Of Flight and Fancy

Once Upon a Darkened Night #15

by Nicole Zoltack

Dream World is rife with magic, and everything is going smoothly for Captain Hawkins Hayward until he finds a young boy and saves him from drowning. Only that boy, Percival Payne, is anything but grateful. As that boy grows up, his resentment and hatred only grow. Such anger causes Percival to resort to drastic measures to try to claim Dream World as his. Hawkins may have to find a way to go to the other world, to Fantasia and other kingdoms, to find aid. The magic there is almost entirely dead, but Dream World just might be what the witches and shifters need. Perhaps both worlds can be saved... or destroyed. Of Flight and Fancy includes the short story The Cost of Hatred.

166 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 4, 2018

About the author

Nicole Zoltack is a USA Today bestselling author who loves to write romances. Of course. She did marry her first kiss, after all!

When she’s not writing about knights, superheroes, or witches, she enjoys spending time with her loving husband, three energetic young boys, and precious baby girl. She enjoys riding horses (pretending they’re unicorns, of course!) and going to the PA Renaissance Faire dressed in garb. She’ll also read anything she can get her hands on. Her current favorite TV shows are The Walking Dead and Stranger Things.

Everyone who signs up for her newsletter receives a free book, so sign up now! http://www.subscribepage.com/m0k3l8

Reviews

[DJWman · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Of Flight and Fancy" by Nicole Zoltack, the fifteenth installment in the "Once Upon A Darkened Night" series, offers a fresh and twisted retelling of Peter Pan that keeps you hooked from start to finish. Set in the enchanting Dream World, the story follows Captain Hawkins Hayward and his complex relationship with Percival Payne, a boy he once saved from drowning. As Percival's resentment and hatred fester, he seeks to claim Dream World for himself, setting the stage for a captivating conflict.

One of the book's strengths is its dual timelines, which skillfully weave backstory into the unfolding plot. This structure allows readers to gain a deeper understanding of the characters' motivations while maintaining the story's momentum.

Zoltack excels in crafting a compelling villain in Percival. Despite his bitterness and descent into monstrosity, I found myself hoping for his redemption, a testament to Zoltack's nuanced characterization. This iteration of Peter Pan is markedly different from the one many of us grew up with, but it's a change that works, adding layers of depth and intrigue to the familiar tale.

I particularly enjoyed the clever references to other fairy tales and stories, which seem to connect to previous books in the series. While "Of Flight and Fancy" can be enjoyed as a standalone, these nods to earlier works make me eager to explore Zoltack's other books.

This was my first time reading Nicole Zoltack, and her unique take on beloved characters has left me eager for more. The book does have occasional typos, so an updated version with these corrected would enhance the reading experience and help the overall flow of reading.

Overall, "Of Flight and Fancy" is an imaginative retelling with rich world-building, complex characters, and inventive plot twists that fans of fairy tales and fantasy will appreciate.

[Véronique Laplante Grenier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really loved this twisted version of the classic fairy tale Peter Pan.