hugo material, but sometimes you just want a nice, solid story about a girl overcoming the odds.