Book Blurb:
A lost princess.
A mermaid looking to prove herself.
A dragon with peculiar tastes.
The start of an adventure.
Crown Princess Moira of the air country of Aurora is known as the unwilling princess, the one who doesn’t want to rule. A chaotic dinner with foreign dignitaries turns into a furious fight with her mother, and the night ends in catastrophe.
When Moira loses her wings and nearly drowns in the stormy ocean, a woman who should be her enemy rescues her. Water woman Nerida has never been to the surface and isn’t looking for adventure—but she is trying to prove to herself that she’s more than the people around her believe. Add in a lonely dragon, and Moira has some strange traveling companions to help her as she searches for a way to get her wings back and return in time to claim her place in the world she thought she wanted to escape.
Will she find a way? Or will she get not only herself, but her friends as well, killed?
Do you love a clean fantasy with mermaids, magic, dragons, and adventure? Then this book is for you!
Erin’s Review:
The Lost Wings is a fun magical adventure, that really reminded me of the Wizard of Oz meets a Barbie movie (think Fairytopia or Mariposa and the Fairy Princess!). It explores themes of friendship, found family, and bigotry all in a very approachable story.
The writing style is very charming and humorous, great for young teens transition into the YA genre. The characters and plot feel very MG, but in a more sweeping and grand tale with depth.
“You made the right choice when it counted.”
There are a lot of characters to love in this story, and they are definitely the highlight! Moira meets a wide range of people on her journey to get her wings back after a lightning strike causes them to disappear, including Wana, Pyrros, and Nerida. All of the characters are colorful, but these three were my favorites! The friendships Moira develops with Pyrros and Nerida are very sweet and well developed from a place of misinformed assumptions to one of trust and care.
There is a tiny bit of magic (and a couple kisses) with Ever, the human boy who ends up tagging along for the journey. There is a lot of innocence and first love vibes, although he has an ignorant and unsavory side that made him difficult to trust.
I also enjoyed the family dynamics in the beginning, although we only get a few scenes with the family. Moira is the reluctant crown princess—not a unique spin on the trope—but she is relatable, especially within the dynamics of her family.
I was surprised that Moira is depicted drinking 3 glasses of wine (although she did get in trouble for it), after which we are informed that father is an alcoholic. Her mother was also surprisingly villainous and I was quite shocked with she slapped Moira during a fight. These traits in the parents, while realistic, were also quite heartbreaking.
The plot is a classic hero’s journey, which is always so exciting! I enjoyed watching Moira not only meet new people and go to new places, but also, without her wings, she got to have new experiences as well! The world-building is simple but well-done so that you get a good sense of each location and culture without any exposition dumps. There is also a huuuugge twist that I hadn’t really expected!
I do wish there had been a bit more inner conflict at the end, but I also can see that growth makes the choice clear, the change evident. That said, the ending is rather abrupt, and an epilogue or one last scene with Moira would have been helpful.
For a fun adventure and lovable characters, I give The Lost Wings 4/5 stars!
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