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The Flyers (The Wind of Life #1)

by Oliver Neubert (Goodreads Author)

4.17 of 5 stars 4.17 · rating details · 23 ratings · 22 reviews

Timo, a fourteen year old flyer, lives in the mountains with his mother. For years, the Flyers of the Mountains have been enemies of the Wanderers of the Flatlands. To stop the old law: "Those who are born without wings have to die," Timo is dragged into a plot where he must learn to use his special gift to bring the two misunderstood races together. As Wardor, the leader...more

Paperback, 196 pages

Published September 8th 2011 by Purple Branch Publishing

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Jan 21, 2013 Karina rated it 3 of 5 stars

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Jan 10, 2012 Jordan Mierek rated it 4 of 5 stars

I greatly enjoyed reading THE WIND OF LIFE – THE FLYERS by Oliver Neubert. He was kind enough to send me a signed copy. That shows a lot about the author, when he cares not only about his book, but also about his fans.

I started reading this today during lunch, and hated to go back to work. As soon as I got home, I had to see what happened next and finished the novel within a few hours. It is a fast-paced read, without dull moments. The development of the characters progresses throughout the sto...more

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Dec 17, 2011 Oliver Neubert rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

Reviewed by: Successful Teaching Blog

The Wind of Life - A Book Review

Posted: 15 Dec 2011 03:00 AM PST

I recently read the book The Wind of Life by Oliver Neubert.
This is the review that I gave the book and I am not being paid to give this review.

This book is the first book in the Wind of Life series. When I first started reading the book, I wasn’t sure if I would like it. Sometimes when I read fantasy books, I need to be in the mood. Boy was I surprised! I couldn’t put it down. Right from the...more

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Dec 19, 2012 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, junior

Timo, a flyer, has the gift. He can hear the wind, feel it and talk to it as well as animals. His best friend Dino has a gift as well, he is a navigator and is the best at it. Timo feels he constantly has to prove himself, especially in the face of his fathers death. Timo drags Dino up to the Cliff as he is going to jump and prove that he is a Rescue Flyer just like his dad was. However, he misjudged the winds as he wasn't fully listening and ended up crashing to the group. Aldor finds him and t...more Timo, a flyer, has the gift. He can hear the wind, feel it and talk to it as well as animals. His best friend Dino has a gift as well, he is a navigator and is the best at it. Timo feels he constantly has to prove himself, especially in the face of his fathers death. Timo drags Dino up to the Cliff as he is going to jump and prove that he is a Rescue Flyer just like his dad was. However, he misjudged the winds as he wasn't fully listening and ended up crashing to the group. Aldor finds him and takes Timo to the Healers. Timo is set to recover and has to face the Counsil to see what his punishment will be for his most recent stunt he has pulled. While healing with Rare, this appointed Healer, Timo runs into Val and learns that her mother just had a baby boy, but was taken from them and pronounced dead. Val does not believe this and ends up telling Timo this. Determined to find her brother Val goes in search of him, while Timo trains to get better. Timo finally goes to the Council and finds out his punishment, but the Lord of the War Flyers is unimpressed and feels that there is something going on behind the clans back that goes against the old laws. He calls Walholder, which means that the Lord of War Flyers is now in charge and all others are under his command and the Council and other Lords are imprisoned. Timo, Val, Dino, Aldor and a few others barely escape. Those that escaped need to plan their next plan of a attack, determine how to bring the two clans as One, the Flyers and the Wanderers, those on the land. But how and who is going to lead them? What is the true destiny if Timo, Dino and Val?

I actually really enjoyed this book. I was captured by the characters and their lives and what would happen to them. Very interesting book, am excited to see how this trilogy ends up.

I would like to thank Goodreads.com and Oliver Neubert for a copy of the trilogy. It was very nice of the author to include the first two books of the trilogy in with the copy of the new book Vita to the winners of the draw.(less)

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Dec 12, 2012 Sue rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-young-adult, fiction, coming-of-age

I recently won "Vita", Book 3 in The Wind of Life Trilogy, through the Goodreads Giveaway, and the author, Oliver Neubert, was kind enough to send me the complete "The Wind of Life"trilogy. This is the first book in the trilogy-The Flyers.

I must say that I don't normally read fantasy fiction, but this was a refreshing change that I very much enjoyed. This is a coming of age fantasy fiction that I think kids as well as adults would enjoy.It was a quick and easy read.

The time had come and Timo, a...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Duchovney rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great Original story. The characters are well written and the world building is done in such a way that your imagination is not bogged down with tons of description. Which allows you too get lost in the world of the story.
I can't put into words how refreshing it was to read such a wonderfully well written fantasy for YA that does not depend on love triangles,etc. to keep the story moving forward. I see a lot of people on YouTube saying they are so tried of the same old stories over and over aga...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Kathryn Cooper rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a good book. The plot was so interesting that it kept me reading. Timo was 14 and a flyer. A flyer was a human with wings on their back. How cool is that?! I don't know about you, but I've always thought flying would be the best super hero power. So, the fact that the characters had wings really kept me reading. The narration switched around to different characters, but mostly stayed with Timo.

The dialog and narrative was awkward for some reason. Some parts just felt stiff. On the other...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Zoey42 rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
(I’m not native speaker; I’m only learning English so please do let me know when you find any mistakes.)

The Flyers is the first book in ‚The Wind of Life‘series. I hadn’t heard about this book until I won the book in the giveaway, HEREyou can read my post about unwrapping the parcel 
Author is really nice – the books were autographed and there was a letter enclosed, in which he was asking for my opinion about the book.

IDEA:
The Flyers and the Wanderers have been enemies for a long time. Flyers c...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Alison rated it 3 of 5 stars

My son's book club was given two copies of this book by the author through another website. The kids appreciate adventures, especially ones involving animals, so I thought this would be a great book for them. It is a very quick and easy read, and one I think that kids would enjoy. It revolves around 3 teenagers with abilities that make them special, even within their winged society. Dino is a navigator and has an uncanny ability to read weather patterns. Val has visions and, to a lesser degree,...more My son's book club was given two copies of this book by the author through another website. The kids appreciate adventures, especially ones involving animals, so I thought this would be a great book for them. It is a very quick and easy read, and one I think that kids would enjoy. It revolves around 3 teenagers with abilities that make them special, even within their winged society. Dino is a navigator and has an uncanny ability to read weather patterns. Val has visions and, to a lesser degree, can speak with the wind. Timo can not only speak to the wind, but can become one with the air.

In a basic us versus them, the three kids, along with the alliance of elders, must work against a completely crazed villian bent on killing not only anyone without wings, but anyone who helps them. The group has an uphill battle in the next few books trying to bring tolerance and diversity back to the mountains.

I liked some of the concepts in this book. The society of winged people, each with a specific skill set - rescue flyers, war flyers, healing flyers, etc. Timo, Val, and a few chosen Rescue flyers being able to commune with the wind. The tolerance message that is being put forth with the One People instead of the Flyers vs. the Wanderers. The descriptions of the clouds, wind patterns, and weather in relation to flying.

With that being said, there were things that I did not like about this book. I was left with too many questions. What was size of the animals that sat in on the council meetings in relation to the people? Do all the flyers have dark wings or is there any variety? (They would have to be dark, else Val would never have been able to spy) There are supposed to be 5 types of flyers, but we only ever hear about 3. They all live on the same mountain and grow up together; how can one faction hate another so much? How can anyone follow a leader so obviously nuts? (I mean, he seems to get spit strands whenever he starts to yell). Don't get me wrong, I like books that make me think about things on my own, but I thought there were a few holes in the story. Some kids' books make the transition to adult readers very well...I'm not sure this is one of them. (less)

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Jan 15, 2012 Nessa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: won-in-goodreads-giveaway, signed-copy, review, fiction

The Winds of Life was my first GoodReads Giveaway win! And it's signed! (Hooray!) It also turned out to be really, really good for a children's adventure/fantasy novel. It's got all the right archetypes, an overarching threat presented by a big bad villain, a fantasy setting, a conflict, and character development.

Timo is the spunky protagonist of the novel, and much like a manga hero, he's extremely talented, but incredibly rambunctious. His father died when he was young and our main villain may...more The Winds of Life was my first GoodReads Giveaway win! And it's signed! (Hooray!) It also turned out to be really, really good for a children's adventure/fantasy novel. It's got all the right archetypes, an overarching threat presented by a big bad villain, a fantasy setting, a conflict, and character development.

Timo is the spunky protagonist of the novel, and much like a manga hero, he's extremely talented, but incredibly rambunctious. His father died when he was young and our main villain may have had a hand in it. Timo's friends are bookish and fearful Dino, and equally-determined female flyer Val. In the first part of the story, Timo, against the wishes of his friend Dino, attempts to take flight off the highest cliff in the mountain, and barely survives the attempt despite discovering his talents for sensing the currents of the wind and being able to 'speak' to the element itself. He's spending a lot of time in the infirmary working on physiotherapy, when he gets to know his classmate Val a little better, and discovers what kind of evil is afoot. Val is also gifted, in that she joins a squadron of advanced flyers at a young age.

Speaking of flying, I loved the use of flight mechanics in this story! Actually talking about the currents of the wind and the correct way to fly in them... compare this to James Patterson's Maximum Ride series, also containing characters with wings, where the flying portions are rather sparsely explained. And explanation-wise... Oliver Neubert is indeed very descriptive when it comes to settings, and only a few times did the prose take on a violet colour. I'm going to be sure to take a look at the next two books in the trilogy, because I'm actually rather curious as to how the conflict between the Flyers and the Wanderers arose, especially after reading the preview for the second book.

However, I do have my hang-ups about The Winds of Life. Firstly, Timo is kind of a bland character for me. He does grow up and become the best of the best, but I just didn't find him interesting in the slightest. It was a nice lesson that he had to pay for his mistakes at the beginning of the novel, but for the next part of the book, it's just discovering things he didn't know about his father, the council, and training to become a better flyer. It got to the point where I much preferred the interactions between the other characters.

The villain didn't really do much for me. He's just... stereotypically evil. He abuses his power as a councilor and may have also had a hand in the death of our main character's father and for that reason he doesn't like Timo very much... eh. And even though the other council members are suspicious of him, they still keep him in power...? Okay. And within three or four pages he managed to rally the entire population who live in the mountains. It's not brainwashing or another form of crowd manipulation, he pretty much just makes an announcement that the old government is corrupt, he's declared there shall be no government from now on, and he will be ruler. I just think he could have been done so much better!

The dialogue is also a huge detriment to this novel. I understand that in this fantasy world, speech patterns might be a little different, but a lot of the time, I felt like I was reading the script of a martial arts movie that has been poorly dubbed in English. A few too many sentences were written without contractions and linguistically, it got on my nerves a little. Info-dumping was also an occasional problem.

Nevertheless, the book is really, really good. Like I said above, I'm interested in getting the next two copies of the book to find out more about the world Oliver Neubert has created, and whilst there are a few problems with it, I really enjoyed the book and so I'm going to give it 3.5/5.(less)

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Mar 12, 2012 Gayle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mr. Neubert contacted me through Goodreads to offer me the opportunity to read his work.

It is evident how much this author believes in, and is proud of what he has created. I am so honored to be the recipient of his gift of an autographed copy. I look forward to reading and enjoying.

Thank you so much.
__________________

I really enjoyed this imaginative fantasy about an impetuous boy's coming-of age during difficult times. I love a book that teaches valuable life lessons. I love a 'good versus...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Natasha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: signed-copy, middle-grade

A very good book for younger children with strong foundations in self-trust and coming-of-age, Neubert uses a different voice in his narratives than your usual run-of-the-mill middle grade books that is captivating and engaging.

Timo is a reckless kid, wanting to prove to everyone he isn't just raw talent. His friend Dino wants nothing more than to read his books and try and keep Timo out of trouble. Val, a sort of crush of Timo's, wants to be independent and find her baby brother. The character...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Don rated it 4 of 5 stars

I could hardly put this book down once I began reading it! It is an exciting, suspenseful, well-written book. Mr. Neubert, a Canadian author, weaves a tale that is enchanting and that leaves the reader wanting more. It is a story that centers on a world that has been divided because of prejudices and old animosities. This world is divided among those born with wings, the Flyers and those born without wings, the Wanderers. In this first book of a three-part series, we meet three young Flyers, Tim...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Sandra Stiles rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, middle-grades

It is going to be very difficult to wait for the final book in this trilogy. The author takes the reader into a world where two types of people live. In The Flyers, we learn about Timo and his people. They are born with wings and live in the mountains. For years they been taught the Wanderers are their enemies. For the past few years babies with no wings have been born to Flyers. The sentence is death. They throw the infants off of a cliff. This is because they hate the Wanderers. What they must...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Nawnee rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone

Recommended to Nawnee by: goodreads contest

Shelves: freebie-books

I won this book in a contest on Goodreads. Once I finally sat down and started reading this book it was hard to put down. The story is refreshing without a lot of teenage drama or romantic triangles. The Author kept it at a fine line between this fantastic world where people are born with wings and the controversy of what happens when they aren't. I don't want to ruin the story for those of you who haven't read it so I won't go into to much detail, but this is defiantly a book I would pick out f...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Misha added it

I won this book off a friend's blog about a month ago, and finally finished reading it today.

This was a very interesting book, and would be great for tweens and young teens. The main character Timo, shows courage and does what is right (even if he is a bit reckless).

I liked the book, and liked the characters, they were well written and seemed real.

I would definitely recommend this book to friend's with younger children.

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Feb 07, 2012 Chichi rated it 4 of 5 stars

enjoyed this thoroughly. COncept is very fresh..not everyday i read about flying people lol. Characters were likeable. Timo starts off like your everyday teen with angst. Val and Dino are not just sidekicks but are also special in their own way. i'll definitely get the cotinuing book!

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Jan 27, 2013 Paddy O'callaghan rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'd recommend this book to readers. Now that's saying something, eh? What do I mean by that specifically? Well, If you read, you'll probably enjoy this awesome tome.

He's managed to do it again.

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Jun 27, 2012 Lorian Jones rated it 5 of 5 stars

omg omg omg i thank the author for giving me this book and giving me the chance to read this i am way addicted to what happen next i was shocked when i read this book this book just make me go crazy and exciting at the same time when i read it to the end i was pissed because i want to know what happen more like are they safe will they be one again like in the oldies days eek i want those two book im hunger for it

so thank you OLIVER NEUBERT for giving me, the deaf girl, this first book i have fal...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Abriel marked it as to-read

From the blurb, sounds pretty awesome.

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Jan 24, 2012 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

It had a WAY different plot than I expected. I didn't really think I would like this book, but I do. I am very eager to read the next one!
~J

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May 22, 2012 Roxy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: giveaway-losses

Amazing!

This book made me really miss being outside in nature. Plus, cliffhangers are always good. Can't wait to start on book 2

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Dec 31, 2012 Lindsy is currently reading it

Nov 25, 2012 Monika marked it as to-read

Oct 31, 2012 Randa marked it as to-read

Shelves: contemporary, realistic, won, animals

Aug 29, 2012 Ramanpreet Singh added it

Aug 14, 2012 Kayla marked it as to-read

Jul 28, 2012 Ashlee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Jul 26, 2012 Megan marked it as to-read

Shelves: to-buy

Jul 16, 2012 Noelle marked it as to-read

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About Oliver Neubert

Oliver Neubert, born in West Germany in 1961, took a long route to discover his passion for writing fast pace adventure, fantasy stories for middle grade reluctant and avid readers. His stories are thought provocing and relevant.

His detours included getting his diploma in Mechanical Engineerring (British Columbia, Canada), his degree in Psychology and Economics from Simon Fraser University (Britis...more

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“I love to walk through snow, to climb mountains, to smell the fresh air and I love to dream about flying. Soaring through the air, watching the earth from above, feeling the wind in my face and touching the clouds would be an amazing experience.” — 6 people liked it

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