Genre: Fantasy/Sword
and Sorcery
Description:
“Despite his insolent attitude, Ellspeth, captain of the Sea Falcon,
is attracted to the dark-haired worker she hires to help unload the vessel's
cargo.
When the supposed dockhand reveals he is Lord Dal, the last member of
the Council of Wizards, and her passenger, Ellspeth breaks a cardinal
rule—fraternizing with the paying customers. Bringing Dal back from near-death
releases Ellspeth's latent powers and threatens her captaincy. For to have
magic she must give up the sea.
In accordance with an ancient prophecy, Dal allows Ellspeth to be
handfasted to him without her knowledge or consent. However, the prophecy
doesn't state whether she will return his love. A likelihood threatened as the
deception is unveiled and they are hunted by fanatical clerics bent on ridding
the world of magic and those who wield it.
Trapped within the Oracle's Temple and marked for sacrifice, Ellspeth
is forced to choose between survival, saving the future of magic...or love.”
Author:
Helen B. Henderson writes about herself, “Although I wrote fiction for
myself as long as I can remember, and been a professional writer for many
years, pursuing publication for my fiction is a more recent endeavor… My
writing crosses genres and types, from fiction to historical documentaries. I'm
especially proud of the two romantic fantasy series, the Dragshi Chronicles and the Windmaster
novels. Originally conceived as short stories, the characters came to life for
me and my readers. I hope they will for you also.”
To learn more please visit Ms. Henderson’s website.
Appraisal:
Ellspeth has sea water in her veins. She has always dreamed of
captaining her own ship, which she has accomplished, and has the loyalty and
respect of her crew. It’s long been known that magic and deep water don’t mix,
and that fact is proven when Lord Dal, the last member of the Council of
Wizards, and two healer mage’s are passengers on the Sea Falcon when a magical
storm engulfs the ship. Lord Dal is gravely injured using his powers to protect
the vessel, and it’s all the healing mage’s can do to keep him alive. Little
does Ellspeth realize her latent ability for mage power has awakened, and she
is able to pull Dal back from the brink of death with her touch and speaking to
him.
This is an exciting tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat
till the last page. There is an evil mage, with his conspiring evil clerics,
human sacrifices, and swashbuckling sword fights. As well as serious soul
searching, contemplation, emotional turmoil, and a budding romance. All woven
into a quest for hidden wizarding artifacts to fulfill an ancient prophecy to
save the wizarding world.
The characters are well thought out and fully developed. I found it
easy to become fully immersed in their world of challenges. The scenery puts
the reader on the deck of a ship looking out over calm or raging sea,
experiencing the adventures of crossing the craggy cliffs, beautiful meadows,
or forested lands. The plot twists and turns in clever ways. The dialogue is
natural and believable. I can’t think of one thing I didn’t enjoy about Windmaster. I would highly recommend to
readers who enjoy adventures by land and sea, swashbuckling quests, and magic.
FYI:
Windmaster is book
one in the WINDMASTER NOVELS. Young Adult appropriate.
Format/Typo
Issues:
No significant issues.
Rating:
***** Five Stars
Reviewed
by: ?wazithinkin
Approximate
word count: 95-100,000 words
No comments:
Post a Comment