Book Review: Wingfall by K. Dezendorf

Genre(s): Fantasy / Fairy Tale Retelling / Middle-grade/YA

Elina is an unusual fairy; she was born without wings. She has learned to cope well enough without flight, though she’s considered an oddity by the other fairies. She’s a healer and an apothecary of sorts, and she has Cornelia (Corny), the heir to the throne of the fairy kingdom.

It’s clear from the start that Elina and Corny are in love, though Corny’s mother does her best to excise Elina from her daughter’s life. It sets Elina on a journey she may never recover from.

I picked up this story because it’s a retelling of Thumbelina, a childhood favorite of mine. (I’ll admit, it’s been years—ok, probably close to 30—since I last read the fairy tale, so before I wrote this review, I dug out my copy and skimmed through it.) Many of the elements from the classic tale are present in this novel—Elina waking up inside a flower in a human woman’s home, an arranged marriage to a frog, and receiving the help of a bird.

But all of the classic elements are seen through the lens of fairy politics, the queen’s schemes to keep Elina and Corny apart, and the societies of other creatures they meet. It added depth to the story and made for a very interesting read.

I found the magic system to be particularly fascinating. Fairies can use magic and rarely tire, so long as they have wings to regulate its flow. For Elina, born wingless, she tires very easily when she casts magic, and if she isn’t careful, the outcome can be unpredictable and dangerous. What I loved about Elina’s character is her willingness to help the injured creatures she comes into contact with, even if it means draining herself of energy.

But fairies aren’t the only entities with magic in this book. There is a witch who is responsible for Elina’s placement in a human’s home. The same witch is also behind a nasty and rather unexpected curse for another of the book’s characters later on. For the witch, who I believe was human, there seemed to be a different set of rules governing her magic. How hers worked was never explained.

This was a cute story that followed the original fairy tale very closely. I was reminded of Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach at times when Elina interacted with various insects and the nefarious spider queen. And though this is a novel, it retained much of that fairy tale feel.

It’s definitely a book written for a younger audience, but one that I think even adults will enjoy (I did.) If you like fairies and a bit of magic, talking animals, adventure, and happy endings, check out Wingfall.

Author website: kdezendorf.com

Amazon link: Wingfall