I really wanted to love this book after reading the blurb and while it was enjoyable it didn't wow me. I often felt like the writing wasn't going anywhere and needed more direction. The worldbuildjng however, was fantastic.

Wings unseen by Rebecca Gomez Farrell.
To end a civil war, Lansera's King Turyn relinquished a quarter of his kingdom to create Medua, exiling all who would honor greed over valor to this new realm on the other side of the mountains. The Meduans and Lanserim have maintained an uneasy truce for two generations, but their ways of life are as compatible as oil and water.When Vesperi, a Meduan noblewoman, kills a Lanserim spy with a lick of her silver flame, she hopes the powerful display of magic will convince her father to name her as his heir. She doesn't know the act will draw the eye of the tyrannical Guj, Medua's leader, or that the spy was the brother of Serrafina Gavenstone, the fiancèe of Turyn's grandson, Prince Janto. As Janto sets out for an annual competition on the mysterious island of Braven, Serra accepts an invitation to study with the religious Brotherhood, hoping for somewhere to grieve her brother's murder in peace. What she finds instead is a horror that threatens both countries, devouring all living things and leaving husks of skin in its wake.To defeat it, Janto and Serra must learn to work together with the only person who possesses the magic that can: the beautiful Vesperi, whom no one knows murdered Serra's brother. An ultimate rejection plunges Vesperi forward toward their shared destiny, with the powerful Guj on her heels and the menacing beating of unseen wings all about.
A good read with good characters. Slow but readable. 3*.

The fantasy and magical elements of the plot were really cool and interesting to read about, I found that to be unique in the ways of magic systems and it kept me intrigued.
There was this weird kind of love triangle with some jealously that happened, this was ok, typical for a YA novel but I thought the third person involvement wasn’t necessary or added anything in the way of development for the main characters.
Not a big fan of multiple perspectives, but none of them felt like they were telling more of the story than another.

The book really surprised me. At first it was slow but once I got the hand of it. I was able to get momentum and confine reading. I enjoyed it from start to finish.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
"Wings Unseen" is rich in unique and detailed world building and adventure. The main characters and side characters are drawn in an intricate manner, and I enjoyed the twists and turns in the journeys of the protagonists. All of them had to change and grow as they faced challenges which took them off their original life paths, and there were many surprises along the way, which delighted me as a reader. A thoroughly wonderful story!

The writing is a little discontinuous. At some places I felt a bit lost. But the characters and premise is interesting enough to make you finish the book.

I was expecting a lot more of this book and was left very underwhelmed. It was still a bit enjoyable to read but I wanted a lot more from the book. The plot twist wasn’t very exciting.

This was an okay book. Great world-building but a confusing execution at times. I don't know if I'll look for the second book but it was definitely interesting.

I did not understand anything that was going on so I DNF'd it. I am not interested in writing a review.

I give the book 4.5/5 wasps.

I got this from Netgalley. I read this about two days before Christmas and only got the time today to write a review. It's been a long time coming. I'm still busier than a bee, which I am so thankful for.

Wings Unseen is a story of three people who are next in line. A prince who is about to inherit the throne. A princess who is to be married to the crown prince. And a daughter of a rich nobleman who have the power of the flame. The first born but was denied being an heir. These three people will cross paths and share a common destiny. Each will discover his/her own strength and would help beat the evil that is wreaking havoc all over the land. A trio of headstrong characters. And in this story, they will discover what they were meant to be. They will find their purpose.

This story is set in a kingdom that has been divided. Lanserim and Medua. Medua is a quarter of Lanserim that was given up where all the greedy and the bad people were exiled to have peace in Lanserim. Prince Janto and her bride-to-be Serra, must go their separate ways before their wedding to learn more of their individual selves. Janto will have to train and pass a test. Serra will need to discover her gift. Vesperi, the girl from Medua will find her place elsewhere. Since her father deemed her unfit to be his heir, then she'd rather be someplace else.

At first, I wasn't sure if I should hate Vesperi or not. At the onset, she seemed to be a misguided person, just like all the other Meduans were. Meduans are greedy and selfish by nature, so it was to be expected that Vesperi is exactly one. She had her own share of misdeeds. She had used her gift of the flame to cause harm but was smart enough to cover her tracks. So, it was a relief to find that she was different from the rest. She proved that she was not like any Meduan. Yes, her speech and her manners are rough and needed a lot of finesse. That would take time to change and soften. But to her surprise also, she liked being this different version of herself. The better version. It wasn't that bad at all. She could actually get used to it. Being good actually felt nice.

Janto, the crown prince. If he had a choice, he wouldn't want to rule the kingdom. He wants to do something else. He wished his path was not already carved out for him. He wished he could refuse but there's no one else to inherit the throne, so he has to step up.

This contained a lot of unexpected turns and surprises. The three main characters themselves were often recipients of these unlikely turn of events. The good thing is, these three have proven they are more than what their inheritance were. Janto, was not just a prince, he proved his worth that he can hold his own and he is ready to rule the kingdom. Serra, of the three, I think she had most tragic and heartbreaking experiences. Too much is asked of her in this story. She was asked to accept a lot of things that were just too painful. She asked to forgive which was probably the most difficult thing. In the end, she learned to accept her role and the lot given to her. It wasn't that bad at all. And lastly, Vesperi. She probably had the most amazing transformation of all. I think she made this story very interesting. I admit Janto and Serra's adventures, if we were to call them were interesting in their own. But adding Vesperi to the mix made it even more fascinating. Vesperi is the odd one out here. And how she wormed her way to become part of the trio with Janto and Serra, is the most intriguing part of this story.

This is a well-written tale of adventure, of coming of age and of finding one's self. These three people gave up their personal needs and agendas to help save the kingdom. Vesperi proved all people wrong. Her inner goodness came to the forefront and she can't help but embrace it and forget all together that she's a Meduan who by nature should only think of herself and for herself. I can't wait for the next book. The ending hinted of one.

My favorite part of the story was when Janto joined the Murat. It was a fascinating adventure. I think their adventures and challenges in the Murat could make another story altogether. The enchanted island and the magical creatures living there are enchanting. And to top it all, having a group of boys of different personalities out to prove himself better than the other is very entertaining. In a way, it was like a pissing contest. They first entered the island as boys and they came out as men, ready to be take on the role they were meant to play. Ready to take on the world.

I give the book 4.5/5 wasps. The story is full of twists and turns. Right at the onset I know that Vesperi will be important, I just didn't realize how important she was. Her role started as someone you were likely to hate but as the story unfolds, there was so much more to it. And Serra, I think my heart goes out to her. Yet, she stood tall and took everything in strides and with grace. Her character is probably the most admirable of all. At first, she seemed liked a decorative character. Just put in there for her beauty. Like she was told to jus sit there and look beautiful and do nothing else. But it wasn't. Of the three, I think she took more than her share of the weight that they were to bear. Plus her own personal struggles, doubts and insecurities. In the end, she came out more graceful and beautiful and even powerful. So, cheers to these two strong women in this story. They are two very different people yet they found a common ground to work together and became very formidable together. I can't wait for the next book. Will they eventually vanquished the evil that is destroying the kingdom and will they be able to unite Lanserim and Medua as one again?

I am so tired of being led like a child with a blindfold over my eyes, grasping at feathers I cannot see.
- Rebecca Gomez Farrell, Wings Unseen -


Thank you again, Netgalley for the copy.

This was a DNF for me, I was confused from the beginning and I couldn't keep reading it. Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review.

The descriptions throughout are vibrant and filled with emotion. Even the minor characters are brought to life and they add some humor to the story. This is an epic adventure in a world filled with mysterious creatures and magic! I would definitely be interested in a sequel and recommend this fantasy novel

The Meduans and Lanserim have maintained an uneasy truce for two generations. As Janto sets out for his Murat, Serra accepts an invitation to study with the religious Brotherhood. What she finds instead is a horror that threatens both countries. To defeat it, Janto and Serra must learn to work together with the only person who possesses the magic that can: Vesperi, whom no one knows murdered Serra's brother. An ultimate rejection plunges Vesperi forward toward their shared destiny, with the powerful Guj on her heels and the menacing beating of unseen wings all about.



We follow the main three characters in POV chapters which helps develop each of them throughout the book. Although these characters grew, evolved and turned out to be better people by the end of the book, the other characters in the book didn't receive the same fate. For example the other men at Janto's Murat were interchangeable in my head. As the main characters were developed so much it flaunted this shortfall. 

Although Gomez has worked hard on world building, and the lands sound wonderful when reading, I felt there was too many new names. There were new kingdoms, animals and plants with little to no explanation for some. This made it quite difficult to read because how can I imagine a new animal when I only have its name?  I did however enjoy the religion and faith that was created. This was really well thought out and explained on the page. 

The prophecy and the focus on individual choices was a really important aspect in the book. Each character had to make the choice to save themselves and those around them and then work hard to achieve it. The Claren were a product of the bad choices of humans within the story which makes it full circle to the good choices of our protagonists. 

But I did question how overpowered Vesperi and co were with her magic. I know she has the powers to stop the Claven but there's a lack of push back from there which makes it seem almost too easy. I felt like we were rushing to the end of the plot, had a bit of a problem there but otherwise they could defeat anything. 

I received Wings Unseen* by Rebecca Gomez Farrell from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an unbiased and honest review.

I loved this book. The writing was intelligent and didn't insult the reader. There were a few spots where the pace was a little slow, however I enjoyed the overall plot and the rich character development. There was a love triangle in this book but I felt it was done well.
The author addresses sexism in this book in a way that worked with the world yet was bold enough to make a statement that readers could take away.

This book really surprised me. I went in expecting a cool fantasy setting (and yes it's as good as the blurb makes it sound), some different magic and a really annoying love triangle. I was partially right, and partially wrong.

The Not-So Love, Love Triangle
So let's deal with the 'three-headed' love triangle first. Is there a love triangle... not really. There are three people who are caught up in each others lives in some unlikely ways and there is some jealousy that happens at some points but it's not like a cat fight over the lead man. Nor is it a caddy fight between the two girls. Instead it's just progression of friendship, possible love and how tough circumstances create unbreakable bonds.

The Overall Feel
The three perspectives (two gals, one guy) are all equal and none of them feels like a more important character than the other. Kudos to Rebecca Gomez Farrell for pulling this off. It's a hard feat to have equal standing characters in the lead. The magic is really cool. I love how sparse and yet how important it is. The 'enemy' is subjective and yet obvious all at the same time. The politics are brilliant and I adore our lead man's father who accepts that while he never wanted to be King it was his duty. This solid political base that the world is built around is part of what gives Wings Unseen it's unique feel.

Of course my favourite character of the three is the morally questionable Vespiri (and she has a snake as her icon!). But don't worry the other two main characters, Jantos and Serra, bring in more than enough sweet, moral, hero traits to make up for any pitfalls Vespiri may have. Additionally they all have real personalities and real faults. Just like real people. I can't emphasis enough how REAL they all felt to me at times. I started wanting to savour this book at the halfway point. Something I rarely do these days.

Now, what's the best part about Wings Unseen?
It's a STAND ALONE fantasy book!
That's not to say that it might have future books; but you can easily read Wings Unseen and have enough closure to feel satisfied. I'd love to see future books (and it's unclear to me if it's going to be a series or not...) but it's also so rare to find stand-alone fantasy novels that I almost want to relish in it's uniqueness this way.

Could I find faults in this novel?
Of course. But honestly I feel this is a stronger debut than Gilded Cage and I really enjoyed it and gave it four stars. Wings Unseen doesn't have the same plot holes or unexplained circumstances the way a lot of my 4 star fantasy books have had this year and so I've given it 5 stars because I'd happily read it again... is tomorrow too soon?!

Wings Unseen by Rebecca Gomez Farrell was excruciatingly slow. It had great potential but it was lost in way too many details and nonsense. The characters were all pretty boring, except Vesperi who had a good overall character evolution. I wouldn’t waste my time for this one. I almost DNF’ed a couple of times.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this free ebook.

I don't think this book was for me, while the cover is eye catching the writing style just didn't grab my attention. I was very confused in the beginning about who was who which led to me becoming disinterested in the book.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book

This was a perfectly enjoyable fantasy read, but somehow it just didn't make it past enjoyable. It haD a lot of things I like in a fantasy book, in terms of the types of character, alternating POV with characters' stories converging, but it just didn't grab me.

It took me a while to get into the story, but once I did I felt like the story moved along pretty well.
I don't think this is planned to be a series, and the ending was satisfying enough for that.l, so I would recommend it if you're after a quick YA fantasy hit without the commitment of a multi-book series.
I gave this one 2.5 stars.

You know when you start a book, and you don't like the characters, and nothing pulls you into the plot to keep your attention--then that it probably isn't the book for you. This is exactly my experience with Wings Unseen.

Being a sucker for great book covers, I naturally picked this up. Seeing a three-headed bird beast, in combination with an alluring title, and an action-packed synopsis, I was ready to be swept away into a new fantasy world.

As we take a step into the world of the warring nations of Medua and Lansera, one thing is immediately apparent: Vesperi is a not a nice person. Detestable, more like. So detestable, in fact, that I couldn't get the bad taste out of my mouth that she left there. Here's why. She'd always resort to sexual manipulation to get what she wanted. It was in her internal and external machinations, and she was downright crude. Here's a few examples:

"Too old to make bedding him fun but not man enough to beat her badly."

"She had more pressing matters to attend to than pondering what advantage untying his breeches might bring."

There were more. But I just...don't want to waste my time taking down quotes from a book that I know I won't be finishing.

I liked the fact that the book worked from different point-of-views. I'm assuming that a three-headed bird will show up somewhere, somehow. The animal-like-creature-human-things referenced in the first chapter were...curious, to say the least. I really wish I could have had an opportunity to go further into this book, but Vesperi made that impossible for me.

Vulgarity: There wasn't any swearing, but derogatory language used specifically towards women.
Sexual Content: I believe I missed the memo where it is suddenly deemed as "OK" to use explicit language in YA books. This book definitely crosses some lines for me (examples provided above), including the word, "cock." This is probably another one of those mislabeled "YA books" that should be NA.
Violence: Minimal.

I will not be assigning a star review as I did not finish reading this book.

A big thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

The author clearly is very passionate about the world that she's built - you can tell in the writing that she knows the rules of the universe she's created. There are are enough elements of "otherness" (objects and creatures that do not exist in our world) to speak to strong world building. That being said, she fluctuates between "fiction", "YA" and "children's" to such degrees that I couldn't get a grasp as to what the target audience was, if any.

This is the first book in years that I was unable to finish. Halfway through the book, I didn't care about the characters or the predictable plot enough to look forward to reading it, and the fact that the book was still "unread" filled me with dread instead of excitement.