Table of Contents
Author: Olivia Wilderstein
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Published: 2022
Pages: 490
Spice level: 2.5/5
Synopsis
Free the crows, Fallon, and they will make you queen.
Until an oracle predicted my regal future, I’d never imagined myself rising above the curve of my round ears. After all, I was the magicless halfling loved by beasts but loathed by every pure-blooded faerie at court. Well . . . by all but one.
Dante Regio, prince of Luce, had owned my heart since he gave me my first kiss. If gathering a slew of iron relics could help me overthrow the current monarch and crown his brother to rule at my side, then treasure hunting I’d go.
If only the oracle had warned me what winged demon I was releasing into the world.
And that I’d become this demon’s obsession.
House of Beating Wings summary
āAre you saying that if I find five . . . statues, Dante will become king and choose me as his bride?ā āI am saying Luce will, one day soon, belong to you, Fallon BĆ”einach.ā
“House of Beating Wings” is the story of Fallon, a half-fae, half-human girl living in a world where Faes are considered nobility and halflings like her are relegated to the suburbs and the low-class areas.
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Fallon leads a somewhat peaceful life with her grandmother (who is a full-blooded fae) and her sick mother. She is an easygoing girl who works in a tavern, but she has a secret: she can communicate with certain animals.
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For the fae, possessing that kind of talent is considered dangerous.
Fallon's forbidden romance
Despite having a strained relationship with the fae, Fallon is good friends with the Prince of the Kingdom of Luce, Dante. Of course, she is deeply in love with him.
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While Dante appears to show interest in her as well, she is hesitant to get her hopes up due to the forbidden nature of their relationship.
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However, as timeĀ passed, FallonĀ could notĀ ignore the advances Dante seemed to make on her, making her hopeful of a futureĀ withĀ her beloved prince.
The prophecy
As things continue to develop between them, a mysterious person seeks the aid of our heroine, asking her to retrieve some ancient relics in the form of crows.
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As a reward,Ā she will grant Fallon the chance to be crowned Queen and become Danteās wife. She successfully retrieves the first relic, and to her surprise, the stone crow transforms into a REAL crow.
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In addition, this crow not only seems to understand her but also has telepathic abilities.
A quest to find the relics
Thus, she is now compelled to search for the other relics which areĀ scattered throughoutĀ the Kingdom andĀ hasĀ a crow with telepathic abilities as a companion.
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Correction: aĀ GRUMPYĀ crow who seems to be able to talk to Fallon directlyĀ inĀ her mind and complains about Fallonās lack of self-preservation.
House of Beating Wings characters
The characters in “House of Beating Wings” are well-developed, and the author takes great care at the beginning to introduce all of Fallon’s friends and potential enemies.
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Fallon, our main character, can be a little annoying at times, but I found her funny and easygoing in the first book. She was stubborn and capable of doing anything for the love of her life. Her interactions with Lorcan( the crow)… and the banter! It made me laugh in many passages and made the quest for the relics fun to read.
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There were perhaps a few too many side characters for my taste, but the author took her time to introduce them, so I never felt lost when one of them appeared again.
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Dante, the main love interest, is as charming as a prince can be. As the book continues, we get to know his real intentions.
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3. House of Beating Wings spice level
“House of Beating Wings” is an adult fantasy romance, so you can expect swearing, intense scenes, and yes… spiceĀ . This isn’t a self-discovery story of a teenager; our Fallon is a mature woman in her twenties who knows what she wants and has experience with boys.
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Therefore, if you’re seeking this kind of character, “House of Beating Wings” is the perfect series for you.
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The book has a few steamy scenes, including one explicit one.However, “House of Beating Wings” is a slow-burn romance similar to “A Court of Thorns and Roses” (a VERY similar story), so keep in mind that the exciting parts will unfold in the upcoming books.
House of Beating Wings by Olivia Wildenstein tropes
This book delivers all the tropes we love and does them well.
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It reminds me of the first two books in the ACOTAR series, with a similar love interest but a different twist.
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Furthermore, if you enjoyed “Fourth Wing,” you will love this book as well. It shares many common elements with our favourite dragon romance book.
ACOTAR + Fourth Wing vibes… What else can a girl ask for? š
Is House of Beating Wings a series?
House of Beating WingsĀ is the first book in theĀ Kingdom of Crows series. House of Beating Wings is a complete series that you can binge forĀ freeĀ onĀ Kindle Unlimited.Ā
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Olivia Wildenstein, theĀ author, will continue withĀ moreĀ books in the sameĀ worldĀ as spin-offs, but asĀ Fallonās story concerns, it ends with book three andĀ has already been published
First book in the Kingdom of Crows Series. ( perfect for fans of Fourth Wing and Acotar)
Second Book (withĀ heavy A Court of Myst and Fury vibes)
The perfect series for fans of Fourth Wing and A Courth of Thorn and Roses
Similarities with "A Court of Thorns and Roses."
House of Beating Wings has more than one love interest, and one of them behaves in a very similar way to a certain Spring Court Lord…
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The slow burn aspect is another thing that is strikingly similar to “ACOTAR.” As a consequence of having more than one love interest, the story takes many twists regarding the romance, and there is tension and conflict everywhere.
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If you are looking for a series with a Rhysand-Tamlin vibe, definitely pick up this book.
House of Beating Wings similarities with Fourth Wing
If you enjoyed the telepathy aspect in Fourth Wing, you will definitely enjoy “House of Beating Wings.”
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Our mysterious crow also has telepathic abilities and can only communicate through the mind with Fallon. Perhaps for her, this little detail is a curse, because our beloved grumpy crow sometimes has a lot to say that is not always well-received by our heroine.
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This ability that only Lorcan (the crow) and Fallon share will continue in the other books and play a very important role.
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There are also similarities between Lorcan and Xaden. Both are very obtuse, possessive and share a penchant for bloodbaths and fights.
Overall, you should definitely pick up this book if you enjoyed any of the books mentioned above.
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Plus, this entire series is available on Kindle Unlimited, so for any KU subscriber, this is great news. It’s not every day that we get the chance to enjoy a series of this caliber for free.
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7. Favorite quotes
These are some of my favorite quotes ( no spoilers!!).Ā
When I’m looking for books to read, I love reading quotes to inspire me.Ā
Could I, a halfling, lawfully become Danteās bride thanks to a treasure hunt?
āI know youāre at work, but Iām the prince. You canāt get in trouble for kissing a prince.ā
I step out of my dress, and I swear the crowās gaze drops to my bare ankles and rises slowly up the length of my body. I almost want to hide but crows are birds, not men. Even males.
If you donāt untuck your fucking shirt, Iāll inflict bodily harm on every Selvatin who leers at you. Is that truly what you want?
8. About the author
"They say write what you know, but I say: write what you love.."
Olivia Wilderstein is a USA TODAY bestselling author.
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She studied at Brown University and earned a bachelor’s degree in comparative literature.
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Olivia didn’t start writing right away after college; she first got herself into the jewelry business and later decided to put her knowledge in literature to good use.
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Olivia is very active on her social media platforms, and you can find her on Instagram and in her Facebook reading group “Olivia’s Darling Readers.”
You can join her Newsletter to stay up to date with her new releases here.
Frequently Asked Questions
House of Beating Wings” is the story of Fallon, a half-fae, half-human girl living in a world where Faes are considered nobility and halflings like her are relegated to the suburbs and the low-class areas.
A mysterious person seeks the aid of our heroine, asking her to retrieve some ancient relics in the form of crows.
As a reward,Ā she will grant Fallon the chance to be crowned Queen and become Danteās wife.Ā
She is now compelled to search for the other relics which are scattered throughout the Kingdom and hasĀ a crow with telepathic abilities as a companion.
Yes .House of Beating Wings by Olivia Wilderstein is a Trilogy and is COMPLETE. The Series name is “Kings of Crows”
House of Beating Wings is the first book in the series.Ā
Second Book: House of Pounding Hearts
Third and Last Book: House of Striking Oaths
Dante Regio is the main love interest through the first part of Book 1 but another male character appears later on who is going to be the real love interest
Lorcan is the crow Fallon meets in the first book. A magical being with telepathic abilities and the real love interest. ( He is The Crow King and can transform into a crow at will. )
The book has a few steamy scenes, including one explicit one.However, House of Beating Wings is a slow-burn romance similar to “A Court of Thorns and Roses” (a VERY similar story), so keep in mind that the exciting parts will unfold in the upcoming books.
Final thoughts. My opinion on House of Beating Wings
I can’t say I was surprised by this book. I KNEW House of Beating Wings was going to be a good one when I picked it up from KU. The blurb was perfect, and just by doing a quick search on Goodreads, I already knew people were praising the series everywhere.
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I really enjoyed the first book and was a little surprised when, after reading it, I found that some people found Fallon (the FMC) a little annoying. Yes, she was naive sometimes, but she was down to earth about some things and totally inconsistent in others (love makes us do stupid things! š Ā Hehe).
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An excellent introduction to the series.
House of Beating Wings was a very good first book. The writing and description of the world were on point, and the characters were properly developed. You can clearly tell there is a major plot planned behind the scenes, and the author knows where the characters are headed.
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The mix of Italian culture, words, and customs with all the Fae folklore was a nice and fresh addition as well. The description of the differences between humans, fae, and halflings was interesting, and I didn’t feel bored by the world-building at any time.
Overall, a very good fantasy romance. I totally recommend it if you liked “Fourth Wing” and “ACOTAR” and want a slow-burn romance with some spice.
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QUESTION: Do you enjoy reading slow-burn romances or insta-love with lots of lust and spicy scenes? Let me know in the comments!
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