Wings of Ebony by J. ElleMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Having heard about J. Elle and her debut while watching the virtual launch of Sabaa Tahir's A Sky Beyond the Storm, I'm glad I was able to get ahold of this book from my library - and then, once I finally opened it, it proved pretty unputdownable, demanding to be read in one sitting. Neatly bridging the gap between its imagined island of the gods (somewhere off the southern tip of Africa, though the geographic description of Ghizon's location is deliberately somewhat floaty in relation to the real world) and modern America, both places where Rue has a ton of issues in her life to deal with. It's a balance that Elle strikes very well, giving us an unflinching look at the effects of systemic racism while also highlighting some of the most unique and memorable magic you'll ever see in YA fantasy. While fans of Tomi Adeyemi and L.L. McKinney wait for them to publish their respective long-awaited third novels, Wings of Ebony starts a strong new series to occupy readers' minds - a duology, at the very least. It'll really be something to see how Elle follows up this magical debut - because yes, Sabaa Tahir's high praise is very well warranted.
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