Cursed Wings, Hidden Power

In the world of Yggdrasil, five fae courts are ruled by elemental magic, and the legendary Valkyrie—Odin's chosen warriors—are nearly extinct. Kain, a fire-fae Valkyrie stripped of his wings and cursed to burn all he touches, lives in exile, haunted by his wolf val-tivar and a violent past. Meanwhile, Madivia "Maddy" Verglas, a secret princess of the Ice Court, is plagued by mysterious blackouts and a magical memory that her family exploits. Both are outcasts: Kain for his crimes, Maddy for her frailty. Their fates are set on a collision course as the gods call for new Valkyrie, and Maddy's hidden power becomes the key to a destiny she never wanted.

Sisters' Last Night Together

Maddy's only solace is her bond with her sister Freydis, the court's true heir and a powerful ice-fae. On the eve of Freydis's departure to train as a Valkyrie, the sisters share a tender, anxious night. Freydis gifts Maddy a magical mirror so they can see each other across any distance, and together they cling to hope that the legendary tiara of Skadi—if restored—might cure Maddy's affliction. But beneath the surface, both know that Maddy's days are numbered, and that Freydis's leaving will shatter the fragile world they've built together.

The Leaving Ball

The palace hosts a grand ball to honor Freydis's selection as a Valkyrie recruit. Maddy, disguised as a handmaid, navigates the glittering, treacherous world of fae nobility, acutely aware of her outsider status. The sisters' bond is tested by the looming separation, and Maddy's sense of impending doom intensifies. The ball's splendor cannot mask the undercurrents of fear, envy, and the court's obsession with power and appearances. Maddy's unique memory magic is both her curse and her family's secret weapon, and she is forced to use it to answer the court's questions, even as it drains her.

The Gallery of Memories

Maddy's magical memory manifests as a gallery of ice statues, each holding a memory or secret. Her family uses her as a living archive, feeding her stolen knowledge and court secrets. The gallery is both sanctuary and prison, and its constant pull is linked to her fatal blackouts. Maddy's ability isolates her, making her invaluable yet expendable. The burden of knowledge and the threat of death hang over her, and she realizes her family will never let her leave the Ice Court. Her only escape is through the memories she stores and the fleeting adventures with Freydis.

Valkyrie Arrival and Revelation

The ball is interrupted by the arrival of the Valkyrie, who open a portal to collect the new recruit. The court expects Freydis to be chosen, but a magical test reveals that Maddy is the true candidate. The revelation exposes her secret identity to the entire court and shatters her family's carefully constructed lies. Maddy is thrust into the spotlight, forced to confront her own worth and the possibility that the gods have not made a mistake. The moment is both terrifying and exhilarating, as Maddy faces the unknown alone.

The Chosen Princess

Despite her protests and her family's attempts to protect Freydis's destiny, Maddy is chosen by the gods and swept away to Featherblade, the Valkyrie training hall. She is separated from her sister and everything she knows, forced to confront her fears and the reality of her illness. The journey to Featherblade is perilous, and Maddy's sense of inadequacy grows as she meets her fellow recruits—each stronger, more skilled, and more confident than she. Yet, beneath her fear, a spark of hope ignites: perhaps she can become more than her weakness.

The Waterfall Ascent

Maddy and the other recruits must ascend a magical waterfall to reach Featherblade, facing monstrous shriek-birds that attack their boat. The journey is a brutal initiation, and not all survive. Maddy's quick thinking and resourcefulness help save her companions, but the trauma of the attack lingers. The ascent is a metaphor for her struggle: she is battered, unprepared, and out of place, but she survives. The experience bonds her with the other recruits and marks the beginning of her transformation from sheltered princess to potential warrior.

Surviving the Shrieks

The shriek-birds' attack claims the life of Aldrich, an earth-fae recruit, and leaves the survivors shaken. Maddy's ingenuity—using scraps of her dress to distract the monsters—proves vital, but the cost is high. The ordeal cements the reality of the dangers ahead and the ruthlessness of Valkyrie training. Maddy's sense of isolation deepens, but she also finds unexpected allies among the recruits, including the enigmatic gold-fae Navi and the gruff earth-fae Eldith. The journey to Featherblade is both a physical and emotional crucible.

Featherblade's First Night

Arriving at Featherblade, Maddy is awed by the living hall carved from Yggdrasil's branches. She is assigned a room with Navi, who is as prickly as she is skilled. Maddy's outsider status is reinforced by her lack of armor, weapons, and magical prowess. She seeks solace in the temple garden and her memory gallery, but her powers are unreliable in this new place. A tense encounter with Kain, the wingless fire-fae Valkyrie, leaves her shaken and intrigued. The first night is a test of resilience, and Maddy resolves to survive, no matter the odds.

The Fire-Fae Encounter

Maddy's first real encounter with Kain is charged with both threat and attraction. Kain's curse prevents him from touching anything living without burning it, and his wolf val-tivar is a constant, dangerous presence. Their conversation is a battle of wills, with Kain challenging Maddy's assumptions and exposing her vulnerabilities. The encounter leaves Maddy both frightened and fascinated, awakening desires she has never allowed herself to feel. Kain's own pain and isolation mirror her own, and a dangerous connection is forged between them.

Rook Rivalries Begin

Training at Featherblade is brutal, and Maddy quickly becomes the target of ridicule and hostility from other recruits, especially Orgid and Inga. Her lack of magic and physical strength make her an easy mark, but she finds unexpected support from Eldith and, occasionally, Kain. The competitive, often cruel environment forces Maddy to confront her weaknesses and push beyond her limits. She begins to train her body, determined to earn her place among the Valkyrie, even as her blackouts and self-doubt threaten to undo her progress.

Training, Trials, and Blackouts

Maddy's days are a relentless cycle of physical training, magical lessons, and social challenges. She struggles with swordplay, archery, and hand-to-hand combat, often failing in public and enduring the scorn of her peers. Her blackouts become more frequent and dangerous, exposing her vulnerability. Yet, she also discovers hidden strengths: her memory magic, her resilience, and her ability to adapt. Small victories—like surviving a fight, making a friend, or learning a new skill—become lifelines in a world that seems determined to break her.

The Weight of Weakness

Maddy's inability to perform magic leads to public humiliation and rejection by Brynhild, the legendary ice-fae Valkyrie. Stripped of even the hope of magical improvement, Maddy turns to physical training, determined to build her strength and stamina. She forges alliances with Sarra, a human rune-marked, and Eldith, who helps her train. The theme of doing what she can and ignoring what she can't becomes her mantra. Maddy's journey is one of incremental progress, hard-won confidence, and the refusal to give in to despair.

The Wolf Without Wings

Maddy's fascination with Kain deepens as she uncovers more about his past and his connection to the mysterious vault hidden beneath Featherblade. Kain enlists her help to break into the vault, promising powerful healing artifacts that could cure her blackouts. Their partnership is fraught with mistrust, attraction, and the ever-present danger of Kain's wolf. Maddy's own memory magic becomes the key to solving the vault's riddle, and she is drawn into a web of secrets, revenge, and forbidden desire.

The Vault's Temptation

Maddy and Kain discover the entrance to the Valkyrie vault, which promises great power but demands a deadly test of knowledge. Kain's motives are revealed to be both personal and vengeful—he seeks the Helm of Embers, a lost artifact of his family. Maddy is tempted by the promise of healing, but fears what Kain might unleash. Their alliance is uneasy, built on mutual need and dangerous attraction. The vault becomes a symbol of both hope and peril, and Maddy must decide how far she is willing to go for power, survival, and love.

Naked Defiance

Maddy becomes the target of a cruel prank by Inga and Orgid, who steal her clothes and staff, forcing her to walk naked through the hall. Instead of breaking, Maddy owns her vulnerability, refusing to give her tormentors the satisfaction of shame. Kain intervenes, destroying Inga's staff and asserting his dominance. The incident cements Maddy's resolve to survive and fight back, and she begins to earn the respect of some peers. The episode also deepens the complex, volatile bond between Maddy and Kain.

Bloodlust Unleashed

During a training session, Branka, a gold-fae recruit, is possessed by her wolf val-tivar and goes on a murderous rampage. Kain is forced to incinerate her to save the others, exposing the lethal risks of Valkyrie magic. The incident shakes the entire hall, raising questions about control, justice, and the true cost of power. Kain is punished and ostracized, but Maddy recognizes that he acted out of necessity. The event foreshadows the dangers that lie ahead and the thin line between heroism and monstrosity.

The Frost Giant's Attack

As Maddy and Kain confront their own secrets and desires, a Frost Giant attacks the hall, shattering the illusion of safety. The battle is desperate and chaotic, with Kain and Maddy fighting side by side. Kain's fire and wolf magic are unleashed, but even he is nearly killed. Maddy's courage and quick thinking help turn the tide, but the true savior is a colossal bear—her newly awakened val-tivar. The attack marks a turning point: the ancient threats the Valkyrie were created to fight have returned, and Maddy's destiny is forever changed.

The Bear Awakens

In the aftermath of the battle, Maddy realizes that her val-tivar is a bear, symbolizing strength, resilience, and fearless battle prowess. The awakening of her power is both a triumph and a challenge—she is no longer the weakest, but her journey is far from over. The attack has united the recruits, exposed the true stakes of their training, and set the stage for the coming war against the Giants. Maddy's transformation from powerless princess to potential Valkyrie is complete, but the greatest trials—and the deepest secrets—are yet to come.

Characters

Madivia "Maddy" Verglas

Maddy is the hidden daughter of the Ice Court, cursed with fatal blackouts and a magical memory that manifests as a gallery of ice statues. Her family exploits her power but keeps her existence secret, fearing both her weakness and her value. Maddy is defined by her fierce love for her sister Freydis, her irrepressible curiosity, and her refusal to give in to despair. Psychologically, she is marked by isolation, self-doubt, and a desperate need to prove her worth. Her journey is one of transformation: from powerless, sheltered outcast to a warrior who discovers her own strength, resilience, and the capacity for both love and leadership. Her relationship with Kain is fraught with danger, desire, and the shared pain of exile.

Kain the Ruinous

Kain is a former Valkyrie stripped of his wings and cursed to burn all he touches, haunted by his wolf val-tivar and a violent, vengeful past. He is both protector and predator, driven by rage, guilt, and a thirst for justice—or revenge. His relationship with Maddy is complex: he is drawn to her vulnerability and hidden power, even as he resents his own need for connection. Psychologically, Kain is a study in trauma, self-loathing, and the struggle for redemption. His actions oscillate between brutality and reluctant heroism, and his secrets are tied to the fate of Featherblade itself.

Freydis Verglas

Freydis is everything Maddy is not: powerful, confident, and publicly celebrated. Her bond with Maddy is deep and unbreakable, marked by shared suffering and mutual devotion. Freydis's departure for Valkyrie training is both a source of pride and heartbreak, and her absence leaves Maddy adrift. Psychologically, Freydis is driven by duty, love, and the burden of being the "perfect" heir. Her hope that the tiara of Skadi can cure Maddy is both a quest and a coping mechanism for her own helplessness.

Sarra

Sarra is a human enslaved by the fae for her ability to imbue staffs with magic. She becomes Maddy's confidante and ally, offering practical support and emotional grounding. Sarra's intelligence, resilience, and outsider perspective make her a rare source of honesty and kindness in Featherblade. Her own longing for freedom and family mirrors Maddy's struggles, and their friendship is a lifeline for both.

Navi

Navi is Maddy's first roommate at Featherblade, a gold-fae with a sharp tongue and a guarded heart. She is fiercely independent, highly skilled, and initially dismissive of Maddy's weaknesses. Over time, Navi's respect for Maddy grows, and she becomes a reluctant ally. Psychologically, Navi is shaped by a survivalist mentality and a deep-seated fear of vulnerability.

Eldith

Eldith is an older, experienced earth-fae who takes Maddy under her wing. She is blunt, practical, and unafraid to challenge both Maddy and the toxic dynamics of the rook cohort. Eldith's own history of being marginalized makes her sympathetic to Maddy's struggles, and she becomes a crucial partner in training and survival.

Orgid

Orgid is a wealthy, arrogant shadow-fae who targets Maddy for ridicule and humiliation. His psychic magic allows him to invade minds and manipulate fears, making him a dangerous adversary. Orgid's hostility is rooted in insecurity and a need to assert dominance, and his alliance with Inga amplifies the threat to Maddy.

Inga

Inga is a fire-fae recruit who delights in tormenting Maddy, often teaming up with Orgid. Her aggression masks her own insecurities and ambitions, and her eventual loss of magic (after Kain destroys her staff) is both a punishment and a turning point. Inga's actions force Maddy to confront her own boundaries and resilience.

Brynhild the Knowing

Brynhild is a living legend, renowned for her prophetic powers and icy authority. She is both a mentor and a gatekeeper, quick to judge and slow to forgive. Brynhild's relationship with Maddy is fraught with disappointment and skepticism, but she also recognizes Maddy's unique potential. Psychologically, Brynhild embodies the burden of legacy and the loneliness of greatness.

Harald the Huge

Harald is a towering, intimidating presence, both feared and respected. He is a strict trainer, valuing strength and discipline above all. Harald's interactions with Maddy are marked by skepticism, but he is not without a sense of fairness. His own bear val-tivar symbolizes his role as both protector and punisher.

Plot Devices

Magical Memory Gallery

Maddy's memory magic is visualized as a gallery of ice statues, each holding a memory, secret, or piece of knowledge. This device allows the narrative to explore themes of trauma, isolation, and the burden of knowledge. The gallery is both a sanctuary and a prison, linking Maddy's blackouts to the overuse of her power. It also serves as a plot engine, providing crucial information at key moments and connecting Maddy's fate to the larger mysteries of Yggdrasil.

Val-tivar and Animal Possession

The concept of val-tivar—spirit animals that grant Valkyrie their unique powers—serves as both a literal and metaphorical device. The struggle to control or be possessed by one's val-tivar mirrors the characters' internal battles with rage, fear, and desire. The awakening of Maddy's bear val-tivar marks her transformation, while Kain's wolf symbolizes his bloodlust and exile. The dangers of uncontrolled power are dramatized through Branka's rampage.

The Vault and Forbidden Knowledge

The hidden vault beneath Featherblade is a classic "forbidden door" device, representing both hope (healing, redemption) and peril (revenge, destruction). The riddle to open it requires knowledge only Maddy's memory magic can provide, tying her fate to Kain's. The vault's contents—artifacts, the Helm of Embers—are MacGuffins that drive the plot and test the characters' morality.

Training Hall as Crucible

The hall itself is imbued with magic, revealing or concealing rooms and challenges based on the characters' progress. It is both a school and a gauntlet, designed to break the weak and forge the worthy. The ever-present threat of the Oskorela (Wild Hunt), the shriek-birds, and the looming war with the Giants create constant tension and urgency.

Unreliable Destiny and Chosen One Subversion

Maddy's selection as a Valkyrie is met with skepticism by all, including herself. The narrative repeatedly questions the infallibility of destiny, the fairness of the gods, and the true meaning of worthiness. The "chosen one" trope is subverted: Maddy is not the strongest, bravest, or most magical, but her unique gifts and resilience prove essential.

Analysis

Of Blades and Wings is a subversive, emotionally charged fantasy that interrogates the nature of power, worth, and destiny through the lens of a deeply flawed, relatable heroine. Eliza Raine crafts a world where strength is measured not by brute force or magical prowess, but by resilience, adaptability, and the courage to persist in the face of overwhelming odds. Maddy's journey from hidden, broken princess to potential Valkyrie is a meditation on the value of imperfection and the necessity of self-acceptance. The novel explores the psychological toll of isolation, the corrosive effects of secrets, and the redemptive power of chosen family and unlikely alliances. The relationship between Maddy and Kain is a study in mutual recognition and the dangers of unchecked desire and vengeance. The narrative's use of magical memory, animal possession, and a living, testing environment elevates the coming-of-age arc into a mythic struggle for survival and meaning. Ultimately, the story challenges the reader to question who gets to define heroism, and whether true strength lies in conquering others—or in refusing to be conquered by one's own fears.

Last updated: September 27, 2025