Dangerous attraction. Dark secrets. A perilous journey to rescue her mom.
When Lucille wakes, trapped in a closet, with strange voices in her head and only fragmented memories of her mom surrounded by attackers, she has no choice but to accept help from a questionable stranger.
Now, as a prisoner in Elora, a world filled with angels and demons where only the trained and ruthless belong, Lucille is desperate to escape and find her mom. But Elora is no place for a nineteen-year-old girl with little control over her power. Especially when she’s up against a powerful captor whose mere touch sends unnatural tingles across her skin and who says things that needle at her memories.
When hidden secrets come to light, Lucille must choose between facing the truth or living in the lies. Please Note: This adult fantasy book includes dark elements that may be triggering, including violence, cruelty, torture, death, adult language, physical abuse, child abuse, and brief non-descriptive, non-penetrating sexual assault. It is intended for ages 18 years and older. Read at your own discretion.
Makayla grew up in a small town near Madison, Wisconsin, devouring fantasy romance series like Twilight, City of Bones, and Vampire Academy. She graduated from college with a degree in art and elementary education, which she enjoyed—but not as much as storytelling. When she isn’t writing, she’s likely reading, spending time with family and friends, wrangling her cats, or exploring new restaurants with her husband.
Her passion for storytelling began in high school with a creative writing class she took just for fun. In college, she attempted her first novel. Though she didn’t finish it then, she discovered how much she loved writing and knew she wanted to make her stories the best they could be. After years of learning and connecting with other authors, she published her debut novel, Wings of Lies.
Now, Makayla has finished her highly anticipated second book, Wings of Darkness, continuing her journey of bringing emotionally charged, romantic fantasy to readers who love powerful heroines, slow-burn romance, and dangerous worlds.
Because this is an ARC, and it's supposed to explicitly describe my feelings towards the book, I'm not going for my usual unhelpful, extremely short comments that give no insight whatsoever, so enjoy this rare occasion if you like more helpful reviews. Prepare for an awful recap of what happened (opinions at the end) while also simultaneously trying not to go into too much depth for spoiler purposes.
The start of the book starts with our main character, Lucille, who's in some form of torture chamber with IV's sticking from her limbs. Now, Lucy has absolutely zero clue how she got there and of course, who she is. The only thing she knows is that she wants to find her mom. That there, ladies and gentlemen, is basically the entire plot to the book. She manages to escape with the help of a voice in her head telling her to find Oliver and Magda, which will give her information about her mom. Then she finds Oliver, and the world is explained to us a little bit more. There are different types of angels, and there's a place called Elora, where Lucille wants to go to find her mom. Elora is very very dangerous, but Oliver plans to take her there (for certain reasons). Then we go through ups and downs with Oliver trying to get Lucille to control her powers when we finally get to the gate that goes from Earth, to Elora. BOOM! Oliver betrays Lucille by handing her over to some evil people that whisk her away. And then the next two hundred pages is her riding with a sexy angel/demon dude and some asshole with a name that starts with D (I forget. That'ss how much I hated him.) We'll call him Dick because it's fitting. He tries to harm her several times all the while she and super hot prince dude (his name is Aspen btw) are having angsty, banter. Now, his mission is to take Lucille to his queen, where...scary torture things are implied to go down. Lucille, obviously terrified and kinda like...wtf bro I just want to be normal, tries to escape several times, which ACTUALLY ENDS UP WORKING THE FINAL TIME!!! BUT!! But but but, the last one hundred pages are her going through hell (minimal to what she previously experienced let's be real, but still hell nontheless) before FINDING OLIVER AGAIN. Oh and Aspen also tried to chase after her as well when she escaped because he cares about her AWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!! But he doesn't last very long and ends up going batshit crazy or smth after Oliver and Lucille make up (kind of) and then they have to cuff him because suddenly he's not himself anymore. Then Lucy and Oliver find Magda. They ask questions in exchange for things she wants, and then...honestly I have no clue what the fuck happened after that because my brain was going banana's after literally everything that was going on. But the next thing I know Lucy is being chained to a metal table and being tortured by her "father." Ohh and her mom is also unconscious and in the same state as Lucy was at the start of the book. And then...she stops being tortured, Aspen finds her and is himself again, except with any memories whatsoever. He can't even remember who Lucy is. (at least I'm pretty sure it was Aspen. I'm not sure who else it would be). And the BOOM! End of book. Yeah, it caught me by surprise too.
So...thoughts: At the start I was intrigued. Like the very very start. I immediately got into it. And then we met Oliver and I was like "oh dear.... this better not be the love interest." The more he talked, the more I cringed. I didn't like the way he talked. It felt awkward and robotic to me (apologies to anyone who loves Oliver. I just can't.) But then we got into Elora and we met up with Aspen and I was like FUCK YEAH THIS IS WHERE IT'S GONNA GET GOOD!!! And it didn't disappoint me one bit!! You would think tht reading about traveling would be boring but it really wasn't. Not with the constent threat of Dick and the banter between Lucy and Aspen. These were probably my favourite scenes in the book because it gave all of the emotion. It gave worry for the main character, want for interactions between Lucy and Aspen, more insight on Lucy's past, and also violent rage for Dick. Everything everywhere all at once. It's like an all you can eat buffet. And yes, obviously, I love Aspen. This man is so mysterious and I can't get enough of it. And like the small amounts of affection because he's under a rune curse thing AHHHHHHHHHH PLZ BE MY HUSBAND!!!! Like he got so freaked out by an injury that Dick caused her and the way he handled it was just so awesome. So hot. Aspen checked the box on the list of new book boyfriends. So the characters were character-ing (especially Aspen), maybe except for the development???? I may be blind but I personally didn't...see any changes. This is probably because it's the first book and you can't really shove all the development into one and have the second book be...nothing to change the characters. So this makes me more excited for book two.
Oh and here's a little more bonus content: If you liked ACOTAR but hoped there would be less romance, then this is for you. If you liked Hush Hush but hoped for it to be...just better as a whole, then this is for you. If you liked TOG, then this is also for you. If you like the amnesia trope, this is for you. Oh and also before all the people come swarming in asking wAiT bUt Is thErE SmUt????? Kind of. It's like dry humping and nothing more because Dick catches them. So if you hate that and want all of everything for 30 pages straight every chapter this isn't for you. It's a lot more fantasy than anything. And for the other people who are asking trigger warnings: here you go. Straight from the book.
-Sexual Violence (forced removal of clothing but no penetration) -Graphic Violence/Gore -Verbal Abuse -Child Abuse -Physical Abuse -Swearing -Explicit Sexual Situations
Was I triggered by any of these?? I thought I would be but there was no whipping (i can't stand that shit that's probably the only thing that really makes me upset) so I was fine reading the whole thing. I was just super angry at Lucy's fuck ass "father." But everyone is different, so if you are triggered by any of these, please take care of yourself. Overal, this is a fantastic debut, highly highly recommend!! 4.25 stars in total!
Words are not enough to describe how much i enjoyed reading this book! And for this to be the authors debut novel blows my mind🤯.
The beginning of the book felt a bit confusing but it was meant that way since we learn more as the main character Lucille finds more and more out about herself after a memory loss. We get to experience the feeling of secrets and answers opening for the fmc and the mystery of the story slowly opens up. This was captive and made me feel like i cant put the book down since i was in need for answers and explanations.
The storyline is mind blowing and so unique i loved it! With a unique world of angels and demons and the different magic worlds. This book holds everything i love about romantasy books. Magic, suspension, action, banter, enemies to lovers, character development and a little bit of spice✨️
Cant wait for book 2 ! Thank you M.S. Quinn for this Arc read!
words cannot describe how good this book was. I went into this book with low expectations, however, within the first chapter, I realize that this book was going to be something special.
The writing and the storyline in this book are both PHENOMENOL!! and it genuinely blows me away that this book has not gone viral. I have read sooo many books that have gone viral on the Internet with less attention to detail to plot, writing, and character development than this one, and it makes me really sad that this book does not have more attention.
This book had my all-time favorite tropes (which I feel like if I say will end up being a spoiler), was the SLOWEST BURN!!!! Had tension, banter, enemies to lovers (and the enemies was GIVING), and a GBF 🙌🏽😝 this book also had an amnesia trope, which typically I am not a huge fan of— but it honestly worked so well here. I found that once I started this book I absolutely cannot put it down or stop thinking about this book and immediately went into the next book and read it within 24 hours 😩😩
With all of this being said, if you love a slow burn romantasy with enemies to lovers, romance, spice, and plot that does NOT take the back burner, THIS IS FOR YOU!!!! and you those in the back that can’t hear… READ THIS BOOK IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!
i loved this book!!! it was unlike anything i’ve ever read. a lot of recent fantasy books have been really fae focused, so i really enjoyed the departure from that with angels and demons!
the beginning is admittedly a little confusing, but that’s how you’re supposed to feel! it was fun to be able to discover things as the main character did. i loved all the characters too! the world building in this book is excellent, and i cant wait for the next book where we get to explore it more!
I had the amazing opportunity to be an ARC reader for Wings Of Lies and I just to thank M. s. Quinn for allowing me the opportunity to read this beautiful book. this book is a definite read for fans of fantasy books, enemy to lovers troupe, all the characters in this book are written so beautifully (thank you for giving me two more fictional characters to fall in love with (Aspen and Oliver)), Lucille is such a strong female character, She has plenty of Sass but also knows when to quit, I loved how we got to watch her gain little bits of control over her power and piece together bits and pieces of her memories. I also enjoyed the backstory of Aspen and Lucille, and experiencing Ashen try to protect her instead of the latter. Oliver had me falling in love, then wanting to throw him out a window, then love him again. I also love how the plot was the main focus and not just focusing on the relationship of Aspen and Lucille. I also really enjoyed how little really important details would be dropped in so subtly .This book had me hooked from the get go, and kept my interest all the way through! there was plenty of action. it had me feeling many emotions in the best way possible. I enjoyed the fact that memories were written in different font and that there was constant links to them so you weren't confused. However my only issue is how the book ended, I feel the ending was perfect for a stand alone book, but for a book that's a beginning of a series, i feel like it didnt have the momentum i fully expected, it didn't quite live up to the rest of the book, i felt there was a big cliffhanger opportunity missed. I still loved this book and will definitely reading the rest of the series when they are released. With all that being said I rate this a good 4.5/5!! to read a book and only have one thing to point out is impressive!! and its such a personal opinion thing to point out! i can not wait for it to be fully released to i can buy a copy and add it to my bookshelf!!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Wings of Lies by M.S Quinn is a debut novel that blew my mind! The story is packed with suspense, action, and character development. The storyline, the plot, the magic worlds, angels, and demons is unlike anything I've read in a fantasy world before. It's a total whirlwind. The plot is spectacular, and the banter was funny. The story starts with Lucille waking up in what can only be described as a total nightmare - she's stuck in a torture chamber with IVs plugged into her, with no idea why or how. She has no memories. She doesn't even know who she is. With strange voice in her head, she knows only one thing - she needs to find her mom. As she embarks on this intense quest, Lucille's hard-core personality shines as she faces all kinds of insane obstacles. The last TWO CHAPTERS, it's so easy to say that my heart just broke into pieces reading those chapters. What she went through is just .... no words. With that cliffhanger, I'm eager to know what will happen to Lucille and how the story will progress. The only reason I gave it 4 stars after debating so much about rating is that I struggled with getting fully immersed in the story at times. But honestly, the plot made up for it with some jaw-dropping twists!
Thank you so much for giving me a chance to read this book. I can't wait for the second one!!!!
-It took me a little bit to really get into this book but then I was off. I really enjoyed this book overall. Even though there certain parts I got confused or distracted by whatever. The world building was also nice because we got to discover it with Lucille but still get flashes of more details here and there without being overwhelmed.
-Also really liked these characters. They each had their own little characteristics but they each still worked well with the world and with each other. I got confused by the relationship between Lucille and Aspen. I still don’t really understand their last or the bond they have but I still ship them. And I actually really like Oliver, he like the fun friend and I really enjoyed reading about his character.
-I really want to read more in this series. See more of the characters and this world. I cannot wait for the next one to come out and to be able to read it. The ending does leave me hanging in a way.
Genuinely an incredible read, loved the characters, loved the plot it was so complex and witty. Loved the slow burn, loved the fantasy x angels and demon vibes. Incredible.
I had the opportunity to ARC read Wings of Lies and I cannot thank M. S. Quinn enough for it!
The book starts off with the FMC waking up with no clue where she is, how she got there and most of her past memories wiped from her mind! We then follow her on a journey of growth, betrayal, discovering Elora and restoring her lost memories in search of her mother.
I was HOOKED from the beginning. The amount of times I wanted to throw this book across the room then hug it so tight was insane. It is a constant roller coaster that kept me on the edge of my seat. Most of the chapters end in their own mini cliffhangers that kept me in a constant state of “one more chapter”
It took me a while to get on the fantasy bandwagon, and Wings of Lies definitely did not disappoint! I loved the angels and demons aspect! I loved discovering everyone’s different powers! I would highly recommend this book to fantasy lovers and those like me who are just getting into this genre!
Also, if you could tell me how to get my own soulhound, yea that would be amazing!
Arc Read || Wings of Lies || M.S. Quinn✨ Release Date || 7th September 2024 ✨
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was encapsulated by this book from the beginning! Angels and Demons, what more could you ask for?
I found the story line to be incredibly compelling. The plot was quite unpredictable and unique which had me hooked. I loved it! I often also found that I was quite emotionally involved and that was a great indicator as to how much I was enjoying the storyline and M.S. Quinn’s writing style.
Lucille, the FMC, was overall frustrating, but in the good kind of way. She has a lot of heart and often rose in the face of adversity, especially because she is incredibly stubborn. Therefore, I enjoyed her character thoroughly.
Aspen, the MMC, was just so gorgeous and had quickly become one of my favourite characters. Personally, he definitely has the potential of becoming a book boyfriend but I will have to see further into the series.
I did, at times, find the writing a bit repetitive or over explanatory. However, this was a minor issue and that’s if I had to get exceptionally critical.
I will definitely be recommending this beautiful, brutal, emotional and action packed read that has in-depth plot, enticingly brilliant character development and overall interesting characters.
"We all fall, Lucy. It's a part of this strange life we live. We need to fall. You don't need a knight in shining armor or a broken prince to catch you on the way down. You need someone to hold you in the mess. Someone to find strength in you as you mend your broken pieces. From the ground up, not the sky down."
I’m completely captivated by this debut novel! Our protagonist, Lucille, wakes up with fragmented memories and embarks on a quest to uncover the truth about what happened to her and her mother, all while evading those who are after them. Thrust into a chaotic world of magic where everyone seems to understand the rules except her, Lucille is determined to uncover her past. She’s supported by Oliver, her self-proclaimed wing-woman; Aspen, a brooding prince with a mysterious connection to her; and enigmatic voices in her head, all guiding her on this perilous journey.
One quote that resonated deeply with me is: "We all fall, Lucy. It's a part of this strange life we live. We need to fall. You don't need a knight in shining armor or a broken prince to catch you on the way down. You need someone to hold you in the mess. Someone to find strength in you as you mend your broken pieces. From the ground up, not the sky down."
The narrative seamlessly alternates between Lucille’s present-day struggles and her dream-walks, which gradually reveal answers through fragmented memories. The storytelling is exceptionally clever! I was fascinated by the world of Elora, the diverse angels and demons, and the intricate magic they wield.
That cliffhanger at the end left me speechless! I’m left with more questions than answers, and I’m eagerly awaiting the next book. Well done, M.S. Quinn!
A huge thank you to the author for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book and provide my honest opinion.
This story had so many twists, secrets, betrayals- I was constantly having to reread to make sure I got it right, and thinking, WTF?! But in the best way!
On a quest to find her mom, Lucille finds herself prisoner and being taken to another realm where a queen is demanding her life. Her captor? HOT- the tension? Gahhhh- it was a , will they won’t they the whole time!
This story does end on a cliffhanger(and one that had me thinking what the heck is happening now)?! I have so many theories!
I first want to thank the author, M.S. Quinn for the opportunity to be one of her ARC readers. I am truly grateful and the book does NOT disappoint :) My rating of this book is more of a 4.5 stars than a 4 stars.
Next up, I strongly suggest you read the content warning first: - Sexual Violence - Graphic Violence / Gore - Verbal Abuse - Child Abuse - Physical Abuse - Swearing - Explicit Sexual Situations
And now, my review: The first part of the book was a little confusing but the author does a great job of remedying that as you keep reading. AND you should keep reading!
There are twists in this book that had me stopping, cursing, re-reading, and sometimes in tears.
I really liked how the FMC had to get her memories back. Throughout the book, it was like I was walking alongside her with each experience.
The ending was a real WTF moment! A total cliffhanger that had me feeling (No - NEEDING) to know more! Like who the heck is Bloodhound what did they lie to him about? You get a feel for him a little bit throughout the book as he is kind of sprinkled in along with his SoulHound (BTW I now need one in my life) Rune. I stayed up late so I could finish the story and then couldn't fall asleep because of all the questions and emotions I was left with! LOL
"No. We all fall, Lucy. It's a part of this strange life we live. We need to fall. You don't need a knight in shining armor or a broken prince to catch you on the way down. You need someone to hold you in the mess. Someone to find strength in you as you mend your broken pieces. From the ground up, not the sky down."
Oh man, this was super exciting! In a time when fantasy books seem to be very Fae heavy, this Angels/Demons telling was such a delight! Wings of Lies is a solid 4 stars from me.
Lucille wakes with few memories, so the beginning starts a bit confusing as she’s trying to piece it all together. By about 25% through I was hooked and I couldn’t get enough! I’m eagerly awaiting book 2, even though this one isn’t officially out yet! I cannot wait to see how the characters’ arcs continue in this series.
Thank you so much to M.S. Quinn for allowing me to receive an ARC of their debut novel! I cannot wait to get a trophy copy for my shelf.
This was SO good. The storyline was really interesting because the FMC had amnesia, so we were learning and figuring out things with her. It made the story so good and I really enjoyed the MMC as well.
I loved how unique this book felt from other fantasy reads lately. It had so many great tropes, but its own unique plot. I’m literally in shock with the ending though. I’m so excited to get book two and learn who this general is. 🫣
I rate this 4.5 ⭐️ and definitely recommend it! Had a really good time reading it!!
This book was really good! The only reason why it’s not 5 stars for me is because I wish there was a little more to go off of in the beginning. I was really confused and it almost lost me.
On the other hand I completely understand why so much information was left out in the beginning. And it was cool to oncover the details alongside the FMC.
I am interested in continuing with this series to get more answers and see the romantic plot develop.
Lucille needs a bottle of wine, a cozy blanket, and book after what she's gone through in this story. I'm not sure if Aspen is a red flag with undertones of green or a green flag with undertones of red. Either way, I love him and hate him. I was hooked from the start. Both the reader and the main character are pulled into a world they know nothing about and once they think they know what's going on the rug is pulled out from underneath them. The book is full of suspense and emotion. The ending has me impatiently waiting for Book 2.
This book was unique in all the best ways! Fast paced, mysterious, angels, demons and nephilim? Definitely one of the best debut novels out there right now!
This is by far one of my favorite reads of the year so far! This had all of my favorite things! Angels and demons, you can't go wrong. Don't be alarmed if you start reading the book and feel like you missed something. You didn't! Keep reading things will be explained throughout the book. Lucille has memory loss and she finds herself along the way. We get to follow her journey and experiences while she learns about these secrets and what they mean. This is where the story really took off for me. I could put it down because I needed to know more. In fear of giving things away. I'm going to stop here. You need to read this book! I need to have the physical copy it will look beautiful on my shelf! I will be reading this again. I cannot wait to read the second book in this series!
Fantastic and fast paced! I read it in a day! I need the next one ASAP!
This book y'all! It pulled me in and didn't let go! It's so fast paced and high stakes I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! Lucy wakes up in a cement closet with no memories and mysterious voices telling her to use her magic to escape. Magic?! What? On the run through the forest, she stumbles across Oliver who just so happens to be the person she needs to find and take her to Elora, the angel and demon realm. But things don't go as planned and as soon as she enters Elora, she ends up in enemy hands. Lucy must escape her captors, made more difficult by the unwanted connection she shares with the demon prince.
This is the best book I’ve read, since I started writing reviews & is only my 7th 5 ⭐️ review of 2024!
For the dreamers who never give up.
This story follows amnesiac Lucy on a journey to rescue her mum and recover her memories. It is a high fantasy story with so many ups and downs.
Both the worlds and characters are beautifully crafted and the story was engrossing from the get go.
I enjoyed the strength of the main character shown throughout the book and I loved the intrigue created along the way.
The worst parts were sharing a name with the FMC (don’t know why I struggled to cope with this 😅) and how long I now have to wait until the next book comes out!
Rereads will be happening and I need a hardcopy trophy for my shelves 📚
I forgot how much I enjoyed Oliver’s sarcastic commentary. 👆🏻 Me too…
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Favourite quotes:
“Where are we going?” My voice bobbed up and down. His shoulder pressed into my lungs with each push off the ground. “So far straight. Maybe a turn here or there. Then straight again to get far away and keep our pretty little heads.”
“I think we lost them.” He laughed. “I lost them. You’re lucky you weigh like twenty pounds, or else the ending of this story would’ve been more tragic.”
“I’m impulsive at best.” He shrugged. “What are you at your worst?” I asked. “Fear.”
“Your bath awaits you, milady. Would you desire help?” “Are you always this energetic?” He shrugged, smirking. “Depends on where my mood carries me. And tonight is a wondrous night.”
“Yeah, fates a fickle bitch, isn’t she?”
“Let’s buckle up and make some mischief!”
“Do you ever tire of the constant arrogant mask you wear? Or have you been wearing it so long you forgot what it’s like not to be a princely asshole?”
“May I?” For reasons unknown, I gave him a small smile despite my nerves and said, “Oh, are you actually asking, princeling?” “I do, in fact, know how to do that, sweetheart.”
“Just a sliver,” I whispered. “Not the whole moon,” he whispered back in a broken voice.
“Not getting any younger,” he called when I still didn’t move. “You’re technically not young at all,” I yelled back. He laughed. My heart revolted in the best way. “By angel standards, I am. Now come on, sweetheart.”
“I’m sorry, Lucille.” I stopped, utterly stunned. Never in my wildest imaginings did I believe sorry was in his vocabulary.
“You’re serious?” “Dead.”
“Aspen?” I rasped. “Yes, sweetheart?” he whispered, brushing his knuckles down my face. That nickname. Damn, I loved that nickname and shouldn’t. “Can I ask for a sliver?” I almost started crying again, but I held the ache back. “If I could, I’d give you the moon,” he responded, reverently taking in every inch of my face. “Back on Earth. Was any of it real?” My voice was small and broken, scared of the truth. “Yes, Lucille. Every second.”
You are worth it, Lucille.” He dropped a kiss on my forehead. “You are worth it. I’m sorry for ever making you think you weren’t. For everything.”
“You found me,” I said with rolling tears. “Always.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Wing of Lies is a gritty, emotional, and at times, gut-wrenching story and the most intriguing angels & demons based book that I have read in a long time.
We jump right into the action with FMC Lucille waking up in strange surroundings and trying to recall who she is, where she is, and why she is there. If you are into the amnesia trope, you may like this story a lot. I was slightly confused in the first couple of chapters trying to keep up with the present time and the flashes of the FMC’s past but I think that for me that mirrored Lucille’s confusion and that really sucked me into the story more. Eventually it was easier to follow what was the present and the past, which Lucille is experiencing through one of her abilities as “dream-walks”.
She meets some interesting characters during her eventful journey and winds up a prisoner of the broody and rather cruel but familiar (to her) Prince Aspen. All the while she stays focused on her goal of escape as well as trying to find her missing mom.
More and more of Lucille’s past is revealed especially through her dream-walks as well as her interactions with characters both seen and unseen (but heard). There is a lot of action throughout the story and right up until the jaw-dropping ending. Who doesn’t love a cliffhanger right?! Great world building and the author was able to paint a very vivid picture that I am definitely interested in reading more about.
This is an incredible debut novel by M.S. Quinn - thank you for writing it! I cannot wait for book two. Also cannot get over the gorgeous cover art for the physical book, wow!
Please check the list of trigger warnings before reading.
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Wings of Lies follows the heroine Lucille as she escapes a prison of sorts with no memories of her past. This leads her on a search for the whereabouts of her mother while uncovering her own history on the way.
Overall, this book was a very good debut, but at times, the pacing felt very slow. Lucille’s story was so intriguing and what kept me going, but I also struggled with aspects that, to the book’s credit, were me specific preferences I missed in its marketing. What drew me in was the angels and demons but when we got to Elora, there were a lot of concepts I find in popular fae books, which I typically avoid so I was a little disappointed that it felt like a fae book. I don’t vibe with that, but if that's something you enjoy, go ahead and ignore me. Those two elements combined had my interests going up and down and led to a slower reading experience.
All that aside, what matters most to me are the characters, and I did enjoy them. Lucille was a fun protagonist. I found Oliver interesting and liked reading about him when he was on the page. Aspen was growing on me too, and I enjoyed the romantic development between him and Lucille and liked the slow burn going on. The antagonists felt like real threats, the world felt magical, and I enjoyed all the lore surrounding the creatures and beings that appeared.
I read the Wings of Lies as in ARC and I absolutely adored every second of this book. This is the first book in a series and I cannot wait to see where the rest of the story goes. The story brings in angels and demons and this entire world is beautifully built, bringing in everything that I love for a fantasy novel as well as things to expect from a building romance.
This story had a perfect pace and it felt very natural to be learning about the world at the same pace as the main character Lucille. The main portion of the story follows her time after being captured while in a world that she has little knowledge of. Her only goal is to escape and find her mother. However, she is missing most of her memories so she has to fill in all these gaps while trying to survive.
We also see the beginnings of a romance and I cannot wait to see how things progress between Lucille and Aspen. It's a perfect combination of tension, forbidden romance, and bonds between them. I quickly fell in love with these characters, and the more I learned about them as the story went on, the more I grew to care about them.
This series has so much potential and I have such high expectations for this. M.S. Quinn did a phenomenal job with setting up for what will be an amazing series once it's complete.
This novel does have trigger warnings so please be mindful of those.
Okay, so I was totally clueless about what this book was about when I started reading it—I didn’t even peek at the blurb or read any reviews beforehand!
But guess what? I’m so glad I did! I was totally hooked and couldn’t put the book down. I even bought my own ebook and ordered book 2 because I was dying to dive into book 2 as soon as I finished this one. Now, it did take me a bit longer to finish, but that wasn’t because I was bored or didn’t love it. I was seriously not ready to leave this world and wanted the same answers as Lucy.
The only thing I wish the author had done is let me know when Lucy was walking—no spoilers here! I was a little frustrated with Oliver for a hot second if you know what I mean. Aspen, oh my gosh, Aspen, when I needed you there, you were there! I really hope we get all of you in book 2. Michael, you’re seriously sick! I felt bad for Lucy’s mom, wanting to have a child but at all the costs.
I absolutely love the angel and demons in this book. I haven’t read an angel and demon book before, so this being my first amazing one, I can’t wait to get back into this world and read book 2. I definitely will be reading anything this author comes out with. The writing style, the world, and the characters are amazing.
Thank you to rrbooktours and the author for the opportunity to read such an amazing book and find a new favorite author!
Lets talk about this cover!! This cover made me want to read this book, it’s so pretty and when you read the book, this cover is even more perfect!!
The Wings of Lies is book 1 in the new fantasy series by M.S. Quinn, and if I didn’t know on forehand that this is a debut novel, I didn’t believe you if you told me. I had so much joy reading this book, I couldn’t put it down and made some questionable life choices while reading this book, like reading the night away to see how it would and…..
“No. We all fall, Lucy. It’s a part of this strange life we live. We need to fall. You don’t need a knight in shining armor or a broken prince to catch you on the way down. You need someone to hold you in the mess. Someone to find strength in you as you mend your broken pieces. From the ground up, not the sky down.”
The story follows Lucille, a strong and badass FMC how woke up with only a few memories left. Together with Lucille you discover more and more about her past and the way it is written makes that you feel all the feelings that comes with it.
The plot itself is cleverly put together and is just the right amount of mystery and plot twists combined with banter and betrayal to keep you on edge and to make you glued to the book like it’s your lifeline. Or that is what I felt. The Ending….the ending makes me pray that M.S. Quinn is a quick writer so I can get my hands on the second book as quick as possible.
I would recommend this book to everyone that lovers books surrounding Angels and Demons, Enemies to Lovers and just people that lover a story with a strong plot and magical world building.
Wings of Lies will be released on KU on September 7th and is open for pre-order for the paperback and hardback, both of those will be released on September 21st.
Tropes: - Angels and Demons but different - Enemies to lovers - High-stakes - Action packed and violent - Survival - Forced Proximity (Kidnapping) - Touch her and die - Magic - Betrayal
It has been too long since I read an Angels and Demons story that I absolutely loved! This book is still currently living in my brain rent free. Not only is the cover gorgeous and I cannot wait to order a physical copy so I can admire it more in person, but the mystery shrouding Lucille's circumstances had me hooked immediately. M.S Quinn wastes no time getting to the action to keep her readers intrigued. This story is really nicely balanced between the characters journeying and participating in action scenes. Not once did I feel bored, or like I could put it down to come back to it later, even though I had intended to take my time reading it. I loved these characters, even the bad guys, because they are so well written. Any betrayals that took place enraged me, but were explained so well. But what I loved the most was the air of mystery that continued throughout the entire story that constantly had me guessing and in dire need for book two. Seriously, that cliffhanger... the perfect ending!
As always, readers should check content warnings prior to reading, but I would say that all of the content in this book was in line for what a reader would expect in reading a fantasy novel.
Well done M.S Quinn I look forward to reading more of your stories!
I initially struggled with the beginning of the book because it took some time to set up, but I understand why the author included so much information. Around 30% into the book, the pace picks up and I couldn't stop reading! There's action, fighting, dream-walking, and the characters' emotions, with an added touch of spice. At this point, many questions throughout the book start to get answered. It would be helpful to have a few Eloran words explained at the beginning, perhaps in an Eloran dictionary (for example, words like "cordistella"). Also, it would be beneficial if the author could differentiate the dream and dream-walking scenes, perhaps by using italics or a different font, to make it clear that it's a dream scene. Sometimes it's hard to tell which character is speaking, so I had to reread a few paragraphs (though that could be because the book was written in first person). The first book was absolutely fantastic, but that cliffhanger at the end was so agonizing! Now, I'm eagerly anticipating the release of the second book and can't wait to find out what happens next. Thank you to M.S. Quinn and Book Sirens for the complimentary advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
When Lucille Chiara wakes from a deep slumber she has no recollection of who or where she is. The only thing she does know is that a man in a cowboy hat is after her. As Lucille finds out what she truly is, a Nephilim (half angel, half human) through her magical ability to dream walk, she must also come to terms with being betrayed by the only two people she has trusted, Oliver and her mother. The more Lucille is able to dream walk the more her memories come back to her slowly filling in the gaps of who she is and what she is ment to do in this new world. But when held captive by the devilishly handsome Aspen, Lucille must face certain memories that she has suppressed whether she is ready or not. Will she finally find and confront her mother or will she not like the answers she seeks? Overall rating 4/5 I do feel like this story was a bit bogged down in the beginning with the different characters and world building which made it hard to follow. That being said I did enjoy Quinn’s visualization of angels and demons. The slow burn, enemies to lovers dynamic between Lucille and Aspen was remarkable. I can’t wait to see what will happen if there is book two and from whose perspective.
*Thank you to M.S. Quinn and BookSirens for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.
In Wings of Lies, Lucille wakes alone with few memories, but she knows she must escape. She has powers that normal humans don't have and she remembers her mom, but the rest she will have to slowly discover on her own. During her journey she finds allies and she is betrayed, but Lucille eventually learns the truth.
I'll preface this by saying I enjoyed this book, but I also spent a good portion of the book confused. The entire story is told from Lucille's POV, except for some short parts by an unknown narrator. I'm going with the confusion for the reader is by design, because Lucille doesn't know what is going on either. She has to recover her memories through dream walking, so she gets her answers in slivers. As a reader, you are piecing clues together along with Lucille. Therefore, there is a lot of suspense and anticipation. Wings of Lies also has my favorite trope, enemies to lovers, and it's definitely a unique world. There are angels, demons, and a lot of magic. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger. The truth is revealed, but there is clearly more to come in book 2. This is a 5 star book for me!