Hello everyone! I’m back with more reviews today! These reviews are a little bit different from my usual ones, but I hope you enjoy them anyway!
Brittany Wang has created an amazing serial that I highly recommend! A serial is essentially a book that is published in smaller installments. Brittany’s serial, On Wings of Ash and Dust, refers to these installments as “episodes.” Reading her serial is like watching a TV show! It’s a really unique publishing format, and I think it works great for Brittany!
I have the honor of being in Brittany’s ARC team, so I get to read each episode early! I have currently read the first three episodes (of six), so I’m going to go ahead and share my thoughts on them here! If you’re interested, you can purchase the first two episodes and/or pre-order episode 3!
Before I share my reviews, I have something fun to share with you all! You can find out which of the faerie clans you belong to! Brittany has created a quiz to place you in your clan! Take it here!
Episode 1: Wings of Betrayal- The Faerie Rebel
Blurb:
Pixie pirate Quinn may be an outlaw, wanted by all five faerie clans, but she prefers it that way. All she wants is to finally become a captain in the pirate fleet and bury her true identity beneath the rolling waves. Except, she never expected to be looting a funeral—least of all her twin brother’s.
Derailed by the news of his sudden death after he entered a competition for the faerie crown, Quinn can’t stay in the shadows any longer. Risking everything she’s built to avenge him, Quinn and her crew of outcasts infiltrate the world of clashing clans to attempt their biggest heist yet.
But there’s more at stake than she knows. And to truly honor her brother, she’ll have to face the dark past she’s spent years hiding while evading the same dangers that claimed her brother’s life.
My Review:
5/5 stars
I received an ARC of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Quinn is so close to achieving her dream of becoming a pirate captain, eager to leave her past behind. When news of her twin brother’s sudden death reaches her, she risks it all to attend (and loot) his funeral. But her past catches up to her, and the dream of being a pirate captain has never seemed so far away.
What an exciting first episode! The action starts at the very beginning, and it continues through the end! We’re quickly introduced to Quinn–her struggles, her flaws, her secrets–and what she’s capable of. She’s definitely got some issues to work on, yet I couldn’t help but root for her! I’m looking forward to following her journey in future episodes!
The world-building was fantastic! The different clans are really impressive! I also really enjoyed the world itself, though not much of it has been introduced to us yet!
The plot was action-packed, but easy to follow! It drew me in from the first page! I’m so excited for the next episode to come out!
I’m really looking forward to meeting more characters and learning more about the clans and the world itself as On Wings of Ash and Dust continues! I already have a ship (the romantic kind!), and the ending of this book has me waiting very impatiently for more of this story!
I would definitely recommend this first episode to YA fans who love action, pirates, and spectacular world-building!
Episode 2: Palace of Potions- The Sylph Trial
Blurb: (Please note that the blurb may contain spoilers for episode 1!)
Quinn entered the Ethodine for her brother. Now she has to survive it.
Quinn has never felt so out of control. Stripped of her precious daggers, she’s thrust into the privileged world of the potion-making Sylphs and their floating sky city. While preparing for the first dangerous trial, she plots to retrieve her weapons from Moon Face at any cost.
But neither task is as easy as she hopes. She doesn’t expect foreboding visions of her brother to start haunting her dreams or the stakes of the Ethodine to be so high. Besides the flirty Nymph prince who can’t seem to leave her alone, she now faces the Sylph queen and three other powerful competitors: a half-blind artist, a mute beast tamer, and a pompous princess.
Just when everything starts falling apart, an unlikely ally offers a deal to get everything she’s always wanted. But trust is fragile. It will take more than promises to survive the perils of the Ethodine.
My Review:
5/5 stars
I received an ARC of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Spoilers for episode 1 ahead!
Entering the trials is one thing; surviving them is another. Weaponless and completely unprepared, Quinn is left very vulnerable. Meeting the other competitors only makes her realize how difficult these trials will be for her. Nightmares haunt her sleep, strange allies appear, and secrets abound. It doesn’t take long for Quinn to realize that it might take all she has just to survive.
This second episode was amazing! Since this book centers around the Sylph trial, we learn a lot of information in this episode. But the information wasn’t just given in info dumps–Brittany cleverly weaves world-building facts into the story. I’m already fascinated by this world and we still have the rest of the trials to get through!
The other competitors are also intriguing. We still don’t know too much about any of them, and I’m looking forward to seeing more interactions with them! Each one seems to have their own secrets and their own motives…
There’s not a lot of action in this episode, but that doesn’t take away from it at all! The trial had me on the edge of my seat! I have a feeling things are going to get even crazier from here! I have so many questions! I wasn’t expecting to get through this episode as fast as I did, but it was hard to put it down! Once again, the last page has me desperate for the next episode! Bring on the second trial!
I definitely recommend this serial! If you’re looking for an entertaining adventure with an intense competition, royal intrigue, possibly some romance, and a dash of magic, this is something you should read!
Episode 3: Sea of Secrets- The Nymph Challenge
Previously on “On Wings of Ash and Dust”: (still slight spoilers for episodes 1 and 2!)
After pixie pirate Quinn gets wrapped up in a competition for the faerie crown (find out how in Episode 1!) she faces off against a flirty merman, a mute beast tamer, a half-blind artist, and a pompous princess in a series of dangerous trials. After just barely surviving the first trial set by the Sylph faeries in the sky, mysteries abound and the line between rivals and allies blurs as the Nymph trial approaches (read Episode 2).
Now Quinn is back at sea—but this time, it’s dripping with secrets… (Episode 3)
My Review:
5/5 stars
I received an ARC of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Spoilers for episodes 1 and 2 ahead!
Wow, this episode went by fast! I sincerely hope this serial gets a TV series someday! The action doesn’t slow down at all, and it was such an exciting read! A masquerade ball and another deadly challenge are only a few of Quinn’s problems. As more and more secrets rise to the surface, Quinn is left with more questions than answers. I love the romance that is slowly starting to take shape! I’m very curious about some of the information revealed in this episode! I reached the end of this episode way too fast! The cliffhanger once again has me desperate to get my hands on episode 4!
I highly recommend reading this serial! I’m looking forward to uncovering more of this spectacular world in the next episode!
Those are all the reviews I currently have for On Wings of Ash and Dust! I will be back with another post when I’ve finished episodes 4-6! I hope you enjoyed these reviews! Before you go, leave a comment with your faerie clan below! I’m a Sylph! Happy reading, everyone!
The Bookish Raven 