By Teshelle Combs
Rating: 4/5 stars
Length: 125 pages
Format: Digital, via Kindle
Started: 12/13/2023
Finished: 12/17/2023
For transparency’s sake, I received Ripples for Skies (Ripples) back in August as an Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC). I have had a recent re-read and my review is honest and unpaid/unsponsored.
Ripples was originally released as part of a collection of short stories, Monster Brides. This is the story of Emyri Izela and Nkita Opas’s beginnings. Their story will be continued through the Twisted Blade novels and the next one will be available shortly on Amazon, Rivers for Storms! (My ARC review of this story is coming in the next couple days – keep on the lookout!)
In the first few chapters (or episodes), I remember thinking “I wonder if there will ever be a story in this universe about a character that doesn’t fit into their wing color attributes”, “are their character attributes based on nature or nurture”, but that is almost this story. Basics to know up front:
- Em is Tru-Ori, passing as a Grounded Cryl.
- Nkita is a Black Wing Cryl.
- Crylia/Cryl are Gryffins that can take on human-like appearances.
- There are Grey, Gold, Silver, Red, White, and Black winged Crylia.
- Grounded Cryl are those who have lost their wings to accidents or punishment and are considered the lowest class.
- Teth Cryl are make Cryl dedicated to the Cza at birth, thus tethering them to service to the Cza for the duration of his life.
- See what Tess did there? Because it certainly took me longer than I’d like to admit to put that together….
- There are multiple types of Tru as well, but Tru-Ori is all we have/need in this story.
**There is an available Terminology sheet linked in the book to help you along!
PLEASE NOTE: There are forbidden love, enemies to lovers, and forced mating tropes in this story, so please read trigger warnings available before diving in. You know what you can handle best, so as much as I love this story, don’t read it if you think something could trigger your mental health.
POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD: Ripples takes place in the world of Miror. We jump right into the story of Syiva, a Grounded Gold Wing working for the Teth of the Crylia Capital. We’ll meet royalty (specifically the Cza), a nasty black wing named Rizel, a lovely grey wing named Rhaza, a gorgeous white wing named Mlika, and many more characters. Em and Nkita, against all odds fall in love, the Cza is threatened by Nkita’s existence, and punishes him greatly. To protect Em, Nkita agrees to ten front-line battles against the Tru – which is problematic due to who Em is and the tether Nkita feels to his mate. No matter what, Nkita will do everything in his power to ensure Em survives, even if it means he may perish. Please read the story for specifics, I’m trying so hard not to spoil things for you!
This story is so powerful and moving, much like most of Teshelle Combs’s novels. I truly cannot get enough of her work! I love Em; she’s so relatable in her honesty, sarcasm, and cunning. Ripples speaks to following your heart, staying true to who you are, and using your mind as its own weapon.
Ultimately, I still agree with my initial assessment of 4/5 stars. I feel that, although the world-building is phenomenal and both main characters, Em and Nkita, are loveable, it feels as though the story was a bit rushed and something was missing. I’m so glad Tess decided to expand upon the story she started here as a one-off and turn it into an entire series of it’s own. I can’t wait to see what they get up to next in Rivers for Storms.
XOXO
La Biblio-Fille 