Audio Review: Wings of Starlight by Allison Saft

Wings of Starlight by Allison Saft
Narrator: Kathleen McInerney
Series: Disney Fairies
Published by Disney Press on 2025-02-04
Age Range: 12+
Length: 400 pages
Length: 11 hours and 39 minutes
Listening Speed: 2x
Reviewing Audiobook, Hardcover from Library, My Book Shelf
Rating:
Reading Challenges: 2025 Audiobook Challenge, 2025 Library Love, 2025 New Release Challenge

Brimming with magic and romance, a young fairy queen must form an unlikely alliance or risk an unspeakable danger destroying all she holds dear in this fantasy adventure from New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft.

It’s been centuries since a warm-season fairy in Pixie Hollow has crossed into the Winter Woods, and while most fear the legends of monsters lurking in the frozen lands, Clarion, can’t help being intrigued by Winter’s stoic beauty. But under the watchful eyes of the current monarch and the court's seasonal ministers, Clarion has little time to dwell on daydreams while the days to her coronation dwindle away.

That is, until reports of a monster crossing from Winter into Spring make their way to the palace. Clarion sees defeating this threat as an opportunity to prove that she is worthy of her new role. But instead of finding a monster at the edge of Winter, she finds Milori, a young guardian of the Winter Woods. Together, they form an unlikely bond as they race to save their lands.

But as their alliance warms to something more, they will discover there is a reason a warm-season fairy and a winter fairy must not be together. And the cost could be just as deadly as the monsters that prowl the Winter Woods.

Discover the origin of the sweeping, star-crossed romance between the queen of Pixie Hollow and the lord of the Winter Woods.

This one is for the kids who grew up watching the Tinker Bell movies or the parents who watched them with their kids. Wings of Starlight by Allison Saft is a prequel story about Queen Clarion set in the time leading up to her coronation and tells how the Queen knows the Lord of Winter. Preparations are well underway for Princess Clarion’s coronation and ball when a beast escapes Winter and begins terrorizing the warm seasons. This beast is unlike anything the faeries have ever seen, made of smoke and nightmares. Its venom puts fairies into a deep slumber, trapping them in their own nightmares. When Clarion stands up to the monster when it attacks in Autumn, she learns that her magic may be the only thing that can stop it.

Clarion is exactly who I pictured her to be. Saft does a wonderful job of giving a backstory to the queen we know in the movies. She is spunky, a dreamer, and full of hope, but that hope dwindles every day she gets closer to her coronation. Clarion still can’t master her magic, and her inability to close off her emotions to her subjects is a hazard according to Queen Elvina. When the beast arrives and the only clue is that it comes from Winter, Clarion, unable to sleep, sneaks off to the border between Spring and Winter. There she meets Milori, the Warden of the Winter Woods.

Milori is young, like Clarion, and already leading his people. Humbled, he asks for Clarion’s help in stopping the beast known as Nightmares. There is a book in his realm that only those with governing talent can read, and the Keeper believes it holds all the answers. For a warm fairy to enter Winter is dangerous. Their wings can freeze and break, but Clarion is determined to do whatever may help her people.

I loved every word of this story. It was such a fun read to explore well beloved characters. Seeing Clarion and Milori’s romance and its outcome gives more depth to the story told in Secret of the Wings. This book is full of adventure, mystery, fight scenes, as well as romance. I loved seeing how the fairies work together in battle, and remembering that they are, at most, six inches tall doing all this.

Overall, I really enjoyed Wings of Starlight. I liked the lore Saft adds to the book. I loved Milori, Clarion, and all the fairies. It was fun to revisit Pixie Hollow and meet new characters. If you are a fan of the fairies already or you are looking for a fun romantic fantasy to read, I highly recommend it.

Audiobook Note: While my sweet husband found a hardcover copy for me for my birthday, I did decide to listen to this one and follow along. I’m glad I did. The narrator is fantastic! She drew me deep into the story, and I nearly listened to the book in one sitting. If you are a fan of this format, I highly recommend it.

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