Ragnekai Winds

The Old Wounds Trilogy #1

by Peter Buckmaster

What can you do when the Winds blow so cruelly? A tale that will test your wits and clutch at your heart. High King Sedmund dies leaving the realm of Ragnekai without a ruler. Lord Rencarro of Meridia and Lord Orben of the Helligan nation make their moves. And the winds begin to blow a merry dance for Anton and Emiren, young friends from the village of Fallowden. Old wounds begin to open in Ragnekai. Torbal, the High King's Shield mourns the death of his friend but knows he must act to stop the realm falling into less scrupulous hands. Lorken sees a better future for his children, but worries that his friend, Svard, captain of the Helligan Rangers, will not return. The winds begin to howl. Lunyai of the Tarakan people, away from her tribe on the Plains, finds herself caught up in a web of deceit and must trust in strangers. And Wulfner? He just wants to get home. Love, death, betrayal, chaos, mystery, and riddles. The first book in a stirring trilogy, the beginning of an incredible saga. Lose yourself in the realm of Ragnekai.

Genres: Fantasy

332 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 16, 2018

About the author

Peter is the author of The Old Wounds trilogy and the Seasons of Change trilogy (3rd book due Dec 2024). The two trilogies form the first half of what will become an epic saga, full of heart-wrenching moments, gripping action and riddles & mysteries aplenty!

Peter was born in the UK but is now in his 24th year in Japan, where he lives with his wife and two sons. His childhood dream was to live in Norway and write books, so he got it half right.

Peter grew up reading Tolkien, Forgotten Realms and Roald Dahl. He played Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, and spent far too many hours on Dungeon Master, Phantasie III and Eye of the Beholder. A fan of 80s films such as Conan the Barbarian, Beastmaster, Red Sonja and Hawk the Slayer, Peter's heart is deeply in the fantasy genre.

When not penning the next chapter, he is cooking for his ever-hungry family, going for walks, trying to see more of Japan, reading, and enjoying beer & good food.

If you are a fantasy fan, a foodie or a fan of the 80s, Buckmaster Books is the place for you!

Reviews

[Marc *Dark Reader with a Thousand Young! Iä!* · Rating 2 out of 5]

This might be the book that makes me stop trying self-published fantasy. So it's got that going for it.

Ah, who am I kidding? I'll keep disappointing myself, even beyond the slate of e-books I'm trying to clear out of my unread digital hoard so I stop being all "eventually" about them. But for real, most of the time I was reading this I was reminded of vastly better books, specifically Daniel Abraham's The Dagger and the Coin series, and Django Wexler's Shadow Campaigns, not really comparable books (particular not in storytelling quality) beyond including military campaigns and a certain mix of character types. Mostly I thought, that's how to tell a story well, and not this.

And this book wasn't even all that bad! It's not entirely it's fault. Those other books are of course, coincidentally I'm sure, traditionally published. So why wasn't I reading more of those and less of this, if that's what impresses me? Other than trying to resolve my unread Kindle library, mostly consisting of Goodreads giveaways (obligatory: I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway, back in October 2021, with no obligation to review it and maybe the author would prefer I didn't by this point, but here we are) and other self-published odds and ends, for a chunk of the past summer I opted for books that wouldn't demand much investment from me amidst a series of trips and onerous family visits, and this group of books fit the bill. Had I not already read several not-great works back to back, this book might not have felt like such an existential downer. I still would have largely disliked it but it would have been a more isolated experience and might have led to a review of just the book instead of the blathering about my entire reading life this is turning into.

It seemed promising at the outset, with good production values, and a boss author bio. Peter Buckmaster and I like the same things! (Fighting Fantasy gamebooks! 1980s Beastmaster! I would love to live in Japan!) I think author bios are important. I like to see something that gives me some reason to trust a book from that person. And if Peter Buckmaster is reading this: 1. Boss name and if it wasn't on a book I would expect to see it in porno credits, and 2. what the fuck are you reading this for. This isn't for you. You don't want to read this. Just stop now. I like you, I just didn't like this book. Other people liked it. That will have to do. Stop reading my inarticulate screed pasted slapdash in a review space. Anyway, I thought as I often do that this one might be okay, or even actually good. Oh, how I dare to dream. But then in the first two pages there were, like, eight separate mentions about how the Grey Nun was wearing grey, plain, drab robes, and it raised my hackles. (I'll post my notes and highlights to illustrate this and some other things that provoked ire, but if you read them please remember that I mostly only noted the negatives, and there were plenty of decent parts in the book too.) Still, there was enough intrigue and quality to the writing in other aspects to keep reading.

Here are the things I thought were done well. Characters were well-developed, engaging, honest and believably flawed. The book's themes were represented well, particularly how political upheaval and uncertainty affects all people, from rulers and those close to them, down to common people who have only known peace in their lifetimes. The writing was succinct (without being sparse either), for which I am grateful because if the book had dragged on in any places I would have lost my mind even more. And now at the third positive point I start hedging my compliments: although succinct, there was repetition beyond how grey and drab the drab grey garb was; in several places I found details unnecessarily restated. This mostly faded away as the book progressed, though. One more positive which I'll then crap on in the next paragraph: POV was done well. Each chapter has a specific character's 3rd-person POV and the story held well to those. And one final hedged positive: necessary background information was artfully delivered. It was clear when a passage was a history lesson to support the story to unfold, but these were framed acceptably naturally through the characters' experience and never felt like onerous info dumps, although they did contribute to one of my overall characterizations of the book which I'll also get to.

Back to POVs: too many. I have no personal restriction on the number of different POV characters in any book, and it's not truly the number that's a problem here, it's how they were used and whether that produced good storytelling or not. It did at first, and then later it didn't. The book is divided into three parts, which is fine, with several rotating POVs in the first part, and a completely new set of POV characters in part II, which is also fine but in this case it started a tendency to get overly granular in the details of the unfolding plot. Part III starts with again another new POV character, which is again fine but I don't think that added any depth, it just allowed the plot to explicitly account for details that I don't think were necessary. That character could have been seen through a pre-existing POV character's lens without any loss. Part III also includes a one-time-only POV chapter from a very minor character that honestly hurt the reading experience; it could have been cut entirely and the chapter that came after would have been vastly improved, because at least then there would have been some kind of a surprise for the reader, instead of creating a situation where the reader knows explicitly what's going on but has to wait for the characters to catch up, one of my least favorite reading experiences. (I suppose this could be offset if there's tension in waiting to see what a specific character's reaction will be, but this was not the case at all here.)

The real problem with the wasted character POVs is that they tell the story artificially. Like, they make it obvious that there's a specific plot the author is imposing, and they're going to make that plot play out in every plotted point come hell or high water, regardless of whether that makes for an interesting character arc or good storytelling in general. The characters at that point stop being engaging and are mere puppets. A great story is grounded in character's lived experience. Shocking things happen to them, not to the world. I don't think there has to be some illusion that the characters are real and telling the author what happens to them through the mystical power of imagination, but I think it has to end up feeling a bit that way for the reader. It's the difference between creating an authentic world that the characters live in, and having the characters live just to tell you what's already been plotted out. It's feeling the hand of the author moving pieces on a board for a predetermined outcome, versus not feeling that happening even though it's happening anyway. I suppose that's the art of fiction, which I did not experience enough of here. Maybe that's the global reason for me to stop trying to "accept" self-published fantasy, and yes there are some very good exceptions to this enduring bias, and I have enjoyed some of them myself and plan to do more of that shortly with a new Kindle Unlimited free trial month lined up, so don't be all like "you said you were going to stop reading this stuff" because I won't, but I'm trying to wean off further attempts, I swear. It's a process. I've still got 6-8 potentially similar things in that unread Kindle pile so . . .

Anyway, the more I read this book, the downer I felt about it. In the middle parts I was very much like, "what is this book even about?" and the only real answer goes back to that theme I highlighted, that it was about how people on all levels in a "fantasy" setting deal with political upheaval. (I had to frame "fantasy" with quotation marks because while this is an imaginary world with its unique geography and history, there was barely a whiff of anything magical, no strange beasts, no non-humans, nothing to move it beyond "Renaissanceish secondary world fiction" as a genre designation and I can't bring myself to click the fantasy tag for my bookshelf.) Even that answer fell behind as the book increasingly failed to tell a complete story. It's okay for some books to have a cliffhanger, but it didn't feel okay here and if I had come to care a whit for the story I would have been even more frustrated by the ending, which isn't even a cliffhanger, it just stops at one particular plot point and that's that. There are sequels if one cares to continue. But long before that I was unsatisfied by the story. Specifically around the 90% mark, with 30 pages to go, I had zero confidence that it would end well, and I was not surprised. I think my comment at that point was literally, "That's fucking it?" The epilogue made it even worse. It wasn't a twist on the story. It wasn't a reframing. It wasn't intriguing. It was irritatingly just an entirely unconnected thing that took a sorely disappointing book and made it somehow even worse in the span of a couple final pages. Yes, I was extra mad at the epilogue after already going from mildly hopeful to mildly regretful to feeling lousy to having no positive expectations left.

I think that's all I have to rant about. . . . Yes, that is all. No, wait, I remembered too how I came to hate the schmaltziness. It wasn't bad at first. There were some family hearth scenes all about goodness and love between the characters, but it was only late in the book that I became entirely irritated with such scenes piling on instead of, you know, things like conflict or tension or having the slightest edge to character relationships. So much goody-good times cheering each other on in taverns and we're all lovingly supportive and protective of each other and such good, honest, heartfelt people, baaaaarrrrrrffffffff. The book I read before this was even more schmaltzy but the schmatlziness in this one made it so much weaker. That is not good storytelling.

For real done now? Yeah, done. Wait . . . yes, done.

[Glen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

When the King of a land dies, there is a power struggle in the vacuum. Several people want to rule the land, and several outlying areas want to secede.

It's okay, but never quite gels for me.

[Carrie Chi Lough · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this author and this series in a writers and reading group. I didn't know what to expect from this book but man, was it an excellent adventure. The characters themselves were a breathe of fresh air from the typical grim/fantasy genre. I really loved how realistic they were. Generals in the military were actually NOT experts on everything and would make bad decisions..the couple of young characters in this book were believable in their mannerisms and also made deadly mistakes..
This book really had me guessing on what was going to happen next and I was often mistaken too.

[Christi M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ragnekai Winds is the first book in a fantasy trilogy where kingdoms and characters make their play for more land and more power.

Thoughts:
The story starts at the death bed of King Sedmund. Several are gathered around him providing him words of comfort or false hopes of a speedy recovery. However, he succumbs to death, and in doing so leaves a land potentially in chaos because he has named no heir with more than one individual capable of taking power.

Officially, Ragnekai Winds begins the day after Sedmund’s Death. Rageneki is divided into multiple regions with different Lords over the various parts. Although respect was paid to High King Sedmund, each Lord was always the ruler of his own land. It is two days after King Sedmund’s death when the other Lords of the land begin to learn of it. But two days past Sedmund’s death is also how long it takes for the first scheming to occur and it begins in Meridia with Lord Rencarro and his Second, Sylvanus. They believe that soon fighting and jockeying for power will begin in Bregustol, the city where King Sedmund lived. Together they scheme to let those who are destined to fight wear themselves out a bit. While that is occurring, Lord Rencarro’s plan is use this distraction to his advantage and perhaps expand his territory just a bit under the guise of ‘protecting’ others.

The book is broken out into 3 parts. The first part is primarily focused on King Rencarro and the western land. Part 2 focuses on the Helligan nation, who was forced out of Bregustol many decades prior and who may or may not still have a memory and longing for their old lands. Part 3 is more mixed in the different perspectives and where the narrative begins to intertwine the multiple story lines together and reaches the conclusion of the first book.

Because there are several different regions and kingdoms, multiple POVs are used in this story – all told in 3rd person. However, not all the POVs were from the main characters. Some you would only see or hear from for a just a few chapters and may not appear to be part of the main ‘action.’ For these characters, there were times I didn’t quite understand the significance, but later on I began to see it as a way the author tie story lines together. Speaking of the story line, there was more than one time I was surprised when certain events occurred or when specific characters went a certain direction. I think this is because after reading so many fantasy stories you begin to see patterns so it was nice to see these patterns differ somewhat in this story.

Although there many several different characters, regions, and kingdoms, I didn’t find it an overly complex story- meaning that I could put the book down for several days and not have trouble remembering where the story left off or what the relationships between the individuals and kingdoms were. I personally enjoy the complex and more complicated fantasy stories and would have found it a stronger fantasy book if it were more detailed, but that’s just me.

Rating: 4 stars

Thanks to Netgalley for the reader copy and the opportunity to provide an honest review.

[Elle Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Buckmaster has created an engrossing tale, one that draws the reader in immediately. The world building is superb. The Realm of Ragnekai feels real. The civilizations are three dimensional and fleshed out, all with unique and individual cultures that come alive on the page.

Ragnekai Winds has a large cast, and the story is told from many different perspectives. Buckmaster effortlessly switches between character POV's. The transitions are seamless and easy to follow. His ability to craft characters is nothing short of breathtaking. This was probably my favorite element in this book-to read characters like this- that are so vivid and engaging-speaks to Buckmaster's talent as an author. And it makes the peril that they face all the more gripping and heart wrenching.

This book contains action, love, war, and political intrigue. The battle sequences are incredibly well written. One of my favorite passages is from page 172-Svard reached behind his head and pulled forth his blade. He smiled grimly and charged, shouting a command at his men as he leapt forward, sword held high. They parted smoothly, giving him the space to deal death. His first cut took a Meridian in a downwards arc across the neck. Blood spurted forth and the hapless man fell back, clutching his throat.

But this book is not only filled with epic battle sequences and bloody glory. There are gems to be found within the pages, that speak to the deep truths of humanity. For example, page 269, which made my heart ache with emotion- Before him was the stark reality of losing a loved one. It wasn't just the loss of that person. It was the cruel destruction of the love that existed between that person and those around him or her. Death broke circles of harmony, leaving flailing strands that might never connect again.

I cannot wait to read the sequel. Highly recommended! Buckmaster is sure to be one of the great voices of Fantasy.

[Miriam O'Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took a chance on an indie author I hadn’t heard of before, Peter Buckmaster and his book Ragnekai Winds, the first in a completed trilogy. I have to say it was fantastic, I loved it.
I am drawn to character-driven books and I found the characters to be well developed, they each have their own personalities, lives, hopes and flaws.
Normally I get bored when there is an emphasis on politics but not in this case, the story revolves around the death of a king and the scramble for power by all of the Lords of the land.
Plenty of twists and turns, it does not follow a standard trope although it has a very traditional feel. The boy who I thought was going to be the typical farmboy-turned-hero? Nope!
The story moves quickly and with short chapters and only a little over 300 pages it’s a very engaging read.
As soon as I finished it I started book 2 (Ragnekai Moons) on KU, I have to see where the story is going!
5/5 rating

[Martin Connolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tale of unrest in the lands of Ragnekai. The author knows how to create a scene and writes very well indeed. I’m not so acquainted with this kind of fantasy adventure kingdom-grabbing sort of thing, but I believe it’s all the rage. Huge amount of universe building here, and some nice characterization. Might need a dramatis personae at the start, or keep a notebook handy!

[Kaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ragnekai Winds kicks off the saga with a bang—or rather, with the whispered echo of old wounds and the rustle of cloaks in dark corridors. Buckmaster builds a world that’s tense, layered, and full of political and emotional landmines. The story moves with purpose, teasing deeper forces at play, and the multiple POVs help flesh out the fragile alliances and growing tension across the realm of Ragnekai. A rich start with characters that stay with you long after the last page.

NB:
As I write this, I’ve completed both trilogies. It’s been quite the journey—one that rewards patience, loyalty to the characters, and a taste for power struggles, loss, and redemption.

Personal to the author:
Mate, you signed this book for me—how’s that for pressure? 😄 Still, I’d happily cosplay any of these characters... though only if we build the armour together. Or we just wing it and show up in cloaks and brooding expressions. That counts, right?

[Robyne Wilde · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this whole series.

Whilst this initial book can be seen as quite a lot of information very quickly, with short rapid chapters and a constant change in character POV it does an excellent job.
The first book has a setup for a complex continuing narrative throughout the trilogy. Not all characters who have chapters hold as much significance as others but it can be of importance in the later novels.

I'd say it's not a book to read whilst tired, it's politically focused in its motivation. You're experiencing the change of a Kingdom from the perspectives of different characters within their own worlds, what drives and motivates them. How one decision can change a plot point might not be expanded on until a later novel. This has required thought and planning on the authors part.

It's great world building, and between the map and the characters you get a great sense of how these people have such varying motives.

[R.V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fairly well crafted tale in which series of events build upon each other from different intertwined perspectives. The world building in it is good, and the dialogue believable. There are some minor continuity errors (a mare referred to as him, and a character with an injured left ankle, favouring the right). All in all it is an enjoyable read.

[Hitomi S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating characters and thrilling story drew me into their world very naturally. I especially love the characters. They made me feel warm or sad with them so easily and that was fun :) Enjoyed thoroughly, can't wait the next book!

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong fantasy title that kept me engaged. An imaginative story with interesting, well-crafted characters. Not a big fan of cliff-hangers, but otherwise a good book.

I really appreciate the copy for review!!

[Pegboard · Rating 5 out of 5]

In that magical time of reigning monarchs and wars between lords, captains, and clergy comes Ragnekai Winds by Peter Buckmaster. The Sovereign King Sedmund has died without an heir or proclaiming a predecessor what is the country to do? King Sedmund's grandfather was the one who united the countries of Ragnekai. But some saw it more as an invasion and look forward to a time when they can take back what was rightfully theirs.

Ragnekai Winds is written with a flare of mystique and strategies of war as Peter Buckmaster sets the characters and plot for this trilogy. The plot maybe a familiar theme, but the characters bring it alive as the story unfolds. I loved how the author strategically develops his characters and the tactic behind their response to the king's death. It is like watching a chess game come to life. My favorite character was Emiren and her simple ways. Fantasy lovers will enjoy this novel immensely.

[Rebecca]

Masterfully crafted

This book is amazing!!! The introduction to the characters was intriguing, and the way they are developed made me feel close to them. I never wanted to let them go. There is a true art in making truly endearing characters that make a reader feel closely to them without them actually being real. This book was such a pleasure to read. The author has an art to create a beautiful world with characters that make you want to live in it. I enjoyed the different characters and was genuinely so sad to see some characters and their fate. I definitely need to read more, I need to know what’s going to happen! This is a must read!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kept my interest from the first page to the last

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took an embarrassingly long time to finish but I received a free copy during a tough time in my life and many things were put on hold.

I read a lot of fantasy which makes me picky; so many authors get influenced by their own reading & I find it disconcerting to have little bits of other fantasies intrude! I was pleasantly surprised that while this contains the elements typical to many story lines, it seems to shine with its own light. Also, for parents, while there are definitely evil characters, there is no over-the-top sexual scenes or excessive cursing. The characters seem real, with everyday concerns; it's not just about royalty. The descriptions of the Ragnekai realm gives the reader a sense of place without being excessive.
The book starts with the death of a monarch who reigned disparate but geographically-connected, formerly-independent kingdoms. Many of the subjugated rulers take the death as an opportunity for land grabs in less-powerful neighboring regions. With attention directed elsewhere, they are blind to treason in their midst. A surprise awaits them all, as well as the reader!
The storyline we are also following involves two young women, one from the forests and one from the plains. Thrust into the bigger political scene totally unsuspecting, their tale will (obviously) connect them to the fate of the realm, but we will have to wait for the second book, now released, to discover their importance.

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable read!

I really enjoyed reading this book! Strongly recommended if you love the fantasy genre. Just about the right length and the right level of character development - not too long-winded and not overly complicated. Watch out for some surprising twists and some good dramatic moments.

[Rene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to read

Good characters with adventures and mystery.
Cliffhanger ending and the next book not due out until end 2018.
Just have to wait

[Brian O'Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ragnekai Winds, the first book in ‘The Old Wounds Trilogy’, is an impressive debut by author Peter Buckmaster and sets a tense, politically-charged premise for the following books in the series.

Set in the land of Ragnekai, an area divided into several distinct regions with well-defined boundaries, and strong political governance, that land has been held together in relative peace for decades through the iron fist of High-King Segmund. Now, however, Segmund lies on his deathbed and, more worryingly, he’s established no successor. Cue, political machinations and jockeying as the ambitious leaders of the other regions commence a political agenda of in-fighting, backstabbing and treachery to get control of the vacant high-kingship and the power that position wields.

Because it’s been a few years since I read any epic fantasy, I came into Ragnekai Winds with a degree of trepidation but, to be honest, I didn’t really need to worry as I soon got caught up in the fantastic world building and various characters vying for power a la ‘Game of Thrones’. As with GoT, this story also has plenty of battle scenes (the fight for Meridia is particularly gripping), some unexpected twists and turns, and multiple POV characters, some of whom can be dispatched just as you start to get a feel for them or like them.

Yes, it’s a bloody old sport, politics in Ragnekai.

Roll on book 2!

[John Michaels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ragnekai Winds by Peter Buckmaster is an epic fantasy novel that completely swept me away into a world of magic, adventure, and danger. The characters are richly developed and incredibly engaging, each with their own unique personalities and motivations. The world-building is intricate and immersive, transporting me to a distant land filled with mythical creatures and ancient mysteries.

The plot is thrilling and unpredictable and the writing is vivid and powerful, painting a vivid picture of each scene and making me feel like I was right there alongside the characters as they battled their way through their quests.

[Katherine Hebert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superb

It takes a really good author to take a story with many complex features and turn it into something that the reader can easily follow. That happens here. This story doesn’t deviate far from the traditional fantasy storyline but has such great character depth and so many details that make the plot flow that it stands out amongst its peers. The book is the first in the series but it ends on a satisfying note of its own accord. A definite must read for fantasy lovers.

[Nathan Binns · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really, really good debut for the indie author! The only thing holding it back from 5 stars for me is that the end felt more like the cliffhanger of a chapter than the culmination of the book. At the same time though, it does have me extremely excited to keep reading the rest of the trilogy so it doesn't hold it back by much! 4.5 stars then!

[Rani · Rating 2 out of 5]

Won in a goodreads giveaway. It was ok. It felt a bit amateurish to read. There were plenty of details but not enough to make it feel lush or realistic. I found that when I started to like a character they were killed off, and the story line was fairly predictable.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a Goodreads giveaway winner. Interesting story.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a nice read with likable characters.

[Anthony Philosophos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buckmaster has written an epic fantasy with broad strokes. The plot was intricately developed and the characters are all complex. I look forward to the sequel.

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a creative fantasy that starts out confusing and slow, but picks up the pace by part two. Some of the confusion never fully dissipates however. I loved that the story followed multiple main characters that changed throughout the book with some stories being integral and some merely giving background or increased world building. I found myself greatly enjoying the book by the end despite its rocky start, hence the 5 stars.