Peeraphan knows she is different since she can manifest wings. But it was not until she put on a pair of red shoes at a dance rehearsal that will not come off, then meets Bennett, a vampire, who rescues her from another vampire that she finds out what all that may be lurking in the shadows. Bennett takes her to the headquarters of the Darke Consortium which seeks to acquire dangerous magical items such as the pair for red shoes Peeraphan cannot remove and keep them in a safe location. The Darke crew seeks to aid Peeraphan on her quest to remove her shoes. During that quest, will Peeraphan find a purpose for her life? And maybe a love interest? Read the first volume in this series and find out!

Such a great story!!!. Peeraphan was an amazing character and so well developed. I loved how she accepted all that was happening to her and was willing to whatever needed to be done to get the shoes off. I did love the romance as well. Perhaps a bit steamy for me, but overall, it was sweet. I did go out and buy the physical book because I had to have it for my shelf. Can't wait to read book 2.

As a new author to me I was excited to realize I had this after attending Apollycon. Which she was an attending author!
It gives a different feel to it because you can put an actual face and personality to the writing!

Anyways!
This was a fast paced story that got to the point as well as building the world and characters Introduced. Personally, I prefer that slow build, slow burn, detailed type of writing.

I did enjoy the multiple POV though! I always like being able to see in everyone's head what they're thinking and feeling.

For the story itself, I didn't find myself WANTING to read because I loved it but because I just needed to know where it was going. I'd never read that myth before so maybe I just need more background to it to appreciate this read.

This is the first book I've read by the author. I listened to the audiobook, My biggest issue with the story is, admittedly, a petty complaint-- the protagonist's name sounded so similar to "Peter Pan' that as the narration went on, each time the character was referenced by name, it was so distracting that it broke the immersion in the story that I'd been experiencing. It was at times, especially early on, frequent enough to be difficult to concentrate on the story itself. It was a sensation of being jerked in and out of the story rather than just being able to experience the story as it was being narrated. It was through no fault of the narrator themselves, rather it was just an unfortunate, potentially unforeseen consequence of the name choice for the character.

That being said, the story was enjoyable. I enjoyed the characters introduced. I would like to see more of the supporting character stories explored in future volumes.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I was looking to read something a little different than my usual. This takes a lot of supernatural creatures and creates a unique world. I did enjoy the story.

*3.5 stars*

Fantastical romance…

I’ve read and enjoyed this author before and was really intrigued by the story description. Thai folk tales is not something I have run across before and certainly not in a romance novel. Bennett and Punch (Peeraphan) were an intriguing couple as their relationship built around the magic that brought them together. Love grew between them yet (for me) that wasn’t the focus of the story. Instead, this first in the series, introduced a group of characters that each offered their own contribution and in unique (sometimes funny, sometimes surprising) fashion. Characters which I found equal, if not more, entertaining than the leads…

In a series first, it is easy to get bogged down in details as building blocks are set down for what is still to come. Instead I was totally engrossed in each minute revelation and anxious for the story to keep moving. There were so many elements to this story that I really enjoyed, I was disappointed on how the whole thing meshed (or didn’t). The romance felt separate from the real story and that disconnect meant the novel didn’t work quite the way I’d hoped…

Would I read more in this series? Absolutely. The paranormal elements, the folklore, and the character will have me coming back for more….

Creative and entertaining retelling of the story of the red shoes, but with an intricate weaving in of the supernatural and Thai folklore.

The story centered around Punch and Bennet. I found it better than previous red shoe retellings but I did not feel particularly invested in the main characters.

Interesting book and story, good overall writing.

3.5 ⭐️


I love books about vampires and supernatural creatures, so I was thrilled to try this new series.

I enjoyed the main characters - Bennett, an old vampire working for a dragon collecting
magical objects, and Peeraphan, a ballerina who is unsure what she is and how to use her magic. Turns out, Peeraphan is a descendant of the kinnaree, a Thai bird princess. The urban world this is set in is full of vampires, fairies, and dragons, but it doesn't feel overly atmospheric.

Bennett and Peeraphan come together - all over the "cursed red shoes" Peeraphan put on her feet during a rehearsal. These shoes are the ones Bennett has been hunting down. And then the story turns more into a romance. I wasn't opposed to their love affair; it's just that I wanted more from the plot. I would love to have gone further into the Thai mythology. I wasn't familiar with the Cursed Red Shoe fable or the kinnaree so this was very interesting.

Since this is the first book in the series, I'm hoping some themes and characters are fleshed out in the next installments. I'll read the next book to see where this goes - I can't pass up a good supernatural read.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I am a little torn on this book. There were some parts that were really good and then others that left me a little confused that I had to read them over a couple of times. It is a good start to the series but I feel that I just wanted more out of this book than what I got.

I struggled to get into the writing style and characters. I didn't find myself really rooting for anyone in the story.

Highly engaging paranormal romance starring an unexpected mythical creature. Peeraphan, aka Punch, is a Thai American woman living in Seattle. At dance practice one day, she is given the most gorgeous pair of red shoes, and can't help but try them on. Unfortunately, these shoes are cursed, and by wearing them, she is soon to be doomed to dance to herself to death. Luckily for her, she's not just a human, she's a Thai bird princess, a kinnaree. Even though she doesn't fully understand it, her magical heritage gives her a shot at surviving the curse... but she won't be able to escape it on her own. Enter Bennett, a handsome and brooding vampire who searches for magical items, like the shoes, to remove them to where they will no longer be a danger. He opens her eyes to the magic in the world. If she can survive this curse, and if Bennett is willing to open up to feelings that he long thought buried, she might just have a future with his team.

A kinnaree makes for such a unique protagonist. I've never read any fantasy based in Thai folklore before, so it was a new and interesting experience to read this one. I really enjoyed each and every member of the Darke Consortium, and would love to see more from them in the future. The variety of magical beings is great. Bennett is a typical vampire love interest, sexy, and with a tragic past. Gotta love him. The romance was well done, and got fairly spicy at the end. I'm excited to see more from this world in future installments.

Really good. The mcs are great and the story is supernatural magic. I really enjoyed the plot. I love fantasy and this one drew me in immediately. Great author

I enjoyed this book, it started off really great. I was very interested to learn more about Asian mythical creatures. The premise of the story was very interesting, and the introduction of Punch and Bennet was really great. However, it did get a little confusing toward the middle and end, there was a lot going on and things were happening very fast. Overall I liked getting to know the characters and enjoyed the journey they took me on. Thanks for the ARC, my review is completely voluntary and honest.

Piper J. Drake’s new paranormal, WINGS ONCE CURSED & BOUND (Sourcebook Casablanca, 304 pp., paperback, $16.99), is the story of a Thai bird-princess dancer — Peeraphan, or Punch for short — trapped in a pair of cursed shoes, and the ancient vampire, Bennett, who’s trying to break the curse.

Bennett is a wonderfully stodgy, formal vampire with a question of classic heroic angst: How do you let yourself love someone you know is going to die? He thinks of himself as immune to time in a way that Peeraphan isn’t, but that’s not true. Bennett is longer-lived, but dead in daytime. His life span is endless but interrupted, a prolonged nocturnal stutter. Peeraphan’s time is all her own — so who is really time’s victim here?

While being a compellingly and interesting story, there was that initial connection and spark that was missing from the characters. A lot of the story seemed rushed and did not allow the reader to develop those initial connections. Even the characters' relationship with each other seemed impetuous.

Peeraphan Rahttana is thrown into the supernatural world and having to navigate it with the charming Bennet Andrews who seeks mythical objects. Unfortunately for Peeraphan, she finds herself stuck with a pair of red shoes that curses its wearer to dance to their death.

Whoever wrote the blurb did this author a disservice by trying to cater to the SJM and JLA fans. This story is so unique on its own. Making this kind of comparison prepares the readers for something like what SJM and JLA bring to the table and it doesn't which could leave readers to disappointment due to expectations. This is more of an urban fantasy.

Oh, I really enjoyed this tale. It intertwined some European lore with Thailand lore and it just blended well. While I understand we aren't suppose to know much about the kinnari, since we are learning as we go with Peeraphan, I do wish we got a bit more before the end of this book. However, I can't wait to uncover more in the next book. The romance was decent with a splash of spice. I recommend to anyone who would like a medley of different cultural lores within the real world, just under our noses.

Ugh. I really wanted to enjoy this book, and I was at the beginning but then there became a point where there was SO much going on and i was so confused. So many characters going on, different journeys they were taking to figure out how to get rid of the shoes, and the relationships. I didn't really find any of the characters to be likable either. Very good concept but not executed well.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review
Three and a half stars rounded up. Paranormal new adult romance about a kinnaree (a mythological Thai bird princess) learning to embrace her own truest self. There are hints at a backstory and I can see this leading to a sequel, maybe even a series for each main character. There’s the expected supernatural elements: vampires, werewolves etc along with some new, at least to me, from Asian myths and legends, as well as a new spin on the red shoes fairy tale.

DNF AT 42%. I am utterly bored. But I think (at least via audio) this would be great for the "mysterious dark hot guy and innocent girl" type of readers. Just not for me. I honestly don't have a rating for this.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for this advanced copy!

What a fantastic and interesting retelling of the Red Shoes tale by Hans Christian Anderson. Now wrapped up in Thai fantasy, this story was a really compelling mixture of stories. This book has a Thai bird princess, vampires, werewolves, witches, and some other magical/mythical creatures, all working together to get magical items (like the Red Shoes) out of the hands of mere mortals.

The instant love aspect of this story felt a bit much for me, but otherwise, I loved the chemistry between all of the characters and I can't wait for more books in this series.