Song of Desert Wind take place three months before the events of Shadows of a Dream. After slaying the Dread that Walks, the Songspear, Aristoi, travels south still chasing the Well of Shadows. Carrying the Gwylligi's curse with her, she enters the desert kingdom-state of Oenigh in the hopes of finding a book holding the key to bringing her long walk to an end. What she finds instead holds the secret of the primal urges that cling to her soul with vicious talons
Harby never disappoints. This was the second of his prequel works I read and I found myself drawn into the story from the start.
The brief glimpse into Aristoi’s life is written in rich, tangible detail so that the pictures are painted on the mind with Harby’s words.
Aristoi’s underlying predicament (one of several, it would seem) opens the door to a much larger story and I’m eager to see whether Harby will further explore her story in future works.