Her Dark Wings by Melinda Salisbury (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Her Dark Wings by Melinda Salisbury Kate Quealy-Gainer, Editor Salisbury, Melinda Her Dark Wings. Delacorte, 2023 [336p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780593705582 $12.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593705599 $8.99 Reviewed from digital galleys Ad Gr. 8-12 Sure, Corey may have wished her deceitful, boyfriend-stealing ex-best friend dead, and sure, she mostly meant it, but she didn't actually think Bree would be found drowned shortly thereafter. That's what you get, apparently, when you quietly hope for your friend's demise after making out with Hades at Thesmophoria, a festival on the Island, where humans are at the whim of Greek gods. A series of missteps, including angering several gods and ticking off the oracle, lands Corey in the Underworld, not dead but still claimed by the Furies, who hold an unexplained affection for her. Corey initially welcomes their care in such a desolate place, until she displays a power that earns their wrath and sends her to Hades begging to go home. Corey is a likable, complex character, believably torn between mourning [End Page 112] Bree and still stinging from her betrayal, and her resignation at having to stay in the Underworld—which feels emotionally safer than the Island at the moment—is surprisingly understandable. No one else, however, is given such depth, and Hades in particular is one note as the grumpy, mysterious love interest; the heat of the initial kiss the two share in the early pages mostly sizzles out. Still, the world is clearly constructed through Corey's straightforward narration, and descriptions of the Underworld and the Furies' judgements upon mortals bring a visceral energy to the plot. An easy sell to fans of Greek mythology, this will also appeal to readers who like their romances on the dark side. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois