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Realms of Caelia #0.5
Dreams of Wings (Realms of Caelia Prequel Novella
Lady Edelyn dreams of having meaningful relationships where she is seen and valued, but because of the strange premonitions that overwhelm her, she hides from the cruelty of her peers instead. When the worst of her foes attack her, the last person she expects comes to her rescue: her brothers’ best friend, Prince Stefan—a man she usually avoids.
When Prince Stefan saves Lady Edelyn from her tormentors, he suddenly realizes she is no longer the little girl he remembers. With that unexpected awakening, he yearns to pursue her with the same intensity as his instinctual rescue. She, however, is hesitant to trust him—or anyone.
Just as Edelyn finally opens her heart to Stefan, two villainous lords kidnap her in their grasp for power. Desperate to find each other again, Stefan and Edelyn are determined to do whatever it takes to reach their happily ever after. Will Edelyn gain the confidence she needs to escape, and will Stefan be able to find her before he loses her forever?
When Prince Stefan saves Lady Edelyn from her tormentors, he suddenly realizes she is no longer the little girl he remembers. With that unexpected awakening, he yearns to pursue her with the same intensity as his instinctual rescue. She, however, is hesitant to trust him—or anyone.
Just as Edelyn finally opens her heart to Stefan, two villainous lords kidnap her in their grasp for power. Desperate to find each other again, Stefan and Edelyn are determined to do whatever it takes to reach their happily ever after. Will Edelyn gain the confidence she needs to escape, and will Stefan be able to find her before he loses her forever?
96 pages, ebook
Published January 1, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 12, 2025
Content:
Profanity: None.
Violence: Mild. There are a lot of kidnappings (Thumbelina), near drownings, and some blood from thrown rocks. Cruelty from bullying is depicted as well.
Sexual: Mild. There are some hugs, dances, hand-holding, and kisses.
Triggers: The bullying is incredibly harsh. Also a lot of dismissing and gaslighting a character telling her she's not pretty.
At just shy of 100 pages, I almost rage-quit halfway through.
The abrupt way this is written is not anywhere near enjoyable. The main character is lonely, with low-self-esteem, and isolated from everyone. The Prince in this saves her from bullies, and suddenly he's all "I love you" when he doesn't know her at all, and hasn't since she was a kid. It's jarring and frustrating.
The entire story is one-thing-after-another, without any time to let the story unfold. I honestly think the author tried too hard to put every single thing from Thumbelina in this, and it killed any chance of the characters being realistic or likable. They were caricatures. What was more frustrating was the fact that there are hints all over the place that the author had ideas about their backstories and relationship. But they got buried in all the crazy plot points and kidnappings.
My inclination is to think that the author isn't used to short story or novellas. After looking for the first book in the story (which follows the children of the couple in this) and seeing that it's over 400 pages...I think that it will be better. I'll try a full-length novel before I make a judgement call on this author. Because honestly, novellas and short stories are HARD to write. You'd think short and easy, but man it's hard to pace them correctly and attach readers to characters in such a short span of time. I think too, that this might be better received if you read it after the main series books as a sort of fluff back-story to the King and Queen in the main books.
I feel really bad for how much this book frustrated me. But I can't honestly rate it higher or give it much praise. It's so unfinished and rushed and just...haphazard.
Profanity: None.
Violence: Mild. There are a lot of kidnappings (Thumbelina), near drownings, and some blood from thrown rocks. Cruelty from bullying is depicted as well.
Sexual: Mild. There are some hugs, dances, hand-holding, and kisses.
Triggers: The bullying is incredibly harsh. Also a lot of dismissing and gaslighting a character telling her she's not pretty.
At just shy of 100 pages, I almost rage-quit halfway through.
The abrupt way this is written is not anywhere near enjoyable. The main character is lonely, with low-self-esteem, and isolated from everyone. The Prince in this saves her from bullies, and suddenly he's all "I love you" when he doesn't know her at all, and hasn't since she was a kid. It's jarring and frustrating.
The entire story is one-thing-after-another, without any time to let the story unfold. I honestly think the author tried too hard to put every single thing from Thumbelina in this, and it killed any chance of the characters being realistic or likable. They were caricatures. What was more frustrating was the fact that there are hints all over the place that the author had ideas about their backstories and relationship. But they got buried in all the crazy plot points and kidnappings.
My inclination is to think that the author isn't used to short story or novellas. After looking for the first book in the story (which follows the children of the couple in this) and seeing that it's over 400 pages...I think that it will be better. I'll try a full-length novel before I make a judgement call on this author. Because honestly, novellas and short stories are HARD to write. You'd think short and easy, but man it's hard to pace them correctly and attach readers to characters in such a short span of time. I think too, that this might be better received if you read it after the main series books as a sort of fluff back-story to the King and Queen in the main books.
I feel really bad for how much this book frustrated me. But I can't honestly rate it higher or give it much praise. It's so unfinished and rushed and just...haphazard.
January 11, 2025
Cute but not very engaging. It moved quickly with little to no build-up or story. One minute, they barely know each other exists and the next, he loves her. But still cute.
June 19, 2025
3.75 ⭐️
December 21, 2024
I love Thumbelina and was a little disappointed at first that there were no fairies or tiny people in this book, but it won me over with the love story. Edelyn went on the same journey of forced marriages and running away until she was finally reunited with her love again. It was a beautiful tribute to the Don Bluth film with tons of references and dialogue.
March 29, 2025
That was such a beautiful read! I found the dialogue with the brothers to be funny, and I found Stefan's care for Edylyn so sweet. Blending the tales of The Ugly Duckling and Thumbelina worked so well together! This had a perfect amount of sweet, funny, suspenseful, and action.
May 9, 2026
3.5 stars.
This novella was cute! I don't read a lot of romance novellas, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but this was a nice introduction to the medium and genre. It's very fast-paced, and very, very fluffy. It's a nice, quick dose of escapism, which I could definitely use right now as I agonize over final exams, lol.
Even though I wish some things like the worldbuilding and the characters were more fleshed out, it was still enjoyable. Also, if I'm being honest, I wasn't sure how old Stefan was supposed to be? I know that Edelyn is nineteen (although I initially assumed she was much younger due to how she and the Tavoris sisters were introduced) but Stefan's exact age is never confirmed iirc, only that he's a few years older than her and is friends with her older brothers. While I don't secretly suspect their relationship of being predatory/inappropriate or anything like that, I just wish I knew how old he was actually supposed to be.
I recommend this novella for anyone looking for a quick and easy shot of sweet, fluffy straight romance!
This novella was cute! I don't read a lot of romance novellas, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but this was a nice introduction to the medium and genre. It's very fast-paced, and very, very fluffy. It's a nice, quick dose of escapism, which I could definitely use right now as I agonize over final exams, lol.
Even though I wish some things like the worldbuilding and the characters were more fleshed out, it was still enjoyable. Also, if I'm being honest, I wasn't sure how old Stefan was supposed to be? I know that Edelyn is nineteen (although I initially assumed she was much younger due to how she and the Tavoris sisters were introduced) but Stefan's exact age is never confirmed iirc, only that he's a few years older than her and is friends with her older brothers. While I don't secretly suspect their relationship of being predatory/inappropriate or anything like that, I just wish I knew how old he was actually supposed to be.
I recommend this novella for anyone looking for a quick and easy shot of sweet, fluffy straight romance!
December 7, 2024
What a cute prequel novella. I always love getting background information on characters; seeing the king and queen of books one and two in the series in their younger years was so fun. I read the first portion of the book with a smile on my face. I certainly can see where Lander (the male main character of book 2) gets some of his tendencies. ; )
Violence: kidnapping, bullying (physical and emotional), near drowning
Romance: clean. The main characters do spend some time in the forest alone. It’s unavoidable and not made out to be sensual or anything, though.
Violence: kidnapping, bullying (physical and emotional), near drowning
Romance: clean. The main characters do spend some time in the forest alone. It’s unavoidable and not made out to be sensual or anything, though.
July 14, 2026
Sweet, clean, Cinderella-style fairytale romance with a nod to the ugly duckling. I would have liked to have seen more character development; however, this is a novella and much shorter story. I recognize that limits the depth that can be developed. Edelyn does grow from her shy, introvert nature into a more confident and trusting young woman. Overall this story is a good start to the series. This is my first foray into Sara Farnsworth books and I look forward to a deeper dive into the Caelia series.
August 19, 2026
3.5 stars. This was a sweet read that I enjoyed. My two complaints would be that Stefan was a little pushy and their romance was very rushed. I wished that the novel had been more full length instead of novella length. Edelyn changed her mind very quickly and I felt like there needed to be more time for the characters to develop their romance. For the most part though I enjoyed their adventure together and the way Stefan and Edelyn loved and cherished one another. There seemed to be more elements of Thumbelina than the Ugly Duckling, but I thought the story was done well enough. I plan to read more books by this author.
January 2, 2025
I loved this book! The emotions were so raw and heartfelt and the love that Stefan had for Edelyn was incredible and beautiful. I loved how Edelyn grew to see herself as beautiful and worthy and how Stefan assured her of it all the time. The only issues I had with this book was the simplicity of writing style and plot as well as the fast-paced romance as Stefan fell in love with Edelyn after only a week. Otherwise, this was an incredible book that really touched on what true beauty is.
July 27, 2025
Sara is so good a mixing 2 fairytales and keeping them close but also putting her own spin on them.
I love we get this love story and getting to know the Parents of Alora.
Stefan is kind and protective
Evelyn is strong but shy after year of being bullied but with stafans help she is able to come out of her shell. Definitely worth the read.
I love we get this love story and getting to know the Parents of Alora.
Stefan is kind and protective
Evelyn is strong but shy after year of being bullied but with stafans help she is able to come out of her shell. Definitely worth the read.
January 15, 2025
I really loved reading this wonderful book! I loved the characters and the plot! I really loved this retelling of Thumbelina! I had a hard time putting this really wonderful book down! I will be reading the next book in this really wonderful series!
May 30, 2025
I enjoyed this retelling of Thumbelina and the Ugly Duckling, particularly the way Sara Farnsworth handled the topic of bullying. A highlight: how Lady Edelyn moved from being a damsel in distress to a damsel who rescues the prince.
March 7, 2026
This was a fantastic fantasy fairytale retelling book. The surprises and suspense were equally measured and made this book extremely enjoyable. I was able to read this book via Readera, but it did not in any way affect my review. All opinions are my own.
November 4, 2025
I don’t think I’ve read a Thumballina retelling before. I really enjoyed it.
April 15, 2025
cute/sweet little fantasy romance. supposed reimagined combination of thumbelina and the ugly duckling.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews