With a Broken Wing

Between gods and giants, grief and betrayal, Autumn’s life is unlike any other.

The long-awaited sequel to One in the Hand is finally here, and it was worth the wait. Luckily for readers, Parrish’s follow-up With a Broken Wing picks up right where the action left off, and Autumn finds herself with a breadth of challenges. Now, she must deal with her grief, moving in a caretaker to assist with her grandmother, and the reappearance of her mother and some other new family connections. Under the weight of it all, Autumn is struggling to keep a modicum of normalcy in her new life. And when the caretaker’s son can somehow see her wings and Autumn also starts wondering if her fiancé Lyle may not be truly gone, her attempts to regain normalcy are short-lived.

As with One in the Hand, Parrish has crafted an unforgettable protagonist: Autumn is a strong-willed, opinionated, ideal lead for an urban fantasy novel. And in a world full of magic, Autumn and her story are still deeply human. Parrish strikes the perfect balance between Autumn’s strengths and weaknesses, crafting a narrative that reveals her insecurities and drives her character development forward. While in Autumn’s wake some side characters feel static, every character choice is intentional in the story, serving a larger purpose to the plot.

Although a majority of the worldbuilding takes place within the first book of the series, With a Broken Wing builds upon a wonderfully established world, where Parrish skilfully embeds Norse mythology into the modern, busy city life of Edmonton. Through Autumn’s point of view, the reader gets to experience the mythic figures and ancient rituals as she does—such as wedding rituals and dwarven swordcrafting—in a way that feels natural to the story. While living vicariously through Autumn, readers won’t want the magic to end.

As a naturally fast-paced book, With a Broken Wing barrels forward with confidence and purpose, and Parrish’s writing matches the pace in a polished, easily readable manner, delivering an action-packed, absorbing tale. To keep readers entertained, Parrish weaves in several engaging plot threads, but some aren’t followed up as closely as others. While these looser plot threads can weaken some of the story and its pacing, the book maintains an engaging plot, marked by a distinct sense of storytelling.

Overall, With a Broken Wing is a strong successor to One in the Hand. With its strong characters, expanding mythology, and steadily escalating stakes, Parrish continues to deepen Autumn’s world in meaningful ways. As Norse mythology and real life continue to collide, readers can’t help but be invested in Autumn’s journey, one that is rooted in the lengths we go to for those we love. The result is a sequel that broadens the scope of the series while never losing sight of the people at the heart of it.

—CANREADS BOOK REVIEW

Published by Poise and Pen Publishing

Pre-order Link Coming Soon!

www.rhondaparrish.com