Wings of Ink

Wings of Ink #1

by Angelina J. Steffort

The seductive and thrilling first book in the Wings of Ink epic romantic fantasy series from award-winning author Angelina J. Steffort.

Stuck in prison, pirate Wolayna Milevishja is waiting to be dealt her punishment—one worse than death, her captors promised when they closed the door of her cell over nine months ago.

Now that punishment has come to collect her.

Wolayna is taken to the mystical fairylands as this year’s bride for the Crow King, and that, even the humans in this world know, means there is no hope.

As Wolayna quarrels with her fate, frosty disdain melts into heart-stopping attraction, and she realizes that, maybe, King Myron, has just as little choice as she has. Something ancient and vengeful is at work in the Crow realm, and the intrigue at court is just the surface of the looming danger closing in on them.

Will Wolayna outsmart fate and find the freedom she’s owed, or will this new world of winged horror and surprising beauty be the death of her?

If you like witty, independent heroines and morally-grey, tormented heroes, you will devour this sizzling, addictive fantasy adventure.

Perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses , From Blood and Ash, and Beauty and the Beast , WINGS OF INK is an epic romantic fantasy with enemies-to-lovers, arranged marriage, slow-burn spice, and a magical world filled with mysteries and monsters.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fae, Fantasy Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Magic

Audible Audio

Published May 22, 2024

About the author

"Chocolate fanatic, milk foam enthusiast and strict fan of the southern sting-ray. Writing is an unexpected career path for me."

Angelina J. Steffort is a bestselling, award-winning Austrian novelist, best known for her Wings series and her Shattered Kingdom series. With over twenty YA and adult fantasy and paranormal romance books under her belt, Angelina is far from done with inventing and exploring new worlds. That might have something to do with her passion for following the narrative of new characters and getting surprised by the twists they spin on her stories. Angelina has multiple educational backgrounds including engineering, business, music, and acting. Currently, Angelina lives in Vienna, Austria, with her husband and her son.

Find Angelina online: linktr.ee/ajsteffort

Subscribe to Angelina's newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/ajs_zon_nl

Reviews

[Surajat Debbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

0 to 1 ⭐️

Page of death - 271 (59%)

No plot, just vibes 🥲

You could promise me £1 million if I explain the plot of this, and I’d have to stay broke.

The romance was also too cringey.
——————————————-

I added this when it randomly came up as an ad…not heard anything about it or the author so wish me luck! 🤞🏾

[Lilly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Never got over the name of the prison. C'mon, PERENIS? Was Vagerinas already taken? Anyways, this book made me sleepy and had to dnf at 35% :(

[Sam | Haus of Fables · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️ 2 🌶️

This was a delectable beauty & the beast retelling with a twist! With crow fairies, an arranged marriage and slow burn romance, it gives you everything you want.

Due to the nature of the beauty & the beast retelling, the plot felt safe & familiar, while also providing magic & mystery & monsters…who you may just end up loving.

I enjoyed the unique take of the original fairytale while also keeping the plot in line with the original, it kept me engaged & I wanted to keep reading.
The ending also has me READY to pick up the next one!

I devoured this book really quickly & think that most people who like the fantasy romance genre would enjoy this one.

I received an arc from the author & views are my own.

[Kitty Martin · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @23%
Dear book... I hate you SO much.

I tried. I really, REALLY tried. How many times does the FMC need to tell us her lover is dead along with the rest of her crew? Because I think I clocked her at like once per percent as I was going through it. And for the love of god, NOBODY needs that much introspective narrative in a first person POV. Not to mention the fact that this FMC was so woman-written-by-a-man coded only to have BEEN WRITTEN BY A WOMAN! "My tiny weight..." literally go home and stay there. Please.

Absolutely terrible.

[Kim Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. The beginning gripped me immediately, and the story did start on good footing with a unique twist. Up until about the 40% mark that is. The descriptions became incredibly repetitive, and sometimes didn't make sense and all explanations of their thoughts were increasingly wordy, and unneeded. For an example, a two sentence dialogue took up 3 pages of internal monologue that was an obvious explanation for what they would be feeling. I found myself trudging through the last 150 pages and not invested in the story. The plot and climaxes became so obvious it was no longer enjoyable towards the end. I can't say I will read book 2 of this story.

[Books_and_Crafts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ehhh. I didn’t think this was anything special. It was an almost too predictable beauty and the beast retelling with crow shifters for beasts.

The author definitely got the monster part down because I didn’t care for how they were described physically at all… unfortunately that also hindered trying to see one as a romantic interest.

I also really didn’t care for the FMC the entire book and, well, I gotta like the main POV.

Overall this was just ok for me.

[Ailís · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 24%

This was an oddly written book - there was just something off about the writing that I couldn’t put my finger on.

I know nothing about the FMC; I couldn’t even tell you her name. All I know is that she lived on a ship with the only man she ever loved. This line is repeated at least twice per chapter.

There is not much in the way of world building or the magic system that the Fairy’s have. I felt like we were thrown into the middle of a story.

The MMC being a bird could have been cool but the guy was always partially shifted.

The chemistry wasn’t there between the MCs and everything felt forced.

[Joanna Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really wasn’t sure about this book at first, it seemed a bit far fetched (in relative terms for a fantasy novel!).

The plot thickens as you read on, embellishing and developing skilfully with hints and seeds of the deeper storyline gently growing. It’s really nicely paced, with interesting characters, betrayal, love, found strength and renewed faith and bravery.

Is it perfect? Is it original? Are there plot holes?
Who even cares. This is a bloody good read and romantic escapism done really well. Sometimes I think reviewers can get too caught up in critical analysis. I think a measure of a good book is reading it and enjoying it and considering I ate this book up in just over half a day, I’d say it’s bloody good and totally worth five stars!

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens when the Crow King takes a prisoner female pirate as a bride...? SPARKS 🔥

A delicious beauty & the beast retelling! Can't wait for book two. I finished a few days ago and can't get this book off my mind!

[Thais • tata.lifepages • · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review 4.5 stars❤️

Wings of Ink is inspired by Beauty & the Beast and perfect for fans of ACOTAR, A Curse so Dark and Lonely and From Blood and Ash!

We follow Ayla, who is held in prison for her pirating crimes. After losing everything she loves, she has lost all hope and it seems things couldn’t get any worse… the last thing she expected was to be sold to the King of the Crow Faeries to be his next bride. I LOVE the arranged marriage trope 👀 Problem is, there was 99 brides before her.. and NONE SURVIVED 💀

The Crow King and his entire court appear monstrous, half bird half human creatures that can shift their form. The reader discovers alongside Ayla the mystery behind the Crow Faeries and why the King needs a new bride every year. The romance is slowburn as Ayla starts to unravel the truth behind the curse, with amazing build up to spice 🔥 with this story things are not exactly as they seem 👀 Ayla is a pirate and she’s got nothing to lose so she will stop at nothing to find a way to survive.

What you can expect:
🥀Beauty & the Beast retelling
🥀Arranged marriage
🥀morally grey MMC with wings 👀
🥀enemies to lovers
🥀lost heir
🥀captive/captor

Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy for review!

[Bethany · Rating 2 out of 5]

a bit of a snooze fest

[Carrie McConn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had the ingredients to make a delicious read: imprisoned pirate, curses, multiple magic folks, secrets.

Unfortunately, this is written in a style where it is so repetitive, it feels like the author thinks we are dumb. Stop repeating the same information chapter after chapter. We don't need to be reminded, when we literally read this 2 pages ago. Oh wait, let's do it again in the next chapter.

Too bad because this had a bunch of potential.

[Flower · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Tell me to leave you alone, and I will. Tell me that you don’t want to be so close to a monster, and I won’t bring up how much I want to kiss you right now.” AHHHHH🤭🤭🤭

I liked the book, omg the ending though 😭 can’t wait for the second book to be out!

[Brianna Storti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wings of Ink is a new romantic fantasy novel, that spins the classic Beauty and the Beast fairytale. This novel includes an arranged marriage, slow burn romance, and crow faeries.

Our FMC, Wolayna “Ayna” has lost all of her family and loved ones. After her pirate family has been executed, she has been thrown into a dungeon where she believes this is her end. After 9 grueling months, Ayna is sold off to be married to the monstrous Crow King. She’s heard of the many brides the Crow King has had, so Ayna must fight for her freedom if she wishes to live another day. But as she fights for her freedom, she comes to learn that the Crow King is not who she believed him to be, and that he has many secrets that Ayna must uncover for her survival, and his.

The first few chapters of this story were so captivating. But as I kept reading, my interest started to slow. The plot and premise of this book is really great, but the FMC was very self doubting (until the end!) and always thinking of the same thing. I understand she’s gone through a lot and has lost everything, but it’s the way her thoughts are written that makes me annoyed with it. I’m not sure if it’s because the book is written in first person POV or that every time Ayna’s family or lover is mentioned it’s almost word for word the same.

I did enjoy the twist towards the end. Another note is that I wished the epilogue had been shorter. It sort of lost its wow factor with how long it was. I also found the answer to breaking the curse a little cheesy. But I guess that comes with a Beauty and the Beast retelling.

If you’re into arranged marriage tropes, slow burn romance, and crow faeries then you’ll love this book! I don’t think I was the perfect audience for this, so if you’re into any of the above it’s a great book!

Thank you to the author for my eARC copy of Wings of Ink. All of my thoughts and options are of my own.

[Crazydutchbooklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
THE CROW KING NEEDS A NEW BRIDE

The story starts following pirate Ayna being imprisoned. It immediately grabs attention with hurt and sorrows from the past and intriguing creatures guarding her with magic.
The story keeps you on your toes and wonder why and how things happen. Nothing is what it seems.

A small minus for me was the lack of communication at some point. But further down the road this was exactly that made the story very interesting. It definitely heightens to the mystery.

The book reminded me of A Thorn of Roses and Belle and the Beast. Myron can abduct me any time.
The ending had me shocked, I did not see this coming and I hate that I know have to wait for the sequel.

Conclusion a perfect start for a new serie that I’ll definitely continue reading.

[Ashlyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I DNF’d at 2% because the lines (on page 6 in Kindle) “I haven’t thought his name in twenty-seven days. How I know that? There is a thin groove in the brick stone beneath the window of my cell for each day I manage to keep the pain of thinking his name at bay” made me nuts. How can you note not thinking a name without thinking it as you make a note of it?? IT LITERALLY MAKES NO SENSE

I knew it wasn’t gonna get better from there and decided to spare myself.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75⭐️

[Maria Elena | pagesofmaria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

I was very excited to dive into WING OF INK because the premise sounded fantastic and has some pretty interesting comparison titles and I’m glad to say I was not disappointed. The story follows the pirate Ayna, who is given as tribute to the Crow King Myron to become his new bride—the one hundredth after a string of dead wives. Obviously, the biggest mystery to uncover is what happened to the previous ninety-nine wives and why it happened. Now if you’ve read stories with this sort of premise before, you already have an idea of what is going on, so the fun was truly in understanding the why, and this is where the beautiful worldbuilding of this series comes in, with complicated history and dynamics within the Crow Fairies, the fae and also between fae and humans.

The book starts off in quite the dark place, seeing as Ayna is the only surviving member of her crew and is a prisoner herself. The guards weren’t kind to her in the months she was imprisoned. Not that you see any of the torture by the time the book starts, but she’s in a bad place physically and emotionally at the beginning. However, the dark atmosphere of the book is the type of dark I like—intriguing and mysterious. Like Ayna, I was starving for more information on the Crow King, his kingdom, and the reason behind his many brides. It’s a puzzle that as a reader you slowly put together with every bit of information the characters share—which isn’t a lot, seeing as there is magic in place that seems to forbid the Crow Fairies from divulging too much information. This only made Myron’s figure all the more intriguing, since it was his actions more than his words that showed his true character.

Unfortunately, I was spoiled the ending because I had to read the blurb of the second book. I do think I wouldn’t have seen the twist coming had I not known to expect it, however I do feel it would have been a little more impactful had we seen the character in question a little bit more beforehand. That being said, the ending makes me very excited for the second book, which I’ll be diving into soon!

Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. Opinions are my own.

[EternallyPaperbound · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sooo I kinda loved this. A solid 4.5 read for me.
I really enjoyed the way the curse was depicted, the many questions that needed to be asked and how those were pieced together. I'm not sure I understand why the brides always died, but other than that, I felt the plot was really well structured. I loved their curse, the way it was set up. I really liked their curse FMC, she was relatable and a pleasant human, non annoying :) - happens more often than not, I promise.
The feeling of having given up came across well in the MMC and the banter among his friends was great.
The amalgamation of species at the end to form the twist came as a surprise to me and I really love those times so this was very enjoyable to me. I loved their curse FMC romance, but the plot and the curse specifically was interesting and kept me listening.

[KMart Vet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new epic romantic fantasy series and Beauty and the Beast retelling but infused with more adult themes and a unique narrative perspective.

Ayna is a former pirate left for dead in a prison with deplorable conditions after her entire crew and former love was killed. She abruptly finds herself transported to the fairylands as the Crow King's bride due to a historical bargain. Ayna is the 100th bride and ominously, the King marries once a year and no one hears from them again. As she grapples with her change in circumstances, a surprising transformation occurs – her initial disdain for King Myron evolves into a tentative alliance and perhaps more.

The writing style is a standout feature, showcasing the author's evident prowess. While containing familiar elements, the story takes on a fresh and mature tone that distinguishes it from traditional retellings. This is a fairytale for adults, basically, and I think Steffort did this better than most I've read. I also love fae stories that are more traditional of our folklore and the malevolence of the Crow fairies absolutely draws from that historical context. The addition of political aspects in numerous aspects of the story was fascinating.

The romance is so sweet and I just adored it. Ayna and Myron both carry the weight of past trauma, making their journey one of healing and growth. They become friends first and the relationship between them is nuanced. It offers a compelling dynamic that goes beyond the typical fairy tale romance.

One notable bit I ADORED was that the portrayal of the "villainous" character is ALSO more nuanced than in most retellings. This adds considerable complexity and yields some ability for the reader to empathize with their character. The unexpected twist in the villain's story adds depth and intrigue to the plot, steering away from conventional tropes.

If you appreciate heroines (who have found and lost love before) and grumpy, kind of tired, tormented heroes, this is an amazing romance fantasy. Steffort delivers a well-crafted and engaging story that breathes new life into a classic story.

Thanks to the author for the copy. This is an honest review and all opinions are my own.

[Bondedtobooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
I really enjoyed this, maybe it's because I love crow shifters.

▪️ACOTAR but make it crow shifters and imagine she meetings Rhys first.
▪️Room for growth for found family
▪️Curse
▪️Magical powers
▪️He's a crow shifter 🥰

[Holka z Moravy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Přišlo mi, že se tam víc kecá, než něco děje. Trvalo půl knihy, než se odehrála nějaká akce, fakt se mi to táhlo. Nakonec to ale nebylo tak špatné, nicméně do dalšího dílu nejspíš nepůjdu.

*Jde o retelling Krásky a zvířete, což je příběh, který zbožňuju. 🥀

[Julie 🕊️ ~books.and.chocolat3~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m mad at this book , it took me days to finish it, I couldn’t even DNF , I don’t even know why , I wanted to know , even if I already knew .. I mean , Beauty and the Beast retelling.. couldn’t be more simple to guess what will happen than that !

Everything was there to be great, but the endless inner monologues of the FMC were repetitive and some scenes were weird phrasing .. I had a hard time picturing it in my head .. she cried until late in the book over « the only man she loved » and i wasn’t there for that ..

I liked the MMC , but his screen time was a bit superficial, not much dialogues or moments .. and I missed that.

Some scenes were really good , where the emotions were well written (especially in the intimate ones) but other scenes made me disengage too easily..

The end and epilogue were nice , and i want to read the sequel because of them.

Would I recommend it ? Probably not
Would I read the sequel ? Yes

[Diana_1 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I felt a little bit let down by this novel. I never looked at it as a retelling before reading that it was supposed to be one and then things started to make sense in a way. My problem was that the characters had no chemistry in the first half of the book and i thought that the author kind of artificially manufactured that said chemistry by including some fan-favourite tropes. I did not particularly care for the MMC and the FMC was forgettable. Also the fact that they were crows made it creepy.

[Chiara | wordsbychiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

I can finally say that I dove into Wings of Ink, which I have been very excited to read ever since I set my eyes on this book. The story’s protagonist is Wolayna, an imprisoned pirate awaiting punishment. Except, she is taken to the fairylands and given over as a bride to the Crow King, Myron. A man rumored to be heartless and cruel. But as she comes to terms with her new fate, Ayna realizes not everything is what it seems—not with the man she is forced to marry, and not in his court.

This is a slower paced book that is a treat for those of us who enjoy a story rich with worldbuilding and intrigue, yes, but that is especially strong for its characters. Both Wolayna and Myron are wonderfully layered and defy expectations. Knowing she’s a pirate, I was expecting Ayna to be a little bit different, perhaps more ruthless and rougher around the edges, but I found a woman that is headstrong and brave but also gentle and compassionate. The perfect candidate to break a curse. And then there’s Myron, who shows a cruel front to hide the kindhearted man he truly is.

The premise is interestingly both familiar and new. The author does an excellent job in weaving the mystery of the court in a way that does not feel predictable, despite this being a Beauty and the Beast inspired story. There’s a lot of elements to the story, the brides, the curse, that lead back to the bloody past of the Crow Fairies and Myron’s family, and it involves players outside of his court as well. The ending was exciting, although the betrayal angered me—not so much that it happened, but the reason why it happened. I’m curious to see if the next book will give more details about it and confirm suspicions already raised by Myron himself.

Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. Opinions are my own.

[Lisa Maxey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. 4.5 ⭐️Epic retelling of a beauty and the beast. Fall in love with Anya an imprisoned pirate forced to marry the Crow King. Love the multiverse from the Mage books. I loved this book. Def recommend

[Zen · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

This book is honestly what I think of when I hear the term romantasy. I loved getting to know these characters and those around them.

[Regina Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really long and drawn out, but there were some good twists at the end

[Aggis · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

Desperately needed an editor or better beta readers. I’m not one to care about clunky sentences or grammar but this book had the annoying habit of stopping mid-sentence or clearly missing words.

Was not able to make it past 10% so take this review with a grain of salt as I have no comment on the plot.

[Tyger · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️ Although I enjoyed the premise of the story and the ideas the author had. I found myself struggling to care.

The characters were very interesting (ideally)… at times I really liked what they were doing but it seemed to fall flat and felt a little one dimensional at times. Slow burn, but the love didn’t feel genuine to me- as much as I tried to imagine it and force it - it just didn’t happen.

A lot of the writing was repetitive and I started to become bored. I almost DNF’d but I really wanted to like this book because the idea of it is so different than other fantasy romances.

One little rant: I don’t like that the nick name for Myron is moron- that’s not cute or loving- it really turned me off big time. 😤

I want to know what happens but I don’t want to have to read 460 pages again with not much progression and if I’m honest not the most enjoyable reading experience I had. 😣 I’m so sad about this one. 😢