This is a good book with some originality to the overall concept, and the writing and narrative style was good too, but I felt like there wasn’t much to it in the way of any kind of statement being made, lesson learned from it, or anything to make it memorable.

I went into this book excited that the main characters were twins because I have boy/girl twins myself and I love reading about their twin bond. I felt like this book was a fun ride and the magic to be able to speak with birds was something that I hadn't seen done this way before.
I think my biggest issue with this book was that the characters felt a little lack of luster to me I would be interested in seeing more from this world.

Unfortunately this book was just not for me! I tried reading it a few different times and each time I just could not conceptualize the world in my brain! Not the book's fault! I truly have mush for a brain when it comes to fantasy!

This idea sounds fantastic, but unfortunately might just not be for me at this time in my life.

Better late than never, yeah? I’ve been tackling some of my super old Netgalley backlist to try and get that percentage to a less embarrassing number. So thank you to Alex, Netgalley, and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for an advance copy of Black Wings Beating…4 years ago.

Brysen and Kylee are twins from the Uztari, a society of people who survive by capturing, communicating, training, and selling birds of prey. Kylee longs to be free of the inherited debt of being falconers, while Brysen wants to be famous for it…if only he can get his life together. The catalyst to that comes in the form of Brysen’s love interest being threatened and his determination to set things right. The mission is to capture the elusive Ghost Eagle, who is responsible for the twins father’s death and the reason they have the debt to the people.

I loved that Brysen was gay but it wasn’t used to further the story. Like, yes they went to save the guy he loves, but his sexuality was not a propelling plot point. It was just a fact that he was gay, and that he was saving the person that he loved. As a whole, however, both Brysen and Kylee were very stereotypical YA fantasy characters on opposite ends of the spectrum: loyal, self-absorbed, an inclination to save the ones they love, chosen one-esque trope, did I mention self-aborbed? Egh Brysen was difficult to handle. What set them apart from other YA fantasy characters was the world Alex created for us.

Which leads me into the world-building. It was very cool, but overwhelming to be introduced to and try to digest. I would imagine we become better acquainted and things are less confusing in book two.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book.

I really liked the premise of this story but it fell a little flat for me. I liked that Brysen and his twin sister Kylee had to take over the family business since the passing of their father. Brysen was interested in being a falconer while Kylee had her sights set on different dreams. They had to work together on a quest and I liked the family dynamic of the story. I am hoping with the rest of the series it picks up a bit more and the overall series will be worth the read.

I really liked the premise of this book. Brysen and his twin sister Kylee have taken over the family business after the death of their father. Brysen is all about the business of Falconry, while Kylee has other hopes and dreams. They end up going on a quest to capture the Ghost Eagle, a journey that is full of twists and turns and reveals a lot about the characters. Kylee's strong willed spirit is so relatable and I found myself really rooting for her in this book, however, Brysen was a thorn in my side. His personality was a lot to handle, very egotistical. If you can get past his intense personality, the story building is well done and the writing exceptional. I would say the book is definitely worth the read!

Thank you the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I did not connect with this novel which is unfortunate as it had such a diverse cast of characters. I found Brysen and Kylee annoying. I really struggled to finish. The world was unique with the Uztari people being falconers. I love political fantasy tropes, but felt this was written for more middle grade than YA. Overall it wasn't a bad novel just not for me at this time.

Really enjoyed this book for what it was -- a young adult fantasy, that just skims the surface. I wish it would of gone deeper in parts, but maybe that's just me. I liked it just fine.

3,5 stars for me.
It felt very introductory. Basically this book is all about introducing the characters, the relationships, the world, the religion, the parties involved in the geopolitical context... This doesn‘t mean that nothing happens but everything is in preparation for the the real plot, which starts with the ending of the book.
The world building is interesting and I appreciated the complex dynamic between the main characters because relationships between siblings are often a mix of positive and negative (though sometimes I wished they could just TALK and say what they actually think!). I liked Kylee, Brysen had potential because as someone who wants to be special even though he‘s not he could be someone the reader could relate to but he made so many stupid decisions that you can‘t help being annoyed at him sometimes most of the times (I hope this is going to change in the next book!). It interested me enough to read the sequel.
Overall, I think this is a solid start for a trilogy even if I din‘t feel very passionate about it while reading so I can‘t say it‘s one of my favorite books.

Great YA fantasy! I really enjoyed this story and was cheering for the characters from the start! Kylee was definitely my favorite- strong willed and determined to take care of her brother even when he refused her help.

I was a bit lost in the politics of this world but that didn’t detract from the lively writing style. The quest had a flavor of Middle Earth, so that was fun! I could easily see a sequel that included Kylee’s training and then return to her village.

Recommend for ages 12+. Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the free e-book!

I have no idea why I got the idea this was contemporary fantasy, but oops! So I was not expecting a richly-built, complex world. Unfortunately, the story didn't pull me in as much as I was hoping, but it was certainly interesting enough to recommend for those teens who like a complex setting.

This is a great book for those that love fantasy and adventure. Brysen and Kylee are twins. Brysen strives to be a great falconer like his father. When he sets out to save the boy he loves, his sister follows to protect him. Together they must fight the deadly Ghost Eagle. Will they survive? This is the first book in a trilogy.

Inventive, fast-moving finale to a series that ties together government conspiracies, racial tensions, and steampunk in a vibrant alt-South African city. Some plotlines are ended clumsily but a worthy conclusion.

This is an interesting read that revolves around the relationship of two siblings- well twins to be exact. It is fast paced and keeps the reader engaged. It starts to make you wonder just how far you would go to protect a loved one. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I liked what I read and found the world different but fascinating. I wasn't able to finish it before it archived so I'll make sure to look for it at the store or library when I know I'll have enough time to read the whole thing!

I so wanted to love this book. Falconry, a distant world, young people fighting the good fight against an evil regime. It seemed to have it all. Seemed to.

First the cast of characters; oh so many characters, so many, MANY characters. There is seventeen year old Kylee, an annoyingly waffle-minded girl with no likeable qualities, who is argumentative, stubborn, loves her twin brother, hates her twin brother, won't stand up to her twin brother when he treats her like dirt and is always apologizing to her twin brother for being smarter and more talented than he is.. Twin brother Brysen, same age as Kylee, obviously, but acts like a seven year old. Throws tantrums, makes bad decisions, makes even stupider decisions, has zero talent, and even less common sense.

Then there is:
Orphan Maker - self explanatory
Shara - Brysen's hawk
Nyck - fellow falconer
Dymian - Falconer trainer, Brysen likes him
Vyvian - quasi-friend of Kylee's
Nyall - friend of Brysen's, likes Kylee
Crawling Priests - self explanatory
The Tamir - bad guys, rule over Kylee's people
Sky Castle - where the leaders of the Tamir live
Otak brothers - bad guys
Kylee and Brysen's Mother - useless, religious nut-job
Kylee and Brysen's Father - useless, dies in the first chapter
Altari - a group of desert people, fighting against the Kartami
Kartami - a group of evil people who want to enslave pretty much everyone
Anon - a leader of the Altari
Uztari - another group of people fighting against the Kartami
Kyrg's - from what I can tell, they are the 'kings' of smaller groups within the Altari, Kartami and Uztari
Goryn Tamir - a bad guy
Owl Mothers - group of women who can control owls, and would like to control everyone
Uku - leader of the Owl Mothers, not a very nice person, wants to keep Kylee against her will and train her
Ghost Eagle - giant gray eagle that EVERYONE wants to capture

This is just a partial list, there were many more characters, some who were only mentioned briefly, some who came, went, and then showed up again later. I tried to keep track of them all but ran out of paper.

As far as plot, it's pretty thin. Kylee has the power to control hawks but she doesn't want to use it. Brysen wants the power but doesn't have it. Everybody finds out Kylee has the power and wants her to get the Ghost Eagle for them. Brysen thinks he can capture the Ghost Eagle but he doesn't have the talent for it.

That's pretty much it. There is a lot filler prose, descriptions of people and places that go on and on. And on.

I wanted to like this 37 chapter book, but it just went in circles for 36 chapters, then tied everything up just exactly as you knew it would in chapter 37. And there isn't one likeable person in this, not one. Just can't recommend this.

Black wings beating was a good read, but I'm not going to lie, I feel like I didn't like it although it seemed interesting, I was just bored

I received a free copy of this book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.

This was an entertaining read, fast paced with strong characters. I loved the world London created and the interaction between characters was intriguing. The animosity between the twins, who obviously cared for each other, was fascinating to watch. How many times did one help the other, mostly on Kaylee’s part, because they cared? Yet Brysen could not free himself from his jealousy and anger at Kaylee thinking she was the more powerful of the two.

Brysen put himself and his sister at serious risk because of his pride and stubbornness. Determined to save his friend, he was willing to sacrifice himself and his sister. How would his sister react? You owe it to yourself to read this book and find out. Have fun reading it.

If you love dark fantasy this is the book for you. Sometimes it's a bit graphic or gory with disturbing images, especially memories of past physical abuse (TW) . The book starts off at a fast pace originally giving a bit of back story to help the reader not only understand why things are the way they are but why the characters behave a certain way in a sort of flash back moment. Then the story jumps back to the present and slows down and introduces the two main characters for the course of the series, Brysen and Kylee.
Twins Kylee and Brysen, who have “the same elk-brown skin as their mother, the same ice-blue eyes as their father,” soon find themselves at the conflict’s center. Kylee has a “once-in-a-generation gift” for falconry, yet all she wants is to be free of it forever. All Brysen wants is to be with his boyfriend and trainer, Dymian. By selling birds at market, the twins almost earn enough to pay off their late, abusive father’s gambling debts and fulfill both their hearts’ desires. But lovelorn Brysen gets swept up in Dymian’s debts and agrees to capture the dangerous, elusive ghost eagle in order to save Dymian’s life. Kylee secretly follows. The story, told through multiple third-person perspectives, soon reveals that more than just Dymian’s life rests on the twins’ shoulders. This story is full of unbelievable twists and turns. that will leave you wanting more!

This one wasn't for me. I just didn't find the premise of being a falconer to be particularly engaging. That' being said, I did give it 4 stars to be fair because it is a YA book and not necessarily written for me.