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Blackburn Chronicles #2
Wind Reapers
Charlotte Blackburn—hero, hunted, the unwitting symbol of a dark rebellion—she thwarted the deadly intent of the treacherous Order of the Sword and Scroll, but at a shattering cost. Now, she fights to survive among a tribe of fierce Wind Reapers who troll the wasteland aboard massive metal walkers. But a new storm is brewing and Charlotte is once again the linchpin in a deadly plan.
Sebastian Riley has one goal: Help the citizens of his floating Outer City to survive the Ashen Croup, a terrible affliction that drowns victims in their own lungs. But help comes in the form of the infamous Lady Blackburn, a woman wanted for treason who is determined to run headlong into destruction to prevent a coming war—even if it means reaching out to those who want her dead.
Pursued by the shadowy Order and hunted by the furious Reaper clan, Riley and Charlotte brave the monstrous hordes of decaying Tremblers and the terrors of the Wasteland to stop the bloodshed and secure a mysterious calculating engine—a device that can bring about the destruction of an entire nation. With brutal forces gathering against the unsuspecting citizens inside the Tesla domes, a vicious scientist intent on capturing Charlotte for his experiments and the whole of the country in deadly peril, one of them must make a sacrifice too terrible to comprehend.
Sebastian Riley has one goal: Help the citizens of his floating Outer City to survive the Ashen Croup, a terrible affliction that drowns victims in their own lungs. But help comes in the form of the infamous Lady Blackburn, a woman wanted for treason who is determined to run headlong into destruction to prevent a coming war—even if it means reaching out to those who want her dead.
Pursued by the shadowy Order and hunted by the furious Reaper clan, Riley and Charlotte brave the monstrous hordes of decaying Tremblers and the terrors of the Wasteland to stop the bloodshed and secure a mysterious calculating engine—a device that can bring about the destruction of an entire nation. With brutal forces gathering against the unsuspecting citizens inside the Tesla domes, a vicious scientist intent on capturing Charlotte for his experiments and the whole of the country in deadly peril, one of them must make a sacrifice too terrible to comprehend.
388 pages, Paperback
Published February 9, 2018
About the author
Raquel Byrnes
20 books63 followersRaquel was a military brat who grew up on Marine bases throughout the United States. An avid stargazer, she often travels into the desert near her home to view the meteor showers or throws launch parties for major NASA events.
When she's not writing she can be seen geeking out over sci-fi movies, reading anything she can get her hands on, and having arguments about the television series Firefly in coffee shops. She lives in Southern California with her husband, six kids, and her beloved Huskies, Zena and Keanu.
Known for pulse-pounding fiction with a breathtaking pace, she continues to bring riveting characters and epic worlds to life in an exciting new technothriller series.
Twitter/Instagram: @raquelbyrnes
When she's not writing she can be seen geeking out over sci-fi movies, reading anything she can get her hands on, and having arguments about the television series Firefly in coffee shops. She lives in Southern California with her husband, six kids, and her beloved Huskies, Zena and Keanu.
Known for pulse-pounding fiction with a breathtaking pace, she continues to bring riveting characters and epic worlds to life in an exciting new technothriller series.
Twitter/Instagram: @raquelbyrnes
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 16, 2025
Wind Reapers follows the adventures of Charlotte Blackburn. I jumped into this series on book 2 so I know I missed what facilitated Charlotte being in the midst of the Wind Reapers. That being said, I was still able to quickly find myself caught up in Byrnes' amazing style of storytelling.
Charlotte is being hunted because she has managed to survive the sickness known for creating its victims into Tremblers, a zombie like creature that thirsts for heat/warmth. If she is captured, she is sure to face torture and/or death. Doing everything she can to survive, Charlotte finds herself in possession of a device that can destroy the Tesla domes and it falls on her to keep it out of the wrong hands and if that wasn’t enough, she uncovers a plot to try and take over the country.
Steampunk at its finest! Wind Reaper is a SOLID 4.5 Stars! Clean, action intense and emotionally connecting the reader, my only regret...I didn't start with book 1.
I received this copy of Wind Reaper from Pelican Book Group. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Charlotte is being hunted because she has managed to survive the sickness known for creating its victims into Tremblers, a zombie like creature that thirsts for heat/warmth. If she is captured, she is sure to face torture and/or death. Doing everything she can to survive, Charlotte finds herself in possession of a device that can destroy the Tesla domes and it falls on her to keep it out of the wrong hands and if that wasn’t enough, she uncovers a plot to try and take over the country.
Steampunk at its finest! Wind Reaper is a SOLID 4.5 Stars! Clean, action intense and emotionally connecting the reader, my only regret...I didn't start with book 1.
I received this copy of Wind Reaper from Pelican Book Group. This is my honest and voluntary review.
February 9, 2018
This book is a non-stop adventure led by Charlotte, Tesla, and Riley. Technology can only do so much in the face of "blood storms" and a desert veined with fissures releasing searing gas and lava. Outside the dome there are a new set of obstacles and Charlotte doesn't know who she can trust. Having followed Charlotte's journey from naive girl to the point she is at at the start of this book, a competent and somewhat Machiavellian champion for what she perceives as right, this story follows her continued evolution. What struck me the most about this was that the author made the bad guys very real, not archetypal villains. I understood and sympathized with their motivation as well as I understood Charlotte's. This made the right and wrong of the matter very much a gray area. It was thoughtful and threatening, ruthless and emotional. I cried (when a book makes me cry, it has won me over) and cheered and gasped... I couldn't put it down. Wind Reapers is a heartrending adventure that full of hope and fear, a story that challenged me and made me question my own values.
March 9, 2018
Publishing Date: February 2018
Publisher: Pelican
ISBN: 9781611169430
Genre: Steampunk
Rating: 1.8/5
Publisher’s Description: Charlotte Blackburn—Hero, hunted, the unwitting symbol of a dark rebellion—she thwarted the deadly intent of the treacherous Order of the Sword and Scroll, but at a shattering cost. Now, she fights to survive among a tribe of fierce Wind Reapers who troll the wasteland aboard massive metal walkers. But a new storm is brewing and Charlotte is once again the linchpin in a deadly plan.
Review: The overall story line was compelling in that the world where this takes place has the full steampunk vibe. Airships, mechanical walkers, goggles and filters and the attire is rendered in superb fashion. So what went wrong?
Well, Charlotte did. She never grows into anything worth reading. In short she is a gasping, trembling, flouncy asshat that happens to be in situations not of her own design. She is thrust into scenes that could have been spectacular but her presence just drags everything to a halt. While the supporting caste is excellent, Charlotte is in a constant state of emotive exasperation and docile frailty, punctuated by instances of a vinegar like backbone. This constant dichotomy wears on you, especially when the fast paced movement demands a stalwart character, not some mewling cowering douche that needs help at every turn. Charlotte is so absorbed in her own condition that any good development is lost in her characters myopia. Of course the other ruination of her character is the budding love tribangle. Riley’s Emerald eyes, sinewy muscles, chiseled jaw or Ashton’s flashing eyes and etc. etc. round out Charlotte as a complete fail.
A major part of this novel resides in suspending your disbelief. Winged contraptions strapped to your body, then catapulted to fly 5 or more miles is really a flagrant disregard for physics. The living environment is not biologically supportable what with acid fumes, molten geysers and the like. Floating cities round out the unexplained along with mechanized walkers that need sails in order to move. Perhaps these portions should of had better focus in order support the ideas tendered.
I really wanted to like this alternative steampunkian world but the story line was constantly derailed and steeped in heavy doses of dialogue that merely provided points to an argumentative exchange.
If Charlotte ever grows the fuk up, I will keep reading this series.
You can read this and other fantastic reviews, Here
Publisher: Pelican
ISBN: 9781611169430
Genre: Steampunk
Rating: 1.8/5
Publisher’s Description: Charlotte Blackburn—Hero, hunted, the unwitting symbol of a dark rebellion—she thwarted the deadly intent of the treacherous Order of the Sword and Scroll, but at a shattering cost. Now, she fights to survive among a tribe of fierce Wind Reapers who troll the wasteland aboard massive metal walkers. But a new storm is brewing and Charlotte is once again the linchpin in a deadly plan.
Review: The overall story line was compelling in that the world where this takes place has the full steampunk vibe. Airships, mechanical walkers, goggles and filters and the attire is rendered in superb fashion. So what went wrong?
Well, Charlotte did. She never grows into anything worth reading. In short she is a gasping, trembling, flouncy asshat that happens to be in situations not of her own design. She is thrust into scenes that could have been spectacular but her presence just drags everything to a halt. While the supporting caste is excellent, Charlotte is in a constant state of emotive exasperation and docile frailty, punctuated by instances of a vinegar like backbone. This constant dichotomy wears on you, especially when the fast paced movement demands a stalwart character, not some mewling cowering douche that needs help at every turn. Charlotte is so absorbed in her own condition that any good development is lost in her characters myopia. Of course the other ruination of her character is the budding love tribangle. Riley’s Emerald eyes, sinewy muscles, chiseled jaw or Ashton’s flashing eyes and etc. etc. round out Charlotte as a complete fail.
A major part of this novel resides in suspending your disbelief. Winged contraptions strapped to your body, then catapulted to fly 5 or more miles is really a flagrant disregard for physics. The living environment is not biologically supportable what with acid fumes, molten geysers and the like. Floating cities round out the unexplained along with mechanized walkers that need sails in order to move. Perhaps these portions should of had better focus in order support the ideas tendered.
I really wanted to like this alternative steampunkian world but the story line was constantly derailed and steeped in heavy doses of dialogue that merely provided points to an argumentative exchange.
If Charlotte ever grows the fuk up, I will keep reading this series.
You can read this and other fantastic reviews, Here
April 13, 2023
Wind Reapers is the second instalment in Raquel Byrnes’s thrilling Blackburn Chronicles.
Charlotte Blackburn is a hunted woman. With the help of Tesla, she is barely masking the effects of the trembling sickness. Desperately trying to find Ashton she is thrust into dangerous situations by those who seek to use her. With little choice, she trusts Sebastian Riley, sheriff of Outer City, to help her.
Pursued by the Order of the Sword and Scroll and running from the furious reaper clan, Charlotte and Riley travel through the Wastelands, risking life and limb to find a device that could bring an end to their precarious world.
I was once again awed by the author’s talent and this wonderful book. The character development in the last book was my favourite aspect, in this instalment the author takes it to another level. The author does not do black and white characters. They all have their flaws and when an author can make you sympathise with the villains you know you are reading an exceptional talent.
I could go on and on about my love of this author but then I would be holding you up from reading this series. If it’s not already clear, I highly recommend this book. Get reading!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
For more reviews please visit my blog:
http://www.wonderfullyweird88.com/
Charlotte Blackburn is a hunted woman. With the help of Tesla, she is barely masking the effects of the trembling sickness. Desperately trying to find Ashton she is thrust into dangerous situations by those who seek to use her. With little choice, she trusts Sebastian Riley, sheriff of Outer City, to help her.
Pursued by the Order of the Sword and Scroll and running from the furious reaper clan, Charlotte and Riley travel through the Wastelands, risking life and limb to find a device that could bring an end to their precarious world.
I was once again awed by the author’s talent and this wonderful book. The character development in the last book was my favourite aspect, in this instalment the author takes it to another level. The author does not do black and white characters. They all have their flaws and when an author can make you sympathise with the villains you know you are reading an exceptional talent.
I could go on and on about my love of this author but then I would be holding you up from reading this series. If it’s not already clear, I highly recommend this book. Get reading!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
For more reviews please visit my blog:
http://www.wonderfullyweird88.com/
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews