Wingfeather Tales: Seven Thrilling Stories from the World of Aerwiar (The Wingfeather Saga)

Some of these tales read a bit more on the adult level but in a good way. These are good tales that add a bit more meat to the original series. They round out the 4 other books very well but are complete tales of their own.

A wonderful collection of tales from Andrew Peterson's world. While I enjoyed all the stories, Douglas Kaine McKelvey's novel, 'The Places Beyond the Maps,' is simply one of the most beautiful I have ever read. It is a tale of tragic loss and the emotions attendant to such loss, but ultimately one of healing, hope, and grace. I found it beautifully written (I see some reviewers thought the writing dense; I however enjoyed the richness of McKelvey's writing - it drew me deeper into the emotion of the story. I think this may be an issue of whether you prefer creatively rich sentences and vocabulary that require concentration and immersion into an author's world or easy to read novels that you can half enjoy while watching your toddler on the beach). This is a story that delves deep into the mystery of suffering in a way I have found nowhere else and offers a message of eternal hope. For those struggling with loss, McKelvey's story is a missive of hope and healing. I cannot recommend it more highly. One of my all-time favorites.

This is a remarkable collection of short stories that take you right back to the World of Aerwiar in full force. The back story of Podo's earlier life is very rich and funny. I am still recovering from Douglas Kaine McKelvey's "Places Beyond the Maps." At the risk of spoiling the plot for those yet to delve, I gotta say I'm amazed at the depth of captivity DKM was able to achieve over my heart and soul with his story, and that in a good way. And the kids loved it too. I highly recommend these stories.

We love reading the Wingfeather Saga series as a read aloud. My boys love the characters and if you didn’t know there is a tv series.

My kids love the Wingfeather Saga and this book was a perfect addition to their collection

Before I start this review, a few things to clear up: Wingfeather Tales is not a sequel. It's a companion anthology of short stories; some take place before the Saga, some after, and some during roughly the same time. It also does not explicitly suggest anything more about what happened with the epilogue of Warden, which is actually good- I have my headcanon and it makes me very happy, and I like not having said headcanon shattered by actual canon. (That said, there is a tiny piece near the end of the last story which hints at how it might have worked out, and which supports my headcanon, so!)Anyway, reviews of each story. For context, I've read this anthology twice, once when it was first released as a Kickstarter reward, and once now.--"The Prince of Yorsha Doon": This one is better on the reread — the first time I read this, I think I was disappointed by everything it wasn't (which is to say, it didn't deal with familiar places or problems and only featured one character from the main series). The second time around, I knew what the story wasn't already, and so I could appreciate it for what it was, which is a delightfully written Arabian-esque tale with a decidedly enjoyable protagonist.--"The Wooing of Sophelia Stupe": I liked this less on the reread, but I think that's because I had a headache when I read it and therefore was not as amused by the particular voice with which it was written. On the upside, there's some nice author-humor, a bit of explanation of Anklejelly Manor, a surprising twist partway through, and the wonderful Sophelia Stupe.--"Willow Worlds": This is my least favorite story in the series, but that's largely because, if you think about it, you can either take this as canon or "From the Deeps of the Dragon King" as canon, and I prefer "From the Deeps." People who've read the 100 Cupboards series, which it connects to, would probably like it more.--"The Ballad of Lanric and Rube" is a pleasant break from the prose. We've got a comic ballad (expanded from a footnote in one of the previous books) about two cousins (more like brothers) fighting (literally!) over a girl, though, happily, not in a bitter way. I saw the twist at the end coming, to a degree, even while forgetting that it was based on a footnote, but it was still very fun to read.--"From the Deeps of the Dragon King" is one of my favorite stories in the book. It showed a significant piece of Podo's backstory in a magnificent way. It's all high-seas adventure here- a cross between pirating and whaling. Young Podo is quite a character, let me tell you- and also quite different from the Podo we know. It's humorous, yet there's a poignant message amidst the lightheartedness.--"Shadowblade and the Florid Sword", a comic chronicling some of the later adventures of our own much-loved Maraly and Gammon, is another of my favorites. This comic was super fun, and I liked how it mixed superhero and noir vibes in with the fantasy of Aerwiar. It was a little hard to read in Kindle form, but I also have a small Kindle with no ability to zoom. I still think it's worth getting in paper if you're really excited for the comic.--"The Places Beyond the Maps": This is a masterpiece. Easily the best story in the book. It's heartbreaking — we see a man driven to the ends of himself, and it's raw and aching, but beautiful in that rawness. It was excellent the first time around, and it's better on the reread. (I will note that I didn't get the epilogue until someone explained it to me, but I don't think anyone else really had that problem?)So, yeah. If you haven't read the Wingfeather Saga, this is not the place to start. But if you HAVE read the Saga, this will be a delight.

It was a really good book. The storyline the writing and just everything about it was so good

You might be skeptical about fan fiction, and that's justifiable. I was impressed with these stories. Most fit the original saga very well, some feel a little different, I wouldn't give each story 10/10 but the book as a whole is definitely worth it.

This was one of the first book series read by my son and he was just riveted! So nice to have an engaging adventure that can be read by all ages safely.