Tami Orendain

Rue is content with life in her childhood home in Houston, where she lives with her mother and younger sister. But after her mother’s unexpected death, her long-absent father returns and takes Rue to Ghizon, a secret, distant island where every citizen can use magic. Rue must integrate herself into Ghizon’s mysterious and rigid magical society, far from the only home she’s ever known.

When Rue escapes Ghizon to visit her sister, she sets off a chain of events that transcends realms and reveals the truth of Rue’s identity as half human, half god. With strength and determination, she rises to confront evil.

Wings of Ebony presents a fresh and complex take on the “chosen one” trope. Honest and often humorous as she explores what it means to balance her magic and her humanity, Rue retains a cutting, clear voice no matter what she’s facing, and her personality often eclipses the magical world around her. 

As Rue paints a vibrant picture of her life in Houston, she’s as critical of her hometown’s systemic racism as she is nostalgic for her neighbor’s cooking. Eventually she learns to recognize the beauty of her magical heritage, too, and she is just as vocal about the racism, colonialism and privilege that plague Ghizon. She is determined to survive, succeed and protect her loved ones, whether they’re from Houston or Ghizon.

Thanks to her fiery nature, Rue develops dynamic relationships with the rest of the novel’s characters. Some see her as an enemy, but others stand beside her to fight for justice. By conveying all of these perspectives, Wings of Ebony asks readers to reflect honestly on their own beliefs and where they would stand. 

Debut author J. Elle’s depiction of a young woman embracing the seemingly conflicting sides of her identity is masterful and moving. Bursting with insight, a deeply felt sense of community and an imaginative magic system, Wings of Ebony tells a thrilling, fast-paced story that illuminates serious issues and is sure to resonate with readers.

Newt lives in Bearmouth, a labyrinth of mines ruled by toil and tradition, populated by hardened boys and men (Newt has been told they are a eunuch). But the arrival of a new boy named Devlin forces Newt to question everything about Bearmouth, freedom and even Newt's own identity.

Newt narrates this tale with striking frankness and originality, elaborating on the culture of Bearmouth and offering personal opinions on the mine, the miners and their place among them. Newt's best friend, Thomas, is beginning to teach Newt to read and write, which the text itself reflects—Bearmouth is written nearly phonetically. “Learnin letters is hard. My eyes strayne at the end o lessun wi the bryteness o the candul lyte,” Newt explains in the opening pages. Readers shouldn’t hesitate to read Newt’s words aloud as they begin Bearmouth, as doing so brings us closer to the way Newt is working to uncover reading, writing and new ideas.

Bearmouth drapes a mysterious and fantastical veil over well-trodden young adult themes. Gender, identity, rebellion and even revolution are shrouded in literal darkness in Bearmouth’s caverns, and readers will share in the characters’ confusion as the story twists and winds like the mine’s passages. Rest assured, there’s light at the end of its tunnels.

Newt’s discovery of the truth about Bearmouth and about who they really are makes for a fresh take on coming-of-age tropes. In this impressive debut novel, Liz Hyder spins a satisfying web of tension, action and revelation, rooted in a truly unique narrative voice.