Wings of Starlight
by Allison Saft
I was really surprised by this book in the best way possible. I picked it up because I was OBSESSED with the tinkerbell secret of the wings movie when I was little. If you haven't seen it, this book is a prequel about two characters in that movie, over a decade before Tinkerbell was born. I will admit, this is not my typical type of book. I wanted a palette cleanser from the heavy hitting, dark series I am used to reading, and I am so glad I chose this book to do just that.
I was pretty worried at first because it was a Disney book, and I did not want it to
be too childish or cringy. But reading it, it was the complete opposite of that. The plot was great and the characters were well built and intriguing. The world building was beautiful, and the struggles the characters went through were deep and relatable.
It was a very cute read, I loved the world so much. Pixie Hollow was always a gorgeous place, and being able to get more of a look at the world was so interesting to me, especially from a unique perspective such as Clarion. You also learn so much more lore about the Pixies, and how their governing system works.
Clarion, the main character, is the princess and soon to be queen of all fairies. She is a governing talent, but struggles to dig deeper and harness her powers. Queen Elvina, her mentor and mother figure, has always taught her that Queens should be distant from her people in order to make the right decisions for the hollow. This leads her to feel isolated and lonely, trapped in a castle and doubtful that she can be a good ruler. After a mysterious monster attacks Pixie Hollow, she takes matters into her own hands, leading her to meet Malori and travel to a distant world.
I was blown away by how deep and sad the plot actually got. For a Disney book, it dove into deep and complicated issues. It dealt with mental health, being true to yourself, and having to make self sacrificing decisions in order to save the kingdom. I NEVER thought that I would cry over a fucking Disney book but that ending RUINED me.
Clarion and Malori were great characters. They were intriguing and you really felt for them and the pressures that were put on them. Their motivations were clear and you could empathize with every decision they made, even if it wasn't always the right one or when it was a difficult choice. Malori was so sweet and caring, some of his lines made me absolutely melt. Even though he was more quiet and shy, you got such a feel for what he wanted in life and his deep loneliness despite being surrounded by people. The building of their relationship was the perfect pace for a relatively short book, it did not feel rushed or forced in any way. This book utilized show not tell in every way which is hard to do but it was beautifully done.
The side characters were also so well built and had their own motivations. It felt like they were real people, not just extras there to forward the plot. The moments of Queen Elvina, specifically at the end of the book, blew me away. It showed that even the most put together people on the outside have their own struggles and self doubt. The mother/daughter relationship seen through them was both heartbreaking and beautiful.
Petra and Artemis were also very well written, and I could go on and on about how seeing them grow and accept who they were. The one thing I absolutely will stress is that I have seen so many people being homophobic, and hating this book because of it. There have been many hateful reviews over it that cover nothing but negativity. It is genuinely disgusting, and those people are not welcome on my page.
Basically, if you are in the mood for a cute read, I would highly recommend this. It was heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. It showed characters struggling with who they are and making self-sacrificing decisions. I am willing to bet that this book will surprise you, no matter what your expectations are.