Book Review: Wings of Ebony
Wings of Ebony by J. Elle
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Wings of Ebony takes place in a magical world, Ghizon, and East Row in Houston, Texas. The timeline jumps around as we follow the main character, Rue, as she tries to find answers to her past and present.
After the tragic death of her mother, Rue is whisked away by her father to Ghizon where it is revealed that she is half-magic. Though her life in East Row was filled with hardships, Rue finds herself wanting to go back to her sister and the family she grew up with. She breaks the Do Not Leave law and returns to Houston, setting off a chain of events that follow her actions. When she returns after being away for a year, she finds East Row riddled with violence and crime towards the black community. As Rue digs deeper into the plague that is taking over East Row, she discovers that it could also be the same evil that lurks in Ghizon.
Rue is a very strong and likeable main character. Her determination shines through as she tries to figure out what is causing the chaos happening to her home. She is brutally honest and doesn’t try to hide her thoughts and feelings. Something I really liked was that Rue isn’t afraid to put people in their place when they are wrong even if brings up uncomfortable topics such as race. Rue also has very strong values and doesn’t bend them to adhere to the rules set in place by society. The only thing I disliked about Rue was her love triangle that randomly popped up. There was no chemistry at all between the characters and seemed very unnecessary and rushed.
A criticism I have is the lack of worldbuilding. Ghizon sounds like such a magical place but the magic system is barely explained. There is also a class system in Ghazin depending on if they pass a test and are able to get “bounded” by magic. Those who don’t become part of the lower class. To me, Ghizon just seemed like any other city even though there are literally magical people living there. The pacing is also slightly off. Some parts sped through while other parts dragged. There were times when I started skimming because of the redundant dialogue. The book also jumps from Rue’s arrival in Ghizon to the present day which was slightly off-putting and took me out of the story.
The best part of the book comes from the messages the book presents, especially the topic of race. It brings to light the reality of the world and shows that the problems exist everywhere, even in magical places such as Ghizon. The book doesn’t sugarcoat any of it and shows the consequences of what happens when racists are able to worm their way out of trouble. The book also touches upon police brutality, something that is very prominent in today’s world.
Overall, I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading a fantasy with a strong main character and has a deeper underlying message about race and class.
-Review by Teen Advisory Board Member, 5/10/21