A Story from the On Wings SagaPrequel to On Wings of ThunderEvery story has a beginning….Dragons. Angels fear them and demons follow them. Formidable beasts of incredible power, they fight each other to the death for dominance. But dwindling dragon numbers cause alarm among the angelic ranks. Surely when the dragons have finished killing each other, the victors will search elsewhere for conquest… … elsewhere for conquest… maybe even the Upper Realm.
Roland, an angelic artist of significant talent, doesn’t know what to believe. Part of him longs to see a dragon in person, and his peaceful life of contentment is wearing thin. He wants passion, desire, adventure, and love. He gets more than he bargained for when he and his sister are ambushed and captured by demons, and they bring him to a creature who surpasses Roland’s wildest imaginings.
But the mighty dragon Asagoroth is not all that he seems. Something sparks between him and Roland. Something neither anticipated. Something that will shake the cosmos to its core.
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** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
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On Wings of Passion (On Wings #0.5) by M.D. Grimm
141 Pages
POV: 3rd person – primarily 1 character POV, but Epilogue features multi-POV
I first read On Wings of Thunder in 2016. It was immediately an instant favourite and I would have bought it in paperback, if it had been released in that form. That’s how much I loved it. It became a regular re-read, since then.
When I saw that On Wings of Passion was being released, I didn’t even read the blurb before requesting an ARC. But, once I did, I was both heartbroken, hopeful and nervous. I was scared that it could never be the same to read about Asagoroth being in love with Roland, when I was so firmly entrenched with his love for Trystan. And then came the question on HOW to read it – did I read it first? Did I re-read On Wings of Thunder first, to remind me of who everyone was? I was in a dilemma.
Now, Goodreads didn’t list the book until release day, and it’s marked as Book 2…HOWEVER…I chose to read On Wings of Passion as a prequel, as it was intended, which means reading it first. And…honestly…I’m so glad I did. It is a TRUE prequel. It tells a story that immediately sucks you in, but at the same time, prepares you for the journey that On Wings of Thunder will be. It sets the stage, reintroduces character that I thought I knew, in a way I never saw them before.
Everything that I loved about On Wings of Thunder was here. The romance, the chemistry, the action, the risk, the danger, the excitement. There was a constant thrum of nervous energy, from the first moment Roland found himself in trouble, to the lurking vengeance of Asagoroth waiting for his moment to strike. It was both familiar and new, at the same time. And it was everything that anyone could want, coming into this series for the first time. It can be read before or after On Wings of Thunder, though I totally recommend reading it as a prequel, first.
Despite the 3 years between On Wings of Thunder and On Wings of Passion, it has the same heart, the same beauty, the same hope and despair that the original story had. It managed to suck me in from page one and give me that feeling of coming home, after being gone for too long. That feeling of seeing a friend or family member that you’ve been away from for years, and suddenly finding that nothing has changed; the years feel like days and that old chemistry and affection is still there. That’s what On Wings of Passion is. It’s the prequel that On Wings of Thunder deserved; it’s the story that all the fans of the first book desperately wanted to read; and it’s the beautiful and tragic love that Roland deserved.
Starting with a moving and powerful prologue, that awful mix of pain and joy didn’t end until the last page. Nothing makes me happier than the Author’s Note, that tells me this may not be the last we ever see of Asagoroth or Trystan.
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Favourite Quotes
““I screamed at you,” he said softly. “The first time we met, I hurt you. I’m not an heir, so I can’t be part of your plans. I’m nobody. I don’t matter. Yet I’m still alive. You need to tell me why.”
Asagoroth stared for a long, significant pause before he closed his eyes and exhaled softly. Roland gripped part of the wall to keep from being pushed off the shelf.
“I am starting to wonder,” Asagoroth said, also in Middle Enochian, his words thick with emotion, “if you might be all that matters.””