Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher and netgalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Black Wings Beating

Author: Alex London

Book Series: Skybound Book 1

Rating: 3.5/5

Publication Date: October 9, 2018

Publisher: Farrer, Straus, and Giroux

Pages: 432

Recommended Age: 15+ (some violence and slight gore)

Synopsis: The people of Uztar have long looked to the sky with hope and wonder. Nothing in their world is more revered than the birds of prey and no one more honored than the falconers who call them to their fists.

Brysen strives to be a great falconer--while his twin sister, Kylee, rejects her ancient gifts for the sport and wishes to be free of falconry. She's nearly made it out, too, but a war is rolling toward their home in the Six Villages, and no bird or falconer will be safe.

Together the twins must journey into the treacherous mountains to trap the Ghost Eagle, the greatest of the Uztari birds and a solitary killer. Brysen goes for the boy he loves and the glory he's long craved, and Kylee to atone for her past and to protect her brother's future. But both are hunted by those who seek one thing: power.

Review: Holy cow I thought this was a great book! The book was intriguing and it had me hooked from beginning to end. The characters were well developed as was the world building. And the writing was well done!

However, I did think that the book was info heavy. It was a bit of an info dump in places and that made for the pacing to be slower than what I would have liked.

Verdict: a great read!

This book was so hard to get into. I had higher expectations and hype for Black Wings Beating by Alex London which is mostly from me but also other people were hyping it up too.

From the Publisher:
The people of Uztar have long looked to the sky with hope and wonder. Nothing in their world is more revered than the birds of prey and no one more honored than the falconers who call them to their fists.

Brysen strives to be a great falconer—while his twin sister, Kylee, rejects her ancient gifts for the sport and wishes to be free of falconry. She’s nearly made it out, too, but a war is rolling toward their home in the Six Villages, and no bird or falconer will be safe.

Together the twins must journey into the treacherous mountains to trap the Ghost Eagle, the greatest of the Uztari birds and a solitary killer. Brysen goes for the boy he loves and the glory he's long craved, and Kylee to atone for her past and to protect her brother's future. But both are hunted by those who seek one thing: power.

In this first young-adult fantasy novel in a trilogy, Alex London launches a soaring saga about the memories that haunt us, the histories that hunt us, and the bonds of blood between us.



My Thoughts:


This book has been on my "read later" list on my Kindle for months and yet when I finally decided to read it, I just devoured it. It is my kind of book with fantasy types of quests, as well as YA characters who must try and save their communities with help from other YA characters and despite their present but not present parents (or dead and still haunting them). I know YA researchers have looked into the different ways that parents are not present in many YA books, and I don't want to go into another essay on that, but it seems to be a formula that YA readers look for and expect in this category of fiction. The post modernist social constructs of "family" and the immense agency that YA characters are given in these books (Catcher in the Rye, The Outsiders) seem normalized now and readers want to suspend their disbelief. It is one of the charms of being a YA fiction reader. This also has an LGBTQ character and love triangle, but that too seems normalized, so although it is labeled as LGBTQ, like multicultural YA couples, it's not a thing. Love is love.

What makes this one interesting is the concept of the raptor birds who almost take the place of "dragons" in this genre in that they are elusive, they are the key to winning and the best trainer is best because of some ancient and as yet untapped ability to connect and communicate with the animal (in this case, birds).

I also enjoyed the complicated relationship between the twins, mostly because I have twin grandkids. The dynamic between twins is always unique even over mere siblings and this book captured it well. Add to that adventure, love interests, betrayal and just the first leg in the journey (the hunt for the ghost eagle) and London has done a great job of reeling in and engaging the reader.

So why did it take so long for me to pick this book up? After all, this is my preferred genre, it is fast paced and grabbed me right away (once I started reading).

I did not pick this book up because I don't like the cover. It looks more like a horror cover, even a psychological thriller cover than a YA girl power, fantasy/romance/adventure novel. The cover for me conjures plague, Hitchcock's The Birds, Amityville Horror (the scene with the flies) and for some reason ebola. Maybe the whole plague, bird mites horror for me. It is just personal past trauma, but I am sad that I did not get beyond the cover because I was missing out on a great read.

Red Skies Falling, book 2 in this series comes out in the beginning of September 2019, so it will definitely go on my TBR list, even though I still do not like this next cover.

A digital copy provided by Net Galley and the publisher for an honest review.

NetGalley provided me with an eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
4.5/5 stars
Book content notes: Trauma, physical and psychological abuse, graphic descriptions of animal and human death

This fantasy was so freaking refreshing. I love so much of this book—the language, the lyricism, the relationships between the characters, the quietness of the fantasy. This is not an in-your-face magic book; this is a story about love and friendship set in a fantasy world. There's one thing that's stopping me from forcing everyone I know from reading this, though. It's also the reason it's taken me five months to finish it. I'll get to it later and tag it under spoilers.

Let me talk about everything this book does so, so well.

Characters: Kylee is incredible; I love her so much. She's resourceful and fiercely loyal and witty and so afraid. For much of the story, it feels like Brysen is in the spotlight—more on him in a sec—but Kylee is the quiet and secret protagonist of the book, almost a Leia who is actually the Skywalker sibling who would save the galaxy while everyone is too busy staring at Brysen. (To be fair, this is a contentious point; I can hear the argument for why they both have equal weight or why she has more.) Anyway, I found Kylee's emotional journey incredibly sympathetic and thoughtful—slow and deliberate, but when the change comes, it's so satisfying.

Brysen I like... considerably less. I could so completely feel Kylee's frustration with him. And yet, Brysen is a super sensitive teenaged boy, and there's something lovely about that—something definitely worth reading. Brysen is so deeply, deeply flawed, and that, in its own way, is wonderful.

The side characters are solid enough. A lot of them blurred together for me, but the ones we're supposed to know stick with you.

Themes: This book deals with trauma and abuse (I won't talk about it in any more detail), and it does so incredibly well. It uses this backdrop to bring out the resilience in Kylee and Brysen as individuals and as siblings, and I'm an absolute sucker for a good (or bad) sibling story. There is so much love on these pages—romantic love too, but that feels so tangential in comparison to this sibling story.

Language: On a craft level, the book is phenomenal. The prose is lush without being purple, the characters are rendered thoughtfully and particularly, and the structure, with its flashbacks and ending chapters about the larger world, works well for the story. I do think pacing could be a little tighter at the beginning, or maybe I was discombobulated by the thing in the middle.

Story: I super dug the story for a lot of it—it's not complicated, and what takes center stage are Kylee and Brysen's pasts. It keeps you curious, and the chapters that ended each parts, while sometimes confusing, gave important glimpses into the larger world, which raised stakes. And then... the thing in the middle happens. <spoiler>The stuff with Jowyn was. Weird. The book was a fantasy where the magic had to do with language and birds—nothing earth-shattering, but still innovative on some level (magic and language as tied together being a classic idea, one I love). But then there was this kid who drank magic tree sap and had magic blood and that was just... it felt like I'd suddenly been put into a different book. I feel like it ultimately was only there to justify Jowyn and Brysen being bound together, and without it, I wouldn't feel like there's this whole other aspect to the world I was thrown into after I thought I knew the rules.</spoiler>

I ultimately picked up the book again because I still wanted to see what was going to happen. I read the rest of it in a sitting—the pacing picked up. And on the topic of the quest, <spoiler>I did feel like they caught the ghost eagle too easily. I would have expected multiple attempts? I guess the book was building to the idea that they'd only get one shot, so not sure why I had that expectation. I did find the ending "battle" quite satisfying, though.</spoiler>

So yes, if you like quieter fantasies, I do highly recommend this one. In general, I would highly recommend it. Just... skip like 30 pages in the middle, where the world stops making sense for a bit.

While I found the premise interesting ( a world where birds = status and are used as weapons against others), I just couldn't connect to the main character or with the world itself. This is, of course, entirely MY opinion. So my advice would be: if you like high fantasy with birds and characters who aren't *too* complicated, then BLACK WINGS BEATING is for you.

I really enjoyed Black Wings Beating. The world building was thoughtful and provoking while the characters were intriguing and made you want to know more.

The plot was unique and though learning the history of the world was a little heavy, I would be interested in a book solely on the Kartami and Uztar.

I would definitely recommend to friends, especially for those who enjoy a nice not heavy in romance.

The difficulty in starting a new series is in balancing world building, intriducing characters and the multiple plot points that leave many unresolved questions. When incorrectly done this can frustrate readers rather than leaving them wanting more.

Fortunately in Black Wings Beating, Alex London has artfully managed to accomplish these necessary components for the first book of the Skybound Series while leaving readers solicitous for the second book.

London's builds Uztar with lush and 3D imagery, allowing for readers to immerse themselves in it and its life-blood, Falconry. All Uztar's citizens are served by falcons, a very unique and, in London's hands, ingenious ideas. London insures reader buy-in with intricate description and well-pointed action. It would be easy for readers to feel befuddled by such a concept. London never leaves this to chance by writing Falconry as such a seamless, everyday part of the characters' lives and Uztar as a whole.

Kylee and Brysen are the main characters in Black Wings Beating. Their development is not left to the background while Uztar and Falconry are given such brilliant detail. Not only are they painted into life but with them an intricately woven plot that explores Brysen's relationship with a male falcon trainer and is wrought with family trauma.

In meshing the the character development with plot development London is able to keep the initial book of the Skybound Series more enthralling, while not leaving either component feeling shallow or unfulfilled.

Black Wings Beating stands on its own as a book and series to sink your teeth into. Having said that, London should be applauded for not shying away from tackling cycles of family abuse or Brysen's sexuality.

Along with For a Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig, it is one of the best opening books of a series to come out recently.

2.5 Stars

Alex London’s Black Wings Beating is high fantasy set in an avian oriented world where birds of prey are used as a means of status and intimidation, as weapons, for use in sporting and hunting, or in whatever other manner one might have use for a bird. Some of the characters are even more bird than human, which is kind of meta when you think about it. There is one feathered beast that becomes the focus of the story, however, and serves as the bounty in a quest which propels the story’s characters into a dangerous journey amidst the threat of a coming war between this bird-centric society and those who condemn them for their skyward gaze. I’d liken it to a conflict of religious ideologies, but it’s nothing more than a tease here, playing as a looming undercurrent of doom in the whole of the story.

I was invested in the introduction to this world; albeit, once I’d finished the book I was left wondering why it began where it did, which leads to one of the issues I had and will touch on in a sec. The author’s attention to detail increases the reader’s awareness that this is a novel set in an alternate universe; it’s accomplished in its uniqueness, some of the characters are truly fantastical, and yet there is a familiarity to the story too. It fits the mold of most YA Fantasy in which the teenage protagonist(s) are tasked with the responsibility of fighting insurmountable odds in a race against time to, ostensibly, save the day. If I were considering the merits of the setting on their own, this would be a much simpler review; however, there’s more to a book than its beautiful scenery. Black Wings Beating reads like a story that began too soon and then spent a lot of word count to get to the point where it should have begun—with the coming war. That’s only my opinion, of course, and is not to say there weren’t some scenes that were delivered well, full of intrigue and action, but there were also times when the narrative was bogged down by its own details, and there were at least two chapter transitions that threw me clean out of the story thanks to the sudden introduction of new point-of-view characters. Some of these characters were introduced for the mere purpose of dying, while others were introduced and then disappeared for long spans of narrative.

As heroes, Kylee and Brysen are sympathetic characters…in the beginning…who were cursed with horrific parents, especially their late father, who was cruel and abusive to Brysen. As a side note, the abuses aren’t played out on page but are described in enough detail that it’s clear how much Bry suffered his father’s brutality while Kylee could do nothing to stop it, and while their mother stood by praying uselessly and watching it happen. The beatings and abuses shaped who Brysen grew into, his scars mark him a survivor, and this is why his desperation to rescue Dymian, the boy Brysen loves, is a hard lesson in placing one’s faith in someone who’s undeserving of it. I understand how Brysen’s upbringing could cause him to choose so poorly, and this serves as the catalyst for the quest, as Brysen must find and capture the beast that many have died trying to contain, including his own father.

The ghost eagle becomes the crux of Dymian and Brysen’s relationship as well as providing more conflict between Kylee and Brysen as secrets are revealed which threaten not only their success but the siblings’ relationship as well. Kylee has assumed the mantle of brother’s keeper, for all intents and purposes, and Bry has sworn to capture and deliver the giant bird to save Dymian’s life. As one would expect on a hero’s journey, they meet some interesting adversaries and allies along the way, and I was intrigued by the idea of a great winged creature straight out of the pages of mythology, imbued with mystique and grandeur and inexplicable power, but my interests were piqued only to have them dissipate as this particular conflict resolved itself; at least, as far as it was meant to resolve itself here. After its buildup, the golden eagle itself ended up being rather meh. The most fascinating part of the journey was the encounter with the Owl Mothers and their covey of young males, and one boy who might figure into Brysen’s life going forward, while the Owl Mothers themselves figure into Kylee’s.

Word on the street is that London’s Proxy series is fantastic, so though I haven’t read him before, I’m going to say that maybe this book is an anomaly. There’s some nice world building to enjoy in Black Wings Beating, but it’s home to characters that fell flat, weren’t fully fleshed-out into interesting people, and I didn’t grow to care for them in spite of the author’s efforts to inspire my empathy through their suffering. The narrative’s attempts to draw me into this world hit some incredible peaks and some disappointing lows, and when taking the target audience into consideration, I’d venture to guess my own teenagers, who are the book’s intended demographic, would say this was a fair-to-middling fantasy with the potential to be much better as the war arrives at the Six Village’s doorstep.

Reviewed by Lisa

I was very happy to receive this copy to review! I had heard many good things!!! A YA most wanted! Thank you for the review copy!

I tried reading this book but only got a about 30% before I couldn't read it anymore. it was good up to the point that I did read it. But not for me.

*ARC received from NetGalley in return for an honest review*

I had so much hope for this book. The description sounded fantastic making me pick it up right after downloading the book. Sadly, no matter how I tried I couldn't get sucked into the story. While the world building was off to a good start it felt like a little too much info dumping all at one time. Having the information spread out a little bit might have helped gradually ease readers into the story instead of having so much information to slog through that I eventually ended up not being able to finish the journey.

Another contributing factor to my inability to go past 14% was due to the fact that I just couldn't come to like any of the characters. Sometimes, it does take me long to fall for a certain character but if I can't like any of the characters by this point in the story I feel little urge to try anymore. Maybe, once I have more time, I can come back to this book and give it a second chance. For now, this title will be placed on my DNF list.

Black Wings Beating has a unique premise that follows twin siblings at war with the memories of their past and the bonds that are holding them back in their present. In a world where birds of prey are revered and those that have the gift to command them are sought after and respected, Kylee tries to hide her abilities while her twin brother Brysen recklessly flaunts about, making grand deals and promises that Kylee feels bound to keep.

This was a fast-paced, diverse fantasy that really explores family relationships, love, and loyalty. There is a twist at the end that I clearly wasn’t expecting and utterly blindsided me. Unfortunately this is only a 3 star read for me. I can’t quite pinpoint what took away from it so significantly other than hating Brysen for a vast majority of the book because of his reckless abandon for anyone’s wellbeing including his one. All he cares about is getting what he wants, when he wants it, regardless of who gets hurt. It took me so long to read this because of the fact that I was so sick of hearing about Brysen’s bad behavior. It left off with a clear opening for a sequel, but time will only tell if I’m interested in investing more time with these characters. A+++ on the cover though 😍

Love the sibling rivalry part of this fantasy series starter. Frustrated at the pace. Started great, then slowed down.

Overall this book was intriguing and compelling. I would have given it more starts had the first half of it not been so info dumpy. I did like the difference of the races in the story and how one is all about the land and its resources and the other is all about the sky and its resources. The two main characters (brother and sister) were unique characters but i felt as though they didn't really drive the story along like they should have seeing as how it is all about them.

I really wanted to like this because hello Gay main character. But Brysen was so dislikable. And i get hes had a very bad childhood, but i just couldnt get behind his bad decisions.
I really loved Kylee though. The writing was very well done, but not liking one of the main characters kinda put a damper on the whole book.

If you want a book with great world development, look no further. This entire society is built on falconry and it is beautifully crafted so that birds and raptors are central to all parts of their lives. That being said, there was so much time spent on world building that other aspects, like character and plot development, suffered. Of our two mains, Kylee is pretty fleshed out, but her brother needed some more detail. By the end, I knew literally nothing about his love interest, the guy he goes on a quest for, except his name and that Kylee wasn't a fan. That's it. I'm all about books with LGBT characters, but I also hold them to the same standards as any romance: you can't just include it to include it. It has to be developed and mean something. That is equality at its finest--when you can say the romance in a story sucks and it has nothing to do with the gender of those involved. Also, the plot was a rollercoaster, but not in a good way. Several highs, but also some really looooong lows where nothing happened. And then it just ended and I realized "oh, so nothing happened because this is literally the setup for a series and, as I don't plan on continuing the series, I read this for nothing." So...that's a thing that happened. Too bad. Killer birds and kissing boys was a great hook.

CW: child abuse, abusive parents, animals getting killed violently, war, people getting killed violently, fanatic religious beliefs abound

I liked the world that was built, I thought it was interesting and as someone whose had a long time interest and is friends with falconers I was very excited for this book. Overall that excitement didn’t hold out very well.

The story starts out very intriguing, the father of our two MCs goes to the mountain to trap a ghost eagle while thinking horrible things about his own children and let’s us know if something bad were to happen no one will probably care.. The ghost eagle gets him instead and he’s gone,

First chapter made it seem like things would go fast. It’s a lie. It drags for awhile again after that.

Kylee wants out of the life she’s been bound to by her fathers debts and this years market should be enough to finally free her and her brother Brysen and she can finally move on to... you know what I’m not sure because it’s never specified what she’s going to do after the debts are paid. Just that it’s going to be something else. Unfortunately her brother’s unfortunate choice in partner ruins everything when his debts cause them trouble and Brysen daringly promises to catch a ghost eagle, something that with the exception of myth like stories, has never been confirmed to happen to save his “one true love”.

Kylee follows her impulsive short sighted brother up the mountains and suddenly lots of things happen and we race towards the end as we learn about a war that is supposed to happen that pops up every couple chapters to remind us this is a thing that is going to play into the story and the MCs hunt for the ghost eagle but otherwise leaves much to be desired.

I found I cared very little for Brysen. His character, while I understood where a lot of his motivation and actions come from did not endear him to me at all. I liked Kylee enough although I feel I was missing something important about her.

I think the idea behind the story was interesting enough but overall I missed a connection to the story. Maybe it’ll happen in book 2 but chances aren’t high I’ll be picking it up.

Plot in a sentence: Kylee and Brysen’s father died trying to capture the legendary Ghost eagle, so when Brysen promises to capture it in order to save his lover, his twin sister is determined to stop him, even if it means using a magical power she can barely control.

***STARRED REVIEW***

Recommended age: 12 and up

Diversity:

LGBTQ+: Brysen is gay.
Race: The cast is racially diverse.

Who will love this book:

Fans of fast paced fantasy adventures.
Anyone who thinks birds of prey are cool (so everyone?).

What I liked about this book:

London does some great world building, offering us a fascinating world centered around birds of prey but also touching on colonialism and conflicting belief systems.
The relationship between the twins is complicated and true: full of jealousy, resentment, guilt and love.
The birds of prey, I feel like I’ve learned so much about these birds and the people who work with them.
The twins face endless dangers and hard decisions. The pace of the novel never slows.

If you liked this book, read: Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling for another fun, faced paced fantasy adventure with a gay hero.

I have been waiting for this book. YA Fantasy is my favorite genre and to finally have a book like this with a lead queer boy means so much. I wish my teenage self had had this book. Not only is this a book with boys kissing, there's also a vast magical world based on falconry. So much thought went into the culture London created. The subtle avian references really flesh out the world.

The first chapter of this book is so intense. It paints such a wonderful picture of the world and the characters within it. The family dynamics are such a large part of this book and the first chapter paves such an excellent path for them to be thoroughly delved into. The first chapter also sets in play the chapters from adults' perspectives sprinkled throughout the book. Most of the book is from either Kylee or Brysen's persepctive.

Going into this book, I didn't even read the synopsis. I just knew it was written by Alex London, there was falconry, and there were gay characters. I expected a gay male lead, but Brysen shares the role with his sister, Kylee. Kylee was absolutely my favorite character. Their relationship as siblings goes through so much in this book.

Love is at the center of this book. Not only romantic love, but familial and platonic. Each character is motivated by love in some way. The motivations all make sense and each character has a detailed past.

The worldbuilding is phenomenal in this book. The bird imagery is everywhere. It's ever present. The culture is so well thought out. The geography of the area is described in such detail. I just got back from a tans Atlantic vacation and the imagery definitely reminded me of the beautiful Scandinavian landscapes.

Although this book is definitely only the first in a series, it is a complete story. I was very satisfied with the ending.

I give Black Wings Beating a 5/5. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book. It's a YA Fantasy with a queer boy protagonist!!! I can only hope that one day I have a book out in the world that can be recommended alongside this one.

I have been looking forward to the release of this book. It has been hyped by some of my favorite authors, most vocally Adam Silvera.

The world building in this book was amazing. The universe in which London sets his main characters is unique and intriguing. It almost reads as if it was an immersive RPG, with birds as the focal point. Even the physical descriptions could easily be imagined in the style of a video game character.

The writing is incredibly smart. The dialog flows naturally and the birdcentric analogies cement the reverie and worship of the birds within the setting.

Another thing that I loved about this book was the relationship between the two main characters, twins as it were. Anyone who has ever had a sibling knows that the relationship is complex and multi-dimensional. There is jealousy, bitterness, and frustration often between the two of them. But under the surface there is also love, loyalty, and a fierce need to protect (especially on Kylee's end).

I was rather disappointed with the character of the love interest, Dymian, and the choices Brysen makes because of him. He is hellbent on glory no matter how it endangers him or the people around him. It makes Brysen's character hard to relate to.

Since this is a series I hope that as we go along, Brysen's character arc will develop into someone that I can route for, because I desperately wanted to be able to do so.

A special thank you to Netgalley and Macmillian for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.