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Wind and Fire
Zardonne, Master of the Dark Rift, has ripped a hole in the fabric of Tellaron and invaded with an army of hideous demons. Oblivious to the dangers and evil brewing beyond the borders of the quiet Ardis Valley where she lives, nineteen year old Tenya toils through a life of dreary loneliness and drudgery plagued by strange, disturbing visions, yearning desperately for the beautiful mother she had not seen since she was three.
Her life is abruptly turned upside down when she is abducted in the middle of the night and sent on a perilous journey that will test her courage and the fledgling powers buried deep within her. For not only does she discover that her missing mother, Elea, is a powerful sorceress able to control the forces of the wind, Tenya also learns that she herself possesses a singing power that manifests itself as white fire throughout her body. Can she find her mother, and the strength to use her own powers, in time to save Tellaron from the evil Demon Master? Her world depends upon it.
Her life is abruptly turned upside down when she is abducted in the middle of the night and sent on a perilous journey that will test her courage and the fledgling powers buried deep within her. For not only does she discover that her missing mother, Elea, is a powerful sorceress able to control the forces of the wind, Tenya also learns that she herself possesses a singing power that manifests itself as white fire throughout her body. Can she find her mother, and the strength to use her own powers, in time to save Tellaron from the evil Demon Master? Her world depends upon it.
- GenresFantasyYoung Adult
344 pages, ebook
First published November 23, 2009
1 person is currently reading
56 people want to read
About the author
Cheryl Landmark
6 books112 followersI live in a small hamlet called Gros Cap just west of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada on the magnificent shore of Lake Superior. I've always been a voracious reader, even as a child, and that has inspired me to create my own fantasy worlds. There's nothing quite like seeing your imagination transformed into a published novel. When I'm not writing, I'm reading, doing challenging jigsaw puzzles, or enjoying the great outdoors with my hubby, my furry child and my camera.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 25, 2011
I was contacted by the author, Cheryl Landmark, and agreed to review an e-book copy of her novel Wind and Fire. This novel was surprisingly short considering the length of most epic fantasy books. However, this may have helped in keeping the plot moving along while maybe losing a little in actual world building. Wind and Fire is your standard epic/quest good vs evil type of fantasy that introduces us to Tenya, our 16 year old heroine, who missing her mother, is constantly bullied by her step-mother and dealing with an emotionally absent father. After Tenya is basically sold by her step-mother to a travelling hag who happens to be in the employ of the Demon Master himself, Tenya finds herself facing some pretty big obstacles and is surprised to find that she is up to the challenge. Helped along by the allies she meets during her quest, Tenya tries to use her budding powers and the visions that are her one connection to her mother to seek out and confront Zardonne, and help to free those who he has imprisoned. I would have liked to have been able to connect more with Tenya as a character, but I still very much enjoyed reading about her journey. Overall, I think that this was an admirable effort from debut author Cheryl Landmark. Despite the rather uninspired cover and some clunky wording, the story itself was quite intriguing. I think with a little more word building and character development, Wind and Fire would have been amazing. As it is, I consider it a very good novel and would recommend it to any fan of epic fantasy who is looking for a quick read. And I truly look forward to seeing more of Landmark's future work.
February 22, 2011
One girl's magical awakening will bring about a whole new adventure and test the limits of her strength like she's never known before.
19-year old Tenya does not have it easy.
With her mother being missing for more than 16 years, Tenya finds herself stuck in the day to day drudgery of doing household chores, with a melancholy father who barely notices her and a step-mother who treats her like the dust of Cinderella's shoes.
All her life she's been plagued by mysterious and strange visions, all the while yearning for the presence of the mother she's never forgotten.
What she doesn't realise is that life is about to abruptly catapult her into a new adventure.
When she's kidnapped in the middle of the night, she suddenly finds herself on a strange, new, exciting and dangerous journey that will unleash powers she's never known she'd had and will test her strength and character.
Somewhere, out there, Zardonne, ruler of the Dark Rift (a place desolate, barren and devoid of life - barring the presence of hideous demons), is plotting to invade every corner of the surrounding villages in search of power, authority and mastery over all.
It's up to Tenya and her new companions to discover the magic within her, search for the mother she always felt was alive and together, defeat the devious and demonic master of darkness.
Review:
I am really surprised that I actually ended up enjoying this novel.
The one thing that always makes me nervous is when an author asks me to review a book and I end up not liking it. I do love writing honest reviews, but rarely post reviews on books that I feel have no redeeming quality at all.
I have to admit to being a bit reluctant to read this book as I do think that the cover of the novel is uninspired and doesn't give off that "must-read" feeling that it should. I know one shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but in one way or another, i do think that everyone is swayed by lovely cover artwork.
Luckily for me, my eagerness to become acquainted with a relatively unknown author's work overwhelmed any reluctance I felt towards reading the actual book. And even though the book has its flaws, I am really glad that I ended up reading it.
At the beginning of the novel, we meet a rather unhappy Tenya. Currently residing with her father and stepmother, Tenya is forced to endure hardship under the iron-fisted rule of said stepmother.
She immediately gains our empathy as she is forced to endure the awful treatment at the hand of her stepmother while her very absent father is rarely at home. Of course, even while she labours away, the sweet, dutiful and sheltered Tenya obviously wishes for freedom.
The old saying, "Be careful what you wish for", applies here as Tenya gets her wish, but just not in the way that she expects.
One night, after standing up to her stepmother, she is kidnapped by two minions of a Dark Lord whose nefarious plans involve getting rid of her, along with the mother that she's always sensed was alive.
What I really liked about the novel is that Cheryl does an incredible job of creating a sheltered character whose growth throughout the novel is set at a realistic and very believable pace.
From living in a sheltered and relatively quiet village, to travelling on a quest to find her mother, Tenya is forced to adapt to circumstances and to adjust whatever perils are thrown her way.
Luckily for her, she's rescued along the way by one of her mother's oldest companions and who quickly becomes a trusty side-kick and friend.
The growing friendship was something that I could easily believe and I thought that it was really great that the trusty sidekick proved to be as great of an alley as he did.
I also liked the fact that when her magic finally revealed itself, she wasn't instantly sure of herself and her ability to use it. It was great to see her being tried and tested and made me root for her even more. I also enjoyed the world-building in this novel, although I did find it overly descriptive at times.
I did have 2 major issues with this book though and the one is that the final confrontation dragged out a little too long for me.
At 232 pages, the novel isn't all that long, but reading a long and drawn-out battle like the one in this novel, made me actually just want to rush through the novel to get to the end.
My second issue with this book (and it's probably the one issue that prevented me from enjoying the novel in its entirety) is some of the dialogue. For me, one of the important things about enjoying a novel is that when I read the novel and its dialogue, I don't actually want to feel as if I'm reading a story.
For me, the dialogue needs to be so convincing, that even though I'm reading a book, the book needs to sway me into believing that this story has actually happened. I realise that this is somewhat paradoxical, but when I'm escaping into a fantasy novel (or any other novel for that matter), then the fantasy needs feel and real for me.
Which means, the dialogue needs to be believable enough for me to be convinced that the whole fantasy world is real in all of its fantastical glory. Does that make sense?
But, that's not to say that I didn't enjoy the novel, because I did.
I think it's a solid effort on the author's part and I think the novel will appeal to a broad range of people, especially younger readers. The book is filled with tons of adventure, a brave and very likeable heroine, and a lot of interesting allies who all serve to make Tenya's quest all the more interesting for it.
It's a book that definitely deserves the chance to be read!
My rating: 3/5 stars.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of Wind and Fire in exchange for an honest review, courtesy of Cheryl Landmark. This has in no way influenced or affected my review and opinion of the book.
19-year old Tenya does not have it easy.
With her mother being missing for more than 16 years, Tenya finds herself stuck in the day to day drudgery of doing household chores, with a melancholy father who barely notices her and a step-mother who treats her like the dust of Cinderella's shoes.
All her life she's been plagued by mysterious and strange visions, all the while yearning for the presence of the mother she's never forgotten.
What she doesn't realise is that life is about to abruptly catapult her into a new adventure.
When she's kidnapped in the middle of the night, she suddenly finds herself on a strange, new, exciting and dangerous journey that will unleash powers she's never known she'd had and will test her strength and character.
Somewhere, out there, Zardonne, ruler of the Dark Rift (a place desolate, barren and devoid of life - barring the presence of hideous demons), is plotting to invade every corner of the surrounding villages in search of power, authority and mastery over all.
It's up to Tenya and her new companions to discover the magic within her, search for the mother she always felt was alive and together, defeat the devious and demonic master of darkness.
Review:
I am really surprised that I actually ended up enjoying this novel.
The one thing that always makes me nervous is when an author asks me to review a book and I end up not liking it. I do love writing honest reviews, but rarely post reviews on books that I feel have no redeeming quality at all.
I have to admit to being a bit reluctant to read this book as I do think that the cover of the novel is uninspired and doesn't give off that "must-read" feeling that it should. I know one shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but in one way or another, i do think that everyone is swayed by lovely cover artwork.
Luckily for me, my eagerness to become acquainted with a relatively unknown author's work overwhelmed any reluctance I felt towards reading the actual book. And even though the book has its flaws, I am really glad that I ended up reading it.
At the beginning of the novel, we meet a rather unhappy Tenya. Currently residing with her father and stepmother, Tenya is forced to endure hardship under the iron-fisted rule of said stepmother.
She immediately gains our empathy as she is forced to endure the awful treatment at the hand of her stepmother while her very absent father is rarely at home. Of course, even while she labours away, the sweet, dutiful and sheltered Tenya obviously wishes for freedom.
The old saying, "Be careful what you wish for", applies here as Tenya gets her wish, but just not in the way that she expects.
One night, after standing up to her stepmother, she is kidnapped by two minions of a Dark Lord whose nefarious plans involve getting rid of her, along with the mother that she's always sensed was alive.
What I really liked about the novel is that Cheryl does an incredible job of creating a sheltered character whose growth throughout the novel is set at a realistic and very believable pace.
From living in a sheltered and relatively quiet village, to travelling on a quest to find her mother, Tenya is forced to adapt to circumstances and to adjust whatever perils are thrown her way.
Luckily for her, she's rescued along the way by one of her mother's oldest companions and who quickly becomes a trusty side-kick and friend.
The growing friendship was something that I could easily believe and I thought that it was really great that the trusty sidekick proved to be as great of an alley as he did.
I also liked the fact that when her magic finally revealed itself, she wasn't instantly sure of herself and her ability to use it. It was great to see her being tried and tested and made me root for her even more. I also enjoyed the world-building in this novel, although I did find it overly descriptive at times.
I did have 2 major issues with this book though and the one is that the final confrontation dragged out a little too long for me.
At 232 pages, the novel isn't all that long, but reading a long and drawn-out battle like the one in this novel, made me actually just want to rush through the novel to get to the end.
My second issue with this book (and it's probably the one issue that prevented me from enjoying the novel in its entirety) is some of the dialogue. For me, one of the important things about enjoying a novel is that when I read the novel and its dialogue, I don't actually want to feel as if I'm reading a story.
For me, the dialogue needs to be so convincing, that even though I'm reading a book, the book needs to sway me into believing that this story has actually happened. I realise that this is somewhat paradoxical, but when I'm escaping into a fantasy novel (or any other novel for that matter), then the fantasy needs feel and real for me.
Which means, the dialogue needs to be believable enough for me to be convinced that the whole fantasy world is real in all of its fantastical glory. Does that make sense?
But, that's not to say that I didn't enjoy the novel, because I did.
I think it's a solid effort on the author's part and I think the novel will appeal to a broad range of people, especially younger readers. The book is filled with tons of adventure, a brave and very likeable heroine, and a lot of interesting allies who all serve to make Tenya's quest all the more interesting for it.
It's a book that definitely deserves the chance to be read!
My rating: 3/5 stars.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of Wind and Fire in exchange for an honest review, courtesy of Cheryl Landmark. This has in no way influenced or affected my review and opinion of the book.
February 7, 2011
My Rating: 3/5 stars
The synopsis above describes the plot of the story really well so I’ll limit the details in my own summary. Nineteen-year-old Tenya starts out as a weak and fragile character as she struggled through her daily life. Her father was drowning himself, literally, in his depression while her step-mother acted more like a slave-driver than any kind of mother figure. Tenya does show some backbone when she finally breaks and decides to stand up to her step-mother. But her actions come with a heavy price when Tenya finds herself abducted by an old hag of a woman and her frighteningly huge companion in the middle of the night.
Tenya has always been plagued by dreams filled with fiery demonic images that leave her scared and confused. She soon finds out that these visions are part of a set of powers that she possesses deep inside. She also learns that the mother she hasn’t seen since she was three has magical powers as well and is better known as the Mistress of the Wind. The Mistress has been held captive by Zardonne, an evil entity bent on controlling the entirety of Tellaron, for the past sixteen years. After being rescued by a small courageous man, Tenya sets out with him on a dangerous journey to free her mother and bring down Zardonne in the process.
Wind and Fire is an epic quest novel that also has a coming-of-age theme as Tenya matures and grows into a strong, brave, and independent woman. Although the time frame is really short, Tenya’s character completely changes throughout her journey. After discovering her powers and realizing that she’s a part of something much bigger than herself, she is determined to save her mother and the people of Tellaron. She really steps up and puts on a brave face despite the fear she feels inside. I think a lot of readers will warm to Tenya’s personality and spirit.
There is a lot of magic and action in the book. The world-building is pretty good considering the length of the novel. I think a map of Tellaron would have been an excellent addition to the reading experience, but one can certainly do without. The character development could have been focused on a little more in my opinion. I really enjoyed following Tenya’s journey with Sindril as her companion, however I wanted a little more of who they were as characters. Some of the writing was a little dry and I would have enjoyed more interactions between the main characters. I understand the point of the novel was the quest to free Elea (Tenya’s mother) and to destroy Zardonne, but that seemed to be the only goal with no additional details. But all in all, Wind and Fire was a very enjoyable read and I think a lot of readers will enjoy it.
The synopsis above describes the plot of the story really well so I’ll limit the details in my own summary. Nineteen-year-old Tenya starts out as a weak and fragile character as she struggled through her daily life. Her father was drowning himself, literally, in his depression while her step-mother acted more like a slave-driver than any kind of mother figure. Tenya does show some backbone when she finally breaks and decides to stand up to her step-mother. But her actions come with a heavy price when Tenya finds herself abducted by an old hag of a woman and her frighteningly huge companion in the middle of the night.
Tenya has always been plagued by dreams filled with fiery demonic images that leave her scared and confused. She soon finds out that these visions are part of a set of powers that she possesses deep inside. She also learns that the mother she hasn’t seen since she was three has magical powers as well and is better known as the Mistress of the Wind. The Mistress has been held captive by Zardonne, an evil entity bent on controlling the entirety of Tellaron, for the past sixteen years. After being rescued by a small courageous man, Tenya sets out with him on a dangerous journey to free her mother and bring down Zardonne in the process.
Wind and Fire is an epic quest novel that also has a coming-of-age theme as Tenya matures and grows into a strong, brave, and independent woman. Although the time frame is really short, Tenya’s character completely changes throughout her journey. After discovering her powers and realizing that she’s a part of something much bigger than herself, she is determined to save her mother and the people of Tellaron. She really steps up and puts on a brave face despite the fear she feels inside. I think a lot of readers will warm to Tenya’s personality and spirit.
There is a lot of magic and action in the book. The world-building is pretty good considering the length of the novel. I think a map of Tellaron would have been an excellent addition to the reading experience, but one can certainly do without. The character development could have been focused on a little more in my opinion. I really enjoyed following Tenya’s journey with Sindril as her companion, however I wanted a little more of who they were as characters. Some of the writing was a little dry and I would have enjoyed more interactions between the main characters. I understand the point of the novel was the quest to free Elea (Tenya’s mother) and to destroy Zardonne, but that seemed to be the only goal with no additional details. But all in all, Wind and Fire was a very enjoyable read and I think a lot of readers will enjoy it.
December 13, 2010
I was contacted by the author, Cheryl Landmark, and agreed to review an e-book copy of her novel Wind and Fire.
This novel was surprisingly short considering the length of most epic fantasy books. However, this may have helped in keeping the plot moving along while maybe losing a little in actual world building. Wind and Fire is your standard epic/quest good vs evil type of fantasy that introduces us to Tenya, our 16 year old heroine, who missing her mother, is constantly bullied by her step-mother and dealing with an emotionally absent father. After Tenya is basically sold by her step-mother to a travelling hag who happens to be in the employ of the Demon Master himself, Tenya finds herself facing some pretty big obstacles and is surprised to find that she is up to the challenge. Helped along by the allies she meets during her quest, Tenya tries to use her budding powers and the visions that are her one connection to her mother to seek out and confront Zardonne, and help to free those who he has imprisoned. I would have liked to have been able to connect more with Tenya as a character, but I still very much enjoyed reading about her journey.
Overall, I think that this was an admirable effort from debut author Cheryl Landmark. Despite the rather uninspired cover and some clunky wording, the story itself was quite intriguing. I think with a little more word building and character development, Wind and Fire would have been amazing. As it is, I consider it a very good novel and would recommend it to any fan of epic fantasy who is looking for a quick read. And I truly look forward to seeing more of Landmark's future work.
This novel was surprisingly short considering the length of most epic fantasy books. However, this may have helped in keeping the plot moving along while maybe losing a little in actual world building. Wind and Fire is your standard epic/quest good vs evil type of fantasy that introduces us to Tenya, our 16 year old heroine, who missing her mother, is constantly bullied by her step-mother and dealing with an emotionally absent father. After Tenya is basically sold by her step-mother to a travelling hag who happens to be in the employ of the Demon Master himself, Tenya finds herself facing some pretty big obstacles and is surprised to find that she is up to the challenge. Helped along by the allies she meets during her quest, Tenya tries to use her budding powers and the visions that are her one connection to her mother to seek out and confront Zardonne, and help to free those who he has imprisoned. I would have liked to have been able to connect more with Tenya as a character, but I still very much enjoyed reading about her journey.
Overall, I think that this was an admirable effort from debut author Cheryl Landmark. Despite the rather uninspired cover and some clunky wording, the story itself was quite intriguing. I think with a little more word building and character development, Wind and Fire would have been amazing. As it is, I consider it a very good novel and would recommend it to any fan of epic fantasy who is looking for a quick read. And I truly look forward to seeing more of Landmark's future work.
January 17, 2011
The year is 2310. The place is Tellaron.
Tenya experiences vivid dreams of fire and a mysterious hooded man. What could these dreams mean? When Tenya was a little three years old, her mother disappeared. Her father does not say much about Tenya’s mother.
Tenya’s father and step mother leave for the evening. Tenya is awaken by a noise. Standing over Tenya is an old hag. The woman kidnaps Tenya. The old hag tells Tenya that she is bring her to Zardonne, Master of the Dark Rift and that neither she nor Elea can stop Zardonne from taking ultimate control of Tellaron. Can Tenya escape and stop Zardonne before it is too late?
I read this full length novel on my computer. I usually try to avoid reading full length novels for the plain fact that I don’t like sitting staring at a computer monitor for long period of time. With Wind and Fire, it didn’t feel like I made an exception as I was caught up in this book. Though, it did take me a while to finish this book. This was due to me and not the book or the author. Tenya made a great heroine. She had a fighting spirit and I warmed up to her right away. I was cheering for her the whole time. Wind and Fire mixes the best of both worlds with fantasy and young adult. Of course you don’t have to be a young adult to enjoy this book. Just enjoy at heart. There is plenty of action to keep the story moving at a fast pace. Cheryl Landmark shows great promise with her debut novel, Wind and Fire.
Tenya experiences vivid dreams of fire and a mysterious hooded man. What could these dreams mean? When Tenya was a little three years old, her mother disappeared. Her father does not say much about Tenya’s mother.
Tenya’s father and step mother leave for the evening. Tenya is awaken by a noise. Standing over Tenya is an old hag. The woman kidnaps Tenya. The old hag tells Tenya that she is bring her to Zardonne, Master of the Dark Rift and that neither she nor Elea can stop Zardonne from taking ultimate control of Tellaron. Can Tenya escape and stop Zardonne before it is too late?
I read this full length novel on my computer. I usually try to avoid reading full length novels for the plain fact that I don’t like sitting staring at a computer monitor for long period of time. With Wind and Fire, it didn’t feel like I made an exception as I was caught up in this book. Though, it did take me a while to finish this book. This was due to me and not the book or the author. Tenya made a great heroine. She had a fighting spirit and I warmed up to her right away. I was cheering for her the whole time. Wind and Fire mixes the best of both worlds with fantasy and young adult. Of course you don’t have to be a young adult to enjoy this book. Just enjoy at heart. There is plenty of action to keep the story moving at a fast pace. Cheryl Landmark shows great promise with her debut novel, Wind and Fire.
March 2, 2013
Disclosure: I received this ebook for free in exchange for an honest review.
My New Year's resolution for this year was to step outside my comfort zone as much as possible; reading this book is one instance of fulfilling this resolution. In the past, if I would see that a book featured a teenaged female protagonist in a supernatural setting, I would have just passed over it to avoid accidentally picking up a Twilight-esque book. After reading Wind and Fire, I realize how big of a mistake this was.
I will admit that it did take me awhile to get into this story at the beginning. The supernatural elements did help, though--it's been a while since I've read a good fantasy demon story (I'm trying to think of last one and I'm coming up blank, actually...). Once the ball started rolling, however, it really pulled me in.
I would recommend this book to anyone, frankly. The story is interesting and engaging, it's very well paced, and I didn't really have any errors (spelling/grammar/formatting) that disrupted my reading. The characterizations are extremely well done--you can tell that the author really knows and loves her characters.
My New Year's resolution for this year was to step outside my comfort zone as much as possible; reading this book is one instance of fulfilling this resolution. In the past, if I would see that a book featured a teenaged female protagonist in a supernatural setting, I would have just passed over it to avoid accidentally picking up a Twilight-esque book. After reading Wind and Fire, I realize how big of a mistake this was.
I will admit that it did take me awhile to get into this story at the beginning. The supernatural elements did help, though--it's been a while since I've read a good fantasy demon story (I'm trying to think of last one and I'm coming up blank, actually...). Once the ball started rolling, however, it really pulled me in.
I would recommend this book to anyone, frankly. The story is interesting and engaging, it's very well paced, and I didn't really have any errors (spelling/grammar/formatting) that disrupted my reading. The characterizations are extremely well done--you can tell that the author really knows and loves her characters.
February 28, 2011
Rating: 6/10
This was a epic tale of a young girl learning that she is not so normal after all and that everything is not what it seems. She steps into a magical world that was put together very well by Cheryl Landmark. The story was action packed and it flowed nicely.
If you like fantasy, action, heroines and villains then chances are you will like this!
This was one of those novels that you shouldn't judge by its cover. It was a great début novel and I look forward to seeing what Cheryl Landmark will do next!
Mild Spoilers:
I don't have many complaints, except that I felt that Tenya came into her powers a bit too fast and that her mother speaking to her and helping her through tough situations was just too convenient.
This was a epic tale of a young girl learning that she is not so normal after all and that everything is not what it seems. She steps into a magical world that was put together very well by Cheryl Landmark. The story was action packed and it flowed nicely.
If you like fantasy, action, heroines and villains then chances are you will like this!
This was one of those novels that you shouldn't judge by its cover. It was a great début novel and I look forward to seeing what Cheryl Landmark will do next!
Mild Spoilers:
I don't have many complaints, except that I felt that Tenya came into her powers a bit too fast and that her mother speaking to her and helping her through tough situations was just too convenient.
April 22, 2012
Good read for people looking for a classic epic fantasy novel. Would have had more stars but the story was a little bit predictable. I kept waiting for something to happen that would mix it up but it carried on pretty much as I expected. This will probably not be an issue for most people so don't let my comments put you off if what you are looking for is a well told epic fantasy story. I was also confused by Tenya's easy dismissal of her father (despite his flaws) and her complete acceptance of her newfound powers and unknown mother in very little time. She always knew how to get herself out of trouble by conveniently figuring out the solution and mastering her fears and I thought she could have had a little more internal conflict. Other than that, good work by the author.
February 2, 2011
I wasn't quite sure about this novel when I was asked to review it. Not because the story didn't sound interesting, it totally did. But because I was asked to read the entire book on my computer. Sitting at my computer reading is not my favorite thing to do. However, I was surprised at how quickly the time flew by. I really enjoyed Wind and Fire. It's an easy, fast paced read. Tenya is a fantastic character who encounters good and evil on her journey, while coming to grips with her powers and gaining confidence along the way. Good clean read!
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January 21, 2012
In Wind and Fire, Cheryl Landmark has crafted your classic fantasy novel: a quest, a damsel in distress, a super evil bad guy, fantastical creatures, and really cool good guys. As in all of my favorite novels, Landmark writes characters that you want to know—they are good to each other (well, except the bad guys), have fun interactions and have good senses of humor. They grow in the process, and the world she created is one I liked spending time in. I do have to complain that the book needs better editing, particularly in comma and adjective use—a common problem with small presses. However, that doesn’t stand in the way of a good story, delightful characters and a fun read.
October 15, 2010
This is a very enjoyable read for those who like a bit of sci-fi and magic. Ms. Landmark has an awesome imagination and has created a very likeable heroine and a uniqueness for the future in her novel, Wind and Fire. There's a lot of action, a lot of mystical powers and one bad hombre in this story I'm sure you'll enjoy.
December 11, 2010
Cheryl Landmark is the first author to ever contact me for a review. So, naturally, I was psyched and said yes! Not to mention, she's Canadian, and I happen to have a soft spot for local authors.
I found Wind and Fire to be very Lord-of-the-Rings-esque. The main character Tenya embarks on an epic quest and there's a lot of traveling. Not typically my cup of tea but it's good to switch things up every now and then. Landmark creates a pretty remarkable world in this novel; full of magic, courage and fantastic creatures. The variety and vastness of her universe is staggering, particularly considering the book is only 232 pages.
The writing at times was a little dry and over descriptive. I would have liked to have learned more about the characters and less about Tenya and her sidekick's travels. I feel that this book could have benefited from more revisions and edits. That being said, it is still a great novel considering it's the author second one, and her first published work.
Wind and Fire is an easy read that's ideal for avid readers of fantasy quests. It's best suited for fans of the young adult genre but adults will also find it to be an enjoyable read. What a great start for this debut author! I'm grateful for the opportunity to discover this new and upcoming writer. I expect big things from her next published tale!
I found Wind and Fire to be very Lord-of-the-Rings-esque. The main character Tenya embarks on an epic quest and there's a lot of traveling. Not typically my cup of tea but it's good to switch things up every now and then. Landmark creates a pretty remarkable world in this novel; full of magic, courage and fantastic creatures. The variety and vastness of her universe is staggering, particularly considering the book is only 232 pages.
The writing at times was a little dry and over descriptive. I would have liked to have learned more about the characters and less about Tenya and her sidekick's travels. I feel that this book could have benefited from more revisions and edits. That being said, it is still a great novel considering it's the author second one, and her first published work.
Wind and Fire is an easy read that's ideal for avid readers of fantasy quests. It's best suited for fans of the young adult genre but adults will also find it to be an enjoyable read. What a great start for this debut author! I'm grateful for the opportunity to discover this new and upcoming writer. I expect big things from her next published tale!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews