Customer Reviews

Souls of the North Wind

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Chrissy McVay's Souls of the North Wind is a wonderful tale of two teen-aged Inuit boys who seek to remove a spell put on one of them and to destroy the ancient creature determined to destroy the same boy. The story takes place in the barrens of the Canadian tundra where the boys live with their people, the Ihalmiut tribe (people of the deer). Time is running out for these natives who have spent generations living on the tundra, surviving largely on caribou and deer (tuktu). The mothers of both boys were among the many that have died in recent years from starvation during the devastating winter months.

Iksik is attacked on his way back from a Kabluna (white man) village and believes the attack is the result of a curse put on him by the Nattilik witch, Agara. The people in his village begin to blame him for a series of disasters that take place after he returns, almost dead, from his trading mission. For Iksik's safety, he and his cousin, Kiviok, who can communicate with dogs and who has the makings of a great shaman (medicine man/spiritual advisor) to the tribe, leave the village at the urging of their fathers. The story then follows the boys on their journey to find Agara and make her retract her curse, and to destroy the frightening creature with the horrid, yellow eyes that stalks them along the way, before he destroys them.

Souls of the North Wind is classified as juvenile fiction for ages 9 - 12. I can easily see the book being read to early elementary school students as well as part of unit about the Alaskan/Canadian tundra and the people who live there. With the 2006 Alaskan Iditarod currently underway (03/04/06), Souls of the North Wind would fit nicely into a unit on the Iditarod. There's a great opportunity in this book to learn new words, words from another culture. Reading about a culture very different from our own is also good for our children; to learn how the members of a tribe must work together to survive. Even young children have their tasks. McVay tells her story so well the reader will be captivated from page one.

Carolyn Rowe Hill

Author Chrissy McVay has written a marvelous adventure story set in the frozen northland and centering around two brave determined young Inuit boys and their courageous dogs. Although this novel was written for a juvenile audience, I believe it will appeal to readers of all ages who love action, adventure, suspense, and extremely intriguing ancient Native American legends and lore as much as I do. Author McVay has really done her homework here, and the result is one fabulous book. I couldn't put it down!

Imagine you're a young Inuit teenager on a special mission from your tribe...find the witch who put a hex on your cousin and have her remove it. This is the reason Kiviok and Iksik set out across the Canadian tundra with two sled dogs as their only companions. Add to the story a sea monster, unscrupulous gold miners and a large forest denizen, and you've got the ingredients for an enchanting adventure story for young readers. There's enough tribal lore and excellent writing to satisfy older readers also.

One-hundred-eighty-two pages of pure adventure, SOULS OF THE NORTH WIND captured me from the very beginning. I'm not surprised that it won the Silver in ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Award in the juvenile fiction category.

But don't let that "juvenile fiction" fool you! This entertaining, educational novel is as enthralling for adults as it is for children. It's a riveting coming-of-age tale of two Ihalmiut boys who have the adventures of their lives on the the rugged Canadian Tundra.

Your heart will go out to these youngsters as they set out on a quest to rid one of them of a curse. With the fate of their entire village depending on their success, will they be able to save him and lift the curse? Will they be in time to save their village? And what frightening experiences do they face along the way in this hair-raising tale?

Author Chrissy K. McVay apparently knows her subject matter; writing with vivid imagery she breathes life into each character in this fast-paced novel of a primitive culture that preceded our more civilized societies.

Readers of this book will be enlightened as they learn more about the fascinating customs and legends of the Ihalmiut people who inhabited this wild, yet breath-taking territory. Hopefully, they will find new beauty and significance in their own lives as they learn about these early people and their rich heritage.

McVay's writing is clear and crisp, with a gentleness of touch and a way with words that made me feel as though I were there--in the book--right beside the characters. This outstanding novel has won a treasured place on my library shelf, right along with some of the best wordsmiths of our time. I highly recommend it, and feel it would make an enthralling movie.

I look forward to reading more from Chrissy K. McVay, a bright new light in the literary world.

Review by: Betty Dravis, 2007

When Iksik returned from a trading trip to a Kabluna village in the midst of a late snowstorm he was hounded by a witch's curse, a curse that brought with it danger and death from an ancient predator. All except the lead sled dog, Kuiniq, died in the night and Iksik was left partially paralyzed and wandering the land of death before the Ihalmiut's shaman sang him back into life. Kiviok, Iksik's cousin, could hear Kuiniq's voice and words in his mind and Kuiniq told Kiviok something evil tracked them through the blizzard and killed the dogs.

The Ihalmiut people lost several more men during a hunt and blamed Iksik for their bad luck. The shaman who was to lead Iksik and Kiviok to the land by the sea fell ill and the cousins left their village alone before their people decided they must be killed to remove the curse Iksik brought back with him. Taking Kuiniq, Iksik's lead sled dog, and Atnaliki, Kiviok's pup, the two young Inuit men journeyed alone through unknown lands and people to ask the witch who cursed Iksik to remove her curse and stop the yellow-eyed demon that stalks them and all who help them. When they reach the sea they will have to face the demon and death before they can return home.

Although "Souls of the North Wind" is juvenile fiction, everyone will enjoy the story it tells. Chrissy K. McVay's adventure tale spans the difference between Inuit and the rest of the world, showing their way of life and their beliefs in a realistic and sympathetic light. The Inuit world of Iksik and Kiviok at first seems backward and simplistic, but through the main characters' eyes the reader sees an open honesty and lack of guile that is delightfully enchanting.

The language of the Inuit is strange and daunting to read but McVay presents these ancient traditions and beliefs in a way that makes them seem less foreign and almost familiar. Kiviok and Iksik's adaptability and simple acceptance of hardship are shown in simple, straightforward language that rings with truth. Although the story is simple one of adventure, change and growth McVay layers in deeper meanings with a deft hand. "Souls of the North Wind" is the kind of story that grows richer with each reading.

Chrissy McVay takes you to another place another world another time and she makes you feel, taste, smell, and experience the different atmospheres where her story develops (Canadian Barren Lands). She gives the reader a breath of fresh air by successfully taking the reader to that other place, that other world and another time from the world we are accustomed to live in.

Take a tour, a journey to the other place the other world another time where there is no war or everyday conflict between man, countries and nations. Where there is no CNN, NBC, or ABC, shopping malls, Macy's or to the overall negativism of the world as a whole.

See and feel the coldness of the snow. Taste, hear and feel the coolness of the lake where Chrissy McVay takes you. Become a part of the Ihalmuit, an Eskimo1 tribe, and experience their beliefs, moments of sorrow, moments of happiness and their adventures. Listen to the delicate sound of water trickle down the lake rippling against the stones. Hear the deer, the bow and arrows of the Inuit's (Eskimo's1) on their search for venison and in their search to appease the evil spirits. Feel the softness and enjoy the warmth the skin pelts that offer your body warmth and comfort on an ice, cold windy night.

Journey to and experience the great Mackenzie River. Admire the Mackenzie Mountains as the author portrays them as the palms of hands holding the sky. Experience the great water of the North, the Beaufort Sea. Feel its cool mist, hear the waves slush against the rocks and taste its salty brine.

Listen to the shaman (all knowing) and perhaps, you, as a reader will be much wiser for it. Do not be afraid to witness, and to experience the life of the Ihalmuit tribe.

Escape from the monotonous world we live in by reading Chrissy McVay's "Souls of the North Wind."

Chrissy McVay's novel had won the Book of the Year Award and rightly deserved. Don't wait for the movie read her book first.


1In Alaska the term "Eskimo" is still commonly used.

Souls of the North Wind is rich with Canadian tundra imagery. McVay has done a magnificent job in articulating Inuit customs, beliefs, and sacred observances in this story. McVay's characters are worth studying as examples of the primitive state that civilized societies have emerged from. Souls of the North Wind makes a profound impression. McVay uses words of lasting import and as I read the story, I ask myself what advantage our society possesses over that of more primitive cultures, and I find, the more I read about the Ihalmiut customs in Souls of the North Wind, that we have no right to look down upon them. McVay enters a world with a vast body of Inuit legends and customs that lend beauty and significance to all facets of life. Souls of the North Wind is the carved tusk storage box of customs that preserve Inuit tribal heritage. Chrissy McVay is an excellent interpreter who through Souls of the North Wind has helped convey the richness of the Inuit culture to us. Souls of the North Wind greatly increases the value of the Inuit culture. Congratulations Souls of the North Wind for winning the silver (second place) in ForeWord magazine's Book of the Year Award in the juvenile fiction category! Well-deserving!


~~Sage Sweetwater, author of The Buckskin Skirt Oar Traveler and From the Convent to the Rawhide: The Saga of Sadie Cade and Vi Montana. http://www.authorsden.com/sagesweetwater

"Souls Of The North Wind", by Chrissy K. Mcvay, is a treasure that will find a place of honor in my book collection. As a fellow writer of Native American fiction, this novel struck a cord deep in my spirit. It portrays the life of two young Inuit men, who must go on a quest to rid one of them from a curse placed on him by a witch. This curse brought death and destruction to Iksik's village. Only the lifting of the curse would save the village. As part of the curse they are trailed on their treck across the barrens of the frozen tundra to the sea by a Dire Wolf.


Iksic and Kiviok, face life at the most basic level and triumph in their journey. Along the way they learn what life may hold in store for each of them as well as the future of their people. The story is told in a fashion that shows the beliefs and sensibilities of the Inuit and lends the reader a look into a life that is not so far removed from our own.


Although the book is geared toward a young adult readership, adults alike will find this book compelling in its story and content. I highly recommend this book to all readers who love stories that are well told, about Native peoples. Well done. I look forward to reading more by this author and will add her books to my collection of Native lore.


Jake George
Author "The Red Man In Me", "Grandfather's Song" and "A New Dawn"

Souls of the North Wind by, Chrissy K.Mcvay
I dare anyone to try to put this book down. The author brings you on the adventure of two Inuit cousins just as if you were there with them. The message and importance of family values and dedication is very clear. The excitement of what will be the next encounter of Iksik and Kiviok is a mystery and has your heart racing as to what will be the outcome of every step they take to find the witch who they feel has put a curse on one of them. It brings out the closeness that the Inuit's and their sled dogs have. Kiviok has his special gift acknowledged by the Shaman. In the woods lurks a beast that has never been seen before but is a danger and a great concern to all who travel the woods of the great North. Story-telling is a gift that these settlers all enjoyed, the story of this beast is revealed by a group of men. The friends the cousins meet and how they handle situations is sure a lesson that we can learn to make our lives better. This story is a real page- turner that I highly recommend to all who like a good read.

Souls of the North Wind leaves the reader with a sense of feeling good and wanting to know more about the future adventures of the two Inuit boys. The author's description and imagery help the reader feel there, a part of the boys' lives as they adventure across the tundra to the sea. The well-drawn account remains vividly in mind after the adventure is complete. The author does an excellent job of weaving thought-provoking words of wisdom throughout the text. Great suspense, encountering interesting characters, experiencing the environment, and learning about the native people leave the reader with a deep sense of appreciation for nature, a people, and a culture. Thank-you for your timely contribution to juvenile literature.