Rue is the only half-god, half-human there, where leaders protect their magical powers at all costs and thrive on human suffering. Rue's taken from her neighborhood by the father she never knew, forced to leave her little sister behind, and whisked away to Ghizon-a hidden island of magic wielders. But when her mother is shot dead on her doorstep, life for her and her younger sister changes forever. “Make a way out of no way” is just the way of life for Rue. Wings of Ebony is a must-read.Ī copy of this book was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster, for review.In this riveting, keenly emotional debut fantasy, a Black teen from Houston has her world upended when she learns about her godly ancestry-and with evil sinking its claws into humans and gods alike, she’ll have to unearth the magic of her true identity to save both her worlds. Rue embraces and loves who she is, and it’s incredibly powerful.

Most importantly, it shows a young Black girl who is fiercely proud of her heritage and her neighborhood. This book has everything young adult readers love – mystery, action, romance, fantastic characters, and magic. Rue refusing to abandon her home and her friends contributes to both her characterization and the plot, and it’s very meaningful watching her stand up for her neighborhood – especially when the main villain insists that there’s nothing redeeming about it or people who look like Rue. Everything she does is motivated by her love for her sister and their neighborhood. She had absolutely no desire to leave Houston’s East Row and resents her father for taking her to Ghizon. My favorite thing about this book – and, I think, what sets it apart from other stories of this nature – is Rue’s devotion to her home. Watching her grow and change throughout the book is extremely satisfying. She’s tough, fierce, loving, and protective. While the story includes some interesting secondary characters (Bri’s arc and motivations are very well-written, and you’ll fall in love with Tasha), Elle’s characterization of Rue is fantastic.

Elle expertly uses flashbacks to fill in the story and tell us what’s happened in Rue’s past, adding dimension to all the characters. Wings of Ebony is a fast-moving book set in both the magical Ghizon and today’s Houston.

I’m happy to say that I was completely wrong. When I first picked up the book, I was expecting a story about a girl discovering her magical abilities and acclimating to her new home. Elle, is about Rue, a teenage girl who’s whisked away to the magical country of Ghizon after her mom’s death.

Wings of ebony j elle