Review: A Wingless Hope
A Wingless Hope by Sydney Winward is a retelling of "Thumbelina" from the Hope Ever After series, which supports Operation Underground Rescue to help fight against child sex trafficking. This is the fourth book I've read from this series and the second adaptation I've read of "Thumbelina." One reason authors tend to shy away from this story could be that it contains more high fantasy than the average fairy tale, which makes it perfect for Hope Ever After. All the books I've read in this series so far plant additional magic lore into the fabric of the stories they tell, and this book is no exception. Where the original fairy tale was simple and doesn't always make sense, this version creates an entire culture around Thumbelina's race including two different types of pixies to explain why she was born without wings.
Briar is a lost princess whose flower seed was stolen away by a bird before she was born, causing her to grow up alone in the wild without knowing her true identity. Quinn, her betrothed, injured one of his wings trying to rescue her seed and devotes the rest of his life to finding her and bringing her home. Relations are not well between the Shades and the Flares due to an unknown enemy that seeks to rob both pixie courts of their powers. Where Quinn's life is surrounded by paranoia and political intrigue, Briar spends her days learning to survive in a big world that seems to have no place for her kind. The Shades and Flares have a similar dynamic to the Seelie and Unseelie courts of fae lore. Quinn and Briar's marriage was meant to unite the two races in an alliance. Due to the interfering forces, Briar grows up ignorant of all of this and is overwhelmed and confused when she is discovered by the other pixies later in life.
This story does not follow the original fairy tale as closely as the beloved Don Bluth movie. It places more focus on the pixie courts than it does on animal kidnappers, but there are several tasteful references to the film version for readers who enjoyed it during their childhoods. My favorite parallel between the book and the fairy tale is the human mother who finds Briar and takes care of her for a short time. Instead of an old lady, this book introduces an imaginative little girl named Priscilla who likes to build pixie houses and sew doll clothes for stray pixies to try on. When she discovers Briar, she is delighted to invite her into her home and asks her father to let her keep her. Though this behavior could have come off as toxic, Priscilla is given a positive portrayal as a caring girl who is too naive to understand the politics behind Briar's world and the ramifications of keeping her. Her character is perfect for a series meant to support captive children because she represents the innocence and hope of freedom.
The romance in this book is charming, though not ideal. There are many princess stories about finding love in arranged marriages due to the nature of the role. Briar's desire to love someone her own age and species is no different from any other princess story. Since Quinn uses a proxy for himself at their wedding, Briar falls for him before realizing that he is her husband, allowing the two to have a "meet cute" despite their arranged marriage. However, the lack of honesty in their relationship is mildly concerning. Although Briar is insecure about growing up apart from the pixie courts, it's incredible how much she understands in such a short time. I was a little surprised there was no language barrier despite her growing up in the wild, but that is common in fantasy stories like this. In the end, I supported her relationship with Quinn aside from a few rough patches that were quickly ironed out.
Comments