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Wings #1
Wings
Black wings. White wings. From a bitter war between races comes a rare chance at love...
Anyar was a proud, black-winged warrior until he caught the attention of Vanyae, the white-winged enemy prince warring against his people. Vanyae ruthlessly takes Anyar prisoner, enslaving him and forcing him to submit in order to save Anyar's commander from harm. But freedom is not the only thing taken from him. His dark wings are clipped, leaving him longing for the skies and the joy of flight. He is Vanyae's slave...but the cruel master who now owns him slowly shows him another side. And Anyar begins to see there may yet be hope in the simple and powerful connection of love...
Prince Vanyae feels no regrets for capturing and enslaving Anyar, whose dark wings and captivating looks are so different than his own white-winged people. After all, slavery is completely accepted among his people, and he is the victor. But Vanyae begins to realize Anyar is much more than a slave to him. Gentleness is difficult for the prince to master, but the feelings his black-winged slave stirs might be powerful enough to lead him down a new path, different from anything his people have ever known...
Reader contains intense emotional elements, capture elements, and scenes of male male love. Reader discretion strongly advised.
Anyar was a proud, black-winged warrior until he caught the attention of Vanyae, the white-winged enemy prince warring against his people. Vanyae ruthlessly takes Anyar prisoner, enslaving him and forcing him to submit in order to save Anyar's commander from harm. But freedom is not the only thing taken from him. His dark wings are clipped, leaving him longing for the skies and the joy of flight. He is Vanyae's slave...but the cruel master who now owns him slowly shows him another side. And Anyar begins to see there may yet be hope in the simple and powerful connection of love...
Prince Vanyae feels no regrets for capturing and enslaving Anyar, whose dark wings and captivating looks are so different than his own white-winged people. After all, slavery is completely accepted among his people, and he is the victor. But Vanyae begins to realize Anyar is much more than a slave to him. Gentleness is difficult for the prince to master, but the feelings his black-winged slave stirs might be powerful enough to lead him down a new path, different from anything his people have ever known...
Reader contains intense emotional elements, capture elements, and scenes of male male love. Reader discretion strongly advised.
158 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 20, 2018
51 people are currently reading
1375 people want to read
About the author
J.C. Owens
31 books613 followersAlso known as J.C. McGuire.
J.C Owens lives in small town, rural Alberta and is a self confessed writing-a-holic. In the absence of help for this affliction…
I do indeed love to write and have now completed thirty published stories, along with over twenty books sitting idle in my computer, waiting… I love the genre of male/male stories and conflict in what a person thinks they want, versus what they truly need to become themselves. I think any writing that shows the beauty of men loving men is worthwhile.
I love to hear from my readers and always appreciate suggestions and comments for future books. Sharing a love of reading and good, hot sensuality between men is always a cause for celebration!
J.C Owens lives in small town, rural Alberta and is a self confessed writing-a-holic. In the absence of help for this affliction…
I do indeed love to write and have now completed thirty published stories, along with over twenty books sitting idle in my computer, waiting… I love the genre of male/male stories and conflict in what a person thinks they want, versus what they truly need to become themselves. I think any writing that shows the beauty of men loving men is worthwhile.
I love to hear from my readers and always appreciate suggestions and comments for future books. Sharing a love of reading and good, hot sensuality between men is always a cause for celebration!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
January 16, 2019
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Not A Complete Bust*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
Though I had originally decided to not read this book, even shelved it as a ‘checked won't read’ book, it wasn't a complete bust. I liked the concept; enemies to lovers, and I like the prince power, the concept of war hanging over their heads... but this book lacked ‘strength’ in a way. Like, I didn't quite feel the power of the prince. The war, though talked about, didn't feel threatening until the end. As prince of Nazar, Vanyae was a kind and gentle master, it's didn't really feel like a Melanian guard turned slave Anyar was a slave. However, the book was actually quite ‘easy’ (considering the subject of slavery) and fast forward to read. Makes time pass with a meh, but somewhat enjoyable story.
Other Characters:
→ Commander Tanyan of the black-winged people, the Melanians'.
→ Serin, Vanyae's commander second, and Serin’s twin, Sindin, Vanyae's diplomatic chief.
→ Meel, was well-known as the best knife fighter in Melan, and he had come with Commander Tanyan’s forces.
→ Veslan, the Nazar’s king, the white-winged people, and Vanyae's father.
→ Bayner, a Nazarian who wants a go at Anyar.
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Fantasy
Series: - Series, Book One.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Anyar, I think?
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? -Unsure.
Will I read this again in the future? -No.
Rating - 2.5/3 stars.
February 25, 2019
I’ve recently become a HUGE fan of angel stories, so this one appeared kinda naturally on my TBR.
It’s a fantasy story about two races of winged humans who have been at war with each other for eons.
Anyar, a young guard who considers himself unremarkable if not for his midnight black wings, curiously guards the envoy of the enemy kingdom who have arrived in his city for negotiations.
Anyar has a crush on his commander Tanyan. Just when both men finally come closer, the enemy envoy drop all facades and kidnap both the commander and Anyar in order to enslave them in their kingdom, ensuring permanent peace by keeping them hostage.
Anyar becomes the prince’s slave. And with a heavy dose of Stockholm syndrome thrown in, both men develop feelings for each other.
I really liked this fantasy world of winged humans. Some scenes were totally powerful, like the moment Anyar tries to escape his doom by soaring impossibly high into the sky like good old Icarus.
However, all in all, the plot left A LOT to be desired. Constant POV switches between three characters with a few passages of dropping POVs in favor of an authorial narrator… it seemed a bit rough.
Also, the romance felt weirdly off, like an arrow that missed its bull’s eye. Establishing the romance between a master and an actual physical slave who is held captive against his will takes quite a lot of writing skill to pull off. I did not like the enemy prince at all and never rooted for him until the end. The romance between Anyar and his commander would have been a more natural choice, but was dropped completely halfway through the story.
So, even though I quite liked Anyar and his struggles and enjoyed a few epic moments in this story, it’s not really my favorite fantasy romance.
2.5 stars!
It’s a fantasy story about two races of winged humans who have been at war with each other for eons.
Anyar, a young guard who considers himself unremarkable if not for his midnight black wings, curiously guards the envoy of the enemy kingdom who have arrived in his city for negotiations.
Anyar has a crush on his commander Tanyan. Just when both men finally come closer, the enemy envoy drop all facades and kidnap both the commander and Anyar in order to enslave them in their kingdom, ensuring permanent peace by keeping them hostage.
Anyar becomes the prince’s slave. And with a heavy dose of Stockholm syndrome thrown in, both men develop feelings for each other.
I really liked this fantasy world of winged humans. Some scenes were totally powerful, like the moment Anyar tries to escape his doom by soaring impossibly high into the sky like good old Icarus.
However, all in all, the plot left A LOT to be desired. Constant POV switches between three characters with a few passages of dropping POVs in favor of an authorial narrator… it seemed a bit rough.
Also, the romance felt weirdly off, like an arrow that missed its bull’s eye. Establishing the romance between a master and an actual physical slave who is held captive against his will takes quite a lot of writing skill to pull off. I did not like the enemy prince at all and never rooted for him until the end. The romance between Anyar and his commander would have been a more natural choice, but was dropped completely halfway through the story.
So, even though I quite liked Anyar and his struggles and enjoyed a few epic moments in this story, it’s not really my favorite fantasy romance.
2.5 stars!
March 2, 2011
The writing was really good and kept me reading.
Basically there was nothing in this for me to like. One star for great writing
Basically there was nothing in this for me to like. One star for great writing
December 9, 2009
I love her stories. This is the second one that really transported me into storyland and held me captive.
Fair warning, dubious consent borders on non-consent and the whole (very riveting) plot is driven by Stockholm Syndrome emotional responses. I know some people are having a negative reaction to the first sex scenese between Vanyae and Anyar, however, I felt it was in line with the plot and characterization for this FANTASY story.
I love this authors writing style. Can't wait for the next book.
Fair warning, dubious consent borders on non-consent and the whole (very riveting) plot is driven by Stockholm Syndrome emotional responses. I know some people are having a negative reaction to the first sex scenese between Vanyae and Anyar, however, I felt it was in line with the plot and characterization for this FANTASY story.
I love this authors writing style. Can't wait for the next book.
June 7, 2012
This was a beautiful love story in my opinion. Two races, the Melanians and the Nazarians, have been at war for centuries. In an unconventional effort to stop the hostilities, the crown prince of the Nazarians, Vanyae, abducts the heir to the Melanian throne, Tanyan, and his love interest Anyar. Tanyan is held by the king of Nazar and treated well. The young, handsome Anyar is given to Prince Vanyae as a slave. The story flows extremely well with a good plot. I was very impressed by the way the author gradually unfolds the story between Vanyae and Anyar. The story ends well for most characters. I recommend this book highly everyone.
July 27, 2011
3.5 stars
For most of the story the writing is very well done. In my opinion (or perhaps these are just my feelings towards the master/slave sub-genre), this story needed an extra one hundred pages right in the middle. There is a period of about two months skipped plus the beginning of the turn-about in both characters feelings/desires/world-view that left out a lot of the emotional turmoil and the scenes that showed this change, which were instead told in a few pages. The change took me by surprise, then, after so much adamant stubbornness on both sides. I suppose I am used to reading master/slave stories in a very LONG format, but this would still be a relatively short novel for the subject. Most of all though, I find that turnabout in emotion to be the best part of this kind of story and I was sad to have missed quite a bit of it. I also usually need that period to really feel like I understand and see the change.
Other than that one issue, I thought this was a wonderful and great novel. The flying details and the world-building was done beautifully and efficiently. This is the first JC Owens book that I have read. I've had my eye on the Gaven Series for a while now and I'm excited to read them.
For most of the story the writing is very well done. In my opinion (or perhaps these are just my feelings towards the master/slave sub-genre), this story needed an extra one hundred pages right in the middle. There is a period of about two months skipped plus the beginning of the turn-about in both characters feelings/desires/world-view that left out a lot of the emotional turmoil and the scenes that showed this change, which were instead told in a few pages. The change took me by surprise, then, after so much adamant stubbornness on both sides. I suppose I am used to reading master/slave stories in a very LONG format, but this would still be a relatively short novel for the subject. Most of all though, I find that turnabout in emotion to be the best part of this kind of story and I was sad to have missed quite a bit of it. I also usually need that period to really feel like I understand and see the change.
Other than that one issue, I thought this was a wonderful and great novel. The flying details and the world-building was done beautifully and efficiently. This is the first JC Owens book that I have read. I've had my eye on the Gaven Series for a while now and I'm excited to read them.
December 11, 2014
Well, some times I feel the desire to dive into something dark, dub-con for example(in a strictly fantasy setting) and this story did satisfy my desire. What I liked the most was the fantasy element of the wings and what I think they symbolize, from personality, character's mood and emotions to bigger symbols such as freedom and core of existence. The wings are not just for show and in my opinion are the best element of this fantasy world.
Many parts of the story are very well-written but regretfully, I find the process of characters falling in actual love quite rushed. I liked the characters although I expected more from a character like Vanyae.
Now this is where I wish things had not been rushed. This book could have been so much more with better depiction of the fantasy world and as others have mentioned, with at least 100 pages added to it. The parts that author has skipped could have played a very important role in showing the process of falling in love and changes that take place in both characters. These changes are very important to me when reading a book and deepen my connection with character and so I was sorry to read about them in few sentences, expecting me to just accept that they happen. Both Vanyae and Anyar have weaknesses at the beginning, both are driven by lust not real passion and at the end they change into strong characters that see the whole picture, mourn the ugliness of their world and fight to make a change. Their love and unique bond make this change happen and again I was sorry that all these beautiful parts were rushed. In conclusion, I give this novel 3.5 stars because in my opinion, it could have been much better. I liked it, I enjoyed it and I recommend it if you are into this sort of stories with darker themes.
Many parts of the story are very well-written but regretfully, I find the process of characters falling in actual love quite rushed. I liked the characters although I expected more from a character like Vanyae.
Now this is where I wish things had not been rushed. This book could have been so much more with better depiction of the fantasy world and as others have mentioned, with at least 100 pages added to it. The parts that author has skipped could have played a very important role in showing the process of falling in love and changes that take place in both characters. These changes are very important to me when reading a book and deepen my connection with character and so I was sorry to read about them in few sentences, expecting me to just accept that they happen. Both Vanyae and Anyar have weaknesses at the beginning, both are driven by lust not real passion and at the end they change into strong characters that see the whole picture, mourn the ugliness of their world and fight to make a change. Their love and unique bond make this change happen and again I was sorry that all these beautiful parts were rushed. In conclusion, I give this novel 3.5 stars because in my opinion, it could have been much better. I liked it, I enjoyed it and I recommend it if you are into this sort of stories with darker themes.
May 10, 2011
It’s been a little while since I finished this book and the story still lingers in my head. That deserves a bonus star.
I can very well imagine this to be a legend told amongst the Nazarians and Melanians alike. It is a very thought-provoking story about…
…being at the wrong place at the wrong time
…an innocent falling prey to war and cruel intentions
…something beautiful crushed by destiny
…how the hunter falls for his prey
…how something beautiful can evolve from a cruel and selfish act
…the power of love
It’s also about sexual abuse and emotional manipulation which adds a good portion of ambiguity to the mix.
The captor, Vanyae, was born and raised in a society that approved of slavery. He considered his prize, Anyar, as nothing more than an object to be used for his pleasure. Although I thought there was more to his emotional relationship with Anyar from the start it took him a while to figure it out for himself. The description of his initial attitude interspersed with emotional undertones and the arising inner conflicts was well done and very believable.
There were several sex scenes in the story but not too many. They were pretty hot, too, even those that tread a very thin line between dub-con and rape. That’s of course a very subjective perception. I thought that the dub-con scenes were stunningly and slightly disturbingly erotic due to the excellent writing and choice of words. I couldn’t have imagined a better way to demonstrate Vanyae’s total dominion over Anyar and the complete helplessness, humiliation and betrayal that Anyar felt.
For me the HEA was a satisfying end to a well and fluently written story that kept me glued to the pages. But other readers might be tempted to question the perceived value of love here due to the circumstances. Anyar’s actions and his brief musings about his feelings towards the end of the story added some important depth to it.
A vital part of this fantasy world and an intriguing detail of the characters were the wings. They were so much more than a means to fly and also kind of critical to the events of the story which is not quite free of (bitter) irony.
On the other hand I wished the story would have been longer and had more world-building in it. In addition I missed more insight in how Anyar fell for Vanyae. It’s told, not shown which somehow suited the story but it left me with a twinge of regret.
February 3, 2012
Not romantic; just creepy.
To author: If you want me to believe that a man can fall in love with the person that abducted and repeatedly raped him, you can't be lazy and skip through the story. You can't just recite their changed feelings, you need to show it happening.
To author: If you want me to believe that a man can fall in love with the person that abducted and repeatedly raped him, you can't be lazy and skip through the story. You can't just recite their changed feelings, you need to show it happening.
July 1, 2010
Oh, I definitely loved this book ... the writing style is melodic and the subject, while it may seem harsh at times, has a strong underlying thread of attraction and love. Vanyae shows it first in it's fledgling stages - the strong want to take, to claim, to protect and possess, and gradually Anyar wakes to it as well.
Not all relationships start out pretty and cute. Sometimes we have to wake up a little to what we need and then realize what we want isn't exactly what we had thought it to be in the beginning. This is how I viewed the characters in "Wings" to be. Many have mentioned Stockholm's syndrome but I feel that had very little to do with it; Vanyae is considerate to a degree almost from the outset, and only becomes more so as the novel progresses. He is never outright cruel, never once comes toward Anyar with the intention to harm or abuse.
Anyar is confused by this, by the conflict of their coming together and their separate kingdoms on the verge of war, and yet his gradual liking and caring for Vanyae is based on Vanyae as a person himself. He does not show the classic kidnapper-worship obvious in some novels of the same type; the growth of his love is a slow process that takes him by surprise.
Beautiful. Despite the first few couplings that *could* be construed as dubious-con [gentle as they may have been:], it is still an amazing novel.
Not all relationships start out pretty and cute. Sometimes we have to wake up a little to what we need and then realize what we want isn't exactly what we had thought it to be in the beginning. This is how I viewed the characters in "Wings" to be. Many have mentioned Stockholm's syndrome but I feel that had very little to do with it; Vanyae is considerate to a degree almost from the outset, and only becomes more so as the novel progresses. He is never outright cruel, never once comes toward Anyar with the intention to harm or abuse.
Anyar is confused by this, by the conflict of their coming together and their separate kingdoms on the verge of war, and yet his gradual liking and caring for Vanyae is based on Vanyae as a person himself. He does not show the classic kidnapper-worship obvious in some novels of the same type; the growth of his love is a slow process that takes him by surprise.
Beautiful. Despite the first few couplings that *could* be construed as dubious-con [gentle as they may have been:], it is still an amazing novel.
March 2, 2015
I did like this story, the characters the whole of it, but it lacked interaction by means of conversation. Great story plot behind it, but what I would have liked in this book rather than reading that the characters in the story spent time talking about a topic I would have wanted to read the actual exchange of those words, what they were saying to each other. It's like this: like watching one of those black & white old films where you see the actions but the words are muted.
will-return-to-later
February 2, 2014Maybe I'll come back to this at a later date. Right now it isn't working for me.
July 26, 2025
This was a little throw back to my angel/winged creatures phase. I devoured a lot a those books for quite a while 😳 why? Your guess is as good as mine 😂
Ok, back to the story.
I liked the setting, the idea with two different winged 'angels' (just going to call them that but they are not the typical angel trope) being at war with with each other.
I didn't really experience how the two MC's slowly developed feelings for each other. I was told how they spend more time with each other (outside the bedroom), I was told how they both discovered that there is more behind the slave/master mask. I was told but didn't feel it.
I think there is potential but I need more show than tell.
Ok, back to the story.
I liked the setting, the idea with two different winged 'angels' (just going to call them that but they are not the typical angel trope) being at war with with each other.
I didn't really experience how the two MC's slowly developed feelings for each other. I was told how they spend more time with each other (outside the bedroom), I was told how they both discovered that there is more behind the slave/master mask. I was told but didn't feel it.
I think there is potential but I need more show than tell.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2011
4.5 stars
This book is wonderfully written. I thoroughly enjoy the style, tone and pace that J.C. Owens uses to tell a story. This book is not for the romantically faint of heart however. It has a very strong plot driven mostly through a Stockholm Syndrome relationship that builds between Anyar after he is kidnapped by Vanyae.
Vanyae does pretty much everything right to force Anyar to depend on him for his safety and security while imprisoned in the enemy city. While learning to rely on Vanyae, Anyar comes to feel love for him as well. Step by step, Stockholm Syndrome text book emotional responses are wrung from Anyar one incident at a time. What I am not sure how to explain is that Vanyae gets reverse Stockholm Syndrome. I am not sure what that is called but as he accepts his role as Anyar’s bastion of safety and security he slowly falls in love with his slave too.
The blurb says this book contains dubious consent and I would say it walks a fine line between dubious and non-consent. Depending on how generous you want to be when you read the first sex scene between Anyar and Vanyae it would be easy to be put off. As I was following along as a voyeur I found I really didn’t have an issue with the way things developed between them ... it was perfectly in line with Vanyae’s character and the situation he was creating for Anyar. It also shows how far we can go to manipulate ourselves and be manipulated into emotions that we may or may not have come to in time anyway. The question is how real are those emotions? Once we feel them does it matter how they came about? Are they less valid?
In the end, Vanyae and Anyar must make sacrifices if they want to be together. Anyar has a chance to break free from Vanyae and he takes it, but at what cost? I just know that some people won’t like this book because of the emotional manipulation that goes on. In Vanyae’s defense, it never felt like emotionless manipulation so I just loved watching each scene unfold. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone that wants to read a fantasy story that has some uncomfortable moments. Since these moments are so integral to the plot it just couldn’t have been done any other way and still have been so compelling. I will automatically buy the next J.C. Owens title I find.
This book is wonderfully written. I thoroughly enjoy the style, tone and pace that J.C. Owens uses to tell a story. This book is not for the romantically faint of heart however. It has a very strong plot driven mostly through a Stockholm Syndrome relationship that builds between Anyar after he is kidnapped by Vanyae.
Vanyae does pretty much everything right to force Anyar to depend on him for his safety and security while imprisoned in the enemy city. While learning to rely on Vanyae, Anyar comes to feel love for him as well. Step by step, Stockholm Syndrome text book emotional responses are wrung from Anyar one incident at a time. What I am not sure how to explain is that Vanyae gets reverse Stockholm Syndrome. I am not sure what that is called but as he accepts his role as Anyar’s bastion of safety and security he slowly falls in love with his slave too.
The blurb says this book contains dubious consent and I would say it walks a fine line between dubious and non-consent. Depending on how generous you want to be when you read the first sex scene between Anyar and Vanyae it would be easy to be put off. As I was following along as a voyeur I found I really didn’t have an issue with the way things developed between them ... it was perfectly in line with Vanyae’s character and the situation he was creating for Anyar. It also shows how far we can go to manipulate ourselves and be manipulated into emotions that we may or may not have come to in time anyway. The question is how real are those emotions? Once we feel them does it matter how they came about? Are they less valid?
In the end, Vanyae and Anyar must make sacrifices if they want to be together. Anyar has a chance to break free from Vanyae and he takes it, but at what cost? I just know that some people won’t like this book because of the emotional manipulation that goes on. In Vanyae’s defense, it never felt like emotionless manipulation so I just loved watching each scene unfold. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone that wants to read a fantasy story that has some uncomfortable moments. Since these moments are so integral to the plot it just couldn’t have been done any other way and still have been so compelling. I will automatically buy the next J.C. Owens title I find.
July 7, 2018
Well, yes, I'm a sucker for gay love stories. And look, they're angels! Even better!
But... sadly, naah... this one will not go to the shelf of my favorite books.
Why?
Well... at first, I didn't believe the story. It's not that I don't believe that captive can fall in love with his captivator at all. No, no... I do believe in such possibility, but in "Wings", author didn't explain the background very well, there was only a fact that, somehow, it's happening.
Secondly... book is very chaotic. At beginning, for me as a reader, it's a new world and there were too many new names, characters, races. It took a damn long time to understand - whom are we talking about now. Also, constant changes of character perspective didn't help me at all.
Plot is lacking and a bit shallow. Instead of showing us chats between characters or showing how this falling in love happens and why, author just gives us the information that something is happening.
Every story should have problems and complicated situations, hard choices, feelings vs. responsibilities etc.
That's all great, I like it. In this book though, every solution comes way too easy. No time to build empathy for any of the characters.
Although, there were some moments that I loved and parts of the story gave me some hope; maybe it won't be that bad after all... In general... Sorry, but it was crap, hence only two stars.
If you wanna read a really good story on this topic, have a look at C.S.Pacat's "Captive Prince".
But... sadly, naah... this one will not go to the shelf of my favorite books.
Why?
Well... at first, I didn't believe the story. It's not that I don't believe that captive can fall in love with his captivator at all. No, no... I do believe in such possibility, but in "Wings", author didn't explain the background very well, there was only a fact that, somehow, it's happening.
Secondly... book is very chaotic. At beginning, for me as a reader, it's a new world and there were too many new names, characters, races. It took a damn long time to understand - whom are we talking about now. Also, constant changes of character perspective didn't help me at all.
Plot is lacking and a bit shallow. Instead of showing us chats between characters or showing how this falling in love happens and why, author just gives us the information that something is happening.
Every story should have problems and complicated situations, hard choices, feelings vs. responsibilities etc.
That's all great, I like it. In this book though, every solution comes way too easy. No time to build empathy for any of the characters.
Although, there were some moments that I loved and parts of the story gave me some hope; maybe it won't be that bad after all... In general... Sorry, but it was crap, hence only two stars.
If you wanna read a really good story on this topic, have a look at C.S.Pacat's "Captive Prince".
January 28, 2015
Under certain circumstances and in rare moods I will pick up a dub-con/non-con 'romance'. Romance is the key word. I have to see a relationship forming even if it starts out far from it. This one did this. The author took the time with drawing her characters and providing a back and forth narration so I had access to their thoughts. I really liked both characters. What also drew me was the creative world building of this fantasy story based on human-like people with wings. There are two people groups at war with hatred between them and that made for the tension-filled plot alongside the slowly building relationship. I love this author's work. Recommend.
May 20, 2010
Hmm as a psychologist I've always been fascinated by Stockholm Syndrome; as a consensual kinkster I've never consciously correlated it with D/s. Still I enjoyed Wings. Perhaps I over-analyzed it's subtle social commentary on war and race/ethnicity *shrug*. Owens in a few pages pulls you into a world that is all too easy to imagine. I instantly adored Anyar and I bet you might too.
January 16, 2013
Loved the world building and character development. I empathized with Anyar's despair and horror of the life before him. Vanyae's growth and realization that slaves are not objects, but beings with feelings seemed almost too naive. I guess his upbringing meant certain things he never questioned or thought about until Anyar.
March 12, 2016
Dear me, now I feel bad for giving one star to all other books; in comparison to 'Wings' they can be considered masterpieces. It was such a trainwreck of a story I actually read it to the end (well, it was short) because I couldn't believe anything could be this unredeemingly bad. Well, it turned out it could.
October 12, 2015
3.5 stars. I was worried for a while that the HEA would be just a disguised Stockholm Syndrome, but my concern was unfounded. Whew. I do wish the author delved deeper into the emotional development between the MCs, however, I still enjoyed the overall story and the ending did not feel contrived.
August 30, 2015
4.5 Stars
I loved this! Thank you so much for my Christmas present Don!
I loved this! Thank you so much for my Christmas present Don!
January 8, 2010
Although this book technically doesn’t have anything to do with the author’s previous book, Gaven, the setting, characters, and plot are very similar. The writing is obviously reminiscent of the previous book and those that liked the first book should like this one. A few have commented on the dubious consent scenes that are present, but I found them pretty similar to the first book and wasn’t too bothered. The plot is based on the classic theme of captive falling in love with their captor. Although there are elements of torture, violence, and rape, overall I found this to be a decent second offering by the author.
Anyar is a young guard who happens to catch the eye of a visiting prince. Vanyae is the prince of another people who have been at war with Anyar’s people for as long as anyone can remember. Supposedly there to negotiate peace between the two cultures, instead Vanyae seizes the moment to capture Anyar and a high ranking official. Vanyae claims Anyar as his own sex slave but didn’t count on falling in love with the innocent, young man.
The plot is pretty basic with an innocent, virginal yet handsome young man is captured by a powerful adversary. After months and years as a sex slave, Anyar comes to love his captor as much as his captor loves him. Yet a happy ending is only achieved through violence and sacrifice. The concept is not particularly inventive nor is the characterizations especially different. The men are classic stereotypes and this easily could have been an m/f romance except two men with wings. The plot isn’t terribly unique but it’s well written and decently characterized. The dubious consent is classic for captor/captive themed stories and although Anyar falls in love, the reasons are pretty clear and laid out. This is not too different from Owen’s first book with dubious consent among the participants.
The setting is fantasy with two races of people, each with wings and capable of flying. Typically the two races are involved in violent war against each other and commit horrible atrocities against each other in a perpetual cycle of revenge. It takes further sacrifice for this cycle to finally end with a happy ending. However for the most part, the violence is muted and kept at a minimum so it’s unlikely to bother a lot of readers. The fantasy elements are interesting but not fully developed as the majority of the novella is spent on the growing relationship between Anyar and Vanyae. The story could have used more development and space to fully show the complexity of the world and the intricacies of the two races.
Additionally with the plot so basic and well used, the fantasy setting does help inject a fresh and interesting take on the familiar so more time spent on the world building would have been helpful. The relationship between the men is the main focus and does include numerous sex scenes. The growing emotions between the men are shown in a series of tender scenes and how Vanyae comes to view the casual cruelty that goes on amongst his people towards slaves with the vague hope to abolish such treatment in the future.
Although I thought Gaven was a much better book, this offering is remarkably similar in many ways. There are more writing and editing errors present in this offering than the previous and this lacks some of the depth to the characters, but overall I’d think most would like this one if they liked the other.
Anyar is a young guard who happens to catch the eye of a visiting prince. Vanyae is the prince of another people who have been at war with Anyar’s people for as long as anyone can remember. Supposedly there to negotiate peace between the two cultures, instead Vanyae seizes the moment to capture Anyar and a high ranking official. Vanyae claims Anyar as his own sex slave but didn’t count on falling in love with the innocent, young man.
The plot is pretty basic with an innocent, virginal yet handsome young man is captured by a powerful adversary. After months and years as a sex slave, Anyar comes to love his captor as much as his captor loves him. Yet a happy ending is only achieved through violence and sacrifice. The concept is not particularly inventive nor is the characterizations especially different. The men are classic stereotypes and this easily could have been an m/f romance except two men with wings. The plot isn’t terribly unique but it’s well written and decently characterized. The dubious consent is classic for captor/captive themed stories and although Anyar falls in love, the reasons are pretty clear and laid out. This is not too different from Owen’s first book with dubious consent among the participants.
The setting is fantasy with two races of people, each with wings and capable of flying. Typically the two races are involved in violent war against each other and commit horrible atrocities against each other in a perpetual cycle of revenge. It takes further sacrifice for this cycle to finally end with a happy ending. However for the most part, the violence is muted and kept at a minimum so it’s unlikely to bother a lot of readers. The fantasy elements are interesting but not fully developed as the majority of the novella is spent on the growing relationship between Anyar and Vanyae. The story could have used more development and space to fully show the complexity of the world and the intricacies of the two races.
Additionally with the plot so basic and well used, the fantasy setting does help inject a fresh and interesting take on the familiar so more time spent on the world building would have been helpful. The relationship between the men is the main focus and does include numerous sex scenes. The growing emotions between the men are shown in a series of tender scenes and how Vanyae comes to view the casual cruelty that goes on amongst his people towards slaves with the vague hope to abolish such treatment in the future.
Although I thought Gaven was a much better book, this offering is remarkably similar in many ways. There are more writing and editing errors present in this offering than the previous and this lacks some of the depth to the characters, but overall I’d think most would like this one if they liked the other.
June 9, 2015
I was rereading one of my all-time favorite MM books; ‘The Emperor’s Wolf’ by J.C. Owens and decided I was in the mood to read another by this author, so I gave this one a try. Having just read the other book right before this, I noticed right off the bat there were a lot of similarities in the beginning. The circumstances of capture, the soft bed and chains were all the same. But the dynamic was different with this one and in the end I don’t think I liked it as much. The beginning was intriguing, the part where Vanyae discovers Anyar, while Anyar crushes hard on his captain, and the capture was exciting-good action! But once Anyar was Vanyae’s slave, the story didn’t come together as I hoped it would. I felt Anyar’s despair the entire time, though Vanyae tried to make him feel loved, he still treated him very much like a slave and pushed sex when Anyar wasn’t ready, and I didn’t feel we got the ‘master has fallen in love with his servant’ type of story. Also, I was a bit confused, I thought part of the purpose of the capture was to show the Captain and Anyar how wonderful Vanyae’s home was, yet they were kept indoors and were unhappy most of the time, so how was that meant to endear the place to them? Perhaps I just didn’t feel the chemistry as much between Anyar and Vanyae, I almost wanted Anyar to just get together with the Captain in the end. The teaser into slave life at the dinner table was interesting though, would have perhaps liked to have seem a bit more of that. Overall I liked the book, a good solid 3 and I am glad I read it, but I feel like there was a really great story there that just didn’t get fleshed out, scenes were sort of skimmed over and in the end, the love story was just ok. Still love this author though!
February 23, 2010
I have read several stories about how the captive is falling in love with the captor -- and while Stockholm Syndrome might not be a good reason for romance but it might work when treated carefully. I have also read stories about that make me believe in the premise of Master/slave to fall with one another
But this, oh, I'm so struggling with the plot of this story. Again, the writing style is good -- but the situation of Anyar's kidnapping and how he ends up falling in love with Vanyae feels wrong to me. Their first sex scene screams rape and I just can't shake that uncomfortable feeling when I continue reading it.
But this, oh, I'm so struggling with the plot of this story. Again, the writing style is good -- but the situation of Anyar's kidnapping and how he ends up falling in love with Vanyae feels wrong to me. Their first sex scene screams rape and I just can't shake that uncomfortable feeling when I continue reading it.
November 5, 2011
I love J.C.'s writing. I love the character development and the depth to which we get to know the players. This book is definitely up to the high standard I've come to appreciate about J.C.'s work.
Half way throuhg I gave it a 3 rating. I am just not very comfortable with the master-slave relationship. I know this is an established genrea and all. I'm just a bit queezy about it. Give me domination/submission any day but slavery? Not so much for my personal taste.
Oh but by the end the rating is a 5! I love the conclusion and how all the parties involved find a way to get resolve, peace, harmony, love, and equality. Bravo J.C. another wonderful novel!
Half way throuhg I gave it a 3 rating. I am just not very comfortable with the master-slave relationship. I know this is an established genrea and all. I'm just a bit queezy about it. Give me domination/submission any day but slavery? Not so much for my personal taste.
Oh but by the end the rating is a 5! I love the conclusion and how all the parties involved find a way to get resolve, peace, harmony, love, and equality. Bravo J.C. another wonderful novel!
October 8, 2018
Oct. 5, 2017: I happened to revisit this book’s review only to discover I never left one. Only a rating. After reading my comments, I realized that I was on the cusp of major surgery and on a heck of a lot of pain killers. No wonder! Guess I’ll have to go back and reread it someday.
Reread Feb 22, 2018: A nice little story marred by rape half way in and a ridiculous amount of sex.
Oh, an another reread! Oct. 2018: Basically still a good story with WAY TOO MUCH sex. Lots of skimming over the sex scenes. It's simply gratuitous, boring, and not meant to move the plot along.
Reread Feb 22, 2018: A nice little story marred by rape half way in and a ridiculous amount of sex.
Oh, an another reread! Oct. 2018: Basically still a good story with WAY TOO MUCH sex. Lots of skimming over the sex scenes. It's simply gratuitous, boring, and not meant to move the plot along.
October 12, 2016
So I really liked the story but Stockholm Syndrome anyone? The beginning was fairly brutal and their relationship was a solid slave/master dynamic so I'm still having a hard time believing the love here. Sure Vanyae was eventually nice to Anyar and I do believe he loved him but I'm having trouble with the reverse. Anyar wasn't ever given a choice. I don't know. I was riveted the entire time so that has to count for something.
October 2, 2014
3.5 stars.
Surprisingly sweet. Would have bumped it up to 4 stars, but toward the ending the plot fell a bit apart.
Surprisingly sweet. Would have bumped it up to 4 stars, but toward the ending the plot fell a bit apart.
February 27, 2016
A nice read. Captor falls for slave. Kinda short which didn't allow for much development.
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February 23, 2010Without doubt I have a kink for winged men, I don’t know maybe it’s like a phallic symbol, more beautiful and big the wings are and more beautiful and bit the… well, it’s not necessary to continue.
Anyway, joke aside, I really have a special eye everytime I see a picture of an angel, and if the angel has also male feature, it’s even better: the fragility of the wings against the masculinity of the body is something that really draws me. And so is for a story, gives me wings and you make me happy.
In Wings I have not only one but two winged heroes. In a fantasy medieval setting, two breed are at war; the little Melanians, bronzed skin and colourful wings, against the tall and pale Nazarians with the white wings. Among the Melanians, Anyar always felt not at ease, he is bigger than them and plus he has longer and deep black wings, almost too big for his lithe body. He is a bit of a black duckling.
Anyar is in love with Tanyan, chief commander of the royal guards and heir to the throne, and to be near him he became a guard himself. Anyar has not really the attitude to be a soldier, and truth be told, he doesn’t even feel the sacred hate for the Nazarians as he should. Au contraire, when he has the chance to see them, he even feels attractions for the tall men. And here maybe the reader understands that Anyar’s love for Tanyan is more a worshipping thing, and maybe the first sexual impulses of a very young man, it’s not really true and deep love.
Vanyae is a Nazarian prince, and he is on a diplomatic mission on regard of his father. That is the official reason, the unofficial one is to kidnap Tanyan to have him as pawn. When Vanyae sees Anyar, he decides to add an hostage to the scene, and obviously Anyar will be his personal slave. Even if Vanyae is gentle, on his own way, with Anyar, the first sex scene borders a bit on a rape, Anyar is really the image of a sacrificial lamb spread on Vanyae’s bed. But at least, time after time, Anyar arrives to crave Vanyae’s touch. In the end, Vanyae becomes the swan prince (he has even the white feathers…) that will swept away Anyar from his status of black duckling.
Anyar is a really particular character, he is strong in his weakness. Anyar, as I said before, has not the soul of a warrior, he is more a lover. So, even if the reader sometime would have liked for him to be stronger, and more rebellious, it’s not really something that would have gone with his character. Anyar conquers people not with a sword, but with liquid and imploring eyes, and his last sacrificial act is really in line with his character, making him a martyr.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00361EXIA/?...
Anyway, joke aside, I really have a special eye everytime I see a picture of an angel, and if the angel has also male feature, it’s even better: the fragility of the wings against the masculinity of the body is something that really draws me. And so is for a story, gives me wings and you make me happy.
In Wings I have not only one but two winged heroes. In a fantasy medieval setting, two breed are at war; the little Melanians, bronzed skin and colourful wings, against the tall and pale Nazarians with the white wings. Among the Melanians, Anyar always felt not at ease, he is bigger than them and plus he has longer and deep black wings, almost too big for his lithe body. He is a bit of a black duckling.
Anyar is in love with Tanyan, chief commander of the royal guards and heir to the throne, and to be near him he became a guard himself. Anyar has not really the attitude to be a soldier, and truth be told, he doesn’t even feel the sacred hate for the Nazarians as he should. Au contraire, when he has the chance to see them, he even feels attractions for the tall men. And here maybe the reader understands that Anyar’s love for Tanyan is more a worshipping thing, and maybe the first sexual impulses of a very young man, it’s not really true and deep love.
Vanyae is a Nazarian prince, and he is on a diplomatic mission on regard of his father. That is the official reason, the unofficial one is to kidnap Tanyan to have him as pawn. When Vanyae sees Anyar, he decides to add an hostage to the scene, and obviously Anyar will be his personal slave. Even if Vanyae is gentle, on his own way, with Anyar, the first sex scene borders a bit on a rape, Anyar is really the image of a sacrificial lamb spread on Vanyae’s bed. But at least, time after time, Anyar arrives to crave Vanyae’s touch. In the end, Vanyae becomes the swan prince (he has even the white feathers…) that will swept away Anyar from his status of black duckling.
Anyar is a really particular character, he is strong in his weakness. Anyar, as I said before, has not the soul of a warrior, he is more a lover. So, even if the reader sometime would have liked for him to be stronger, and more rebellious, it’s not really something that would have gone with his character. Anyar conquers people not with a sword, but with liquid and imploring eyes, and his last sacrificial act is really in line with his character, making him a martyr.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00361EXIA/?...
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