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Shade of Wings: A Novel
Not yet published
Expected 26 May 26For fans of Laline Paull, a speculative young adult novel about a family of New York City crows struggling to survive the outbreak of West Nile virus during the sizzling summer of 1999.
Four-year-old Duncan needs to hurry up and find a mate—at least, according to his sister, Cloud. But she doesn’t know about the mistake that’s preventing him from leaving their family to start another.
Though he’s the eldest, Duncan doesn’t see himself as a father. Yet that’s what he must become when both his parents die of the mysterious illness that’s killing crows across New York City. He devotes himself to caring for his siblings, including three fledglings—but he soon discovers he can’t protect them from the “blind death.”
Meanwhile, a zoo pathologist’s worst fears are realized. It starts with dead flamingos. Then critically ill New Yorkers start showing up in hospital emergency rooms.
Some blame the crows.
Four-year-old Duncan needs to hurry up and find a mate—at least, according to his sister, Cloud. But she doesn’t know about the mistake that’s preventing him from leaving their family to start another.
Though he’s the eldest, Duncan doesn’t see himself as a father. Yet that’s what he must become when both his parents die of the mysterious illness that’s killing crows across New York City. He devotes himself to caring for his siblings, including three fledglings—but he soon discovers he can’t protect them from the “blind death.”
Meanwhile, a zoo pathologist’s worst fears are realized. It starts with dead flamingos. Then critically ill New Yorkers start showing up in hospital emergency rooms.
Some blame the crows.
296 pages, Paperback
Expected publication May 26, 2026
1 person is currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
Pam McGaffin
2 books22 followersPam McGaffin always knew she would write books when she grew up.
So, after a long career in journalism and public-relations, she quit her day job and went to work. After seven years (but who’s counting) of writing, editing and querying, her debut novel, The Leaving Year, was published by SparkPress Aug. 14, 2018.
Pam’s short stories have appeared in the online literary journals, Eclectica and Amarillo Bay, and her non-fiction articles have been published in many Puget Sound-area publications and websites, including The Daily Herald (in Everett, WA), Bicycle Paper, the MS Connection newsletter, and Seattle Children’s Story Project.
She has a BA degree in Communications Journalism from the University of Washington and certificates in fiction writing and advanced literary fiction from UW Extension.
When she isn’t writing, she likes to think about writing, read, walk the dog, do sprint-distance triathlons, and devise ways to get her boys to eat more colorful food.
She and her family live in Seattle.
So, after a long career in journalism and public-relations, she quit her day job and went to work. After seven years (but who’s counting) of writing, editing and querying, her debut novel, The Leaving Year, was published by SparkPress Aug. 14, 2018.
Pam’s short stories have appeared in the online literary journals, Eclectica and Amarillo Bay, and her non-fiction articles have been published in many Puget Sound-area publications and websites, including The Daily Herald (in Everett, WA), Bicycle Paper, the MS Connection newsletter, and Seattle Children’s Story Project.
She has a BA degree in Communications Journalism from the University of Washington and certificates in fiction writing and advanced literary fiction from UW Extension.
When she isn’t writing, she likes to think about writing, read, walk the dog, do sprint-distance triathlons, and devise ways to get her boys to eat more colorful food.
She and her family live in Seattle.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 10, 2025
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.
I loved this book! I knew right from reading the description that I was gonna love this book. I got so excited when I was granted access to this ARC. As I'm a VetMed student I'm obviously gonna nerd out a little at a book about West Nile virus. I adore that this book is written mainly from the POV of the crows and it gives the same vibes and feeling as the film Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (or at least this is the sort of thing I was imagining in my head when I was reading).
NB) I make the link to this film in the sense of animation, birds pov, the way they interact with one another. The story line doesn't necessarily link. But I got the same vibe and feeling from the book as I do when I watch the film.
I would definitely recommend even if you don't know much about West Nile virus going into the book it's definitely interesting imagining how the crows dealt with it as well as a sprinkle of human POV adding the element of realism to the story because its based on the outbreak that happened in New York in the late 90s early 2000s.
I loved this book! I knew right from reading the description that I was gonna love this book. I got so excited when I was granted access to this ARC. As I'm a VetMed student I'm obviously gonna nerd out a little at a book about West Nile virus. I adore that this book is written mainly from the POV of the crows and it gives the same vibes and feeling as the film Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (or at least this is the sort of thing I was imagining in my head when I was reading).
NB) I make the link to this film in the sense of animation, birds pov, the way they interact with one another. The story line doesn't necessarily link. But I got the same vibe and feeling from the book as I do when I watch the film.
I would definitely recommend even if you don't know much about West Nile virus going into the book it's definitely interesting imagining how the crows dealt with it as well as a sprinkle of human POV adding the element of realism to the story because its based on the outbreak that happened in New York in the late 90s early 2000s.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5!
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC.
This was a story about grief, learning to accept yourself and your mistakes.
It's a pandemic story and I relate to it a little more
It follows the pov's of crows and humans and it was very beautifully written.
If we had more time in the human pov's I would've loved it even more.
I've found out that I'm loving the fiction/historical fiction genre a lot more lately.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC.
This was a story about grief, learning to accept yourself and your mistakes.
It's a pandemic story and I relate to it a little more
It follows the pov's of crows and humans and it was very beautifully written.
If we had more time in the human pov's I would've loved it even more.
I've found out that I'm loving the fiction/historical fiction genre a lot more lately.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews