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Wings so Soft
Can love bloom in war’s darkest hour?
Mara and her owl work surveillance to keep Kuppham safe, but the news on the Stream is grim. The humans are coming, and she and her owl will soon be in the line of fire. Her once-vibrant city is a ghost town, with little to distract her as she waits for the skin-covered hordes to overrun the Maer capital.
Until one day, this timid little artificer wanders into the aerie, asking to watch her owl land over and over.
Uffrin makes owls powered by clockwork and magic to guard the great automatons on the northern front. He visits the aerie to study the owls’ flight mechanics, but it’s the owl handler who captures his attention. So gentle, so in control, with quick eyes that seem to stay with his all the time.
Amid the looming clouds of war, hearts intertwine and feathers fly, but duty soon flings these two lovebirds apart. If the war goes as badly as everyone seems to fear, how will they ever find each other again?
Love might be the only thing that saves them.
Fly away from your troubles with this standalone fantasy romance, part of the Time Before trio. It’s steamy, with over 150 kisses, and includes a picnic in the park, a date in a basement speakeasy, and a secret mountain lake far from the ravages of war.
Content warning: This book is intended for adult readers only. It includes depictions of wartime violence, drinking, drug use, and explicit, consensual sex scenes.
Expected publication October 15.
ARCs (epub only) are available by contacting the author directly.
Mara and her owl work surveillance to keep Kuppham safe, but the news on the Stream is grim. The humans are coming, and she and her owl will soon be in the line of fire. Her once-vibrant city is a ghost town, with little to distract her as she waits for the skin-covered hordes to overrun the Maer capital.
Until one day, this timid little artificer wanders into the aerie, asking to watch her owl land over and over.
Uffrin makes owls powered by clockwork and magic to guard the great automatons on the northern front. He visits the aerie to study the owls’ flight mechanics, but it’s the owl handler who captures his attention. So gentle, so in control, with quick eyes that seem to stay with his all the time.
Amid the looming clouds of war, hearts intertwine and feathers fly, but duty soon flings these two lovebirds apart. If the war goes as badly as everyone seems to fear, how will they ever find each other again?
Love might be the only thing that saves them.
Fly away from your troubles with this standalone fantasy romance, part of the Time Before trio. It’s steamy, with over 150 kisses, and includes a picnic in the park, a date in a basement speakeasy, and a secret mountain lake far from the ravages of war.
Content warning: This book is intended for adult readers only. It includes depictions of wartime violence, drinking, drug use, and explicit, consensual sex scenes.
Expected publication October 15.
ARCs (epub only) are available by contacting the author directly.
- GenresFantasy
300 pages, ebook
Published October 15, 2023
2 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Dan Fitzgerald
8 books88 followersFantasy and romance author of the Maer Cycle trilogy (low-magic fantasy) the Weirdwater Confluence duology (sword-free romantic fantasy), and the in-progress Time Before Trio (spicy romantic fantasy). The Time Before Trio will include The Delve (a smutty dungeon crawl, out now), Wings so Soft (an owl-themed fantasy romance, out now), and Cloti's Song (a poly fantasy romance, February 2024).
I also have a short romance: Unpainted (a queer arranged marriage fantasy romance, a standalone in the world of the Weirdwater Confluence) and another one coming, Jagged Shard (an enby/sapphic dungeon crawl fantasy romance coming early 2024, a standalone in the Time Before featuring characters from The Delve).
I write non-epic fantasy books, mostly romantic, in which you will find:
Mystery. Darkness. Wonder. Action. Romance. Otherness examined and deconstructed. Queer and straight characters living and fighting side by side. Imaginary creatures and magic with a realistic touch.
What you won’t find in my books:
Wholesale slaughter. Sexual assault. Unquestioned sexism or discrimination. Evil races. Irredeemable villains. Predestined heroes. An ancient darkness that threatens to overspread the land.
Catch me on Twitter or Instagram as danfitzwrites.
I also have a short romance: Unpainted (a queer arranged marriage fantasy romance, a standalone in the world of the Weirdwater Confluence) and another one coming, Jagged Shard (an enby/sapphic dungeon crawl fantasy romance coming early 2024, a standalone in the Time Before featuring characters from The Delve).
I write non-epic fantasy books, mostly romantic, in which you will find:
Mystery. Darkness. Wonder. Action. Romance. Otherness examined and deconstructed. Queer and straight characters living and fighting side by side. Imaginary creatures and magic with a realistic touch.
What you won’t find in my books:
Wholesale slaughter. Sexual assault. Unquestioned sexism or discrimination. Evil races. Irredeemable villains. Predestined heroes. An ancient darkness that threatens to overspread the land.
Catch me on Twitter or Instagram as danfitzwrites.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 16, 2024
Read this as a judge for the #SPFBO (self-published fantasy blog-off, hosted by Mark Lawrence) round 10.
This story is one of the better-written ones I have come across for #SPFBO and the world was a truly fascinating one. I believe this is set i a world which the author has already written in previously, and having read this book I am very intrigued to find out more about the world and possibly to read the other books set within the universe. With that being said, you do not need any prior knowledge to read this book, you can dive straight in and enjoy the plot line and discovering the world set up.
This story is a romance at it’s heart, but a steamy one to be sure. This is definitely a book which goes from 0 to 100 very quickly, with our two main characters meeting and quickly fantasising about all the things they could do together. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows as the city they live in has their people (the Maer) at war with the humans. Both of them have a vital job which is key to the war effort, and so they are frequently called off to work and don’t get as much time as they would have liked to be together.
The plot line here seems to me like it’s really about embracing the moment and seizing the day. Mara and Uffrin are forced to forget the war around them and be truly present in their shortlived times together, and yet their bond is undeniable and immediate.
There is some cool world stuff in this book, namely there are mechanical/magical creatures who can be flown around as surveillance. There’s also real owls and birds who the Maer can work with and see through. There’s dragons, there’s different races, and there’s foresight and meditations which all seem a bit magical. Whilst you could look at this and see a combination of sf and fantasy, there’s not a huge amount of the ‘science’ explained so I would say it veers more into fantasy that sci fi.
What I like about this one:
- The characters, they’re fun and easy to connect with and they both care deeply.
- The owls, both Cleo and Friend, as they were by far some of the coolest characters and I wish I could have seen more of them.
- The world, something different and intriguing and that I definitely would like to have more understanding of.
- The writing, it felt very solid and I never found myself bored or annoyed whilst reading as the words flowed well.
- Lots of representation of non-binary, non-monogamous and non-heteronormative relationships in the background characters, even though the main relationship is a M/F one.
Things which could have worked a bit better for me:
- The steamy erotic level, now, don’t get me wrong I do enjoy some romp-y fun in bed, but this book went really fast into lots of kinky and wild moments. I think for me I just would have liked the pacing to allow for a bit more development of the relationship. I get that they’re in wartime and things happen fast but very quickly they’re in the throes of passion and revealing family secrets to someone they have only just met.
- The sex overtaking the seriousness of the plot. I think it’s very believable that in a new relationship you would be lusting over your partner, but when a war is so imminent and you’re supposed to be doing your job I think that might have been a little more pressing and a little more realistic to see the main character a bit more focused.
- I wanted more from the world - there’s so many mechanical and magical things which are just touched on here, and I wanted more development of these things. I think if I read others set in the world I might get this though.
Overall, my nitpicks are fairly minimal and I think that for a short, easy and very horny book this one was fun. I definitely enjoyed the writing and my time in the world, and I think that Dani clearly has some other stories I might have to pick up! 3.5*s which is a 7/10 for #SPFBO.
This story is one of the better-written ones I have come across for #SPFBO and the world was a truly fascinating one. I believe this is set i a world which the author has already written in previously, and having read this book I am very intrigued to find out more about the world and possibly to read the other books set within the universe. With that being said, you do not need any prior knowledge to read this book, you can dive straight in and enjoy the plot line and discovering the world set up.
This story is a romance at it’s heart, but a steamy one to be sure. This is definitely a book which goes from 0 to 100 very quickly, with our two main characters meeting and quickly fantasising about all the things they could do together. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows as the city they live in has their people (the Maer) at war with the humans. Both of them have a vital job which is key to the war effort, and so they are frequently called off to work and don’t get as much time as they would have liked to be together.
The plot line here seems to me like it’s really about embracing the moment and seizing the day. Mara and Uffrin are forced to forget the war around them and be truly present in their shortlived times together, and yet their bond is undeniable and immediate.
There is some cool world stuff in this book, namely there are mechanical/magical creatures who can be flown around as surveillance. There’s also real owls and birds who the Maer can work with and see through. There’s dragons, there’s different races, and there’s foresight and meditations which all seem a bit magical. Whilst you could look at this and see a combination of sf and fantasy, there’s not a huge amount of the ‘science’ explained so I would say it veers more into fantasy that sci fi.
What I like about this one:
- The characters, they’re fun and easy to connect with and they both care deeply.
- The owls, both Cleo and Friend, as they were by far some of the coolest characters and I wish I could have seen more of them.
- The world, something different and intriguing and that I definitely would like to have more understanding of.
- The writing, it felt very solid and I never found myself bored or annoyed whilst reading as the words flowed well.
- Lots of representation of non-binary, non-monogamous and non-heteronormative relationships in the background characters, even though the main relationship is a M/F one.
Things which could have worked a bit better for me:
- The steamy erotic level, now, don’t get me wrong I do enjoy some romp-y fun in bed, but this book went really fast into lots of kinky and wild moments. I think for me I just would have liked the pacing to allow for a bit more development of the relationship. I get that they’re in wartime and things happen fast but very quickly they’re in the throes of passion and revealing family secrets to someone they have only just met.
- The sex overtaking the seriousness of the plot. I think it’s very believable that in a new relationship you would be lusting over your partner, but when a war is so imminent and you’re supposed to be doing your job I think that might have been a little more pressing and a little more realistic to see the main character a bit more focused.
- I wanted more from the world - there’s so many mechanical and magical things which are just touched on here, and I wanted more development of these things. I think if I read others set in the world I might get this though.
Overall, my nitpicks are fairly minimal and I think that for a short, easy and very horny book this one was fun. I definitely enjoyed the writing and my time in the world, and I think that Dani clearly has some other stories I might have to pick up! 3.5*s which is a 7/10 for #SPFBO.
October 30, 2023
“Some decisions cannot be undone. The world changes, and we either change with it, or it swallows us.”
Wings So Soft has been billed as ‘a romantic fantasy with owls’. I love owls, so I was immediately drawn to it by that statement and the beautiful cover designed by Luke Tarzian.
The background worldbuilding and scene setting were excellent. The author handles these expertly, utilizing descriptions of food, weather, smells and tastes to help depict each new location. There were a few terms which I knew had been explained thoroughly in the Maer Cycle trilogy but which I had forgotten and could perhaps have benefitted from more explanation for Maer-newbies; for instance, it took me a while to remember what a Shoza was.
A violent war between the Maer and the evil land-grabbing humans is happening in the background of this sweet love story and the approaching terror is palpable as the fighting comes closer to our main characters. Uffrin is an artificer, skilled with mechanical objects, with a clockwork owl named Friend. He sends out Friend to scout and bring back information on the state of the war, rather like a drone, yet its shape and behaviour patterns keep it hidden from enemy suspicion. By chance, he meets Mara, an owl handler whose owl, Cleo, is telepathically linked to her via a circlet, a device worn on the head which enables her to see through the owl’s eyes and run reconnaissance missions for the Maer military. Uffrin and Mara are instantly attracted to one another and quickly fall in love in the face of adversity. Sent on missions far apart from one another, will they both survive the battles they are sent to spy on? And if they do, will their love also survive after such a lengthy separation?
I enjoyed the warmth of their relationship, despite not being a fan of ‘insta love’ as a trope—but if you are not a fan of explicit sex scenes in books you should know that there are quite a few.
It was fabulous to see a dragon again - these appear in The Archive, the second book in the Maer Cycle trilogy and I was a big fan of them when I read that book. I wish there had been more of them in this story, and some interaction between Mara and the dragon she encountered, or even the owls and the dragons. I would love to have seen some collaboration in the war effort between the owls, their handlers and the dragons and their riders.
The abrupt ending was a little disappointing for me since this is a standalone book and left me not knowing the fate of some of the important players. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to assume they became casualties of the war. Ideally, I would have liked this book to have been a few chapters longer with everyone’s fates neatly tied up at the end. Or it would be book one of a trilogy, and I hope the author changes their mind about it being a standalone. Indeed at the point when I had only fifty or so pages left I found myself wondering how everything could possibly get tied up in the short amount of pages left. I wanted to hear more about the fledgling community and how they grow and (hopefully) survive. How will the non-vocal Kaela, Mara’s sister, fit into this new community? I also want to know if there are any retributions for Erliss leaving the Shoza. I really liked these characters and found them intriguing. They deserve more of a story (maybe even their own love story). I also need to know where Cloti went on her mission and if she and Uffrin’s other parents will survive the war and make it to Eagle Lake. Perhaps this will be the basis for a standalone book in the future.
Another mystery that I would like to learn more about is what exactly is behind the peculiar evolving behaviour patterns of the mechanical owl. Friend and Cleo were very endearing characters and I would love to see more of them. Animal companions in books are always a winner for me!
I hope one day all of my questions will be answered with more stories featuring these same characters, more dragons and owls, the outcome of the war and the development of the new community - I need a trilogy!
Wings So Soft has been billed as ‘a romantic fantasy with owls’. I love owls, so I was immediately drawn to it by that statement and the beautiful cover designed by Luke Tarzian.
The background worldbuilding and scene setting were excellent. The author handles these expertly, utilizing descriptions of food, weather, smells and tastes to help depict each new location. There were a few terms which I knew had been explained thoroughly in the Maer Cycle trilogy but which I had forgotten and could perhaps have benefitted from more explanation for Maer-newbies; for instance, it took me a while to remember what a Shoza was.
A violent war between the Maer and the evil land-grabbing humans is happening in the background of this sweet love story and the approaching terror is palpable as the fighting comes closer to our main characters. Uffrin is an artificer, skilled with mechanical objects, with a clockwork owl named Friend. He sends out Friend to scout and bring back information on the state of the war, rather like a drone, yet its shape and behaviour patterns keep it hidden from enemy suspicion. By chance, he meets Mara, an owl handler whose owl, Cleo, is telepathically linked to her via a circlet, a device worn on the head which enables her to see through the owl’s eyes and run reconnaissance missions for the Maer military. Uffrin and Mara are instantly attracted to one another and quickly fall in love in the face of adversity. Sent on missions far apart from one another, will they both survive the battles they are sent to spy on? And if they do, will their love also survive after such a lengthy separation?
I enjoyed the warmth of their relationship, despite not being a fan of ‘insta love’ as a trope—but if you are not a fan of explicit sex scenes in books you should know that there are quite a few.
It was fabulous to see a dragon again - these appear in The Archive, the second book in the Maer Cycle trilogy and I was a big fan of them when I read that book. I wish there had been more of them in this story, and some interaction between Mara and the dragon she encountered, or even the owls and the dragons. I would love to have seen some collaboration in the war effort between the owls, their handlers and the dragons and their riders.
The abrupt ending was a little disappointing for me since this is a standalone book and left me not knowing the fate of some of the important players. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to assume they became casualties of the war. Ideally, I would have liked this book to have been a few chapters longer with everyone’s fates neatly tied up at the end. Or it would be book one of a trilogy, and I hope the author changes their mind about it being a standalone. Indeed at the point when I had only fifty or so pages left I found myself wondering how everything could possibly get tied up in the short amount of pages left. I wanted to hear more about the fledgling community and how they grow and (hopefully) survive. How will the non-vocal Kaela, Mara’s sister, fit into this new community? I also want to know if there are any retributions for Erliss leaving the Shoza. I really liked these characters and found them intriguing. They deserve more of a story (maybe even their own love story). I also need to know where Cloti went on her mission and if she and Uffrin’s other parents will survive the war and make it to Eagle Lake. Perhaps this will be the basis for a standalone book in the future.
Another mystery that I would like to learn more about is what exactly is behind the peculiar evolving behaviour patterns of the mechanical owl. Friend and Cleo were very endearing characters and I would love to see more of them. Animal companions in books are always a winner for me!
I hope one day all of my questions will be answered with more stories featuring these same characters, more dragons and owls, the outcome of the war and the development of the new community - I need a trilogy!
August 31, 2023
I had the privilege of being an ARC reader for "Wings So Soft" by Dan Fitzgerald.
I'll be honest, when he shared his post on twitter I thought his book Cover was erotic art. So I had to double take, I signed up to be an arc reader purely because of the cover and knowing little else of his story.
I'll be honest, I started reading this as I was coming off a 50hour work week, please excuse if anything seems incoherent.
Within the first 4 pages, you get a sense of Uffrin obsession with Owls as he seeps through loneliness.
In this 4 pages, the story tips between a high fantasy with unpronounce-able names and titles, while it backdrops against a city with a description no different to reality.
For some reason, I was getting Black Mirror vibes; specifically the story line titled USS Callister. Due to the way Dan Fitzgerald had described the technology used in their book.
I did ask, Dan adimited "I've haven't seen Black Mirror."
By 8% we got the understanding of how far this story may be set in the future with a war against humans and their form of technology used as weaponry vs what this city has to protect themselves as they use Owls as a form of weaponry.
When Uffrin and Mara meet for the first time, and the way the love at first sight scene is written, I felt it was quite beautiful, almost quite significant in how lust/love can affect someone whose missed love during a moment when love shouldn't be the first thought.
I like Owls but sadly don't have the luxury of being around them or even seeing them in the wild but the way Dan describes not just actual Owls but also Mechanical Owls is so aww. It plays a balance act between giving you a theoretical lesson v fictional take on Owls.
I love how the sex scenes are written as if their natural and not as if the author didn't know wtf they were talking about. Enough to taste the feeling but not enough to over expose. The story also dives tastefully into bondage.
The way the story ends seems almost too perfect; in a good way, wrapping up the war (in a sense) and Uffrin & Mara's romance storyline.
Can't wait to see what else Dan Fitzgerald has in store.
I'll be honest, when he shared his post on twitter I thought his book Cover was erotic art. So I had to double take, I signed up to be an arc reader purely because of the cover and knowing little else of his story.
I'll be honest, I started reading this as I was coming off a 50hour work week, please excuse if anything seems incoherent.
Within the first 4 pages, you get a sense of Uffrin obsession with Owls as he seeps through loneliness.
In this 4 pages, the story tips between a high fantasy with unpronounce-able names and titles, while it backdrops against a city with a description no different to reality.
For some reason, I was getting Black Mirror vibes; specifically the story line titled USS Callister. Due to the way Dan Fitzgerald had described the technology used in their book.
I did ask, Dan adimited "I've haven't seen Black Mirror."
By 8% we got the understanding of how far this story may be set in the future with a war against humans and their form of technology used as weaponry vs what this city has to protect themselves as they use Owls as a form of weaponry.
When Uffrin and Mara meet for the first time, and the way the love at first sight scene is written, I felt it was quite beautiful, almost quite significant in how lust/love can affect someone whose missed love during a moment when love shouldn't be the first thought.
I like Owls but sadly don't have the luxury of being around them or even seeing them in the wild but the way Dan describes not just actual Owls but also Mechanical Owls is so aww. It plays a balance act between giving you a theoretical lesson v fictional take on Owls.
I love how the sex scenes are written as if their natural and not as if the author didn't know wtf they were talking about. Enough to taste the feeling but not enough to over expose. The story also dives tastefully into bondage.
The way the story ends seems almost too perfect; in a good way, wrapping up the war (in a sense) and Uffrin & Mara's romance storyline.
Can't wait to see what else Dan Fitzgerald has in store.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2024
This is one of Dani's best books, hands down. It has the perfect blend of plot and smut (in my opinion), and the smut is hot. I will note that the smut is hetero, lest anyone be here for a M/M or F/F read--there are queer characters in the background, but the MCs are M/F. (Try Dani's books The Delve/the Jagged Shard if you're into F/F.) Plus, there are owls. Who can argue with owls?
The plot is super engaging; who doesn't like to read about the last days of a civilization and the MCs' attempts to save it? I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, wondering what was going to happen--and while I was fairly certain I'd get a happy ending out of it, I wasn't 100% sure...and I love that.
The main drawback of this book is that, while it is a standalone and can be read without reading any of Dani's other books, it will absolutely leave you with questions (What exactly are the Maer? What is their relationship to humans? Is this a prologue or an epilogue?). These questions are not answered in this book; you have to read Dani's Maer Cycle and other books to properly sate your curiosity. Thankfully, this is not much of a chore; at least, it wasn't for me.
I often find Indie books to be full of typos and other grammatical errors that pull me out of the story, but not this one. Sure, there's a typo or two, but it's clear that the author actually used a spellchecker and knows the difference between who's and whose, something which my OCD appreciates.
All in all, I highly recommend this book!
The plot is super engaging; who doesn't like to read about the last days of a civilization and the MCs' attempts to save it? I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, wondering what was going to happen--and while I was fairly certain I'd get a happy ending out of it, I wasn't 100% sure...and I love that.
The main drawback of this book is that, while it is a standalone and can be read without reading any of Dani's other books, it will absolutely leave you with questions (What exactly are the Maer? What is their relationship to humans? Is this a prologue or an epilogue?). These questions are not answered in this book; you have to read Dani's Maer Cycle and other books to properly sate your curiosity. Thankfully, this is not much of a chore; at least, it wasn't for me.
I often find Indie books to be full of typos and other grammatical errors that pull me out of the story, but not this one. Sure, there's a typo or two, but it's clear that the author actually used a spellchecker and knows the difference between who's and whose, something which my OCD appreciates.
All in all, I highly recommend this book!
October 22, 2023
This is the first Dani Finn book I tried reading and it didn't disappoint. I loved how Mara and Uffrin's budding relationship gave a glimmer of hope in what could've been an otherwise bleak time (due to the impending war). I also loved how Uffrin's relationship with him mechanical owl changed over the course of the book (and through him spending time with Mara) and how Friend seemed to "become more alive" (become real, for lack of a better word. Yes, that's a Velveteen Rabbit reference).
*I received a free ARC of this book and am leaving a review voluntarily.
*I received a free ARC of this book and am leaving a review voluntarily.
December 6, 2023
This awesome fantasy romance follows beings called Maer, who have a wonderful culture and a tense war with humans. They use real and mechanical owls in battle, which is awesome. The world-building is A+, but the coolest thing about this story is just how cozy the romance is in the midst of a brutal war. The spicy scenes give excellent sizzle as well. If you like fantasy with steampunk vibes and also want both sweetness and spice, Wings so Soft is a must-read.
January 2, 2024
This was such a delight to read. Uffrin and Mara are adorable together, and I cheered them on the whole way (along with their owls of course)! The story was sexy but in a very cozy way—even with war looming and disaster all around. I appreciated the spark of love and joy amidst hardship. I really want to see what happens next! Speaking of cozy, Dani’s world building focuses heavily on this culture’s food. My mouth often watered for otherworldly delicacies I never knew I needed.
May 2, 2024
This is a fantastic tale of perseverance amidst turmoil and war. The imagery and the concept of owls, both natural and mechanical, were intriguing. The world-building and cast of characters are great.
September 22, 2023
I received a free ARC of this book and am leaving a review voluntarily.
I am sold on any of Dani’s books and this one is no exception. There’s always such clever ideas and the owls in this one are just one example. The way they’re tied into not just our characters but the culture itself is such a wonderfully thought out concept. It’s gives the world such a fun color!
And our couple…I adore how Dani writes romance for a very simple reason—it’s natural. The way they talk is natural, the way they show affection is natural, the cute little gestures that no one else notices in a relationship but absolutely tells you how well someone knows another person…they’re all here. And it’s all healthy. That’s one thing I love seeing. Healthy relationships still treated as romantic and sexy. Dani is a master at it.
If you’re looking for a story with heart, spice and sone lovely owls with a twist of creativity to them, definitely add this to your TBR.
I am sold on any of Dani’s books and this one is no exception. There’s always such clever ideas and the owls in this one are just one example. The way they’re tied into not just our characters but the culture itself is such a wonderfully thought out concept. It’s gives the world such a fun color!
And our couple…I adore how Dani writes romance for a very simple reason—it’s natural. The way they talk is natural, the way they show affection is natural, the cute little gestures that no one else notices in a relationship but absolutely tells you how well someone knows another person…they’re all here. And it’s all healthy. That’s one thing I love seeing. Healthy relationships still treated as romantic and sexy. Dani is a master at it.
If you’re looking for a story with heart, spice and sone lovely owls with a twist of creativity to them, definitely add this to your TBR.
December 17, 2024
Wings so Soft by Dani Finn is a romantasy set within their Maerdom world but only slightly connected to the other works in said universe. As such, it isn't imperative to read all the stories within this world, but it does help as some concepts are left unexplained. That said, it's not like these bits of worldbuilding are completely unfigureoutable (making my own word up here...) with a little reading. I should also put right up front, there is a heavy dose of consensual sexual relations in this wee little story, so strap in (or on...) for a ride (yep, that's intended).
Set against an oncoming war between the Maer (an anthropomorphic people covered in fur, this is putting it lightly, they have a complex civilization and technology) and humans, this story is first and foremost a romance between two Maer with a common obsession: owls. Uffrin is an artificer who has created a mechanical owl, while Mara is an owl handler. Our two lovebirds (yeahhhh the puns are a-flowin') meet when Uffrin wants to watch a real owl in flight to perfect his model before he is sent out on mission. Upon meeting Mara, the nerdy/awkward artificer is immediately enthralled by both handler and owl, and she, Mara that is, likewise becomes interested. As war descends upon the city of Kuppham, Mara's and Uffrin's romance sparks like the enemies' oncoming hoverball explosions threatening their homeland.
It's true, this story is full-blown romance with lots of sexy scenes, but it is also a fantasy story, and I think that's why I enjoyed it so much. I'm not a huge pure romance arc fan, I like love stories that happen organically in a plot as the characters go through some stuff, not usually ones that are center stage. But WoS does a magnificent job of straddling (ahem) the line of romance and fantasy. The backdrop of war, plus both characters being sent on missions throughout the story, as well as to the front lines, brings a nice element of stakes to this budding romance. It makes the moments of intimacy (both sexual and mental - i.e. their cute little dates between missions) much more poignant than if there was nothing happening in the background. It's this sense of urgency that makes this story shine. Knowing all this, I think I may have become a romantasy convert...
Like the classic Salt-N-Pepa song says, let's talk about sex. There is a lot of it in this story and some of it is pretty steamy. This may put off many readers, but I will say that the way Mx. Finn writes these scenes, there is very little vulgarity. In fact, there is very little use of words we would all expect used, and I'm certain you all know which ones I'm speaking of. I'd go as far to say that Mx. Finn creates a vivid picture of sex without actually relying on ramming it in our...cough, cough...faces...cough cough. Instead Mx. Finn uses a lyrical painting composed of elegant wordage to draw us in. It's sensual, it's loving, it's a coming together of two souls without ever becoming overtly graphic even though we readers know and can visualize every moment. It's excellence in its purest form.
While both Uffrin and Mara are great characters, I'd be remiss to not mention Friend the mechanical owl and Cleo the real owl. An awful lot of the non-sexy scenes of this book revolve around these two critters — one of metal & gears, the other feathers — and their respective handlers. The two owls both represent facets of Uffrin's/Mara's personalities and it was nice to see their juxtapositions play out. And both owls do play a role in the war plot so they weren't just there for posterity, they do kick some butt in their own ways.
There was also this fun little technology aspect Mx. Finn added to this world that is very reminiscent of our current internet/social media, and that was the circlets. Not only was there a stream (mostly of owl videos) that each character constantly interacted with, but it also had a messaging system for our lovers to send cutesy words to each other. I also found the introduction of the enemies' hoverballs to be both inventive and threatening. These tiny little balls of explosive horror allowed for Cleo to play a major role in the narrative.
As far as prose goes, it's very clean, and as mentioned above, well done as far as conveying emotions, both physical and mental. The pace is steady, no lulls, no filler. As mentioned, if you haven't read anything by Dani Finn before, you might have a few moments of 'what is this?' but they are few and far between and not difficult to figure out.
As my first entry in Dani Finn's Maerdom world, this was a riveting climax...But I do plan to continue reading more of this world and exploring other bodies...I mean stories. Wings so Soft is a very solid, enjoyable read for fans of romance and cozy fantasy alike.
Set against an oncoming war between the Maer (an anthropomorphic people covered in fur, this is putting it lightly, they have a complex civilization and technology) and humans, this story is first and foremost a romance between two Maer with a common obsession: owls. Uffrin is an artificer who has created a mechanical owl, while Mara is an owl handler. Our two lovebirds (yeahhhh the puns are a-flowin') meet when Uffrin wants to watch a real owl in flight to perfect his model before he is sent out on mission. Upon meeting Mara, the nerdy/awkward artificer is immediately enthralled by both handler and owl, and she, Mara that is, likewise becomes interested. As war descends upon the city of Kuppham, Mara's and Uffrin's romance sparks like the enemies' oncoming hoverball explosions threatening their homeland.
It's true, this story is full-blown romance with lots of sexy scenes, but it is also a fantasy story, and I think that's why I enjoyed it so much. I'm not a huge pure romance arc fan, I like love stories that happen organically in a plot as the characters go through some stuff, not usually ones that are center stage. But WoS does a magnificent job of straddling (ahem) the line of romance and fantasy. The backdrop of war, plus both characters being sent on missions throughout the story, as well as to the front lines, brings a nice element of stakes to this budding romance. It makes the moments of intimacy (both sexual and mental - i.e. their cute little dates between missions) much more poignant than if there was nothing happening in the background. It's this sense of urgency that makes this story shine. Knowing all this, I think I may have become a romantasy convert...
Like the classic Salt-N-Pepa song says, let's talk about sex. There is a lot of it in this story and some of it is pretty steamy. This may put off many readers, but I will say that the way Mx. Finn writes these scenes, there is very little vulgarity. In fact, there is very little use of words we would all expect used, and I'm certain you all know which ones I'm speaking of. I'd go as far to say that Mx. Finn creates a vivid picture of sex without actually relying on ramming it in our...cough, cough...faces...cough cough. Instead Mx. Finn uses a lyrical painting composed of elegant wordage to draw us in. It's sensual, it's loving, it's a coming together of two souls without ever becoming overtly graphic even though we readers know and can visualize every moment. It's excellence in its purest form.
While both Uffrin and Mara are great characters, I'd be remiss to not mention Friend the mechanical owl and Cleo the real owl. An awful lot of the non-sexy scenes of this book revolve around these two critters — one of metal & gears, the other feathers — and their respective handlers. The two owls both represent facets of Uffrin's/Mara's personalities and it was nice to see their juxtapositions play out. And both owls do play a role in the war plot so they weren't just there for posterity, they do kick some butt in their own ways.
There was also this fun little technology aspect Mx. Finn added to this world that is very reminiscent of our current internet/social media, and that was the circlets. Not only was there a stream (mostly of owl videos) that each character constantly interacted with, but it also had a messaging system for our lovers to send cutesy words to each other. I also found the introduction of the enemies' hoverballs to be both inventive and threatening. These tiny little balls of explosive horror allowed for Cleo to play a major role in the narrative.
As far as prose goes, it's very clean, and as mentioned above, well done as far as conveying emotions, both physical and mental. The pace is steady, no lulls, no filler. As mentioned, if you haven't read anything by Dani Finn before, you might have a few moments of 'what is this?' but they are few and far between and not difficult to figure out.
As my first entry in Dani Finn's Maerdom world, this was a riveting climax...But I do plan to continue reading more of this world and exploring other bodies...I mean stories. Wings so Soft is a very solid, enjoyable read for fans of romance and cozy fantasy alike.
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