Twelve-year-old Freya enjoys karate and is the only one in her class who’s trusted with a part-time job. But everything changes when she meets a boy with yellow eyes. She learns about the guardians, and how an age-old fight has prevented them from fulfilling their purpose.Freya finds new friends in the Crow tribe, but not everything in the castle is blissful. A destructive shadow lies within her … within her and all she needs to do to release it is close her eyes.
But as the guardians’ war rages on, Freya realises that, although the shadow’s power can be useful, it can’t create peace. To do that, Freya and her friends must solve the mysterious crime that began the war. Can they bring the guardians together before they destroy each other?
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Taking Wing is a Middle Grade novel that translated really well to me as an adult! I was glued to the pages. The action was there, the characters were great, and the plot was really captivating.
I love that this novel gets up and running right away. We are right in the action from the beginning, and sets of the intrigue. We meet our characters. I love Freya. She’s a 12-year-old, who still acts like a 12-yea- old, but she has a “wiser than her years,” air about her. Clemency Crow built a cast of well-rounded, genuine characters.
Taking Wing had some fun twists and turns, and kept me turning the pages. I really love when a book that is clearly aimed at a younger audience still reads well for an older audience. If you’re a Middle Grade fan, this is not one to miss!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of a blog tour with Enchanted Book Promotions. All opinions are my own.*
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A great start to this series!
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Taking Wing
Author: Clemency Crow
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Content: 8/10
Cover: 7/10
Of the 15 readers:
11 would read another book by this author.
10 thought the cover was good or excellent.
12 felt it was easy to follow.
11 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 10 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
8 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
11 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘This author’s so good at fantasy writing. I was excited to turn the page. Freya is the best character in the story. I was happy to cheer her on.’ Boy, aged 12
‘The children in my class mostly enjoyed this book. They liked the tribal bird element very much and Freya was seen as strong and determined. Many of them thought the ending was annoying as it didn’t tell them everything they wanted to know. I suspect book two will be along shortly.’ Male teacher, aged 41
‘Exciting story for middle grade students. Plenty to enjoy here. The birds were particularly well thought-out by the author. The pacing needs a little work here and there and the ending lacks ‘pow!’ factor. But, all in all, it’s an exciting adventure and well-edited in terms of grammar/punctuation. This author has potential.’ Male reader (publisher), aged 55
‘I liked this fantasy story. There’s a little magic and a lot of adventure. The owls and crows were an excellent idea which I loved. I think after reading the ending there must be a book two. I would happily read it.’ Boy, aged 12
To Sum It Up:
‘A thrilling fantasy adventure for 9 – 12 year olds. A RED RIBBON winner and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
I have to admit that I was not sure about Taking Wing when I began reading it. I quickly found that I was hooked within the first few chapters. The characters grew on me and the plot was fantastic. It turned out to be a great read.
I am giving Taking Wing four and a half stars. I would love to read more by Clemency Crow, as well as, the next installment from her Feather Down series. I recommend it.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.