Review and Giveaway: Wings of Tavea (The Solus Trilogy #2) by Devri Walls

My review for Wings of Tavea is going to contain some spoilers if you haven’t read Wings of Arian yet – the books are meant to be read in order, so be aware….

By Devri Walls

Publisher: Stonehouse Ink
Publication Date: December 11, 2012
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Source: Xpresso Book Tours

Kiora is rapidly learning that evil and lies come in shades of black and white and swirling greys, but nothing could have prepared her for the shock of leaving Meros.

Kiora and her protector Emane step through the pass into a world they never knew existed but were always meant to save, only to find it far worse than they could have ever imagined. Good has been forced into hiding for its own survival, while the rest of the land bows to the Shadow, a force that pushes any remaining thoughts of Dralazar from Kiora’s mind. This land is full of new creatures, each more dangerous than the last. Her visions have taken on a deadly twist, and magic, or what comes of it, was never so real. And then there is Alcander: a Tavean, their guide, and an entirely different kind of trouble.

Goodreads Summary

Purchase Wings of Arian (The Solus Trilogy #1) at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Purchase Wings of Tavea (The Solus Trilogy #2) at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

If you haven’t read Wings of Arian, you definitely have to do so before you start this!

The story picks up again directly after the battle with Dralazar in Meros, with Kiora, Emane and Drustan traveling through the newly opened magical gate separating the sides of the mountain. It doesn’t take long to before the wild and untamed beasties start sniffing out Kiora’s big, unfamiliar magic and only a timely rescue from a man named Alcander gets them to safety.

Kiora was sent out on her journey with not much more than, “you’re the world’s savior, have at it,” so it’s up to Alcander, Drustan, her visionary dreams, Arian’s books and whatever other hunches, hints or feelings she can find to figure out what she’s supposed to do and how she’s supposed to do it. There are a matching set of viewing “wings” in Tavea which show Kiora and Emane part of what they’re looking for – they need to restore the light by finding the magical jewels stolen by the Shadows. Dralazar is still out there and he’s not done with Kiora and Emane either, so it becomes a little bit of a case of doing one thing, outrunning something else.

Wings of Arian did all of the setup, explaining what the Solus is (Kiora), her Protector (Prince Emane) and creating a deep, rich world of magic and prophecy. It makes catching it all up in a review for the second book a little difficult if I need to entice you to start the series, and I really do. Walls has created this huge action-filled, Technicolor cast of characters that wouldn’t be out of place in the movies. The first book had me engrossed as I built the mythology in my head. The second had my heart racing as I went on the adventure with the group.

Kiora is an unusual character to adjust to because I had to keep reminding myself that she’s supposed to be abnormally emotional on purpose. There’s a lot of crying and self-flagellation about causing harm to people and creatures, but it’s part of who she is as the Solus. Her rapidly emerging magical abilities are pretty amazing; they’re balanced enough by what she doesn’t know that they’re cool and fun in battle. I really don’t know how I feel about the evolution of her relationships with Emane and Alcander. I was unhappy with both of them to begin with. Cavemen are not attractive and Alcander wasn’t welcome for a while as far as I was concerned.

They guys are not as different as they seem. Emane has always been her assigned Protector and loves Kiora, sharing a telepathic bond. Alcander has been waiting for the Solus for a long time and sees things about her that I don’t think Emane does, maybe because he’s magical. The two guys argue over her constantly which is not particularly attractive and I wondered if either deserved her. I’m getting a feeling about where these relationships are headed; I don’t think I mind, which makes me sad and probably pretty fickle. Have I ever mentioned I hate love triangles?

There are a lot of loose ends from Wings of Arian that get wrapped up in Wings of Tavea, which means the last book of the trilogy, Wings of Nestor is going to probably have me crying and bouncing in my chair as things get completely finished off. I’d read the first book a while ago but had a blast reading it again back to back with this one. This is a series that seems to get better when you reread it and discover new nuances and little bits of information.

My Rating: A

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