Wattmag Issue #4

BOOK REVIEW: Ballads of Silence and Wings

Ballads of Silence and Wings by eleonne

Fantasy is this month's magazine theme! It is my favorite genre to both read and write because of the way it can transport you anywhere, anytime and anyplace. The breadth and volume of fantasy books on Wattpad that deserve so much more attention made this month incredibly hard for me. But it also got me thinking about the first ever fantasy stories. Fairy Tales weren't always the happily ever after, love filled stories that we have come to know and love today.

Originally they were tales of folklore, full of cruelty, violence, and not very happy endings. With October being the month of Halloween, it got me thinking... are there any fairy tale retellings that keep the dark themes?

So I would like to introduce to you 'Ballads of Silence and Wings.' By 

Based on the fables 'Seven Ravens' and 'The Six Swans' originally by the Brothers Grimm- This is a retelling that is not to be missed! As the author states, it is- 'retold as one of grief and hatred, of lost dreams, and above all, of how love can emerge from even the darkest of places.

The retelling doesn't stick to the original story, but I absolutely love where the author took it. A perfect read if you want a fully formed story in just seven chapters, with a few bonus chapters that complement the main story without being just extra chapters for the sake of it. It is told from the perspective of the main character, a Princess, seeking her revenge on an evil queen who overthrew her father and brothers many years previously.

It didn't take me long to figure out I was reading an incredibly written piece of work. The words quite literally flow from the pages with such simple elegance it doesn't feel like your reading at all. Which sounds incredibly bizarre- I understand. But the poetic, almost prose-like nature of the way this author writes just adds to the magic that this story exudes.

There are many themes that run throughout the story- love, grief, self-belief, and revenge play the main parts. The fact that the author can represent these themes well in just seven chapters really blows my mind.

I wish I could tell you more, for those of you who read it you will see why I can't go into much detail about the romance aspect without it being a major spoiler to the end! What I can say is that it is an innocent, pure love and that they way eleonne writes it from the perspective of the Princess is really interesting.

In fact, the end is literally the biggest 'I wasn't expecting that.' I have read in a long time! I'm not easily shocked by the twists of book plots, I often see them coming a mile off, but with this one I was gobsmacked. Fair play to the author for taking the route of such a bold ending.

So why should you read this story?

The well-formed characters, each with their own flaws, perfections and personalities, easily defined by their speaking styles in the text.

A world built with just enough detail that you can immerse yourself in it and feel like you are right there walking alongside the characters.

The emotional rollercoaster you go on in this short story that is just perfection.

And because I told you to.