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!

Peeraphan Rahttana is thrown into the supernatural world and having to navigate it with the charming Bennet Andrews who seeks mythical objects. Unfortunately for Peeraphan, she finds herself stuck with a pair of red shoes that curses its wearer to dance to their death.
This story is so unique!
Oh, I really enjoyed this tale. It intertwined some European lore with Thailand lore. I do wish we got a bit more before the end of this book. I can't wait to uncover more in the next book. The romance was decent with a splash of spice.

I really enjoyed this, I love a good vampire story but this was so much more with more supernatural beings mixed in.

The romance building tension was well done for me and I really enjoyed picking this up everytime. I really bought that the blood reading aspect to Bennetts ability was pretty cool.

An unusual take on mythical creatures among us. This book introduces cultural mythos beyond the standard western werewolves and vampires in an intriguing organizational way. For those looking for romance, mystery, complicated characters and battles between good and evil. I’m looking forward to more stories linked to this one. Definitely recommend for its originality.