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Death's Handmaiden #2
Bitter Wind
Nava Ward, the mysterious first year student at the Shinden Alliance School of Sorcery, is about to receive an offer she would be stupid to refuse. Then she gets an offer she would really prefer to refuse but can’t. And soon she must deal with the ghost of a dead actress and the bitter schemes of a mad metaphysicist. It’s all pretty normal for the top student at Shinden’s best magic school…
282 pages, ebook
First published March 2, 2020
67 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Niall Teasdale
73 books292 followersI was born in the vicinity of Hadrian's Wall so perhaps a bit of history rubbed off. Ancient history obviously, and border history, right on the edge of the Empire. I always preferred the Dark Ages anyway; there’s so much more room for imagination when people aren’t writing down every last detail. So my idea of a good fantasy novel involved dirt and leather, not shining plate armour and Hollywood-medieval manners. The same applies to my sci-fi, really; I prefer gritty over shiny.
Oddly, then, one of the first fantasy novels I remember reading was The Dark Is Rising, by Susan Cooper (later made into a terrible juvenile movie). These days we would call Cooper’s series Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy and looking back on it, it influenced me a lot. It has that mix of modern day life, hidden history, and magic which failed to hit popular culture until the early days of Buffy and Anne Rice. Of course, Cooper’s characters spend their time around places I could actually visit in Cornwall, and South East England, and mid-Wales. In fact, when I went to university in Aberystwyth, it was partially because some of Cooper’s books were set a few miles to the north around Tywyn.
I got into writing through roleplaying, however, so my early work was related to the kind of roleplaying game I was interested in. I wrote “high fantasy” when I was playing Dungeons & Dragons. I wrote a lot of superhero fiction when I was playing City of Heroes. I still loved the idea of a modern world with magic in it and I’ve been trying to write a novel based on this for a long time. As with any form of expression, practice is the key and I can look back on all the aborted attempts at books, and the more successful short stories, as steps along the path to the Thaumatology Series.
As of 2015, I have thrown in my lot with writing. After thirty years of being a computer programmer I am making enough money to quit the day job and write full time. Dreams, occasionally, come true. My favourite authors are Terry Pratchett, Susan Cooper, and (recently) Kim Harrison. Kim’s Hollows books were what finally spurred me to publish something, even if the trail to here came by way of Susan, back in school, several decades ago.
Oddly, then, one of the first fantasy novels I remember reading was The Dark Is Rising, by Susan Cooper (later made into a terrible juvenile movie). These days we would call Cooper’s series Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy and looking back on it, it influenced me a lot. It has that mix of modern day life, hidden history, and magic which failed to hit popular culture until the early days of Buffy and Anne Rice. Of course, Cooper’s characters spend their time around places I could actually visit in Cornwall, and South East England, and mid-Wales. In fact, when I went to university in Aberystwyth, it was partially because some of Cooper’s books were set a few miles to the north around Tywyn.
I got into writing through roleplaying, however, so my early work was related to the kind of roleplaying game I was interested in. I wrote “high fantasy” when I was playing Dungeons & Dragons. I wrote a lot of superhero fiction when I was playing City of Heroes. I still loved the idea of a modern world with magic in it and I’ve been trying to write a novel based on this for a long time. As with any form of expression, practice is the key and I can look back on all the aborted attempts at books, and the more successful short stories, as steps along the path to the Thaumatology Series.
As of 2015, I have thrown in my lot with writing. After thirty years of being a computer programmer I am making enough money to quit the day job and write full time. Dreams, occasionally, come true. My favourite authors are Terry Pratchett, Susan Cooper, and (recently) Kim Harrison. Kim’s Hollows books were what finally spurred me to publish something, even if the trail to here came by way of Susan, back in school, several decades ago.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 12, 2020
The book almost felt like a collection of linked short stories rather than one main novel, but it was still another really enjoyable read.
September 4, 2022
I have read thousands of books and one of the reasons I joined prime is because I can read a lot of books for free. I'm a huge fan of both science fiction and fantasy, and although that's not all I read it does constitute a large portion of my reading material. That said, every once in awhile I run across an author whose books are not free or whose books are simply worth buying. Niall Teasdale's books are not available for free but I read a teaser and immediately bought the entire six book series (there are more to come) and I'm very glad I did. Teasedale has written quite a number of other books and series. I've just finished book number six in this series and I will only say this... Spend the money by the books. You will not regret it.
April 3, 2020
This release continued the coverage of the main character's training at the academy, and the various episodes of mayhem that come the way of the core characters during the remainder of the first year.
Lots of interesting happenings manage to give the reader insights into the world background without feeling like huge blocks of exposition.
I look forward to the next volume.
Lots of interesting happenings manage to give the reader insights into the world background without feeling like huge blocks of exposition.
I look forward to the next volume.
March 6, 2022
I got sick of the porn
I had been enjoying the series, but the increasing porn just put me off. I couldn’t be bothered to finish the book.
I had been enjoying the series, but the increasing porn just put me off. I couldn’t be bothered to finish the book.
April 29, 2020
Nava Ward book 2 ---- 3.5 stars
This is the second novel featuring Nava Ward and her continued education in this magic/ Sci-fy universe. Overall this was a good book, though the opening was a bit weak due to repetitiveness, but after that thinks picked up and got better.
Teasdale style remains consistent with a 3 or 4 smaller stories that merge into the larger narrative. Along with the by now familiar scantly clad characters and mix of both action and 'action' this made for an entertaining read.
This is the second novel featuring Nava Ward and her continued education in this magic/ Sci-fy universe. Overall this was a good book, though the opening was a bit weak due to repetitiveness, but after that thinks picked up and got better.
Teasdale style remains consistent with a 3 or 4 smaller stories that merge into the larger narrative. Along with the by now familiar scantly clad characters and mix of both action and 'action' this made for an entertaining read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews