Author: Alex London
LGBTQ+ Representation: One of the main characters is gay, as is at least one supporting character.
What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Kylee can speak the ancient Hollow Tongue but wants nothing to do with falconry, the sport that's brought death, debt, and misery to her family. Brysen, to save the boy he loves, seeks the Ghost Eagle, a famed predator that has never been captured. To complete the quest, Kylee and Brysen climb the mountains, which are full of power-hungry tribes of people who do not hesitate to murder those who get in their way.
What I think:
EMCEE (off-camera): Welcome Theydies and Gentlethems to today's episode of Jen Reads the Rainbow--The Game Show version!
[Upbeat theme music plays; audience applauds uproariously]
EMCEE: Featuring Alex London's Black Wings Beating!
[Audience applauds as JEN makes entrance]
JEN: Thank you, thank you everyone! I'm thrilled to be here tonight. I just finished the book Black Wings Beating and y'all . . . I really enjoyed it!
[Applause and cheering]
JEN: However--there is ONE part of the book that I dislike.
[Gasps of shock and horror]
JEN: Yes, fans, I do have one slight problem with the book. Our contestants today will try to figure out what that is!
[CONTESTANT #1 enters]
JEN: Here's our first player now. Welcome! Your curly hair is fantastic. I wish my children had those curls! What is it about this book that you think Jen dislikes?
CONTESTANT #1: Hello, long-time reader, first-time player. I am going to guess that Jen dislikes the fantasy world in the story!
JEN: It is true that I have had trouble getting into fantasy novels in the past, especially high fantasy. It takes me a while to "understand" the world; and at the same time, I become really bored with long paragraphs full of the "past" of the world and prefer to be "dropped in" the world and gradually understand it.
The world in Black Wings Beating is mostly a rocky, desert-like landscape with rocks and mountains. The lifestyle and religions in the world revolve around the birds of prey, such as falcons and eagles. Some lands/tribes of people worship the birds; some think the birds should be completely left alone by humans, and others some practice falconry, conquering and training birds of prey.
Also, there is a magical language called Hollow Tongue in which people could speak to birds; similar to Parseltongue from Harry Potter, Hollow Tongue is a gift bestowed to few very people. A Ghost Eagle which seems to be able to influence the thoughts of falcon hunters also makes an appearance in the story.
At first, I had trouble understanding the world that I was "dropped into," but soon, I was able to adapt. The best fantasy stories, in my opinion, are the ones in which the author has developed a history and a backstory but doesn't tell those stories directly.
AUDIENCE (in unison): What! Does! That! Mean!?
JEN: Hmmm. I don't know how to explain what I mean by that? I guess I am saying that the world of the story felt solid, complete, and logical. I didn't feel that the author was just making up things as he went along, deciding how he could justify them later.
But, sorry, Contestant #1. You are incorrect. Please accept our consolation prize of a 6-months supply of all-you-can-eat Lunchables.
Lunchables: What you give your kids to eat when they won't eat anything else.
[Applause. CONTESTANT #1 exits, CONTESTANT #2 enters]
JEN: Welcome! I am super envious of your hair color. No matter what I do, my hair will not hold pink or purple very well. What do you think Jen dislikes about this story?
CONTESTANT #2: Oh my goodness; I am so happy to be here! I think that some of the characters' choices were annoying. I am going to guess that Jen doesn't like the main characters.
JEN: Brysen and Kylee are not always the best decision-makers, true. Brysen especially would have been dead several times over if Kylee had not saved him. Brysen has horrible taste in boyfriends, but this just makes me feel bad for him. He is naive, wants someone to love him, and is eager to prove to everyone that he is a hero. I am not sure whether I want to admire or him or smack him across the head for taking chances and getting near death so many times. You are not invincible, kid.
Neither is Kylee, but she does want to save her brother. After a while, though, should she continue to follow him or say "Enough is enough!" Also, Kylee seems to trust all the wrong people--but in her defense, there is no one around to trust! Everyone wants power. Kylee just wants her brother to survive and get out of the falconry business altogether. But is this enough incentive to just let him die by his own stupidity? Kylee does not think so. She'll save her brother over everything.
And I admire her for that, and really, I am rooting for Brysen, even when I also want to smack him. I have already hardcore-shipped him with another character, who is named--
AUDIENCE: Boo! Spoilers! No spoilers!
JEN: Thank you, audience. I am not going to spoil who I think is Brysen's new romantic interest. Thank you, Contestant #2, for playing. You have earned a consolation prize of 6-months worth of Harris Teeter brand chocolate milk.
Harris Teeter brand chocolate milk: often the only thing an autistic 12-year-old will drink.
[Applause. CONTESTANT #3 enters]
JEN: Welcome, Mr. Pterodactyl. What an amazing costume!
CONTESTANT #3: Thank you. I made it myself. And I think Jen has a problem with the violence in the book!
JEN: Yikes, Mr. Pterodactyl. There is a lot of violence in this book. And my goodness, the violence doesn't discriminate. People are killed by fighting and literally being eaten alive and torn apart by birds of prey. Also, a young child and his father are killed. Not to mention, Brysen had been physically and abused by his father, which is described in graphic detail. Do you have pet birds that you love like your cats and dogs? Because if you do--
AUDIENCE: Boo! Spoilers! No spoilers!
JEN: Okay, fine, audience, this is not a spoiler but a content warning. The birds are not the killers in this killer-bird obsessed world. The people are. And there don't seem to be any good guys among all the power-hungry people. Every time I thought I could trust someone in this story, I couldn't. I don't even know who to root for. Who would I want to align myself with in this world? I don't know!
I shall align my loyalties with the Ghost Eagle.
CONTESTANT #3: Am I right, then?
JEN: Nope. I can't wait to read the sequel Red Skies Falling when it comes out in September. The violence, although horrifying, is not a reason to stop reading the series. But thank you for playing, Mr. Pterodactyl! You get a consolation prize of 6 months of your caffeinated beverage of choice.
Caffeine: It's what keeps writers writing.
[CONTESTANT #3 leaves the stage in Dramatic Pterodactyl Fashion]
JEN: Well, we have time for just one more contestant, and--HEY! Who let you in?
JAMES (Jen's 10-year-old son): Can I use the computer now?
JEN: No! Mommy's in the middle of something very important!
JAMES: I know what bothers you about this book.
JEN: Okay, Mr. Smarty-Pants, what is it?
JAMES: The names! Why does every name have a Y in it? you whined. It's like every baby name message board when some lady says, "Do you know of any names that would be cuter spelled with the letter Y to make it more unique?" and "A Y in a name makes it feminine, lol!" and I hate those people because now there are little girls named Austyn, Ryker, Ryver, Adylyn, Kaytlyn, Blayde, Addysyn, and WHY add a Y when there doesn't need to be Y? These cutsey names have go to go! The author doesn't want to be Alyx Londyn, right?
JEN: Okay, fine, but I don't remember saying the Alyx Londyn, part; although, now I'm going to. That's kind of funny.
JAMES: What's my prize?
JEN: Well . . . you get to use the computer!
JAMES: What? That's not a prize!
JEN: We'll talk later, kid.
[Security escorts JAMES off-stage. Audience applauds.]
JEN: And this concludes this episode! Read Black Wings Beating as soon as you can so you'll be ready for Red Skies Falling!
[closing theme music]
My final takeaway (in 75 words or fewer): Black Wings Beating is captivating and will grab you by the heart and rip it apart, just like birds of prey do! Actually, the birds in the story are not the scary ones; the people are the ones who are likely to kill you. Approach the characters with caution. Who do YOU think will win the war?
For the record, I admit to and fully embrace my status as a name snob.
Memorable quotes/passages from the book:
- "How could the techniques come so naturally to his sister, who hated everything about falconry except getting paid, when he wanted so badly to be great at it and obviously just fell short? Weren't they twins? Weren't they supposed to share everything?" (pg. 89).
- "I believe in saving who I can when I can. It's as simple as that" (pg. 296).
- "The hawk's head shot forward with lightning quickness, its beak puncturing Petyr's belly and breaking into his flesh" (pg. 311).
- "Birds of prey killed to eat, but, as the Owl Mother had said, only humans could choose to kill. Or choose not to. She would not let them turn her into a killer" (pg. 318).
Other reviews: Shattersnipe: Malcontent & Rainbows and Hypable.com
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| This book is available here: https://library.greensboro-nc.gov/ |
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| Learn more about the Rainbow Book List here: http://www.ala.org/rt/glbtrt |
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