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Jeweled Wings #1
The Valkyrie's Princes
In a world full of winged warriors, what difference can a wingless girl make? Surrounded by powerful Valkyries, Emberly's wingless status is viewed as a curse. She never expected to be more than a slave and a training subject for the warriors. A chance rescue by the Princes of Ardenia changes her life - but is it for the better? Thrown into a world of politics, legends, and bigotry, Emberly must try to find a way to survive. With the help of the Princes-- Suneel, Jett, Blaine, Hunter, and Flynn--she begins to learn not only about life outside of the barracks, but about what it truly means to be loved.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 31, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
June 1, 2018
Frustratingly amateur
I was very excited for this book release as I follow the author on social media. I'm as disappointed in my rating as I was the book.
This read like cheap YA. I am not a fan of insta -love but I can buy into it if it's done right and with substance to back it. This book severely lacked it. We were never shown how their "love" developed. We were told in a paragraph that a week had passed and the got to know each other (paraphrasing). Anything that could have lent itself to validating feelings between the princes' and Emberly was only told. We didn't have the opportunity to follow along as they all feel in love, we didn't have the opportunity to learn anything about the characters to make us love them or see how they could have possibly all feel in love with each other. We learn almost nothing about the six main characters. By 52% in this book they were all in love and mentioned future children. But we not once had any depth from any of them.
I was so looking forward to being a part of Emberly's journey. Being along for the ride of learning her strength and weakness, watching her grow into an amazing heroine. I wanted to be apart of the struggle and the success and not just be told that she was doing this or that. She never met the potential she was supposed to in this book. She was weak and ignorant for the entirety of this story.
The guys...the guys. Never have I seen so many sentences ending in explanation points. We get no description of these guys (and I will be grouping them together because it's pointless not too) besides basic appearance in order for us to tell them apart, they might as well be wallpaper. And dear God the nicknames they spew.... We got sunbeam, flower, sweat pea, starshine, and sweet heart at a constant and rapid pace.
...Spoilery...
Now, I know this is far down in my review but I do want to say somethings positive. I enjoyed the idea of this book alot, I liked the idea of a girl with no wings finding the princes and all the greatness that can come of that love story. I like the premise of her finding who she really is and earning her wings etc. I liked the potential for the world Author was building and that not every one was unduly cruel. I liked the character names. I like the way Author writes. I thinks she is very talented and creative. That's why I have it 2 stars instead of 1.
This book just wasn't for me. I think it can and will be good to a lot of readers and I think it's worth the time to read it.
I was very excited for this book release as I follow the author on social media. I'm as disappointed in my rating as I was the book.
This read like cheap YA. I am not a fan of insta -love but I can buy into it if it's done right and with substance to back it. This book severely lacked it. We were never shown how their "love" developed. We were told in a paragraph that a week had passed and the got to know each other (paraphrasing). Anything that could have lent itself to validating feelings between the princes' and Emberly was only told. We didn't have the opportunity to follow along as they all feel in love, we didn't have the opportunity to learn anything about the characters to make us love them or see how they could have possibly all feel in love with each other. We learn almost nothing about the six main characters. By 52% in this book they were all in love and mentioned future children. But we not once had any depth from any of them.
I was so looking forward to being a part of Emberly's journey. Being along for the ride of learning her strength and weakness, watching her grow into an amazing heroine. I wanted to be apart of the struggle and the success and not just be told that she was doing this or that. She never met the potential she was supposed to in this book. She was weak and ignorant for the entirety of this story.
The guys...the guys. Never have I seen so many sentences ending in explanation points. We get no description of these guys (and I will be grouping them together because it's pointless not too) besides basic appearance in order for us to tell them apart, they might as well be wallpaper. And dear God the nicknames they spew.... We got sunbeam, flower, sweat pea, starshine, and sweet heart at a constant and rapid pace.
...Spoilery...
Now, I know this is far down in my review but I do want to say somethings positive. I enjoyed the idea of this book alot, I liked the idea of a girl with no wings finding the princes and all the greatness that can come of that love story. I like the premise of her finding who she really is and earning her wings etc. I liked the potential for the world Author was building and that not every one was unduly cruel. I liked the character names. I like the way Author writes. I thinks she is very talented and creative. That's why I have it 2 stars instead of 1.
This book just wasn't for me. I think it can and will be good to a lot of readers and I think it's worth the time to read it.
June 2, 2018
4.5 stars. This was the first ever Valkyrie book I've ever read and it set the bar for others extremely high. Really enjoyed this read. Would recommend.
September 11, 2018
3 "we could have done so much more" stars***
so i saw this book and was just drawn to it immediately.. the cover is just GENIUS plus i loved the blurb..
then i got my greedy hands on it, and there was like a warning on one of the first pages of the book saying the book was a "reverse harem"..so i was like...
so this is some type of romance where there is one woman with multiple partners.. I've never been a fan of sharing in my romance books, so it was a bit far fetched for me. but then i remembered reading a somewhat gang bang scene in Feral Sins by Suzanne Wright (which i wasn't too pleased with cause the MC's were in a monogamous relationship so WTF was that shit..?) and that was honestly a total panty wetter, so i'm figuring...i could probably roll with that.. after all, i live in a community that has multiple polygamist families so lets do this!
the plot is just grand. i mean, this story line had everything going for it, plus a whole lot of originality.. This could of been a straight 10 star type of book (yes, out of 5 stars) but:
1. Rushed romance - i needed to know how things developed with the h and her 5 beau's...
2. SEX SCENES - WTF.. i went in there picturing some plamenting of the h's flower by 5 princes, and walked out with a PG13 sex scene with only 2 of the princes (out of a possible 5.?).. and need i say, there was only one sex scene in the book..
3. the ending.. i needed a proper epilogue for that. the ending seemed too rushed. Authors, please give us epilogues that tie everything together!!!!
so for me it was a bit "meh".. kudos to the author for creating such a graphic and simple delicious world.. i read a lot of fiction and fantasy but the world that Quinn Arthurs created was just YUMMM..
so i saw this book and was just drawn to it immediately.. the cover is just GENIUS plus i loved the blurb..
then i got my greedy hands on it, and there was like a warning on one of the first pages of the book saying the book was a "reverse harem"..so i was like...
so this is some type of romance where there is one woman with multiple partners.. I've never been a fan of sharing in my romance books, so it was a bit far fetched for me. but then i remembered reading a somewhat gang bang scene in Feral Sins by Suzanne Wright (which i wasn't too pleased with cause the MC's were in a monogamous relationship so WTF was that shit..?) and that was honestly a total panty wetter, so i'm figuring...i could probably roll with that.. after all, i live in a community that has multiple polygamist families so lets do this!
the plot is just grand. i mean, this story line had everything going for it, plus a whole lot of originality.. This could of been a straight 10 star type of book (yes, out of 5 stars) but:
1. Rushed romance - i needed to know how things developed with the h and her 5 beau's...
2. SEX SCENES - WTF.. i went in there picturing some plamenting of the h's flower by 5 princes, and walked out with a PG13 sex scene with only 2 of the princes (out of a possible 5.?).. and need i say, there was only one sex scene in the book..
3. the ending.. i needed a proper epilogue for that. the ending seemed too rushed. Authors, please give us epilogues that tie everything together!!!!
so for me it was a bit "meh".. kudos to the author for creating such a graphic and simple delicious world.. i read a lot of fiction and fantasy but the world that Quinn Arthurs created was just YUMMM..
June 5, 2018
Maybe 1.5 stars?
So, I read the sample and it was both so bad and so good that it somehow hooked me (even though it was clearly a little ridiculous). But the further I got into it, the less I enjoyed it.
It read like complete author wish-fulfillment - perhaps from a story she had conceived of growing up and had just now completed writing. It was entirely predictable, cliched, and not fully developed. It was filled with ridiculously impossible circumstances and rife with contrived plot points.
The MC, Emberly, was a super special snowflake Mary Sue who had also apparently gone swimming in an ocean of awesomesauce. I kept waiting for this wingless abused girl (who didn't remotely act abused at all) to learn what was wrong with her wings, get cured, and suddenly she'd have the most magnificent wings that anyone had ever seen. And what do you know, that was part of the plot. And added to the other MC tropes, she also suffered from the "oh my god, no one has seen one of those in thousands of years, but you are somehow her - a miracle" trope. And to top it all off, Emberly was a weirdly naive, clueless doormat - with zero personality. *sigh*
THE VALKYRIE'S PRINCES also took insta-love or insta-attraction to a whole new level. They were telling her how much they missed her and whirling her around when they saw her again after only a couple hours and a few exchanged sentences.
The princes were cardboard cutouts, and cliches themselves, though they were probably the best part of the book. Sweet and caring and sexy, once you got past the descriptions.
Jett - with wings, hair and eyes so dark black they are nearly purple
Blaine - with citrine orange wings, hair and eyes
Flynn - with ruby colored wings, eyes and hair (LOL)
Neel - with sapphire hair, eyes and wings
Hunter - who of course has emerald to hunter green wings, hair and eyes
Because it isn't enough to have the jewel toned wings. Nope. They need matching hair and eyes. Yep. And their scents were coordinated to their colors - vanilla, honey, cinnamon, rain, and pine. Honestly, the book is every girly cliche under the sun all thrown together in one vomit-inducing mishmash. (nicknames like Starshine, Sunbeam, Moonbeam, Flower... rainbow eyes and hair... fated love... constant kidnappings the princes must rescue the MC from...)
To sum up: Yes... the MC is every super special snowflake and Mary Sue ever written all rolled into one big ball of awesomesauce. And clearly all that amazeballs left no room whatsoever for personality. It all got squeezed out by all the awesome.
The author's joint effort - the Phoenix Rising series - was significantly better than this effort I'm afraid. (Though it, too, had its issues with the MC)
So, I read the sample and it was both so bad and so good that it somehow hooked me (even though it was clearly a little ridiculous). But the further I got into it, the less I enjoyed it.
It read like complete author wish-fulfillment - perhaps from a story she had conceived of growing up and had just now completed writing. It was entirely predictable, cliched, and not fully developed. It was filled with ridiculously impossible circumstances and rife with contrived plot points.
The MC, Emberly, was a super special snowflake Mary Sue who had also apparently gone swimming in an ocean of awesomesauce. I kept waiting for this wingless abused girl (who didn't remotely act abused at all) to learn what was wrong with her wings, get cured, and suddenly she'd have the most magnificent wings that anyone had ever seen. And what do you know, that was part of the plot. And added to the other MC tropes, she also suffered from the "oh my god, no one has seen one of those in thousands of years, but you are somehow her - a miracle" trope. And to top it all off, Emberly was a weirdly naive, clueless doormat - with zero personality. *sigh*
THE VALKYRIE'S PRINCES also took insta-love or insta-attraction to a whole new level. They were telling her how much they missed her and whirling her around when they saw her again after only a couple hours and a few exchanged sentences.
The princes were cardboard cutouts, and cliches themselves, though they were probably the best part of the book. Sweet and caring and sexy, once you got past the descriptions.
Jett - with wings, hair and eyes so dark black they are nearly purple
Blaine - with citrine orange wings, hair and eyes
Flynn - with ruby colored wings, eyes and hair (LOL)
Neel - with sapphire hair, eyes and wings
Hunter - who of course has emerald to hunter green wings, hair and eyes
Because it isn't enough to have the jewel toned wings. Nope. They need matching hair and eyes. Yep. And their scents were coordinated to their colors - vanilla, honey, cinnamon, rain, and pine. Honestly, the book is every girly cliche under the sun all thrown together in one vomit-inducing mishmash. (nicknames like Starshine, Sunbeam, Moonbeam, Flower... rainbow eyes and hair... fated love... constant kidnappings the princes must rescue the MC from...)
To sum up: Yes... the MC is every super special snowflake and Mary Sue ever written all rolled into one big ball of awesomesauce. And clearly all that amazeballs left no room whatsoever for personality. It all got squeezed out by all the awesome.
The author's joint effort - the Phoenix Rising series - was significantly better than this effort I'm afraid. (Though it, too, had its issues with the MC)
September 3, 2020
Original rating: 5 stars
Re-read: 4 stars
More like a 3.5 or 3.7 maybe.
So let me tell you, for some reason, it was so damn easy to get lost in the story. The writing doesn't stand out to me exceptionally but man, I literally got so lost I almost didn't notice the flaws. Maybe that's what happened the first time.
Emberly is a valkyrie who is rescued by five princes when she was on the brink of death. In a world where everyone gets their wings by 12 summers, Emberly's seen 24 and still hasn't gotten them. The enraged princes who were not aware of her situation, steal her away to their palace and help her. But there, they also discover that she can heal unusually fast. Where it would take weeks for others to heal, Emberly gets almost fully healed in a matter of hours. So the five of them decide to keep the curious case of a girl without wings around them and get to the bottom of the mystery.
So the plot was nice. I liked it. Four things I noticed were:
1. The guys growl. A lot. Like not even like growl out a sentence through gritted teeth. Actual, animalistic growls, if I'm not wrong. Like how do people even do that? Someone growls "Stay away from her," through gritted teeth, I can imagine. Someone growls to ward off an approaching person without words, I cannot. And they do that an awful lot. She whimpers, they growl. She winces, they growl. Someone looks at her, they growl. They don't like someone, they growl. They growl. They growl. They growl. Ugh.
2. Emberly thinks in exclamations. She's like: "What a nice chair!", "What a big bed!", "He must be strong!", "I'm so stupid!", "What a big room!", "Blah Blah Blah!", "Blah Blah Blah!". Of couse these aren't actual excerpts but she keeps saying stuff in exclamations.
3. Insta-infatuation. Need I say more? One look at the poor, helpless girl and the guys panic when she's out of sight for even two minutes.🤦🏾
4. And we also have a lot of materialistic characters we are supposed to associate with the guys. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just an observation I made. Different coloured wings, unique themed rooms, different scents, different weapons, different flying styles and of course, different personalities that may slightly overlap. I, to be honest, don't remember all. The most prominent characteristic was the different colours- Blue, black, red, green and citrine. Blaine has a room full of books, Jett's is fully black, Hunter's is full of wood, Neel's is full of plants and I don't remember the red-winged guy's room. Whose name I've forgotten now. He was the most playful one. Finn or Flynn, I think.
So yeah. Nice book. Excellent excecution. But I'm not sure of the quality of the content.
It's perfect time pass material for me.
Re-read: 4 stars
More like a 3.5 or 3.7 maybe.
So let me tell you, for some reason, it was so damn easy to get lost in the story. The writing doesn't stand out to me exceptionally but man, I literally got so lost I almost didn't notice the flaws. Maybe that's what happened the first time.
Emberly is a valkyrie who is rescued by five princes when she was on the brink of death. In a world where everyone gets their wings by 12 summers, Emberly's seen 24 and still hasn't gotten them. The enraged princes who were not aware of her situation, steal her away to their palace and help her. But there, they also discover that she can heal unusually fast. Where it would take weeks for others to heal, Emberly gets almost fully healed in a matter of hours. So the five of them decide to keep the curious case of a girl without wings around them and get to the bottom of the mystery.
So the plot was nice. I liked it. Four things I noticed were:
1. The guys growl. A lot. Like not even like growl out a sentence through gritted teeth. Actual, animalistic growls, if I'm not wrong. Like how do people even do that? Someone growls "Stay away from her," through gritted teeth, I can imagine. Someone growls to ward off an approaching person without words, I cannot. And they do that an awful lot. She whimpers, they growl. She winces, they growl. Someone looks at her, they growl. They don't like someone, they growl. They growl. They growl. They growl. Ugh.
2. Emberly thinks in exclamations. She's like: "What a nice chair!", "What a big bed!", "He must be strong!", "I'm so stupid!", "What a big room!", "Blah Blah Blah!", "Blah Blah Blah!". Of couse these aren't actual excerpts but she keeps saying stuff in exclamations.
3. Insta-infatuation. Need I say more? One look at the poor, helpless girl and the guys panic when she's out of sight for even two minutes.🤦🏾
4. And we also have a lot of materialistic characters we are supposed to associate with the guys. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just an observation I made. Different coloured wings, unique themed rooms, different scents, different weapons, different flying styles and of course, different personalities that may slightly overlap. I, to be honest, don't remember all. The most prominent characteristic was the different colours- Blue, black, red, green and citrine. Blaine has a room full of books, Jett's is fully black, Hunter's is full of wood, Neel's is full of plants and I don't remember the red-winged guy's room. Whose name I've forgotten now. He was the most playful one. Finn or Flynn, I think.
So yeah. Nice book. Excellent excecution. But I'm not sure of the quality of the content.
It's perfect time pass material for me.
June 19, 2018
Spoilers!
I would have liked to see more of the guys’ individual personalities. Hopefully that’ll come through in the next book. They all sort of came across as generic alpha males, nothing particular to make them stand out, even from one another.
Emberly is an interesting enough character, maybe? I say maybe because while you get a hint of her personality, there’s not really much to it.
A lot of the interest of the book seemed to be focused more on the actions taken during certain events rather than the emotions associated with the those actions, if that makes sense. There just wasn’t really any development in either the characters or really even the story line.
I think the concept is interesting, and that the book could be great if more was done to develop the characters and storyline. As it stands now, it’s a pretty underdeveloped and generic story. Oh, and the over the top sugary speeches that came from the guys every now and then was a little off putting.
There were a few editorial errors that I found to be distracting. For example, there’s an odd transition right at the beginning - first training session to the next does not have a smooth or logical transition. I had to read the passage twice to catch that the scene had transitioned to a different day.
A few errors where it seemed as if a word was missing or the wrong word was used such as “my” instead of “me”.
I would have liked to see more of the guys’ individual personalities. Hopefully that’ll come through in the next book. They all sort of came across as generic alpha males, nothing particular to make them stand out, even from one another.
Emberly is an interesting enough character, maybe? I say maybe because while you get a hint of her personality, there’s not really much to it.
A lot of the interest of the book seemed to be focused more on the actions taken during certain events rather than the emotions associated with the those actions, if that makes sense. There just wasn’t really any development in either the characters or really even the story line.
I think the concept is interesting, and that the book could be great if more was done to develop the characters and storyline. As it stands now, it’s a pretty underdeveloped and generic story. Oh, and the over the top sugary speeches that came from the guys every now and then was a little off putting.
There were a few editorial errors that I found to be distracting. For example, there’s an odd transition right at the beginning - first training session to the next does not have a smooth or logical transition. I had to read the passage twice to catch that the scene had transitioned to a different day.
A few errors where it seemed as if a word was missing or the wrong word was used such as “my” instead of “me”.
June 3, 2018
2,5*
March 20, 2019
Quinn Arthur’s has written beautiful and captivating story with The Valkyrie's Princes.
The brutal pain that Emberly has inflicted on her at the beginning of the story is extremely emotional and heartbreaking to read, which I think makes you become attached to her character immediately. However her life isn’t all miserable, when she literally falls into the arms of the Princes Suneel, Jett, Blaine, Hunter, and Flynn, who do everything they can to rescue her from the life she has had to endure.
I recommend The Valkyrie's Princes, and can’t wait to read the next instalment of this series.
The brutal pain that Emberly has inflicted on her at the beginning of the story is extremely emotional and heartbreaking to read, which I think makes you become attached to her character immediately. However her life isn’t all miserable, when she literally falls into the arms of the Princes Suneel, Jett, Blaine, Hunter, and Flynn, who do everything they can to rescue her from the life she has had to endure.
I recommend The Valkyrie's Princes, and can’t wait to read the next instalment of this series.
July 10, 2025
FMC, RH, paranormal, 1 POV, med to fast burn.
Not a bad book. The non-romance storyline is intriguing and not something I've read before adding more interest for me.
FMC is 26, a valkyrie and from what I can tell so are all the others...well a type of valkyrie. She has no wings and has been tortured and treated badly because of it. We meet her in one of these moments and straight away I feel for her and know she's the victim even if she doesn't know it. This is when we meet the 5 MMC princes and there is no bullying or rejection from them. They seem nice too, and we get some background from FMC's POV on each of them in looks.
It's easy to read and cosy fun with protective MMCs, although not a touch her and die protective, but growl at things protective. The MMCs seem to all have different traits and could be interesting, but I didn't realise there were 5 of them until later in the book. They seem to merge sometimes. It is too bad as they have the beginnings to be more.
Actually, the whole book has the basis to be more. But just fails to get there. It's a good book, but just lacking in frustrating ways because of its potential. Even the smut is lacking, the smex is lacking. It's just missing something.
Because it's an easy read and okay in entertainment and story, I would read the second book. I like the FMC and even though I don't know enough to tell the difference between the MMCs even with wing colour clues...I like the MMCs too. They have some good moments in the book.
The storyline has some twists too, they just fall a little flat.
3 stars
Not a bad book. The non-romance storyline is intriguing and not something I've read before adding more interest for me.
FMC is 26, a valkyrie and from what I can tell so are all the others...well a type of valkyrie. She has no wings and has been tortured and treated badly because of it. We meet her in one of these moments and straight away I feel for her and know she's the victim even if she doesn't know it. This is when we meet the 5 MMC princes and there is no bullying or rejection from them. They seem nice too, and we get some background from FMC's POV on each of them in looks.
It's easy to read and cosy fun with protective MMCs, although not a touch her and die protective, but growl at things protective. The MMCs seem to all have different traits and could be interesting, but I didn't realise there were 5 of them until later in the book. They seem to merge sometimes. It is too bad as they have the beginnings to be more.
Actually, the whole book has the basis to be more. But just fails to get there. It's a good book, but just lacking in frustrating ways because of its potential. Even the smut is lacking, the smex is lacking. It's just missing something.
Because it's an easy read and okay in entertainment and story, I would read the second book. I like the FMC and even though I don't know enough to tell the difference between the MMCs even with wing colour clues...I like the MMCs too. They have some good moments in the book.
The storyline has some twists too, they just fall a little flat.
3 stars
June 11, 2018
It was good until the end...the ending was just bad. I didn’t get enough chance to read about all the guys. Like their rooms and what’s inside them. Plus, what happens now? Ugh.
March 3, 2021
Meh. It was cute.
June 1, 2018
Brilliant story. Loved all the characters, especially Emberley. She was fierce yet gentle and her goodness shone from the pages. Loved that this was a stand-alone reverse harem. It didn’t feel rushed or incomplete. Highly recommend.
June 1, 2018
What a rollercoaster! I wasn't really sure what to expect when I chose this book. This is my first read from this author. I'm glad I did! This was really enjoyable. There was sparks of humor that had me laughing spread throughout the book.
Emberly, the heroine, doesn't start off as the typical strong lead. Most books that have the heroine that's seen as a 'curse' will either be the defiant or the meek. Emberly is a bit of both. I was worried since I don't prefer the meek heroine. I'm still not too sure of Emberly. But I think she has room to grow and I want to see who she'll be now that she knows who she is
Emberly, the heroine, doesn't start off as the typical strong lead. Most books that have the heroine that's seen as a 'curse' will either be the defiant or the meek. Emberly is a bit of both. I was worried since I don't prefer the meek heroine. I'm still not too sure of Emberly. But I think she has room to grow and I want to see who she'll be now that she knows who she is
August 14, 2023
Editing fail
This was definitely not up to snuff. There were incorrect words used throughout, there were misused apostrophes, words completely missing and there were mixed tenses. Then there was Emberly's personality 180 that made no sense. After 12 years of torture and being a slave, in under 2 days she's bantering and snapping at princes? She had no PTSD or flaws at all? Really? Nothing but sweet perfection, with a hint of cutesy sass? Unbelievable, even for a work of fiction, and didn't endear me to her in the slightest. The princes were pretty one dimensional, with nothing outstanding.... in fact their claim to Emberly's heart was treating her with common decency. There was almost no world building to speak of either. Most of the burden for this mess falls on the author since it's her work, but some of the blame goes to the editor and beta readers.
This was definitely not up to snuff. There were incorrect words used throughout, there were misused apostrophes, words completely missing and there were mixed tenses. Then there was Emberly's personality 180 that made no sense. After 12 years of torture and being a slave, in under 2 days she's bantering and snapping at princes? She had no PTSD or flaws at all? Really? Nothing but sweet perfection, with a hint of cutesy sass? Unbelievable, even for a work of fiction, and didn't endear me to her in the slightest. The princes were pretty one dimensional, with nothing outstanding.... in fact their claim to Emberly's heart was treating her with common decency. There was almost no world building to speak of either. Most of the burden for this mess falls on the author since it's her work, but some of the blame goes to the editor and beta readers.
January 24, 2019
This book was an introduction to the series with some good character buildup, but in my mind it opens more storylines than it closes. It needs a sequel, urgently! A good read, but I just expect that from Quinn Arthurs at this point.
June 21, 2018
The good, the bad and the ugly
Emberly is the only one of her kind. She has passed puberty and into adulthood with no signs of wings. Dismayed at this her parents shuffled off the blame of her "condition" by selling her into slavery to the Valkyrie training facility in their town. Her contract was to last until her death. Something growing closer to her every day, even though she is a young 24. During a daily torture, er, training exercise she is discovered by the 5 sons of the king. Caught in midair by a male with blue wings she is shown her 1st kindness since childhood, before she became a disappointment and abomination. Fear of her condition spreading has kept people away from her. Only those that torture her come near her, leaving her understandably wary of contact. Brought back to their rooms to heal, her lack of wings and exceedingly fast healing abilities are discovered. But as close as she is coming to her princes, her time with them is short. The king will not allow such as her to remain with them, and in fact she is sent back to the training facility under his order. But she has left enemies there. Her tormentors, jealous over her good fortune to be in the company of the princes, aren't going to let this slide. If she thought things were bad before, well, they're going to get a lot worse.
This is an alternate reality/realm/world? Anyways, all the people have wings, and there are no "standard humans" except for Emberly. Vague Norse mythology is tapped to name the females as Valkyries but the males apparently have no such titles. They're simply winged male versions of the females. Unlike Valkyries of mythology they don't have named gods, particularly Odin who they followed into battle and they don't visit dying warriors to ferry them to Valhalla. So, the title is the only thing in common lol. Other than the title there are other things that confused me:
*There are no other slaves except for Emberly yet her slavery is readily accepted.
*Magic is mentioned but never really seen.
*Their society seem to be a pre techno age?
*Valkyries are the warriors, not the men, but it seems to be a male led society? This isn't really explained.
*For a person abused, tortured, daily, Emberly doesn't suffer at all. In fact, hours after being dropped from hundreds of feet to break on the ground-repeatedly, she is picked up by a prince and flown wildly about and laughs. No worries about being dropped. She appears to heal as fast mentally as she does physically.
*Females are warriors but not leaders?
*Wings are a big deal but other than stools instead of chairs, and shirts, accommodating them isn't mentioned much. Wings big enough to carry a grown adult, especially ones heavy with muscle and weapons, would be huge. Massive. They don't live in trees, or high in cliffs.
The story was sweet. It reads like a cross between a YA with a brief touch of D/s. And I mean brief, as in only a few sentences and a single hold that lasts moments and isn't mentioned again. There was a real chance for world building that was passed up here. It jumps in and takes off and no real explanations or histories are ever given. A few mentions of legends, no spoilers, are tossed on to explain something that happens later and then bam, end of book. I'm kind of hoping that this is the beginning of a series? Because while the relationships were formed they weren't really cemented. Emberly never really grew as a person, things just happened to and around her. The guys were introduced and thrown at us but never became individuals. And no clue on ages but a few acted even younger than Emberly's age. Not sure if that was a clue or just supposed to show their playful personalities. So, yes, sweet romance story but still lacking. And not just because, as a RH, she didn't get to bond with each of her guys. Which, btw, while the siblings are close they never mentioned anything about wanting to share a mate before certain events happened. In fact, if their father's relationships are anything to go by, each should have been building their own harem. Not just so readily accepting being part of a RH without so much as a token protest. See what I mean about world building and all? Maybe I was spoiled because her Phoenix series was so well built? I'm not out to slander this book. Just hoping that if this turns out to be a series that explanations pop up in the next book lol. Inquiring minds want to know. 😁
Emberly is the only one of her kind. She has passed puberty and into adulthood with no signs of wings. Dismayed at this her parents shuffled off the blame of her "condition" by selling her into slavery to the Valkyrie training facility in their town. Her contract was to last until her death. Something growing closer to her every day, even though she is a young 24. During a daily torture, er, training exercise she is discovered by the 5 sons of the king. Caught in midair by a male with blue wings she is shown her 1st kindness since childhood, before she became a disappointment and abomination. Fear of her condition spreading has kept people away from her. Only those that torture her come near her, leaving her understandably wary of contact. Brought back to their rooms to heal, her lack of wings and exceedingly fast healing abilities are discovered. But as close as she is coming to her princes, her time with them is short. The king will not allow such as her to remain with them, and in fact she is sent back to the training facility under his order. But she has left enemies there. Her tormentors, jealous over her good fortune to be in the company of the princes, aren't going to let this slide. If she thought things were bad before, well, they're going to get a lot worse.
This is an alternate reality/realm/world? Anyways, all the people have wings, and there are no "standard humans" except for Emberly. Vague Norse mythology is tapped to name the females as Valkyries but the males apparently have no such titles. They're simply winged male versions of the females. Unlike Valkyries of mythology they don't have named gods, particularly Odin who they followed into battle and they don't visit dying warriors to ferry them to Valhalla. So, the title is the only thing in common lol. Other than the title there are other things that confused me:
*There are no other slaves except for Emberly yet her slavery is readily accepted.
*Magic is mentioned but never really seen.
*Their society seem to be a pre techno age?
*Valkyries are the warriors, not the men, but it seems to be a male led society? This isn't really explained.
*For a person abused, tortured, daily, Emberly doesn't suffer at all. In fact, hours after being dropped from hundreds of feet to break on the ground-repeatedly, she is picked up by a prince and flown wildly about and laughs. No worries about being dropped. She appears to heal as fast mentally as she does physically.
*Females are warriors but not leaders?
*Wings are a big deal but other than stools instead of chairs, and shirts, accommodating them isn't mentioned much. Wings big enough to carry a grown adult, especially ones heavy with muscle and weapons, would be huge. Massive. They don't live in trees, or high in cliffs.
The story was sweet. It reads like a cross between a YA with a brief touch of D/s. And I mean brief, as in only a few sentences and a single hold that lasts moments and isn't mentioned again. There was a real chance for world building that was passed up here. It jumps in and takes off and no real explanations or histories are ever given. A few mentions of legends, no spoilers, are tossed on to explain something that happens later and then bam, end of book. I'm kind of hoping that this is the beginning of a series? Because while the relationships were formed they weren't really cemented. Emberly never really grew as a person, things just happened to and around her. The guys were introduced and thrown at us but never became individuals. And no clue on ages but a few acted even younger than Emberly's age. Not sure if that was a clue or just supposed to show their playful personalities. So, yes, sweet romance story but still lacking. And not just because, as a RH, she didn't get to bond with each of her guys. Which, btw, while the siblings are close they never mentioned anything about wanting to share a mate before certain events happened. In fact, if their father's relationships are anything to go by, each should have been building their own harem. Not just so readily accepting being part of a RH without so much as a token protest. See what I mean about world building and all? Maybe I was spoiled because her Phoenix series was so well built? I'm not out to slander this book. Just hoping that if this turns out to be a series that explanations pop up in the next book lol. Inquiring minds want to know. 😁
June 5, 2018
Loved, loved, loved it!
(**This review contains spoilers, be advised**) I can't even begin to express how much I enjoyed this story. I definitely recommend this story to anyone who enjoys the paranormal genre. I commented the author or her unique world building. A world revolving around Valkyries - something besides werewolves (shifters) or vampires - was quite refreshing. I adored the mystery of her (Emberly) being wingless and applauded the creativity of incorporating her choosing her 'mates' into her finally obtaining said wings. My only complaint is that the story ended. I still have so many unanswered questions that arose when it was revealed she was a Guardian. I feel like there is so much to learn that the author should consider making this a series. I would be extremely interested in discovering how things pan out now that she's got wing and mated. What problems arise from her being mated to five out of the six princes? How will only being able to produce female will effect their world. It rises so many questions. Will the royal line officially switch from "princes" to "princesses" or will be princes be required to accept more "ladies" like the king did? Will the future princesses (Queen) only be able to produce females like their mother, males like their father, or will they be able to produce both male and female? Emberly is meant to ensure the Queens bloodline, right? So how did her parents produce Emberly - a Guardian? Was that a fluke or -? Like I said, there definitely potential for continuing this story.
(**This review contains spoilers, be advised**) I can't even begin to express how much I enjoyed this story. I definitely recommend this story to anyone who enjoys the paranormal genre. I commented the author or her unique world building. A world revolving around Valkyries - something besides werewolves (shifters) or vampires - was quite refreshing. I adored the mystery of her (Emberly) being wingless and applauded the creativity of incorporating her choosing her 'mates' into her finally obtaining said wings. My only complaint is that the story ended. I still have so many unanswered questions that arose when it was revealed she was a Guardian. I feel like there is so much to learn that the author should consider making this a series. I would be extremely interested in discovering how things pan out now that she's got wing and mated. What problems arise from her being mated to five out of the six princes? How will only being able to produce female will effect their world. It rises so many questions. Will the royal line officially switch from "princes" to "princesses" or will be princes be required to accept more "ladies" like the king did? Will the future princesses (Queen) only be able to produce females like their mother, males like their father, or will they be able to produce both male and female? Emberly is meant to ensure the Queens bloodline, right? So how did her parents produce Emberly - a Guardian? Was that a fluke or -? Like I said, there definitely potential for continuing this story.
July 15, 2018
Emberly is wingless in a world of Valkyries and thus viewed as cursed. She's used as a training subject by the cruel Valkyries until five princes save her. She doesn't believe she's worthy of rescue, but the princes fast break down her defenses, and she finds herself falling for them. Yet those that tortured her don't believe she deserves anything but death, and they will stop at nothing to make sure Emberly knows not a moment of happiness.
A sweet reverse harem romance with a YA feel. It is a fascinating world with a huge history which we only get a little of. I do hope this is a setup for future stories as it has great potential. I'm a big fan of Valkyries and the mythology surrounding them. There are nice twists to it, and a mystery when it comes to Emberly. Why doesn't she have wings? The princes send their healer to figure out why. I would have liked to see more of the separate personalities of the princes, but they were most often grouped together. I like seeing the individual romance plots between a heroine and each man in her harem in reverse harem books, but the romance plot was just a single one between Emberly and the princes.
A sweet reverse harem romance with a YA feel. It is a fascinating world with a huge history which we only get a little of. I do hope this is a setup for future stories as it has great potential. I'm a big fan of Valkyries and the mythology surrounding them. There are nice twists to it, and a mystery when it comes to Emberly. Why doesn't she have wings? The princes send their healer to figure out why. I would have liked to see more of the separate personalities of the princes, but they were most often grouped together. I like seeing the individual romance plots between a heroine and each man in her harem in reverse harem books, but the romance plot was just a single one between Emberly and the princes.
June 9, 2018
Maybe a 4 that slid down to a 3/3.5
I enjoyed The Valkyrie's Princes, but I can understand why it might initially remind some of Jaymin Eve's Curse the Gods series. But whilst they do touch on some of the same themes, namely discrimination, persecution and the like, the characters themselves are different. I think if people go into it accepting that this a lighter weight read, you will enjoy it.
However I definitely didn't love the last chunk of the book as it explored some additional storylines that went unanswered which is annoying given that, as I understand it at the moment, this is a stand alone book?!
Plus, without wanting to spoil it, the relationship element wasn't explored within the full dynamic. I think that was subtle enough.
My conclusion is that maybe The Valkyrie's Princes tried hard to be something a bit more than it actually was.
Still enjoyable though!
I enjoyed The Valkyrie's Princes, but I can understand why it might initially remind some of Jaymin Eve's Curse the Gods series. But whilst they do touch on some of the same themes, namely discrimination, persecution and the like, the characters themselves are different. I think if people go into it accepting that this a lighter weight read, you will enjoy it.
However I definitely didn't love the last chunk of the book as it explored some additional storylines that went unanswered which is annoying given that, as I understand it at the moment, this is a stand alone book?!
Plus, without wanting to spoil it, the relationship element wasn't explored within the full dynamic. I think that was subtle enough.
My conclusion is that maybe The Valkyrie's Princes tried hard to be something a bit more than it actually was.
Still enjoyable though!
February 2, 2019
Good as a stand alone, with enough world building that the author could do additional books.
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
February 17, 2019
Valkyries
This book follows Emberly, a wingless woman in a world of Valkyries. She is abused and enslaved until her plight falls into the laps of the princes. What follows is a journey of discovery, surprise and danger.
I enjoyed the book. Emberly is a bit meek in this book, particularly at the start, but when you take into account the way she was raised and brainwashed, it makes sense. I look forward to her gaining some confidence and growing as the series continues.
I really liked the world that we find. Not all of the murder plots and abuse, but the general world building that we see. There aren't many books with Valkyries as the main subjects and I liked this take on them.
Overall I would recommend this book and I look forward to seeing where Emberly and the Princes go in the next adventure.
This book follows Emberly, a wingless woman in a world of Valkyries. She is abused and enslaved until her plight falls into the laps of the princes. What follows is a journey of discovery, surprise and danger.
I enjoyed the book. Emberly is a bit meek in this book, particularly at the start, but when you take into account the way she was raised and brainwashed, it makes sense. I look forward to her gaining some confidence and growing as the series continues.
I really liked the world that we find. Not all of the murder plots and abuse, but the general world building that we see. There aren't many books with Valkyries as the main subjects and I liked this take on them.
Overall I would recommend this book and I look forward to seeing where Emberly and the Princes go in the next adventure.
March 11, 2019
In Emberly's world, being wingless is considered a curse. An abomination. When she pass the age of getting her wings, Emberly was sold by her parents to the town's Elders to become a slave and then later, a moving target practice for the Valkyries. Through some kind of fate, she was rescued from being tortured by the five princes of their kingdom.
I've read some of the books of the author and as always, the storyline is engaging. I wouldn't consider Emberly as weak. She is a survivor. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. She has a spirit that was buried because of forced servitude and seemingly lack of life choice. With the help of the princes, she is slowly finding her confidence.
This book is a great premise for the next installment. I'm hoping to get to know the guys more and see their relationship grow.
I've read some of the books of the author and as always, the storyline is engaging. I wouldn't consider Emberly as weak. She is a survivor. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. She has a spirit that was buried because of forced servitude and seemingly lack of life choice. With the help of the princes, she is slowly finding her confidence.
This book is a great premise for the next installment. I'm hoping to get to know the guys more and see their relationship grow.
June 2, 2018
What a interesting take on the Valkyrie lore. I loved the story with twists and turns making the plot constantly unique and changing. Emberly is the FMC and she had a hard life without wings in a world full of them. She never looses her good heart and the way she grows in the storyline even more learning what kindness and love feels like when she meets the Princes. They are another part well done is this book, since each one of them is well developed with qualities and flaws and specific personality traits that make them separated for us to get to know each one. I loved the book ended in the happy for now mind set without cliffhanger and left a lot that could be explored in another book, that said, if the author decides to continue to write about Em and her mates I would be glad.
May 1, 2019
Emberley is an anomaly, a valkyrie without wings. Because of this she has been treated horribly since she was a child. On a day that she is being abused by the the rest of the females, she is rescued by the five princes. And they are all of course obsessed with her and turns out she's actually super special.
So this started out pretty good. I liked the idea and I liked that the author tried to give each prince a voice. But Emberley's "Oh good gracious don't worry about little ol' me attitude' became tiresome. And the awkward declarations of affection...X6...became more and more difficult to stomach. I gave it a 3 because it was a fairly entertaining story but I don't think I will read beyond this book.
So this started out pretty good. I liked the idea and I liked that the author tried to give each prince a voice. But Emberley's "Oh good gracious don't worry about little ol' me attitude' became tiresome. And the awkward declarations of affection...X6...became more and more difficult to stomach. I gave it a 3 because it was a fairly entertaining story but I don't think I will read beyond this book.
September 29, 2021
Meh
3.5 rounded down to 3 stars.
Plot moved very fast and yet extremely slow at the same time.
Insta love and villains had paper thin personality and reason for acting the way they do.
Love interests very 2D with the only way one can remember who is who by their one defining colour and one hobby/interest. When the author mentions one of the guys it is always followed with the mention of which colour is theirs as the author seems to also be very aware that’s the only way the reader can identify which love interest is speaking/the main focus in that moment.
Overall an interesting premise but minimal world building, lack of character development and any personality made this book an average read that left me thinking ‘meh’.
3.5 rounded down to 3 stars.
Plot moved very fast and yet extremely slow at the same time.
Insta love and villains had paper thin personality and reason for acting the way they do.
Love interests very 2D with the only way one can remember who is who by their one defining colour and one hobby/interest. When the author mentions one of the guys it is always followed with the mention of which colour is theirs as the author seems to also be very aware that’s the only way the reader can identify which love interest is speaking/the main focus in that moment.
Overall an interesting premise but minimal world building, lack of character development and any personality made this book an average read that left me thinking ‘meh’.
October 30, 2024
This wasn't a bad story. I do think it could have been better though it was underdeveloped in many ways - the characters, the romance, parts of the plot. We don't get to see any of the relationships evolve we are simply told that they have gotten to know each other better. What bothered me most though is that Emberly has basically no trauma responses to anything and that is something that I hate when its glossed over. If you are going to write a character with a traumatic backstory you need to have your characters actually deal with it. Trauma is not something small and easily glossed over in real life and there is often a lot of shame surrounding it in real life, seeing characters with it, learning that they are strong and have nothing to be ashamed of is important.
January 1, 2025
This wasn't the worst book I've ever read, but it's also far from the best.
It held little to no substance or depth. The characters didn't have much personality. There was a lot of cheesy dialogue and just a lack of over all "story."
It normally would have been a dnf for me by halfway, but I decided that since it was so short, I would see it through. Sadly, there wasn't any improvement. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't miserable listening to it or anything. There just was nothing special about the story or these characters, in my opinion.
Maybe it was meant for teens and was just not the reading level I expected, and that's what made it seem so lacking. I don't know. I've read other books by Quinn Authurs and although she rushed the relationships and such a little in those as well... at least the story was there.
(Listened to on Audible)
It held little to no substance or depth. The characters didn't have much personality. There was a lot of cheesy dialogue and just a lack of over all "story."
It normally would have been a dnf for me by halfway, but I decided that since it was so short, I would see it through. Sadly, there wasn't any improvement. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't miserable listening to it or anything. There just was nothing special about the story or these characters, in my opinion.
Maybe it was meant for teens and was just not the reading level I expected, and that's what made it seem so lacking. I don't know. I've read other books by Quinn Authurs and although she rushed the relationships and such a little in those as well... at least the story was there.
(Listened to on Audible)
June 23, 2018
Good but could’ve been an awesome series.
I liked the characters, loved the story and the world that was started but it felt incomplete. There were so many places it could’ve been fleshed out and made into a complete series. Why was the information on the Guardians lost? Why had there been no Guardians in so long? What was up with the neighboring country? Who decided that Emberly was going to be a training servant and why? What happened to Lady Deirdre to make her go crazy?
I wish she had decided to take just a little more time and show us the whole story and maybe end with the first daughter being born. That said, Id definitely read another book by her.
I liked the characters, loved the story and the world that was started but it felt incomplete. There were so many places it could’ve been fleshed out and made into a complete series. Why was the information on the Guardians lost? Why had there been no Guardians in so long? What was up with the neighboring country? Who decided that Emberly was going to be a training servant and why? What happened to Lady Deirdre to make her go crazy?
I wish she had decided to take just a little more time and show us the whole story and maybe end with the first daughter being born. That said, Id definitely read another book by her.
May 31, 2018
L.O.V.E.D I.T
I've been waiting for months for this book to come out and it did not disappoint!
Emberly, despite her traumatic upbringing, has an inspirational inner strength that is a joy to read about - and who's going to complain about the presence of five hot winged Princes, eh?
I've spent every spare minute today delving through this book, and I absolutely loved it. If you're looking for a book which beautifully balances both romance and action, then I could not recommend this more.
Book 2? ;)
I've been waiting for months for this book to come out and it did not disappoint!
Emberly, despite her traumatic upbringing, has an inspirational inner strength that is a joy to read about - and who's going to complain about the presence of five hot winged Princes, eh?
I've spent every spare minute today delving through this book, and I absolutely loved it. If you're looking for a book which beautifully balances both romance and action, then I could not recommend this more.
Book 2? ;)
September 6, 2018
I read the excerpt for this in Embers/Phoenix Rising that Quinn Arthurs is co-writing with Harper Wylde, and from the excerpt I was hooked and couldn’t wait until it came out. Unfortunately, for me, it just falls a bit flat. It starts with a bang and it pulls you in, but it doesn’t really feel like it goes anywhere. It feels like the plot doesn’t get fully developed or gets any “teeth” to it. If there is a book 2, I’m not sure I would read it. I might give it a chance, as I so love Phoenix Rising, but it’s really going to have to pull out all the stops for me to keep going.
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