{YA Fantasy Review} Wings of Arian (Solus #1) by Devri Walls

{YA Fantasy Review} Wings of Arian (Solus #1) by Devri Walls

Kiora thought she had never heard a lie until she was sixteen. But she was wrong. Her entire existence was based on nothing but. She thought that evil did not exist. Lie. That magic was not real. Lie. And that the land of Meros was all there was. One more lie.

With Aleric telling her that evil is knocking on the door and that she is the only one who can stop them she has a choice to make. Refuse, or start the wildest most painful ride of her life.
She reluctantly dips her toe into her new existence of magic and threads, dragons and shapeshifters, and the person who wants to take control of it all: the evil Dralazar.

However, this journey was never meant to be hers alone. She will be accompanied by a Protector. To her disbelief, and utter irritation they name the hotheaded, stubborn, non -magical, (albeit gorgeous) Prince Emane. They will have to trust each other with their lives, but right now Kiora would settle for a non hostile conversation.

And now it comes down to this, If you had never heard a lie, would you know when you heard one? Is knowing good from evil innate? Kiora finds herself having to decide who lives and who dies on those very questions. (Blurb via Goodreads)

{Details} ebook, 462 pages. Published April 24th 2012 by Stonehouse Ink (first published January 1st 2012). 

{Rating} 4/5 - I really liked it!

{Review} 

"Book in hand, Aleric headed quickly towards the king's study, his footsteps echoing down an empty hallway." (page 1, line 1)

I really enjoyed Wings of Arian. I liked the world, the way magic worked, the inhabitants, the rules, the exceptions. Wings of Arian has magic and dragons and action and adventure. And a pegasus. What's not to like? The tale was entertaining, with twists and turns and sudden reveals that have you questioning everything. I didn't want to put it down. 

While Kiora can be a bit immature she's young and she's been isolated and ostracized and now she's faced with an incredible task. I actually expected her to act out more than she did. It'll be interesting to watch how she develops throughout the series. Emane's got a lot to learn too, something that's pointed out to him often. But he's also an honorable guy who is willing take on a task that he's completely unprepared for, to make the sacrifices required.

I enjoyed watching Kiora and Emane as they learn to trust, respect and count on each other. And to like each other because they certainly don't at the beginning. But near death experiences can't help but bond people and their relationship changes in ways they don't expect (I think that the sword fighting scene (page 448) exemplifies their relationship).

 

Walls' writing style is great, she painted a vivid picture of the world and put us inside her characters' heads. I also appreciated that Walls injected a sense of humor, especially the continued 'exceptions' (read the book! to find out).

While the story doesn't end with a cliffhanger we're presented with a whole new set of challenges and it left me wanting to know what happens next.