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The Wind City Paperback – November 20, 2013
Purchase options and add-ons
- Print length332 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateNovember 20, 2013
- Dimensions5.25 x 0.83 x 8 inches
- ISBN-100992257808
- ISBN-13978-0992257804
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Product details
- Publisher : Steam Press (November 20, 2013)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 332 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0992257808
- ISBN-13 : 978-0992257804
- Item Weight : 13.7 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.25 x 0.83 x 8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #5,466,646 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #90,785 in Paranormal & Urban Fantasy (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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I love fantasy novels, but I admit to getting tired of so many of them being based on that same old vaguely Medieval white European setting, with elves and dwarves and fairies. So "The Wind City" was a refreshing change. It's fantasy based on New Zealand mythology, and instead of the same old, same old, it has water spirits and mountain spirits and wind spirits and the spirit of light rain. The two main characters also don't fit into the usual hero category. One of them is dreadfully misled by a spirit, into becoming a power of destruction, while the other finds herself to actually be a water spirit.
And I'll credit it with this: It has some of the best depictions of non-romantic friendships I've ever read. Nary a romance in sight.
I almost docked it a star for the slowness of the start, but this is a writer I want to encourage. If you do decide to read it, just hang in there for the first little bit. Trust me, by the end of the book you'll have a hard time putting it down.
I knew I wanted a fun, joyful fantasy story that made me laugh out loud. I knew I wanted a diverse cast of characters. I did not know, before reading this book, how much I needed to see myself and my friends in a story.
In The Wind City, characters slide Princess Bride quotes into appropriate situations, and characters think things like, “Hey! I’m being a dashing hero!” And it’s not just for laughs or for comedic effect, it’s because that’s what real people do, that’s the language of tropes and references that so many people of my generation speak.
Characters who find out that they’re walking among legends have a variety of reactions, and one is “I will befriend all these mythical beings!” and one is “I will research them!”—a beautiful breath of fresh air after years of watching characters in other fiction have identical textbook responses to discovering magic.
In The Wind City, you will fall in love with Tony, and Saint, and Steffan, and Hinewai, and everyone… and there will come a moment, about halfway through this novel overflowing with wit and wonder, when you realize that any one of them could die.
If there are any flaws in this book, I was having far too much fun to notice. I have read this book twice now and know I'll keep rereading it for a smile for years.
The Wind City is an enjoyable read in the vein of Divine Misfortune or Monster (both by A Lee Martinez). An urban fantasy full of characters that have depth and motivation. The prose is clearly born of the internet generation, from the youth that has grown up being allowed to revel in being geeks and making geek humor and finding support for being who you are. And in many ways, this book makes those very points.
I read the Kindle version, and there may be some issues in the copy, given that there were places where the prose seemed to lack proper punctuation or polish. But what was initially jarring added to the charm of the book by the end. That lack of polish and shine, while charming, does detract from the book slightly, though. It just feels like it could've used one or two more edits on that front. And that is my only complaint and reason I deduct half a star from the rating.
It is a quick read, I read it over about two days while traveling and plenty of breaks. But it is a fun read. If you enjoy urban fantasy books, if you enjoy American Gods and fun adventurous reads by the likes of A Lee Martinez, if you enjoy books about a mythology base that is unseen in typical western culture, you will love this book.
And as a bonus, if the notion of quadrants, moirails, kismessitudes, and so forth mean anything to you, you will especially enjoy this book.
It is good that someone is stepping out of the normal European fantasy, though: Good on ya, Summer!
There's the very trendy pan-sexuality, of course, which works with 'fae', I suppose. LOL!
It'd be great if NZ writers could write a little less dark and broody, though.
Top reviews from other countries
I'm very glad I somehow stumbled upon this book. As a canadian, urban fantasy with Maori myths was super refreshing and mysterious, and I kept getting more and more excited about the diverse cast, and the complexity of characters, and how smoothly the story flowed, slowly building into a disaster, leaving you with a solid case of book hangover.
10/10, would get my feelings destroyed again, thank you.
Edit, 2021: y’all this book is still so good and I have bought at this point easily a dozen copies because I keep loaning it out and then telling people they can keep it 😆
