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High Couch of Silistra #3
Wind from the Abyss
She was descended from the masters of the universe. To hold her he challenged the gods...
Epic fantasy, social science fiction, allegorical fiction, anthropological fiction, post-apocalyptic fiction
Wind from the Abyss is the third volume in Janet Morris' classic Silistra Quartet, continuing one woman's quest for self-realization in a distant tomorrow.
Aristocrat. Outcast. Picara. Slave. Ruler ....
She is descended from the masters of the universe. To hold her he challenges the gods themselves.
This Perseid Press Author's Cut Edition is revised and expanded by the author and presented in a format designed to enhance your reading experience with covers designed for these premium editions.
Wind from the Abyss begins with this note from Estri. . .
Author's Note
Since, at the beginning of this tale, I did not recollect myself nor retain even the slightest glimmer of such understanding as would have led me to an awareness of the significance of the various occurrences that transpired at the Lake of Horns then, I am adding this preface, though it was no part of my initial conception, that the meaningfulness of the events described by "Khys' Estri" (as I have come to think of the shadow-self I was while the dharen held my skills and memory in abeyance) not be withheld from you as they were from me.
I knew myself not: I was Estri because the girl Carth supposedly found wandering in the forest stripped of comprehension and identity chose that name. There, perhaps, lies the greatest irony of all, that I named myself anew after Estri Hadrath diet Estrazi, who in reality I had once been. And perhaps it is not irony at all, but an expression of Khys' humor, an implicit dissertation by him who structured my experiences, my very thoughts, for nearly two years, until his audacity drove him to bring together once more Sereth crill Tyris, past-Slayer, then the outlawed Ebvrasea, then arrar to the dharen himself; Chayin rendi Inekte, cahndor of Nemar, co-cahndor of the Taken Lands, chosen so of Tar-Kesa, and at that time Khys' puppet-vassal; and myself, former Well-Keepress, tiask of Nemar, and lastly becoming the chaldless outlaw who had come to judgment and endured ongoing retribution at the dharen's hands. To test his hesting, his power over owkahen, the time-coming-to-be, did Khys put us together, all three, in his Day-Keeper's city -- and from that moment onward, the Weathers of Life became fixed: siphoned into a singular future; sealed tight as a dead god in his mausoleum, whose every move brought him closer to the sum total, obliteration. So did the dharen Khys bespeak it, himself. . . .
Epic fantasy, social science fiction, allegorical fiction, anthropological fiction, post-apocalyptic fiction
Wind from the Abyss is the third volume in Janet Morris' classic Silistra Quartet, continuing one woman's quest for self-realization in a distant tomorrow.
Aristocrat. Outcast. Picara. Slave. Ruler ....
She is descended from the masters of the universe. To hold her he challenges the gods themselves.
This Perseid Press Author's Cut Edition is revised and expanded by the author and presented in a format designed to enhance your reading experience with covers designed for these premium editions.
Wind from the Abyss begins with this note from Estri. . .
Author's Note
Since, at the beginning of this tale, I did not recollect myself nor retain even the slightest glimmer of such understanding as would have led me to an awareness of the significance of the various occurrences that transpired at the Lake of Horns then, I am adding this preface, though it was no part of my initial conception, that the meaningfulness of the events described by "Khys' Estri" (as I have come to think of the shadow-self I was while the dharen held my skills and memory in abeyance) not be withheld from you as they were from me.
I knew myself not: I was Estri because the girl Carth supposedly found wandering in the forest stripped of comprehension and identity chose that name. There, perhaps, lies the greatest irony of all, that I named myself anew after Estri Hadrath diet Estrazi, who in reality I had once been. And perhaps it is not irony at all, but an expression of Khys' humor, an implicit dissertation by him who structured my experiences, my very thoughts, for nearly two years, until his audacity drove him to bring together once more Sereth crill Tyris, past-Slayer, then the outlawed Ebvrasea, then arrar to the dharen himself; Chayin rendi Inekte, cahndor of Nemar, co-cahndor of the Taken Lands, chosen so of Tar-Kesa, and at that time Khys' puppet-vassal; and myself, former Well-Keepress, tiask of Nemar, and lastly becoming the chaldless outlaw who had come to judgment and endured ongoing retribution at the dharen's hands. To test his hesting, his power over owkahen, the time-coming-to-be, did Khys put us together, all three, in his Day-Keeper's city -- and from that moment onward, the Weathers of Life became fixed: siphoned into a singular future; sealed tight as a dead god in his mausoleum, whose every move brought him closer to the sum total, obliteration. So did the dharen Khys bespeak it, himself. . . .
369 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 15, 1983
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402 people want to read
About the author
Janet E. Morris
106 books379 followersJanet Ellen Morris (born May 25, 1946) is a United States author. She began writing in 1976 and has since published more than 20 novels, many co-authored with David Drake or her husband Chris Morris. She has contributed short fiction to the shared universe fantasy series Thieves World, and edited the Bangsian fantasy series Heroes in Hell. Most of her work has been in the fantasy and science fiction genres, although she has also written several works of non-fiction.
Morris was elected to the New York Academy of Sciences in 1980.
In 1995, Morris and her husband and frequent co-writer Christopher Morris founded M2 Tech. Since that time, their writing output has decreased in proportion to the success of the company, which works with U.S. federal and military agencies on non-lethal weapon systems and software.
Morris was elected to the New York Academy of Sciences in 1980.
In 1995, Morris and her husband and frequent co-writer Christopher Morris founded M2 Tech. Since that time, their writing output has decreased in proportion to the success of the company, which works with U.S. federal and military agencies on non-lethal weapon systems and software.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 18, 2017
This third volume is Morris’ masterful The Silistra Quartet delves deeper into the heart of her world, which is not only an echo of our own, but even a dark shadow of what the future might possibly bring. One of its themes is power — the power of technology, the power over our own natures, and the power to control others. Events take place shortly after those of recounted in The Golden Sword (book 2), and this time around, the main character of Estri, after having gone through so many changes and experiences in the first two novels, has been captured and held hostage for over two years by Khys, the tyrannical ruler of Silistra. She has become a pawn and a slave of this tyrant whose power over his world is all but absolute, a puppet master who will allow no one to stand in his way or speak out against him. Estri is forced to make sacrifices throughout her odyssey in order to liberate herself. He has had Estri’s memories “blocked” in such a way that it prevents her from being able to take control over him. This is a story about her soul, the loss of hope and even her sanity. It felt to me that as she gazed into the “abyss,” where the winds of despair howl and whine, she saw nothing but the abyss staring back at her. But there is hope and triumph to be found in her personal journey of rediscovery and the recovery of empowerment. This is a complicated, engrossing novel filled with prophetic, philosophical and socio-political themes, as well as complex, all-too real characters. Morris, so good at giving us characters we can identify with, characters we can love and hate, strikes at the very heart of the human condition and the duality of humanity — both good and evil. Her prose is lean and spot-on, every word carefully chosen to enhance the milieu of her imaginary world and advance the plot, giving us access to the thoughts, emotions and machinations of the people whose stories she is presenting to us. Once again, she gives us a “thinking man’s” science fiction/fantasy that explores the nature of power and sexuality, and how they can be used, misused and abused. This is a brilliant, mature and very adult novel that will not only leave you thinking about your own place in the universe, but questioning the very nature of existence.
April 16, 2017
The third book of the Silistra series is, perhaps, the most passionate, the most evocative and the most enthralling. This is a book about power, amongst many other things. The power of biology, of technology and the problems it can bring, the power over another, and the power over oneself. Silistra is a supremely crafted world, apart from ours but terrifyingly familiar in many ways. It is, a could be – a might be, and the denizens thereupon are reflections of humanity.
Estri – our protagonist – is a shadow of what she was, and beholden to a man who is demigod, ruler and profit. He shapes his world and brooks no competition or threat. Estri, now little more than a slave, must find herself, and her past and future and use them to save herself and her world. Does she do it? You’ll have to read to find out. I’ll just say it’s a long and difficult journey, filled with sacrifice.
You’ll quickly be entranced by the world and its characters, and although it helps to have read the earlier books, even without that it’s a tumultuous journey. This is not for the faint of heart, nor those who want an ‘easy’ read. It’s cerebral, lyrical and evocative. You have been warned.
Estri – our protagonist – is a shadow of what she was, and beholden to a man who is demigod, ruler and profit. He shapes his world and brooks no competition or threat. Estri, now little more than a slave, must find herself, and her past and future and use them to save herself and her world. Does she do it? You’ll have to read to find out. I’ll just say it’s a long and difficult journey, filled with sacrifice.
You’ll quickly be entranced by the world and its characters, and although it helps to have read the earlier books, even without that it’s a tumultuous journey. This is not for the faint of heart, nor those who want an ‘easy’ read. It’s cerebral, lyrical and evocative. You have been warned.
September 19, 2022
I'm a bit taken aback by all of the glowingly positive reviews for this book, although I suppose I shouldn't be: since it's the third book in a series, only those who actually liked the first two (awful) books would want to read on. Well, they and gluttons for punishment like me who soldiered through all four books.
My brief description of Wind from the Abyss would be: pretentious, overwrought and tedious, and all of these descriptors are interlocked. Besides being some kind of cosmic romance story (if your definition of romance includes lots of sexual assault and psychological abuse/mental manipulation), all of the Silistra books, but this one in particular, also have the pretension of being novels of ideas. However, the ideas are none too original nor interesting, and way too much verbiage is spent trying to convey them. And that, of course, makes this book a chore to read - it seems interminable (the edition I read - the second printing from 1981 - has well over 300 pages), even though nothing much really happens.
So if you got through the first two books and find yourself wondering if this series gets any better, rest assured: it doesn't. Find something better to read.
My brief description of Wind from the Abyss would be: pretentious, overwrought and tedious, and all of these descriptors are interlocked. Besides being some kind of cosmic romance story (if your definition of romance includes lots of sexual assault and psychological abuse/mental manipulation), all of the Silistra books, but this one in particular, also have the pretension of being novels of ideas. However, the ideas are none too original nor interesting, and way too much verbiage is spent trying to convey them. And that, of course, makes this book a chore to read - it seems interminable (the edition I read - the second printing from 1981 - has well over 300 pages), even though nothing much really happens.
So if you got through the first two books and find yourself wondering if this series gets any better, rest assured: it doesn't. Find something better to read.
September 26, 2017
The third book in Silistra Quartet series is as epic, as spellbinding, as thought-provoking as the rest of this series. In "Wind from the Abyss" Estri's stories continues, a heart-breaking at times, a tale of courage and confusion, and eventually triumph. The "abyss" she is facing is daring her, raising questions, providing no easy answers. This is what I love about this author's works the most - the philosophical aspect, the peek into our human nature without the fear of what might be looking back from there, the courage to do that.
November 5, 2017
This is third in the Silistra Series. In a futuristic world a darker exists and is still evolving. Estri from book 2 has been captured and faces a real battle in a new world where high technology and evil forces rule. The reader begins to question if perhaps this is possible in our near future with all the advances we have made today with technology. This series runs deep, so be ready to get into something you won't be able to put down.
July 16, 2019
This series remains one of my favourites. Love the characters, concepts. It's erotic, romantic and well written.
June 23, 2021
This story is really addictive.
March 19, 2025
Loved it.
She was descended from the masters of the universe. To hold her he challenged the gods...
Epic fantasy, social science fiction, allegorical fiction, anthropological fiction, post-apocalyptic fiction
Wind from the Abyss is the third volume in Janet Morris' classic Silistra Quartet, continuing one woman's quest for self-realization in a distant tomorrow.
Aristocrat. Outcast. Picara. Slave. Ruler ....
She is descended from the masters of the universe. To hold her he challenges the gods themselves.
This Perseid Press Author's Cut Edition is revised and expanded by the author and presented in a format designed to enhance your reading experience with covers designed for these premium editions.
Wind from the Abyss begins with this note from Estri. . .
Author's Note
Since, at the beginning of this tale, I did not recollect myself nor retain even the slightest glimmer of such understanding as would have led me to an awareness of the significance of the various occurrences that transpired at the Lake of Horns then, I am adding this preface, though it was no part of my initial conception, that the meaningfulness of the events described by "Khys' Estri" (as I have come to think of the shadow-self I was while the dharen held my skills and memory in abeyance) not be withheld from you as they were from me.
I knew myself not: I was Estri because the girl Carth supposedly found wandering in the forest stripped of comprehension and identity chose that name. There, perhaps, lies the greatest irony of all, that I named myself anew after Estri Hadrath diet Estrazi, who in reality I had once been. And perhaps it is not irony at all, but an expression of Khys' humor, an implicit dissertation by him who structured my experiences, my very thoughts, for nearly two years, until his audacity drove him to bring together once more Sereth crill Tyris, past-Slayer, then the outlawed Ebvrasea, then arrar to the dharen himself; Chayin rendi Inekte, cahndor of Nemar, co-cahndor of the Taken Lands, chosen so of Tar-Kesa, and at that time Khys' puppet-vassal; and myself, former Well-Keepress, tiask of Nemar, and lastly becoming the chaldless outlaw who had come to judgment and endured ongoing retribution at the dharen's hands. To test his hesting, his power over owkahen, the time-coming-to-be, did Khys put us together, all three, in his Day-Keeper's city -- and from that moment onward, the Weathers of Life became fixed: siphoned into a singular future; sealed tight as a dead god in his mausoleum, whose every move brought him closer to the sum total, obliteration. So did the dharen Khys bespeak it, himself. . . .
She was descended from the masters of the universe. To hold her he challenged the gods...
Epic fantasy, social science fiction, allegorical fiction, anthropological fiction, post-apocalyptic fiction
Wind from the Abyss is the third volume in Janet Morris' classic Silistra Quartet, continuing one woman's quest for self-realization in a distant tomorrow.
Aristocrat. Outcast. Picara. Slave. Ruler ....
She is descended from the masters of the universe. To hold her he challenges the gods themselves.
This Perseid Press Author's Cut Edition is revised and expanded by the author and presented in a format designed to enhance your reading experience with covers designed for these premium editions.
Wind from the Abyss begins with this note from Estri. . .
Author's Note
Since, at the beginning of this tale, I did not recollect myself nor retain even the slightest glimmer of such understanding as would have led me to an awareness of the significance of the various occurrences that transpired at the Lake of Horns then, I am adding this preface, though it was no part of my initial conception, that the meaningfulness of the events described by "Khys' Estri" (as I have come to think of the shadow-self I was while the dharen held my skills and memory in abeyance) not be withheld from you as they were from me.
I knew myself not: I was Estri because the girl Carth supposedly found wandering in the forest stripped of comprehension and identity chose that name. There, perhaps, lies the greatest irony of all, that I named myself anew after Estri Hadrath diet Estrazi, who in reality I had once been. And perhaps it is not irony at all, but an expression of Khys' humor, an implicit dissertation by him who structured my experiences, my very thoughts, for nearly two years, until his audacity drove him to bring together once more Sereth crill Tyris, past-Slayer, then the outlawed Ebvrasea, then arrar to the dharen himself; Chayin rendi Inekte, cahndor of Nemar, co-cahndor of the Taken Lands, chosen so of Tar-Kesa, and at that time Khys' puppet-vassal; and myself, former Well-Keepress, tiask of Nemar, and lastly becoming the chaldless outlaw who had come to judgment and endured ongoing retribution at the dharen's hands. To test his hesting, his power over owkahen, the time-coming-to-be, did Khys put us together, all three, in his Day-Keeper's city -- and from that moment onward, the Weathers of Life became fixed: siphoned into a singular future; sealed tight as a dead god in his mausoleum, whose every move brought him closer to the sum total, obliteration. So did the dharen Khys bespeak it, himself. . . .
December 20, 2016
Owkahen – the time-coming-to-be – sets the tenor and ethereal current for, “Wind From the Abyss,” the third and most esoterically endowed chapter from Janet Morris’ Silistra Quartet.
The previous installment, “The Golden Sword,” saw Estri – former well keepress of Astria, outcast and champion – rise to become a power among mortals as she at last begins to wield the sovereignty of her forefathers, a heritage she seems loath to acknowledge. Together with Sereth, a former high-ranking Slayer turned renegade, and Chayin, Cahndor of a Parset desert tribe, they form a triumvirate of authority as foretold in an ancient prophecy.
Such prophecy, however, threatens the influence of “the dharen” – Khys – an autocrat who has ruled Silistra for thousands of years. A man who, like Estri, is descended from the Shapers, (those gods who create and destroy worlds and civilizations by the application of thought and will).
“Wind From the Abyss” picks up the tale some two years later, and we find circumstances have changed drastically for our heroic trio.
As slave to Khys, Estri now wears a band of restraint, a device that curbs her talents as it scatters her memories. Alone, helpless and totally unskilled, she is in complete subjection to her master, and lives only at the whim of his good will.
Sereth and Chayin fare little better, for their apparent “freedom” is but a sham; an exercise of true dominance by the dharen who realizes all three are key to maintaining control of the planet.
Khys isn’t shy of demonstrating his absolute supremacy over them. Not only is Estri reduced to mere property, but Sereth and Chayin are forbidden to enlighten Estri regarding details about her past. They must also serve at Khys’ beck and call on the most distasteful of tasks.
Thus, the scene is set for a storm wreck of possibilities to be, for the weathers of life will blow where they will, and prophecy has its own methods to ensure fulfillment.
How this transpires, exactly, you will have to discover for yourself. But you’ll be glad you made the effort, for “Wind From the Abyss” continues one woman’s quest for self-realization in the face of overwhelming & conflicting tides: destiny and betrayal; plots and politicking; lust and ambition.
With engrossing, well-rounded and thought inspiring characters, and as amazingly erotic as it is action packed, “Wind From the Abyss” transposes the strictures of time and space and limited morality, to reveal how fragile those in positions of absolute power can be, and how those impotent may rise to the dizziest of heights.
Owkahen cannot be denied.
The previous installment, “The Golden Sword,” saw Estri – former well keepress of Astria, outcast and champion – rise to become a power among mortals as she at last begins to wield the sovereignty of her forefathers, a heritage she seems loath to acknowledge. Together with Sereth, a former high-ranking Slayer turned renegade, and Chayin, Cahndor of a Parset desert tribe, they form a triumvirate of authority as foretold in an ancient prophecy.
Such prophecy, however, threatens the influence of “the dharen” – Khys – an autocrat who has ruled Silistra for thousands of years. A man who, like Estri, is descended from the Shapers, (those gods who create and destroy worlds and civilizations by the application of thought and will).
“Wind From the Abyss” picks up the tale some two years later, and we find circumstances have changed drastically for our heroic trio.
As slave to Khys, Estri now wears a band of restraint, a device that curbs her talents as it scatters her memories. Alone, helpless and totally unskilled, she is in complete subjection to her master, and lives only at the whim of his good will.
Sereth and Chayin fare little better, for their apparent “freedom” is but a sham; an exercise of true dominance by the dharen who realizes all three are key to maintaining control of the planet.
Khys isn’t shy of demonstrating his absolute supremacy over them. Not only is Estri reduced to mere property, but Sereth and Chayin are forbidden to enlighten Estri regarding details about her past. They must also serve at Khys’ beck and call on the most distasteful of tasks.
Thus, the scene is set for a storm wreck of possibilities to be, for the weathers of life will blow where they will, and prophecy has its own methods to ensure fulfillment.
How this transpires, exactly, you will have to discover for yourself. But you’ll be glad you made the effort, for “Wind From the Abyss” continues one woman’s quest for self-realization in the face of overwhelming & conflicting tides: destiny and betrayal; plots and politicking; lust and ambition.
With engrossing, well-rounded and thought inspiring characters, and as amazingly erotic as it is action packed, “Wind From the Abyss” transposes the strictures of time and space and limited morality, to reveal how fragile those in positions of absolute power can be, and how those impotent may rise to the dizziest of heights.
Owkahen cannot be denied.
September 26, 2016
Wind from the Abyss Paperback – January, 1985
by Janet Morris
A superb read and thoroughly enjoyable.
Excellent!
by Janet Morris
A superb read and thoroughly enjoyable.
Excellent!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews