~ ALL ABOUT THE AUTHOR ~
Astrid
started her writing career when she begun work for the international video game
giant, Sega of America. Working her way up the ranks, she began writing companion guides
for games. With a love for writing fiction since childhood, she took her short
stories out of storage and had her first story ever written published.
She
has resumed writing full time and has succeeded in putting out the titles, TheDoughnut Tree,
Mysterious Pootkins , and The Mosswoods to name a few. Her short stories have appeared in the literary Threshold Press␣ and Shock and Awe Magazine.
She finds writing for young adults both refreshing and challenging. She
always wishes to provide examples of positive role models, conflict resolving
methods and communication for young adults with their parents or guardians.
Astrid Yrigollen has become a good friend of mine over the last year,
and I am so excited for her newest YA novel, His Black Wings!
We have been working hard to get the word out on this book!
BIG THANKS to Rachel Marks at YANR Blog Tours
for putting on this month long tour!
Claren Maidstone has been
forced to flee her childhood home after the death of her parents and a vicious
assault from a sadistic young man who intends to marry her. Claren changes her
identity and finds employment as an assistant to the handsome Fredrick Lowood,
a generous yet mysterious benefactor. However, she soon finds out his
generosity comes at a price. Fredrick wishes for Claren to befriend his
disfigured son who resides in seclusion at their estate, Westwind.
Fredrick Lowood knows what the history books do not teach, that the Grand Council built this new world of peace and beauty on hidden blood and greed. He has plotted for years to bring down the family that enslaved his own people. Suddenly, he has the last living heir in his grasp.
Etrigan Lowood rejects the world that forces him to hide. He is powerful, plagued with a terrible dark beauty: WINGS. It is these wings that carry him out only at night to watch the unwanted intruder in his home. A creature of refined instinct yet little social grace, he is strangely captivated by Claren but knows nothing of how her family’s dark past is intertwined with his own . Through their blossoming friendship, Etrigan realizes he still retains his human heart and yearns for Claren’s love.
Kurten Wandsworth is the only son of the Mayor of St.Marhen. Kurten lives his life fueled by cruelty and lust. Whatever he wants he takes and he wants Claren to be his wife even it if kills her. Scarred by Claren he hunts her down mercilessly until he can set a trap which she will never be able to escape from.
Fredrick Lowood knows what the history books do not teach, that the Grand Council built this new world of peace and beauty on hidden blood and greed. He has plotted for years to bring down the family that enslaved his own people. Suddenly, he has the last living heir in his grasp.
Etrigan Lowood rejects the world that forces him to hide. He is powerful, plagued with a terrible dark beauty: WINGS. It is these wings that carry him out only at night to watch the unwanted intruder in his home. A creature of refined instinct yet little social grace, he is strangely captivated by Claren but knows nothing of how her family’s dark past is intertwined with his own . Through their blossoming friendship, Etrigan realizes he still retains his human heart and yearns for Claren’s love.
Kurten Wandsworth is the only son of the Mayor of St.Marhen. Kurten lives his life fueled by cruelty and lust. Whatever he wants he takes and he wants Claren to be his wife even it if kills her. Scarred by Claren he hunts her down mercilessly until he can set a trap which she will never be able to escape from.
~ MY REVIEW ~
(I am currently doing the finishing edits and continual promotion for this novel.
This in no way affects my review.)
His Black Wings has definitely become one of my favorite books of 2012. I adore the story of Beauty and the Beast and this unique re-telling is absolutely wonderful. Astrid has great talent when it comes to weaving a captivating story. His Black Wings brings together elements of steampunk and the paranormal, while maintaining a strong base in the Victorian Era. The speech and mannerisms--especially of Claren and Frederick--I found to be very fitting for the futuristic world they dwell in. Astrid's characters bring depth and life to the pages and I enjoyed the Bronte'esque style of story telling. The plot unfolds at a good pace and readers will not find a dull moment. There are constant, important aspects of the story being unveiled. For 300+ pages, this book reads quickly and I did not feel like I was dragging at page 250!--which is common for so many lengthy books I read. Yes, there is romance in this story, but it is not typical or instant, which really helps His Black Wings stand out. Astrid's previous YA novel, The Mosswoods, I found to be an awesome read, however, it is in this book that Astrid's creativity and knack for story telling really shines. (To which I add, "Where will you take readers next??") Many people have mentioned the book containing errors, and while this may be true, I do not find them to be terribly distracting. Currently, this book is going through another round of edits--by yours truly--to get all squeaky clean! Once the final-final version is out and about I will be including a more detailed review.
I would--of course!--recommend this book for any fans of YA PNR or readers looking for an entertaining and original read.
Grab your own copy of His Black Wings from Amazon!
