The Winged Game: a review by Kayne
This lighthearted fantasy sports romance was a delight! It’s a new adult story with rival athletes, fake dating, found family, and mythical beasts. I loved that the story was told in a single book with no cliffhangers!
Taissa Cho has been moping around Scotland after being expelled from her sports team for wearing a forbidden luck glyph (spell). Once an elite athlete, she loved the game and misses it terribly. When Kion Locke, captain of the Stymphs team and her biggest rival, finds her in Scotland, he asks her to play for his struggling team. They are on a losing streak so bad that they could be kicked out of their league. Taissa is wary of Kion’s intentions, but jumps at the chance to play the game again.
Kion wants to keep it a secret that Taissa is joining their team to surprise their opponents, but when photos come out of them together, the team’s PR department suggests they fake date to improve the team’s image and attract sponsors. Their snarky banter had me smiling and I loved the camaraderie of the players on their team.
The game sounds so cool with riders on winged beasts, grabbing gems from a tower. Taissa is sarcastic and prickly, but beneath her tough exterior, she is warm and caring. Kion has PTSD from childhood abuse and trauma and I loved how they looked out for each other. There is also a mystery to solve when the beasts start falling into comas. As Taissa, Kion and their close teammates work together to find a cure and discover who is harming them, Taissa and Kion begin to realize they have feelings for each other. There is a mildly spicy scene, and the story never becomes too dark or gory.
There were a lot of details towards the end, which felt a little overwhelming, but I enjoyed the fast-paced adventure, found family and romance. It was refreshing to read a fantasy story where we get the whole story in one book and aren’t left with a cliffhanger. I would love to see more of this world and I hope we get to see stories for Kion’s teammates. The Winged Game is a winner!
by Kayne Spooner