Title: His Black Wings
Author: Astrid Yrigollen
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: Nov 2012
Date Read: December 2012
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Claren Maidstone has been forced to flee her childhood home after the death of her parents and a vicious assault from a sadistic young man who intends to marry her. Claren changes her identity and finds employment as an assistant to the handsome Fredrick Lowood, a generous yet mysterious benefactor. However, she soon finds out his generosity comes at a price. Fredrick wishes for Claren to befriend his disfigured son who resides in seclusion at their estate, Westwind.
(from Goodreads)
Date Read: December 2012
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Claren Maidstone has been forced to flee her childhood home after the death of her parents and a vicious assault from a sadistic young man who intends to marry her. Claren changes her identity and finds employment as an assistant to the handsome Fredrick Lowood, a generous yet mysterious benefactor. However, she soon finds out his generosity comes at a price. Fredrick wishes for Claren to befriend his disfigured son who resides in seclusion at their estate, Westwind.
(from Goodreads)
This is going to be hard for me to
review. There were moments where I was enjoying it and moments where I just
wanted to "Please. Stop. I don't want to, anymore." I had issues with
the editing. They're not even big issues. Just tiny little details but those
tiny little details just piled on top of each other and made for awkward
reading.
I wasn't so keen on the writing
style either. There were lots of info dumps. It was very contrite, very proper
and I'm not even sure if it's like that because of the time period because I
don't know what time period it is. Arrows all point to Victorian-esque society
but it's definitely set in the future. It had steam punk aspects but most of
the time, I forgot that it's supposed to be steam punk-y. It felt like she just
hastily shoved passages in random places to show the reader, "Look, fancy
inventions." The world-building needed some serious work. And I wish
authors stop mentioning events, stop referring to them if they have no
intention of explaining what the hell happened. "After the Great War..."
"The War caused..." War? What War? Ugh, pisses me off.
The characters were ok. Everyone was infatuated with Claren but to
me, she was as interesting as watching paint dry. I wish Yrillogen took
advantage of Etrigan’s loneliness and his want of friends to develop his character.
I enjoyed Dekker and Horace’s friendship. They bickered and quarrelled like an
old couple, but you could tell they really cared for each other. I think I
liked them the best even though there were times Dekker crept me out and Horace
was just too embarrassing. I would have liked to have seen more interactions
between all four of them, to see the camaraderie, friendship and romance
develop.
The plot unfolded quite nicely at the end. I guess it made up for
the problems I had with the rest of the book.
Excerpt
Fredrick’s thoughts were interrupted by a loud crashing
sound as he saw the double doors to his library burst open with tremendous
force. They slammed against the inside walls to his library and bounced back.
“Etrigan. How good to see you so soon after my arrival.” Fredrick said to his
son, genuinely pleased.
Perhaps this would work after all. Especially now that I have put my original
design on hiatus.
A tall form clad in black strode into the room sending books and paper flying
everywhere. Etrigan was a younger version of his handsome father. Jet black
hair that desperately needed a haircut, it curled around the nape of his neck
and ears. While his eyes were blue, they were the darkest blue, darker than his
father’s. Eyes that displayed anger and inner torment one moment, and great
passion the next. His strong Greek nose fit perfectly with the rest of his
features, not underwhelming and not overpowering. Lips red and pouty were
always set in either a frown or a scowl but never in a smile. When he stood
without slouching he was taller than most men at six foot five. His form was
muscular, yet lithe, graceful, and strong. In a word, Etrigan was beautiful in
a masculine way. He would have been the envy of every man in the outside world
and the desire of every woman who set eyes upon him, save for one thing.
His black wings.
