House of Beating Wings [Dramatized Adaptation]

The Kingdom of Crows [Dramatized Adaptation] #1

by Olivia Wildenstein

FREE THE CROWS, FALLON, AND THEY WILL MAKE YOU QUEEN.

Until an oracle predicted my regal future, I'd never imagined myself rising above the curve of my round ears. After all, I was the magicless halfling loved by beasts but loathed by every pure-blooded faerie at court. Well . . . by all but one.

Dante Regio, prince of Luce, had owned my heart since he gave me my first kiss. If gathering a slew of iron relics could help me overthrow the current monarch and crown his brother to rule at my side, then treasure hunting I'd go.

If only the oracle had warned me what winged demon I was releasing into the world.

And that I'd become this demon's obsession.

Fans of Sarah J. Maas and Mary E. Pearson will devour this epic fantasy romance full of deceit, betrayal, and false loves that could swallow a person whole.

Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!

Genres: Audiobook, Fantasy, Magic, Romantasy, Romance

13 pages, Audiobook

Published January 15, 2026

About the author

Olivia is a USA Today best-selling author of romantasy. When she’s not swooning over her characters’ steamy escapades, or plotting their demise, you can find her sipping wine and crafting her next twisted, romantic masterpiece, all while trying to convince her children and leading man that she loves them more than her laptop.

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Reviews

[The Chapter Chaser · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4⭐️ Perfect book for graphic audio!!! I really enjoyed it.... except the FMC...insufferable!! Full review to come

[Kimmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in 2024 and I love the story, I have issues with Fallon but I think she's an interesting character. She's not the sharpest crayon in the box but she gets things done. Her motives and inspiration to be queen is a little one dimensional but I'm sure she'll have growth (hopefully). She's on the younger side early 20's but she acts like she's 18. Her doe eye and innocent might be because she's poor and her mother isn't there to help raise her. However, the story, plot, characters, magic, and world building was amazing.

I listen to the Graphic Audio and I love it so much more. I would give the Graphic Audio 5 stars and the book around a 3.5ish. So I felt like a 4 is a fair rating.

[Jen (jenslostinthepages) ♥Star-Crossed Book Blog♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The GraphicAudio for House of Beating Wings was phenomenal!  The voices for the different characters were all such a fabulous fit, and they made this story come alive!  I kept finding myself laughing, smiling, and completely captivated.  My anger was palpable, and at times I was so nervous for what was to come!  This audiobook consumed me and I even found myself crying multiple times.  GraphicAudio made me fall deeper in love with these characters and this world!  These characters and their journey are forever etched in my heart!  I can’t recommend this format enough, it was so much fun and now I can’t wait for the next one in this series! This one is all the stars!



Here’s my review for story ♥:
House of Beating Wings completely consumed me.  This magical world filled with fae grabbed a hold of my heart and refused to let go.  There was peril and heart stopping moments within the pages!  Truces were made with consequences attached to them.  And the characters and story-line leaped from the pages!  Fans of fantasy won't be able to put this story down!

Antoni squeezes my waist. “One day soon, there’ll be peace.”
I frown because I hadn’t realized we were at war.

Fallon was a magicless halfling who was given a prophecy, free the crows and they will make you queen.  Being loathed by the full blooded fae, Fallon was intrigued to go above her station.  Especially since she saw a chance with having a future with her friend, Dante.  Who was brother to the crown.  Fallon's world was changed forever when she started her quest to free the crows!

I’ve stolen a mythical, murderous creature. I shudder as the depth of what I’ve done folds over me like dark water.

I loved Fallon!  She was brave, head strong, honest, had a good heart and loved her friends.  Because of her rounded ears, she was discriminated against and it hurt my heart.  Yet there was so much more to Fallon than meets the eye.  She could supposedly charm the beasts that lived in their waters.  And one of them captured my heart, I was just as nervous for his fate and I was for Fallon's.  I was also so nervous for Fallon because she seemed to have all of her faith and trust in Dante.  And as her Grandma reminded her, they could never be.  Yet the key to her future revolved around releasing the crows, so we jumped head first into a spellbinding adventure with Fallon!

“Don’t betray me and I won’t betray you.”

The romance in this book will keep you on your toes!  It was brilliant how it all unfolded.  I found myself vacillating between Antoni and Dante.  I didn't know which one would be the right choice for Fallon and I liked them both for different reasons.  But hold on, because a few somethings happened and my mind was reeling.  The story took me somewhere that had my pulse pounding, I beyond ecstatic and it was absolutely genius!  Fans of slow burn romance are going to love it!

“You’re such an ass.”The chuckle that resounds between my temples widens  my eyes. “Did you just . . . laugh, Morrgot?”
A charmless ass like  myself laugh? You must be hearing things.

The crows, oh there is so much I want to say but my lips are zipped except for a few things. Dark sarcasm, it was phenomenal! The lengths that were went to to protect, oh my heart there was nothing that was off limits.  And the way Fallon was led, there were so many secrets and twists within the pages.  I loved watching the little pieces of the puzzle come together.  Looking back some of my guesses were correct!  Others I didn't even see coming.  I don't even know how many times I gasped out loud or was muttering omg again and again to myself.  This story blew my mind!

I’m not defective.
My lids burn. My chest hurts from how chaotically my heart beats.
I’m not defective.

With a richly imagined world, a dark and luscious story and characters that were brilliantly done, House of Beating Wings was a phenomenal start to a new series!  This story kept me glued to the pages and consumed my every waking thought.  The ending left us at the perfect stopping spot  but I'm anxiously dying for that next book, I have to know what happens next.  Fans of fantasy should definitely have this book on their tbr!

I won’t fail you, I whisper through the bond.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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[Taylor Mumma · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was told this book was like ACOTAR with sexy crows and I had to read it! I will say I was disappointed with how few crow noises the graphic audio contained. I was anticipating several more cawing noises or maybe a few more ruffling of feathers? It was my first graphic audio and I did enjoy the format. It gave it a little more depth than a regular old audiobook. Having all the narrators made this fun and really redeemed the story.

The actual story was fine, I was entertained enough that I wanted to pick it back up. It was nice to have a FMC that wasn’t an 18 year old illiterate human but OMG Fallon was so annoying. She was so naive and SO obsessed with Dante I was rolling my eyes the entire time. Plus the whole “losing her maidenhead” was so cringe and so unnecessary. I think it was done to emphasize her naivety but it gave me secondhand embarrassment. She did grow up a little throughout and became more tolerable towards the end. If this series is anything like ACOTAR then the next book will be significantly better than this one.

Fingers crossed for more crow noises in book two. I want to be entertained

[Yvonne Fortin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know all my ACOTAR girlies are as excited as me to hear Matthew Basset (who voices Eris) as the MMC love interest. Let’s get more of his POV chapters and less of Fallon in the next book!

I hate to bash an author but I have to say it. I have to. The FMC Fallon is super annoying. She makes the same “supposedly” life threatening mistakes over and over. And OVER. And every time she says whoops, that’s life threatening. Then she does it again!

Then, Her whole lack of personality just grates. Yet she has got lovely Antoni, the sleazy guard, various fae males and now the crow king falling at her feet. Why? Is it the whole damsel in distress thing they love? Maybe she’s stunning and that’s all they care about. Maybe it was her prominent nipples, which got an inordinate number of mentions. Difficult to say.

I was also confused by the lack of accents. This world is portrayed as a sort of Italian world, what with the setting and their liberal usage of Latin(ish?) phrases and terms, and the crows have a very Gaelic dialect so you would think Irish, Scottish, welsh or even English accent from the Crow, yet the only accent is AntonI who has an English accent? Very confusing.

But despite the accents or lack thereof, it was the voice actors who kept me listening. And Matthew Basset

[Haley Rae · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF'd at ~60%

Maybe it was the narrators or the story itself, but I am just not impressed. I cannot connect with any of the characters. I felt more connected to the serpent which only got about 2 scenes.

NOTHING is happening, and I am so incredibly confused.
Our MC is a 22-year-old virgin with the mind and critical thinking skills of a 12-year-old, who is obsessed with Prince Dante. And not in a good way. She is tasked with finding crows that will supposedly make her queen. I'm assuming she (our MC) thinks that she needs the 5 crows for Dante to love her which is just...yuck. BUT she doesn't really go on this quest (at least by the approximate halfway point of the book), she just stumbles upon what she needs. At lease this was the case for 2 of the 5 crows. And if I heard "dID I jUst SAy THat OuT LOuD" one more time, I would have completely lost it. What I listened to was just bad, and maybe it's the narration that I just fully couldn't connect with the story, but I was so excited because it had great reviews and was recommended by a lot of people.

To say I'm disappointed would be an understatement.
And don't get me started on the tent scene with Dante...I physically ripped off my headphones it was so cringey and just ugh

Should I switch to a physical copy of the book and try again?

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book. I've seen it in so many places. A friend noted that she liked the FMC. Fantasy romance is right up my alley. I was annoyed. And bored. Nothing good happened until we saw our first crow. And that's like 60% or more into the book!

The world building was great. I can see the world in my minds eye. The plot..... well, what was the plot? Reunite the crows so a childlike 20-something girl can get her childhood crush (who basically assaults her) and become queen? Who, in their right mind, would want this woman to be queen?!

What was the purpose of the "love triangle," and can we even call it that from one kiss? Why is the mom looney tunes? Is grandma in on the whole thing?

At the end of the day, I can't decide if I care enough to continue the series. It felt like a YA fantasy with one very cringe open door scene. I really don't feel like any redemption arc will change my opinion of the FMC. All this to say, I would not recommend this book. Time will tell if I care enough to see if the series redeems itself. Maybe I'll be bored enough, one day, to pick up the second book.

[Jamie G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the dramatized adaptation of this book, and it was amazing. It was my first experience with graphic audio, so it took some getting used to, but I loved it. I was hooked from beginning to end. With a full cast narration in duet style, immersive sounds, and more, I could not put this down. For a 13-hour audiobook, it took me less than 3 days to finish, and that's saying something.

I won't spoil anything, but I immediately downloaded the next book from Kindle Unlimited because I have to know what's next.

[Hannah Thibodeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! I went into this one blind, I’ve read one other book by this author and it was okay, different but not more than 3.5 stars, this book however was 4 stars hands down! What an interesting plot and there’s so much left to uncover! It was unlike anything else I’ve read lately and I was left wanting to know what happens next! Definitely will either read book two physical copy OR wait for Graphic Audio to release their adaptation of it.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hoooooooooooooooly gods I loved this one so much!!! I love crows, I love the setting, I love the world building and lore, and the characters are all well written, some of them making me FURIOUS (which is good!).. . This was such a fantastic book on the level of Sarah J. Maas!

I literally couldn't stop listening to this one!! I will definitely be adding the physical copy to my bookshelf at home!~

[Jenny · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a tough read! If I had read the book I would’ve not finished it. But I did enjoy the last hour and a half of this version, the dramatized version, and thought the cast was great! Or maybe the cast did a great job in making me dislike a lot of the characters 😅 the only reason I made it to the end was because I found Morrgot an interesting character.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the world building, the characters, and the action. I accept that the FMC is young and has been kept in the dark about many things. I appreciate that her actions reflect who she is as a character.

I really enjoyed the GraphicAudio narration!

[V]

There's a part of me that wants to continue this, but there's not really a whole lot happening, even after listening for over an hour and a half, and I'm not super invested into the characters.

Maybe if some kind of plot anything had started before now, but it's just kind of boring.

[Jessie Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great audio production and a fabulous fantasy series for any fantasy shelf.

[Candy Champa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book progressed much faster than I anticipated. I thought the quest would be more drawn out since there are so many books, and it seemed almost too easy for her to acquire all the crows.

[Diane Knutzen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the dramatized version of this book. The book itself was fantastic and the dramatized audio was also fantastic. I highly recommend listening to it!

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Her naivete is painful.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good, not sure if I’ll listen to the rest of the series. Maybe only if it’s the dramatized version.

[whatashisreading | missing the wing leader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m gonna give this a chance bc there’s like 4 books in this series? So some of the insanity I can get behind. As usual graphic audio gets one star all on its own ♥️

[Zofia Malewicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread

[Lieke Zwartjes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait for part two! Good storyline and ticked all the boxes!!!

[Drake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Female lead seems very self-focused on her expectant title change the entire time. Which was kinda off from her bad a** other personality. I am excited to continue the series and see where it goes. Shadow daddy and all.

[Valene Nduta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the dramatised audio and was very intrigued by the story and where it was headed. I do have issues with the FMC because she is (to put it bluntly) an idiot. Will continue with the series though.

Edit after my first Review.
I cant stop thinking about this book, and I need the dramatised audiobook for the second book ASAP. Bumping my review to 4 stars.