Wind of War (Legend of the Five Rings: The Four Winds Saga, Book 2) [Mass Market Paperback]

Jess Lebow (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Four Winds Saga | Publication Date: December 1, 2002

The second novel in the latest Legend of the Five Rings series.

The newest title in the Four Winds saga explores a different character's perspective on the events taking place in the series. The overall storyline is based on the Gold Edition (tm) set for the Legend of the Five Rings trading card game recently released by AEG.

The Steel Throne Sits Empty...

Rokugan stands on the brink of chaos. As his brothers and sister seek the favor of the clans, the illegitimate son Akodo Kaneka forsakes grasping for power and takes up a new quest--defending the helpless and destroying those who ravage the common people. But as his world crumbles about him, he discovers that no son of Toturi can escape his destiny.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jess Lebow has lived in Washington State his entire life. An editor for the Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Book Publishing department, he has edited numerous novels and short stories and edited the Magic: The Gathering (r) anthologies The Colors of Magic, The Myths of Magic, and The Secrets of Magic

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (December 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786928107
• ISBN-13: 978-0786928101
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #946,296 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A setback for the series, February 10, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Wind of War (Legend of the Five Rings: The Four Winds Saga, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

Wind of War was a huge disappointment. The author seems to have a very weak grasp of Rokugani society and custom. In fact, take out all of the bowing and references to katana and yari and this story could have taken place anywhere. There is no sign of the complex system of etiquette that governs all social interactions in Rokugan. The Scorpion Clan provides the story's villains but the characters behave nothing like the Scorpions of previous novels. Their leader is a buffoon, easily intimidated, short of temper and extremely heavy-handed - the complete opposite of what one would expect from a Bayushi lord. It is absurd to think that a political mastermind like Hantei Naseru would have anything to do with such a man. The Scorpion clan mandate to protect the empire at all costs, even if it means the sacrifice of their honor is disregarded and these samurai are reduced to nothing more than a band of thugs and extortionists. The plot revolves around Akodo Kaneka but does nothing to advance the story of the conflict between the Four Winds. In fact, the late emperor's other children do not even appear in the novel and only Naseru is even mentioned by name. Kaneka spends the entire novel defending a village of poor farmers from their Scorpion oppressors. The book is full of combat scenes that go on for pages but do nothing to advance the plot (in one scene, seven pages are devoted to a fight between Kaneka and a gang of thugs). The author frequently repeats himself (Lord Zuto is constantly narrowing his eyes and Kaneka is always rolling his shoulders and stretching his neck). Perhaps the most upsetting thing about this book is that the author clearly did not do his homework. Besides failing to capture the feel of Rokugan's complex society, there are events in this book that contradict events that have already taken place in previous novels of the series. For example, in The Steel Throne the Water Dragon dumps Hatsuko at the feet of a cowering Akodo samurai and commands him to care for her. For some reason, the author feels compelled to retell this part of the story, but in his version, Hatsuko shows up at the Akodo stronghold with a hand-written note explaining her circumstances. Did the author not read the previous novels? And how did this get by the folks at Wizards of the Coast? Are they not concerned with the quality of these stories? The Four Winds are potentially interesting characters and their struggle for Toturi's throne could make for an excellent series of novels. This potential is wasted however, if each character is handled in a vacuum as in this novel. What a shame!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A complete failure, April 5, 2003

By 

Rontini Alex (Imola, Italy EUROPE) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wind of War (Legend of the Five Rings: The Four Winds Saga, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

I think that the autor completely missed the complex background and tradition that guide the Rokugani world. Characters in this book go around dressed in leather like some ... bikers, touch dead without any hint of repulsion, take gift at the first giving without the customary two refusal. Lion samurai are bold ... and not the honorable and stalwart warrior who are depicted on the whole Rokugan fictions.Finally the title is all the way very fitting because there are hardly two chapter without a fighting, this would have been not so bad if the combat have had some mean but the main character go around ... breaking bones only to make a show of himself.
Not to mention the main opponent, a Bayushi lord worth of the lesser of the Crane jester, a plain unimaginative man who throw wave after wave of thugs hoping that someone casually [destroy]his enemy, personally i think very differently of a Scorpion samurai, even one not very cunning. Last but not least this book bring me a very strong sense of RPG flavour, in a scene some paesants bring Kaneka a pot with a mixture that can heal his wounds. "Please honored master take this Potion of cure serious wounds" that is what i have thinked when i read this passage...

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A little under impressed, March 28, 2004

By 

Dennis DeMercer (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wind of War (Legend of the Five Rings: The Four Winds Saga, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

Although I was engaged throughout the book it seemed like I knew what was going to happen next. Then I realized it was because I had seen Kurosawa's Yojimbo. Read it beacause it's part of the series, but don't expect too much to happen to further the story line throughout the saga. Nothing of any importance happens to Kaneka. The story of Shahai and the 8 Oni is nowhere to be found. Nothing happens to the empire or the other winds. It almost seems like this was a side road not a real book in the series. Like I said, under impressed.