Book Review: Wings of Ebony (Wings of Ebony # 1) by J. Elle

Wings of Ebony (Wings of Ebony # 1) by J. Elle (2021)

Genre: Fantasy, YA, Fiction

Page Length: 368 pages (hardcover edition)

Synopsis:

“Make a way out of no way” is just the way of life for Rue. But when her mother is shot dead on her doorstep, life for her and her younger sister changes forever. Rue’s taken from her neighborhood by the father she never knew, forced to leave her little sister behind, and whisked away to Ghizon—a hidden island of magic wielders.

Rue is the only half-god, half-human there, where leaders protect their magical powers at all costs and thrive on human suffering. Miserable and desperate to see her sister on the anniversary of their mother’s death, Rue breaks Ghizon’s sacred Do Not Leave Law and returns to Houston, only to discover that Black kids are being forced into crime and violence. And her sister, Tasha, is in danger of falling sway to the very forces that claimed their mother’s life.

Worse still, evidence mounts that the evil plaguing East Row is the same one that lurks in Ghizon—an evil that will stop at nothing until it has stolen everything from her and everyone she loves. Rue must embrace her true identity and wield the full magnitude of her ancestors’ power to save her neighborhood before the gods burn it to the ground. (description from Goodreads)

Review:

Wings of Ebony is an epic fantasy set half in modern-day Houston and half in the fantasy world of Ghizon, an island full of magic wielders. The story takes place a year after the tragic and violent death of Rue’s mother when her father whisks her away to show her a life she has never known. In Ghizon, Rue is ostracized due to her half-human, half-god status and struggles to adapt to these new revelations. She constantly feels out of place and that she doesn’t belong there because people treat her as an “other”. But when Rue finds out that her neighborhood is under attack she’ll use her powers to save her people.

This novel was an exciting narrative full of adventure, magic, and new worlds while also seamlessly blending in commentary on poverty, systemic racism, and police brutality. There is a lot to unpack in this novel and I appreciated how Elle uses allegory and metaphors to comment on issues in our society under the lens of fantasy. You can definitely see the mirror between our world and the injustices that are happening in Ghizon being kept under wraps. I won’t say too much about that in order to not give the book away.

Rue is a headstrong main protagonist, she keeps up a hard front because of where’s she’s from but also due to her mother’s advice to be like a diamond. Underneath all that confidence, we see Rue’s vulnerability. Meeting her father who she’s never known, still trying to heal from grief, and trying to wield the strong magic that runs in her blood. It’s a lot to handle and we have many quieter moments that have supporting characters and friends that reach out to Rue who motivate her, but also encourage her to lean on them for support. She still has a long journey of growth by the end of the novel, but I really enjoyed her character growth.

The biggest thing for me about reading Wings of Ebony was the world-building. The first half of the novel takes place in Houston and then in the latter half, the readers get to see more of Ghizon. I really wanted more world-building surrounding Ghizon and to learn about the island and its people. You get to learn quite a bit, but there were some questions I had unanswered. I hope the second installment dives deeper into Ghizon’s history and people. But I did like the clash of magic in the modern-day world where its use is prohibited.

Overall I thought Wings of Ebony is a great debut and start to a new series. It’s exciting and has a female lead that the reader wants to root for as she overcomes her adversity.

Final Verdict: