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Riders of Earth and Sky Trilogy #1
Daughter of the Wind
An ancient evil stirs as a future empress wrestles with a dangerous new magic that threatens her bond with her beloved horse—and a forbidden love for the enemy sworn to protect her.
Zara is First Daughter and heir to the throne in a land where every warrior is soul-bound to their horse. Yet the earth magic of her ancestors has never answered her call, forcing her to question if she was ever meant to rule.
As war rages against the empire’s deadly Eagle Riders, her people edge closer to defeat—until an Eagle Rider comes for her. In a moment of desperation, Zara unleashes a wind magic strong enough to tear giant eagles from the sky. This power could turn the tide of war—but at a terrible cost. It unravels Zara’s psychic bond with her horse.
In exchange for peace, Zara agrees to marry the enemy’s emperor, sacrificing herself to protect her people. But the palace is more treacherous than any battlefield. Hidden there is a monstrous being long buried—and her power-hungry betrothed is determined to set it free.
Sworn to guard the future empress, Commander Talon realizes Zara may be the key to stopping the emperor’s dark ambitions. But he is also drawn closer to her with every breath, fighting between loyalty and a forbidden desire that could destroy them both. With their hearts and lives on the line, Zara and Talon must work together and do whatever it takes to stop the world from falling to darkness. Even if it costs them everything.
Zara is First Daughter and heir to the throne in a land where every warrior is soul-bound to their horse. Yet the earth magic of her ancestors has never answered her call, forcing her to question if she was ever meant to rule.
As war rages against the empire’s deadly Eagle Riders, her people edge closer to defeat—until an Eagle Rider comes for her. In a moment of desperation, Zara unleashes a wind magic strong enough to tear giant eagles from the sky. This power could turn the tide of war—but at a terrible cost. It unravels Zara’s psychic bond with her horse.
In exchange for peace, Zara agrees to marry the enemy’s emperor, sacrificing herself to protect her people. But the palace is more treacherous than any battlefield. Hidden there is a monstrous being long buried—and her power-hungry betrothed is determined to set it free.
Sworn to guard the future empress, Commander Talon realizes Zara may be the key to stopping the emperor’s dark ambitions. But he is also drawn closer to her with every breath, fighting between loyalty and a forbidden desire that could destroy them both. With their hearts and lives on the line, Zara and Talon must work together and do whatever it takes to stop the world from falling to darkness. Even if it costs them everything.
432 pages, Paperback
First published April 14, 2026
14 people are currently reading
9801 people want to read
About the author
Nora Carmody
1 book24 followersNora Carmody lives in South Carolina with her husband and six kids. Before she became an author, Nora worked as a psychotherapist. An avid horsewoman, she grew up riding and competing on her Arabian mare. Her horse riding days may be over, but she’s still a horse girl at heart! When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, Nora takes care of a constantly growing menagerie of pets, including (but not limited to) 2 dogs, 4 cats, 11 chickens, and a bearded dragon.
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March 18, 2026DNF at 100 pages. This is supposedly an adult book but reads like a middle grader novel
April 14, 2026
Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book.
1.5 stars - this book was simply not for me, but I’ll start with what worked and what I liked! I think this was written well and the story flowed. I think the concept of bonds to eagles and horses was something refreshing and I liked that aspect. I also think the last third of the book was the strongest point and it’s set up well for the sequel.
As for me, I couldn’t connect with this book. I couldn’t help but notice parallels to how the British empire treated Native Americans. Of course, this is a work of fiction in a fantasy world, but the parallels were there. The earth people having tribes, behaving “primally”, and having darker skin tones. The sky people embellished with gold and more conservative, referring to the earth people as barbarians. The fact the sky people were trying to conquer their entire lands, break up their tribes, use their resources, and strip them of their culture. It made me uncomfortable, and I couldn’t fathom a romance coming out of this.
Also, they kept referring to the 150 year long battle as a war, but it felt more like a genocide with how much their land had shrunk, the power imbalance, and how their people were either killed or enslaved, as quoted in the book.
Colonizer romance isn’t for me, so this didn’t really sit with me personally. I was surprised at how Zara quickly felt comfortable with a man who had slaughtered her people and led attacks to diminish her land.
Maybe I’m not the intended audience for this book, but it just made me uncomfortable, especially the first half of the book. It got better as I read but this just isn’t a type of romance I enjoy reading.
The fantasy world itself was intriguing and there is potential with the series. Like I said, the bonded animals were a great addition and the wind magic was really interesting. And once the plot shifted to defeating the devourer, then I was more into the story.
It was written well and there was potential, but this just wasn’t a story for me.
1.5 stars - this book was simply not for me, but I’ll start with what worked and what I liked! I think this was written well and the story flowed. I think the concept of bonds to eagles and horses was something refreshing and I liked that aspect. I also think the last third of the book was the strongest point and it’s set up well for the sequel.
As for me, I couldn’t connect with this book. I couldn’t help but notice parallels to how the British empire treated Native Americans. Of course, this is a work of fiction in a fantasy world, but the parallels were there. The earth people having tribes, behaving “primally”, and having darker skin tones. The sky people embellished with gold and more conservative, referring to the earth people as barbarians. The fact the sky people were trying to conquer their entire lands, break up their tribes, use their resources, and strip them of their culture. It made me uncomfortable, and I couldn’t fathom a romance coming out of this.
Also, they kept referring to the 150 year long battle as a war, but it felt more like a genocide with how much their land had shrunk, the power imbalance, and how their people were either killed or enslaved, as quoted in the book.
Colonizer romance isn’t for me, so this didn’t really sit with me personally. I was surprised at how Zara quickly felt comfortable with a man who had slaughtered her people and led attacks to diminish her land.
Maybe I’m not the intended audience for this book, but it just made me uncomfortable, especially the first half of the book. It got better as I read but this just isn’t a type of romance I enjoy reading.
The fantasy world itself was intriguing and there is potential with the series. Like I said, the bonded animals were a great addition and the wind magic was really interesting. And once the plot shifted to defeating the devourer, then I was more into the story.
It was written well and there was potential, but this just wasn’t a story for me.
October 16, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
This is a book I recommend to anyone who loved horses as a kid and was then forced to grow up. This absolutely captures the imagination from the first page, and takes you along for a wonderful adventure.
This book has some of the best world building that I have read! It explores diverse cultures in the book from the nomadic horse riders of the Children of the Earth to the mountain terrain of the Zephyrians, whose warriors ride into battle on the backs of giant eagles.
The main characters, Zara First Daughter of the Children of the Earth, and Talon commander of the Eagle Riders of the Zephyrian Empire, are likable and you want to root for them throughout the book. Their animal companions though, Shazeera a blood bay mare bond to Zara from childhood, and Neo a giant battle Eagle, are the ones who really steal the show! (Got to admit there were moments where I was more worried about them, then I was about the main characters.)
All four must come together to defeat an ever growing darkness that's growing in the Golden Eagle Palace of the Zephyrian Empire, where mysteries abound and danger lurks behind every shadow. Can Zara defeat this growing evil while containing a new magic inside of her, and keep the terms of a treaty that is the only thing keeping her people safe?
Well, you'll have to read to find out :)
Overall ratings:
Characters: 4/5
World Building: 5/5
Magic System: 5/5
Plot: 3.5/5
Spice: None (Some steamy bits, but nothing longer than a page)
The plot needs a bit of work in the second half, because it starts telling the plot rather than showing it.
But!
This book has awhile before it comes out, (as of writing this review) and I am hoping it gets the rough edges all polished out before that.
If you're looking for a book that's full of beautiful landscapes, telepathic animal companions, and adventure, this is the book for you! Will definitely be picking this book up when it releases!
This is a book I recommend to anyone who loved horses as a kid and was then forced to grow up. This absolutely captures the imagination from the first page, and takes you along for a wonderful adventure.
This book has some of the best world building that I have read! It explores diverse cultures in the book from the nomadic horse riders of the Children of the Earth to the mountain terrain of the Zephyrians, whose warriors ride into battle on the backs of giant eagles.
The main characters, Zara First Daughter of the Children of the Earth, and Talon commander of the Eagle Riders of the Zephyrian Empire, are likable and you want to root for them throughout the book. Their animal companions though, Shazeera a blood bay mare bond to Zara from childhood, and Neo a giant battle Eagle, are the ones who really steal the show! (Got to admit there were moments where I was more worried about them, then I was about the main characters.)
All four must come together to defeat an ever growing darkness that's growing in the Golden Eagle Palace of the Zephyrian Empire, where mysteries abound and danger lurks behind every shadow. Can Zara defeat this growing evil while containing a new magic inside of her, and keep the terms of a treaty that is the only thing keeping her people safe?
Well, you'll have to read to find out :)
Overall ratings:
Characters: 4/5
World Building: 5/5
Magic System: 5/5
Plot: 3.5/5
Spice: None (Some steamy bits, but nothing longer than a page)
The plot needs a bit of work in the second half, because it starts telling the plot rather than showing it.
But!
This book has awhile before it comes out, (as of writing this review) and I am hoping it gets the rough edges all polished out before that.
If you're looking for a book that's full of beautiful landscapes, telepathic animal companions, and adventure, this is the book for you! Will definitely be picking this book up when it releases!
April 13, 2026
BLURB:
Zara, the First Daughter of her people, has spent her life waiting for her earth magic to awaken. When war erupts with the empire of Eagle Riders, a forbidden power—wind—surfaces instead and threatens her telepathic bond with her horse. To secure peace, she’s forced into a political marriage with the enemy emperor and sent to his hostile court. But within the palace, an ancient, malevolent force resides—one drawn to her rare magic.
REVIEW:
If you’re looking for a high-stakes romantasy book that puts the fantasy first and has a closed-door romance very much in the background, this book is one you’ll want to check out—especially with its gorgeous cover that beautifully captures a scene from the story! It’s also a strong debut, and as the 1st installment in a new series, it does a great job laying the groundwork for what feels like a much bigger story to come.
The world-building is rich and immersive, tied to elemental magic (in this book, Earth and Wind), while the slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers subplot only gains momentum in the second half. And we’ve got some great tropes woven in—hidden power, forced proximity, political marriage, enemy alliance, and animal companions, along with themes of identity, destiny, sacrifice, and the cost of magic!
The story is very engaging as it’s told through dual POVs—Zara and Commander Talon, who start on opposing sides and nearly kill each other in the opening battle. Zara, as the first daughter of the Queen of the Earth Children, struggles with her identity and anxiety over her earth magic not yet surfacing. Instead, a powerful wind magic emerges that wipes her and threatens to sever her telepathic bond with her horse. The connection between her and her horse, Shazeera, is a core part of the story, as they constantly communicate and look out for each other—it’s incredibly heartfelt, and you’ll be emotionally invested!
On the other side, Commander Talon is loyal and bound to his people—but once a peace alliance is formed and he’s tasked by the Emperor, his cousin, with protecting Zara, everything changes! Slow-burn romance fans will enjoy their evolving relationship—quiet, mistrustful moments to dangerous attacks on Zara’s life force them closer together. The “he falls first” trope is evident in his inner monologue that subtly sets the stage for what’s to come.
From the thrilling opening battle that then slows into world-building and character focus about Zara’s people, their magic, and what’s at stake if they lose, the story starts off strong. But once Zara enters the emperor's palace, the story really takes off. The second half gets addictive—family drama, buried secrets, hidden agendas, and a sinister supernatural entity lurking behind the scenes, aiming to consume Zara’s magic, all add tension and intrigue. The final chapters are intense, with high stakes, heartbreaking decisions, and twists that make it clear this story is only just beginning—and the final scene will leave you wanting the next book right away. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait too long!
For a more immersive experience, a map would have been a helpful addition, especially since different kingdoms and lands are referenced—hopefully one will be included in future books!
Zara, the First Daughter of her people, has spent her life waiting for her earth magic to awaken. When war erupts with the empire of Eagle Riders, a forbidden power—wind—surfaces instead and threatens her telepathic bond with her horse. To secure peace, she’s forced into a political marriage with the enemy emperor and sent to his hostile court. But within the palace, an ancient, malevolent force resides—one drawn to her rare magic.
REVIEW:
If you’re looking for a high-stakes romantasy book that puts the fantasy first and has a closed-door romance very much in the background, this book is one you’ll want to check out—especially with its gorgeous cover that beautifully captures a scene from the story! It’s also a strong debut, and as the 1st installment in a new series, it does a great job laying the groundwork for what feels like a much bigger story to come.
The world-building is rich and immersive, tied to elemental magic (in this book, Earth and Wind), while the slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers subplot only gains momentum in the second half. And we’ve got some great tropes woven in—hidden power, forced proximity, political marriage, enemy alliance, and animal companions, along with themes of identity, destiny, sacrifice, and the cost of magic!
The story is very engaging as it’s told through dual POVs—Zara and Commander Talon, who start on opposing sides and nearly kill each other in the opening battle. Zara, as the first daughter of the Queen of the Earth Children, struggles with her identity and anxiety over her earth magic not yet surfacing. Instead, a powerful wind magic emerges that wipes her and threatens to sever her telepathic bond with her horse. The connection between her and her horse, Shazeera, is a core part of the story, as they constantly communicate and look out for each other—it’s incredibly heartfelt, and you’ll be emotionally invested!
On the other side, Commander Talon is loyal and bound to his people—but once a peace alliance is formed and he’s tasked by the Emperor, his cousin, with protecting Zara, everything changes! Slow-burn romance fans will enjoy their evolving relationship—quiet, mistrustful moments to dangerous attacks on Zara’s life force them closer together. The “he falls first” trope is evident in his inner monologue that subtly sets the stage for what’s to come.
From the thrilling opening battle that then slows into world-building and character focus about Zara’s people, their magic, and what’s at stake if they lose, the story starts off strong. But once Zara enters the emperor's palace, the story really takes off. The second half gets addictive—family drama, buried secrets, hidden agendas, and a sinister supernatural entity lurking behind the scenes, aiming to consume Zara’s magic, all add tension and intrigue. The final chapters are intense, with high stakes, heartbreaking decisions, and twists that make it clear this story is only just beginning—and the final scene will leave you wanting the next book right away. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait too long!
For a more immersive experience, a map would have been a helpful addition, especially since different kingdoms and lands are referenced—hopefully one will be included in future books!
May 2, 2026
Thank you to Berkley and Ace Publishing for the gifted eArc of Daughter of the Wind. I really enjoyed Daughter of the Wind overall. I thought it was a really solid start to a new romantasy series with the world-building, the character development, and the magic system. I thought the world-building was really solid, and the author did an amazing job with the descriptions. The pacing of the book worked really well. I was hooked from the start and just found myself enjoying the story. My favorite aspect of this story is the soul-bond to the horses and the eagle riders. I love animal sidekicks in a fantasy, and this was a great take on that genre! Some parts did read a little YA when this is an adult romantasy book, but I didn't feel that took me out of the story, and it was overall, a very solid start to the series. I am definitely going to want to read the next book and hopefully get some more answers, especially with that ending!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I truly enjoyed Daughter of the Wind by Nora Carmody. As a life long horse lover, the relished the bond between Zara (FMC), and her horse Shazeera. Talon, the MMC has a similar bond with his Eagle, Neo. This book had good world building, political intrigue, magical elements, and plenty of surprises along the way. I also enjoyed the enemies to lovers element of this book. I look forward to the next installment in the Riders of the Earth and Sky trilogy.
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group | Ace, and Nora Carmody for the eARC of Daughter of the Wind.
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group | Ace, and Nora Carmody for the eARC of Daughter of the Wind.
Did Not Finish
April 29, 2026Daughter of the Wind by Nora Carmody is a book that, on paper, should have been a five-star read for me. It sits squarely within the romantasy genre that I typically devour, featuring high-stakes political intrigue, elemental magic, and an enemies-to-lovers arc. Yet, in a rare turn of events, I found myself hitting the 50% mark and deciding to set it aside. While I fully intend to return to it—and there is much to appreciate here—it’s a classic case of the right book at the wrong time.
The story follows Zara, the First Daughter and heir to the throne of the Children of the Earth. In Zara's world, magic is tied to the land, and every warrior shares a deep, psychic bond with their horse. However, Zara faces a crisis of identity: the earth magic of her ancestors remains silent, making her feel like an outsider among her own people. When war with the Zephyrian Empire and their lethal Eagle Riders reaches a breaking point, Zara accidentally unleashes a rare and destructive wind magic. To save her people from total annihilation, she enters into a political marriage with the enemy emperor, moving from the open plains to a treacherous palace where a darker, ancient evil is beginning to stir.
The most compelling aspect of the book, and the reason I know I’ll pick it back up, is the unique "horse and eagle" angle. It isn’t just a "girl and her horse" story; the bond is telepathic and visceral. Seeing that contrasted with the Zephyrian Commander Talon and his giant battle eagle, Neo, adds a fascinating layer to the world-building. The interplay between the ground-based cavalry and the aerial threats of the Eagle Riders creates a dynamic magic system that feels fresh.
As for the romance, it follows the "forbidden love" and "enemy sworn to protect her" tropes quite closely. Talon is assigned as Zara’s guard in the hostile palace, and their slow-burn chemistry builds as they realize the Emperor’s ambitions are far more sinister than either of them imagined.
So, why the DNF (for now)? Sometimes, a reader’s "mood" is the final decider of a book’s success. While the characters were interesting and the stakes were high, I found the pacing in the middle to be a bit dense. The transition from the action-heavy opening to the slower, more claustrophobic political maneuvering of the palace felt like a significant shift in momentum. At the 50% mark, I realized I wasn’t as emotionally tiedvto the outcome as I wanted to be, and I felt the pull of other titles on my shelf.
Ultimately, *Daughter of the Wind* is a solid debut that will likely appeal to fans of *Fourth Wing* or anyone who grew up as a "horse fan" looking for a more adult, magical take on that bond. I’m keeping my copy on the "to-be-finished" pile because I’m genuinely curious to see how Zara masters her wind magic and whether she can preserve her bond with Shazeera in the process. I just need to wait for the moment when I’m ready to fully immerse myself back in the winds of the Zephyrian Empire.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The story follows Zara, the First Daughter and heir to the throne of the Children of the Earth. In Zara's world, magic is tied to the land, and every warrior shares a deep, psychic bond with their horse. However, Zara faces a crisis of identity: the earth magic of her ancestors remains silent, making her feel like an outsider among her own people. When war with the Zephyrian Empire and their lethal Eagle Riders reaches a breaking point, Zara accidentally unleashes a rare and destructive wind magic. To save her people from total annihilation, she enters into a political marriage with the enemy emperor, moving from the open plains to a treacherous palace where a darker, ancient evil is beginning to stir.
The most compelling aspect of the book, and the reason I know I’ll pick it back up, is the unique "horse and eagle" angle. It isn’t just a "girl and her horse" story; the bond is telepathic and visceral. Seeing that contrasted with the Zephyrian Commander Talon and his giant battle eagle, Neo, adds a fascinating layer to the world-building. The interplay between the ground-based cavalry and the aerial threats of the Eagle Riders creates a dynamic magic system that feels fresh.
As for the romance, it follows the "forbidden love" and "enemy sworn to protect her" tropes quite closely. Talon is assigned as Zara’s guard in the hostile palace, and their slow-burn chemistry builds as they realize the Emperor’s ambitions are far more sinister than either of them imagined.
So, why the DNF (for now)? Sometimes, a reader’s "mood" is the final decider of a book’s success. While the characters were interesting and the stakes were high, I found the pacing in the middle to be a bit dense. The transition from the action-heavy opening to the slower, more claustrophobic political maneuvering of the palace felt like a significant shift in momentum. At the 50% mark, I realized I wasn’t as emotionally tiedvto the outcome as I wanted to be, and I felt the pull of other titles on my shelf.
Ultimately, *Daughter of the Wind* is a solid debut that will likely appeal to fans of *Fourth Wing* or anyone who grew up as a "horse fan" looking for a more adult, magical take on that bond. I’m keeping my copy on the "to-be-finished" pile because I’m genuinely curious to see how Zara masters her wind magic and whether she can preserve her bond with Shazeera in the process. I just need to wait for the moment when I’m ready to fully immerse myself back in the winds of the Zephyrian Empire.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 21, 2026
I dunno why I expected a Catholic white lady who homeschools her six kids to be able to handle a story about colonizing :l
the kicker is the author has a therapy background and claims this helps her write deep characters. so why does Zara easily fall in love with her colonizer, without any deep self analysis? :l She's not even upset to be used as a game piece in her colonizer's war/genocide :l
the horse had no personality :l horses are silly idiots who get themselves into all sorts of trouble but Shazeera comes across as Zara's inner voice, with no additional personality (and Zara herself is pretty empty.) Nothing can beat Cloud in Tamora Pierce's Immortals series, I guess. I want more horses with horse humor and horse sense in books.
this is published as adult and I have no clue why, it reads YA, altho the author promises spice in the next books. this would have done SO MUCH better published as YA for middle grade kiddos.
the cover is dope, altho the main character looks white and is described as "golden brown" in the book...
the kicker is the author has a therapy background and claims this helps her write deep characters. so why does Zara easily fall in love with her colonizer, without any deep self analysis? :l She's not even upset to be used as a game piece in her colonizer's war/genocide :l
the horse had no personality :l horses are silly idiots who get themselves into all sorts of trouble but Shazeera comes across as Zara's inner voice, with no additional personality (and Zara herself is pretty empty.) Nothing can beat Cloud in Tamora Pierce's Immortals series, I guess. I want more horses with horse humor and horse sense in books.
this is published as adult and I have no clue why, it reads YA, altho the author promises spice in the next books. this would have done SO MUCH better published as YA for middle grade kiddos.
the cover is dope, altho the main character looks white and is described as "golden brown" in the book...
April 15, 2026
2.5 ⭐️ Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!
Zara is the first daughter of the Earth clans "queen", but she has not been able to access her earth magic. Her and her people are bonded to horses.
When Talon and his bonded wild eagle attack her- she uses wind power- which is the magic of Talon's people.
I liked the concept of this a lot, but I unfortunately was not emotionally invested in the characters. This reads more like a young adult.
Zara is the first daughter of the Earth clans "queen", but she has not been able to access her earth magic. Her and her people are bonded to horses.
When Talon and his bonded wild eagle attack her- she uses wind power- which is the magic of Talon's people.
I liked the concept of this a lot, but I unfortunately was not emotionally invested in the characters. This reads more like a young adult.
April 16, 2026
This one had such a unique premise, and I really enjoyed the worldbuilding. The magic and the bond with the horses were definitely standout elements for me they felt fresh and really well done.
For me personally, it leaned a bit more YA in tone than I was expecting, but that’s absolutely going to work really well for a lot of readers.
There’s a lot to love here, and I can definitely see this being a hit for the right audience.
For me personally, it leaned a bit more YA in tone than I was expecting, but that’s absolutely going to work really well for a lot of readers.
There’s a lot to love here, and I can definitely see this being a hit for the right audience.
May 1, 2026
⭐️I LOVED this book. Like… deeply, personally loved it.
🐎 As someone who’s been riding since I was five, I could immediately tell this author GETS horses. The bond, the nuance, the feeling of it all. This is hands down the horse-centered fantasy I’ve been waiting for my entire life.
We’ve got: 🌬️ wind vs. earth magic 🦅 deadly (and very cool) eagle riders 🐎 soul-bound horses (!!!) ⚔️ looming war & a genuinely dark threat 💫 slow burn romance that enhances the story instead of taking it over
💜 Zara was such a standout FMC for me. She questions her worthiness for her role, but never loses her sense of self and that balance felt so right. There are moments where she’s so loudly self-assured that it completely throws the people around her (especially the men!!), and I loved that.
💚 And Talon? Loyal, fierce, and respectful. We love a green flag.
✍️ The writing style is straightforward but immersive in a way that just worked for me. I flew through this and didn’t want to leave the world.
That ending… 😅 yes, I need book two immediately, but I get it. Classic book one move.
🐎 If you’ve ever loved horses, admired them from afar, or dreamed of flying through the sky, this one is absolutely for you.
🐎 As someone who’s been riding since I was five, I could immediately tell this author GETS horses. The bond, the nuance, the feeling of it all. This is hands down the horse-centered fantasy I’ve been waiting for my entire life.
We’ve got: 🌬️ wind vs. earth magic 🦅 deadly (and very cool) eagle riders 🐎 soul-bound horses (!!!) ⚔️ looming war & a genuinely dark threat 💫 slow burn romance that enhances the story instead of taking it over
💜 Zara was such a standout FMC for me. She questions her worthiness for her role, but never loses her sense of self and that balance felt so right. There are moments where she’s so loudly self-assured that it completely throws the people around her (especially the men!!), and I loved that.
💚 And Talon? Loyal, fierce, and respectful. We love a green flag.
✍️ The writing style is straightforward but immersive in a way that just worked for me. I flew through this and didn’t want to leave the world.
That ending… 😅 yes, I need book two immediately, but I get it. Classic book one move.
🐎 If you’ve ever loved horses, admired them from afar, or dreamed of flying through the sky, this one is absolutely for you.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This was a book I knew I needed to read because I have loved the author for years now. And that cover sold me. It is simply so beautiful. It also sounded like such an exciting story, even though it was a little different from what I usually read. But giant eagles. Definitely a story that could be for me. But then it was sadly not.
I am going to have so much to say about this book. And I am not sure where to start. So I will begin by sharing that it was sadly a two star read for me. I wish I had loved it. I so wish I had liked it more. I tried my very best to, but it was simply not to me. But the plus side is that I did not hate anything about this. Which is good.
But yes. I have a whole lot of thoughts to share about this story. The things that I did not like. But there was no hate. There was not anything that made me dislike this book, it was just not for me. And so I shall begin by sharing the things that I did like, as there were parts that were good as well. I liked how very close the horse people were. With each other and with their horses. I loved that they didn't eat meat. I really liked the scenes of flying on eagles in the air. I have always dreamed of flying. I liked the horse riding scenes as well. And I especially love that gorgeous cover. It is simply stunning. That may be all the positive things that I have to share right now, ack. I just had too many small issues. But again, no hate at all for this book. It was simply not for me. For several reasons, though, which I will be describing.
My first problem with this book was the writing. I did not like it. I was not able to connect with the main girl, Zara, at all. I simply didn't care for her one bit. Which was so depressing. The writing also kept changing, which was a little annoying. It ended up telling more instead of showing. There was nothing that kept me interested in the girl or the story. I just did not feel any emotions at all. It switches between Zara, and the boy, Talon. And I did not like him much either, to be honest. I am not sure if the writing is to blame for it.
It also did not help that they both felt like teenagers, around sixteen years old. And I have no idea how old they were actually supposed to me. It is not mentioned, which also bothered me. Talon looks at Zara once and thinks she is in her early twenties. I'm guessing he is older, since he was the eagle army commander. But it is never said. But yes. They felt so very young. It is supposed to be an adult book, but I did not get that feeling from it at all. The word sexy is mentioned twice, which also didn't fit in at all. It was a bit weird.
Anyway. This book tells the story of Zara. She lives with her people on the plains, doing their best to hide from the eagle riders. As their people have been at war for over a hundred and fifty years. I do wish there were some more details about that, as it was a bit too easy to get a treaty done. Zara is a First Daughter. And her mother was Queen of All Queens. And they were Children of Earth. It was a bit too much for me. I liked their customs. I did not like their names at all. I also did not like Zara's mother very much, honestly.
Zara has a horse bonded to her, called Shazeera. It bothered me at first, these bonded horses. For so long they are always mentioned by name by Zara in her thoughts. And they are everywhere with them. Inside all their homes, sleeping with them many times as well. It seemed like it would be so messy, haha. But that is not mentioned. Zara has a mind connection with Shazeera. They have been together since they were small. She calls them heart sisters. And I did like their close bond. But at the same time, not.
Because the horse did not feel like a horse. And that was disturbing. With all the thoughts being shared, it felt like it was a human inside of a horse body. I wish it had been a little more horse like, somehow. Then the eagle riders have that same connection with their eagles. The other point of view is Talon, with his eagle Neo. Also felt like a human inside of an eagle. It was a little weird. I liked the eagle more than the horse, though, oops. But yes. It all felt a little weird to me. Yet I did like their connection to their animals.
Okay. I have written way too much without mentioning the plot. Zara is supposed to have magic powers like her mother, to keep their people safe. But she does not. She feels nothing. Until suddenly she gets the power of the wind instead of the earth. Which she discovers when an eagle rider is trying to kill her, and she blasts him out of the sky. Which was pretty exciting to read about. I wanted more about the wind power. It was too little of it. Because of this, she is now being forced to marry the emperor to get peace.
Which was a little weird. Especially when she knew nothing about their way of life in the city up in the mountain. And so the first part of the book is her on the plains, then it's her in the mountains. Which was a depressing place. And honestly just boring to read about. Not going to share too much more, just that it is about Zara somehow falling in love with Talon, who is guarding her. It was too sudden and no actual romantic moments. It is about a monster being in this place, and them trying to kill it to save everyone.
The villain of this story is a being that they call Ozul. It was a little creepy, but it was also just so weird and I did not get this story much. The Emperor, Altair, had sort of allied with this creature. Whom is somehow eating the souls of people. And then they are all calling these soulless people for a walking corpse. That honestly bothered me as well, since they all called them that. It was a little weird. But it was an interesting villain, in a way. But their plan to get rid of him was honestly all kinds of terrible, ha. And ended so badly.
I have to mention the romance as well. It's meant to be enemies to lovers. I did not see that at all. Yes, their people were enemies. And for one second they tried to kill each other. The next second they were pretty much in love with each other. They were not enemies at all, not in that way. And I did not get the romance at all, sadly. I wish I had loved it. But it was too soon. There was no reason for either of them to like the other. It was so sudden, without any scenes spent together. To me, the romance was not good.
It was also barely there. A few kisses. And sadly not written very well, as I did not feel anything for them. It might just be a problem that I have, of course. I do think others will love this book. I'm just way too picky when it comes to writing. Talon kept thinking he would hurt his cousin to keep Zara safe. This made zero sense to me. Ugh. And to me, everything felt so distant. I did not care for any of the characters or for this world. Though I was curious about the world and the small part of magic it had. I wanted to know more.
A few parts of the writing that bothered me, that I simply have to share about. From the beginning, Zara always thinks about her blood freezing to ice. In several different ways. And way too often. This bothered me. And then later, after they are suddenly in love, she keeps seeing heat in the eyes of Talon. It just felt so awkward, in a way. When the eagles take off the ground it is mentioned as their wings pumping. Which may be the way to describe it, of course, but felt like it was so weird every time. Oops. I failed to ignore it.
Will end my review by mentioning the ending. Some people died, and I did not care one bit. And I did not get why Zara cared about them at all. She had not spent time with them, except having them as guards. Yet she mentions that she trusts them. It was just odd. The deaths were weird, but made sense. Then it ends pretty badly. But it sets up the next book very well. And there was one thing that I liked very much. There was a new eagle being mentioned. And that was my favorite part of the whole book. It was great.
The biggest thank you to the author, Nora, for gifting me this most beautiful ARC copy of this book to read. It means the world to me. I am sorry I did not like it more. But I am so glad that I read it, and I will still be getting my pre-ordered finished copy, as I truly love that cover. And I am curious about the next two books. I will be reading them too. Daughter of the Wind was not as amazing as I had hoped it would be, but it was still a stunning story to read. And I am glad I gave this a chance. I think you all should too.
---
This review was first posted on my blog, Carina's Books, here: https://carinabooks.blogspot.com/2026...
I am going to have so much to say about this book. And I am not sure where to start. So I will begin by sharing that it was sadly a two star read for me. I wish I had loved it. I so wish I had liked it more. I tried my very best to, but it was simply not to me. But the plus side is that I did not hate anything about this. Which is good.
But yes. I have a whole lot of thoughts to share about this story. The things that I did not like. But there was no hate. There was not anything that made me dislike this book, it was just not for me. And so I shall begin by sharing the things that I did like, as there were parts that were good as well. I liked how very close the horse people were. With each other and with their horses. I loved that they didn't eat meat. I really liked the scenes of flying on eagles in the air. I have always dreamed of flying. I liked the horse riding scenes as well. And I especially love that gorgeous cover. It is simply stunning. That may be all the positive things that I have to share right now, ack. I just had too many small issues. But again, no hate at all for this book. It was simply not for me. For several reasons, though, which I will be describing.
My first problem with this book was the writing. I did not like it. I was not able to connect with the main girl, Zara, at all. I simply didn't care for her one bit. Which was so depressing. The writing also kept changing, which was a little annoying. It ended up telling more instead of showing. There was nothing that kept me interested in the girl or the story. I just did not feel any emotions at all. It switches between Zara, and the boy, Talon. And I did not like him much either, to be honest. I am not sure if the writing is to blame for it.
It also did not help that they both felt like teenagers, around sixteen years old. And I have no idea how old they were actually supposed to me. It is not mentioned, which also bothered me. Talon looks at Zara once and thinks she is in her early twenties. I'm guessing he is older, since he was the eagle army commander. But it is never said. But yes. They felt so very young. It is supposed to be an adult book, but I did not get that feeling from it at all. The word sexy is mentioned twice, which also didn't fit in at all. It was a bit weird.
Anyway. This book tells the story of Zara. She lives with her people on the plains, doing their best to hide from the eagle riders. As their people have been at war for over a hundred and fifty years. I do wish there were some more details about that, as it was a bit too easy to get a treaty done. Zara is a First Daughter. And her mother was Queen of All Queens. And they were Children of Earth. It was a bit too much for me. I liked their customs. I did not like their names at all. I also did not like Zara's mother very much, honestly.
Zara has a horse bonded to her, called Shazeera. It bothered me at first, these bonded horses. For so long they are always mentioned by name by Zara in her thoughts. And they are everywhere with them. Inside all their homes, sleeping with them many times as well. It seemed like it would be so messy, haha. But that is not mentioned. Zara has a mind connection with Shazeera. They have been together since they were small. She calls them heart sisters. And I did like their close bond. But at the same time, not.
Because the horse did not feel like a horse. And that was disturbing. With all the thoughts being shared, it felt like it was a human inside of a horse body. I wish it had been a little more horse like, somehow. Then the eagle riders have that same connection with their eagles. The other point of view is Talon, with his eagle Neo. Also felt like a human inside of an eagle. It was a little weird. I liked the eagle more than the horse, though, oops. But yes. It all felt a little weird to me. Yet I did like their connection to their animals.
Okay. I have written way too much without mentioning the plot. Zara is supposed to have magic powers like her mother, to keep their people safe. But she does not. She feels nothing. Until suddenly she gets the power of the wind instead of the earth. Which she discovers when an eagle rider is trying to kill her, and she blasts him out of the sky. Which was pretty exciting to read about. I wanted more about the wind power. It was too little of it. Because of this, she is now being forced to marry the emperor to get peace.
Which was a little weird. Especially when she knew nothing about their way of life in the city up in the mountain. And so the first part of the book is her on the plains, then it's her in the mountains. Which was a depressing place. And honestly just boring to read about. Not going to share too much more, just that it is about Zara somehow falling in love with Talon, who is guarding her. It was too sudden and no actual romantic moments. It is about a monster being in this place, and them trying to kill it to save everyone.
The villain of this story is a being that they call Ozul. It was a little creepy, but it was also just so weird and I did not get this story much. The Emperor, Altair, had sort of allied with this creature. Whom is somehow eating the souls of people. And then they are all calling these soulless people for a walking corpse. That honestly bothered me as well, since they all called them that. It was a little weird. But it was an interesting villain, in a way. But their plan to get rid of him was honestly all kinds of terrible, ha. And ended so badly.
I have to mention the romance as well. It's meant to be enemies to lovers. I did not see that at all. Yes, their people were enemies. And for one second they tried to kill each other. The next second they were pretty much in love with each other. They were not enemies at all, not in that way. And I did not get the romance at all, sadly. I wish I had loved it. But it was too soon. There was no reason for either of them to like the other. It was so sudden, without any scenes spent together. To me, the romance was not good.
It was also barely there. A few kisses. And sadly not written very well, as I did not feel anything for them. It might just be a problem that I have, of course. I do think others will love this book. I'm just way too picky when it comes to writing. Talon kept thinking he would hurt his cousin to keep Zara safe. This made zero sense to me. Ugh. And to me, everything felt so distant. I did not care for any of the characters or for this world. Though I was curious about the world and the small part of magic it had. I wanted to know more.
A few parts of the writing that bothered me, that I simply have to share about. From the beginning, Zara always thinks about her blood freezing to ice. In several different ways. And way too often. This bothered me. And then later, after they are suddenly in love, she keeps seeing heat in the eyes of Talon. It just felt so awkward, in a way. When the eagles take off the ground it is mentioned as their wings pumping. Which may be the way to describe it, of course, but felt like it was so weird every time. Oops. I failed to ignore it.
Will end my review by mentioning the ending. Some people died, and I did not care one bit. And I did not get why Zara cared about them at all. She had not spent time with them, except having them as guards. Yet she mentions that she trusts them. It was just odd. The deaths were weird, but made sense. Then it ends pretty badly. But it sets up the next book very well. And there was one thing that I liked very much. There was a new eagle being mentioned. And that was my favorite part of the whole book. It was great.
The biggest thank you to the author, Nora, for gifting me this most beautiful ARC copy of this book to read. It means the world to me. I am sorry I did not like it more. But I am so glad that I read it, and I will still be getting my pre-ordered finished copy, as I truly love that cover. And I am curious about the next two books. I will be reading them too. Daughter of the Wind was not as amazing as I had hoped it would be, but it was still a stunning story to read. And I am glad I gave this a chance. I think you all should too.
---
This review was first posted on my blog, Carina's Books, here: https://carinabooks.blogspot.com/2026...
May 3, 2026
I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Daughter of The Wind is the first in a new-adult, romantasy trilogy. It follows Zara (FMC), navigating a centuries old war between her nomadic people, The Children of the Earth, and Talon's (MMC) fellow eagle riding warriors.
This premise of this book immediately intrigued me. I enjoyed the people group, the Children of the Earth, and how their culture in the book paralleled parts of Native American culture. It was also enjoyable to read about the bonded animal companions, eagles and horses, versus the typical mythical creatures many romantasy books are currently featuring. Readers that grew up loving horses will likely enjoy this one!
The main reason this book was not higher rated for me was due to the overall tone and pacing. This book is being advertised as new adult, yet the thought and speech patterns of the characters felt very immature. This book read more like a standard YA novel. This was also due to some particular word choices. Personally, I felt there needed to be some change in verbiage to create a more mature tone. I also found the pacing to be off during this story. The first 30% are very slow build-up, then the story catapults into action. However, I felt that even at 30% I didn't feel very connected to the characters thus there was less emotional impact as the plot unfolded.
Overall, this is a good story, but I feel it is in between audiences. There is some featured content that puts the novel into new-adult territory while overall tone, characters, and plot are better suited for a YA audience. I'd recommend a reading age of around 15/16.
Daughter of The Wind is the first in a new-adult, romantasy trilogy. It follows Zara (FMC), navigating a centuries old war between her nomadic people, The Children of the Earth, and Talon's (MMC) fellow eagle riding warriors.
This premise of this book immediately intrigued me. I enjoyed the people group, the Children of the Earth, and how their culture in the book paralleled parts of Native American culture. It was also enjoyable to read about the bonded animal companions, eagles and horses, versus the typical mythical creatures many romantasy books are currently featuring. Readers that grew up loving horses will likely enjoy this one!
The main reason this book was not higher rated for me was due to the overall tone and pacing. This book is being advertised as new adult, yet the thought and speech patterns of the characters felt very immature. This book read more like a standard YA novel. This was also due to some particular word choices. Personally, I felt there needed to be some change in verbiage to create a more mature tone. I also found the pacing to be off during this story. The first 30% are very slow build-up, then the story catapults into action. However, I felt that even at 30% I didn't feel very connected to the characters thus there was less emotional impact as the plot unfolded.
Overall, this is a good story, but I feel it is in between audiences. There is some featured content that puts the novel into new-adult territory while overall tone, characters, and plot are better suited for a YA audience. I'd recommend a reading age of around 15/16.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Daughter of the Wind blew me away! I was taken my storm with this one. I actually only meant to take a quick peek into this book before continuing previous reads, but the second I read one page, it suddenly became two, ten, hundred, the entire book! I was swept up in the intertwining journey of Zara and Talon, and I so look forward to seeing this trilogy through until the very end.
This is the story of Zara and Talon. Zara is what is called a First Daughter, heir to the one of the Queens of the Children of the Earth. Tribes banded together against the tyranny of an air-borne enemy, Zephyrians the Eagle Riders. The Children of the Earth rise through their Earth magic, a magic that evades Zara...all while the mysterious wind whispers in her ear. Bound with a beautiful psychic bond to her horse Shazeera, all Zara wants is to be helpful to her tribe, but the wind calls to her and with it comes a power that will change the tides of the game. And it lands her as the arranged bride to their enemy's emperor. A choice that will see her navigate the political and societal court very unlike her own, and see her guarded by the emperor's cousin Commander Talon. Talon fears his cousin is being manipulated by a great evil, succumbed with power-hungry greed. The last thing he wants is to become the body guard of Zara, but soon, it will become he greatest goal. To keep Zara safe, alive, and protected from what shadows the corners.
There truly is no better feeling than starting a book where the dominoes quickly fall into a perfect sequence. And that's how this one felt.
First perfect hit: protagonists that capture my attention. Zara is so poignantly relatable. She wants to live up to the expectations of her role as First Daughter. She wants to fit in with her tribe, she wants to be able to effectively heal others, to use the same magic as her people...but can't. There's something else racing through her blood, and she denies it at first but what makes her journey so impactful is seeing her come to terms with that unexpected bond to a special magic. Not just in terms of its potential in power, but its consequence as well. This isn't a smooth journey for Zara, but it's absolutely one of self-discovery and I was proud to join it with her.
If Zara's is a journey of self-discovery, then Talon's is a journey of reshaping truth as he knows it. He is part of an empire that isn't not quite following the rules as he thought. By knowing Zara, he relearns the truth of his own side of history. And what I loved most about Talon is his willingness to listen and accept new truths.
And that brings me to our forbidden romancing between Zara and Talon.
The second perfect fall in dominoes: a romance that hits! Oh boy oh boy, does it hit well! Deliciously forbidden, slow burning, and full of chemistry. Between trying to take captive to accidentally almost maiming, their first encounter is certainly no meet-cute, but it's electrifying to witness their raw power. The partnership of Talon and his eagle with all their might in the air, and Zara and her horse's agility and speed...and that secret call to the wind...oh yeaaaah, that was an electrifying encounter. Once they properly meet the chemistry is chemistrying. Something I really appreciated this narrative avoided is them being hateful/biting/pushing each other's buttons after that first encounter. Instead it's truly a process of getting to know one another. Not because they intend it to lead anywhere, it's simply how they choose to interact with one another. Then it evolves to partnership as they realize their goals align, including taking down the evil lurking in the empire. An evil threatening to spread well beyond its borders. Their relationship continously evolves, until it becomes something so intimate, wanting, longing, and romantic. And wholly forbidden! The entire transformation, evolution, and strength in their connection is worth the ticket alone to this book. But I feel so spoiled because it's not just the romance that works, but the overarching plot as well!
Which brings me to the final perfect fall of dominoes: a plot that tantalizes, allures, chills, and keeps you wanting even more passed the turn of its final page. And lucky me there is more with this being a trilogy! I love protagonists and a romance that consumes my whole heart and soul, but I also love it when it's paired with an overarching plot that feeds my brain and that steels my spine (or sends chills down it!). This plot effectively did this. The world-building is terrific and easy to follow, secondary characters are well introduced and fleshed out, and then there's that big bad lurking in the corner that is capable of changing the whole game. An evil that feels impenetrable, formidable, and makes the stakes feel high and real. There's danger afoot, and I worried every second for our leads, their animal companions, and all the characters I found myself quickly coming to care for it. The plot sells the stakes and the characters sell the love.
All of it simply worked so beautifully!
I enjoyed this immensely, and I can't wait to see how this trilogy continues.
Thank you ACE and NetGalley for this complimentary eARC, I leave this honest review voluntarily.
_____
original post-read quick thoughts
Throwing out some quick thoughts: I was supposed to be reading March ARCs but this book simply swept me up into a journey I refused to disengage from. I loved it!
Going with 4.5 because there were a handful of instances were dialogue felt a touch to modern, momentarily distracting me, but at the same time was I really bothered by it? Hmm I may change it to a full 5 depending how my full review goes. I'll let that lead the way.
Locked in. I was locked in! Personally...loved it!
full review to come!
This is the story of Zara and Talon. Zara is what is called a First Daughter, heir to the one of the Queens of the Children of the Earth. Tribes banded together against the tyranny of an air-borne enemy, Zephyrians the Eagle Riders. The Children of the Earth rise through their Earth magic, a magic that evades Zara...all while the mysterious wind whispers in her ear. Bound with a beautiful psychic bond to her horse Shazeera, all Zara wants is to be helpful to her tribe, but the wind calls to her and with it comes a power that will change the tides of the game. And it lands her as the arranged bride to their enemy's emperor. A choice that will see her navigate the political and societal court very unlike her own, and see her guarded by the emperor's cousin Commander Talon. Talon fears his cousin is being manipulated by a great evil, succumbed with power-hungry greed. The last thing he wants is to become the body guard of Zara, but soon, it will become he greatest goal. To keep Zara safe, alive, and protected from what shadows the corners.
There truly is no better feeling than starting a book where the dominoes quickly fall into a perfect sequence. And that's how this one felt.
First perfect hit: protagonists that capture my attention. Zara is so poignantly relatable. She wants to live up to the expectations of her role as First Daughter. She wants to fit in with her tribe, she wants to be able to effectively heal others, to use the same magic as her people...but can't. There's something else racing through her blood, and she denies it at first but what makes her journey so impactful is seeing her come to terms with that unexpected bond to a special magic. Not just in terms of its potential in power, but its consequence as well. This isn't a smooth journey for Zara, but it's absolutely one of self-discovery and I was proud to join it with her.
If Zara's is a journey of self-discovery, then Talon's is a journey of reshaping truth as he knows it. He is part of an empire that isn't not quite following the rules as he thought. By knowing Zara, he relearns the truth of his own side of history. And what I loved most about Talon is his willingness to listen and accept new truths.
And that brings me to our forbidden romancing between Zara and Talon.
The second perfect fall in dominoes: a romance that hits! Oh boy oh boy, does it hit well! Deliciously forbidden, slow burning, and full of chemistry. Between trying to take captive to accidentally almost maiming, their first encounter is certainly no meet-cute, but it's electrifying to witness their raw power. The partnership of Talon and his eagle with all their might in the air, and Zara and her horse's agility and speed...and that secret call to the wind...oh yeaaaah, that was an electrifying encounter. Once they properly meet the chemistry is chemistrying. Something I really appreciated this narrative avoided is them being hateful/biting/pushing each other's buttons after that first encounter. Instead it's truly a process of getting to know one another. Not because they intend it to lead anywhere, it's simply how they choose to interact with one another. Then it evolves to partnership as they realize their goals align, including taking down the evil lurking in the empire. An evil threatening to spread well beyond its borders. Their relationship continously evolves, until it becomes something so intimate, wanting, longing, and romantic. And wholly forbidden! The entire transformation, evolution, and strength in their connection is worth the ticket alone to this book. But I feel so spoiled because it's not just the romance that works, but the overarching plot as well!
Which brings me to the final perfect fall of dominoes: a plot that tantalizes, allures, chills, and keeps you wanting even more passed the turn of its final page. And lucky me there is more with this being a trilogy! I love protagonists and a romance that consumes my whole heart and soul, but I also love it when it's paired with an overarching plot that feeds my brain and that steels my spine (or sends chills down it!). This plot effectively did this. The world-building is terrific and easy to follow, secondary characters are well introduced and fleshed out, and then there's that big bad lurking in the corner that is capable of changing the whole game. An evil that feels impenetrable, formidable, and makes the stakes feel high and real. There's danger afoot, and I worried every second for our leads, their animal companions, and all the characters I found myself quickly coming to care for it. The plot sells the stakes and the characters sell the love.
All of it simply worked so beautifully!
I enjoyed this immensely, and I can't wait to see how this trilogy continues.
Thank you ACE and NetGalley for this complimentary eARC, I leave this honest review voluntarily.
_____
original post-read quick thoughts
Throwing out some quick thoughts: I was supposed to be reading March ARCs but this book simply swept me up into a journey I refused to disengage from. I loved it!
Going with 4.5 because there were a handful of instances were dialogue felt a touch to modern, momentarily distracting me, but at the same time was I really bothered by it? Hmm I may change it to a full 5 depending how my full review goes. I'll let that lead the way.
Locked in. I was locked in! Personally...loved it!
full review to come!
May 3, 2026
I got a little more than halfway through this book which is honestly more than I thought I would read after getting through the first couple chapters. However, I did want to see what direction the world building would go, and I wanted to know how long it would take before reaching certain key ideas and plot points (which took too long considering it is what the book said it was mostly about).
I think the main issue with this novel is that it did not feel like the author fully considered the consequences of their world building choices. Many of the main flavor elements feel somewhat glossed over and are not given much unique thought. I also had so many little questions about the logistics of this world (the main one being how nomadic architecture and furniture accommodates the horses indoors? They are always with each other). While there are many discussions about how fantasy worlds mirror real-life cultures, I really don't mind that the author stated their intent to try to divorce themselves from reality. While no art exists in a vacuum, not every story is meant to critique real world problems in meaningful ways and that is totally okay! Ultimately, I think they did fail in stringing together cause and effect of the problems they created in the imagined universe. I felt like things just kinda happened ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
There were also many leaps in logic that really piled up. The biggest ones were there to drive the plot forward, but the whole time I was thinking "it really didn't have to be that way, there were so many other solutions." I thought this happened at most of the big story pivots and kept the story from having any real flow. This is something that is particularly frustrating for me, and I can see some characters not being all that clever, but it seemed like every person was functioning on the same level of strategy which kept the cast from having that bit of mental texture. This contributed to the overall sameness that I got from most of the characters.
However, the psionic horses seem to have very motherly personalities overall? I thought this was a strange choice considering Zara and Shazeera basically met as babies. I know that Their psychic bond is severed for a fair portion of the book, but Shazeera has less personality and page time than I would expect. I wish she had more. I have read many fantasies with women the same age with horse companions and Shazeera was not making the cool factor cut. I feel a horse like Shazeera should have been close to a deuteragonist in a world like this. She needed way more life, instead she felt like a set piece which disappointed me. One of my favorite horses is Talat from The Hero and The Crown and that was a very hard won horse girl relationship that was extraordinarily meaningful.
I was also incredibly surprised to finally learn that the main character is twenty. She acts extremely young and inexperienced for someone of her age and position. As a woman pretty much her age, I was actually kind of irked when I found out she wasn't closer to 14 at the beginning of the book. I wouldn't mind so much if there were indications that people thought she was immature, but that is not the case.
This feeling I got from the main character also contributed to the overall feeling that this is potentially a great middle grade book. There are so many elements that could build a coming of age story or support the peril that comes with being young in such a position. In reality, there is just an ill prepared adult for no apparent reason.
Overall, this book has all the elements to be an ultimate horse girl book and even has several ideas that I found had enormous amounts of potential. However, the novel falls short due to elements not feeling fully thought through both independently and as part of a system with interrelated moving parts. Ultimately, nothing stood out as particularly awesome and there were too many things wrong with it.
I think the main issue with this novel is that it did not feel like the author fully considered the consequences of their world building choices. Many of the main flavor elements feel somewhat glossed over and are not given much unique thought. I also had so many little questions about the logistics of this world (the main one being how nomadic architecture and furniture accommodates the horses indoors? They are always with each other). While there are many discussions about how fantasy worlds mirror real-life cultures, I really don't mind that the author stated their intent to try to divorce themselves from reality. While no art exists in a vacuum, not every story is meant to critique real world problems in meaningful ways and that is totally okay! Ultimately, I think they did fail in stringing together cause and effect of the problems they created in the imagined universe. I felt like things just kinda happened ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
There were also many leaps in logic that really piled up. The biggest ones were there to drive the plot forward, but the whole time I was thinking "it really didn't have to be that way, there were so many other solutions." I thought this happened at most of the big story pivots and kept the story from having any real flow. This is something that is particularly frustrating for me, and I can see some characters not being all that clever, but it seemed like every person was functioning on the same level of strategy which kept the cast from having that bit of mental texture. This contributed to the overall sameness that I got from most of the characters.
However, the psionic horses seem to have very motherly personalities overall? I thought this was a strange choice considering Zara and Shazeera basically met as babies. I know that Their psychic bond is severed for a fair portion of the book, but Shazeera has less personality and page time than I would expect. I wish she had more. I have read many fantasies with women the same age with horse companions and Shazeera was not making the cool factor cut. I feel a horse like Shazeera should have been close to a deuteragonist in a world like this. She needed way more life, instead she felt like a set piece which disappointed me. One of my favorite horses is Talat from The Hero and The Crown and that was a very hard won horse girl relationship that was extraordinarily meaningful.
I was also incredibly surprised to finally learn that the main character is twenty. She acts extremely young and inexperienced for someone of her age and position. As a woman pretty much her age, I was actually kind of irked when I found out she wasn't closer to 14 at the beginning of the book. I wouldn't mind so much if there were indications that people thought she was immature, but that is not the case.
This feeling I got from the main character also contributed to the overall feeling that this is potentially a great middle grade book. There are so many elements that could build a coming of age story or support the peril that comes with being young in such a position. In reality, there is just an ill prepared adult for no apparent reason.
Overall, this book has all the elements to be an ultimate horse girl book and even has several ideas that I found had enormous amounts of potential. However, the novel falls short due to elements not feeling fully thought through both independently and as part of a system with interrelated moving parts. Ultimately, nothing stood out as particularly awesome and there were too many things wrong with it.
April 19, 2026
4 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Daughter of the Wind is the first instalment in the adult romantasy trilogy, Riders of Earth and Sky. Written in dual first person, the story follows Zara, heir to a throne of warriors, soul bonded with horses. Yet the earth magic that she is meant to use to protect and heal her people has eluded her...and instead comes a magic of the wind that she uses against the empire and their Eagle riders that threatened their home. This magic, it turns out, comes with a price as it blocks her bond with her horse. In the name of protecting her people, and her psychic bond with her horse, Zara agrees to a peace treaty with the empire by way of marriage. There she finds her sworn guard, the commander of the empire's Eagle Riders, tempts her in ways she cannot describe (or refuses to) but as she spends more time in the stone walls of the empire she soon realizes something darks lurks in the shadows and her emperor's hunger of power may be their undoing...unless she can figure out a way to stop the darkness, even at the cost of everything she loves.
This book ended on such a strong note!
Zara is a character who definitely is growing into her power here. She has a lot of doubt and anxiety around her as she doesn't perform the way she thinks she should. She also loves her horse, Shazeera, deeply. I really liked her being able to find beauty in a new magic and what it reveals to her.
Talon is our commander and cousin to the emperor. He also is the first to witness and experience Zara's magic first hand. I liked how he was a voice of reason for the emperor but, unfortunately, not one the emperor heeds. He is strong and has a sense of awareness that means he can adapt easily. He wants what is best for his kingdom and that level of honor works well for him. He is a bit of a martyr though, as a result.
This book contains no spice at this time. There is kissing in the second half of the book as our MC embraces the connection they find between each other. I would say the first half there is minimal romance as it really isn't until Talon has to guard Zara that we see them come together. I enjoyed the combined goal that brought them together and the easy-ness of their relationship. It felt effortless and I think balanced the bigger issues in the story well!
The story itself starts off initially slow. In fact we really don't progress to rising action until the 40% mark. I found the world to be interesting with the psychic bonds and also the new magic that is both powerful and scary. I felt for Zara's fear of losing her companion and her duty to her people. I found the second half of the book to have the plot that I was really able to sink into as we unravel what is happening in the empire and what is haunting the shadows. We also get teasers around Zara's father's heritage which I have theories about! I felt there is a good amount of action and court intrigue around the emperor and his advisor that ramps up at the end and there is risk (people do not survive). I felt the different antagonists shed light of a morally grey world as well as true evil which added dimension to the story for me. I ADORED the twist but dang there's a cliffhanger that has me antsy for the next book!
Overall, a beautiful new romantasy that really stuck with me!
Thank you Ace Publishing for this arc!
Daughter of the Wind is the first instalment in the adult romantasy trilogy, Riders of Earth and Sky. Written in dual first person, the story follows Zara, heir to a throne of warriors, soul bonded with horses. Yet the earth magic that she is meant to use to protect and heal her people has eluded her...and instead comes a magic of the wind that she uses against the empire and their Eagle riders that threatened their home. This magic, it turns out, comes with a price as it blocks her bond with her horse. In the name of protecting her people, and her psychic bond with her horse, Zara agrees to a peace treaty with the empire by way of marriage. There she finds her sworn guard, the commander of the empire's Eagle Riders, tempts her in ways she cannot describe (or refuses to) but as she spends more time in the stone walls of the empire she soon realizes something darks lurks in the shadows and her emperor's hunger of power may be their undoing...unless she can figure out a way to stop the darkness, even at the cost of everything she loves.
This book ended on such a strong note!
Zara is a character who definitely is growing into her power here. She has a lot of doubt and anxiety around her as she doesn't perform the way she thinks she should. She also loves her horse, Shazeera, deeply. I really liked her being able to find beauty in a new magic and what it reveals to her.
Talon is our commander and cousin to the emperor. He also is the first to witness and experience Zara's magic first hand. I liked how he was a voice of reason for the emperor but, unfortunately, not one the emperor heeds. He is strong and has a sense of awareness that means he can adapt easily. He wants what is best for his kingdom and that level of honor works well for him. He is a bit of a martyr though, as a result.
This book contains no spice at this time. There is kissing in the second half of the book as our MC embraces the connection they find between each other. I would say the first half there is minimal romance as it really isn't until Talon has to guard Zara that we see them come together. I enjoyed the combined goal that brought them together and the easy-ness of their relationship. It felt effortless and I think balanced the bigger issues in the story well!
The story itself starts off initially slow. In fact we really don't progress to rising action until the 40% mark. I found the world to be interesting with the psychic bonds and also the new magic that is both powerful and scary. I felt for Zara's fear of losing her companion and her duty to her people. I found the second half of the book to have the plot that I was really able to sink into as we unravel what is happening in the empire and what is haunting the shadows. We also get teasers around Zara's father's heritage which I have theories about! I felt there is a good amount of action and court intrigue around the emperor and his advisor that ramps up at the end and there is risk (people do not survive). I felt the different antagonists shed light of a morally grey world as well as true evil which added dimension to the story for me. I ADORED the twist but dang there's a cliffhanger that has me antsy for the next book!
Overall, a beautiful new romantasy that really stuck with me!
Thank you Ace Publishing for this arc!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
There were many things for me to love about this book. First, the animal-human bonding connections were wonderful! I loved that the FMC Zara has a heart sister in her horse Shazeera. I also could appreciate that the horses are modeled after Arabians. As someone who had an Arabian mare growing up, I loved the details and descriptions of the horses in this book and could recognize them and relate to them so easily. I also enjoyed discovering, along with Zara, her unique magical abilities and why as First Daughter she didn't inherit her mother's Earth Mother magic. It gave the story real stakes for Zara and made me want to keep reading to find out more. The matriarchal society for her kingdom was also interesting and very well developed.
The overarching plot of the story was compelling as well. Zara's first encounter with the MMC Talon is frightening, but it causes Zara to tap into who she truly is to defend herself and her horse. I also found their interaction after that to be mature and realistic rather than overdramatic and irrationally hostile as can sometimes be the case in romantasy. While they don't trust each other, once a treaty is negotiated between their two kingdoms, they are willing to see that they've been forced to be on opposing sides by a centuries long war that neither had a part in creating. Both characters are willing to give each other the benefit of the doubt and are relieved to finally have peace. I also liked the fact that Talon's giant eagle Neo had a very different personality to that of Zara's horse Shazeera. It gave both animals dimension as secondary characters.
The dangers that Zara and Talon both face throughout the story serve to draw them closer together in a very organic way. Zara learns to adapt to who she is as she develops and explores her unique gifts. But she quickly realizes, after agreeing to an arranged marriage with the emperor of her rival kingdom, that the court that will be her home from now on is not only far different from what she is used to but also full of much more intrigue and corruption than she could have anticipated. Talon becomes the only person she can even remotely trust among the people in the imperial court. Not only that, but the emperor has brought an inhuman monster to his court who is slowly gaining power and whittling away at his sanity. Talon, who is a cousin to the emperor, soon realizes ugly truths about his cousin's rule and how things are really operating within Zephyrus. As his feelings for Zara grow, he begins to see that the peace they'd both hoped for might be an illusion. One that puts Zara in mortal danger. But it also makes their slow-burn attraction to one another dangerous and kept me on tenterhooks as they slowly succumb to it. One steamy glance between them that's seen by the wrong person could spell doom for both of them.
The tension as Zara and Talon unravel the mystery and intrigue at court escalate and though the novel ends with a cliffhanger, it is still a satisfying conclusion for this first installment for this series. I am looking forward to reading the next one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
The overarching plot of the story was compelling as well. Zara's first encounter with the MMC Talon is frightening, but it causes Zara to tap into who she truly is to defend herself and her horse. I also found their interaction after that to be mature and realistic rather than overdramatic and irrationally hostile as can sometimes be the case in romantasy. While they don't trust each other, once a treaty is negotiated between their two kingdoms, they are willing to see that they've been forced to be on opposing sides by a centuries long war that neither had a part in creating. Both characters are willing to give each other the benefit of the doubt and are relieved to finally have peace. I also liked the fact that Talon's giant eagle Neo had a very different personality to that of Zara's horse Shazeera. It gave both animals dimension as secondary characters.
The dangers that Zara and Talon both face throughout the story serve to draw them closer together in a very organic way. Zara learns to adapt to who she is as she develops and explores her unique gifts. But she quickly realizes, after agreeing to an arranged marriage with the emperor of her rival kingdom, that the court that will be her home from now on is not only far different from what she is used to but also full of much more intrigue and corruption than she could have anticipated. Talon becomes the only person she can even remotely trust among the people in the imperial court. Not only that, but the emperor has brought an inhuman monster to his court who is slowly gaining power and whittling away at his sanity. Talon, who is a cousin to the emperor, soon realizes ugly truths about his cousin's rule and how things are really operating within Zephyrus. As his feelings for Zara grow, he begins to see that the peace they'd both hoped for might be an illusion. One that puts Zara in mortal danger. But it also makes their slow-burn attraction to one another dangerous and kept me on tenterhooks as they slowly succumb to it. One steamy glance between them that's seen by the wrong person could spell doom for both of them.
The tension as Zara and Talon unravel the mystery and intrigue at court escalate and though the novel ends with a cliffhanger, it is still a satisfying conclusion for this first installment for this series. I am looking forward to reading the next one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
April 24, 2026
It’s true that a cover will grab a reader’s eye because that is exactly what happened when I saw the first book in Nora Carmody’s Riders of Earth and Sky Trilogy, Daughter of the Wind. The cover may have caught my eye, but the synopsis had me intrigued after I read it, which is why I was excited to read this book.
This book had an interesting premise that was promising, but for some reason, I found myself getting bored at times, and I’m sad that I didn’t find myself enjoying this book more. Plus, I know it’s been marketed as New Adult Romantasy, but for some reason, it didn’t read as an NA Romantasy for me, and maybe that will change in the sequel. I will mention right away that if you are expecting spice in this book, there isn’t much. In fact, this is a slow burn and will take a bit for anything to happen between the main characters, and it’s not really heated.
I really enjoyed the world-building and learning about the FMC, Tara, and how she is soul-bound to her horse, and she’s supposed to have earth magic like her mother and their ancestors, but instead, she has another elemental magic that will have their enemy threatened by her. Tara felt she was broken basically the whole book because she wasn’t taking after her mother, especially since she’s supposed to become the leader of the people, eventually. I felt for her character, but was curious about her on finding out why she had another elemental magic. I really didn’t like that her mother was keeping the truth from her about why she had this magic, and maybe in the next book, she’ll grow even more in this power.
When it came to the MMC, Talon, at first, I didn’t like his character because he is targeting Tara and her people, but when he is tasked to be her bodyguard, he ends up caring for her, even though he shouldn’t care for her because she’s supposed to be marrying the emperor, who happens to be his cousin. Talon also has a soul-bound connection, but with his eagle, which was unique too, especially when I was imagining how big the eagles were to carry a human being. No wonder Tara and her people were scared of them. I would be too.
When it came to the antagonists in the book, one of them is the Emperor, whom Tara is being forced to marry, and then there is the creature that is mentioned in the book that is actually pulling all the strings. I don’t want to give anything away, but this creature is not something I would want to deal with, especially with how evil it is. It even scared Tara and her horse, and Talon doesn’t even trust it.
Unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier, this book was promising, but I found myself bored, and I almost DNF the book, but I was determined to finish. I’m glad I did because the ending picked up, even if it left me with a cliffhanger. The book was slow in certain parts and very repetitive. One of the things that was repetitive was that Tara was always mentioning how she didn’t have earth magic and had this other elemental magic that had consequences when she used it. It just drove me crazy at times, how many times she mentioned it. The book also had action-packed moments in the beginning and at the end, but the middle was slowed down. The middle is where I found myself bored.
I do plan on reading the sequel because I want to find out what is going to happen next and if the antagonist will be taken care of because it truly needs to be dealt with, so Tara and her people can be safe. There is also the fact that Tara needs to learn her magic that she knows more of at the end of this book. My favorite moment in the book is actually toward the end, but I don’t want to spoil it.
Overall, I give this book 3-stars and will still recommend it. If you are looking for a different kind of Romantasy that has the characters soul-bound to horses and eagles, then check out this first book in the Riders of Earth and Sky Trilogy by Nora Carmody.
POV: Dual POV (Third Person)
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s the first book in a trilogy and needs to be read in order.
What to Expect:
✔Fantasy Romance
✔Forbidden Love
✔Enemies to Lovers
✔Slow Burn
✔Elemental Magic
This book had an interesting premise that was promising, but for some reason, I found myself getting bored at times, and I’m sad that I didn’t find myself enjoying this book more. Plus, I know it’s been marketed as New Adult Romantasy, but for some reason, it didn’t read as an NA Romantasy for me, and maybe that will change in the sequel. I will mention right away that if you are expecting spice in this book, there isn’t much. In fact, this is a slow burn and will take a bit for anything to happen between the main characters, and it’s not really heated.
I really enjoyed the world-building and learning about the FMC, Tara, and how she is soul-bound to her horse, and she’s supposed to have earth magic like her mother and their ancestors, but instead, she has another elemental magic that will have their enemy threatened by her. Tara felt she was broken basically the whole book because she wasn’t taking after her mother, especially since she’s supposed to become the leader of the people, eventually. I felt for her character, but was curious about her on finding out why she had another elemental magic. I really didn’t like that her mother was keeping the truth from her about why she had this magic, and maybe in the next book, she’ll grow even more in this power.
When it came to the MMC, Talon, at first, I didn’t like his character because he is targeting Tara and her people, but when he is tasked to be her bodyguard, he ends up caring for her, even though he shouldn’t care for her because she’s supposed to be marrying the emperor, who happens to be his cousin. Talon also has a soul-bound connection, but with his eagle, which was unique too, especially when I was imagining how big the eagles were to carry a human being. No wonder Tara and her people were scared of them. I would be too.
When it came to the antagonists in the book, one of them is the Emperor, whom Tara is being forced to marry, and then there is the creature that is mentioned in the book that is actually pulling all the strings. I don’t want to give anything away, but this creature is not something I would want to deal with, especially with how evil it is. It even scared Tara and her horse, and Talon doesn’t even trust it.
Unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier, this book was promising, but I found myself bored, and I almost DNF the book, but I was determined to finish. I’m glad I did because the ending picked up, even if it left me with a cliffhanger. The book was slow in certain parts and very repetitive. One of the things that was repetitive was that Tara was always mentioning how she didn’t have earth magic and had this other elemental magic that had consequences when she used it. It just drove me crazy at times, how many times she mentioned it. The book also had action-packed moments in the beginning and at the end, but the middle was slowed down. The middle is where I found myself bored.
I do plan on reading the sequel because I want to find out what is going to happen next and if the antagonist will be taken care of because it truly needs to be dealt with, so Tara and her people can be safe. There is also the fact that Tara needs to learn her magic that she knows more of at the end of this book. My favorite moment in the book is actually toward the end, but I don’t want to spoil it.
Overall, I give this book 3-stars and will still recommend it. If you are looking for a different kind of Romantasy that has the characters soul-bound to horses and eagles, then check out this first book in the Riders of Earth and Sky Trilogy by Nora Carmody.
POV: Dual POV (Third Person)
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s the first book in a trilogy and needs to be read in order.
What to Expect:
✔Fantasy Romance
✔Forbidden Love
✔Enemies to Lovers
✔Slow Burn
✔Elemental Magic
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Have you ever thought, “I wish my griffins and dragons were replaced with horses and big birds?” Then this book is for you!
Daughter of the Wind is an epic Romantasy novel following Zara, a native woman bonded to a horse with magical abilities, and Talon, the conquering army bonded to large eagles. The story is an enemies-to-lovers bodyguard romance set in a mythical world. The Zephyrians are bonded to gigantic eagles, and the Children of Earth bond to horses. The two communities have been fighting for generations as the tribes of the Children of Earth slowly lose power. When Zara displays a unique ability that has the power to change the war, the Zephyrians choose to ally with the Children of Earth through a marriage pact.
The story does a good job really emphasizing the romance storyline and building it well. Zara and Talon have an initial spark that they build into being friends, then more. The two’s initial animosity ends quickly; if you like your enemies to lovers with long-lingering hatred, this book isn’t for you. Zara’s connection with her horse and Talon’s with his eagle ground the relationships and give them a common point of connection.
The story really leans into the history of colonization for its worldbuilding. Zara’s people, the Children of Earth, were native to this land when the Zephyrians came from a foreign land to conquer. The Children of Earth are “wild”, and the Zephyrians are “restrained”, from the emotions they allow to show, to the music and dances, and even the colors that are deemed acceptable. The story seemed to fall quickly into stereotypes about western colonization of indigenous populations, a much so that the story forgets to give a justification for the war from the Zephryian propaganda. The Children of Earth, who we see from Zara’s perspective, are defending themselves against a conquering enemy; the Zephyrian mentality gives no such logic, simply arguing that the war is how it always has been. I wish that our well-meaning main character could have at least tried to excuse the war from his own propaganda-filled perspective, giving him room to grow.
I also wish the antagonist of the story had a little more depth. The story starts out establishing a long-lasting war and the previous emperor’s public and private cruelty. The current emperor has aligned himself with a malevolent force, urged on by his father’s closest advisor. I personally prefer when my villains have a little more depth, rather than being a comically evil shadow.
Altogether, this was a fun romantasy novel filled with lots of good tropes and some historically-based worldbuilding. The story starts to teach a magic system, which I hope the next book will dive into more, and the story set up high, world-ending stakes to be tackled in the next two books. I enjoyed myself a lot when reading and I’m looking forward to the next one.
A big thank you to the team at Berkley for this advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Daughter of the Wind is an epic Romantasy novel following Zara, a native woman bonded to a horse with magical abilities, and Talon, the conquering army bonded to large eagles. The story is an enemies-to-lovers bodyguard romance set in a mythical world. The Zephyrians are bonded to gigantic eagles, and the Children of Earth bond to horses. The two communities have been fighting for generations as the tribes of the Children of Earth slowly lose power. When Zara displays a unique ability that has the power to change the war, the Zephyrians choose to ally with the Children of Earth through a marriage pact.
The story does a good job really emphasizing the romance storyline and building it well. Zara and Talon have an initial spark that they build into being friends, then more. The two’s initial animosity ends quickly; if you like your enemies to lovers with long-lingering hatred, this book isn’t for you. Zara’s connection with her horse and Talon’s with his eagle ground the relationships and give them a common point of connection.
The story really leans into the history of colonization for its worldbuilding. Zara’s people, the Children of Earth, were native to this land when the Zephyrians came from a foreign land to conquer. The Children of Earth are “wild”, and the Zephyrians are “restrained”, from the emotions they allow to show, to the music and dances, and even the colors that are deemed acceptable. The story seemed to fall quickly into stereotypes about western colonization of indigenous populations, a much so that the story forgets to give a justification for the war from the Zephryian propaganda. The Children of Earth, who we see from Zara’s perspective, are defending themselves against a conquering enemy; the Zephyrian mentality gives no such logic, simply arguing that the war is how it always has been. I wish that our well-meaning main character could have at least tried to excuse the war from his own propaganda-filled perspective, giving him room to grow.
I also wish the antagonist of the story had a little more depth. The story starts out establishing a long-lasting war and the previous emperor’s public and private cruelty. The current emperor has aligned himself with a malevolent force, urged on by his father’s closest advisor. I personally prefer when my villains have a little more depth, rather than being a comically evil shadow.
Altogether, this was a fun romantasy novel filled with lots of good tropes and some historically-based worldbuilding. The story starts to teach a magic system, which I hope the next book will dive into more, and the story set up high, world-ending stakes to be tackled in the next two books. I enjoyed myself a lot when reading and I’m looking forward to the next one.
A big thank you to the team at Berkley for this advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My rating: ★★★★☆ (3.75–4 stars)
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okay but WHY did this book make me feel like i was 12 again dreaming about having a psychic bond with a horse… but also 20+ reading about war politics and forbidden attraction???
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
this is one of those romantasy debuts that feels very classic in the best way like it’s not trying to reinvent the genre but it leans HARD into what works which is;
soul-bonded animal companions (horses AND giant eagles??? hello??)
arranged marriage to the enemy
slow burn tension
girl with powers she doesn’t understand…and honestly? i ate it up.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
what i loved i absolutely loved was how the worldbuilding is genuinely immersive. you can feel the difference between the open plains of Zara’s people and the cold dangerous empire. and the magic system?? elemental+emotional stakes?? yes pls.
BUT the real star of this book is the animal bonds. Zara and her horse have this deep almost painful connection and the fact that her wind magic threatens that bond??? that hurt. like actually hurt.
and Talon…listen he’s definetely giving;
loyal but conflicted
morally gray 'lite'
“i shouldn’t want you but i absolutely do”
the romance is very slow burn more tension and longing than actual spice but it works for the story.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
what didn’t fully hit for me was that the pacing is… a bit all over the place. the first part is slower and more introspective, then suddenly things start happening FAST. also the tone sometimes leans more YA than adult, especially in dialogue and character voice which might not work for everyone.
and if you’re expecting super intense romance? this is more emotional connection+tension than spice.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
overall this feels like a strong promising start to a romantasy series. it’s not perfect but it has anything you would look for in a romantasy like a compelling FMC struggling with identity and power
a forbidden romance with actual stakes and a magical bond that raises the emotional cost of everything, and honestly? i’m already invested enough to read book two immediately.
if you liked animal companions > dragons (for once!!) enemies to lovers but make it political and elemental magic with consequences…you’ll probably love this.
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My final thought is
i came for the romance…
i stayed for the horse.
Felt like i needed to change the type of reviews i usually give because this book definitely deserves more recognition so i wanted to share some more info. With that being said, Thank you sooo much for NetGalley for providing me an ARC and i hope to see more works by Nora Carmody in the near future!
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
okay but WHY did this book make me feel like i was 12 again dreaming about having a psychic bond with a horse… but also 20+ reading about war politics and forbidden attraction???
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
this is one of those romantasy debuts that feels very classic in the best way like it’s not trying to reinvent the genre but it leans HARD into what works which is;
soul-bonded animal companions (horses AND giant eagles??? hello??)
arranged marriage to the enemy
slow burn tension
girl with powers she doesn’t understand…and honestly? i ate it up.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
what i loved i absolutely loved was how the worldbuilding is genuinely immersive. you can feel the difference between the open plains of Zara’s people and the cold dangerous empire. and the magic system?? elemental+emotional stakes?? yes pls.
BUT the real star of this book is the animal bonds. Zara and her horse have this deep almost painful connection and the fact that her wind magic threatens that bond??? that hurt. like actually hurt.
and Talon…listen he’s definetely giving;
loyal but conflicted
morally gray 'lite'
“i shouldn’t want you but i absolutely do”
the romance is very slow burn more tension and longing than actual spice but it works for the story.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
what didn’t fully hit for me was that the pacing is… a bit all over the place. the first part is slower and more introspective, then suddenly things start happening FAST. also the tone sometimes leans more YA than adult, especially in dialogue and character voice which might not work for everyone.
and if you’re expecting super intense romance? this is more emotional connection+tension than spice.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
overall this feels like a strong promising start to a romantasy series. it’s not perfect but it has anything you would look for in a romantasy like a compelling FMC struggling with identity and power
a forbidden romance with actual stakes and a magical bond that raises the emotional cost of everything, and honestly? i’m already invested enough to read book two immediately.
if you liked animal companions > dragons (for once!!) enemies to lovers but make it political and elemental magic with consequences…you’ll probably love this.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
My final thought is
i came for the romance…
i stayed for the horse.
Felt like i needed to change the type of reviews i usually give because this book definitely deserves more recognition so i wanted to share some more info. With that being said, Thank you sooo much for NetGalley for providing me an ARC and i hope to see more works by Nora Carmody in the near future!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Book review 📖
📜Daughter Of The Wind
✍️Nora Carmody
📠Berkley Publishing/Ace
📚Fantasy Fiction
🗓️Pub date: April 14, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
✨Thank you @NetGalley and @berkleypub @acebookspub for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
From the publisher:
Zara has never felt worthy of her title as First Daughter. While her people are tied to the land and their soul-bound horses, Zara has always felt a pull toward the wind.
As war rages against the enemy empire’s deadly Eagle Riders, her people edge closer to defeat. When a rider attacks Zara herself, she unleashes a wind magic strong enough to tear giant eagles from the sky. This power could turn the tide of the war—but at a terrible price: the slow unraveling of her psychic bond with her horse.
So when a marriage treaty is offered in exchange for peace, Zara agrees, sacrificing herself to protect her people. But the emperor’s palace is more treacherous than any battlefield.
Sworn to protect the future empress, Commander Talon soon realizes Zara is more than a political pawn—she’s the key to stopping the emperor’s dark ambitions.
Thoughts:
Going into this, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Well, let me tell you, this book is FUN. Hard to believe that this is a debut, as it’s wonderfully written and the pacing is on point. I’m also pleasantly surprised that the action starts out strong and doesn’t let up.
Early on, I was emotionally invested in Zara and Shazeera’s bond. I loved their interactions and was rooting for them the whole book.
For fans of Carissa Broadbent and Helen Scheuerer, this book contains a lot of the same elements and features I’ve read in their books and enjoyed as well, (shadow demons/wraiths) particularly Daughter Of No Worlds, and Blood & Steel series, and the animal bonding found in Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing.
This is one you won’t want to miss and I’m already looking forward to book 2!
#netgalley #fantasyfiction #daughterofthewind #advancedreadercopy
📜Daughter Of The Wind
✍️Nora Carmody
📠Berkley Publishing/Ace
📚Fantasy Fiction
🗓️Pub date: April 14, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
✨Thank you @NetGalley and @berkleypub @acebookspub for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
From the publisher:
Zara has never felt worthy of her title as First Daughter. While her people are tied to the land and their soul-bound horses, Zara has always felt a pull toward the wind.
As war rages against the enemy empire’s deadly Eagle Riders, her people edge closer to defeat. When a rider attacks Zara herself, she unleashes a wind magic strong enough to tear giant eagles from the sky. This power could turn the tide of the war—but at a terrible price: the slow unraveling of her psychic bond with her horse.
So when a marriage treaty is offered in exchange for peace, Zara agrees, sacrificing herself to protect her people. But the emperor’s palace is more treacherous than any battlefield.
Sworn to protect the future empress, Commander Talon soon realizes Zara is more than a political pawn—she’s the key to stopping the emperor’s dark ambitions.
Thoughts:
Going into this, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Well, let me tell you, this book is FUN. Hard to believe that this is a debut, as it’s wonderfully written and the pacing is on point. I’m also pleasantly surprised that the action starts out strong and doesn’t let up.
Early on, I was emotionally invested in Zara and Shazeera’s bond. I loved their interactions and was rooting for them the whole book.
For fans of Carissa Broadbent and Helen Scheuerer, this book contains a lot of the same elements and features I’ve read in their books and enjoyed as well, (shadow demons/wraiths) particularly Daughter Of No Worlds, and Blood & Steel series, and the animal bonding found in Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing.
This is one you won’t want to miss and I’m already looking forward to book 2!
#netgalley #fantasyfiction #daughterofthewind #advancedreadercopy
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rating: 3.5 ⭐
The early parts of the book annoyed me. I was expecting an adult romantasy but this read more like a YA romantasy with some physical stuff happening, so I was expecting something different. Zara read very much like a YA heroine while Talon was sort of a mix. I didn't like Zara and Talon (especially) at first but they both grew on me after a while.
Zara and Talon's people are enemies. Zara's people are semi-nomadic tribes whose spirit animals are horses. Talon's people, on the other hand, when they bond, bond with eagles and they're out to conquer the whole land, including those that belong to Zara's people. I really like the premise around bonded/spirit animals and the theme of colonization and how it might be perceived from both sides. Zara can't connect with her people's earth powers, instead her affinity belongs to the wind -- big no for her people! Especially since, it interferes with the bond she has with her horse. The emperor feels threatened by her wind affinity so he proposes that she become his empress to form a truce between their people. When Zara gets to the palace, she soon sees there's actually an evil entity that "works" for the emperor. Talon's her bodyguard but they're starting to get feelings for each other. Not only is he her bodyguard, he's also the emperor's cousin.
So I mentioned that I was annoyed with the early part of the novel, but as the story progresses, it gets better. I was sufficiently invested in the halfway mark. It still reads as YA, but at this point I've gotten used to it. Everything leading up to the end of the novel was exciting and intriguing that I will definitely read on when the sequel comes out.
Thank you to Berkley Ace and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The early parts of the book annoyed me. I was expecting an adult romantasy but this read more like a YA romantasy with some physical stuff happening, so I was expecting something different. Zara read very much like a YA heroine while Talon was sort of a mix. I didn't like Zara and Talon (especially) at first but they both grew on me after a while.
Zara and Talon's people are enemies. Zara's people are semi-nomadic tribes whose spirit animals are horses. Talon's people, on the other hand, when they bond, bond with eagles and they're out to conquer the whole land, including those that belong to Zara's people. I really like the premise around bonded/spirit animals and the theme of colonization and how it might be perceived from both sides. Zara can't connect with her people's earth powers, instead her affinity belongs to the wind -- big no for her people! Especially since, it interferes with the bond she has with her horse. The emperor feels threatened by her wind affinity so he proposes that she become his empress to form a truce between their people. When Zara gets to the palace, she soon sees there's actually an evil entity that "works" for the emperor. Talon's her bodyguard but they're starting to get feelings for each other. Not only is he her bodyguard, he's also the emperor's cousin.
So I mentioned that I was annoyed with the early part of the novel, but as the story progresses, it gets better. I was sufficiently invested in the halfway mark. It still reads as YA, but at this point I've gotten used to it. Everything leading up to the end of the novel was exciting and intriguing that I will definitely read on when the sequel comes out.
Thank you to Berkley Ace and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I want to thank Nora Carmody and Ace through Goodreads for this ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of Daughter of the Wind.
What would it be like to have a mental bond with your horse? What if it meant having to run from giant eagles and their riders to be safe? Would you be willing to give up potentially everything to then try and create peace with this other group of people? Daughter of the Wind by Nora Carmody is a New Adult Fantasy Romance that combines a love of horses, giant eagles and a dedication to do what’s right no matter the cost. Zara and Talon find themselves forced into each other’s proximity due to a powerful magic that Zara has only recently discovered. Talon is sent to broker a peace treaty with her mother that involves her becoming the future empress. However, when they get back to the palace, they both quickly realize there is more going on than originally known.
Okay, before I dive into how much I absolutely loved this story, let’s talk about this cover. I was immediately drawn to it as I have always had a love for horses (honestly, most creatures if I’m being completely honest). Also, it’s just absolutely beautiful! After reading the story, I love it even more as I understand every aspect of it! The cover art is truly phenomenal!
As for the story, I really loved the unique take on this one. It didn’t feel like a typical romantasy, it felt otherworldly in such a profound way. Carmody did such a phenomenal job at describing the plains and then later on the mountains that I genuinely felt like I was inside of the story along with the characters. Picturing the horses running and leaping and the giant eagles soaring was just a sight to behold! Absolutely breathtaking.
The story is told from two different POVs (points of view), Zara and Talon. Zara is the First Daughter, heir to the Queen of All Queens over the Children of Earth. Talon is a commander in the Eagle Riders and cousin to the emperor of the Zephyrians. Both of them have been raised to believe the other’s ways are wrong, there are many differences between both cultures. However, I really loved watching Carmody grow both characters throughout the story. Not only did they grow in acceptance of other customs, but they also grew in the types of sacrifices they were willing to make for the greater good. Their interactions were also very real to me.
To say I loved this story is an understatement! I enjoyed reading every minute of Daughter of the Wind by Nora Carmody and have already deep dived into when the next book is coming out! This is a New Adult Fantasy Romance (Romantasy) that has some cursing, beginnings of some open door bedroom scenes, and a decent amount of violence. I highly recommend this book! Especially if you’ve ever found yourself longing to gallop across a plain or fly through the air! An absolutely magical read!
What would it be like to have a mental bond with your horse? What if it meant having to run from giant eagles and their riders to be safe? Would you be willing to give up potentially everything to then try and create peace with this other group of people? Daughter of the Wind by Nora Carmody is a New Adult Fantasy Romance that combines a love of horses, giant eagles and a dedication to do what’s right no matter the cost. Zara and Talon find themselves forced into each other’s proximity due to a powerful magic that Zara has only recently discovered. Talon is sent to broker a peace treaty with her mother that involves her becoming the future empress. However, when they get back to the palace, they both quickly realize there is more going on than originally known.
Okay, before I dive into how much I absolutely loved this story, let’s talk about this cover. I was immediately drawn to it as I have always had a love for horses (honestly, most creatures if I’m being completely honest). Also, it’s just absolutely beautiful! After reading the story, I love it even more as I understand every aspect of it! The cover art is truly phenomenal!
As for the story, I really loved the unique take on this one. It didn’t feel like a typical romantasy, it felt otherworldly in such a profound way. Carmody did such a phenomenal job at describing the plains and then later on the mountains that I genuinely felt like I was inside of the story along with the characters. Picturing the horses running and leaping and the giant eagles soaring was just a sight to behold! Absolutely breathtaking.
The story is told from two different POVs (points of view), Zara and Talon. Zara is the First Daughter, heir to the Queen of All Queens over the Children of Earth. Talon is a commander in the Eagle Riders and cousin to the emperor of the Zephyrians. Both of them have been raised to believe the other’s ways are wrong, there are many differences between both cultures. However, I really loved watching Carmody grow both characters throughout the story. Not only did they grow in acceptance of other customs, but they also grew in the types of sacrifices they were willing to make for the greater good. Their interactions were also very real to me.
To say I loved this story is an understatement! I enjoyed reading every minute of Daughter of the Wind by Nora Carmody and have already deep dived into when the next book is coming out! This is a New Adult Fantasy Romance (Romantasy) that has some cursing, beginnings of some open door bedroom scenes, and a decent amount of violence. I highly recommend this book! Especially if you’ve ever found yourself longing to gallop across a plain or fly through the air! An absolutely magical read!
April 13, 2026
2.5/5
I received this eARC from NetGalley and Berkley/Ace. This review is completely independent and reflects my opinions.
I was really looking forward to this book, but it didn’t work for me, unfortunately. I grew up an avid horse girl and I was so excited for this story: a horse-and-rider bonded pair, giant eagles with riders, and elemental magic sounded so good! I loved the bonds between Zara and her horse, Shazeera, and Talon and his eagle, Neo. Quite frankly, the human and animal bonds is what kept my rating higher than a 2. I wish the story held up to my expectations. The writing feels quite YA when this story is advertised as New Adult. The MCs’, Zara and Talon, internal dialogue and interactions feel juvenile. These two warring factions, the Children of the Earth and the Zephyrians, have been at war for 150 years, yet there doesn’t seem to be much conflict between Zara and Talon to overcome this generational divide? They are surprisingly amiable immediately after the peace treaty, all things considered. I was expecting more conflict considering the Zephyrians had colonized and massacred Zara’s people to near extinction. The pacing threw me off as well. The first third of the book is incredibly slow with a lot of info-dumping to explain the war. When things do pick up, I didn’t feel any connection to the MCs to really care about the new developments. There was no emotional payoff from the beginning. I’m not sure that I am invested enough to continue reading the next book in this forthcoming trilogy, but I can’t help but wonder if this was simply getting everything set up for the next books. If you read this book, I hope you sincerely hope you enjoy it; reading is subjective and what didn’t work for me may be enjoyable for you!
I received this eARC from NetGalley and Berkley/Ace. This review is completely independent and reflects my opinions.
I was really looking forward to this book, but it didn’t work for me, unfortunately. I grew up an avid horse girl and I was so excited for this story: a horse-and-rider bonded pair, giant eagles with riders, and elemental magic sounded so good! I loved the bonds between Zara and her horse, Shazeera, and Talon and his eagle, Neo. Quite frankly, the human and animal bonds is what kept my rating higher than a 2. I wish the story held up to my expectations. The writing feels quite YA when this story is advertised as New Adult. The MCs’, Zara and Talon, internal dialogue and interactions feel juvenile. These two warring factions, the Children of the Earth and the Zephyrians, have been at war for 150 years, yet there doesn’t seem to be much conflict between Zara and Talon to overcome this generational divide? They are surprisingly amiable immediately after the peace treaty, all things considered. I was expecting more conflict considering the Zephyrians had colonized and massacred Zara’s people to near extinction. The pacing threw me off as well. The first third of the book is incredibly slow with a lot of info-dumping to explain the war. When things do pick up, I didn’t feel any connection to the MCs to really care about the new developments. There was no emotional payoff from the beginning. I’m not sure that I am invested enough to continue reading the next book in this forthcoming trilogy, but I can’t help but wonder if this was simply getting everything set up for the next books. If you read this book, I hope you sincerely hope you enjoy it; reading is subjective and what didn’t work for me may be enjoyable for you!
April 16, 2026
Respectfully you could not pay me to care about these characters.
I hate read the whole thing so you don’t have to. (Unless you’re into torturing yourself)
1-imagine you’re writing about a guy who can ride an eagle (or any bird) what name would you give him? Certainly not Talon right? That would be too on the nose.
2-this book is a whole lot of lust for not a lot of action which isn’t weird given that it’s written like YA but is weird because you could have just left all that out if you didn’t really plan to utilize it. There’s only so many times I can read about how his gaze made her cheeks flush. I literally don’t care. People are dying and all you care about is kissing? Couldn’t be me.
3- this book is for horse girls and I fear I misunderstood the depth of that. So as far as the horse/girl bond I won’t judge because I was not the audience it was intended for.
4- imagine all the awkward silences there are when Zara and Talon are thinking toward their animals. That must be so weird???
5- cliffhanger. No stars on Yelp
6- the character development in the book feels so lackluster for the fact that we really only know about two characters. Like i finished this book minutes ago and I couldn’t tell you a single detail about these two other than Zara would die if her bond with her horse was broken.
7. Why was there not more discussion about the background characters. The emperor was in like 2 prominent scenes and he’s like part of the bad guys™️
Anyway. Long story short I did not have a cash money time reading this book and complained the whole time.
I won’t be reading the sequel.
But hey, big thanks to the author and NetGalley for letting me read this arc. Sorry I didn’t like it.
I hate read the whole thing so you don’t have to. (Unless you’re into torturing yourself)
1-imagine you’re writing about a guy who can ride an eagle (or any bird) what name would you give him? Certainly not Talon right? That would be too on the nose.
2-this book is a whole lot of lust for not a lot of action which isn’t weird given that it’s written like YA but is weird because you could have just left all that out if you didn’t really plan to utilize it. There’s only so many times I can read about how his gaze made her cheeks flush. I literally don’t care. People are dying and all you care about is kissing? Couldn’t be me.
3- this book is for horse girls and I fear I misunderstood the depth of that. So as far as the horse/girl bond I won’t judge because I was not the audience it was intended for.
4- imagine all the awkward silences there are when Zara and Talon are thinking toward their animals. That must be so weird???
5- cliffhanger. No stars on Yelp
6- the character development in the book feels so lackluster for the fact that we really only know about two characters. Like i finished this book minutes ago and I couldn’t tell you a single detail about these two other than Zara would die if her bond with her horse was broken.
7. Why was there not more discussion about the background characters. The emperor was in like 2 prominent scenes and he’s like part of the bad guys™️
Anyway. Long story short I did not have a cash money time reading this book and complained the whole time.
I won’t be reading the sequel.
But hey, big thanks to the author and NetGalley for letting me read this arc. Sorry I didn’t like it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Ace, and NetGalley for the eARC, and to PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook!!
Okay so I absolutely loved the premise of this one. Like the world building, the magic, the animal companions… all of that was soooo good. And the bond between Zara and her horse Shazeera?? Honestly one of my favorite parts of the whole book. Also the tension and the slow burn between Zara and Talon…mhm, loved it!!!
What unfortunately didn’t work for me was the pacing. It felt a little ALL over the place. For a big part of the book, it was very slow, like a lot and nothing was happening at the same time. It also felt very repetitive, like to the point where it actually started to bug me. That said, the last 10% was actually really good and kind of saved it for me, so I am considering picking up book two.
Also I’m not gonna lie, even though this is NA, it reads very YA. That did bother me at first, especially some of the dialogues, but then I was like okay fine, I’m not against YA, I read a lot of YA. I just feel like this one probably would have done better if it fully leaned into being YA. Ohhh and Zara… girl, she did annoy me for a good part of the book, I’m sorry!!!
Audiobook though?? SO GOOD. I genuinely loved both narrators. They are probably the main reason I kept going and didn’t DNF, because they really brought the story to life and made it a much more enjoyable experience than it would be just eyeballing it.
Okay so I absolutely loved the premise of this one. Like the world building, the magic, the animal companions… all of that was soooo good. And the bond between Zara and her horse Shazeera?? Honestly one of my favorite parts of the whole book. Also the tension and the slow burn between Zara and Talon…mhm, loved it!!!
What unfortunately didn’t work for me was the pacing. It felt a little ALL over the place. For a big part of the book, it was very slow, like a lot and nothing was happening at the same time. It also felt very repetitive, like to the point where it actually started to bug me. That said, the last 10% was actually really good and kind of saved it for me, so I am considering picking up book two.
Also I’m not gonna lie, even though this is NA, it reads very YA. That did bother me at first, especially some of the dialogues, but then I was like okay fine, I’m not against YA, I read a lot of YA. I just feel like this one probably would have done better if it fully leaned into being YA. Ohhh and Zara… girl, she did annoy me for a good part of the book, I’m sorry!!!
Audiobook though?? SO GOOD. I genuinely loved both narrators. They are probably the main reason I kept going and didn’t DNF, because they really brought the story to life and made it a much more enjoyable experience than it would be just eyeballing it.
April 23, 2026
Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
An immersive debut that beautifully captures the “soul bond” between a rider and her horse. If you grew up wishing you could communicate with animals, this book feels like a dream come true.
The Riders of Earth and Sky trilogy opens with Princess Zara, the First Daughter of a land where warriors are soul-bound to their horses. To save her people, Zara agrees to an arranged marriage in enemy territory. She never expects to fall for the commander assigned to protect her from a growing, dangerous evil on the brink of destruction—one that threatens far more than just the continent.
The communication of thoughts, feelings, and memories between Zara and her horse was the emotional heart of the story for me. Nora Carmody’s writing made me feel like I was Zara—feeling the wind on my face and the vastness of the mountains while traveling by horse and eagle. This book really leans into romantasy with forbidden love, arranged marriage, and elemental magic that threatens Zara’s bond with her horse.
The pacing did slow down a bit in the middle, but the ending was strong and left me with several questions that I’m excited to see answered in Heiress of Storms.I would recommend Daughter of the Wind to readers who are new to the genre or those looking to dip their toes into romantasy. It’s a great start to a promising series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.
An immersive debut that beautifully captures the “soul bond” between a rider and her horse. If you grew up wishing you could communicate with animals, this book feels like a dream come true.
The Riders of Earth and Sky trilogy opens with Princess Zara, the First Daughter of a land where warriors are soul-bound to their horses. To save her people, Zara agrees to an arranged marriage in enemy territory. She never expects to fall for the commander assigned to protect her from a growing, dangerous evil on the brink of destruction—one that threatens far more than just the continent.
The communication of thoughts, feelings, and memories between Zara and her horse was the emotional heart of the story for me. Nora Carmody’s writing made me feel like I was Zara—feeling the wind on my face and the vastness of the mountains while traveling by horse and eagle. This book really leans into romantasy with forbidden love, arranged marriage, and elemental magic that threatens Zara’s bond with her horse.
The pacing did slow down a bit in the middle, but the ending was strong and left me with several questions that I’m excited to see answered in Heiress of Storms.I would recommend Daughter of the Wind to readers who are new to the genre or those looking to dip their toes into romantasy. It’s a great start to a promising series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.
April 14, 2026
Some stories are built around a world…this one is built around a bond. The connection between rider and horse isn’t just part of the backdrop, it is the heartbeat of the story. You can tell how much the author loves horses, and it’s there on every page. If you’re a horse lover, this will absolutely speak to you.
Zara’s in a place that’s already been chosen for her, trying to grow into it even when it doesn’t feel like her own. There’s a heartfelt honesty and understanding of what that means-in wanting to be enough for something so much bigger than yourself. As everything around her tris to suffocate her-war, expectation, the pull of power….you , can definitely feel how much she’s holding inside. The magic brings that element of risk, but it’s her heart, and the choices she has to make, that give the story its weight. And also tucked into it is a slow burn romance.
I’ll say this did read on the younger side for me, but not in a way that took away from the experience. It felt immersive and engaging, the kind of book you pick up for a few chapters and suddenly realize you’ve read far more than you planned.
If you love stories where horses are at the center, where magic comes with a cost, and where loyalty ( both to people and to the bonds we choose) matters deeply, this is one to have on your radar.
Zara’s in a place that’s already been chosen for her, trying to grow into it even when it doesn’t feel like her own. There’s a heartfelt honesty and understanding of what that means-in wanting to be enough for something so much bigger than yourself. As everything around her tris to suffocate her-war, expectation, the pull of power….you , can definitely feel how much she’s holding inside. The magic brings that element of risk, but it’s her heart, and the choices she has to make, that give the story its weight. And also tucked into it is a slow burn romance.
I’ll say this did read on the younger side for me, but not in a way that took away from the experience. It felt immersive and engaging, the kind of book you pick up for a few chapters and suddenly realize you’ve read far more than you planned.
If you love stories where horses are at the center, where magic comes with a cost, and where loyalty ( both to people and to the bonds we choose) matters deeply, this is one to have on your radar.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the Publisher for gifting me an eARC of this book!
From the second I read the description of this book, I knew I would love it. 4.5/5 stars!
I'm genuinely shocked that this book has low ratings, it was so wonderfully fast paced, full of YEARNING, and had an incredible magic system.
I was the horse girl growing up. My favourite movie was Spirit and I took horseback riding lessons (I still ride to this day). And I was always deemed "weird" for my love of horses. My inner child was the one who was reading this book, who was smiling during every single moment that Shazeera was on page. I loved the bonds between the Children of Earth and their horses, I felt that very deep in my soul, since I too have had a close connection with my horses.
The magic system and unique mounts in this book were extremely well done. I loved the world, the politics, and the conflicts. And of course, the romance. The absolute YEARNING in this book ; I can't get over it.
I will say it definitely reads more YA rather than adult, but I didn't mind this, since I do read a lot of YA.
The cliffhanger in the ending made me stare at a wall. I cannot wait for the next book in this world!
From the second I read the description of this book, I knew I would love it. 4.5/5 stars!
I'm genuinely shocked that this book has low ratings, it was so wonderfully fast paced, full of YEARNING, and had an incredible magic system.
I was the horse girl growing up. My favourite movie was Spirit and I took horseback riding lessons (I still ride to this day). And I was always deemed "weird" for my love of horses. My inner child was the one who was reading this book, who was smiling during every single moment that Shazeera was on page. I loved the bonds between the Children of Earth and their horses, I felt that very deep in my soul, since I too have had a close connection with my horses.
The magic system and unique mounts in this book were extremely well done. I loved the world, the politics, and the conflicts. And of course, the romance. The absolute YEARNING in this book ; I can't get over it.
I will say it definitely reads more YA rather than adult, but I didn't mind this, since I do read a lot of YA.
The cliffhanger in the ending made me stare at a wall. I cannot wait for the next book in this world!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
3.75/5
Daughter of the Wind had a fantasy premise that instantly intrigued me. The world-building and magic system were different than anything I've come across, and I enjoyed the lore behind earth and wind magic. I enjoyed both the characters and the plot; Zara was a strong protagonist who remained true to herself despite everything thrown at her over the course of the story, and I was always curious about what would come next in the book. The plot was exciting, and I enjoyed seeing how the events unravelled from Zara's new powers to the hidden motives of the Zephyrian kingdom. However, I think that a lot of aspects in this book could use a little more development. The story is extremely fast-paced, and everything happens in a very short period of time. I think the story would have benefited from being a little slower, allowing for better development of the romance and for the intricacies of the plot to shine through. Sometimes things felt like they happened very conveniently, and I think a little more depth would have made this story truly stand out. Overall, this was an interesting read. I enjoyed the story, and while I believe some aspects of this book could use more depth, I'm excited to see what book two has in store.
Thank you to Berkley Romance for the gifted book!
Daughter of the Wind had a fantasy premise that instantly intrigued me. The world-building and magic system were different than anything I've come across, and I enjoyed the lore behind earth and wind magic. I enjoyed both the characters and the plot; Zara was a strong protagonist who remained true to herself despite everything thrown at her over the course of the story, and I was always curious about what would come next in the book. The plot was exciting, and I enjoyed seeing how the events unravelled from Zara's new powers to the hidden motives of the Zephyrian kingdom. However, I think that a lot of aspects in this book could use a little more development. The story is extremely fast-paced, and everything happens in a very short period of time. I think the story would have benefited from being a little slower, allowing for better development of the romance and for the intricacies of the plot to shine through. Sometimes things felt like they happened very conveniently, and I think a little more depth would have made this story truly stand out. Overall, this was an interesting read. I enjoyed the story, and while I believe some aspects of this book could use more depth, I'm excited to see what book two has in store.
Thank you to Berkley Romance for the gifted book!
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