Wayward Wings

by S Slottje

“A mighty book set in an amazing world.”—Jarek AdamsDragon Caizhiu the Wayward relishes her life as monster hunter for hire. However, when she emerges from her latest iteration cocoon, her increased size makes it difficult to assume a human guise. Without that, humans consider her a monster.Before she can adjust to her larger body, a Keeper of Sinuation hires her to bring a lowly human to justice. Caizhiu doesn’t know why Ozcahar Nitt is wanted by the powerful being, and she doesn’t care. Sinuation is the power that alters dragons, and if there is a chance the Keeper can direct it to restore her size, Caizhiu will take it. Besides, how hard can it be to catch one little human?But finding her target is only the start of Caizhiu’s trouble. Caught between humans and monsters, the lines between friend and foe blur. If she wants to save not just herself but also Ozcahar, she must accept that humans aren’t as feeble as she believed. And life is not as simple.Exploring the theme of identity, this compelling novel follows a bounty-hunting dragon who discovers that humans prove to be more challenging than she had thought. In this flintlock adventure, a shapeshifting dragon hunts a human, and along the way she learns to adapt to her changed body and her new relationship to humanity.Whether seeking refuge from the frigid winter or searching for a captivating beach read, this rural flintlock fantasy is an ideal choice for fans of the works of Robin Hobb, Naomi Novik and/or Jim Butcher’s Cinder Spires series.

Genres: Ebooks

459 pages, Paperback

Published February 29, 2024

About the author

S Slottje grew up in a town in the north of the Netherlands – the bit that’s not Amsterdam- where she spent much of her childhood exploring the nearby fields, forests, and her own fantasy lands.
She has a fascination for the tales than inhabit the space between folklore and science, as well as the interaction between technology and society.

Reviews

[Alessandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wayward Wings is a very unique book. Not only it features a dragon as the main character, and one that does not shy away from most unique personality traits that dragons of fantasy tend to have, but it also shake up the Medieval Fantasy trope by adding unique technological advancements and inventions, while deviating enough from our reality's tech to create a truly unique world.

My favorite part of the book is Basinwade and the conflict it implicitly set up. The action, the stakes, and the portrait of the world in that part of the book truly shines.

If there is one flaw in this book, is IMO, that the conflict set up in the middle does not come earlier. It has a slow start, though the first chapter is almost pitch perfect. It then brake a bit, and it takes some time to get back into gear.
But I understand this is the first book of a series and some world building and character set up was definitely needed.

I can't wait what consequences the acts of the first book will have for this really imaginative, unique world

[Lucy A. McLaren · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Wayward Wings, Slottje has created a really unique world and interesting characters. As a dragon, Caizhiu has her own moral code and I found being in her head really fun and compelling. I especially enjoyed her relationship with Heort the Cervitaur. There was banter and touching moments, speak of past experiences in Caizhiu’s other iterations that spoke to a rich character history. We see her (with Heort’s help) hunting down Ozcahar Nitt, a human criminal, whose POV we also enter in certain chapters. I wasn’t ever sure what his motivations were—and that’s a good thing. Slottje does a great job of balancing sympathy for him as a character with a realisation of his true nature and view of the world. I highly recommend this for anyone looking for their next fantasy read!

[Jarek Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This intriguing fantasy takes you into the world of a bounty hunter unlike any other I've read. In her chase to capture a fugitive we see the struggles she has with who she is and what she's doing as she balances both moral and physical struggles. This is an imaginative rethinking of a dragon character, and is set in a world where adventure is around every corner. I loved following this cat and mouse, or dragon and fugitive to its surprising conclusion, and can't wait for further adventures in this series.