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Wingbound
Ledger is supposed to fear and despise the Sky People of Ellery. When an Ellerian girl named Alouette with beautiful, white wings sneaks into his village, everything changes. With his village at war with the winged people who live on the floating island that circles their world, he does the unthinkable: he befriends her.
In Ledger’s seventeenth harvest, Ellery returns empty. The Sky People are gone, Alouette is missing, and Ledger must make a difficult choice—continue life as usual in the blacksmith workshop or board the island against the elders’ wishes and find her.
From debut author Heather Trim comes a vibrant fantasy where following the rules isn’t always the right thing to do when you were born to be the exception.
In Ledger’s seventeenth harvest, Ellery returns empty. The Sky People are gone, Alouette is missing, and Ledger must make a difficult choice—continue life as usual in the blacksmith workshop or board the island against the elders’ wishes and find her.
From debut author Heather Trim comes a vibrant fantasy where following the rules isn’t always the right thing to do when you were born to be the exception.
- GenresFantasy
350 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 23, 2018
6 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Heather Trim
11 books40 followersHeather Trim is an award-winning author, retreat center executive director, and professional daydreamer. She inspires with her unique perspective of spirituality and the world. She lives in Georgia with her husband, Kevin, and five amazing children, one special son-in-law, and one treasured granddaughter. Heather enjoys bullet journaling, complicated board games, and reading too much.
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Sign up for HEATHER'S NEWSLETTER to be the first to know when a new book is coming!
Heather’s WEBSITE.
Heather’s FACEBOOK page.
Heather’s INSTAGRAM.
Heather’s AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 5, 2018
Sorry you had to wait for couple of days for this review but I wanted to sit and let it all cool off. Sometimes I write a review and then few days after further thinking about the book I realize I feel different about it. Here it comes!
First of all, this book was sent to me in an exchange for a review and I loved the idea of this book so much, I just knew I had to read it. And I must say I wasn't disappointed at all! Heather's writing is really interesting and easy to read. Kind of made for lazy summer days when you're just chilling outside daydreaming. I would've read it way faster if it weren't for college getting in the way.
Now, to the story and the characters. I'll keep this spoiler free, since the book didn't come out yet. I usually struggle with first books in the series, because I'm just getting to know the world and the characters, so it took some time to get used to them. But in the end I really liked everything. Out of all of them, I loved Tolliver the most! He's such a badass, but an actual sweetheart underneath. I loved Angus and Kava equally, they’re really badass and funny. Angus reminded me a lot of the Weasley twins and I loved it. Alouette was gone for most of the book, but she seemed really cool and sweet to me.
I have a lot to say about Hollis and Ledger so I'm dedicating them their own paragraphs.
I'll start with Hollis as she's the only thing about this book I didn't like. From the first time she showed in the book she was giving me such a bad vibe, but it's mostly because I don't like people like her. She's around 16, and acts like she's 5. She's very reckless, and I found her rather obnoxious at times. (I'm really sorry Heather) She just wasn't my cup of tea.
Now, to my bo-- my man, Ledger. But before I start, you know how all male characters in books are sassy, sarcastic, badass, like Jace and Will Herondale, Rhysand etc. Well, Ledger is nothing like that. And that's what I liked about him the most. And I want to thank Heather for finally giving the fantasy world a normal male character. He's character was so real, he's insecure, he compares himself to Tolliver a lot, he blames himself for everything bad that happens, he's not one of those brave hero boys, he's not a muscular Mr. Perfect, he's just a regular boy. Which, I found rather refreshing. He’s loyal to his friends and family, he hates to see them hurt. Honestly, I really loved to read about him.
You can preorder this absolutely amazing book here!!!
First of all, this book was sent to me in an exchange for a review and I loved the idea of this book so much, I just knew I had to read it. And I must say I wasn't disappointed at all! Heather's writing is really interesting and easy to read. Kind of made for lazy summer days when you're just chilling outside daydreaming. I would've read it way faster if it weren't for college getting in the way.
Now, to the story and the characters. I'll keep this spoiler free, since the book didn't come out yet. I usually struggle with first books in the series, because I'm just getting to know the world and the characters, so it took some time to get used to them. But in the end I really liked everything. Out of all of them, I loved Tolliver the most! He's such a badass, but an actual sweetheart underneath. I loved Angus and Kava equally, they’re really badass and funny. Angus reminded me a lot of the Weasley twins and I loved it. Alouette was gone for most of the book, but she seemed really cool and sweet to me.
I have a lot to say about Hollis and Ledger so I'm dedicating them their own paragraphs.
I'll start with Hollis as she's the only thing about this book I didn't like. From the first time she showed in the book she was giving me such a bad vibe, but it's mostly because I don't like people like her. She's around 16, and acts like she's 5. She's very reckless, and I found her rather obnoxious at times. (I'm really sorry Heather) She just wasn't my cup of tea.
Now, to my bo-- my man, Ledger. But before I start, you know how all male characters in books are sassy, sarcastic, badass, like Jace and Will Herondale, Rhysand etc. Well, Ledger is nothing like that. And that's what I liked about him the most. And I want to thank Heather for finally giving the fantasy world a normal male character. He's character was so real, he's insecure, he compares himself to Tolliver a lot, he blames himself for everything bad that happens, he's not one of those brave hero boys, he's not a muscular Mr. Perfect, he's just a regular boy. Which, I found rather refreshing. He’s loyal to his friends and family, he hates to see them hurt. Honestly, I really loved to read about him.
You can preorder this absolutely amazing book here!!!
April 22, 2018
FACEBOOK LINK: https://www.facebook.com/EyesOpenRevi...
*this review contains ~minor~ spoilers*
Upon finishing books, I usually surf through reviews on Goodreads to see what other people thought. I did the same thing after finishing Wingbound and there's a snippet from a comment toward the very top of the reviews page that I absolutely, 110% percent agree with:
"Heather's writing is really interesting and easy to read. Kind of made for lazy summer days when you're just chilling outside daydreaming."
The writing is very easy to just fall into and I totally agree with that. It didn't take me long to sink into Ledger's world at all. In fact, this book kept a usually non-fantasy reader engaged throughout the whole thing. I didn't disconnect at all. Hecking A+ for that.
I really liked the writing style because, while it was very easy to read, it was very descriptive too. The characters, especially, read very naturally and even though there are a lot of them throughout the book, it really was not very difficult to keep up because it felt like they all had their own voice. The reason I usually can't get into fantasy is because you're usually THROWN into world-building and a country's worth of characters right away, without any chance for a breather, but this book - while still very detailed - did not have that "too much, too fast" problem.
I think, out of everything, Alouette was my favorite thing about Wingbound. She's very interesting because, while she herself really isn't in the book all that much, she's, arguably, the most important character of this book. I mean, Ledger literally ran off on a quest to find her because he was concerned about her well-being so, yeah, I'd say she's pretty dang important.
However, despite the fact that Alouette is my favorite character and despite the fact I was able to follow this book pretty easily, there ARE two questions I have that, I feel, remain unanswered. Whether it was something that I simply did not pick up on or whether it's something that was genuinely lacking, I don't know, but they are:
1. When Ledger left with the others, how did they all know that they would be gone for a full year?
2. What is the nature of Ledger's relationship with Alouette?
Now, I'm assuming that #1 has to do with the fact that Ledger and the others knew that Alouette might not be in her world, but - if mentioned - I did not pick up on how or why they knew it would *specifically take* 365 days to find her. That's only my assumption though - I don't know for sure.
#2 has to do with the fact that this story has a...slight love triangle? but it's really not? but it actually is (or at least reads like one)? And I say that because I can't tell whether Ledger only likes Alouette as a friend or something more - in which case, what happened to him relationship-wise during his journey was a bit of a shock. That, and Alouette herself mentioned something (I won't spoil exactly what) along the lines of a relationship a bit later on, that I feel was just kind of left hanging? Not to mention he literally left his own world to go find this girl. Which, I mean, hey, a friend could do. But if that's the case then, uh, he must be a very, very good friend, lol.
I definitely found Alouette and her world to be the most interesting things about this book, but I liked it overall! I don't really know all of the fantasy subgenres, but I would definitely recommend for readers who love to follow a good journey/adventure - sort of like The Odyssey, but much easier to read, aha. If that sounds like your kind of read, it's definitely worth checking out!
*this review contains ~minor~ spoilers*
Upon finishing books, I usually surf through reviews on Goodreads to see what other people thought. I did the same thing after finishing Wingbound and there's a snippet from a comment toward the very top of the reviews page that I absolutely, 110% percent agree with:
"Heather's writing is really interesting and easy to read. Kind of made for lazy summer days when you're just chilling outside daydreaming."
The writing is very easy to just fall into and I totally agree with that. It didn't take me long to sink into Ledger's world at all. In fact, this book kept a usually non-fantasy reader engaged throughout the whole thing. I didn't disconnect at all. Hecking A+ for that.
I really liked the writing style because, while it was very easy to read, it was very descriptive too. The characters, especially, read very naturally and even though there are a lot of them throughout the book, it really was not very difficult to keep up because it felt like they all had their own voice. The reason I usually can't get into fantasy is because you're usually THROWN into world-building and a country's worth of characters right away, without any chance for a breather, but this book - while still very detailed - did not have that "too much, too fast" problem.
I think, out of everything, Alouette was my favorite thing about Wingbound. She's very interesting because, while she herself really isn't in the book all that much, she's, arguably, the most important character of this book. I mean, Ledger literally ran off on a quest to find her because he was concerned about her well-being so, yeah, I'd say she's pretty dang important.
However, despite the fact that Alouette is my favorite character and despite the fact I was able to follow this book pretty easily, there ARE two questions I have that, I feel, remain unanswered. Whether it was something that I simply did not pick up on or whether it's something that was genuinely lacking, I don't know, but they are:
1. When Ledger left with the others, how did they all know that they would be gone for a full year?
2. What is the nature of Ledger's relationship with Alouette?
Now, I'm assuming that #1 has to do with the fact that Ledger and the others knew that Alouette might not be in her world, but - if mentioned - I did not pick up on how or why they knew it would *specifically take* 365 days to find her. That's only my assumption though - I don't know for sure.
#2 has to do with the fact that this story has a...slight love triangle? but it's really not? but it actually is (or at least reads like one)? And I say that because I can't tell whether Ledger only likes Alouette as a friend or something more - in which case, what happened to him relationship-wise during his journey was a bit of a shock. That, and Alouette herself mentioned something (I won't spoil exactly what) along the lines of a relationship a bit later on, that I feel was just kind of left hanging? Not to mention he literally left his own world to go find this girl. Which, I mean, hey, a friend could do. But if that's the case then, uh, he must be a very, very good friend, lol.
I definitely found Alouette and her world to be the most interesting things about this book, but I liked it overall! I don't really know all of the fantasy subgenres, but I would definitely recommend for readers who love to follow a good journey/adventure - sort of like The Odyssey, but much easier to read, aha. If that sounds like your kind of read, it's definitely worth checking out!
April 30, 2018
Buddy-read with my bff Lona (Windowsill Books)!
Check out our full blog post here!
“I want to run. I want to fly. But I am stuck. With big feet on the ground, my heart is in the sky and there’s no way to reach it.”
We were generously given the opportunity to read Wingbound by Heather Trimm in exchange for an honest review before it gets released on March 23! To briefly summarize, this story follows a teenager named Ledger who has been raised to fear the Sky People of Ellery. However, after secretly encountering an Ellerian girl named Alouette, he starts to believe that maybe the Sky People are not so bad after all. Although Ledger and Alouette plan to meet periodically, one year the Sky People are nowhere to be found. Ledger must make a choice that can change the rest of his life forever: continue working alongside his family or board the Sky People’s forbidden island to find the girl of his dreams. Now, we have a little bit of mixed emotions with this story, so let’s not waste anytime and dive right on in!
This was such a fascinating idea for a story! Trimm did a great job coming up with a completely unique world for her characters unlike any we’ve read before. However, while the idea for the world was super creative, it was a little confusing to understand as the story progressed. Towards the beginning, Trimm makes it clear what the rules of the society are and how each society is to function on the ground. But once the story moves to focus on the Sky People, the world-building gets a little fuzzy. The role of the Sky People in society raised many questions for us that were ultimately left unanswered. Overall, the general idea for the world was great, but it was difficult to picture what was happening every now and then.
Let’s discuss these characters, shall we? To be honest, we didn’t figure out that the main character was a boy until quite a few chapters in. Now, this very easily could have totally been our fault seeing as how we tend to assume most YA books are going to be told from a heroine’s point of view (since, let’s be honest, most of them are). But either way, it was a real shocker once we figured it out! As for the rest of the characters, we didn’t get much information in regards to their backstories. For the most part they kind of happened to appear for the adventure and were just accepted to be there for the rest of the story. Maybe since this book is the first of a series, we get to know a little bit more about each of their personalities and histories!
This wouldn’t be a complete book review if we didn’t discuss the plot! Since we here on this site are morally against spoilers, we will be sure to avoid any specifics! At the beginning of the book, it seems as though the plot is going to be very clear: go to the forbidden Sky People’s land and rescue the girl. However, throughout this LONG epic journey, we started to forget why we were even on the expedition in the first place. And once the plot started to pick up, since it had been so long, we didn’t really have a preference as to how it would end.
Turn that frown upside-down though, because there were some things that we really did appreciate about this book! As we stated before, not many YA stories are written solely from a male perspective. Also, though this story did have a love-triangle (part of which involved the even more dreaded insta-love) we do appreciate what Trimm was trying to convey with how the relationships all turned out in the end (remember, we said no spoilers!). To be honest, our favorite part of the story had to be the introduction to the dragon, Tristeh. Because, seriously, who doesn’t want to hang out with dragons all day?!
Sadly, we are not going to be adding this book to our all-time favorites list. There were just too many holes in the world-building, the plot was very slow-moving, and it was a little difficult for us to connect with the characters. Overall, this book still held lots of potential which we hope Trim takes full advantage of in the next book of the series!
Final Rating: 1/5 stars
Check out our full blog post here!
“I want to run. I want to fly. But I am stuck. With big feet on the ground, my heart is in the sky and there’s no way to reach it.”
We were generously given the opportunity to read Wingbound by Heather Trimm in exchange for an honest review before it gets released on March 23! To briefly summarize, this story follows a teenager named Ledger who has been raised to fear the Sky People of Ellery. However, after secretly encountering an Ellerian girl named Alouette, he starts to believe that maybe the Sky People are not so bad after all. Although Ledger and Alouette plan to meet periodically, one year the Sky People are nowhere to be found. Ledger must make a choice that can change the rest of his life forever: continue working alongside his family or board the Sky People’s forbidden island to find the girl of his dreams. Now, we have a little bit of mixed emotions with this story, so let’s not waste anytime and dive right on in!
This was such a fascinating idea for a story! Trimm did a great job coming up with a completely unique world for her characters unlike any we’ve read before. However, while the idea for the world was super creative, it was a little confusing to understand as the story progressed. Towards the beginning, Trimm makes it clear what the rules of the society are and how each society is to function on the ground. But once the story moves to focus on the Sky People, the world-building gets a little fuzzy. The role of the Sky People in society raised many questions for us that were ultimately left unanswered. Overall, the general idea for the world was great, but it was difficult to picture what was happening every now and then.
Let’s discuss these characters, shall we? To be honest, we didn’t figure out that the main character was a boy until quite a few chapters in. Now, this very easily could have totally been our fault seeing as how we tend to assume most YA books are going to be told from a heroine’s point of view (since, let’s be honest, most of them are). But either way, it was a real shocker once we figured it out! As for the rest of the characters, we didn’t get much information in regards to their backstories. For the most part they kind of happened to appear for the adventure and were just accepted to be there for the rest of the story. Maybe since this book is the first of a series, we get to know a little bit more about each of their personalities and histories!
This wouldn’t be a complete book review if we didn’t discuss the plot! Since we here on this site are morally against spoilers, we will be sure to avoid any specifics! At the beginning of the book, it seems as though the plot is going to be very clear: go to the forbidden Sky People’s land and rescue the girl. However, throughout this LONG epic journey, we started to forget why we were even on the expedition in the first place. And once the plot started to pick up, since it had been so long, we didn’t really have a preference as to how it would end.
Turn that frown upside-down though, because there were some things that we really did appreciate about this book! As we stated before, not many YA stories are written solely from a male perspective. Also, though this story did have a love-triangle (part of which involved the even more dreaded insta-love) we do appreciate what Trimm was trying to convey with how the relationships all turned out in the end (remember, we said no spoilers!). To be honest, our favorite part of the story had to be the introduction to the dragon, Tristeh. Because, seriously, who doesn’t want to hang out with dragons all day?!
Sadly, we are not going to be adding this book to our all-time favorites list. There were just too many holes in the world-building, the plot was very slow-moving, and it was a little difficult for us to connect with the characters. Overall, this book still held lots of potential which we hope Trim takes full advantage of in the next book of the series!
Final Rating: 1/5 stars
February 5, 2018
Heather Trim has an engaging premise in Wingbound. She creates a world that we are brought into effortlessly and can gaze about in wonder. The characters are tangible and relatable. And the ending leaves you wanting more.
September 23, 2024
I'm a little mad at myself for not reading this sooner because once I started reading it, I really couldn't stop! Full review to come soon :)
FULL REVIEW:
I’m going to try to keep this whole review mostly spoiler free!
A short little summary: Ledger lives in a village where an island floating in the sky full of winged people passes by once a year. He befriends one of the winged Ellerians and meets with her every year, despite the hatred and violence between their people. One year, the island shows up empty, so Ledger and his friends set out to find out what happened to the winged people by travelling to the island of Ellery.
I had a little bit of trouble getting into this book initially since I usually have a hard time reading anything in a male’s point of view, but once I got a few chapters in, I seriously could not stop reading! I thought the idea of a floating island was very cool and unique, so that was why I initially wanted to read this book, and it didn’t disappoint. The island was so cool 😊 I didn’t really have any concrete ideas about what the story would be like, but it really surprised me. I thought it would be more of a quest, but it seemed a little more dystopian to me since our little ragtag team was just trying to survive on the floating island. What ended up happening to the Ellerians totally shocked me. I did think that the story overall was a little rushed, but the book was on the shorter side and it didn’t really detract from my enjoyment of the story.
Ledger did get on my nerves sometimes, but in general, I liked him because he was realistic. I loved that he didn’t really care what society thought and that he wasn’t afraid to break traditions to do what he thought was right. He wasn’t going to let the prejudice of his town stop him from finding his friend. I thought his relationship with Hollis developed very naturally. It was interesting to see him kind of struggle to choose between the ideal version of Alouette that he had in his head versus the things he was feeling toward Hollis, who was always by his side. Alouette was not in most of the book, but after the ending, I honestly don’t trust her, but I am ready to see more of her! I thought Tolliver was interesting, though his big secret kind of came out of nowhere to me, but it did address something I wanted to know (trying to avoid spoilers is so hard omg). Kava and Angus didn’t really get enough development for me to really feel either way about them to be honest.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story!! And I’m dying to know what happens next after such a dramatic cliffhanger!
Plot: ★★★★☆
Writing: ★★★★☆
Characters: ★★★☆☆
Setting: ★★★★★
Enjoyment factor: ★★★★★
I was sent this book in exchange for a review, so thank you Heather! Also, I’m not very good at putting thoughts into words, so there were definitely some things I didn’t mention because I didn’t know how to convey my ideas without this being like 100 times longer lol
FULL REVIEW:
I’m going to try to keep this whole review mostly spoiler free!
A short little summary: Ledger lives in a village where an island floating in the sky full of winged people passes by once a year. He befriends one of the winged Ellerians and meets with her every year, despite the hatred and violence between their people. One year, the island shows up empty, so Ledger and his friends set out to find out what happened to the winged people by travelling to the island of Ellery.
I had a little bit of trouble getting into this book initially since I usually have a hard time reading anything in a male’s point of view, but once I got a few chapters in, I seriously could not stop reading! I thought the idea of a floating island was very cool and unique, so that was why I initially wanted to read this book, and it didn’t disappoint. The island was so cool 😊 I didn’t really have any concrete ideas about what the story would be like, but it really surprised me. I thought it would be more of a quest, but it seemed a little more dystopian to me since our little ragtag team was just trying to survive on the floating island. What ended up happening to the Ellerians totally shocked me. I did think that the story overall was a little rushed, but the book was on the shorter side and it didn’t really detract from my enjoyment of the story.
Ledger did get on my nerves sometimes, but in general, I liked him because he was realistic. I loved that he didn’t really care what society thought and that he wasn’t afraid to break traditions to do what he thought was right. He wasn’t going to let the prejudice of his town stop him from finding his friend. I thought his relationship with Hollis developed very naturally. It was interesting to see him kind of struggle to choose between the ideal version of Alouette that he had in his head versus the things he was feeling toward Hollis, who was always by his side. Alouette was not in most of the book, but after the ending, I honestly don’t trust her, but I am ready to see more of her! I thought Tolliver was interesting, though his big secret kind of came out of nowhere to me, but it did address something I wanted to know (trying to avoid spoilers is so hard omg). Kava and Angus didn’t really get enough development for me to really feel either way about them to be honest.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story!! And I’m dying to know what happens next after such a dramatic cliffhanger!
Plot: ★★★★☆
Writing: ★★★★☆
Characters: ★★★☆☆
Setting: ★★★★★
Enjoyment factor: ★★★★★
I was sent this book in exchange for a review, so thank you Heather! Also, I’m not very good at putting thoughts into words, so there were definitely some things I didn’t mention because I didn’t know how to convey my ideas without this being like 100 times longer lol
March 22, 2018
Wingbound is a relatable coming-of-age story set in an imaginative world with vibrant characters.
As children, Ledger and Alouette meet and become unlikely friends. Ledger is the son of an earthbound blacksmith, on track to become a soldier who will defend his people from the raiding winged people of Ellery, among whom Alouette lives. Each harvest, Ellery--a floating mountain which orbits the planet--passes over Ledger's village, and the winged people fly down to battle and take a portion of the village stores of food. As Ledger's family fights Alouette's people year after year, the children's friendship deepens--until one harvest, Ellery passes over the village, and no one comes down.
Worried something terrible has happened to the young woman he has grown to care for, Ledger leaves the village. With the help of his brother and a few friends, Ledger sets out on the floating mountain to find Alouette and his winged enemies. But the flight up to the floating mountain in the sky is only the beginning of the adventure.
Along the way, Ledger and his friends are challenged and tested in a number of ways. If they are to survive, they must leave behind their childhood, overcome their weaknesses, and work together, despite differences in perspectives, temperaments, and goals.
Wingbound contains some of my favorite fantasy elements--a new world, new cultures, adventure, danger, triumph, true-to-life characters, humor, romance, and dragons. I found myself thinking about the story when I wasn't reading and was always happy to step back into the world Trim creates. Trim's wit and understanding of human nature and personalities adds depth and richness to Ledger's journey into manhood. I look forward to the next installment of the story.
As children, Ledger and Alouette meet and become unlikely friends. Ledger is the son of an earthbound blacksmith, on track to become a soldier who will defend his people from the raiding winged people of Ellery, among whom Alouette lives. Each harvest, Ellery--a floating mountain which orbits the planet--passes over Ledger's village, and the winged people fly down to battle and take a portion of the village stores of food. As Ledger's family fights Alouette's people year after year, the children's friendship deepens--until one harvest, Ellery passes over the village, and no one comes down.
Worried something terrible has happened to the young woman he has grown to care for, Ledger leaves the village. With the help of his brother and a few friends, Ledger sets out on the floating mountain to find Alouette and his winged enemies. But the flight up to the floating mountain in the sky is only the beginning of the adventure.
Along the way, Ledger and his friends are challenged and tested in a number of ways. If they are to survive, they must leave behind their childhood, overcome their weaknesses, and work together, despite differences in perspectives, temperaments, and goals.
Wingbound contains some of my favorite fantasy elements--a new world, new cultures, adventure, danger, triumph, true-to-life characters, humor, romance, and dragons. I found myself thinking about the story when I wasn't reading and was always happy to step back into the world Trim creates. Trim's wit and understanding of human nature and personalities adds depth and richness to Ledger's journey into manhood. I look forward to the next installment of the story.
March 21, 2018
"Ledger is supposed to fear and despise the Sky People of Ellery, but then he meets an Ellerian girl, named Alouette and does the wrong thing. With his village at war with the winged people who live on a floating island that circles their world, he befriends her.
In Ledger’s seventeenth harvest, Ellery returns empty. The Sky People are gone, Alouette is missing, and Ledger must make a difficult choice — continue life as usual in the blacksmith workshop or board the island against the elder’s wishes and find her."
Wingbound. Oh boy, what was I bound by this book! I read the teaser first and was a little sceptical. It sounded like a common lovestory. Ha! What was I wrong. I’m so sorry, Heather!
If you thought you have read it all, you haven't read this one!
Heather manages to drag you with her in her fantasyworld of this magnificent floating island. If you still have a dash of fantasy, it’s not really hard to imagine everything that is happening in this book. Heather knows her characters through and through and uses that to her benefit. It's unexpected, funny, serious, wonderful and above all; magical. Definitely worth your time of reading!
She paints a beautiful landscape with words. Her style of writing is captivating and I wished I wasn’t done so soon with reading. Gah. Can’t wait to read more! My quote on my blog that is written by Jane Austen definitely applies to Wingbound.
I’m honored that I was able to read this wonderful story before it’s release and I can really recommend others to buy it when it’s available! And have you seen that cover? That is just simply gorgeous!
And do you know the best part? The book is already online for pre-order!
In Ledger’s seventeenth harvest, Ellery returns empty. The Sky People are gone, Alouette is missing, and Ledger must make a difficult choice — continue life as usual in the blacksmith workshop or board the island against the elder’s wishes and find her."
Wingbound. Oh boy, what was I bound by this book! I read the teaser first and was a little sceptical. It sounded like a common lovestory. Ha! What was I wrong. I’m so sorry, Heather!
If you thought you have read it all, you haven't read this one!
Heather manages to drag you with her in her fantasyworld of this magnificent floating island. If you still have a dash of fantasy, it’s not really hard to imagine everything that is happening in this book. Heather knows her characters through and through and uses that to her benefit. It's unexpected, funny, serious, wonderful and above all; magical. Definitely worth your time of reading!
She paints a beautiful landscape with words. Her style of writing is captivating and I wished I wasn’t done so soon with reading. Gah. Can’t wait to read more! My quote on my blog that is written by Jane Austen definitely applies to Wingbound.
I’m honored that I was able to read this wonderful story before it’s release and I can really recommend others to buy it when it’s available! And have you seen that cover? That is just simply gorgeous!
And do you know the best part? The book is already online for pre-order!
March 1, 2018
The story follows a teenager named Ledger, on his journey to find his missing friend, Alouette. Ledger is a blacksmith's apprentice from Balfour and Alouette is one of the Sky People from Ellery. They meet at the age of 12 during the yearly visits the Ellerian make to the region to steal whatever the Balfour have harvested. Every year they would meet in secret to talk, fly and have a bit of fun amidst the ongoing yearly war. When Ledger was about 17, he created a contraption that would let him fly like Alouette since he had wanted to experience that again with her. When he finds out the island the Ellery travel on was empty, he decided to board it and find out what happened to Alouette and the Sky People. Fortunately or unfortunately, his brother, cousin and a few others decided to go on the journey with him. I was upset for Ledger half the time reading because his companions were angry at him for being on the moving island when he didn't even invite them. He wasn't appreciated by his brother or the others and the poor kid felt so alone. The journey on the island around the planet was filled with many hardships, fear, hope, and a few bright moments. The world building was fantastic, although, around the middle of the book, the pace of the story slowed down but I pushed through. There are still a few mysteries not solved from this book that will hopefully be explained in the coming book. It's a great beginning to a unique storyline!
February 21, 2018
Wow, what a great book! An easy-to-get-lost-in science fantasy that keeps you on edge to the very end and leaves you wanting more of the story. Heather has created an interesting world, in some ways similar to ours, but with some twists. Like a floating island called Ellery that comes by once a year. It’s floating very high in the air with the clouds, and its inhabitants have big beautiful wings. Unfortunately, they use those wings to fly down and take food from Ledger’s village during the harvest, and it’s a war that lasts as long as the island is overhead.
When Ledger is 10 he sneaks out during the war, just to get a look at the Ellerians. While hiding he meets a girl who flew down from Ellery with the same idea. Her name is Alouette and Ledger finds her beautiful and fascinating. For several years they continue their yearly meeting until one year the Ellerians didn’t fly down as the island floats over. Ledger is a blacksmith and quite an inventor and has been trying to find a way to fly up to Ellery. Concerned for Alouette, he goes against the Elders wishes and tries his latest invention, but doesn’t count on the company of his brother and three friends. Thus starts an adventure that goes deeper into this interesting world. Heather describes it in a way that lays it out in front of you in beauty and depth, yet it’s not so complicated that you have to struggle to remember details that would take you away from the story being told.
From the beginning this book keeps you engaged every second, and it’s hard to put down. Oh yes, and there are dragons too. The only disadvantage of reading the first book in a new series is having to wait for the next one. But then the biggest advantage of reading a book in a series is that there will be more!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/wa....
When Ledger is 10 he sneaks out during the war, just to get a look at the Ellerians. While hiding he meets a girl who flew down from Ellery with the same idea. Her name is Alouette and Ledger finds her beautiful and fascinating. For several years they continue their yearly meeting until one year the Ellerians didn’t fly down as the island floats over. Ledger is a blacksmith and quite an inventor and has been trying to find a way to fly up to Ellery. Concerned for Alouette, he goes against the Elders wishes and tries his latest invention, but doesn’t count on the company of his brother and three friends. Thus starts an adventure that goes deeper into this interesting world. Heather describes it in a way that lays it out in front of you in beauty and depth, yet it’s not so complicated that you have to struggle to remember details that would take you away from the story being told.
From the beginning this book keeps you engaged every second, and it’s hard to put down. Oh yes, and there are dragons too. The only disadvantage of reading the first book in a new series is having to wait for the next one. But then the biggest advantage of reading a book in a series is that there will be more!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/wa....
March 14, 2018
Wingbound is seriously unlike anything I've read before. I mostly read Fantasy so that is saying something. After reading the synopsis I was extremely excited to dive into the book! It had me at sky people and wings. I really like how in the beginning we grow up with Ledger a little bit, through the time he met Alouette and the present. I looked forward to Alouette's visits each year. Don't worry though that didn't take up much time in the story. Heather Trim did a excellent job at telling an amazing story in only around 230 pages and it all flowed nicely.
When Ledger finally decides to go find Alouette it was one of my favorite parts because even Ledger is surprised by who will come with him to help find Alouette! It was very heartwarming and when everyone bands together it was so fun to see them go off on there adventure.
I'm in love with Ellery! Heather Trim created such a beautiful,mystical, unique world. Ellery is unlike any other and so are the people of Ellery. Even though this story is obviously fantasy, everything was so clear and realistic. Trim did a great job at blending the human and Ellerian world together. She just did a great job with everything!
I really liked Ledger because he's not your usual male protagonist. He's just so down to earth and I loved that he didn’t really care what society thought and he wasn’t afraid to do what he thought was right. Ledger also goes through ALOT to find Alouette and I respect that. Alouette was not in most of the book, but after the beginning it is not the last we see of her. The ending definitely was a shocking twist for me and I was very surprised. I really hope there will be a sequel soon because I'd love to know more. And I do hope that the ending isn't going the way I think it is next. I definitely ship Ledger and Alouette. ;]
I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun and quick read. And fans of Fantasy will definitely enjoy this. I think it falls under YA, but I think younger and older readers will enjoy this story as well!
When Ledger finally decides to go find Alouette it was one of my favorite parts because even Ledger is surprised by who will come with him to help find Alouette! It was very heartwarming and when everyone bands together it was so fun to see them go off on there adventure.
I'm in love with Ellery! Heather Trim created such a beautiful,mystical, unique world. Ellery is unlike any other and so are the people of Ellery. Even though this story is obviously fantasy, everything was so clear and realistic. Trim did a great job at blending the human and Ellerian world together. She just did a great job with everything!
I really liked Ledger because he's not your usual male protagonist. He's just so down to earth and I loved that he didn’t really care what society thought and he wasn’t afraid to do what he thought was right. Ledger also goes through ALOT to find Alouette and I respect that. Alouette was not in most of the book, but after the beginning it is not the last we see of her. The ending definitely was a shocking twist for me and I was very surprised. I really hope there will be a sequel soon because I'd love to know more. And I do hope that the ending isn't going the way I think it is next. I definitely ship Ledger and Alouette. ;]
I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun and quick read. And fans of Fantasy will definitely enjoy this. I think it falls under YA, but I think younger and older readers will enjoy this story as well!
May 1, 2020
Clean enough for middle graders and enchanting enough for adults. Can’t wait for book 2!
May 12, 2018
Refreshing
A new, well written story line with twists and turns. I cannot wait to see what comes next. Great job.
A new, well written story line with twists and turns. I cannot wait to see what comes next. Great job.
December 31, 2018
I was generously given Wingbound in exchange for an honest review.
I have some mixed thoughts about this book, so I'll start by saying that what drew me to it was the concept. The book is about a boy named Ledger who was raised all his life to fear the winged Sky People of Ellery. However, after befriending one of them, a girl named Alouette, Ledger starts to wonder if the Sky People are really as bad as he had been taught. When the Sky People suddenly go missing, Ledger is faced with the choice of whether to remain in his village, or board the Sky People's island to solve the mystery of what happened.
The idea of the Sky People was really interesting and I was excited for some new, and unique world building. However, I was left a little disappointed. The idea starts off strong but as the story progressed the details became a little hazy and glossed over. At first I was willing to attribute this to the story being told in first person, and the narrator not understanding certain details of they Sky People's world. But after some miraculous saves from sticky situations, and ridiculous "plot twist" reveals, I felt that the world building wasn't as well thought out as I had hoped for.
That being said, I did enjoy the side characters, and their adventures. The only thing that really put me off in the end was the main character, Ledger. I'll be fair and admit that first person narration isn't always my cup of tea. However, I felt like it did not work well for this story. I found Ledger to be a very annoying character for almost the entire book. I felt like by the end he was starting to show a little bit of character growth, but this was literally in the second to last chapter. I know this is a series so it'll be interesting to see if he continues to develop in the next one, and if he can win me over.
I have some mixed thoughts about this book, so I'll start by saying that what drew me to it was the concept. The book is about a boy named Ledger who was raised all his life to fear the winged Sky People of Ellery. However, after befriending one of them, a girl named Alouette, Ledger starts to wonder if the Sky People are really as bad as he had been taught. When the Sky People suddenly go missing, Ledger is faced with the choice of whether to remain in his village, or board the Sky People's island to solve the mystery of what happened.
The idea of the Sky People was really interesting and I was excited for some new, and unique world building. However, I was left a little disappointed. The idea starts off strong but as the story progressed the details became a little hazy and glossed over. At first I was willing to attribute this to the story being told in first person, and the narrator not understanding certain details of they Sky People's world. But after some miraculous saves from sticky situations, and ridiculous "plot twist" reveals, I felt that the world building wasn't as well thought out as I had hoped for.
That being said, I did enjoy the side characters, and their adventures. The only thing that really put me off in the end was the main character, Ledger. I'll be fair and admit that first person narration isn't always my cup of tea. However, I felt like it did not work well for this story. I found Ledger to be a very annoying character for almost the entire book. I felt like by the end he was starting to show a little bit of character growth, but this was literally in the second to last chapter. I know this is a series so it'll be interesting to see if he continues to develop in the next one, and if he can win me over.
July 23, 2018
This book was very enjoyable. It was easy to read, AND it featured one of my favorites: dragons!
There were a lot of unique concepts such as the conflict between the humans and the Sky People. Even though this is not what the characters may be based on, I kept conjuring up the human characters as more Native American with their cultural aspects.
I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. The plot is full of suspenseful moments as countless people meet them on the island. And then the dragons came in. I liked following the male character through his journey to find his friend that he has secretly been meeting for years.
I thought this book was going to have more romance in it since two of the characters seemed to have that forbidden connection, but I was surprised when there really wasn't any full-on connections between them. And then I thought a love triangle may come into play, but again, the story played out differently. Which to me, it made this book ALOT more enjoyable to read and not your typical YA book.
The ending leaves in a drastic cliffhanger *ugh,* but the plot wraps up very quickly. It felt like the next book will pick up right at that moment, but I will just have to wait and see.
Overall, Wingbound was unpredictable *which I liked,* full of dragons *which I liked even more,* and displayed unique, survival storytelling characteristics that YA Fantasy readers will enjoy.
April 4, 2018
Wingbound is a fantastic adventure tale for all readers with their heads in the clouds.
Meet Ledger, a boy hungry for manhood and the chance to prove his worth in battle, and watch him have his whole world turned upside down when he meets one of the winged enemy – and finds nothing to hate. On the contrary, Alouette opens up new horizons for him and stirs his creativity into top gear.
The story is captivating and filled to the brim with original ideas like an island floating in the sky, heartache and friendship, love and loss – and dragons. (I didn’t expect those, but loved them all the more!)
Wingbound kept me turning the pages – despite the fact that it is written in first person present POV, which I’m not particularly fond of. The story was strong enough to carry me through, though, with its vivid imagery, painting the sights and sounds into my mind.
Unfortunately, the ending left a lot of strings untied, probably opting for a sequel, which left me a bit wanting after the high tension and tumultuous confusion that wrapped the story up. Not exactly a cliffhanger, but there is a bit of journey left open with a lot of adventures in store – especially when you have a dragon on board.
Highly recommended read!
Meet Ledger, a boy hungry for manhood and the chance to prove his worth in battle, and watch him have his whole world turned upside down when he meets one of the winged enemy – and finds nothing to hate. On the contrary, Alouette opens up new horizons for him and stirs his creativity into top gear.
The story is captivating and filled to the brim with original ideas like an island floating in the sky, heartache and friendship, love and loss – and dragons. (I didn’t expect those, but loved them all the more!)
Wingbound kept me turning the pages – despite the fact that it is written in first person present POV, which I’m not particularly fond of. The story was strong enough to carry me through, though, with its vivid imagery, painting the sights and sounds into my mind.
Unfortunately, the ending left a lot of strings untied, probably opting for a sequel, which left me a bit wanting after the high tension and tumultuous confusion that wrapped the story up. Not exactly a cliffhanger, but there is a bit of journey left open with a lot of adventures in store – especially when you have a dragon on board.
Highly recommended read!
March 24, 2018
As a homeschool mom who spends most of my time reading curriculum related material, I hadn't enjoyed a good pleasure book in a while. Wingbound was the perfect novel to pick up. It was a quick, fun read that engaged my imagination and allowed me to escape. It also left me wondering...which I liked!
March 24, 2018
Beautiful book for you the teen reader (and even younger and older). Adventure, romance and mystery fill this book as a masterpiece waiting to unfold in your hands. Delight and expectation continually fill your lungs as you breathe in this brilliantly read novel. And the ending will leave you wanting the next course as though you were at a 5 star restaurant. Enjoy, Enjoy, Enjoy.
June 25, 2022
I really enjoyed this book! The book is so well written & detailed, you can picture the villages easily. The idea is unique & creative. The characters, especially Tolliver & Ledger are very likable, regular young men. The other 3 characters are loyal & dedicated to helping their friends. I loved Hollis & her new pet! I loved the journey they all traveled.
April 1, 2023
I absolutely loved this book so so much and cannot wait to read the sequels!!!!
October 9, 2018
Cheers for "Wingbound" by Heather Trim! You know YA books are my jam, but it’s been a bit since I’ve sat down & read one. Usually reading picture books with my baby nowadays. So, this fantasy story (book 1 of the series) was an overdue and refreshing change of pace for me. I was always pumped to dive into the World of Ellery when I could grab a rare spare moment.
I think children, both girls & boys, will be entertained, especially 4th-8th graders. There’s fighting, romance, dragons, flying people, a floating island, feuds (racial and familial), and so much more! This story has a fair amount of action, from 1-on-1 scuffles to a generational war between races. I will say, the pace of action slowed a bit when the kids are stuck on the floating island for the better part of a year. A coming-of-age book about a scrawny, scared boy still felt very relatable, even to me (a mom closing in on her 30's). Credit to the writer for her well-designed characters and immersive culture! I gotta say the part that snagged me: when the main character is joined in his homemade flying machine by his brother and friends. I realized this wasn’t going to be a lonely story line just focusing on him and his harebrained pursuit, but actually a diverse group that grows individually from their journey together.
Heather Trim is a self-published author. I bought "Wingbound” after I attended her Facebook book-launch party. I was invited by my friend and Heather’s editor/marketer, Shayla Raquel. Book 2 of the series, “Wingless”, will be released on Nov 8, 2018, and I can’t wait!
What are some independent published books you like?
I think children, both girls & boys, will be entertained, especially 4th-8th graders. There’s fighting, romance, dragons, flying people, a floating island, feuds (racial and familial), and so much more! This story has a fair amount of action, from 1-on-1 scuffles to a generational war between races. I will say, the pace of action slowed a bit when the kids are stuck on the floating island for the better part of a year. A coming-of-age book about a scrawny, scared boy still felt very relatable, even to me (a mom closing in on her 30's). Credit to the writer for her well-designed characters and immersive culture! I gotta say the part that snagged me: when the main character is joined in his homemade flying machine by his brother and friends. I realized this wasn’t going to be a lonely story line just focusing on him and his harebrained pursuit, but actually a diverse group that grows individually from their journey together.
Heather Trim is a self-published author. I bought "Wingbound” after I attended her Facebook book-launch party. I was invited by my friend and Heather’s editor/marketer, Shayla Raquel. Book 2 of the series, “Wingless”, will be released on Nov 8, 2018, and I can’t wait!
What are some independent published books you like?
May 26, 2018
I was captivated by the wonderful world that Heather Trim created in her young adult novel, Wingbound. The author paints a vivid picture of this imaginary world with her masterful descriptions. It is a well-written book with excellent character development. I was on the journey with Ledger from the first page until the last. I didn’t want the story to end and I can’t wait for the next book!
July 9, 2021
This is an amazing book ! I haven’t read a good fantasy book in a while and can’t wait to read the rest the series!!! The story is an easy read, picks up fast and has really good plot twist. A really beautiful story and I highly recommend it! It makes you smile and laugh , it is very well written!
One of my favorites
One of my favorites
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