Petrichor

by C.E. Wright

Hurricane will do anything for her family. She will hunt for livestock, fly through endless storms, and glare straight into the eyes of her dangerous superiors. She will do anything to keep her father, mother, and sister alive and away from the streets. She especially will do anything for them not to know how she has kept them alive thus far, so when she is extorted and threatened by a duplicitous advisor of the reigning god in her kingdom, she leaps at the chance to meet his demands. She must defend her loved ones and her convictions against an increasingly aristocratic, prejudiced society. Will the god of the air and storm’s wings shelter her? Or will they leave her like a lamb to the slaughter?

Genres: Dragons

99 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 2, 2022

About the author

Whether in her state of Tennessee or traveling around the world, C.E. Wright wants one thing out of life: joy. So, she pursues it, namely through creativity. Her inspiration comes to her during long walks on the beaches of Amelia Island and relaxing with a warm cup of tea. She started writing her magic at a young age and plans to never stop. When not at her university studying English, Creative Writing, and languages, she plays classical piano and hones her artistic skills.

Reviews

[Pierre · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pleasantly surprising book.
First I was taken aback by the present tense of the narration, a bit unusual, but rapidly got used to it. This comes with an exposition delivered as the story goes, gaps in understanding forming and filling as it goes. The result is a flow that feels alive.
Also, I would not have expected such a short book to give so much.
Although the main plot (or rather the part covered in this book) *is* short and is the start of something longer, the character development is interestingly done.
The social abuse by members the dominant priest caste, and a backstory forcing the MC Hurricane to earn her family's keep, are cause for many hardships she overcomes as she can, doing what she must, unfaltering.
And the progressive exposition delivers some good unexpected slaps and surprises.
The editing must have been quite thorough, for I can hardly remember spotting errors or out of place wording.

[Rakeela Windrider · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in one sitting on the day of my birthday. What a treat it turned out to be! I love reading about dragons who can't bear to kill sheep. The setting is fascinating, too. There's lots of magic in it that separates it from the everyday, but at the same time a flawed society is depicted by an author who knows they are depicting plausible flaws.

The book is a bit short. I can't usually read books in one sitting, even if I want to. Fortunately, there's a sequel, so I've ordered that. I'm looking forward to seeing more of the Head in the Clouds setting!

[Ha'Ani Whitlock · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting introduction to the World of the Petrichor series. Although I wouldn't give it 5 perfect stars, I think this is a book worth reading.

The prose was well-written and descriptive, something I don't see in a lot of self-published books.

The world is also unique, and I am excited to see the kingdoms Hurricane will explore in the next books.

Speaking of, it's really hard not to like Hurricane. She works hard, endures a lot of suffering to provide for her family. She is a pretty likeable character

Overall, I enjoyed this book.

A few things didn't make sense, like...Hurricane and her mom don't get mad at Dust Devil / Dandelion for hoarding gold to pay for a transition surgery. Her family is poor and starving, but when they find out a child is hoarding funds, none of them get angry (except the dad) . Eh? I mean, I get that they accept Dust Devil and stuff, but also, ya can't just hoard money for cosmetic surgery when your family's starving, ya know? Er, and doesn't Dust Devil have a tumor on her tail? Why won't she save up for that instead?

Anyway, that aside, I want to read to the next book in the series! I recommend this book for dragon and wyvern enthusiasts.

[clara · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ☆

“just as the gems are locked into this ground, i have locked in my fate. i will save petrichor from vermin.”

i want to preface this review by saying that the author is one of my close friends which did not influence my opinion while reading and certainly has made me even more proud to know her 🫶🏻 wright is an eloquent writer whose imagery makes you feel like you are soaring in the skies of petrichor with hurricane, wind kissing your feathered body. i felt disconnected with the story for the first half just because of the slower build up, though after that, i couldn’t seem to put my kindle down. i’m really looking forward to reading the next books and seeing how she continues the plot. these books may be on the smaller side but they pack a punch of a good story.

i really enjoyed reading the dynamics of hurricane’s relationships between family and friends. it translates to real life and can be quite relatable. i’m curious to see how these relationships will play out as the plot develops and what other characters may enter the picture.

[Ansley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating kickstarter for the series, Petrichor caught and held my interest from the beginning. The world building and character development are set up in interesting ways. I appreciated the diversity of the characters, and the way expectations regarding tropes are subverted. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an appreciation for good writing.

[Tori Darland · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was good. The second half got really good. The first half was kind of long. I reccomend this book.