Of Wings and Briars

The Ithenmyr Chronicles #2

by Elayna R. Gallea

Her magic is bound; his secrets are threatening to destroy them both.

Aileana and Xander have accepted the truth about their mating bond. Now, they're working together to free Aileana from the blood magic binding her. Only then can they continue Xander's century long search for the map.

They soon find out there is no easy solution to their problems. They must journey to the capital, bringing them dangerously close to High King Edgar and his Winged Soldiers in an effort to free her. The earth is calling to Aileana, and time is running out.

When Xander's secrets come back to haunt him, they put everything in jeopardy.

His very existence puts them both in danger.

Nothing is going as planned, and before long, the pair is faced with the hardest choice of them all. They can solidify the mating bond—or they can part ways forever.

This Rapunzel retelling is a slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romantic fantasy and is filled with banter, fated mates, fake marriage, and world-building. Of Wings and Briars is book 2/5 in The Ithenmyr Chronicles. It is strongly recommended to read these books in order.

This book ends on a cliffhanger. There will be a happily ever after at the end of the series.

NOTE: This series is upper YA/NA and will have moderate steam as the series progresses. There are some instances of violence, language, and mature situations. Recommended for ages sixteen and up.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance, Dragons, Romance, Magic, Ebooks

534 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2023

About the author

Elayna Gallea lives in beautiful New Brunswick, Canada with her husband and two kids. They have dogs and cats and enjoy touring their beautiful province whenever they can.

Reviews

[Elizabeth Corso · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the plot and the world building, however, the dialogue and slow character development made it difficult to read. I mean, the characters said mine so much that the audiobook could have been read by the seagulls from finding Nemo😭 BUT i will be reading the next book cause that plot is worth it for and I’m in too deep now🤪

[Jennifer Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m so glad I found this author. This world she’s created, these characters, they have my heart and soul. That ending ripped me apart! The middle did get a bit repetitive and that’s why it took longer. But the main story line kept me interested and coming back for more.

[Brooke Sillaby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, but it was quite slow moving and there’s really no deed to constantly call each other “bonded mates”. Round up to 3.5 stars.

[Jana · Rating 2 out of 5]

joa. Also prinzipiell nicht schlecht. Ich hatte nur das Gefühl, dass nicht so viel passiert ist. Außerdem geht mir dieses ganze "ich liebe sie/ihn, aber ich verdiehne sie/ihn nicht. Ich bin viel zu schlecht. ich war nichts bevor ich sie traf". Einmal ja ganz schön, aber jedes Kapitel wenn die Sichten wechseln aufs neue?.... das war dann doch ganz dezent nervig. Dennoch möchte ich wissen wie es weiter geht

[Caitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in the series drew me in just as fast as the first! I couldn’t stop turning pages as I watched their relationship and story unfold! The twists and turns were great! That cliffhanger ending would’ve been my death had I not been lucky enough to receive an arc for the third book!

Xander and Aleana continue to try and find the pieces of the map he’s been seeking for centuries and to try and find the other daughter who can free her from her bonds. They get into more danger than ever but also fall deeper in love as the story unfolds.

[Quynh Erbe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Especially towards the end the point of views got mixed up and it was confusing. I’m fighting myself to finish this book, I would have DNFed if it wasn’t connected to the tethered series. It’s so long, it could have been like 200 pages less. It’s painful to get through, I may just read the summaries to get the gist.

[Madi Brooke Roberds · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok maybe 4 ⭐️ we’ll see. There’s a mating bond ceremony and we get plot points but then the whole time you just know something bad is gonna happen and of course it ends on a cliffhanger. So we’ll see. I’ll see this one through for us.

[Kristy Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2 is beautiful with a devastating end. Elayna Gallea manages to put you through every emotion as the story evolves. Now the wait begins for the next book.

[Elisabeth Valienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was what I was waiting for as far as enemies to lovers went... at least after Xander decided to stop going all Edward Cullen. That's my only gripe.

The cliffhanger has murdered me and I'm going to start the next one as soon as possible.

[Laurel Tonti · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCUSE ME?? that’s how the book ended?!!!! no. just no. next book. now.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still needs an editor, and a thesaurus. Painfully repetitive.

[Kasandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still enjoy the story and the world. But the characters are so annoyingly flat. They all seem to have a single thought and repeat the same thing over and over.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually had a lot of hope for this book. I assumed since the author had a bit more writing experience after her first that the writing would be better in the second. Unfortunately, I still felt like it fell short. I won't regurgitate the issues I had, which can be found in my review of the first book, but if I hear that every inch felt like a mile one more time....seriously like ten times now. While I enjoyed the storyline enough to overlook some of the unpolished writing in the first book, I didn't find it as engaging in this book. There were parts that I did enjoy and flowed well, but other parts I didn't care for and parts that just kind of lulled along. The interaction between Aileana and Xander was frustrating and felt very juvenile for their ages, or at least Aileana's since I suppose Xander is centuries old and who knows how he is suppose to act? The POV changes back and forth and their "voice" feels the same, which is a pretty big shortcoming in the writing to me. I would sometimes forget whose perspective I was reading from until they would address the other, because apparently a dragon and earth rlf with very different experiences think and talk the same with basically identical personalities. I would have really enjoy more distinguished personalities and more linear character development. It took me longer than I expected to read because I kept getting bored or annoyed by the writing.

[Annelise Wilp · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing style of this series needs a lot of improvement. Of course we love the mate and “you’re mine” trope, but not on every page. It became really annoying and repetitive to the point I almost gave up. Xander’s overprotectiveness got old really fast. The banter between Xander and Aileana was immature and boring, and Valeria was an unnecessary addition to the story. There was so much build-up for “solidifying the bond” only for it to be super underwhelming.

I appreciated the world-building and characters, so I pushed through it, but don’t think I can continue the series because the writing was so bad.

[Juana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aileana ruined this book for me. The character didn't make sense. For someone locked in a tower and beaten regularly she really came off as an entitled, spoiled idiot, who thought complaining about everything people did to try and help her was acceptable. I couldn't finish the book after wishing she was back in the tower.

[lierin · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I did with the first one of the series, I’m struggling with how to rate this. The typos and grammatical errors are still bothering me, but again - indie author, I’ll let it slide. I’m still hot and cold with the characters and find them juvenile and shallow at times. But…the plot itself still has me interested and the series is on kindle unlimited so I guess I’ll keep going.

[Lexi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had high hopes

First, this is more of a YA (although it’s pretty violent) second I would have really liked this story but it was boring, and drawn out. The characters are annoying and keep having the same conversations over and over and over again. “I am not your pet” blah blah. We get it!!

[Cate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the story at first, but as it continued I found the plot was slow and had so many gaps. I also felt the characters were immature and lacked real growth and development. A lot of things were mentioned over and over and I found myself skipping pages just to move on. I won’t be finishing this series.

[Alaina Braatz · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. Got like halfway through. Idk the romance just put the ick in me. It was like, they went from 0 to 10 in just a chapter. Didn’t feel like the “I would die for her” vibe was properly built up enough and not enough character development to accompany it. Maybe I’ll finish it later… but for now, I need a breather.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

After 50% I just scanned the sides and skipped some sites ... everything was so slow. A lot of stuff is repeated again and again. And the characters calling each other "mine" or "bonded mate" on every single page just wasn't fun to read. I just wanted to end the book.

[Rachel]

DNF’d. This book desperately needed an editor.

[Rebecca Davenport · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah no I'm good if I don't continue the series

[Lilly Andrews · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf

[Airwrecka · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s getting a little better…writing is still poor but the plot is good

[Annie Schmitz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Repetitive dialogue between FMC and MMC. I don't feel overly attached to any characters at this point to continue reading.

[Caitlin Kaplan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Please please please PROOF READ before publishing. The constant typos and grammatical errors made it unbearable to get through this book.

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all I want to say that it was an amazing read. The plot thickens and the character's development grew immensely towards the end of this book.

The love romance between the two is sweet. I really enjoyed the way they get closer with each other and learning to trust each other knowing their past traumas. I couldn't put the book down and I will buy the next one very soon as, of course, it ended on a cliffhanger.

I just want to put this out there for everyone else, there is no smut scene. It is fade-to-black as this is for readers of 16 and +

However, a few things kept annoying me a bit regarding this book.

1. The fact that all throughout the book Ailenna and Xander kept repeating over and over again "You're mine and I'm yours" was frustrating. I mean I love when mates tell each other they are theirs but they said it ALL the time. I started skipping those lines halfway through the book.

2. Even though I love bickering and some angst between the love interest, their fight is ALWAY about the same thing (Equality between gender). I mean equality is great and I'm all up for it but when you are 70% through the book and the characters still don't move on from that it gets irritating. I would have loved to see Xander evolving from his "Alpha male" way and also Ailenna understanding that protectiveness doesn't necessarily mean owning a female.

3. A lot of paragraphs were just repeat of what we already know and that's too bad.

[Shandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating 4.5 stars

*I received a review copy from the author for my voluntary and honest review.

Following the confrontation and death of the Prince, Xander and Aileana have been traveling the country trying to remove the prohiberis that are cutting of Aileana from her Earth Magic. This search will bring them to the capital city of Ithenmyr, right under the nose of the Crimson King. Here we meet Daegal's sister, Xanders vampire ex, and a mystery woman who may be the only one who can help Aileana. Also, it turns out that the King has a piece of Xanders map. Meanwhile Aileana is having nightmares of Myhenna trying to communicate with her about danger. And even though they have accepted they are each other's mate, Xander and Aileana still have to fully consummate the mate bond.

This book was so good. It built on everything from the first book beautifully. Following Aileana and Xander’s relationship is so sweet, despite them being the two most stubborn mc’s I've read in a long time lol. And finally seeing them accept their bond was one of my favorite scenes in this book. That cliffhanger though, it feels like the next book can't come quick enough. I need to see the King get what is coming to him. Can't wait for the next book.

[Phoenix Seon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warnings:
#1) A few potential triggers: imprisonment, blood, death.
#2) It's steamy but not graphic.
#3) This is Book 2 in a series; it's vital to read Book 1 first; this is not a stand-alone.
#4) Cliffhanger

I thought the cliffhanger from Book 1 was bad; it's got NOTHING on Book 2! So just be prepared for that. I wasn't, but I should have been. Gallea crafts a seriously amazing tale, and you get yourself sucked in, losing all sense of time. You just want to keep reading, just want to find out what happens to Aileana and Xander. And a few new characters are introduced in this book that play pivotal roles in the continuation of the story. At every turn Aileana and Xander persevere through insane obstacles, using a combination of magic, grit, determination, and love. It's crazy just how invested in this story and their relationship you'll get.

This is seriously a phenomenal book, and it's part of an even better series. Give yourself a gift: read this book, but not before you read Book 1!

(This book was given as an ARC for an honest review.)

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

the wait for the second book finally over, i dived in and i was certainly not let down!

once again, the characters had thousands of dimensions, each having a special bond with the other, requiring the time to understand. the mc and li had enough tension to be believable whilst plenty of intricacies to convey the suspense wanted by fantasy readers. i was astounded by the writer’s ability to create parallels between the characters through their perspectives, building their connection even further. i could not put this book down.

the storytelling held fewer holes than the first book and i found myself content with the answers we were given whilst still curious enough, but not with so many questions as to hinder my reading experience.

i encountered a few struggles with the writing style; there were aspects i loved and others i did not. But, i loved the storytelling enough to counter the linguistics and earn the fifth star.

overall, i cannot wait for the release of book three in the series!