Wings of Starlight – A Young Adult, Romantasy Book Review

I had been in a reading slump after graduating with my bachelor’s degree, exhausted from the numerous books my nose was buried in during my hectic, final semester. Although school was over, the job hunt was wearing me down, and I was in desperate need to escape reality to soothe my inner turmoil.

That is when I came across Disney’s announcement about Wings of Starlight — a Disney novel set in the same universe as Tinker Bell but set many centuries prior to the first film.

I excitedly pre-ordered the Barnes & Noble exclusive copy of Wings of Starlight, and I’m delighted to share that it’s an enchanting, fast-paced read with a romantic, magic-filled plot with relatable characters you absolutely want to root for.

What Wonders Lie Within This Starlit Tale? 

Allison Saft gifts us a romance-fantasy in Wings of Starlight. The young adult novel, published in February 2025, made its mark as an official prequel to the Disney Fairies films. The novel centers itself on the history between two fairies, who in the films are known as Queen Clarion and Lord Milori.

This enchanting story by Saft follows a young Clarion’s journey to accepting her role as queen, while needing to form an unexpected alliance with Lord Milori, the young guardian of the Winter Woods. The alliance helps to protect the faerie species from a monster or they risk everything they have ever known. 

In their efforts to protect both the Warm Seasons and Winter, they tragically fall in love, yet their love is one that cannot be.

How Does This Story’s Heart Beat?  

Allison Saft captures the essence of the Disney Fairies films in Wings of Starlight through a perfect balance of magic, whimsy, and romance — although starcrossed — while ensuring a clear-cut mix of plot and characterization.

Saft explores the complexity of morality and what it means to make certain choices all while navigating what it means to be a leader. She sets a clear distinction between Clarion and Milori’s characterization, their contrasting traits complementary to each other while they face their shared hardship.

During their budding relationship, Saft goes into depth on intrinsic, emotional reasoning  and how that affects decision-making in a leadership role. This close exploration of eventual renunciation allows the reader to feel the weight of sacrifice and the extreme loneliness that comes with a choice based on what’s right in comparison to what the heart wants.

How Did a Romantasy Slip Past My Defenses?  

I am someone who tends to avoid reading romance fantasy — also coined as romantasy — but this novel pulled me in with its vivid imagery and in-depth characterization. Ever since watching Secret of the Wings — a film set centuries earlier — I’ve wanted to learn about Clarion and Milori’s backstory, and Wings of Starlight rekindled my childhood.

An issue that typically drives me away from the romantasy genre is the lack of worldbuilding, the repetitiveness in the plot, and the unnecessary “spice” scenes which pull away from the character development within the story. 

Wings of Starlight deviates away from a traditional romantasy as it builds off of the pre-existing world created by Disney in its provision of Clarion and Milori’s backstory that explains their relationship in Secret of the Wings. 

It’s evident throughout Saft’s writing that she thoroughly enjoyed the original source material, characterizing them accurately to create a beloved story to pre-existing characters. 

Ready to Follow Your Heart Back to Pixie Hollow? 

If you’re a fan of Tinker Bell, the Disney Fairies films, or a fan of forbidden, star-crossed lovers in a romantasy, order your copy online or request your local library make it available.

I’m glad I bought Wings of Starlight to get me out of a reading slump: Its enchanting storytelling evoked such pure pleasure that  I finished it in a day. 

I highly recommend watching Secret of the Wings after reading it for the conclusion of Clarion and Milori’s story.

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