Chains Carried on Wings

The Clydian Chronicles #1

by Marina Ermakova

Saig had always lived on the edge of acceptance. Unlike a proper daughter of the head family, she longed for the freedom of the open woods over the confinement of her home. It was enough to drive away the two people who should, by rights, have been her closest companions.

But her perfect, responsible cousin Auris--destined to be the city's headwoman and resentful of Saig's inability to conform--would never be her friend again.

And her surly cousin Trei--aware of how his foreign ancestry undermined his own standing in society--would always look at her as a reminder of their shared differences.

Until a series of mysterious disappearances forces all three of the cousins onto the same side. Driven to protect their city and prove themselves, they join the effort to hunt down the perpetrators. What they find is a trap designed to bring their society crashing down, and the power to reshape their city's future. There's just one problem--the three of them have always bitterly disagreed on what that future should look like.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

227 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 23, 2018

About the author

Adventure fantasy writer Marina Ermakova has degrees in genetics and history, and the heart of a lifelong geek. She loves writing about outsiders, loners, and thinkers.

Her young adult epic fantasy novel Chains Carried on Wings is about finding acceptance for who you are instead of who you're supposed to be, and her urban fantasy/post-apocalyptic novel Terrestrial Magic is about applying logic towards understanding the fantastical. (And about an awkward woman on the asexuality spectrum who doesn't know how to deal with a burgeoning relationship—especially not while dodging assassination attempts.)

She also blogs about fantasy and sci-fi media, occasionally weighing in on the representation of science.

Reviews

[✨faith✨trust✨pixiedust✨ Dead Account; Not Coming Back · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this digital copy from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book in any way.

Obligatory Summary

Three cousins live in the same isolated town of Running Water, but their perspectives on life couldn't be more different. Auris, the headwoman-in-training, has a strict view of how the world should and shouldn't be, and Saig seems intent on going against all of it. But both Saig and her cousin Trei have never felt like they entirely belonged to Running Water. Their parents have mysterious origins, and when outsiders and goblins attack their town, the status quo is shattered.

The Writing and Worldbuilding

I honestly thought I was going to like this. I hadn't known what to expect going in to things, but the first few chapters really won me over, and I felt invested in and intrigued by the world. But around 48% through, things went swiftly downhill and never managed to really get back up.

The world was promising, but all too often rendered confusing by the inconsistent worldbuilding. There was a lot that was interesting, but it was often overshadowed by the petty drama of the main cast or random, almost silly observations, like how oh my! the grass is different here! I've never seen such strange grass. :/

The pacing didn't help matters. It was all over the place. I honestly couldn't tell you what and where the climax was. The whole book felt like build-up to nothing. It quite literally put me to sleep at one point. After the 50% mark, I was just impatient for it to end.

The Characters

Saig: She was okay. Felt generic most of the time and lacked proper characterization, at least in my opinion. Her personality was described one way, but she acted another way, so I honestly couldn't tell who she was supposed to be.

Auris: She was my favorite--well, at least at first. She's wrong in a lot of her opinions, but she isn't wrong in why she believes them, and I really appreciated her levelheadedness and rational thinking. She wasn't driven by impulse or personal desires like most YA heroines, and I found that really refreshing. But she was stagnant, and her change of opinion was spurred by extremes, which doesn't always work in the long run. And she practically disappeared by the end of things, her role seemingly null and void.

Trei: This little idiot. He was funny sometimes, but oh my goodness, he was so obnoxious!!! He's constantly complaining about literally everything. He's the whiniest character I've ever read! I hate him!

Ande: I really liked Ande and I wish we'd gotten more of his story (especially since he wasn't related to the rest of the perspective characters), as I feel like it was revealed to me (partly because of the way this was written) as if I already knew who he was, which only served to confuse me more half of the time. But he was a good person, from what I could tell, and I really appreciated him.

Literally everyone else: Names were thrown around so often, without any character introductions, that I had no idea who most of these people were. And they were all so petty and annoying, I don't even want to know who they are.

Conclusion

I am intrigued about the sequel, just because this felt like half a book, but I honestly don't think I'll be continuing this series, especially I either can't stand or am entirely indifferent towards the vast majority of the characters, and the world isn't something I haven't seen before.

Also, this title makes absolutely no sense for this book.

Read this review and more on my blog here!

[Sara L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

A special thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a E-Arc.


This was quite an original and fun story but I felt like there was something missing from it. I was very interested in the first few chapters but after 50% everything just went downhill. The characters didn't make any new developments OR growth. The pacing and plot were all over the place and most of the time I did not understand what was going on. I did enjoy some of the characters' characteristics though. And also quite enjoyed the action. Most of the characters were described by the other characters in one way but to me acted another way. So there was no real way to FIND/KNOW a character. I found Ande and Trei very annoying but funny. I found Saig to be a normal boring character with jealousy-free issues but at the end of the book that kind of resolved. Auris was definitely my favorite and most relatable. Her entire life was opposed to Saig and it was quite funny seeing them oppose each other. Those were literally the only characters I knew about the rest I completely forgot and names were just thrown around sooo.... yeahhhhh confusing

I am intrigued by the sequel although I don't think I will be reading it. If this book sounds interesting or like something you might like please don't hesitate to read it and do not let my opinions get in the way.

[Noorah Fatima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received this book as an ARC by Xpresso Book Tours for an honest review.
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I'd give this book 4 stars
First of all, I LOVE LOVE LOVE when a writer includes different pov's in a book and does not make them unnecessary or boring. This book had around 4 totally different perspectives of extremely different people and I loved the way I could see into their minds and find out more about they way they think and act. I also loved the descriptions and character building of Saig and Gwen. They're my definitions of top notch heroines in the fantasy genre
The fantasy world building was really good except for a few unknown things that I was not familiar with and had trouble understanding. I think the explanation for those is going to come in the upcoming parts of the Clydian Chronicles. The description was really really good made even better by the fact that this is a debut book. Take a bow, Marina.
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The only reason I cut down one star was that for me the ending was a bit rushed. I wanted more from the ending but for me it seemed hurried. On the other hand from the starting it is a fast paced book and we're shown straight away what the plot is, and what the struggles, etc are.
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I honestly can't wait to read the second part of this book.
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[IM211 -Scattered thoughts- · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Xpresso book tour and Marina Ermakova for this E-ARC

*In a nut shell- post Reading*

This book was bizarre on so many levels like you start reading this and you can't quite classify this into a specific fantasy genre.
And somehow...well I know exactly how..I loved it!
The story takes unexpected turns, we're given of how not everything is as it seems and then we're plunged into a turmoil which leads us to uncover more of this strange world...and that's where the book halts...sadly.
Future expectations: MOre clarification of the supernatural elements, I have a ship and I can't wait to see what happens.
The premise is outlandish, we're dealing with 4 perspectives a prince of the country, a hunter-girl, a girl designed to be the village head and a young tenacious boy.

For the most part, we see the different perspective of the same place, how they deal with their current conflicts and then they verge off and we see more of their individual developments as they deal with the aftermath of an event.


An eccentric tale with goblins, invasions, village politics, supernatural people & gifts, likeable characters in a disconnected kingdom teetering on the edge of collapse.

Thoughts

This book gripped my attention from the start, we’ve had likeable characters and their own internal conflicts and not to mention the trouble brewing around them; I think I loved how we get this insight of characters without it seeming boring and you see them work through it, if not resolve towards the end.

The supernatural elements were again bizarre with a few familiar elements, you don’t really get closure on it by the end so I’m expecting its sequels will make up for it. In this serene, seemingly normal village you have people with uncanny characteristics (animal bonding, goblins attacks, many more) which aren’t really brought to light until the trouble actually begins.

The world building is impressive given that we only venture the woods and the village.
I loved how the story didn’t just focus on the main conflict of the plot but also our MCs unexpected encounter in midst despite it being a major deal and giving the sense that it’s not about just the big picture but the small things relating to it. I think this book handles that very well.

Summary

The story opens to a small, tranquil village where children and man disappeared with no trace, our First MC Saig is part of the hunting party
At least Saig had some training— her father and aunt had made sure of that. If they ran into danger, she and Wata would have to handle it…Wata’s ears were down, her tail tucked low, her eyes frightened. Alright. If they ran into danger, Saig would have to handle it.
That is trying desperately to get any inkling of the disappearances when they do…

And it’s not as simple as an estranged attack. In comes Our 2nd M.C., the prince of this kingdom who’s out to prove his position
Georgian transition to adulthood. Andes was proving himself by undertaking a mission on his own, without his father’s connections or resources.
And he heads out to this quiet village to root out any trace of treason, instead, he gets chucked onto a quandary he hadn’t quite expected.

An unexpected perspective pops up more involved in proving himself than just being concerned with the turmoil around him and he’s determined to do it at any cost
Topping it all the heir of the Running waters, a strict beholder of rules and traditions;this was what the community needed. Why was it so hard to get these people to do the right thing? everything seems to go her way before her village becomes the centre of an unexpected scheme.

[Stéphanie Louis · Rating 4 out of 5]

# What I liked

First of all, I really liked the plot. It reminded me of a book I’ve already read and I remember liking it but nothing more. But still, even if Chains carried on wings reminded me of another book. The plot was still pretty unique. And can we talk about the worldbuilding, please? I loved that one. We stayed in the village and in the woods the whole time but I had the whole setting imagined in my mind. It’s pretty rare that I can see the characters and their world that detailed in my mind without having seen illustrations before. However here it was the case. Can I say that I want to visit Saig in the future? Because I imagine her village to be very pretty!

The second thing I liked was that the reader was immediately in the story. It was a straight to action kind of book. We already know the main problems the book is going to talk about from the very beginning. And it stays like that until the very end of the book. Well, of course, they found out the problem in the meantime and they also found a solution. Plus we already have a few questions open for the second book. Which also means that I want to read the second book like instantly but for obvious reasons I can’t because a) the book isn’t out and b) so many other books to read first!

Another super thing is that this book wasn’t slow-paced at all. You know that I can’t stand reading a slow-paced book I usually either DNF it or I get angry with myself because I want to know what’s going to happen next. It happens on very rare occasions that I like slow-paced books. Alas as this wasn’t the case here (meaning: the book was very fast-paced with short chapters and straight to the point) I didn’t have any problems and I found myself enjoying Chains Carried on Wings a lot. So that’s a big like!

We were also in the presence of very likeable characters. Saig’s cousins got on my nerves a lot but I still liked them. Marina Ermakova managed to write her characters perfectly. They were full of flaws and all had their own strengths! No one was the same, every character had their own style. Well, of course, I hated the villains. They weren’t likeable at all in my eyes. And even there Ermakova wrote them in such a perfect way that you just have to hate them! Yep, it’s perfectly safe to say, that I liked her writing style very much!

# What I disliked

The parts where a young woman is saying that another woman shouldn’t go hunting as it’s only an occupation for men was kind of annoying. But that she only wanted the other woman to be happy was kind of contradictory. I know that in most fantasy books women never have very important hard tasks to do and that the books are set in a more medieval setting, so it is kind of a normal living style for women. It usually never disturbs me that much but I don’t know I found it kind of annoying. Could be because I’m in the middle of my revision week before exams and that I’m a bit stressed. But still, I gave the book a four-star rating because it was really and I mean really good. So maybe on a re-read when I’m in a better mood it won’t annoy me so much? Who knows!

Overall I’d recommend this book to every fantasy lover. Especially if you’re new to the genre and would love to read something “easier” in the fantasy genre. I think Chains Carried on Wings is the perfect way to enter that world.

The review can also be found on my blog: https://phanniethegingerbookworm.word...

[Cranky - The Book Curmudgeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Cranky Stars


As confused as this book made me, I am still giving it 5 stars. Usually the titles make perfect sense with the story. However, this title confused me unless it refers to one small section late towards the end of the story. The storyline itself is fascinating and fast paced. The characters are believable for this genre. It will be interesting to see where the author goes with this series.


The story takes place in a remote village called Running Water in the land of Gerosia. However, the inhabitants are mostly Clydian by descent. Part of the ruling family is two outsiders but no one outside the family knows their origins. This is a superstitious primitive community. They know about Goblins but consider them a fiction. They also strongly believe in gender roles. Women run the homes and men are the hunter/trackers.


So when our heroine Saig and her friend Gwen insist on being hunters, tempers flare. A stranger appears and claims to be a tradesman who was robbed. At the same time, a goblin kills a woman in the village. Too many odd things start happening all at once. When the village is invaded and accused of treason, events take place that bring to light just how different these outsiders are. Only then does Saig and her cousin Trei find out their true heritage. They may be the keys to saving their village.

[Giselle]

Request a review copy here: [closed - other review opportunities found here]

[Honey Milk · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book so much....but I just didn't. It was a bit sad because I could tell that the first few chapters didn't capture my attention. I trudged on, hoping that something would interest me and I would be able to consume the rest of the book with a fervor. Sadly, that didn't happen and I had to force myself to finish the book (I absolutely hate DNFing a book).

Let's start with the cover. The cover is really pretty. I like the blue and mysterious tones. The title? Not so much. I didn't very understand the significance of the title. I think it was like one small part of the book itself, and waaay too obscure, that it didn't even make much sense.

Moving onto characters. I really liked that there was a wide range of characters, from the girl who wants to do "boy" things, the strong independent thinker girl, the lunk-head warrior dude, the level headed prince. But altogether, I felt that none of them really stuck to me. I found myself wondering at multiple parts of the book, "why do I even care?" I just wasn't able to form a connection to ANY of them. Also, I don't think I saw much development at all. I couldn't tell that Saig had changed from the beginning (oops, I had to look up her name to write this review. I feel so sad when I finish a book and can't remember the main characters' names).

Plot and world building. This was by far the most confusing aspect. I was so confused (first) about the introduction of new characters. There were so many who weren't actually introduced, or maybe described by a couple words, and thrown in there. Also, the book took a fantasy turn that was very confusing. I was scratching my head trying to understand the politics and goblins and immortality. I think I still don't very understand what happened. I also wish there was more in the way of world building. Maybe I missed it, but I was so confused that there was a Prince in their village? town? city? But there was also a king? And the Prince of their village is not the heir to the throne? Also, would've loved a map. I think maps just sell the fantasy aspect. But I won't complain about that.

Perhaps as this is the first book in a series, the second book will redeem it. But as much as it pains me to not finish a series, I don't think I will be reading the second one.

[Billy Buttons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Chains Carried on Wings
Author: Marina Ermakova

Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 17
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 6/10
Content: 6/10
Cover: 10/10
Of the 17 readers:
11 would read another book by this author.
17 thought the cover was good or excellent.
10 felt it was easy to follow.
13 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
13 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
7 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
11 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers’ Comments
‘Cool adventure story. I liked the fantasy parts towards the end. The world the author designed was a bit odd. It felt sort of inconsistent. Also, I got confused with the secondary characters as to who was who. I think they need describing better.’ Male reader, aged 15
‘I think I will try and read the next book. Surprisingly, the ending was a bit lacking. It didn’t end with a bang, so I felt a bit let down.’ Female reader, aged 15
‘Lots of imagination in this fantasy adventure. The plot lacks structure but it’s saved by three interesting, diverse characters. Secondary characters need to be better defined, and the author needs to work on pacing. She works well with dialogue, giving each of the characters a strong voice. Lots of promise here. Loved the cover too.’ Male reader (publisher), aged 54
‘Excellent fantasy story. I was gripped all the way through.’ Female reader, aged 15
‘Trie was annoying, Auris was the best and Saig was strong-willed. I think Saig needs to develop more as a character in the story. I wanted her to succeed but I didn’t relate to her as well as Auris. The plot was strong to start with but then sort of lost its way towards the end. I did enjoy parts of it.’ Male reader, aged 14

To Sum It Up:
‘A gripping YA fantasy adventure populated by diverse and interesting characters. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chains Carried on Wings will transport you into another world where anything is possible. Ermakova writes with such captivating details that you will find it all too easy to keep turning the pages. The characters bring about very diverse and interesting personalities. You become quickly attached to each of them and will find yourself living through your favorites as you explore the world in which the wonderful author has created. This story was so unique and challenges the readers' creativity. I enjoyed it so so much and cannot wait to read more by Ermakova!

[CR · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one won me over from the first pages. My only issue was that the book at times was confusing because the world building was fairly inconsistent. For the most part I could still figure out what was going on etc. So it only effected the story a little. The characters were fully formed and so amazing and I can not wait to read the next book in the series. And lord do I need this in print!! I mean look at that cover!

[Belle]

DNF - Unfortunately for me, this book is only suitable for a much younger audience. The two female protags are meant to be 16 but I thought they were 12.

Beautiful cover, but I struggled to stay engaged and to connect with the story and characters.

*Free e-copy received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.