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Masters of the Elements #2
Windrider
"Leave singing to the Hag to Fifth Ranks, lad, if you don’t want to end up a witless madman shrieking to the storm from a cell in the Tower of Winds."
Good advice, all in all. Sheshan ak'Kal lives to regret that he did not heed it. Desperate to remember the windsong that once let him sing even the great storms off the sea to tatters, he forgets for one foolish moment of shared rage that Wind's gentle sister is the angry, vengeful— and quite insane—Hag.
With the Hag stalking him across Metrenna, singing a wild, terrible note that only he can hear, Sheshan discovers that weaving torrents of living air between his hands is no longer enough to keep her at bay. For his clan, his life, and a fragile new love he has found with the most unexpected of women, Sheshan must learn a new song, and become what none of his people have managed in millennia--a Windrider indeed.
Good advice, all in all. Sheshan ak'Kal lives to regret that he did not heed it. Desperate to remember the windsong that once let him sing even the great storms off the sea to tatters, he forgets for one foolish moment of shared rage that Wind's gentle sister is the angry, vengeful— and quite insane—Hag.
With the Hag stalking him across Metrenna, singing a wild, terrible note that only he can hear, Sheshan discovers that weaving torrents of living air between his hands is no longer enough to keep her at bay. For his clan, his life, and a fragile new love he has found with the most unexpected of women, Sheshan must learn a new song, and become what none of his people have managed in millennia--a Windrider indeed.
343 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 4, 2012
11 people want to read
About the author
S.A. Bolich
16 books51 followersS. A. Bolich is a fulltime freelancer with a number of published fantasy stories as well as many nonfiction articles in print and on the web, covering a wide variety of subjects from horsemanship to travel (usually with an historical slant) to the state of Flash web design. A native of Washington state, she resides there again after serving six years in Germany as a regular army military intelligence officer. She graduated summa cum laude from college with a degree in history, which she confesses was greatly aided by devouring historical fiction of every era and kind through her formative years.
Since then she has taught web design, trained horses, spent a few hectic and thoroughly enjoyable years volunteering with the United States Pony Clubs (kids and horses, oh, my!), worked in global marketing and project management, and finally managed a long-overdue escape from corporate world to write.
Her first published short story earned an honorable mention in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror; other stories have earned honorable mentions from Writers of the Future and 5th place in the Preditors and Editors online poll for best fantasy short (2009). Her first novel, Firedancer, appeared in September 2011.
She is currently working on the sequel to Firedancer, "Windrider."
You can find some of her previous work in:
Beneath Ceaseless Skies (December 2009)
Defending the Future IV: No Man's Land
Wolfsongs 2
On Spec (Fall 2010)
On Spec (Summer 2002)
Science Fiction Trails (March 2009)
Damnation Books (September 2009, a short published as an e-book)
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
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May 7, 2012I cannot rate my own book, obviously. One hopes the readership will like it. That is all an author can do.
September 2, 2012
Another great story with this series! I can't wait to find out more of this world where fire, wind, and water are mischievous.
May 13, 2012
I really, really like this series. Bolich is quite a gifted writer, blessed with an eye for description that doesn't overwhelm and yet puts you right into the scene. The story picks up where the previous book, Firedancer, left off, but with a new protagonist, which is fine. The series seems to call for it, since the writer is switching from one elemental to another, and therefore focusing on the people who can control it. In Firedancer, Old Man Fire was out of control; in this one, it is Wind. Actually, Wind is the gentle one; she has a schizo sister, the Hag, that is causing all the trouble. I love the idea of storms that think and fire that lurks. I wonder what is coming in the next one, Seaborn?
These are wonderful reads, fast-paced, beautifully written and satisfying. The characters grab onto you, even the lesser ones. Reth is a jerk but you get to see why. Wyth makes me snort with his total I-don't-give-a-damn rudeness. Jetta, though a lesser figure in this book, still comes through as a strong female itching to take charge. And I love Settak. I just do.
It is fascinating to see Jetta from a different angle here, unable to make things happen because Wind just isn't her element. She has to learn to trust someone else to get the job done. It's cool that her character continues to grow despite not being the protagonist of this book. I like Sheshan as a character as well, and I was happy to spend time in his head. He's not macho but neither is he weak, and I confess to some really anxious moments during the climax. Bolich is not above killing off characters I like!
I highly recommend these books, and I hope this series goes on for a long time.
These are wonderful reads, fast-paced, beautifully written and satisfying. The characters grab onto you, even the lesser ones. Reth is a jerk but you get to see why. Wyth makes me snort with his total I-don't-give-a-damn rudeness. Jetta, though a lesser figure in this book, still comes through as a strong female itching to take charge. And I love Settak. I just do.
It is fascinating to see Jetta from a different angle here, unable to make things happen because Wind just isn't her element. She has to learn to trust someone else to get the job done. It's cool that her character continues to grow despite not being the protagonist of this book. I like Sheshan as a character as well, and I was happy to spend time in his head. He's not macho but neither is he weak, and I confess to some really anxious moments during the climax. Bolich is not above killing off characters I like!
I highly recommend these books, and I hope this series goes on for a long time.
December 1, 2012
This was a wonderful follow-up to the first book in this series (FIREDANCER), and as with the first book, it was very well-written. With the exception of a few characters, most are well developed and believable. I would like to have learned more about Wyth (for example, it seems as though he wasn't born into Clan Hysth), and to understand Sheshan's relationship to Ayesh more.
I am looking forward to the next book, and I am hoping that the author will be more forthcoming about the details of the mythology of her world, and provide more background about the characters and their family relationships. For example, Sheshan is a member of Clan Hysth, but we never learn who his father and mother were (except to say they were dead). Was his mother and/or his father a windrider? Who else is he related to? How do these blood connection impact each windriders talents?
If I have any disappointments with this book, it is this lack of details about the characters and their backgrounds. It is a fine line to walk between providing enough background information to help the reader understand what motivates each character, and overdoing it. In this case, I think the author has been very sparse -- almost stingy -- with the inner workings of her world and the characters.
All in all, this is a fine fantasy series full of engaging people in a vividly realized setting. I highly recommend it.
I am looking forward to the next book, and I am hoping that the author will be more forthcoming about the details of the mythology of her world, and provide more background about the characters and their family relationships. For example, Sheshan is a member of Clan Hysth, but we never learn who his father and mother were (except to say they were dead). Was his mother and/or his father a windrider? Who else is he related to? How do these blood connection impact each windriders talents?
If I have any disappointments with this book, it is this lack of details about the characters and their backgrounds. It is a fine line to walk between providing enough background information to help the reader understand what motivates each character, and overdoing it. In this case, I think the author has been very sparse -- almost stingy -- with the inner workings of her world and the characters.
All in all, this is a fine fantasy series full of engaging people in a vividly realized setting. I highly recommend it.
December 25, 2012
Just as wonderful as Firedancer. I blew through it in a couple of days and I want more.
I love how, while the Firedancers use dance to control the Flame, the Windriders use song to control the Wind. I'm intrigued to see how the Seaborn work. (Gotta wait until spring. Boo.)
Like the previous book, the world and characters are wonderfully real. I especially enjoyed getting into Sheshan's head this time, and learning more about Clan Heshth, and by extension, what it means to be a Windrider, and how they are treated by those they try to protect. Some thought-provoking stuff here.
The writing is clean and mostly free from errors, which makes for an easier read. I highly recommend this book. Although, for continuity, I would read Firedancer first.
I love how, while the Firedancers use dance to control the Flame, the Windriders use song to control the Wind. I'm intrigued to see how the Seaborn work. (Gotta wait until spring. Boo.)
Like the previous book, the world and characters are wonderfully real. I especially enjoyed getting into Sheshan's head this time, and learning more about Clan Heshth, and by extension, what it means to be a Windrider, and how they are treated by those they try to protect. Some thought-provoking stuff here.
The writing is clean and mostly free from errors, which makes for an easier read. I highly recommend this book. Although, for continuity, I would read Firedancer first.
August 14, 2012
Also a very enjoyable book. I could envision the singing in my head in each passage about the windriders harmonies. It gave the book a uniqueness. My only critique was I was expecting the book to loop in a 3rd major character (in this case the Seaborn) to tie these two books with the next. Regardless I look forward to the 3rd one next year.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews