Book Review: Wings of Starlight by Allison Saft

[Spoilers for Tinkerbell and the Secret of the Wings]

INTRO

            If you were anything like me, the Tinkerbell/Pixie Hollow movies were a girlhood staple. The first one was released straight to DVD in 2008 when I was four years old. For Halloween, I was Rosetta- complete with a pink turtleneck under my costume (Mom’s insistence, not mine) because central PA Autumn nights get cold. I even accidentally stole the second movie, Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure from my local Blockbuster which was still around. The fourth movie in the franchise, Tinkerbell and the Secret of the Wings eclipsed all others. Two-thirds of the way through the film, it’s revealed in a dramatic plot twist that the Winter fairy, Lord Milori, and the Warm-Season fairy, Queen Clarion, once shared a forbidden romance before crossing the season borders became outlawed. That’s it. Us loyal fans were DYING to know the love story the movie only hinted at. Until now. 

OVERVIEW

            The book is told from a young Clarion’s point of view as she prepares to take over as Queen of Pixie Hollow. Intrigued by the rumors of a monster in the Winter Woods threatening the Warm Seasons, Clarion goes to investigate. Instead of finding a monster, however, she meets young Winter guardian, Milori and the two fall tragically in love. Warm fairies cannot cross the Winter border for fear of a broken wing. The same goes for Winter fairies in Warm seasons.

THOUGHTS

            Even for those who did not grow up with the Tinkerbell movies, Wings of Starlight is a heartbreaking forbidden romance to be enjoyed by anyone at any age. There are elements that reach every age, every lifestyle which made the read more than enjoyable- it made it exciting. For example, as an avid Shakespeare fan, learning that the first queen of Pixie Hollow was Queen Titania (the fairy queen in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream) made my heart grow a couple sizes. Author Allison Saft proves to be a beautifully well-educated woman who knows her literature.

            Wings of Starlight expands on the world of Pixie Hollow with never-before-seen depth. By centering the novel around a pre-crowned Clarion, we’re given an inside look to the politics of the world and what the role of the queen truly entails. We watch as the current queen, Queen Elvina, steps down for an anxiously excited Clarion.

            Clarion and Milori are beautifully written characters. They complement each other perfectly by being each other’s contrast. They are two souls meant for each other, but their worlds keep them a part and they must either face the consequences or remain good examples for their subjects. Some may label the story as an insta-love, but in this situation, it works. The buildup is in Clarion’s pull towards the Winter Woods. Milori is the embodiment of her curiosity. The reader finally gets to know their whole story. It’s something we’ve craved since kids and safe to say, Saft delivers.

            With a fantastic round-out cast of diverse side characters, Wings of Starlight hooks readers from the first page and brings them deeper than ever into the whimsical world of the Pixie Hollow fairies. It’s more than a forbidden romance. It deals with themes of loneliness, following your heart versus what’s right, being a good leader, sacrifice, soulmates, and more. It’s clear Saft loved her source material and took extra care to give us dedicated fans the story we’ve waited a decade for.

Lorraine Durbin ’26 is a creative writing major at Susquehanna University with a specialization in creative non-fiction