Author: Elizabeth Richards
Edition: Paperback
Published: June 12, 2014
Publisher: Putnam/Penguin Teen
Pages: 382
Source: ARC provided by the Author
Category: Paranormal, Romance, Dystopia
Trailer: Here
Synopsis:
Following the cliffhanger ending of Phoenix, Natalie finds herself separated from Ash and unexpectedly reunited with her parents, including the father she thought was dead. But she can only think of Ash. She hasn't heard a word of him since she and Elijah were brought to the underground headquarters of the Sentry Rebellion. But she vows to find him.
Ash, meanwhile is back in Black City; it's the perfect place to hide from the Sentry government. But not for long. He won't give up on Natalie or bringing an end to the terrible reign of Purian Rose.
A pulse-racing end to an exciting series.
**JUST LITTLE SPOILERS**
Phoenix, the sequel to Black City, left me so broken I thought I will never recover. Not only the cliffhanger ending did serious damage, but the entirety of the story did it. It left me with serious book hangover for weeks and I kept catching myself staring at nothing wondering what the book did to me. After a year of waiting for Wings, here I am again, lost for words. I got damaged for the second time. You know what they say about love being sweeter the second time around? Well, pain is horrible the second time around. No kidding.
Wings started off stronger that I had anticipated. I was introduced to a new character who sounded so familiar yet I couldn't put a finger to it. The war is still on going and Nat and Ash's determination to put down Purian Rose transitioned smoothly. I thought I would have to skim through Phoenix because I've partly forgotten what transpired but Richards did a remarkable job in incorporating small details from Black City and Phoenix so the reader could remember. The events were consistent and I honestly didn't find any loopholes. At first I was like, "here we go again, the teens will save the world when the adults couldn't". I always have this notation in my head when I read Young Adult Dystopia or Paranormal genres. But with Wings, I wasn't disappointed. Each character, especially the adults, did a lot of "saving" and the young protagonists were only highlighted because the point of views are their voices. I was amazed how no one was left out and each of them have seriously wicked vital roles. Yes, everyone was given fair chances to share their histories or even their current contribution to the story. The book is three hundred plus pages but I just couldn't get enough. I want more. I want more Ash. I want more Edmund. I want more Black City. The pacing is just the perfect blend and honestly? There were no dull moments. Each chapter produced the right amount of adrenaline rush so you can go and read the next one immediately. Wings is undoubtedly one of the unputdownable books I've read this year. Even if it is the conclusion to a series so close to my heart, I want to devour it in one sitting yet slowly take everything in at the same time. If that even makes sense.
In Wings, I learned to love and forgive Purian Rose. Yes, I did. Unbelievable really. He's one of the villains I hated so much to the extent I wished him tortured twenty times over. Wings is partly about the war the Darklings are fighting for and partly about Nat and Ash's romance. In my opinion, it is mainly about Purian Rose's past. How he truly became the meanest, soulless and heartless antagonist we've all learned to hate. I would have to leave it at that because this review will turn to be too spoilery if I try to explain why I said that. But his past pinched and took a small part of my heart I didn't know I could give him. His character was clouded with and blinded by misinterpretation, pain and environment's morbid influence. He was just a young boy who fell in love and .... But still, he didn't have the right to do all those hideous things he did. But honestly, Purian Rose's background put a stunning spark in Wings.
Richards might have planned it during her outlining/plotting days, but I wasn't prepared for the shocking pain waves I received while reading Wings. I felt like every flip of each page I would lose a limb. The revelation and the magnitude of loss left me astounded with awe, pain, mostly pain, whys and nos. There were definitely screaming in between and tsunami tears. The rawness of it all brought so much emotion that I had to pause reading for a few hours just to breathe. It was that intense. I also wasn't kidding when I said "magnitude" of loss. It wasn't only one or two but multiple characters gave up lives to help with Ash's cause for the Darklings. That alone not only took me by surprise but caused ugly tears to flood my face. The pain felt like someone's aiming my heart and stabbed it with a machete or something over and over again.
Wings is the perfect conclusion to such amazing series. I will never have sufficient adjectives to describe how Wings gave euphoria and all sorts of unnamed emotions to me. Highly fitting to be the last installment (because there is nothing that would top this), every fiber of Wings suited the need for answers and satiated the cravings for action. Gripping with blood and vengeance, Wings turns out to be the key to all the madness. Treacherous, dangerous and brutal it may appear but Wings is by far the best part of the series. Breath taking and breath stopping altogether!
Again, thank you Liz for sending this in for review/tour! Love, love!
"But the Darklings are different. They don't just kill you, they play with you first. They drug you, make you think you are in love with them, so you willingly let them feed on you, until there's nothing left of you but an empty shell. It's sick."
"It's easy to hate. The truest test of our hearts is to forgive."
"Forgiveness is the only way you will ever find peace."
If you want to check the blog tour, just visit #WingPHBlogTour on Twitter or Facebook!
And that is not all!! We are giving away awesome stuff!!
Check this out!
THANK YOU SO MUCH ELIZABETH RICHARDS FOR MAKING THIS TOUR POSSIBLE AND TO ALL #BlackCityPHTour , #PhoenixPHTour and #WngsPHBlogTour PARTICIPANTS!! THANK YOU EVER SO MUCH FOR ALL THE SUPPORT!! *wipes ugly tears*
