ARC Review: This early review covers Gilded Wings by Emily Thiede, publishing January 12, 2027.
Some stories sweep you away with their magic, others with their heart — Gilded Wings does both. This closed‑door romantic fantasy blends atmospheric danger, dragon‑linked mystery, and a richly immersive gilded‑age setting with two characters you can’t help but root for. It’s a slow-building, lightly swoony romance wrapped in found family, courage, and the fight for justice.
About the Book
In a glittering world where jewels protect the wealthy from dragon attacks, Stella flees an arranged marriage and heads to the city for work, freedom, and a chance to save her family’s farm. Gentry, a charming newsie with secrets of his own, rescues her from being runover by a streetcar and soon discovers she may have taken something priceless from him.
As dragon sirens wail across the city and factory conditions grow more dangerous, Stella and Gentry find themselves drawn into a mystery involving missing miniature dragons, corruption among the elite, and a conspiracy threatening the powerless. Together, they must uncover the truth before the city burns.
Book HookUp Book Review: Gilded Wings
Gilded Wings by Emily Thiede is a standout blend of romantic fantasy and working‑class grit, anchored by two deeply likeable leads. Stella arrives in the city feeling invisible, but her growth is one of the novel’s greatest strengths. She refuses to stay silent about unsafe factory conditions, even when warned she could lose her job. Her courage becomes the spark that reveals the corruption simmering beneath the city’s gilded surface.
Gentry, meanwhile, hides his heart behind charm and swagger, a persona that helps him sell newspapers but masks the responsibility he carries for a group of younger newsies. His slow realization that Stella shares his instinct to protect others is beautifully done. Their relationship grows from partnership to friendship to romance, shaped by trials that reveal their shared values.
The dragon element is atmospheric and mysterious — sirens, shadows, and whispered danger — until the truth emerges as a plot catalyst that ties the story together in a surprising and satisfying way. The inferna that adopts Stella adds warmth, humor, and an emotional thread that becomes central to the mystery.
The gilded‑age city setting is essential and immersive, full of shimmering wealth contrasted with harsh factory realities. The pacing is excellent; I didn’t want to put it down, and slowed near the end only because I didn’t want it to be over. The mystery becomes increasingly central, and the factory scenes grow more impactful as Stella’s naïve hope of “talking to the boss” reveals the depth of the injustice she’s up against.
Themes of found family, standing up to injustice, secrets and trust, and survival give the story emotional weight without ever straying from clean‑fiction boundaries.
A beautifully crafted, heart-filled fantasy and easily in the running for my Book HookUp Top 10.
BookHookUp Content Note
✅Violence: mild
✅Gore: none
✅Language: clean
✅Romance: fade‑to‑black once; otherwise clean
✅Dark Themes: moderate (factory danger, class injustice)
✅Overall: YA Clean‑fiction friendly
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Thank you to Net Galley for providing a copy of this book for an honest review. I received no compensation and the thoughts shared here are my own. As an Amazon affiliate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. This does not affect my review or rating.
Similar Books You May Enjoy
- The Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond — dragon lore, atmospheric danger, strong heroine
- The Luminaries by Susan Dennard — mystery, monsters, found family threads
- The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh — lush worldbuilding, gentle romance, mythic danger
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I focus on clean fiction across genres, historical romance, fantasy, suspense, crime, children’s, and more. When books include content that may not be suitable for all readers, I provide clear disclaimers so you can choose wisely.
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