As a child, did you look around the world with wonder? Did you search for signs of magic hiding in the real world? I did.
As a child, the Tinker Bell franchise was one of my favorite film series to watch. My favorite of the movies was “Secret of the Wings,” which was released in 2012. I loved the portrayal of sisterly love, especially since I was a newly crowned older sister myself.
As I grew older and continued watching the movie, I focused on different aspects of it. One year, I might have been fixated on the fairies overcoming the nearly impossible odds to save Pixie Hollow. Another, I might have looked at the strength of friendship between the fairies.
In the past few years, however, I have become a hopeless romantic and I am not alone. Now, I (and many other fans) focus on Queen Clarion and Lord Milori’s relationship. Long ago, two fairies from either side of the border fell in love and one of them got hurt.
This led to Queen Clarion issuing a rule that the fairies from the spring, summer and fall seasons cannot cross the border into winter, and vice versa. While not explicitly stated in the film, it was implied that the two fairies were Lord Milori and Queen Clarion when they were young.
For the past 13 years, fans have imagined what their story could have been. Now, as of Feb. 4, 2025, long-time Disney fairy fans have been blessed with their story.
Over a 15-month period, Allison Saft wrote “Wings of Starlight,” which started as just a pitched concept and grew into a polished book.
The story begins with young Clarion training to become the next Queen of Pixie Hollow. While she prepares to take the crown, Pixie Hollow faces an enemy that it hasn’t encountered in thousands of years.
Meanwhile, in the Winter Woods, a young sparrow man named Milori attempts to ward off the threat from his own people. The two fairies find that they must work together to overcome this foe.
While in each other’s company, Clarion and Milori realize that they share the same sense of duty and responsibility. This bond brings not only friendship, but the roots of something deeper.
Throughout their journey, they discover their true feelings for one another and uncover the real reason why winter fairies cannot share their lives with the other seasonal fairies.
This novel is not just a story of overcoming nearly impossible odds, but also one of forbidden love.
While I read this book, I faced a whirlwind of feelings: nostalgia, longing, bittersweet joy, I could go on. I felt like I was finally finishing a chapter of my life I thought I’d never get to return to.
Pixie Hollow was such a real place to me while growing up, and I would spend hours at home searching for signs of fairies in our yard. As I grew older, the magical pull lessened but never completely disappeared.
Reading the story behind a lifetime of longing between Lord Milori and Queen Clarion fulfilled a dream in me. I was sad when the story ended, especially because there is no “happily ever after” for the two fairies – at least not within the book since its focus is on their history rather than their present.
Even if you aren’t familiar with Disney fairies or haven’t watched the Tinker Bell movies, I would recommend “Wings of Starlight” for those who enjoy a tale of yearning and star-crossed love.
Saft is brilliant at writing the characters’ emotions and making them feel like they’re your own. While I’ll admit that I’ve become quite an emotional reader in the past year or so, this book truly made me cry and feel everything the characters did.
Sierra Rode can be reached at [email protected]