The Wings Upon Her Back - Review
Link to the author's (S. Mills) personal website
Genre: Fantasy Sci-Fi
Publication Type: Book
Tags:
- Average Age of Main Characters (40)
- Length (4 / 10)
Link to Goodreads
Blurb: A loyal warrior in a crisis of faith must fight to regain her place and begin her life again while questioning the events of her past. This gripping science-fantasy novel from a Nebula and Locus Award-winning debut author is a complex, action-packed exploration of the costs of zealous faith, brutal war, and unquestioning loyalty.
Five gods lie mysteriously sleeping above the city of Radezhda. Five gods who once bestowed great technologies and wisdom, each inspiring the devotion of their own sect. When the gods turned away from humanity, their followers built towers to the heavens to find out why. But when no answer was given, the collective grief of the sects turned to desperation, and eventually to war.
Zenya was a teenager when she ran away from home to join the mechanically-modified warrior sect. She was determined to earn mechanized wings and protect the people and city she loved. Under the strict tutelage of a mercurial, charismatic leader, Zenya became Winged Zemolai.
But after twenty-six years of service, Zemolai is disillusioned with her role as an enforcer in an increasingly fascist state. After one tragic act of mercy, she is cast out, and loses everything she worked for. As Zemolai fights for her life, she begins to understand the true nature of her sect, her leader, and the gods themselves.
Review: While reading this I felt partially trapped. I was engrossed, and the back-and-forth of Zenya's emotions were hitting me in full. The story also gave me plenty of good stopping points to pause and process for a bit. This was enabled in part because of the two parallel stories of past and present, which was done absolutely masterfully. I was a big fan of the inventiveness of the world too, and found the ending cathartic. The blurb is great, and the book is a strong recommend if the blurb appeals to you in any way.