Wings of Starlight by Allison Saft is the perfect read for all Tinkerbell fans. Combining romance, fantasy, and coming-of-age genres, Saft transports readers back into the magical realm of Pixie Hollow. Following the soon-to-be Queen of Pixie Hollow, Clarion, and the Lord of Winter, Milori, Wings of Starlight elaborates on the romance hinted at between the two in the film Secret of the Wings. As an avid Tinkerbell and romance fanatic, reading this book was a perfect slice of childhood nostalgia with a side of current obsessions. (Note: While this review does not contain spoilers, it assumes readers have a basic knowledge of the Tinkerbell franchise and lore.)
The Backstory
So, where did the inspiration for Wings of Starlight come from exactly? Well, the 2012 Disney movie, Secret of the Wings (watch the trailer here), follows Tinkerbell as she connects with her long-lost sister from the Winter Woods. Together, the two explore the different seasons and build a relationship, but once trouble strikes, they learn why the different fairies have been separated for so long. While explaining the separation, the film hints at a love story between Clarion and Milori. The true tale, however, is not further elaborated on until Wings of Starlight.
The Plot
Wings of Starlight serves as the vessel for Clarion and Milori’s epic love story. The two leaders meet when disaster strikes Pixie Hollow. Realizing that they are the only two who can prevent their world from falling apart, they develop a partnership. What starts out as strictly business quickly develops into something more as Clarion realizes everything she knows about the Winter fairies is a lie. As her eyes are opened to this hidden world, so is her heart. Clarion easily begins to fall for the stoic yet gentle Lord of Winter, Milori, who falls for her just as quickly. While Clarion is isolated from her subjects, a precedent set by the former queen, she learns that there’s more than one successful way to lead. Upon making this realization, the two rulers succeed in purging Pixie Hollow of the vicious Nightmare creatures. Keeping with a change in leadership style, Clarion’s first order as Queen establishes a partnership between the two realms. Thus, Saft effectively ends Wings of Starlight with a seamless transition into Secret of the Wings.
My Takes
Now that the foundations for Wings of Starlight have been set, it’s time to offer my take on the novel. This was a decent read, scoring a three out of five on my tracker. Saft dives into the world of Pixie Hollow by creating her own take on the setting. I am someone who has seen each Tinkerbell movie multiple times, so I am familiar with the world of Pixie Hollow. Yet, Saft manages to provide more details of this vibrant setting. She carefully crafts the fairies and their day-to-day lives in a way that is not only cohesive with the pre-existing world but also refreshingly new. The movies heavily focus on Tinkerbell, while Saft writes about Queen Clarion. Through this new lens, readers (and viewers) learn more about the world they have grown to love. Because of this world-building, however, the love story between Clarion and Milori is slightly delayed. It’s only when the plot and setting have been fully set up that Saft begins to dive into their magical connection. This decision, however, proves to be worthwhile as Saft truly creates an immersive feeling in Pixie Hollow.
The characters are another great element of the story. While most readers are familiar with Clarion from the films, they’ve only seen her as queen. The Clarion we all know and love is kind, patient, and confident in her leadership abilities; the Clarion in Wings of Starlight has not yet stepped into these traits. She experiences a lot of self-doubt and worries whether she will live up to the expectations set by her predecessor. At the same time, Clarion struggles to balance her responsibilities as a future queen, friend, and ultimately hero. She’s been taught to leave her heart out of her duties and remain level-headed. Yet, by the end of the book, Clarion has fully come into her role as Queen and decides that there is no harm in doing things differently.
This part of Clarion’s development resonates so much with readers, especially the intended younger audience. It is so easy to fall into the cycle of those around you, even if a different approach is truer to your character. Clarion’s struggle to find the balance between her heart and her kingdom’s expectations is one many people experience, too. Sure, not everyone is going to be queen, but everyone will have to find this perfect balance at some point in their lives.
Lastly, I want to address my rating – three out of five stars – as the review is mostly positive. Reading Wings of Starlight took me much longer than anticipated. I expected to fly through the book, but I spent about a month reading it. While this is partly a result of my hectic schedule, it is also from the amount of time it took to reach the romance elements. Queen Clarion and Lord Milori’s relationship has always fascinated me, so I was extremely excited to learn more about their connection, even as a college student. While reading, however, the romance was not the forefront. Wings of Starlight is predominantly a young-adult, coming-of-age book with romantic elements. Prior to reading, many of the TikToks I watched surrounding Wings of Starlight emphasized the romance, so I was expecting a romance novel. This is not the case. If I weren’t expecting the book to fit that bill, then I would have enjoyed it a lot more.
The Verdict
Wings of Starlight by Allison Saft is a great read for all Tinkerbell fans, young and old. Saft masterfully develops the hidden love story between Clarion and Milori while also building on the fantastic world of Pixie Hollow. The story transports readers into the world of magic and fairies, while also including elements of our everyday lives. It is a book that I would recommend to anyone, Tinkerbell fan or not, with the suggestion that they watch the movies right after.