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The Legacies of Arnan #2
Wing Wind
The land withers under the pall of Draigon Weather, ushering in a new Sacrifice in the trading town of Melbis.
Cleod, lead sword of Kilras Dorn’s renowned caravan, finds himself haunted by his failures and the shadow of long-departed Leiel. Shaa, the Draigon that broke and nearly killed him, has returned, and the need for revenge ignites his soul. Now he must choose between two lives—that of solace and friendship or that of violence and death. Whether to be a trusted guardian or a Draigon slayer.
Far to the north, the Draigon share old teachings, laughter, and heartache. Hard lessons prepare the newest of them for the role she will claim. Then, time-honored treaties between Draigon and Draighil are violated, threatening everything the Draigon protect. Now they must decide which is of greater need—continuing the secrets held for centuries or exposing the truth of their existence.
For knowledge, the Draigon know and Cleod will come to understand, can raise a storm to shake the very future of Arnan.
Cleod, lead sword of Kilras Dorn’s renowned caravan, finds himself haunted by his failures and the shadow of long-departed Leiel. Shaa, the Draigon that broke and nearly killed him, has returned, and the need for revenge ignites his soul. Now he must choose between two lives—that of solace and friendship or that of violence and death. Whether to be a trusted guardian or a Draigon slayer.
Far to the north, the Draigon share old teachings, laughter, and heartache. Hard lessons prepare the newest of them for the role she will claim. Then, time-honored treaties between Draigon and Draighil are violated, threatening everything the Draigon protect. Now they must decide which is of greater need—continuing the secrets held for centuries or exposing the truth of their existence.
For knowledge, the Draigon know and Cleod will come to understand, can raise a storm to shake the very future of Arnan.
318 pages, Paperback
First published April 16, 2018
About the author
Paige L. Christie
16 books64 followersPaige L. Christie is author of The Legacies of Arnan Fantasy series. The first novel Draigon Weather, published in 2017, has received praise from Janny Wurts and Lucy Holland. With the series complete, Paige is working on a couple stand-alone novels and trying to remember how to write effective short stories!
Paige was raised in Maine, and lives the NC mountains, writing speculative fiction, walking her dogs, and being ignored by her 3-legged cat. She is a a proud founding member of the Blazing Lioness Writers.
Always a nerd, obsessive about hobbies like photography, Ghawazee Dance, and listening to the characters in her head, Paige can be found slightly left of center.
Paige was raised in Maine, and lives the NC mountains, writing speculative fiction, walking her dogs, and being ignored by her 3-legged cat. She is a a proud founding member of the Blazing Lioness Writers.
Always a nerd, obsessive about hobbies like photography, Ghawazee Dance, and listening to the characters in her head, Paige can be found slightly left of center.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 15, 2022
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a honest review. The Legacies of Arnan continues to be anything but the simple black and white telling such as in a history book. It contains varying degrees grey and red to denote the blood and loss over the centuries. Wing Wind pushes the action and earth shattering revelations to the forefront with not a moment to catch your breath. This is indeed a wild ride! This will be a spoiler free review but I be touching on events from the previous novel.
Cleod, lead sword of Kilras Dorn’s renowned caravan and Draighill, is haunted by his failures in protecting his long time friend Leiel from becoming a sacrifice to the Draigon Shaa. The ancient beast is now returning to the land and Cleod has his sights set on revenge. The shocking truth becomes apparent when Cleod discovers that Leiel is alive and he must choose between being a protector or a slayer of beasts. Leiel has been whisked away by Shaa to the northern mountains. Here she will encounter other Draigons to learn their histories, secrets, and also their deepest fears. The Draigons are the keeper of ancient histories and they know the truth about Arnan. Leiel will discover a shocking truth regarding the Draigons and it will change everything you have read before and moving forward. The treaty between the Draigons and the Draighill will break and hard choices need to be made. I hope you are ready to see them.
Much like in the previous novel, Draigon Weather, this novel alters between Cleod and Leiel’s point of view but that is just the beginning. We are still witnessing the time jumps between several chapters and I continue to be in awe of how smooth and flawless the narrative comes across. If you are looking for more on an explanation on this, I will link my previous review for book 1 down below. Wing Wind also does a bit of a shift away from the Weird Western subgenre and more towards a traditional fantasy story without sacrificing the characters, pacing, or the plot. This is truly a story I’ve never seen before and it will sweep you off of your feet. You have the strong female POV who is very caring and clever but is often times broken by the difficult choices she has to make. We also have a somewhat hardheaded male POV with a good heart but a difficult path to follow and nothing in store for him but pain.
If you are looking for something different as all the stories seem to blend together or just an action packed adventure with horrifying twist, then this is the series for you. The Legacies of Arnan is an under appreciated gem of a series and one that should not be overlooked. The ending made me only want to continue the story right away if not for my ever-growing TBR (shakes fist)! Teachings are some of the greatest secrets we can hold dear, but what would you do if those teachings and histories are wrong?!?!?! You will have to read and find out!
Cheers!
Cleod, lead sword of Kilras Dorn’s renowned caravan and Draighill, is haunted by his failures in protecting his long time friend Leiel from becoming a sacrifice to the Draigon Shaa. The ancient beast is now returning to the land and Cleod has his sights set on revenge. The shocking truth becomes apparent when Cleod discovers that Leiel is alive and he must choose between being a protector or a slayer of beasts. Leiel has been whisked away by Shaa to the northern mountains. Here she will encounter other Draigons to learn their histories, secrets, and also their deepest fears. The Draigons are the keeper of ancient histories and they know the truth about Arnan. Leiel will discover a shocking truth regarding the Draigons and it will change everything you have read before and moving forward. The treaty between the Draigons and the Draighill will break and hard choices need to be made. I hope you are ready to see them.
Much like in the previous novel, Draigon Weather, this novel alters between Cleod and Leiel’s point of view but that is just the beginning. We are still witnessing the time jumps between several chapters and I continue to be in awe of how smooth and flawless the narrative comes across. If you are looking for more on an explanation on this, I will link my previous review for book 1 down below. Wing Wind also does a bit of a shift away from the Weird Western subgenre and more towards a traditional fantasy story without sacrificing the characters, pacing, or the plot. This is truly a story I’ve never seen before and it will sweep you off of your feet. You have the strong female POV who is very caring and clever but is often times broken by the difficult choices she has to make. We also have a somewhat hardheaded male POV with a good heart but a difficult path to follow and nothing in store for him but pain.
If you are looking for something different as all the stories seem to blend together or just an action packed adventure with horrifying twist, then this is the series for you. The Legacies of Arnan is an under appreciated gem of a series and one that should not be overlooked. The ending made me only want to continue the story right away if not for my ever-growing TBR (shakes fist)! Teachings are some of the greatest secrets we can hold dear, but what would you do if those teachings and histories are wrong?!?!?! You will have to read and find out!
Cheers!
April 19, 2018
Wing Wind is the seamless sequel to Draigon Weather. Nothing is as satisfying to a reader as picking up a second in series that nearly outshines the first. Wing Wind gives us the answers to questions we didn’t know to ask yet.
Book 3 is a highly anticipated release. Can’t recommend these highly enough.
Book 3 is a highly anticipated release. Can’t recommend these highly enough.
April 2, 2024
[There are no explicit plot spoilers in this review.]
Wing Wind is Book Two of the four-book series, Legacies of Arnan, by Paige L. Christie. I enjoyed the first book for its uplifting themes, well-developed relationships, and effective use of time jumps. Wing Wind continues to evolve the childhood friends, Leiel and Cleod, into their 20s and 30s, and thankfully deepens their relationships with wonderful supporting characters like Kilras and Gahree. While the pay-off here is excellent (I immediately started Book Three after completion), the order of how the story is told had me struggling to gain momentum in the first half.
With Draigon Weather, I felt like I was watching the author solve a jigsaw puzzle blind by picking random pieces out of the box and placing them exactly where they belonged, resulting in a surprising, satisfying conclusion. The structure of Wing Wind is more like doing all of the edges first -- and while the edges are necessary, I already know that the interim result will be a rectangle and I'm much more interested in finding out what's going on in the unexplored middle.
In this case, the first half of Book Two sequentially explores Leiel's evolution from the moment she is separated from Cleod on the mountaintop to their next meeting in Melbis. This section is foundational to the choices that Leiel makes later, but it didn't surprise or excite me as much as I hoped it would. I'm glad I stuck with it though -- once the story catches up in time to the final moments of Book One (around the 60% mark on Kindle), the action explodes and the reveals pile up.
The writing continues to crackle throughout the story. The conversation that concludes Chapter 48 is horrifically awesome and forced me to recalibrate my expectations for the next books. This is not a series that will play it safe and hew close to the familiar baseline it established upfront (and sometimes, I'm in the mood for a book like that!) -- it will continue to grow beyond the original blueprints, much like its thoughtful, compassionate characters.
Wing Wind is Book Two of the four-book series, Legacies of Arnan, by Paige L. Christie. I enjoyed the first book for its uplifting themes, well-developed relationships, and effective use of time jumps. Wing Wind continues to evolve the childhood friends, Leiel and Cleod, into their 20s and 30s, and thankfully deepens their relationships with wonderful supporting characters like Kilras and Gahree. While the pay-off here is excellent (I immediately started Book Three after completion), the order of how the story is told had me struggling to gain momentum in the first half.
With Draigon Weather, I felt like I was watching the author solve a jigsaw puzzle blind by picking random pieces out of the box and placing them exactly where they belonged, resulting in a surprising, satisfying conclusion. The structure of Wing Wind is more like doing all of the edges first -- and while the edges are necessary, I already know that the interim result will be a rectangle and I'm much more interested in finding out what's going on in the unexplored middle.
In this case, the first half of Book Two sequentially explores Leiel's evolution from the moment she is separated from Cleod on the mountaintop to their next meeting in Melbis. This section is foundational to the choices that Leiel makes later, but it didn't surprise or excite me as much as I hoped it would. I'm glad I stuck with it though -- once the story catches up in time to the final moments of Book One (around the 60% mark on Kindle), the action explodes and the reveals pile up.
The writing continues to crackle throughout the story. The conversation that concludes Chapter 48 is horrifically awesome and forced me to recalibrate my expectations for the next books. This is not a series that will play it safe and hew close to the familiar baseline it established upfront (and sometimes, I'm in the mood for a book like that!) -- it will continue to grow beyond the original blueprints, much like its thoughtful, compassionate characters.
October 16, 2021
Paige Christie's debut, Draigon Weather, was a strong, thoughtful and deliberate examination and unpicking of some of epic fantasy's most common tropes, undermining the perception of the revenge-driven swordsman as a righteous hero. Fans of Janny Wurts, JV Jones, and Lucy Hounsom won't be surprised by this, nor will they be surprised to learn that Christie's characters continue to suffer as the plot unfolds in Wing Wind.
The restoration of Draigon Weather's final scene from the beginning of Wing Wind means that we begin instead with a framing scene of two Draighil waiting to kill the infamous Draigon Shaa. And one of the Draighil is Cleod, who has redeemed his past career - so he believes - by escorting caravans across Arnan for the last decade or more. How did he get here then?
Christie's operatic Western-styled pacing and setting is perfect for the slow unfolding of the tragedy, but first we must follow Leiel as she begins to chart her own future amongst the Draigon. This part of the book is ironically the most like a more standard "training montage" sequence, and in some ways that's unavoidable as Christie is forced to hand out lore and background while Leiel finds the strength of her Great Shape.
By the end of Wing Wind, Christie has torn away at the foundations of both Cleod and Leiel, as well as pitching Kilras and Trayor deeper into the mix. It's notoriously tough to pull off a middle volume in a series without leaving some threads dangling unsatisfactorily, but everything Christie does here is methodical, with an end goal in mind. Things in Arnan are clearly going to get much, much harder before they get any better.
The restoration of Draigon Weather's final scene from the beginning of Wing Wind means that we begin instead with a framing scene of two Draighil waiting to kill the infamous Draigon Shaa. And one of the Draighil is Cleod, who has redeemed his past career - so he believes - by escorting caravans across Arnan for the last decade or more. How did he get here then?
Christie's operatic Western-styled pacing and setting is perfect for the slow unfolding of the tragedy, but first we must follow Leiel as she begins to chart her own future amongst the Draigon. This part of the book is ironically the most like a more standard "training montage" sequence, and in some ways that's unavoidable as Christie is forced to hand out lore and background while Leiel finds the strength of her Great Shape.
By the end of Wing Wind, Christie has torn away at the foundations of both Cleod and Leiel, as well as pitching Kilras and Trayor deeper into the mix. It's notoriously tough to pull off a middle volume in a series without leaving some threads dangling unsatisfactorily, but everything Christie does here is methodical, with an end goal in mind. Things in Arnan are clearly going to get much, much harder before they get any better.
September 16, 2018
Another fantastic read from Paige L. Christie. The continuing journey of our heroine, Leiel, and her discovery of herself in Cyunant. Might I add a place that I would love to be. We catch up with Cleod and his transforming journey. Will Leiel and Cleod ever get together, or was it not meant to be? Will the people of Arnan ever figure out what is really going on? Will the struggles of the women ever change? So many questions still that I cannot wait for the next volume.
Paige's writing style and content keep me hooked. On a personal note, Wing Wind helped get me through an immensely rough time of life. I look forward to the next release, thank you Paige!
Paige's writing style and content keep me hooked. On a personal note, Wing Wind helped get me through an immensely rough time of life. I look forward to the next release, thank you Paige!
June 13, 2018
Beautifully written, I was enthralled from the start. The lives of the women in Arnan come to the forefront, and it is there that the story builds breadth and depth to the mythology. I loved Christie's first book -- but this book surpassed it in emotional context and reader engagement. I loved every minute of this novel. Christie is masterful in revealing just enough of her characters that they have depth but always leaves a bit more for the reader to wonder about. Fascinating tale that gets more interesting with each novel.
April 7, 2020
This was an excellent continuation to Draigon Weather. Once more, this story managed to jump through time seamlessly.
It's a smart book, in that it demand your full attention to capture the true essence of what's being said and the world within which it's working. It's best enjoyed through several sittings as opposed to a single afternoon (but that just might be me!).
I'm partially annoyed about how the book ended, but I reserve hope that it's a brief interlude to Long Light and only an opportunity for character growth... We shall see!
It's a smart book, in that it demand your full attention to capture the true essence of what's being said and the world within which it's working. It's best enjoyed through several sittings as opposed to a single afternoon (but that just might be me!).
I'm partially annoyed about how the book ended, but I reserve hope that it's a brief interlude to Long Light and only an opportunity for character growth... We shall see!
April 19, 2026
Similar praise to the first book, but overall this worked less for me. We see flashbacks from 22-28ish, and again for 38-39, but that is a massive chunk to be missing. Too much happened off the page, while what was on the page was less than thrilling. I accept that Leial needed time to heal, as did Cleod. But I really didn’t need to be there for all of her breakthroughs and tears, and I only gained moderately by being there through his booze.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2018
Great Adventure for a second book
Normally second books in a series are just boring. Not this one. I got too involved in Cleod’s problems. Frankly, I would like to beat the neurosis out of him. Maybe Kilras can do something with him.
Great book. Keep it going. I want more women dragons and unrequited love!
Normally second books in a series are just boring. Not this one. I got too involved in Cleod’s problems. Frankly, I would like to beat the neurosis out of him. Maybe Kilras can do something with him.
Great book. Keep it going. I want more women dragons and unrequited love!
September 11, 2020
Good sequel. First chapter kind of gives away where story is heading, but the trip is enjoyable. Characterisation is deepened in this book for the two main characters.
Read
January 10, 2023Love the femine centeredness of these books!
June 19, 2019
Wing Wind didn't have the same Western vibe as Draigon Weather but that doesn't mean it wasn't as good. In fact, I think I liked it more than the first one.
For me the Western feel of DW came from the concentration of the plot on Cleod's life on the trail and Leiel's "Little Hell on the Prairie" upbringing. WW moved into more traditional fantasy settings and tropes while sacrificing (see what I did there? No spoilers!) neither the feminism nor the dragons.
Seeing female characters who not only have agency but actually take the plot by the throat and demand that it revolve around them is refreshing and needed in today's environment. I am going to recommend these books to my daughter. She loves stories about strong, vital women and these would totally be her jam.
I love this series. After a harrowing end to book 2 for our main characters I can only imagine where book 3 will take us. Which means, of course, that I'm completely wrong. I'm going to enjoy the sudden but inevitable twists that are sure to come.
For me the Western feel of DW came from the concentration of the plot on Cleod's life on the trail and Leiel's "Little Hell on the Prairie" upbringing. WW moved into more traditional fantasy settings and tropes while sacrificing (see what I did there? No spoilers!) neither the feminism nor the dragons.
Seeing female characters who not only have agency but actually take the plot by the throat and demand that it revolve around them is refreshing and needed in today's environment. I am going to recommend these books to my daughter. She loves stories about strong, vital women and these would totally be her jam.
I love this series. After a harrowing end to book 2 for our main characters I can only imagine where book 3 will take us. Which means, of course, that I'm completely wrong. I'm going to enjoy the sudden but inevitable twists that are sure to come.
June 14, 2018
A great sequel that continues the story of Leiel and Cleod--one for the better and one for the worse. I loved the way the story unfolded--again, it jumps through time although it doesn't take nearly as long as the first book to get to the crux of the storyline. The truth about the draigon is finally revealed. I admit I dragged my feet reading the last 1/3 of the book simply because I hated the way the story was heading for some of the characters.
There are new characters that I loved, and there was a big reveal about at least one beloved character that I did not see coming! There were too many typos and errors in the early part of the book but that got much better as the book continued.
Can't wait for the next book!
There are new characters that I loved, and there was a big reveal about at least one beloved character that I did not see coming! There were too many typos and errors in the early part of the book but that got much better as the book continued.
Can't wait for the next book!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews