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Windbrothers #1
Windbrothers
This edition is no longer available.
Kade has been a slave for too long. When he passes to yet another owner in a game of chance, he goes without a fight. He's still as proud as he ever was as a warrior of his people, but he has no hope left in him. Or so he thinks. Surial doesn't keep slaves. He's not a native of Azize, the land where he serves out his banishment from his family. He doesn't believe in their customs. So when Kade comes to him on a bet, he's not sure what to do with the big, quiet man. Kade goes to work in the stables, and soon an uneasy friendship begins to grow between the unwilling slave and the unlikely master. Even Surial's servants disapprove of the relationship, but Kade and Surial have more to worry about that a few raised eyebrows. In a world where magic exists in the everyday, Surial and Kade have to face their own fears, their own dreams, and a danger that might well overtake both of them. Sean Michael builds a world full of amazing characters and places in Windbrothers, where the fragile friendship of two men is tested and tried again and again, until ultimately, they find something more precious than anything either of them has ever dreamed of.
Kade has been a slave for too long. When he passes to yet another owner in a game of chance, he goes without a fight. He's still as proud as he ever was as a warrior of his people, but he has no hope left in him. Or so he thinks. Surial doesn't keep slaves. He's not a native of Azize, the land where he serves out his banishment from his family. He doesn't believe in their customs. So when Kade comes to him on a bet, he's not sure what to do with the big, quiet man. Kade goes to work in the stables, and soon an uneasy friendship begins to grow between the unwilling slave and the unlikely master. Even Surial's servants disapprove of the relationship, but Kade and Surial have more to worry about that a few raised eyebrows. In a world where magic exists in the everyday, Surial and Kade have to face their own fears, their own dreams, and a danger that might well overtake both of them. Sean Michael builds a world full of amazing characters and places in Windbrothers, where the fragile friendship of two men is tested and tried again and again, until ultimately, they find something more precious than anything either of them has ever dreamed of.
286 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 28, 2007
2 people are currently reading
233 people want to read
About the author
Sean Michael
653 books1,210 followersOften referred to as "Space Cowboy" and "Gangsta of Love" while still striving for the moniker of "Maurice," Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and persuing the kama sutra by channeling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to "Chicago."
A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.
Barring any of that? He'll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.
A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.
Barring any of that? He'll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 12, 2016
One banished and wanting to return
The other enslaved and wanting to run free
Surial, exiled by his family to a trading outpost as a youth has built a loyal household and found a place within Azize society. He brought Rowani, his devoted bodyguard and childhood friend and his fiery tempered horse, Mon'keur. A small bit of home away from home.
He has friends and diversions in the city. Dining, theater, and gambling is how Surial amuses himself when not buried under the family business paperwork. And one evening his luck is particularly fine.
Kade is one of the pot winnings from a race. A barbarian slave who sings, a horse whisperer, and his presence in the Helan's house changes. Though Surial's people do not condone slavery and he has never owned one it is commonplace in Azize. After one look, Surial refuses to send him back to the auction house.
This is a story of friendship that grows out of sacrifice and faith that Surial and Kade show to each other. It is a slow, gentle tale that is filled with learning about their histories and cultures. As it turns out they share more than they expected and that is what bonds them.
As evil moves across the land taking and leaving trophies of the lost behind there is a growing unrest. Violence and torture, a common form are always close, but never this malevolent before, and it makes its way to Surial's house. There is magic and a demonization of chthonic religions as one, the gravest, antagonist manifests.
Naik are bonded with horses. Kade's people have an oral history, furs for beds and tents, and ethnically appear to be a mashup of nomadic peoples with tribal structure and reverence for nature and gifted roles within it. I loved the organic nature of his belief system and the rituals entailed within it. Even the detail of singing them was a nice touch to expressing the importance of it not being written, but carried on the wind. Plus it added some rather beautiful lyricism.
If you've read other Sean Michael stories this is unlike them. I have read thirty, and this is completely different in tone and content. It is beautiful to read.
It has no sex. And while that might be shocking, it has an erotic aesthetic to the language and senses, the fetishization of things from fabrics to eyes to the play of light to sounds. It is alluring without being sexual. And thus it avoids the dubious consent of master and slave in its institutionalized form.
I enjoyed this story greatly and look forward to reading the sequel. It was an unexpected surprise, and I love the setting and the characters. If there is one I gripe I have, it is the cliffhanger ending. It is in the style of fantasy epics where the journey takes the next leg, so I am somewhat forgiving. I'm just glad since there is another edition that is being redone that I trust it won't take too long. I hope. This is a review for the 2016 second edition. I have not read the first, so I cannot compare the two.
Kade saves Surial when there is no one else.
~ARC provided by NetGalley~
The other enslaved and wanting to run free
Surial, exiled by his family to a trading outpost as a youth has built a loyal household and found a place within Azize society. He brought Rowani, his devoted bodyguard and childhood friend and his fiery tempered horse, Mon'keur. A small bit of home away from home.
He has friends and diversions in the city. Dining, theater, and gambling is how Surial amuses himself when not buried under the family business paperwork. And one evening his luck is particularly fine.
Kade is one of the pot winnings from a race. A barbarian slave who sings, a horse whisperer, and his presence in the Helan's house changes. Though Surial's people do not condone slavery and he has never owned one it is commonplace in Azize. After one look, Surial refuses to send him back to the auction house.
The scent of Madrise’s soap was sweet in his braids from the night before. Too long since he’d regularly honored his family, his clan, and the warriors who taught him; it had ached. To whisper those names, to sing their deeds, their lineage, their deaths, it had ached, but the ritual had loosened the anger, eased the impatience.
This is a story of friendship that grows out of sacrifice and faith that Surial and Kade show to each other. It is a slow, gentle tale that is filled with learning about their histories and cultures. As it turns out they share more than they expected and that is what bonds them.
As evil moves across the land taking and leaving trophies of the lost behind there is a growing unrest. Violence and torture, a common form are always close, but never this malevolent before, and it makes its way to Surial's house. There is magic and a demonization of chthonic religions as one, the gravest, antagonist manifests.
Naik are bonded with horses. Kade's people have an oral history, furs for beds and tents, and ethnically appear to be a mashup of nomadic peoples with tribal structure and reverence for nature and gifted roles within it. I loved the organic nature of his belief system and the rituals entailed within it. Even the detail of singing them was a nice touch to expressing the importance of it not being written, but carried on the wind. Plus it added some rather beautiful lyricism.
“One day, Lik’ta, I know you will run through the tall grasses, dance upon the snow, eat the tiny spring apples from the trees. You will feel the Winds in your mane, and your songs will be sung over many fires, the drummers chanting your name.”
If you've read other Sean Michael stories this is unlike them. I have read thirty, and this is completely different in tone and content. It is beautiful to read.
One long braid fell over his shoulder, laced with a single dark green stone and tied with a red silk. Long enough to just kiss the pages of the beloved book, it seemed almost metallic in the lamplight—copper wire plaited together.
It has no sex. And while that might be shocking, it has an erotic aesthetic to the language and senses, the fetishization of things from fabrics to eyes to the play of light to sounds. It is alluring without being sexual. And thus it avoids the dubious consent of master and slave in its institutionalized form.
I enjoyed this story greatly and look forward to reading the sequel. It was an unexpected surprise, and I love the setting and the characters. If there is one I gripe I have, it is the cliffhanger ending. It is in the style of fantasy epics where the journey takes the next leg, so I am somewhat forgiving. I'm just glad since there is another edition that is being redone that I trust it won't take too long. I hope. This is a review for the 2016 second edition. I have not read the first, so I cannot compare the two.
Kade saves Surial when there is no one else.
~ARC provided by NetGalley~
February 25, 2023
Re-read Feb 2023: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Times read: >5
Gorgeous and brutal in equal measure. 😂😩💔 Everything I remembered and more. In fact, I've actually INCREASED my rating from 4 stars to 5 because of the FEELS.
This is not an easy read. My heart just breaks for Kade...
Once a proud warrior and protector of his tribe, Kadras (Kade) has been enslaved and brutalized for 12 LONG YEARS. We never find out exactly how old he is but my impression, from the glimpses we get throughout the story of him looking back at his life and sharing things with Surial, is that he was captured at somewhere around 25 years old which would make him about 37 in this story.
Kade has been through some TRULY TERRIBLE things and is facing a final soul-crushing sentence down in the mines where slaves are used up, chewed through, and spit out like trash.
He's right on the brink in more than one way when Surial (who's maybe 20-22?) enters his world and upends it by accidentally purchasing him.
Do not go into this expecting a quick, easy read.
Do not expect an instant romance, or for Kade and Surial to get together quickly... because it takes a LONG time for what's simmering below the surface to coalesce into something deep and beautiful.
It's the slowest of slow burns. I mean, really... the Slow. Est.
Is it perfect? No. No, it very much is not. Even so, this book just fills my heart and STOMPS on it at the same time. I fucking love Kadras so much. His character is SO DEEP. And while we really have to go THROUGH it with him and Suriel to get to their beautiful HEA, goddamn I promise the reward is so worth it!
This is not a cheap-and-dirty romance. It's a long, slow, intricate and intimate journey toward soul deep connection and mutual understanding.
Kade and Surial's story is about identity & character.
Humanity.
Loyalty.
Choice.
Destiny.
Values & Morals.
Integrity.
Pride.
Sacrifice.
Family & belonging.
Pain.
Freedom & self-agency.
Healing.
It's about being seen and accepted for who you are...
And ultimately, yes, it is a story about deep and abiding love.
Yes it's long... and yet somehow, every piece of the puzzle is necessary . I never found it boring, and remember, I've read this many many times. I don't find the need to skim or skip, even though I technically know what's going to happen, which is a major compliment from me as I'm not afraid to call out anything I find superfluous or dramatic, such as when an author wanders out in the weeds with unnecessary peripheral plot points or contrived theatrics. Again, it's not perfect. Sometimes the prose it a bit flowery and Sean Michael has a unique talent for somehow saying the same thing four different ways. But instead of seeming overdone or rehashed, it's a bit like holding up a crystal and looking at all the different sides. Really examining a situation, a feeling, a pivotal moment that changes a character's trajectory forever. He also has a somewhat comical (to me) habit of latching onto a couple of specific descriptives and using those like brad nails to drive his point home surreptitiously. For example just for fun, at the end I did a search of the kindle version to see how many times he'd used "simple" (21) and "tiny" (24), lol.
I would absolutely LOVE for Sean Michael to revisit this world and these books, mostly to rebrand them with MUCH better covers (the one for Part 2 is truly terrible 🤣). I know he can find some big blonde muscled studs that would look hot AF representing these spectacular, noble-spirited Naik warriors with their scars of honor and braids filled with memories.
I'm also confident there are many more Ba'achi and Hi'icha whose stories have yet to be told ❤️
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2017 review:
This was a re-read...
I love this story. Absolutely love it. I think the Windbrothers verse is Sean Michael's best work. It's a beautiful, deep, intense story of love and loss and what makes us whole. And the 'verse is ... literally magical. I'd love to see more of this 'verse honestly, I love the pairing of ba'chi and hi'icha. There are 3 books in the 'verse... Windbrothers Desert, Guardians of the Wind, and an anthology of shorter stories with different pairings, As it Should Be I recommend them all.
Times read: >5
Gorgeous and brutal in equal measure. 😂😩💔 Everything I remembered and more. In fact, I've actually INCREASED my rating from 4 stars to 5 because of the FEELS.
This is not an easy read. My heart just breaks for Kade...
One owner after another—good, bad, all the same. Life at Kasiik’s had been hard but stable. The horses were fine, the food reasonable. A’chaffa! He’d been whipped only on rare occasion, never harassed. Life had been tolerable. Then the head man had come out with the branding irons and announced the slavers were stealing slaves. Kade had fought, upending the bin of coals and attacking the head man with his bare hands. He wore his clan marks, he wore his scars. He would not wear the marks of a master.
Once a proud warrior and protector of his tribe, Kadras (Kade) has been enslaved and brutalized for 12 LONG YEARS. We never find out exactly how old he is but my impression, from the glimpses we get throughout the story of him looking back at his life and sharing things with Surial, is that he was captured at somewhere around 25 years old which would make him about 37 in this story.
Kade has been through some TRULY TERRIBLE things and is facing a final soul-crushing sentence down in the mines where slaves are used up, chewed through, and spit out like trash.
A voice, dark and menacing, sounded in his head. "...to the mines, Kadras. Down, swallowed in the earth, no wind, no sun, no sky. Lost inside the body of the mother..."
He's right on the brink in more than one way when Surial (who's maybe 20-22?) enters his world and upends it by accidentally purchasing him.
His braids fell around him, twisted and matted. He could see the insects that traveled the long copper roads looking for patches of skin to make their home. It occurred to him suddenly that he did have a tribe that depended upon him—Kadras, the keeper of the tribe of lice and flies. That amused him, made him chuckle, made his eyes sparkle with something too near madness.
Do not go into this expecting a quick, easy read.
Do not expect an instant romance, or for Kade and Surial to get together quickly... because it takes a LONG time for what's simmering below the surface to coalesce into something deep and beautiful.
It's the slowest of slow burns. I mean, really... the Slow. Est.
Is it perfect? No. No, it very much is not. Even so, this book just fills my heart and STOMPS on it at the same time. I fucking love Kadras so much. His character is SO DEEP. And while we really have to go THROUGH it with him and Suriel to get to their beautiful HEA, goddamn I promise the reward is so worth it!
This is not a cheap-and-dirty romance. It's a long, slow, intricate and intimate journey toward soul deep connection and mutual understanding.
Kade and Surial's story is about identity & character.
Humanity.
Loyalty.
Choice.
Destiny.
Values & Morals.
Integrity.
Pride.
Sacrifice.
Family & belonging.
Pain.
Freedom & self-agency.
Healing.
It's about being seen and accepted for who you are...
And ultimately, yes, it is a story about deep and abiding love.
Yes it's long... and yet somehow, every piece of the puzzle is necessary . I never found it boring, and remember, I've read this many many times. I don't find the need to skim or skip, even though I technically know what's going to happen, which is a major compliment from me as I'm not afraid to call out anything I find superfluous or dramatic, such as when an author wanders out in the weeds with unnecessary peripheral plot points or contrived theatrics. Again, it's not perfect. Sometimes the prose it a bit flowery and Sean Michael has a unique talent for somehow saying the same thing four different ways. But instead of seeming overdone or rehashed, it's a bit like holding up a crystal and looking at all the different sides. Really examining a situation, a feeling, a pivotal moment that changes a character's trajectory forever. He also has a somewhat comical (to me) habit of latching onto a couple of specific descriptives and using those like brad nails to drive his point home surreptitiously. For example just for fun, at the end I did a search of the kindle version to see how many times he'd used "simple" (21) and "tiny" (24), lol.
I would absolutely LOVE for Sean Michael to revisit this world and these books, mostly to rebrand them with MUCH better covers (the one for Part 2 is truly terrible 🤣). I know he can find some big blonde muscled studs that would look hot AF representing these spectacular, noble-spirited Naik warriors with their scars of honor and braids filled with memories.
I'm also confident there are many more Ba'achi and Hi'icha whose stories have yet to be told ❤️
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2017 review:
This was a re-read...
I love this story. Absolutely love it. I think the Windbrothers verse is Sean Michael's best work. It's a beautiful, deep, intense story of love and loss and what makes us whole. And the 'verse is ... literally magical. I'd love to see more of this 'verse honestly, I love the pairing of ba'chi and hi'icha. There are 3 books in the 'verse... Windbrothers Desert, Guardians of the Wind, and an anthology of shorter stories with different pairings, As it Should Be I recommend them all.
May 27, 2016
‘Windbrothers Desert’ is fantasy of the best kind. It pulled me into a world entirely different from my daily reality, and with its lyrical language and beautiful world building Sean Michael has created something special with this first volume. With mystical countries, the contrast between harsh slavery and luxurious living, and hints of magic, the scene is set for what looks to be an unusual and epic battle against a very dark evil. Initially, it wasn’t very clear (at least to me) what forces are at work, but it quickly becomes evident that cruelty, torture, and a ruthless disregard for life is what they stand for. Like always when a fantasy world fascinates me, I did not want the book to end – and I’ll warn you now that it’s quite the cliff-hanger.
The two main characters come from very different backgrounds, yet have a lot in common in terms of their inner strength. They start out as unwilling master and yearning-for-freedom slave, then become friends and may become more, as hinted at toward the end of the book. It’s an excellent slow burn that simmers in the background and elegantly avoids any hint of dubious consent.
Surial is banished from his homeland for reasons that only become clear partway through the novel, and he thinks it’s unfair. He feels ignored by his father, hates the family business he has to take care of, and wants nothing more than to return home. He leads the life of a solitary-by-choice rich nobleman and the last thing he wants is to own a slave. As soon as Kade becomes a member of his household things begin to change, no matter how much Surial intends to ignore him – or the fact that he now owns another human being, much to his dislike.
Kade comes from a proud warrior race, but has been a slave for years. His background only emerges slowly, and the connection to the bigger picture is as fascinating as it is scary. He has been horribly mistreated, and can’t believe how relaxed things are at his new master’s home. Kade works with horses and quickly seems to settle in, but escape and regaining his freedom remain at the forefront of his mind, no matter how nicely he’s being treated.
That escape attempt has all kinds of consequences neither man was able to foresee, and it becomes the first turning point in the way they relate to each other and the world around them. Both have their own trials as well as tests together, and each of them has a lot to learn. They are not the same men by the end of this first book as at the beginning, and I can only fear what trials may lie ahead of them in future volumes.
If you like well-built fantasy worlds that pull you in and make you forget where you are, if you want to know more about two men from vastly different backgrounds who face unspeakable evil as they become friends, and if you’re looking for a read that is fantastical, interesting, and only the beginning of what promises to be a captivating story arc, then you will probably like this novel as much as I did. Bring on the next installment!
NOTE: This book was provided by DSP Publications for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
The two main characters come from very different backgrounds, yet have a lot in common in terms of their inner strength. They start out as unwilling master and yearning-for-freedom slave, then become friends and may become more, as hinted at toward the end of the book. It’s an excellent slow burn that simmers in the background and elegantly avoids any hint of dubious consent.
Surial is banished from his homeland for reasons that only become clear partway through the novel, and he thinks it’s unfair. He feels ignored by his father, hates the family business he has to take care of, and wants nothing more than to return home. He leads the life of a solitary-by-choice rich nobleman and the last thing he wants is to own a slave. As soon as Kade becomes a member of his household things begin to change, no matter how much Surial intends to ignore him – or the fact that he now owns another human being, much to his dislike.
Kade comes from a proud warrior race, but has been a slave for years. His background only emerges slowly, and the connection to the bigger picture is as fascinating as it is scary. He has been horribly mistreated, and can’t believe how relaxed things are at his new master’s home. Kade works with horses and quickly seems to settle in, but escape and regaining his freedom remain at the forefront of his mind, no matter how nicely he’s being treated.
That escape attempt has all kinds of consequences neither man was able to foresee, and it becomes the first turning point in the way they relate to each other and the world around them. Both have their own trials as well as tests together, and each of them has a lot to learn. They are not the same men by the end of this first book as at the beginning, and I can only fear what trials may lie ahead of them in future volumes.
If you like well-built fantasy worlds that pull you in and make you forget where you are, if you want to know more about two men from vastly different backgrounds who face unspeakable evil as they become friends, and if you’re looking for a read that is fantastical, interesting, and only the beginning of what promises to be a captivating story arc, then you will probably like this novel as much as I did. Bring on the next installment!
NOTE: This book was provided by DSP Publications for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Read
May 27, 2016really loved this.
February 4, 2012
The writing was nice in some places but it was sometimes a bit too....fantastic. And a tad silly. Also, it was basically gay-for-you, which I don't care for at all and have virtually no patience for, especially when it's as serious as one having been happily, heterosexually married with children with absolutely no prior homosexual inclinations or desires. The premise was interesting (exile and such) and I'm a fan of strong silent types and forced arrangements that turn into something beautiful, but the resulting relationship here was unfulfilling for me...I mean the title is befitting as, by the end, the protagonists are virtually just "brothers". And I don't mean because of the lack of sex, so don't misunderstand, because I am a HUGE fan of non-explicit sex or no sex at all, so I chose this book for that reason. I just didn't really enjoy the plotline. Also there was more "telling" than "showing". So...eh... Big fluffy sandwich with no meat in the middle.
April 1, 2013
This was my second attempt at this book. Both times I found the first 60 or so pages tiresome, tedious, and slow. Breaking thru the early character, culture, and class development into the nearly melodic tones of the remainder of the book is akin to finding a rainbow after a storm. This text is frequently slammed for what comes after in the series. If M/M is not for you - think of this as a stand alone story of faith and friendship. Appreciate this well written volume on its own.
May 28, 2011
I liked reading this book. Kade and Surial are interesting characters. Kade is a slave from the land where horse and nature are very important. Surial is a lord whose power of healing caused him to be banished from his family. It turns out he is also a descendant of a long-line magic family.
No sex here. They are saved for the sequel, Guardians of the Wind.
No sex here. They are saved for the sequel, Guardians of the Wind.
August 1, 2016
3.5 STARSI feel like this entire book is setting down a strong basis for book #2, it's a great high fantasy that might have been 300 pages long for what I felt was laying down a base so I'm really looking forward to the sequel, and that's not something I usually do. I usually find them a huge let down as I'm pretty sure there's no more books to follow on from this.
December 4, 2018
Oh well. I don't know what I expected, but I'm actually relieved I finished this book and I don't think it's a good sign. It has some nice ideas, but it's soo long and not much happens... At some point I really struggled to continue cuz I was simply bored. The characters are barely okay. The farther into the story, the more childish Surial seemed to be. Kade was mostly broody or suffering or despairing but somewhere in between he's also found some time to act heroic, yay! I didn't actively dislike them, but there was no chemistry between them. Seriously, there was more spark between Aline and the bard and we see them both in what, 2 or 3 chapters? I found no romance whatsoever in the whole book if you don't count that cryptic Kade's remark to Surial about their ki'ita bond - which happens nearly at the end of the story. I am not satisfied and given the abysmal reviews of the sequel I think I'll pass on next books
May 16, 2016
“All my life I have allowed others to dictate what I will do. It is time I grew up and took my fate into my own hands”
A very beautiful story and perfect high fantasy!
I really enjoyed reading this and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. This is a story of desert, magic, wind and horses. It is a rather gripping story that touches the reader as the lead characters, Suriel and Kade, each in their own way, reach out for justice, freedom and life.
Windbrothers Desert is a story of courage, of people rising up to stare adversity in the face, refusing to be cowed by it, refusing to be cowed even when death draws near. I loved this story and I am not sure I can do it justice in a review because it is more than just a story.
It is the beginning of a saga.
As I started this book, I was taken to the strange desert kingdom of Azize and to a young man who lives there. Suriel a wealthy trader lives in Aziz with his household and his horses. He lives quite a solitary life yearning for his own country but he is an exile, banished to Azize by his family. Life is ok but it isn't what Suriel truly wants. He yearns for the family who rejected him and he desires more from life. Suriel despairs of things ever changing but the desert winds blow where they will, bringing sand, horses and magic and when he wins a slave in a wager, Suriel's life begins to change in ways he could not have predicted.
Azize is a place of social hierarchy with a caste system, slavery and the brutality that goes with this. Suriel does not take part in this system, refusing to own slaves until he wins Kade.
Kade is a slave who was taken from his home in the desert. He is a proud warrior, stripped of his power but not his dignity. Kade mourns the loss of his home and people but in Suriel's household he finds his place caring for the horses or Windbrothers.
Eventually through respect, and justice Kade is set free and finds friendship and companionship with Suriel but it is not just Kade who finds new life. Suriel also finds life, self-acceptance, courage in the face of oppression, and affirmation. Suriel begins to push back the shadows and fears in his own life.
“I will not be bullied by people with more money than brains and more greed than honor.”
“It was not an easy thing, to follow the song in your heart. It was, however, a hard thing to silence it.”
This is only the first book in a series that is being re-published and so the story ends as another begins. Nevertheless this first book is deeply enjoyable and rich in its storytelling. A sense of darkness and suspense runs through the story and as events occur the feelings of suspense increase. I was so tempted to peek at the end of the book but I resisted.
The story overflows with the emotions of all the characters. I would have cried at the passion and courage towards the end of the story but I was in a plane and decided not to alarm everyone. My heart was left on a high with the ending and yet I was also left with many questions and a need to know what will happen next.
I am glad I read this and I think any fan of high fantasy will enjoy this. This isn't an erotic story though, so those of you who like 'rumpy pumpy' stories move along, move along.
Having said this who knows that might come later but it is a really good read without the erotic.
This is the second edition of a series which the author has decided to re-publish and I am so glad the author is doing this. I hope book two will be re-published soon because I have so many questions, as do Suriel and Kade, and I cant wait too long!!
Copy provided by DSP publications (many thanks) via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
April 1, 2017
Review written for Love Bytes Reviews.
This book…was so much more than I thought it would be and by the end of it I was fairly amazed at the story I’d just finished reading. I never got around to reading the first version of the Windbrothers books and while I’m disappointed in myself for that fact, I’m also so very pleased to have the opportunity to read the re-release now.
Kade, once a proud warrior for his tribe has been taken and sold into slavery, a fate worse than death as far as he’s concerned. Nearly broken by the harsh treatment and failure to escape, he’s wholly unprepared for when he’s lost in a bet and given to a man that owns no slaves and finds the practice horrifying. Surial, on the other hand, grew up within a life of privilege and even when he was banished from his home and sent across the sea, he never really lost sight of that. When he ends up winning the one thing he didn’t expect and doesn’t want, he isn’t quite sure what to do but is entirely positive he wants nothing to do with any of it. What starts out as merely an inconvenience, however, slowly morphs into a friendship that changes both men in ways neither expected. Kade comes to respect the man he now calls master and even finds himself pledging to protect him while Surial finds within himself the strength to take the moral high ground and stand up to those long used to pushing him around.
I found the changing relationship between the men was kind of like watching a flower open up; it was a slow process but rewarding to see and, in the end, you’re left with something beautiful. There is no romantic relationship portrayed here but the beginnings of it could be seen by the end and I very much look forward to seeing it happen in the next book. In truth, I didn’t miss not having a relationship here as it was more rewarding to see how each man brought the best out in the other, even just as friends. There was so much more to the story than just the relationship between Kade and Surial, however, as there was family drama, political machinations, and a threat that neither man saw coming to contend with.
There was a little drag to the story in the very beginning as I struggled with unfamiliar terminology and just getting settled into the pace and setting of the story but I was very quickly drawn into the world the author created and found myself lost to it. The series, according to the author, is going to be expanded out to four books and after reading this first one I am extremely excited to see what’s coming next. I HIGHLY recommend this one, even if it doesn’t seem like your typical read at first; I felt that way as well but was completely in love with it by the end.
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2016/05/2...
This book…was so much more than I thought it would be and by the end of it I was fairly amazed at the story I’d just finished reading. I never got around to reading the first version of the Windbrothers books and while I’m disappointed in myself for that fact, I’m also so very pleased to have the opportunity to read the re-release now.
Kade, once a proud warrior for his tribe has been taken and sold into slavery, a fate worse than death as far as he’s concerned. Nearly broken by the harsh treatment and failure to escape, he’s wholly unprepared for when he’s lost in a bet and given to a man that owns no slaves and finds the practice horrifying. Surial, on the other hand, grew up within a life of privilege and even when he was banished from his home and sent across the sea, he never really lost sight of that. When he ends up winning the one thing he didn’t expect and doesn’t want, he isn’t quite sure what to do but is entirely positive he wants nothing to do with any of it. What starts out as merely an inconvenience, however, slowly morphs into a friendship that changes both men in ways neither expected. Kade comes to respect the man he now calls master and even finds himself pledging to protect him while Surial finds within himself the strength to take the moral high ground and stand up to those long used to pushing him around.
I found the changing relationship between the men was kind of like watching a flower open up; it was a slow process but rewarding to see and, in the end, you’re left with something beautiful. There is no romantic relationship portrayed here but the beginnings of it could be seen by the end and I very much look forward to seeing it happen in the next book. In truth, I didn’t miss not having a relationship here as it was more rewarding to see how each man brought the best out in the other, even just as friends. There was so much more to the story than just the relationship between Kade and Surial, however, as there was family drama, political machinations, and a threat that neither man saw coming to contend with.
There was a little drag to the story in the very beginning as I struggled with unfamiliar terminology and just getting settled into the pace and setting of the story but I was very quickly drawn into the world the author created and found myself lost to it. The series, according to the author, is going to be expanded out to four books and after reading this first one I am extremely excited to see what’s coming next. I HIGHLY recommend this one, even if it doesn’t seem like your typical read at first; I felt that way as well but was completely in love with it by the end.
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2016/05/2...
April 7, 2014
The first chapter or two almost killed me. I wanted to claw my eyes out. Happily I stuck with it and it got much better. My only other gripe after that is that Surial's attitude/reaction towards things and people occasionally got on my nerves.
September 24, 2011
I've read this several years ago and still remember some of the scenes, the whipping, the travel through the mountains, the bazar - so I think this says something. I also remember that there was no on-page sex in this, and still the connection between the two heroes was strong. Gotta reread it sometimes...
maybe-later
April 2, 2013This was in to-read until I noticed it was written by Sean Michael, who I've repeated been disappointed by (just not my type of books, I guess *shrug)
The blurb...the blurb sounds interesting, but is poorly written. Don't be apologetic about it, sheesh.
The blurb...the blurb sounds interesting, but is poorly written. Don't be apologetic about it, sheesh.
March 23, 2010
FYI - no sex in this book.
Read
February 10, 2019It was a weird book and it ended weirdly as if it wasn't even finished. I have no idea what to think.
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