i love fantasy and one of my closest friends is thai, so i wanted to read this book to connect with her and find a new series to enjoy! peeraphan was a really neat character and i love that she is a mythical bird princess. i want to be that too! i love the concept of the red shoes and also that her lineage made her somewhat immune to their curse. i kind of felt like this was a nod to the wizard of oz but i may be totally wrong there. bennet being a vampire was very cool and i love that he ended up teaming up with punch against other supernatural groups, but i felt like i didn’t need his POV. this was a solid first book in an urban fantasy world but definitely needs more and the characters require further fleshing out - i didn’t especially connect with or fall in love with any of them. they existed but lacked some dimension. however, overall an enjoyable read that has lots of potential!

We meet Peeraphan on the stage, preparing to dance in some supernaturally mesmerizing red shoes. Bennett is the first vampire to arrive on the scene, intent on retrieving these killer fairy tale objects. Seeing them on Peeraphan's feet, he resigns himself to another victim claimed by the shoes. When she stops dancing for a rehearsal break, everything changes. Somehow, she's resisting their curse to dance into oblivion. When he approaches, Peeraphan can't help but feel a smidgeon of hope at encountering another non-human being for the first time. Unfortunately, another vampire arrives, and a fight for the shoes ensues. That's how we find Peeraphan leading a victorious but bleeding-out Bennett back to the secret mansion hideout of the Darke Consortium still in her red dancing shoes. She offers up blood to the vampire that saved her life to even the scales. Exhausted and unable to remove the shoes, she settles in for a stay that will change her life and finally see some of her questions about herself answered.

Peeraphan is a kinnaree, a bird princess from Thai myth. Her family wasn't able to tell her much about what that means, so she hopes that the Consortium's massive library can fill in some of the gaps. As the Consortium tries to figure out how to safely remove the shoes, Peeraphan's increasing brushes with the supernatural bring out some of her latent abilities and give her clues about a broader community she belongs to. All the while, the shoes literally try to walk her into danger with increasing fervor, so the clock is ticking to save her life. The other vampire and the organization he represents continue their pursuit, adding another dose of intensity to the situation.

It's a whirlwind romance, but it doesn't shirk on communication or true bonding. One of my favorite parts is how Bennett seeks Peeraphan's full name rather than taking the easy route of using the childhood nickname (Punch) that most people prefer. For another thing, I'm no stranger to domineering ancient men in paranormal romance, but in this one, Peeraphan's takedown of his assumed power dynamic is satisfying-- and that's not a given outcome, even when we see a character make the effort. I think paranormal romances should be headed in this direction when it comes to inclusivity and humanity, i.e. fangs aren't a reason to ignore consent and get all possessive. At the same time, this isn't the most fulfilling romance I've read when it comes to sweeping, emotional arcs and tantalizing spice. I think it would take a longer book with more attention to detail to achieve those ends. I liked both leads and their dynamic, so no major facelift is required there.

The speed of the story was an issue for me beyond the romance. There are things about Peeraphan's past we never learn including her job, who she considers family, and any friends she may have. It's preferable to an info dump and fits the story of how she's kept her life small to protect herself. All the same, I think the information we have on either her or Bennett is a bit surface-level even before you consider their relationship.

I recommend this one to readers who are interested in paranormal romance that draws on familiar tropes while expanding the lore and injecting some restorative feminism. Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for my copy to read and review!

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy! This one wasn’t for me or the right fit for my mood at the time.

Life got in the way and I could not finish the book. Thanks to the publishers for the chance to read the book.

In my opinion, this is a good first book that lays a solid foundation for the series. The author has done an excellent job of including a wide range of different characters in the narrative.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

This book started off strong, but about a third of the way through I started to lose interest. I don't think it was the story itself, but more a matter of my brain rebelling against reading on a deadline. However I'm not entirely sure the story had nothing to do with it, as a story that had me fully engaged should have been no problem to continue reading.

Aspects of the story that I enjoyed include the unfamiliar to me mythology, the main character is a legendary Thai bird princess; the entire secret organization and how it's composed of such a wide variety of mythical creatures; and the fact that although Peeraphan is extraordinary and can do many things us mere mortals cannot, she still needed help from others to solve her problem. I was also very intrigued by the pocket realm and may have struggled less with staying engaged if it were introduced earlier in the story as it sucked me right back in to wanting to know what would happen next.

Overall I give Wings Once Cursed and Bound 3.842 out of 5 stars because I struggled to stay engaged, but overall enjoyed the story.

For whatever reason I thought this was a full fantasy novel. It’s actually urban fantasy/paranormal. The book is set in a world similar to ours where supernatural creatures live in hiding from humans. The various supernatural beings have created consortiums dedicated to tracking down magical objects. Peeraphan, our FMC, aka Punch, stumbles across a pair of cursed shoes which lead her into the arms of Darke Consortium leader Bennett. And Bennett just so happens to be a vampire! Bennett is taken by Punch and decides, begrudgingly, to help her break the curse. Eventually, he discovers that Peeraphan isn’t as human as she appears.

I really enjoyed Peeraphan’s character and how she just rolled with the punches and didn’t let anything slow her down. She found a supernatural being who she believed could help her find answers to her own supernatural lineage and jumped feet first.

The various side characters were fun and interesting. The romance between Peeraphan and Bennett was sweet but I enjoyed the supernatural elements and world a bit more than the romance itself.

I’ll definitely be looking for book 2 which features Marie, the Darke Consortium witch, as the FMC and two fox spirits we’re briefly introduced to in book 1.

This book combines different countries folklore and supernatural creatures. The author does a wonderful job with describing items and characters. This is the first book in a series and wraps up this book nicely while leading into the next story.

I had a really great time reading this book! I know next to nothing about Thai culture, so having a book with a main character that is of that culture, yeah, I was totally down to read it. I had a really great time with these characters and this story!

This world was very interesting and full of myths that I've never heard of before, and interesting and well done takes of creatures that are more well known. Plus there was a lot to be done in not a lot of time, and it was a really great and wild ride! It was such a blast to read!

The whole beginning with the Red Shoes, yeah, that was pretty intense, and was a really great introduction to this world! I had to know what was going to happen next, and of course things don't quite go as Bennett would've liked.

I really enjoyed the pair of them, they both have different strengths, they both have different fonts of knowledge, and watching them come together, yeah, I really enjoyed the pair of them together! Between the shoes and the different effects they're having on her, they definitely had a lot on their plate. But I really enjoyed seeing how the story wrapped up!

This was a fantastic read and I can't wait to read more!

Urban fantasy and mythology? Yes, please!! A vampire who actually likes being a vampire? Double yes!! Loved this story so much, I can not stop thinking about this book!!

This book was different than I normally pick up. I loved the paranormal aspect to it. Fantasy is a new genre for me and this one did not disappoint!

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC of this book.

Wings Once Cursed and Bound" introduces readers to an intriguing blend of Thai mythology, fairy tales, and paranormal romance in the Mythwoven series. Set in a modern-day Seattle filled with supernatural beings, the story follows Peeraphan, a Thai bird princess cursed by magical red shoes, and Bennet, a vampire working for a secret organization. Through multiple perspectives, the narrative unfolds with diverse characters and engaging protagonists. While the book lays a solid foundation for the series, some readers may find the pacing disrupted by insignificant scenes, longing for more focus on world-building and character dynamics. Nevertheless, the promising setup leaves room for anticipation of surprises in subsequent installments.

"Wings Once Cursed & Bound" by Piper J. Drake offers a fantastic fusion of urban fantasy and Thai mythology, delivering a fresh take on familiar tropes. With Bennet Andrews and Peeraphan Rahttana entangled in the curse of The Red Shoes, the story embarks on a journey that seamlessly blends ancient folklore with modern-day intrigue. As they race against time to save Peeraphan from the clutches of mythical artifacts, we are treated to a rich tapestry of Thai cultural elements woven into the narrative. Drake's skillful incorporation of Thai mythos adds depth and authenticity to the story, offering a refreshing twist that excited me and I think will delight fans of both fantasy and folklore (and a little bit of spice). I will say my only dislike was it felt like it dragged a little at parts but it picked back up rather quick after!
3.5/5 stars
2/5 chilly peppers

A fantasy story based off a fable of the red shoes (death dance shoes basically) New adult fantasy story that wove in mythology as well. In theory it was good, but the execution could have been better.

I mainly picked up this book due to that beautiful cover, I'm a sucker for a good cover! But then reading the blurb the book sounded so promising! Unfortunately things didn't work out for me.

While I did enjoy the world building and the unique magic system as well as the dynamic between the two main characters it just wasn't enough for me to feel like I wasn't forcing myself to finish it. The pacing is quite uneven with some sections of the book feeling super rushed and others seem to drag on forever! Also I feel like the secondary characters had no depth and weren't really explored too well.

While the novel shows promise, the execution just didn't happen very well. Overall, it was touch to get through and I probably won't be giving this author another chance, unfortunately. Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with and eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book read young adult to me in the guise of an adult book if that makes sense? I really enjoyed the Southeast Asian influences that were woven in. I think some of the plot holes kept me from loving it as much as I could have, though.

This book started out on a promising note — a woman who’s gifted a pair of sparkly red dancing shoes that fit like magic, and a mysterious man who wants to take possession of them. All of this turns Peeraphan’s life upside down in an instant. Suddenly thrust into a dangerous world of supernatural creatures and magic, she learns that the shoes will eventually make her dance to her death and it’s a race against time to get the stuck shoes off her feet.

What started out as an interesting and engaging story quickly devolved into a tale of instalove, supernatural baddies who certainly instilled no fear, and a villain who was more laughable than he was dangerous. I’m not sure the point of the story where it turned not so good for me, but it may have been where Peeraphan utters the phrase “too stupid to live” for the umpteenth time. I did like the idea of a supernatural agency who protects both supernaturals and good humans. I also loved that this was a Thai-based fantasy and incorporated a lot of Thai elements like mythology, cultural pastimes, and yummy food.

I listened to the audiobook and I didn’t like the narrator. She spoke in a breathy manner, and that was on top of hearing her actual breathing. The whole book sounded almost like she was whispering. The voices she made for certain males sounded exactly like the word sneering, if sneering had a sound, and they weren’t even sneering in the book. 2 stars.

The worldbuilding in this is just stunning and the romance is a delicious slow burn as these two figure each other out alongside their challenging case.

I know I am a little late giving my review but due to cancer treatments, It was delayed. I want to thank Piper J. Drake and Sourcebooks for the free copy I was given. All opinions of this book are my own. I will say I devoured this book in one sitting. I love anything dealing with mythology and this book did not disappoint.
This is on my to-re-read book list as I loved reading about the different mythological/paranormal creatures.

Why this book doesn't have more reviews and buys I have no idea because I loved it. The story is told from multiple points of view and it has so many different creatures like werewolves, vampires, dragons, fairies etc.
What I would have loved to see is a little more world-building and character development in my personal opinion I would have loved seeing more interaction with each other as well as more pages with them talking about how the world works if that makes sense. I am looking forward to the next book. I am excited to see where this author goes in her journey.

This book was chaotic but... also kind of endearing? I had high hopes for the premise and while there were parts of it I really enjoyed, I wish there was a tad more structure to the plot. This romantasy had so many POVs that it felt hard to truly connect to any of the characters in a meaningful way, but there were some elements of the plot that were lyrical and beautiful so I still enjoyed it!