A Wind in the Night

Noble Dead Saga: Series 3 #3

by Barb Hendee, J.C. Hendee

In her quest to find the Orb of Spirit, Wynn Hygeorht is torn between two men who hate each other—her vampire protector, Chane Andraso, and the elf Osha, who has tender feelings for her. Now a strange series of clues leads them to a remote keep built on the dark cliffs of the coast of Witeny. The young duke there has been undergoing some disturbing changes—and so have the people and livestock in the outlying villages. Wynn has no idea what awaits her at this keep—an old enemy who wants nothing more than to see her dead.
  
At the same time, Dhampir Magiere, Leesil, and Chap continue their desperate search for the Orb of Air, still burdened with the master assassin, Brot’an, and the elven outcast girl, Wayfarer. Still hunted by a team of assassins, they escape on the first available ship only to find themselves under the power of a sadistic captain. Even if they manage to survive this voyage, there is a trap waiting for them at the journey’s end that is beyond anything they can imagine…
 

Genres: Fantasy, Vampires, Horror, Urban Fantasy, High Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Paranormal

432 pages, Hardcover

First published January 7, 2014

About the author

[See barbhendee.org]

Like most writers, I've worked at many jobs in my life, including teaching pre-school until I completed my master's degree in Composition Theory. Between 1993 and 2006, I taught college English while writing fiction on the side, some independently and some with my husband and life-long partner J.C.

Over the years, we've lived in Washington State, Idaho, Colorado, and now moved just south of Portland, Oregon. I love the Northwest, and it's a great place to write.

We have a lovely and talented daughter, Jaclyn, who lives in Houston, Texas along with our wonderful and talented son-in-law, Paul.

J.C. and I sold Dhampir in 2001, which changed our lives considerably. It was published in January 2003, and we've published a book in the Noble Dead Saga every year since. In May of 2006, we were both able to quit our teaching jobs and move into full time writing.

Recently, I've begun writing romance/suspense novels, beginning with: Alone with a Soldier. I am so glad my books have found an audience because I love to write fiction more than anything else in the world... and I'm not really good at anything else.

Reviews

[Jenelle Kellin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The next book in the ongoing Noble Dead Saga, our friends are once again on an orb hunt. Wynn, Osha, Chane, and Shade stay behind in Calm Seatt to dig into the archives looking for the Spirit Orb while Magiere, Leesil, Bro'tan, Wayfarer, and Chap head south to the Suman Empire looking for the last orb.

Premin Hawkes suddenly sends Wynn and her companions on a trip with Nickolas, another sage, who is being called home by his ailing father with odd requests for books that only premins and domins have access to. Upon arrival, weird things are happening and they stumble upon major trouble.

In the mean time, assassins are still dogging Magiere and her companions.

I wont go into a whole lot of further detail, but I think this is one of the best books in the series since the 6th Noble Dead book.

[Shawn Spjut · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Wind in the Night; Barb Hendee, J.C. Hendee, 2014; Roc, NY.
Here we go with #12 in the Noble Dead Saga, in which our heroine’s Wynn Hygeorht and Magerie (with an M) are once again leading their merry, or not so merry, band of heroes across the globe in search of yes, more globes - ‘spirit’ and ‘air’.

Though Hendee and Hendee tried to split the story-line between the two protagonists, the real action went to team Wynn, not Magerie - or at least not until the end, where . . .

Can’t say as that would be giving away the story. Suffice it to say, as with any good series, the authors left us hanging and the only way to get our fix of Noble Dead, is to read the next, and last book.

As far as character and story goes, I’m thinking, not for the first time, it's time to put the story to rest. Why? Because the trouble with all good stories is keeping the arch of character growth alive and well.

What do I mean by that? Like real people, a writer’s protagonist, even their antagonist, need to continually evolve, for good or bad, and if they don’t, the story goes flat. If the series is only three or four books long, it doesn't usually become a problem. It's after that point (and the point differs for every series) that it becomes, in my not so humble opinion, harder to keep the arc of evolution alive and well. In the case of the Noble Dead Saga, Hendee & Hendee, who have put their two heroines on opposing developmental arcs, are starting to lose the strength of that arc. In Wynn’s case, hers is an upward climb into independence and maturity, in Mageries’, a downward spiral into monsterhood.

Up until ‘A Dog In the Dark’, these changes were evident and helped propel the story forward.

Now? Not so much.

Not long ago, Charlaine Harris got a lot of flack for ending the Sookie Stackhouse, Southern Vampire Series. But as an author and business woman, she did the right thing. Sookie was beginning to run out of character arc. So rather than wait for her heroine to become tedious and boring, Harris forced her into making the choice that would allow her to exit the story gracefully. An assumed disappointment to readers, a smart move for the author. As far as I’m concerned, it's better to leave em wanting more, than bored and wishing it would just end.

Does this criticism of Hendee & Hendee’s choice to drag this particular story out longer than I think it should have been mean I don’t care for their writing or that I won’t read anything else?

Not even. Loyalty trumps short-term disappointment every time. A couple of books, out of more than two dozen, won’t sink my Loyal Reader Ship. I love Barb’s ‘Memory Series’ as well as their team ‘Hendee’ ‘Mist-Born’ Witch one. Not to mention that they’ve produced some short stories that I’m looking forward to reading. And despite my bitching over when I think something should end, the Noble Dead Saga is still a great story and one which will always have an honored place on my bookshelves.

On my reader scale of 1-5 stars, I’m giving ‘A Wind in the Night’ 3.5 for over all good story.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This my favorite one, yet! Finally, we get some answers and some action. My only issue really, is that in the billion of people in the world...the last orb just happened to be where it was. What a coincidence. -_-

But ignoring that, I loved the tension between Chane and Osha, I think Wynn should make a good/bad list for the both of them, lol, it was cute how they tried to one up each other. And I literally CRIED on a scene towards the end, why would you do this to me!?

People complained about Magiere and Leesil not having enough action, but I thought it was refreshing to have them back again. Not a lot can happen on ships, but there were still a couple of scenes that were plenty of awesome! I don't want to spoil it, but I enjoyed this one more than I have the others in a long time, and I can't wait to see what comes next, especially after that exciting epilogue!

[Kyla Zerbes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in 1 night! I love this series. As time has gone on, it's gotten more complex both in the storyline and in the weaving of multiple paths into the storyline. Vampire novels + fantasy = best world ever!

[Ian James · Rating 4 out of 5]

much better than the last book. I loved the epilogue reveling yet more mysteries

[Vickey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got a free copy of the first book in this series and quickly read through the existing 11 books back to back and enjoyed them. This book was upcoming at the time and I added it to my to-read list. I've now come back to it years later and it was kind of a hard slog. The plotting is so complicated that I don't remember the details of what has happened, but I find the constant recaps and long explanations very boring to read. This is a filler book and the main story here they take a long walk to look for an item, which they have done before. Not really enough adventure to hold my interest and I didn't like the personal dynamics of various characters not talking to each other causing all the drama. I'd still like to know what happens though so I'll finish the series.

[J C Steel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Right from the end of Between Their Worlds, I was crossing my fingers and praying 'Not a love triangle, not a love triangle'... unfortunately, yes, a love triangle.

However, there were slightly fewer flashbacks in this book, which was a relief.

I want to find out what happens in the series, but some of the story choices right now are giving me a terrible urge to pound my head on a handy wall.

[Robert Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5
This review is taken from my notes from when I finished the book years ago.

While Magiere, Leesil, Chap, Wayfarer (Leanalham), and Brot'an are going down the coast to the Suman Empire, Wynn, Chane, Shade, and Osha are sent to take books to a young Duke's holding. Wynn suspects much more is going on. She finds she is trapped in the castle. Sauhilak is there.

[Cassandra Ulrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even after reading the previous two sagas in this series, I am still enjoying the story. Since there's usually some time between books, I appreciate the well placed recaps. I look forward the the final installments of this action packed series.

[Steven Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read most of this series, but the last few books for me have not been that great. I've lost interest in this series which is why it took me so long to finish this book. I won't be getting another in this series.

[Tracey Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve loved this series for years. I’ve done many rereads. I have both read the books and listened to the audiobooks. I prefer the audiobook. The narrator did a good job, and I enjoyed the mix of accents. Though she does mispronounced somethings that didn’t take away from the whole series.

[Julie Bergley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so much buildup for the coming end of the series for Magiere and Leesil while having an adventure for Wynn. I cannot wait to see what the next book holds. This series is so intense.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A Wind in the Night” is the 12th installment of The Noble Dead Saga by Barb and J.C. Hendee and book 3 in series 3. The novels of the ND Saga are my all-time favorite books, so I could not wait for this new volume to be released.

“A Wind in the Night” begins exactly where the previous installment, “The Dog in the Dark”, left off: the sage Wynn is trying to find out where one of the last two artifacts, the orbs, is hidden. Helping her with this difficult task are the undead Chane and Shade, a not so ordinary large dog. Osha, an elf determined to protect Wynn and help her with her purpose, joins the group, much to the chagrin of her other two companions. Wynn finds herself torn between the two men whose purpose, namely ensuring Wynn’s safety, is the same, yet would like nothing better than to see the other one gone, preferably for good.

Meanwhile, Wynn’s original companions Magiere, Leesil, Chap and Wayfarer and Brot’an are on their way to the Suman Lands to find the sage’s ally Ghassan il’Sänke, who is supposed to be able to help them find another orb. They are again being followed by the remainder of the Anmaglahk group that trailed the group all along and the elven assassins set a dangerous trap for them.

To be honest, I have mixed feelings about this book. Overall, I enjoyed it, but there were also parts in the story that I did not like.

The large majority of the book is about Wynn’s group, which I did not expect, but that alone did not bother me. What did bother me, however, was the fact that there is barely any action going on for Magiere’s group until the very end. I almost wished Magiere’s group would not have been included at all, despite it being my favorite group. Now, I understand that they had to appear in this novel in order to lead up to the epilogue, still I found that in this regard, the story was not well-balanced.

Unfortunately, the love triangle was not well-balanced either, in my opinion. And while I understand Osha better now that his past was revealed, I do not particularly like the way he behaves now, if that makes sense.

The Hendees also introduce a new mysterious character, Aupsha, which has an astonishing ability. I was curious to hear more about her and her past, but so far, the readers are left in the dark for the most part. I am sure, however, that she will appear in the next book and we will learn a little bit more about her.

If you liked the saga so far, definitely read this book! It was not my favorite installment of the saga, but no book the Hendees have written so far (and surely will write) is ever boring or not enjoyable; it’s just that, in my opinion, this one had some flaws.

“A Wind in the Night” sure is worth your time. I assume it serves also in part as a transition and “sets the stage” for the events to come in the final two novels. I am excited about how the story as a whole will continue and about what will happen to certain characters and am looking forward to the next novel of my favorite saga!

[Jenifer1223 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Readers of this book are in for a treat when some of the characters learn that, sometimes, what you seek is right under your nose. We have seen the search for orbs take Magiere, Leesil, Wynn, and Chap into the mountains of their homeland, a long forgotten dwarven city, and frigid waste lands. In this book, the search for the ever elusive orbs leads Wynn and her companions to discover secrets relating to the orb in a place they never would have expected. As far as Magiere, Leesil, and Chap, there are obstacles taking form that might very well threaten the future of their hunt for the orb, and the only one in a position to help remove that obstacle is the one they trust the least - Brotan.

This twist in the story surrounding the orbs is one I quite enjoyed. I will caution: there are a lot of points of view in this story, so be ready to hear the thoughts and see things from the perspective of a lot of characters. If you are someone who dislikes alternating perspectives, brace yourself. In the end, your opinion of this facet as well as the overall story will rely heavily upon your attachment to each of the characters and their reaction to events as they unfold. I will confess, there were some characters I loved hearing from, and some I could have done without. But, that is to be expected in a book with so many characters. Being a fan of Wynn, Chane, and Shade from the second series, I found their return - they were not in the previous installment - refreshing.

Overall, if you have followed this series - as I assume you have since this is book 12 and not reading any previous installments would leave you utterly clueless at this point- you do not want to miss this one. You will see the return of certain elements involving the noble dead that have not been mentioned since the first series. Magic, for lack of a better word, also makes a stronger return and is quite complex in this world.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tale of Magiere and her friends continues and deepens as they continue to search for artifacts that the ancient enemy wants. They have split into two distinct search parties at this point and each is trying to get to their intended object as quickly as possible. The story is still as interesting as it has always been, though it does have more of a tendency to drag a bit as it gets about halfway through. The characters have been changing and becoming more complex in some instances and somewhat stagnant in others. The plot has been the same for the past 3 books with only minor variations in the where and who, but not much else. I'm ready for the kind of action we had in the early books, where they actually did battle with the noble dead.

Wynn sets out with Chane, Osha, and Shade for a small duchy with Nicolas who has been called home to help with the duke, an old friend. But there is something strange going on there that cannot be easily explained away. Chane and Osha are at each other for Wynn's attention and Wynn is trying to ignore them and find out what is wrong in her friends old home.

Magiere, Leesil, Chap, Wayfarer, and Brotan are sailing to the Suman empire to try and locate the orb of air. They are still being followed and still do not trust Brotan though he has done nothing to earn that distrust. They have been set up though they are unaware of it and are walking into a trap to be sprung when they arrive at their destination.

The story starts out going back and forth then becomes all about Wynn and her companions. I enjoy that side but these were supposed to be about the dhampir and she is hardly ever in it anymore. I would still recommend the book but go in knowing if you have read the others that this is more about Wynn and less about Magiere except as an aside.

[Severind Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of all the Noble Dead books, I think this is the book I remember the absolute least. Not even the blurb could conjure up much of an image. But that's okay. It means I can't write a proper review for this book, but it does remind me how it's imperative that I reread the rest of this series ASAP. I do think this was one of the weaker books, if my rating speaks any kind of volume from five years ago. I was always in the habit of giving these books five stars, so when it came in at a four, there must have been something about it that didn't appeal AS much.

Still, I remember Wayfarer, and I thought her plotline was intriguing. And I remember Osha, and man was I hoping the Chane shit would be over. I didn't want to see a love triangle come into this book, and I suppose I wasn't surprised, given Wynn's character. Interesting choice though, given that Magiere and Leesil are our main characters and we didn't really have any of that stuff going on for them (mercifully). Anyway, the authors have the dual storylines going on in this one, and that's something I wish they'd employed in earlier books. It worked, but I'm sure I preferred Leesil and Magiere's storyline over Wynn's because...it's Leesil and Magiere. But I can't remember much of either, and that leads me to think that it wasn't quite as action packed as I would have liked, and that's probably the reason for the four stars.

But man...Osha over Chane any day. I can't believe Chane lasted this long. I seriously thought he would've disappeared sooner, when he was first introduced to the series. But I was so wrong. So wrong...

[Phyllis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The twelfth book in the third series involving Magiere, Leesil, Wynn, and their companions. Yet the series shows no signs of fatigue. The series has an exciting external and internal conflicts. The characters continue to intrigue and grow. The book alternates between two story lines. Magiere and Leesil with their companions head south, seeking an orb. Wynn intends to research the possible location of the orb of wind. But instead her prelim sends her on a mission to discover the odd request of a sage in another kingdom. In this book, this storyline dominates. Wynn is reunited with her close companion, the elf Osha. But both have changed greatly during their separation. To add to the tension, Osha and the vampire, Chane, detest each other. But their odd group must be united because an old enemy has gain possession of the very orb their seek. In the meanwhile, Magiere, Leesil and their companions find themselves at the mercy of cruel sea captain.

[R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate to admit it, but the farther into this series I get, the less it holds my attention. This is especially obvious by how much longer it takes me to finish the books. I actually stepped away from this one for several months. The only reason I came back to it was because I hate leaving books unfinished... not because I really was interested in how it ends. Part of it I think is because of how disjointed it feels with the story being essentially two separate stories in one, even though they are both working for the same goal. Switching back and forth between Wynn's and Margerie's groups makes it harder to follow and not as engaging as a whole. Hopefully with only one orb left, the groups may be rejoining in the near future and this problem will be eliminated. Of all the characters though, I found Osha's to be the most compelling this time around and wished there especially would have been more interaction between him and Wynn. Something else to hope for in the next book I suppose.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book better than the last - "Dog in the Dark". It had more story with Wynn my new fave character and it was also good to swop to Magiere & Leesil's story every now & then. However I felt like a lot if this story was a filler and the fact that Wynn and Co come across another orb so quickly might show how previously the Hendee duo might have stretched out the findings of the previous orbs a bit too much.
However I wanted faster character development & a bit more of Wynn dealing with the fact that she now has 2 men in her life, so to speak, & needs to sort it out. Come on Wynn, you've been through so much already, surely you can handle 2 lovestruck guys....
Loved the epilogue & where its headed...just dont leave us hanging too long! I want so proper action instead of all this traveling about!

[Dion Cassidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another step on our journey, this time we are following Wynn, Shade and Osha.

I like the fact there is a love triangle but it is not the centre piece, we have instead an old enemy and a creepy keep. Another orb with terrifying consequences.

Magiere, Leesil, Wayfarer, Chap and Bro'tan were pleasant intervals, I felt horrible for them through this leg of the journey but it did give them a chance to recover. Wayfarer was the break out character.

But you get the strong feeling it is building up for the final two novels and each time you wish you could get a good look at Beloved's plans. Of course since our guides or characters if you will don't know so wait until they learn.

As I have said time and again, each book is a stepping tone on a longer journey. So on to the next book I go.

[Joe Aguiar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hendees seem to have definitely hit their stride again with this book and the previous book "The Dog In The Dark" after the lackluster "Between The Worlds". This chapter finds our heros split into two groups with Wynn heading one and Magiere and Leesil heading the other. Both groups searching for the last two ancient orbs and being pursued by enemies who would see them stopped. There is a lot of action and intrigue, as well as, some interesting character conflicts within the two groups. And we get some details on what happened to the Elf Osha between now and the last time he and Wynn were together. It's an entertaining and fast paced read that is more on par with the original six part series that started it all. Glad to see the Hendees and this fun series back in form!

[Nathan Balyeat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a typical book in the series. Moderately interesting plot and series plot dynamics, and decently written action scenes, but it suffers from idiot plot. As in the characters can sometimes be idiots. A large number of the challenges that the characters face are due to them not talking to each other and an enormous part of the word count is taken up by them talking about avoiding talking to each other. I kinda get it, but... eh. Anyway, I'm invested in the series and will keep reading. The quality is good enough to do so, but I wouldn't decide to start reading the series today if I had to start over again.

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a little hard to get back into at first because its been so long since I read the last one and I couldn't remember where we had left everyone. But once I read a bit more it pulled me in like it always does!

I couldn't decide if I liked the split narration between the two groups. I understand it makes the story as a whole easier to move along instead of separate books. I am excited that it sounds like the group will be coming back together soon.

Overall I enjoyed this one and was glad to see at least Wynn make progress in their quest.

[Angelique · Rating 2 out of 5]

This read like another filler book. Two books of the different groups looking or the orbs for one find to be more of a throwaway and take background to a drawn out fight scene.

I'm tired of the Wynn/Chane/Osha triangle.

And for two books we have mysteries being drawn out.

The Noble Dead Saga was supposed to have finished with this outing, and the straining seams are starting to show. I hope the next outing is more reminiscent of the earlier books.

[Brenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually didn't finish this book because I got so fucking tired of the exposition. I've stuck with this series for years, but I am beyond fed up of being told everything that has happened so far a chapter after it happened. I know what happened! I fucking read it! I was there! Never again. I'm done with this series.

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm no longer as taken with this series as I once was... but I'll probably keep reading it, just not buying the books any longer. While there are some interesting happenings in this book, I really feel like the whole story is being dragged out far too long, and not enough is being revealed about the orbs and the ancient enemy.

[Cyndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm getting a lot of reading done on vacation! I wasn't as impressed with this trilogy as with past ones. I didn't like that much of the second book was told in flashbacks. I also expected to wrap up the 'orb' story in this trilogy but obviously there will need to be another. Which means more years of waiting.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story has now developed with plots for two groups plus a great many flashbacks to fill out different characters. A big complaint I have is excessive reiteration of traits as if we can't remember details from book to book, such as why Chane has a raspy voice and so forth. It slows the story with mostly pointless rehashing while insulting to the reader's attention to the story's details.

[CaitlynAnne Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Random side note I know, but happy they moved away from mentioning stew so much. I mean it takes hours to make a stew...hence the name. No one who is traveling and stopping for a night is going to spend that long cooking over a fire. I think this is the first book that actually doesn’t mention stew at all.

[Shelley]

Published January 7th 2014 by Roc Hardcover