Author: Quinn Arthurs
Series: Jeweled Wings
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Reverse Harem
Audience: Upper Young Adult, New Adult
Summary: This book follows Emberly, a wingless Valkyrie. Her status as the only wingless Valkyrie ever known places Emberly at the very bottom of the pecking order and she is reminded of it constantly, literally tortured by her peers with nothing she can do to stop it. One day, she is rescued by the Princes. They take her back to their castle and show her a kindness unlike what she’s ever experienced before. However, as she grows closer to the princes, a deadly plot is put to work behind their backs, and it takes everything Emberly has just to survive.
Goodreads says:
Surrounded by powerful Valkyries, Emberly's wingless status is viewed as a curse. She never expected to be more than a slave and a training subject for the warriors. A chance rescue by the Princes of Ardenia changes her life - but is it for the better?
Thrown into a world of politics, legends, and bigotry, Emberly must try to find a way to survive. With the help of the Princes-- Suneel, Jett, Blaine, Hunter, and Flynn--she begins to learn not only about life outside of the barracks, but about what it truly means to be loved.
Review: This is one of my favourite books of all time. I believe I was about 16 when it was published, I bought it out of curiosity and instantly fell in love. Emberly is strong-willed and courageous, and her identity extends beyond her romances. She stays strong till the very end, rather than being a heroine who finds her Prince Charming and suddenly looks to him to do everything for her. The Princes are clearly defined individuals, with different connections to Emberly. Anyone who has read reverse harem before knows that this is something that authors often struggle with. The plot as a whole is thoroughly intriguing, it may be slightly predictable to some however it definitely gives the feel that it’s meant to be an easy read so I personal have no complaints on that. Though I do recommend that people view this book as ‘part one’, as you definitely need to read the second book to get the most out of the plot.
There is some steam, so I would recommend it for upper young adult and above, but there’s nothing explicit so it’s definitely not an R18 read. There is also mention of abuse so if that’s a major trigger I don’t recommend the book, or at least recommend identifying the chapters where this occurs and skipping over those.
