One of my favorites of 2026 for sure, The Winged Game bewitched me. I ended up ditching my TBR and reading 40% in one evening. I had to finish! Keep reading this book review of The Winged Game for my full thoughts.
Summary
Carriwitchet, the violent, rugby-esque game played atop winged beasts, was once Taissa Cho’s whole life, and she was once the United Kingdom’s most promising player. Until her nemesis, rival player Kion Locke, destroyed her career in a single moment. Expelled from the sport in disgrace, Taissa has spent the last two years dreaming of nothing but revenge and relishing watching Kion’s team plummet to the bottom of the league.
So when Taissa is offered the chance to redeem herself and her career, she can’t refuse—even if the offer is coming from the very man who ruined everything in the first place. It’s close to a dream come true . . . except for that pesky clause in her contract that demands she and Kion enter a fake relationship in order to garner some much-needed positive PR for the team. This could not be a worse match. Taissa and Kion only have two things in their love of the game, and their undying hatred for each other.
Yet as a mysterious illness befalls the winged creatures of the entire league—putting both the beasts’ lives and the very sport itself at stake—the athletes find themselves partnering up in other ways, determined to crack the case of the eerie sickness. As their investigation takes them on a whirlwind adventure, Kion and Taissa are prepared for anything . . .
Anything, that is, but their fake-for-the-cameras relationship to maybe, just maybe, become something real after all.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The Winged Game is one of my favorites of 2026 for sure. This rival to lovers will steal your heart. There’s this intense rivalry of hatred, miscommunication, and betrayal. Combined with that, there’s a fabulous set of side characters – I’d fight for each of them even when they’re at they’re most annoying – and animal companions. The Winged Game has all the elements of my favorites plus combined with the swoony tension which I’ve come to expect from Kim after The God and the Gumiho. My heart ached and cried. I loved how Taissa so badly wants to play again. Her whole life is the game, so when it’s stolen from her she’s drifting and her comeback arc does NOT go according to plan.
I love how much she has stacked against her – the allegations, social media, her team which kind of hate her, and this ridiculous PR stunt – and how clever, a bit reckless, and good hearted she is. The Winged Game is my latest obsession. Kim explores what lies beneath the bond and the dual POV is a fabulous way for us to establish their hatred, but also their intrigue and yearning. The true series of miscommunications which have soured and festered into misguided hatred. Combine that with animal companions – I love a grumpy one at that – and the romantic tension and favorites of 2026 for sure.
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I am going to be seriously considering re-reading this whenever I have a reading slump so I can get back into this world. There’s this strong emotional vulnerability and chosen family will always get to me! Find The Winged Game on Goodreads, Storygraph, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.