Customer Reviews

Wind From A Foreign Sky

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Gaultry is a young, beautiful, spirited huntress, who has been raised by her great-aunt, a hedge-witch, on the border of Tielmaran. One day, the outer world cruelly ends her idyllic life, as a squadron of soldiers seeks to abduct her, and she finds herself a key figure in a prophecy that will bless or curse the entire realm.

Ms. Reimann creates, for the most part, a well-imagined world with some fresh touches. However, the kindest thing I can say about her telling of the story is that, this being her first novel, she shows glimmers of potential. To identify the major problems: First, the story begins, for the sake of excitement, as Gaultry and the prophecy are about to collide; consequently, the plot is over-burdened with flashbacks and info-dumps about the history of Tielmaran--information that could have been much more gracefully integrated via an earlier starting point. Second, the magic 'system' involves drawing power from the realm's gods (yet spells are called spells, not prayers), and its workings are never defined well enough to bear the crushing burden of the book's climax, which also spins out of control from Ms. Reimann's inexperienced quill. (An unfortunate example from p. 374: "There was a weird short-circuited merry-go-round through all the bodies in the circle, an unpleasantly long dance, before the Glamour-spirits were properly settled." Note that neither circuits nor merry-go-rounds are otherwise known to exist in Tielmaran.) Finally, several plot-threads are left dangling, presumably for the second and third installments.

Overall, this is worthy of a (cheap) used purchase or a library loan for undemanding fans of escapist fantasy. (Books like Green Rider by Kristen Britain and The Sword by Deborah Chester came to mind as I read this one.) However, I would certainly recommend above all of those, if one can tolerate more vivid descriptions of violence and sexual content, A Game of Thrones by George Martin; The Briar King by Greg Keyes; Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb; Rules of Ascension by David Coe; or anything by Guy Gavriel Kay (especially A Song for Arbonne and Tigana). Two stars.

Katya Reimann's debut novel is surprising in its thorough world-building and exciting (and even) pace. The well developed religion and geography are fascinatingly different; equally interesting is the system of magic used consistently throughout.

Aside from an excellent background, there's also a fast-paced plot with plenty of suspense and surprises and some truly likeable characters. Gaultry's relationship with the male protagonist is one of the more intriguing I've run across-- NOT your usual sappy and predictable romance. And unlike most epic fantasies, Wind has a satisfactory conclusion, though a few strands are left dangling.

What else is there to say? If you like fantasy, try it! While I found the sequel to be a disappointment, Wind from a Foreign Sky is an excellent fantasy.

I generally don't read books in this category, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I couldn't put this book down. I actually read it in one sitting, I was so engrossed. Thinking that perhaps I'd like other books in this genre, I tried a few (on people's recommendations) and was terribly disappointed. This book is an excellent read. I highly recommend it to anyone.

I was ~100 pages into this book when I decided to order the other 2 books in this outstanding trilogy.

The 2 lead characters (a hedgewitch & a swordsman) are very believable. 3-dimensional. Fascinating relationship between them. Dialogues so vivid that they often strike sparks. The heroine's introspective analysis of how & when to work her magic is superbly interesting. There are mysteries & foreboding & foreshadows a plenty.

It was a 5-star book all the way, until (in final 100 pages or so) the heroine and the evil twosome finally meet face to face, magic to magic.

Sadly, the 2 bad guys are so bad that I found it hard to take them seriously. They have no redeeming qualities whatsoever. They lack personality. They clobber fair maidens, break victims' ribs & teeth, snarl, skulk, & cackle with such extreme, poorly motivated cruelty that they mostly resemble the bad guys in a cartoon.

The climax was good, and the concluding scenes were grrreat - very satisfying.

I definitely want to read the 2 remaining books in this trilogy. This author knows how to weave a tale, no doubt about that. I just hope the bad guys mellow out a bit so I can rightfully disdain/hate them rather than find them pitiful & amusing.

I loved this story, The heroin is strong & magical. The story is original, engaging & light.
This is a story of a young witch, fighting for the freedom of her sister & her state. I was intrigued by the way she used her magic & by the religion they followed.
I agree with one of the reviewers that I wanted to know more about Mervion, Gaultry's sister. I would have liked it if Ms. Reimann had included a few more scenes describing what was happening to Mervion, she is obviously strong & willful, but I would have liked to know her better! Also I needed to know a bit more about the handsome & mysterious Martin. After all he is the hero!!
All in all a very good story. Thank you Ms. Reimann. Can't wait to read the 2nd book.
Read it!! You'll enjoy it!!

Many years ago, one of my favorite fantasy series was Stephen R. Donaldson's "Lord Foul's Bane" and sequels.

Around the same time, I was in college playing D&D with a group that eventually included the author of this book, Katya Reimann.

So I'm not at all surprised to have come across her books years later and find a vivid fantasy world and writing that really draws in the reader. I tore through the first book and regretted not ordering the others at the same time. (OK, I thought there was -some- risk I might not actually like it.)

As I read the book, it reminded me of the Donaldson books in the sense of a hero(ine) who evolves a power, and is faced with various moral dilemmas along the way. But the similarity pretty much ends there. The point is, if you liked Donaldson, I think you'll like this even more. If you didn't (and I know his writing has drawn some criticism), I hope you'll still give this a shot.

This first novel of the Tielmark Chronicles follows our heroine Gaultry Blass from a sneak attack on her, through a quest to rescue her twin sister from peril, to a mission which means the salvation of the entire Tielmark homeland.

Reimann creates a whole world of characters, religions, politics, and schemes set in what is a "Dungeons and Dragons" time. Central to this is Blass, a young huntress with magical powers she draws from the animals and land around her. The story follows her through her adventures to save her sister.

Rich in description, emotion, and passion, you get a feel for entering this world, and you feel the magic Gaultry is able to draw from the animals, and how she can (and sometimes can't) control them.

My only disappointment was that the ending was a little too fantastic, but it provided some interesting events and led to an unusual conclusion. The ending did not detract from my enjoyment of the book.

Overall, this is an excellent read. My acid test is whether or not I want to see what happened to the characters. In this case, I would find myself looking forward to bedtime, wondering how Gaultry was doing.

I really liked this book. I found the characters interesting and realistic. I want to know what happens to them next. I like fantasy books like this and I thought that this one was particularly good. I would recommend it to anybody who enjoys this kind of fiction

I found this book thouroughly enjoyable and hard to put down; very good for a first novel. I am eager to read the sequel

I'm not quite sure what drew me to this book -- I skimmed a few pages of it before buying it.

It was a little slow to get into, but once I was able to get into it, the story drew me in, and held me fast. I admire Ms. Reimann's ability to tell a compelling, and entertaining story. I have to say that I found myself gasping at times, as the plot twisted and turned.

Great read; highly recommended.