Warriors of Wing and Flame was a satisfying and sweet conclusion in the Sisters of Shadow and Light duology.

This installment picks up from where the first book left off. Barloc has escaped and now its up to our favorite sisters Zuhra and Inara with the help of their family and friends to stop him before he brings death and destruction to their home Vamala and the Visimperum.

Like the first book, this is told in 2 POV's, Zuhra and Inara. While Inara was under her roar mental state in the first book, we did not get much insight from her. Which is why I enjoyed her perspective very much this time around. Inara, like her sister, grew up within the walls of their citadel. Sheltered from the outside world and experiences. While not being out her roar state long, catching a villain makes one grow up real quick.

I also thought the tone of this book was a bit somber and emotional at times. Many of our characters are experiencing grief and loss and we do lose some characters. However, I loved the dynamics between all of the characters and the support they provided each other. Loss is never easy and I felt the author did a good job not rushing our characters to shrug it off and be okay. Speaking of dynamics, the romance definitely was much more prevalent in this one, with sweet, passionate kisses and angst. Raidyn and Loukas SWOON!

But, what really stole the spotlight for me were the gryphons. They were amazing! I haven't read many books where the magical creatures have an active role. I loved learning more about them and the bond between gryphons and their rider is something special. I definitely could feel my inner thighs burning and the wind whipping at my face hahaha.

From the start to the very end, the journey was an adventurous one with twists, romance, gryphons and a sister duo you'll root for. At times it did drag but overall this was a good conclusion. I don't think the world building or magic is complex, which makes it a perfect choice if you are looking for a light fantasy read where at the heart of the story is the love of two sisters, and nothing can separate them.

Thank you Tor Teen, the author and Netgalley for the E-Arc in exchange for a review.

Sara B. Larson is one of my favorite authors. I absolutely loved the Defy series. Warriors of Wing and Flame was a great read, but not quite up to my expectations. The action and flying scenes were fun to read, but the romance left a little to be desired. The dual points of view between Zuhra and Inara provided an interesting look into the family and the relationship between the sisters. In fact, I really enjoyed all of the family relationships, especially with their grandmother.

A satisfying end to my new favorite duology!

I want to start off by saying that Zuhra and especially Inara had excellent character arcs! As much as I loved the first book, I had the hardest time connecting with Inara, mostly because for most of the book, she has no personality, literally, and wasn’t present but I knew that was essential for the plot. However, after reading and finishing Warriors of Wing and Flame, I just LOVE both of them so much! I also found an extreme love for Loukas which was surprising to me since I didn’t care for him much in Sisters of Shadow and Light but we really were able to understand and appreciate him better by the end of this story!

The last 30% of the book kept just giving me chills and had me with tears in my eyes and that’s always a sure sign for me that I’m loving a book but also the fact that I couldn’t put it down and was devouring it. I was determined to finish the last part of the book in one sitting and I easily accomplished that, thanks to the amazing buildup to the end!

This sequel was a bit wordy at times and took a little to get the ball rolling in the beginning but it’s well worth it and is an amazing finale to this world full of Gryphons, love, magic and mostly importantly, family!

This much anticipated sequel to Sisters of Shadow and Light was absolutely everything I had been waiting for!
This book had the perfect balance of romance, action, and tension! I lived this!
Thank you so much to NetGalley for this e-arc!

Hold on tight because this story is one wild and exciting gryphon ride!

Larson masterfully spins tension, action, and romance together. There are plenty of steamy kisses that will make your toes curl! And surprises that will make your jaw drop. But the heart and beauty of the story is the love and devotion between the two sisters.

Spoilers for book 1 below:

Picking up where SISTERS OF SHADOW AND LIGHT ended, Zuhra and Inara are finally reunited but the cost is high. The deaths of others including their grandfather and almost Inara. Barloc has escaped with Inara’s power and continues to kill. He must be stopped at all costs. But the more he kills the more powerful he becomes. If they can find him, will they be strong enough to stop him?

This was a quick easy read for me. The plot was unique, characters were likeable, and the writing was great. I loved the sister bond between the two MC’s. All in all a great story.

I first came across Sisters of Shadow and Light (the first book) a few months ago and knew I wanted to read it, and after just literally finishing the book, I burst with so many different emotions that I feel I need to shout at the top of the roof tops, READ THIS BOOK NOW! It honestly feels like such a long time since I've felt this much passion towards a book.

Warriors of Wing and Flame definitly keeps that same tone for me. I love how this book is crafted and structured.
I really enjoyed the political intrigue, the twist and turns of the story, where you had to keep asking yourself, "is it them?" "could it really be them?" "but what about...?" it was great, and I loved every minute of it.
Action-filled, gripping and nerve-wracking, the story, the pace, the excitement do not let up. This was a fantastic push into avoiding the dreaded book two syndrome.

During the first book, I felt like it was lite-fantasy and after reading the sequel, I still feel that way slightly and. I wanted to see the second book go more in detail about this world and the magic. Since this is just a duology, I just have to accept the fact that this is all there will be. Otherwise, this was a great book.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series so I new I needed to try this one. It was so good! I read it in a day because I loved the main characters so much. If you love adventure and a sister bond then this is the book for you. I will be recommending this series to my teen patrons.

Loved the dual perspective and expanded world building of book two. Was a bit wordy and heavy descriptors at some points, but worth sticking with!

This second in the series was a fair match to the first - both were somewhat plodding, overly emotive, and generally not quite worth the time invested.

I have no words. This was one of the top books I wanted to read this year and it did not disappoint. I missed Sara's writing style.

*Review to be posted on my blog on 10/01/20**

Thank you to Tor Teen and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

I loved the first book of this duology and was looking forward to reading this sequel. There was a lot to digest in this final book but it was a very emotional, enjoyable ride.

My Reactions:

My Attention: I read this book in two days so it’s safe to say it had my attention.

World Building: I really love this world the author created. I want to ride on a gryphon and be a paladin! It’s what made me love the first book.

Writing Style: With the dual perspective, I thought it was uneven. I loved Inara’s perspective more than Zuhra’s.

Bringing the Heat: 🔥🔥 – there is a bunch of kissing

Crazy in Love: we already know Zuhra and Raidyn are crazy about each other but Inara’s love story emerges in this book and that was unexpected!

Creativity: The world of Paladins is awesome with their beautiful city, powers, gryphons and blazing eyes.

Mood: roller-coaster of emotions while reading this

Triggers: violence

My Takeaway: Zuhra and Inara step into their power. 💪🏾 They start off in book one sheltered, with no outside contact and social skills. They come out of book two SO strong apart and together.

What I Liked:
*The sisterhood bond between Zuhra and Inara is palpable. Zuhra has always been the caretaker, and Inara is always being used to being different. They make separate journeys and learn to stand on their own. It made me emotional in the end – maybe because I have a sister and understand the bond as well.

*I love Zuhra and Raidyn. But I think I love Inara’s love story even more than Zuhra’s. It was so unexpected. Both love stories in this book are pretty intense. Inara’s love story gave us insight into how she felt being different all her life – the two of them coming together made my heart hurt a little, in a good way! So glad they got a happy ending as well.

*There is a lot of action as Zuhra, Inara and the Paladin’s that crossed the gateway plan to go after Barloc. So they travel a lot but it keeps the story moving. But I absolutely love when they are in Visperium because the world of the Paladin is so lush and different.

*Depression is featured in this story as well as social anxiety (Zuhra). Both girls, Zuhra and Inara have led such a closed life, both have anxieties grown out of their upbringing. They have a mother that basically abandoned caring for them when their father left. When they do encounter the outside world, so to speak, they are challenged in many, many ways. At times we are immersed in each girl’s fears and sorrows, going with them in the dark places of their minds. But love brings them back though.

Things That Made Me Go Hmm:
*The story is as uneven as the first book, it felt so choppy at times. In the first book, I was more drawn to Zuhra, but in this book, I only wanted to follow Inara! So I do wish it wasn’t dual perspectives and each girl had their own book. But I can see what the author was trying to do, it made me see the bond between Zuhra and Inara more with their journeys side by side.

*Their mom had a long ways to go to become a better parent and does she turn it around in book two? Not really…she’s just there but the girls understand her more now.

Final Thoughts:
Zuhra and Inara, both raised in seclusion, come into their own because the love they have for each other. They learn to be strong without one another and even stronger together when they both learn to accept who they are and how to use their powers. This is a beautiful story of sisterhood, finding one’s strength, falling in love, and finding a family in the world of Paladins.

Warriors of Wing and Flame was an epic conclusion to the Sisters of Shadow and Light duology. I have so much love for this series and was so excited to revisit the world! I think the best thing about this series is the lack of info-dumping or excessive world-building, while the reader still feels as if they know so much about both Vamala and the Paladin world.

I really liked getting more of Inara’s perspective in this book. Zuhra was undeniably the main character in the first book, but the sequel gives us more from Inara’s perspective. I really liked Inara and found her just as likable, if not more, than Zuhra. Zuhra and Inara were separated for a lot of this book, just like the first, but this book still carries a very powerful theme of sisterhood. Even when separated, Zuhra and Inara are constantly thinking of each other and trying to do the best they can for each other.

This is such a great series, with amazing world-building from the Paladin world, likable, multi-faceted love interests and side characters, and most importantly, deep bonds between both blood and found families.

***I received an uncorrected proof of this ebook from netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Warriors of Wing and Flame really took this duology to the next level. I felt pretty neutral towards book one, because I found the actions of the POV characters to be incredibly frustrating. Now that I have the bigger picture, I can see where that was essential to the overall plot as well as their individual growth as characters. Zuhra and Inara really come into their own in this book. The world they they knew was shattered at the beginning of book one; but as they picked up the pieces, they found their true selves without sacrificing their beliefs. I LOVE that Larson focuses heavily on the bonds of sisterly love versus simply romantic. It was a very satisfying conclusion, yet I find myself wanting MORE stories set in this world.