His Black Wings by Astrid Yrigollen

His Black Wings Reviews

• 
  Mel

  This book took me by surprise. I didn't really know what to expect but I found myself unable to put it down once I got started. I thought the steampunk-ish/dystopian take on a beauty and the beast retelling really added a unique twist to the story.
  
  I loved the characters. I thought Claren was a very sweet and understanding girl and Etrigan was great main guy as the cold and aloof beast. He was a lot less "beastly" than the other main guys that I've read from other retellings who've played this role. It was really easy to see through his rough exterior and tell that he was just lonely and isolated and not really a bad guy. Once Etrigan committed to being nicer and showed his true personality, he could be quite swoonworthy. I thought the relationship between the two was so sweet, but it took nearly forever to get started and they both let simple misunderstandings come between them too often.
  
  The only criticisms I can give are that at times the story got a bit predictable and there were a few grammar and technical errors but other than that, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely re-read it. 4.5 stars.
• 
  Rhomy

  OMG! I'm totally mesmerized by this story!
  Review coming soon!
  BTW, don't read the blurb! it spoils half of the book!
  
  .....................................................................
  And here it is!
  
  WOW! OMG! *SWOON* *SIGH* *WOOT WOOT* *LALALALALALA*
  ALL OF THAT TOGETHER HAPPENED WHILE READING THIS BOOK!!!
  
  
  
  
  I AM TOTALLY MESMERIZED!
  
  THIS IS ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS WHEN YOU ARE GLAD YOU DIDN'T SUCCUMB TO YOUR PRECONCEPTIONS. WHY? WHEN I FIRST GOT THE INVITATION FOR TOURING THIS BOOK, I DIDN'T EVEN PAY ATTENTION TO IT AND DISREGARDED IT INSTANTLY. I DON'T LIKE ANIME THINGS AND DIDN'T EVEN READ THE BLURB AFTER NOT LIKING THE COVER.(I WAS JUDGEMENTAL BUT DON'T BE JUDGY WITH ME PLEASE FOR DISLIKING THE COVER LOL I LIKE WHAT I LIKE XD)THE SECOND TIME I GOT THE INVITATION I DECIDED TO GIVE IT A SHOT AND JUMPED INTO IT (AGAIN WITHOUT READING THE BLURB) AND THE RESULT WAS UTTERLY UNEXPECTED AND NOW I CAN ASSURE YOU I AM COMPLETELY PLEASED!
  
  
  
  
  I AM SO HAPPY THOUGH THAT I DIDN'T READ THE BLURB... I READ IT AFTER FINISHING THE BOOK AND I THINK IT SPOILS HALF OF THE STORY.
  BESIDES, I LOVED GETTING INTO THE STORY WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT.
  YES, YES, THE TITLE IS "HIS BLACK WINGS" SO I KNEW "HE" HAD BLACK WINGS BUT THAT'S ALL. I DIDN'T KNOW IF HE WAS A DEMON, AN ANGEL, A VAMPIRE OR ELSE.
  (I WON'T TELL DON'T WORRY)
  
  IT IS A POST APOCALYPTIC STORY THAT MIXES FUTURISTIC ELEMENTS WITH VICTORIAN ONES, THAT HAS A SWEET PARANORMAL ROMANCE. IT IS FULL OF INTRIGUES AND SECRETS.
  
  THE STORY STARTS WITH CLAREN'S PARENT'S DEMISE.
  AFTER AN UNFORTUNATE EVENT, SHE NEEDS TO FLEE TOWN. WITH HER AMAZING DOG NAZA SHE MOVES FROM TOWN TO TOWN UNTIL SHE FINDS A JOB ADVERTISEMENT THAT FITS HER.
  SHE THEN MOVES IN WITH HER NEW AND ENIGMATIC BOSS: FREDRICK BRIGHTON. HE IS BEYOND KIND TO HER BUT THERE IS SOMETHING HE IS NOT TELLING...
  AFTER A MURDER IN TOWN THEY NEED TO MOVE AGAIN AND THAT'S WHEN THE REAL STORY BEGINS.
  
  
  THE CHARACTERS ARE AMAZING. CLAREN IS CARING, SHY BUT ALSO BRAVE AND SMART. FREDRICK IS SO MYSTERIOUS, I WAS CHARMED BY HIM SINCE THE START, IT'S THE KIND OF MAN YOU KNOW IS HIDING A SECRET BEHIND HIS MONEY AND POWER BUT YOU CAN'T AVOID FEELING HIS MAGNETISM.
  ETRIGAN... HE IS A LONER, HE SEEMS HARD AND A LITTLE SAVAGE BUT IS WONDERFUL HOW HE UNRAVELS AND PRESENT HIMSELF TO THE WORLD AND YOU SEE HIM CHANGE.
  KURTEN ...HE IS A SOB! (SORRY!) PSYCHO!
  WE ALSO HAVE HORACE, MRS WITSBY AND DEKKER ARE SO FUN AND CHARMING SUPPORTING CHARACTERS.
  
  THIS BOOK GATHERS ROMANCE, A CLEVER AND SUPERB PLOT, INCREDIBLY DEVELOPED CHARACTERS WITH A PERFECTLY ACHIEVED DEPTH.
  THE STORY IS ORIGINAL IN EVERY ANGLE AND THE WRITING STYLE LEFT ME MARVELLED.
  
  THE LOVE STORY IS FULL OF TENDERNESS AND I LOVED HOW IT UNFOLDED, SLOW BUT I TOTALLY FELT WHAT THE CHARACTERS FELT.
  
  IF I HAVE TO DESCRIBE THIS BOOK IN ONE WORD, IT WOULD BE: AMAZING!
  
  I LOVE THE END TOO AND I AM HOPING THERE IS A SEQUEL. I WANT TO KNOW MORE OF THESE CHARACTERS.
• 
  Bibliothecat

  
  
  After her parents’ death, Claren is harassed by an ill-mannered suitor who would use force upon her. She flees her hometown in hopes of finding work and beginning a new life. Luckily, she finds work as Mr Brighton’s secretary and finds sanctuary in his home. Claren’s new employer seems to have more planned for her than he first lets on; he wishes for Claren to befriend his disfigured son who lives in isolation.
  
  Oh my goodness, what was I thinking?
  Let me say that I do not think this book was entirely bad but there was much left to be desired. I purchased this book over a year ago and thinking back – I really question my decision of expecting anything grand out of it. This book is a self-published book – and it shows. That being said, it was part of the reason why I decided to read it in the first place. I came across it on goodreads and it caught my attention by its claim of being a Beauty and the Beast retelling. The fact that it was a self-published book made it more intriguing – I had never read one before and thought I would give it a shot. What made me hesitate was the cover – But I will get back to that later on. In the end, the amount of very positive feedback convinced me to give it a shot.
  
  Before I roll out my list of complaints, I will go over the good. The unfolding of the story was mostly very well done. Most twists were not easily picked out and there was a lot of good foreshadowing. I also thought that the world was very interesting. It was a Victorian-like dystopia where most things would appear like in a historical setting but then you would also have robotic characters and various machinery. The dystopian setting made it interesting enough to find some enjoyment in this story – I did certainly keep on reading and wondering how it will all turn out.
  
  Mr Brighton’s son, Etrigan, was probably my most liked character. It does not come as a surprise though, as I generally tend to like the Beast character in Beauty and the Beast stories. His father was also an overall interesting character as well as some of the others.
  
  Unfortunately, that is all the good I am able to say. This book has so many things, both in and outside, that simply do not work. For the outside; the blurb is too long and too detailed. The blurb should capture a reader’s interest in a few lines and not with a whole plot summary. This blurb practically gives it all away.
  
  Then there is the cover. The one thing that made me hesitate about reading this book in the first place. I enjoy manga, but I do not enjoy novels that have obvious manga influences. In my opinion, these two media do not work well together. The cover is obviously manga inspired so I had my doubts about whether or not the plot would be as well. Unfortunately, it was.
  
  While I support people who enjoy art, drawing, illustrating and the like, I do think that you require a certain level to have your art featured as a book cover. I do not feel that this artist’s skill level was high enough for this project which made the novel appear less professional. Not to mention that the actual print of the cover is of a terrible quality and full of pixels.
  
  Next point would be the actual writing. There are times when passages and lines read nicely – but it is certainly not consistent. And although the book claims that it has been edited, I cannot help but wonder; there were countless spelling mistakes. Often the apostrophes were incorrect, there would be no space between words and in some chapter, there were random letters and numbers as though a cat had run over the keyboard.
  
  Not only were there spelling mistakes, but the overall layout was not well handled. There was no table of contents, there were no page numbers and the chapter titles would often be found at the end of the page with the actual chapter starting on the next. It also drove me up the wall how the author used different fonts. Sometimes using a different font for certain parts of a book can work out nicely, but it is never good to use too many different fonts. It was also very confusing how the character’s thoughts were sometimes in italics and sometimes not.
  
  The direct speech was also a constant issue. Often the direct speech would be secluded from the rest of the text by gaps but without indication of who the speaker is. And the reaction of the receiving character of what was being said would be placed directly after the speech. Example:
  
  “The door is locked miss”. Claren shook her head.
  
  To me, reading a line like that makes it seem as though Claren is the speaker. If these two lines weren’t so separate from the rest of the text it would not be as bad but this often had me stuck trying to figure out who was saying what. It also gave the book a messy layout. Sometimes you would have whole paragraph pages and then you would have pages with just a few lines separated by spaces. It simply did not look good.
  
  Then there is the name Lilly. Or was it Lily? Claren goes by the secret identity of Lilly. Yet on every other page, it's suddenly written as Lily. These are small inconsistencies but there are so many of them. There is also a character with a strong accent, but the way this accent was spelt out changed on every other page.
  
  Although I said that some lines and passages were nicely worded – it does not apply to all that is written in this book. There had been some lines where the same word was used too many times within one line.
  
  ”I… I…” I stammered “I… tried.”
  
  It just does not have a good flow when reading. At other times some words just sounded too blunt. I was particularly peeved with Claren’s dog, Naza. Instead of using “barked” or using any other word to describe the sounds of a dog – the author literally wrote that the dog said “wuff”… Wuff, really?! And I am all for animals showing emotions and all but… what is with the line “She laughed her doggy laugh”. What is a doggy laugh? Why would the dog laugh a doggy laugh? Could that really be the only way to word it? There were also various other spelling and grammar mistakes but… I shall leave it at that.
  
  Then we have our main character Claren: She is a high candidate for most-unappealing-main-character. What was her personality like? I cannot say. On one hand, it was said that she is a strong character and has more will than other women of her time. Yet she never does anything and is constantly crying. Of course, everyone in the book loves her - he has her personal army of loving men.
  
  They all say she is a gentle soul. If I remember correctly, in the first chapter she smashed her would-be-fiancé with a poker – "over and over again". That was quite the vile and brutal entry to this book. To be fair, he tried to rape her. But I did not expect, nor want, this book to open up with an attempted rape, to begin with. And while, of course, Claren should defend herself – the way it was described made her seem like a violent and crazed character. This won't help me to warm up to a main character.
  
  I think the most problematic part was how the manga/anime inspired themes were added. Why on earth would there be kimono-wearing androids that speak Japanese to customers in this Victorian setting? Why is there any Japanese at all? It made no sense that these androids were speaking Japanese, but it made even less sense that the other characters replied back in Japanese.
  
  The Japanese itself was full of spelling mistakes. If you really have to add a foreign language – do it properly! Also, if one adds a foreign language so casually, do not expect all readers to understand. Some side note indicating what language it is and what is being said would be beneficial to readers who are unfamiliar with the language.
  
  Even worse, though, was the inclusion of the nosebleed. I think fellow anime/manga readers would know what I am referring to. It is not uncommon that a manga character would end up with a nosebleed when having certain fantasies.
  
  It’s weird and nonsensical but it has somehow become one of the weird aspects of manga and should not be used elsewhere. It just seems out of place and anyone unfamiliar with anime and manga would probably have no understanding whatsoever why this character broke into a nosebleed upon hearing that Claren was having a bath.
  
  One of the few good points of this book, the interesting world, was left vastly unexplored. If you plan on including a dystopian setting – work with it. If not – leave it as a plain love story. The first setup was well done. It was a nice way of combining contemporary and historical elements. But in the end, there were so many loose ends about the world. Who and what exactly is the Great Council? What, when, where and between whom did the Great War take place? What became of the slaves? It is hinted that they might still be alive so… why does no one go and rescue them?
  
  Is Etrigan going to spend his entire life in hiding? There is close to no conclusion to any of the build up other than that all characters were happily together as friends and lovers. But there is no solution or conclusion about their world. They know about secrets and intrigues but they are satisfied with their personal happy ending. The villains get away with everything and apparently living hidden from the rest of the world is okay as long as you have a handful of people to come and visit you. Also – no one seems to question what would happen if Etrigan passes on his deformation to his children.
  
  And that is another issue. Etrigan’s deformation is nothing but him having wings. That would make him different and stand out – obviously. But a deformation? All everyone says is that he is handsome, beautiful, muscular (which the author mentioned way too often) and that he has wings. I do see how wings can be an issue but deformation seems a poor word to describe it.
  
  I have never read a fanfiction but this is exactly what I imagine them to be like. It is not entirely bad but there is so much left to be desired and I am puzzled by the positive reviews. “Best read of 2013”, “6/5 Stars”… honestly? I cannot see how these reviewers and I have been reading the same book. I believe you can rate by personal preferences and by quality. And this book simply does not live up to the qualities of a published book – self-published or not.
• 
  Nica

  I have finished reading this book last week and I couldn’t stop gushing over it. Let’s start with the beginning.
  The cover for His Black Wings is appealing to me. At first, I thought it was a Japanese-inspired novel because of the cover art – it looks like a manga. Then when I started leafing through the book, I have read the About Me page of the author and found that she likes Japanese mangas and anime. Figures. 
  
  The first few pages were dull, but the story grew right before I started to get bored. It started with the narration of the heroine about her state, which was confusing in a way. In the beginning, I thought it wasn’t a good style to confuse the readers with the descriptions of the current situation the heroine was in, but I realized that it was effective in trying to get attention. I was like, “What? Why? I don’t understand.” It made me curious and a bit frustrated with the slow pace in the beginning, but it also glued me into reading it. That’s something I commend the author for.
  
  The story progressed, and I was growing to like the heroine. She was portrayed as a typical girl my age and I sometimes see myself in her. They say that when a writer made the reader nods in agreement in the depiction of a character’s life, it means that there is reality in her work. This is what I saw in His Black Wings. The personality of Claren is believable and I admire the author that she was able to create such strong woman character despite the setting in Victorian England.
  
  The conflicts given in the first part of the story were understandable to shape Claren’s personality. They were also smartly linked with other’s experiences and the twist in the story was predictable yet interesting. The author carefully planned the creation of her novel and I felt a key was inserted into a lock and everything clicked in place at the end of the story. All the conflicts and experiences were included in a web beautifully weaved enabling the characters to meet and interact.
  
  Speaking of characters, of course this novel won’t be titled as it is without Etrigan Lowood, the hero of this story. At first, I thought he looked something sinister based on the early descriptions, but when Claren finally met him, I realized that this YA novel has a tinge of romance as well. Their story was common except for the disfigurement of Etrigan, but everything else isn’t new. However, I am a hopeless romantic and a sucker for quiet, mysterious man so I fell in love with their story.
  
  It is only a light read that I have finished after pouring over it for five hours. And what can I say? First: It is like another story of Beauty and the Beast. Though I can’t really see Etrigan as a beast, I hope you get what I mean. Second: There’s an element of something similar with The Secret Garden in this novel. I always smile whenever I remember Collin in Etrigan’s character, and Mary in Claren. So with those two comments, shall I recommend this book to others? Yes. It is something that others can read to believe that love is still true for others and the acceptance of having an imperfect partner is vital in any relationship
  *I have received a copy of this book for review.
  
  
• 
  Proserpine

  I'm astonished! Totally surprised and impressed by this book, it was a revelation from the first pages until the very end: this book is one of the must-read of 2013!
  
  The cover is the first thing that makes me want to read this book. I used to read Manga when I was younger and this cover reminded me one of those Japanese cover. The blurb is also pretty intriguing and interesting. It combines almost everything I'm looking for in a good PNR story (from my taste and POV).
  
  After reading the blurb, I wasn't sure if I had the time to read and review it for this blog tour. I was a little bit sad because this story sounded really good and I took a chance. I wasn't disappointed as you can see with my rating. I read it in 2 days and I was so consumed by it that I almost forgot to eat and work!
  
  Claren is an interesting character. She is a strong young woman but you can also feel and see how vulnerable she is. She's really sincere, honest, gentle and intelligent. She will have to go through awful things and I love the way she keeps her head up even after all her misadventures.
  
  Etrigan was one of my favorites YA male character this year. I liked that he was kind of broody all the time. He's a dark and quite a bit strange, du to his behaviour and raising. Kept apart from the outside world, Etrigan was raised by his father in his home far from the city/village and from the sight of others. So Etrigan isn't someone we can call a social person! However, I loved that the author sticked to that aspect of Etrigan.
  
  Kurten is one of my favorite ''bad guys'' of this year too! He's insensitive of other people feelings and don't care at all about others. The only one he cares for it's himself. His description and personality fit him perfectly.
  
  All the characters were having a specific role to play and they all fit in well in this story. The story itself was refreshing at some point. We all have read about the poor girl who's trapped into an unwanted or arranged marriage, runs away for her freedom and life. Nevertheless, the author Astrid Yrigollen has an interesting imagination and sense of creativity and it’s shown through the pages!
  
  The only ''bad' thing I would like to tell you was that the story itself took almost 100 pages before we (as the readers) really enter into the whole story. But I didn't want to cut off some points or give a less rating then 5 because the way it's written, the reader will not feel it. There's action, there's discovery, the plot is present between Claren and Kurten and even if I was eager to read about Etrigan, the author had me hooked with Claren, Kurten and Etrigan's father Fredrick Lowood.
  
• 
  Kandice Dover

  Claren Maidstone flees from her childhood home after her parents' sudden death and an attack from the man she hates most. Even though she has never worked a day in her life, Claren jumps at the chance of employment when she sees an ad in the paper, leading her to the generous Frederick Lowood. When Frederick offers Claren safety and a place to call home, she agrees, but at a price. To befriend Frederic's disfigured son.
  
  Etrigan Lowood stays hidden in the shadows, only coming out at night when he can't be seen. When his father shows up with a new guest, Etrigan is infuriated. But there is something about Claren that intrigues him. After an encounter with Claren, Etrigan is stunned when Claren doesn't run away screaming in fright when she sees his massive black wings. Instead, she befriends him and soon their friendship grows into something more. But when a man from Claren's past shows up declaring Claren is his for the taking, Claren is stuck running from the man she fears the most again. Will Etrigan be able to save the one girl he loves? And will they get their happily ever after? Or will Claren give in to Kurten and keep Etrigen safe?
  
  I found this on Amazon and thought "why not? I love Beauty and The beast!" So here I am writing this review.
  For a scared character, Claren wasn't all that bad. Her need to be nice all the time didn't bother me all that much. Imagine that. Normally I prefer for the heroine to be defiant and sarcastic and to just not give a fuck and speak what's on her mind. But Claren's calm understanding nature was nice.
  
  Etrigan. Wow, what to say? Swoon worthy. I found his protectiveness of Claren rather cute and everytime he said "Claren belongs only to me" I was doing a little happy dance, mentally of course. He was sweet and adorable and it just made me really really happy.
  
  Now for the side characters. Hoarce and Dekker. At first these two annoyed the hell out of me. Hoarce was so damn shy, anytime he got excited he spit everywhere, and he was just waaay too close to his mom. Dekker was waaay too cocky for me to like him. But the more I read, the more I liked them. Put these two next to each other and the bickering would begin. Just sit back, relax, and grab a bowl of popcorn. Pure entertainment. These two had me laughing so much, its hard not to love them.
  
  All in all, this was a wonderful read and if you have the chance, read it. Enjoy! :)
• 
  Michelle

  
  
  "It seems like years ago, but it's only been a few weeks since I have gotten myself into this mess."
  
  Claren Maidstone leaves her home after the death of her parents and being abused by the man that wants to marry her. While running she meets a man named Fredrick who obviously knows her and has a secret reason for taking her in. He takes her home to meet his son Etrigan. She believes she is safe from the ghost of her past at Westwind but those ghost will come to haunt her again.
  
  Astrid Yrigollen did a fantastic job of of retelling one of my favorite fairy tales Beauty and the Beast. It's an awesome blend of steam punk and Victorian set in the future. It's written in first person and third so we were able to experience the story in more than one view which let us get to know the characters very well. I loved the fact that page upon page the story built and you felt like you were in the story with Claren an Etrigan. And the story all came together in the end and you felt happy for them and their "Happy Ever After". Oh and I do love Happy Ever After. :)
  
  For the entire review and trailer, visit my blog :)
  http://momwithakindle.blogspot.com/20...
• 
  Carolyn F.

  Okay, I'm still confused as to how Etrigan got his wings and how that's Claren's fault or rather her family's fault. It seemed like Claren was attracted to Etrigan because of his looks more than his personality or really anything else. He was almost childlike which to me is NOT a turn on. And Fredrick Lowood, it seemed as if he liked Claren, then he kind of didn't, then he did. I had no idea why there were all these changes of heart.
  
  And as an aside, my book (from the library) didn't have page numbers which was really strange.
• 
  Hira

  *To read more reviews by me visit
  Views & Reviews *
  
  I loved this book!! I loved this book so much!!
  
  
  
  But I must warn you, my review is not going to be so... 'professional'. I'm having a blogger's block, plus when I read the book I was so engrossed in it that I didn't take any notes. So this will just be me rambling about how much I loved this book.
  
  I started this book at night and I spent my night and most of my morning finishing more than half of the book. And this is how I looked in the end:
  
  
  
  I'm not even kidding! I could have taken a picture of myself and shown it to you all but I would've scared you then. Plus I was just too tired to take a picture.
  
  Anyway, from the first page I was hooked! What first appealed to me was the writing. The writing was amazing! It reminded me a little of Jane Austen's... but maybe that's because the only book I've read set in the time period of balls & gowns is Pride & Prejudice. And, even though this was set some time in the future (or that's what I felt), everyone and everything had gone back to the Victorian era. The writing style was really interesting and there was not a moment during the whole book when I found it boring.
  
  The story was really good! The way the author built up the suspense, told the secrets little by little, kept the reader guessing. It was awesome! And the world she built, it was all really real. Like I could see it happening. She really did a great job with the story!
  
  My second favorite thing in the book were the characters, especially Claren. Claren was a strong and independent girl and I saw myself a lot in her. The way she thought was very much like the way I think. She was smart and witty and I loved reading her thoughts! I loved Fredrick! He was such a nice man! I felt sorry for all he had to go through but he had a nice heart and I liked him a lot! I loved Etrigan! He was the most adorable thing ever! Sometimes I wanted to crawl into the book and give him a big hug! He made my stomach flutter and he was really cute! Kurten was one of those characters you just wanted to kill. He was evil. And I did not feel sorry for him at all. I think the book summarizes him perfectly in these words:
  
  Sometimes people become mean because of horrible experiences. It’s a gradual process that hardens
  their hearts and minds and forces them to develop a thick skin. In order to survive they must adapt to their harsh surroundings. They in turn become mean. This was not the case with Kurten. Kurten Wandsworth as the favorite and only child in the household was, from the beginning a spoiled, headstrong, bully.
  
  The side characters were likable too. I loved Horace and Dekker! They were so funny and cute! I really liked Mrs. Whitby too.
  
  The only thing that bothered me was the change between first person and third person. At first it was OK when Claren's part was in first person while the other character's were in third person but in the end, during Claren's part, the author kept switching between first & third person which got kinda confusing. I think it would've been better if the whole book would've been written in third person.
  
  Overall, I loved this book! The romance was really sweet, the story was amazing, the writing was awesome and I'd highly recommend it!
• 
  Tabitha Vohn

  Whew! Where to start...Ok, I was torn over the rating to give this book. If based on the plot alone, it would be a solid 4 stars, but...well, let's start with the things that were great about this novel:
  
  *The plot was captivating. Yrigollen built this wonderful fantasy world with a great back-story that was fascinating. It was highly unique and I enjoyed it.
  
  *I loved the Gothic/Steampunk elements of the novel; they were genius and they flowed beautifully with the plot and set a consistent mood for the book.
  
  * I thought the love story was great. It did have that Beauty and the Beast appeal only done for a teen audience, very cleanly I might add. It was lovely and I enjoyed that.
  
  * Great cast of likeable characters. It definitely had that old, traditional Gothic feel of the serious characters being offset by the lighthearted, comic relief characters. It created a nice balance, especially if you like your books on the not too serious side.
  
  * This novel sends very positive messages about acceptance, forgiveness, and kindness; I applaud Yrigollen for that. Three cheers!!!
  
  Then there are the things that held back my hand while it rested between that 3rd of 4th star.
  
  *The non-traditional format in which the novel was written drove me bonkers. Maybe it's the English teacher in me, but having character #1's thoughts/actions in the same paragraph with character #2's dialogue and then putting character #1's dialogue with character #3's thoughts/actions made me want to pull my hair out!! Why?!? It's simply not done! Whether Yrigollen chose to do this non-traditional formatting to be unique or simply from lack of experience, the bottom line is that it distracts from the narrative, and you never want that.
  
  *The switch between 1st person narrator and 3rd person omniscient...let's just say it's unconventional. I've read multiple 1st person novels before that were broken into sections (Breaking Dawn, anyone??) but never with a simple paragraph break in between two narrators and nothing else. Like the aforementioned writing style, the issue for me with this was that it was a distraction.
  
  *I would have liked a lot more romance between Etrigan and Claren! I realize that this is one of those picky reader things to say, and if I were the author, my response would be probably be "tough shiz". However, I felt that-for a love story-there was a little too much focus on Horace and Dekker (the lovable sidekicks) and too little on Etrigan. But, I have a similar complaint about Phantom of the Opera, so what do I know??
  
  *I would have appreciated seeing more things "shown" and not "told" (self-explanatory, I hope).
  
  That being said, I would urge potential readers not to discredit this book due to the few flaws in the writing style. The story itself is freaking awesome! There were moments that completely delighted me and sucked me into the story with little distraction. It's a highly unique story and I enjoyed it and think you will, too.
  
  Also, kudos to the illustrator for those great pictures and the rockin' cover!
• 
  Charlene

  An expansion on Beauty and the Beast, the author adds many layers to the tale by mixing genres, changing motivations, and adding more perilous situations for the heroine. Claren is on the run from her unwanted suitor, Kurten (a much nastier, and less good-looking version of Gaston). Her mysterious benefactor, Mr. Lowood, comes off as both sinister and kind at times - he is keeping secrets, but he is helping Claren when she most needs it. The mystery deepens with the introduction of disfigured Etrigan who grows from immaturity to understanding as he gets to know Claren. Their romance is sweet, but I didn't feel as invested in it, because of the conflicting appeal of Claren's other would-be suitors - Horace and Dekker - who never stood a chance, yet they were more fun and equally entranced by Claren. And their competitive friendship made me smile.
  
  At times Etrigan was very possessive and Claren very willing to yield to weakness despite the assurance she is very strong-minded and that also made it difficult for me to root for their romance. Although they are an interesting in two lonely characters with tragic pasts. Another issue I had with the story was the random switching of character perspectives - it hurt the pace and was jarring sometimes, especially when information on character's back-story was thrown in unexpectedly. The story is generally well-written however, with an interesting dystopian, steampunk setting, and I found it a very absorbing read.
• 
  Batpunch

  We so dug this book!
  
  The writing was fresh and the characters memorable. Yrigollen does a fantastic job of drawing out the romance a-la Eyre style. SPOILER******(If you have read Charlotte Bronte's story the romance happens near the end of the book , not so bad here in His Black Wings, its more towards the middle if that is what you are wanting to read it for FYI)
  
  We have read paranormal romances where the 'romance' happens so suddenly you are like "wait , what?Oh they fell in love because they saw each other at a bus stop now they are all going at it hot and heavy??"
  
  Yeah that is believable.
  
  (We kind of think that is cheating.)
  
  This story has ( dare I say it) steam punkish feel to it but the author has never touted it as such but I could not help but feel the vibe! As we read it we realized that it was not all about the romance part, but lives and relationships intersecting with one another in a very striking way a long with some scary stuff that is very real now a days.We adored Horace and Dekker , the much loved comedy duo.With that being said, Astrid has created a very striking and awesome story that we did not want to end.
  
• 
  Deborah Sastroredjo

  I did not like this book. It was hard for me to finish it, because it was so longwinded. I can read a thick fat book just fine. But I felt like the writer was giving too many details about unimportant stuff and threw in a few dashes in between. And at the end hurried to give us the back story. I would not recommend this book
• 
  Katrina Welsh

  Find more reviews at
  I Have Lived a Thousand Lives
  
  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.
• 
  Jill Swanson-Diaz

  (I am currently doing the finishing edits and continual promotion for this novel.This in no way affects my review.)
  His Black Wings has definitely become one of my favorite books of 2012. I adore the story of Beauty and the Beast and this unique re-telling is absolutely wonderful. Astrid has great talent when it comes to weaving a captivating story. His Black Wings brings together elements of steampunk and the paranormal, while maintaining a strong base in the Victorian Era. The speech and mannerisms--especially of Claren and Frederick--I found to be very fitting for the futuristic world they dwell in. Astrid's characters bring depth and life to the pages and I enjoyed the Bronte'esque style of story telling. The plot unfolds at a good pace and readers will not find a dull moment. There are constant, important aspects of the story being unveiled. For 300+ pages, this book reads quickly and I did not feel like I was dragging at page 250!--which is common for so many lengthy books I read. Yes, there is romance in this story, but it is not typical or instant, which really helps His Black Wings stand out. Astrid's previous YA novel, The Mosswoods, I found to be an awesome read, however, it is in this book that Astrid's creativity and knack for story telling really shines. (To which I add, "Where will you take readers next??") Many people have mentioned the book containing errors, and while this may be true, I do not find them to be terribly distracting. Currently, this book is going through another round of edits--by yours truly--to get all squeaky clean! Once the final-final version is out and about I will be including a more detailed review.
  I would--of course!--recommend this book for any fans of YA PNR or readers looking for an entertaining and original read.
• 
  Tiana411

  I was enticed into reading this book because I heard good reviews and people mentioned it was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The cover threw me off, totally not my thing but I won't judge a book by it's cover,
  
  I must have been reading a completely different book from everyone else because I didn't like it as much as half as much as they did. I had to force myself to finish this because I promised myself I would stop reading books halfway.
  I was confused on what this book was supposed to be. Futuristic, Victorian, dystopian? WTH?
  The beginning started off ok but then when she got to meet Etrigan it spiraled downwards. Claren was boring as hell and I feel like she became this helpless girl everyone couldn't help but fall in love and wanted to take care of the moment they met her. I loathe books like that. From every description of her and every wording about her I felt like a halo had suddenly appeared on her head. This girl walks on water. I think I might want to throw up.
  Usually I love the leading man, I look forward to falling in love with my latest book boyfriend. NO....I'm more in love with Beast from Beauty and the Beast....he had more personality.
  Needless to say the characters were boring and the world she created is several steps back from where we live now and this is supposed to be in the future. Women become helpless and can only be seen publicly with men with a chaperone.....WTH? Did they also lose their right to vote?
  I don't recommend this book to any of my friends but tons of other people liked it so don't take my word for it. I just didn't enjoy it.
  
• 
  Kristine Maite Suarez

  i absolutely love this book with every fiber of my being!haha..amazing plot.great characters.intriguing turn of events.it's simply amazing.once i started reading this,i just can't stop.
  
  i so love etrigan and claren.etrigan's possessiveness for claren is actually cute and romantic.and who wouldn't swoon over him?he's handsome and tall and has black wings!haha..i was really intrigued by how etrigan had wings while his father had not, and i didn't expect that it was the maidstone industries fault all along.oh,poor claren, she was shoved into this mess by the greed of her grandfather.but i was glad fredrick did not let his anger rule him and just let go of the hate he has harbored against the maidstones..and dekker and horace?they're absolutely the best guy friends claren can have.kurten - that piece of shit - on the other hand, is definitely the most disgusting,pathetic,vilest creature in the book.both he and his father.ugh!my loathe for them is unfathomable.
  
  i was just curious towards the end of the book on what would become of the fate of those still trapped in the mines?how about the poor people suffering from the rule of grand council?i mean,they still live in that unfair and greedy world..but despite of those thoughts, i did love the happy ending.it was worth the wait and the read.
• 
  Michikit

  The first thing that caught my attention was of course the cover. I am a huge fan of the anime and manga genre so this was enough to make me want to read “His black wings”. Then of course was this mention: ‘"Beauty and The Beast" meets "Jane Eyre..."’. There is this trend lately, re-creations of classical stories or fairytales and I am always curious to see what an author could create. Unfortunately I haven’t got the chance to read “Jane Eyre”, but I could definitely see the influence of the “Beauty and the Beast” in anime style and I simply loved it, from the beginning ‘till the end.
  
  Claren was a pleasant character to follow. She was not totally helpless and she could make some smart decisions when needed. The thing that I loved the most was the loved story, more exactly the slow evolution of the relationship. Shortly said, this book was not rushed, it took time to show the natural evolution of the relationships between characters. I am sorry, but I am sick of instant love stories and this was a breath of fresh air.
  
  The world was incredible detailed described and thanks to the writing style, it was easy to imagine myself in the middle of the landscapes.
  
• 
  Natalie

  As a fan (not die-hard, but I do love it) of anime and various manga, I absolutely fell in love with this story.
  Set far in the future a love blossoms between a beauty and a beast, developing several characters really well along the way.
  The plot and prose are very lovely, and I appreciate the chasteness of the love two main characters share (it seems to be so rare nowadays). I also love that it was not a cliffhanger ending, but rather a sweet promise of more adventures to come, and will gladly read those.
  Fantastic setting is also another huge bonus for me, I could perfectly see the world portrayed by Astrid.
  
  My only issue is few grammatical errors.
  
  All in all a very lovely read!
  
• 
  Cheer Papworth

  4.5 stars! Gosh, I really liked this book! I'm not sure if I have ever really read a "steam punk" novel, but His Black Wings had all the feel of the Victorian times set in a futuristic era, so I guess that qualifies. Awesome characters both leading and supporting. Yes, this story is a retelling of Beauty and The Beast of a sort, but for me, Claren is to Etigan as Jane Eyre is to Mr. Rochester or even more so, as Mary Lennox is to Colin Craven in The Secret Garden. Since I love all of those stories, I was bound to adore this one. Horace and Dekker provide great comedy, Mr. Fredrick Lowood provides the mystery and Kurten is quite the villainous creep! When you throw in Naza the Irish wolfhound as the mighty hero, well it's just a recipe of perfection!
  
• 
  Lori

  Paranormal books are my favorite. I found it very refreshing to read a story, unlike any I've read before. It really ends up being more science than anything mythical, but I really loved it. I thought it was a really great idea for a book, and I liked the Victorian feel to it all. I questioned the decision to let the villain live, since he seems relentless to have Claren or destroy her. He seems truly evil. I'd look forward to a sequel to see if he can be reformed somewhat, or if he'll be back on the track of I'll have her or see her dead. Very good book, and it was a goodreads win for me, thanks so much.
• 
  Alyssa Greatbanks

  I wasn't sure at first (I'm really bad about judging books by their covers, lol), but after I started reading this book, I really got into it. I ended up really enjoying the book, the characters are well-rounded and it was easy to relate to them.
  
  The world this story takes place in is a wonderful mix of future and past. I wouldn't really call it steampunk, but it does have a Victorian influence.
  
  Besides a few typos, I found this book to be well written, and I would read more of this if there became a sequel.
• 
  Bexx

  Loved it! - the cover is terrible though!!
• 
  Cherry

  2.5 Stars
  It was an interesting book, it really was. But as much as I want to convince myself that I liked it, the nagging part of my brain kept insisting that I didn't.
  It focused more on Claren's and Fredrick's lives and problems and lacked the sugary taste of romance. Don't get me wrong, it was there but it was considered a secondary subject rather than the actual theme of the book.
  I didn't love the book nor hate it. It was a passing book to me, not a one I find myself remembering after a while.
• 
  Maria

  Unexpectedly good.
  
  I had no idea what to expect when I started reading this. It is an unexpectedly sweet romance with a hint of the gothic genre. This is what you'd get if you combined a Regency romance with a Gothic one.
• 
  Nancy (The Avid Reader)

  The following review is my opinion and not a paid review. I was given a free copy of His black wings from the author for an honest review.
  
  Claren Maidstone lost both of her parents on the same day at the same time in an accident. After the funeral a man Kurten Wandsworth who has been coming to her home every Sunday for months shows up at her home. Kurten wants Claren as his wife but Claren wants no part of him. She thinks that with her parents no longer around she won't have to put up with Kurten.
  
  On the day that she buries her parents and he shows up at her house wanting to comfort her he attacks Claren and she fights back. She injures him severely she knows that when the police find out what she has done they will lock her up or so she believes. Claren leaves her only home and assumes a new identity. With her new identity she finds employment with Ferdrick Lowood as his assistant. Fredrick takes her to his home, Westwind. He ask her to befriend his deformed son Etrigan.
  
  Etrigan hides from the world and only goes out at night when everyone is a sleep and can not see him. At first Etrigan does not like the fact that his father has brought this woman to live in their home. He tries to make Claren's life at Westwind so miserable that she will leave. But after finding out that she has just lost both of her parents and is hurting like he is his feelings for her change. He becomes a sweet and gentle person and wants only to protect and keep her safe.
  
  Claren meets two guys Dekker and Hector who are best friends and compete against each other to see who will win claren's heart. Claren is such a nice person that she doesn't allow them to compete against one another only I'm not sure that they knew exactly what she was doing. I thought that when Dekker and Hector found out about Etrigan that they would go and tell everyone about him. But they could see right from the beginning that Claren and Etrigan had feelings for one another and never caused any trouble. Dekker and Hector became Etrigan's friend as well as Claren's. The only friends that Etrigan had ever had.
  
  Claren thinks she has left her old life behind with all the old ghost haunting her but she finds out that she is wrong when she runs into Kurten in town. She never thought that he would find her. Kurten has not changed at all he is just as mean as he ever was. Now he is like if he can't have Claren then no one else will either.
  
  It took me a while to read His Black Wings not because I didn't like the book but because I was sick and didn't feel like sitting up or doing anything. I liked how Fredrick came to realize that Claren was not responsible for what her grandfather did to his family. He got to know Claren and knew that she was not the same kind of person that he was. You never knew what kind of mood Fredrick was going to be in. Claren didn't know from one minute to the next if he was going be very rude to her or not. There were times when I didn't know which one Claren loved or was going to be with Fredrick or Etrigan.
  
  If you like books with a lot of mystery and romance then you will love His Black Wings. His Black Wings kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going on to the point where I couldn't put it down at times and when I felt like sitting up that is. What do you think about four guys instead of three? What I am trying to say is that at times Fredrick acted as if he was jealous of Claren. The way he would get all mad and storm out of the room leaving Dekker and Hector alone with Claren.
• 
  Sadie Forsythe

  Ok, so I'm a huge manga fan. Yes, I know I'm too old, but get over it. I have. Being that I love Japan's graphic exports as I do, this cover really appealed to me. I won't lie, it's the sole reason I downloaded the book. I'm kinda burnt on YA, so if it had had a standard YA cover, with some star-crossed waif in a flowing dress, I'd have written it off without another thought. But Ms. Yrigollen went with something a little different and it paid off here.
  
  I will admit that I expected the story to be more childish, or for a younger YA audience than it is, based on the cover. Etrigan and Claren look so young in the picture, but are actually in their early twenties and the book starts with an attempted rape (not really kiddie stuff). I was tempted at one point to argue this would be better labelled New Adult than Young Adult, and I think that argument probably can be made for the first half. However, after a fairly lengthy info dump at about 70% through, the whole feel of the book really takes on the shallow characteristics of a YA.
  
  I don't mean shallow as an insult, but rather the way YA books often tend to avoid dark outcomes and deep moral quandaries by allowing every circumstance and character an easy, happy solution. I'll be honest, I actually hate this aspect of YA. It's part of what makes me take long breaks from the genre. But I'd obviously never punish a book for matching it's genre. Having said that, all the good-natured hearts and flowers that popped up all over the place toward the end of this book did cause me to squirm a bit.
  
  The story does seem to be a retelling of Beauty and the Beast (as the description says), but since it takes on a bit of a dystopian, steampunk setting it strays far enough from it's progenitor to feel original. There were times that I wished it would choose one or the other for consistencies sake though. The introduction of robots and steam cars seemed out of place, with the beginnings rather Victorian environs, and then later with technology that could implant encyclopaedic knowledge in one's mind in seconds.
  
  There were also a few POV and narration inconsistencies. The book was predominantly told in third person, but every once in a while an anomalous first person narrator comment would pop up and confuse me. Along with the mentioned info dump, that really caused 15 or so percent of the book to really drag, and a questionable lack of commas I have very few other complaints. I enjoyed the story.
  
  I liked that Claren was willing to stand up for herself and appeared to be smart enough to read a situation for what it was. She also was perfectly able to read others, meaning that she didn't pull the common heroine habit of constantly wondering about someone's feelings or motives when they are perfectly obvious. Etrigan on the other hand seemed deliciously fragile. He showed a little beastly backbone at the end, but for most of the book 'cute' would be a much better adjective to describe him. There were a slew of colourful side characters, namely Horace, Dekker and Mrs. Whitby, and well as minor main characters (Frederick and Kurten). They all played their part well and helped flesh the book out, without cluttering it up.
  
  All-in-all I may have let this one linger on the shelf until I was able to face a YA HEA, but having finally given it a read, I find myself happy to have given it the time. For those who like original retellings of fairy tales or blending of genres this one is worth picking up.
• 
  Joie

  His Black Wings is definitely one of the most creative retellings I've ever read. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairy tales, and when I was offered the chance to read this book, I jumped at it!
  
  Astrid Yrigollen has done a fantastic job weaving the elements of the classic fairy tale in a steampunk, futuristic Victorian setting. Sounds a bit strange, I know, but somehow Yrigollen makes it work. The actual story takes place in the future, but the mannerisms and dress of the characters are all reminiscent of the Victorian era. In short, Yrigollen has created a world that is completely unique and interesting.
  
  I will say that the progression of this story was a little... fractured. There is constant switching of POVs between Claren's first person view and the omniscient narration of scenes between Etrigan and his father. Oh, and then there's a rather abrupt switch to Kurten's POV for a chapter. I feel like the flow of the story could have been better, especially when the world-building was finally explained; for 2/3 of the book, I had been full of questions on the origin of the Victorian steampunk world and, rather abruptly, the plot is just paused as the background info is thrust at you. It was nice to learn about the backstory, but the problem was that I felt bombarded by information. It was a lot to absorb in a short amount of time and could have been integrated into the story better.
  
  There is a great cast of characters in this book, all of them bringing something different to the story. Claren was a good protagonist who was very brave and selfless. She came across as a Mary Sue at times, but considering the fact that she represents Belle, I cut her some slack. And then we have Etrigan. Ah Etrigan, I have such mixed feelings about you. On the one hand, I didn't like how possessive and, at time, rude he was. But on the other hand, he was the Beast, so this characterization was pretty spot-on. By the end of the novel, though, I did end up liking him. And I liked him and Claren together.
  
  Something that I really loved about this book was how interesting the secondary characters were. They all had a distinct personality that kept the story interesting. From the hilarious rivalry between Horace and Dekker to the dark nature of Kurten Wandsworth, I was enraptured and entertained. I might even go so far as to say that the secondary characters were my favorites!
  
  On a side note, I found it a bit hard to really connect with the characters. Personally, I really like being able to connect with characters, to get inside their heads; it makes the reading experience more enjoyable. With His Black Wings, even when I was reading from Claren's first person POV, I felt rather detached, as if I were seeing the story unfold from afar as opposed to being in the middle of the action. I think this is really a personal preference, though. I'm sure some people prefer this style of narration since it's similar to reading a fairy tale.
  
  So....
  Rating: 4 stars*
  
  All in all: Despite my little critiques in the review, I really did enjoy this book! It's a really cool and unique twist on the Beauty and the Beast story. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys retellings, or fairy tales in general. Or Victorian-era books. Or just someone who's looking for something new and refreshing in a world where so many ideas are overused.
  
  *I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
• 
  Kristine

  
  FIVE SOARING stars for a wonderful story!!! \(*o*)/
  
  I.LOVE.HIS BLACK WINGS for CRYING OUT LOUD!!! \(*u*)/
  
  I don't think I could give a proper review for this one so I'll just say whatever comes to my mind.
  
  A brief summary:
  
  Claren has been devastated with the sudden death of her parents added by an uneventful encounter with Kurten, which forced her to flee her childhood home St.Marhen. Soon after, she finds an employment as an assistant to Fredrick Lowood who became her generous benefactor but it comes with a catch, she must try to befriend his disfigured son, Etrigan.
  
  Etrigan lives in seclusion for so many years because of his deformity, his black wings. He rejects the outside world because they view him as an anomaly and it made his heart somewhat a stone but it all changed when he met Claren. He soon realize a feeling he had never felt before and it's all because of her.
  
  Kurten, the cruel and only son of the Mayor of St. Marhen used to have anything whatever he wants but he's having a hard time getting Claren, his obsession, in marriage. He will do everything in his power to get Claren this time.
  
  Things seem to lighten up for Claren and Etrigan but a dark and dangerous past is lurking behind their backs that will surely destroy their blossoming friendship.
  
  The Characters:
  
  All I can say is I admire Claren's gentleness and humility, Etrigan's protective nature and sometimes his cute childish behavior (~~"), and of course, Fredrick's personality which I don't want to further elaborate. (You must find out yourselves) ^^, OH, I almost forgot the highly amusing duo of this story, Horace and Dekker who are the exact opposite of each other but they complement one another. :)
  
  General reaction:
  
  Seriously, I couldn't put this book down and always on the edge of my seat because I'm so eager to know what will happen next. The first few pages get me deeply hooked and honestly speaking, I couldn't find any boring parts in here. Every pages has sense to it, and never bore me to tears that I have to skip a page or two unlike the other books I've read.
  
  This book has it all. The animated style cover, mysterious & very interesting plot, alternating POVs, dynamic set of characters, good development of the story as it goes by and just the perfect amount of OH SO ROMANTISWEETS scenes of Etrigan and Claren that could melt a frozen butter and a perfect ending.
  
  Sorry, I just couldn't get over this book. I should have read this sooner after it had been delivered. It's in my bookshelf stuck up for the past few months because I've been busy lately forgetting that I have an amazing book just waiting to be read. It's really worth it to have a copy of this book. But one thing is for sure, I couldn't get enough of Etrigan (>//<") I want to see more of him especially after the ending. He left me hanging... anyway,
  
  If you're into fairy tales with a twist, light read stories but has a depth to it and looking for a gradual development of a love story then I think this book it right for you. ^^,
  
  His Black Wings is well executed.