Wicked cover art always makes me more susceptible to picking up a book. Sometimes it's a win, sometimes it's a mistake, sometimes it's just eh.
I think this one falls more into the eh category.
BUT THAT COVER ART. So good.
An amazon summary, "The people of Uztar have long looked to the sky with hope and wonder. Nothing in their world is more revered than the birds of prey and no one more honored than the falconers who call them to their fists.
Brysen strives to be a great falconer―while his twin sister, Kylee, rejects her ancient gifts for the sport and wishes to be free of falconry. She’s nearly made it out, too, but a war is rolling toward their home in the Six Villages, and no bird or falconer will be safe.
Together the twins must journey into the treacherous mountains to trap the Ghost Eagle, the greatest of the Uztari birds and a solitary killer. Brysen goes for the boy he loves and the glory he's long craved, and Kylee to atone for her past and to protect her brother's future. But both are hunted by those who seek one thing: power.
In this first young-adult fantasy novel in a trilogy, Alex London launches a soaring saga about the memories that haunt us, the histories that hunt us, and the bonds of blood between us." AMAZON LINK OF JUSTICE
There is a ton to unpack about this story. It gets super complicated, super intertwined, and super like wait what, all within a matter of a few chapters. So instead of doing a summary, I'm going to do a character break down just between the twins. This book also shifts between multiple narrators so it's very easy to lose details.
Brysen has big dreams of becoming a great falconer. Unfortunately, both he and Kylee had a very abusive father. Brysen grew up in an extremely abusive environment from their father, who beat him whenever, well whenever. In the opening chapter, we see Brysen & Kylee's father going after a ghost eagle... and being killed. So like, yay? Right? So, Brysen & Kylee have been saddled with their father's incredible amount of debt, and their mother is kind of a crazy religious lunatic. In all of this, Brysen is trying to become a master falconer to make more of his life. He's also found a boyfriend who he is very intense about. So intense, that when his boyfriend gets in trouble, he automatically offers to go hunt down a ghost eagle to save his boyfriend's life.
Flip over to Kylee. Kylee is always worried about Brysen. She's witnessed him suffer the abuses of their father, and she is also the one who is better with the birds. ...because she may be able to speak something called Hollow Tongue. Kylee is determined to get rid of their debt and finally be out of their father's shadow. She's very responsible, looking out for her brother, looking out for their mother, and trying to kind of ignore her hollow tongue ability. She's also got a battle boy who is in love with her, and her friend is a spy for one of the families who rule six villages.
Now let's move on to the world. There's basically like three different groups of people who are all vying for power within the world.
One, everyone's obsessed with birds. Their whole world revolves around birds. Just accept this.
Two, there's a ruling family whose currently in charge of six villages. They're hell bent on maintaining power.
Three, there's a religious cult who wants people to stop enslaving birds for their use. Because a lot of reasons I didn't pay attention too.
Four, there's another power trying to take over and eradicate everyone who enslaves birds.
They're also all intertwined. Because plot.
Alright, did I like this book? There was just a lot going on, jumping around to different narrators, and half the time I wasn't sure what I was really supposed to be paying attention to.
I liked it? I really liked all the world building and the mysticism were REALLY cool! But like, it was also kind of awful to read Brysen's chapters sometimes since he was a bit thick? But that's consistent for his character. Kylee was also a bit thick, but in like less annoying ways.
I probably wouldn't read the sequel since I'll forget everything I learned about the different powers and intricacies by the time it's published and all the books I'll read inbetween.
Happy reading!
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