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Windhaven

3.51 of 5 stars 3.51 · rating details · 1,479 ratings · 98 reviews

George R. R. Martin has thrilled a generation of readers with his epic works of the imagination, most recently the critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling saga told in the novels A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, and A Storm of Swords. Lisa Tuttle has won acclaim from fans of science fiction, horror, and fantasy alike— most recently for her haunting novel The Pi...more George R. R. Martin has thrilled a generation of readers with his epic works of the imagination, most recently the critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling saga told in the novels A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, and A Storm of Swords. Lisa Tuttle has won acclaim from fans of science fiction, horror, and fantasy alike— most recently for her haunting novel The Pillow Friend. Now together they gift readers with this classic tale of a brilliantly rendered world of ironbound tradition, where a rebellious soul seeks to prove the power of a dream.

The planet of Windhaven was not originally a home to humans, but it became one following the crash of a colony starship. It is a world of small islands, harsh weather, and monster-infested seas. Communication among the scattered settlements was virtually impossible until the discovery that, thanks to light gravity and a dense atmosphere, humans were able to fly with the aid of metal wings made of bits of the cannibalized spaceship.

Many generations later, among the scattered islands that make up the water world of Windhaven, no one holds more prestige than the silver-winged flyers, who bring news, gossip, songs, and stories. They are romantic figures crossing treacherous oceans, braving shifting winds and sudden storms that could easily dash them from the sky to instant death. They are also members of an increasingly elite caste, for the wings—always in limited quantity—are growing gradually rarer as their bearers perish.

With such elitism comes arrogance and a rigid adherence to hidebound tradition. And for the flyers, allowing just anyone to join their cadre is an idea that borders on heresy. Wings are meant only for the offspring of flyers—now the new nobility of Windhaven. Except that sometimes life is not quite so neat.

Maris of Amberly, a fisherman's daughter, was raised by a flyer and wants nothing more than to soar on the currents high above Windhaven. By tradition, however, the wings must go to her stepbrother, Coll, the flyer's legitimate son. But Coll wants only to be a singer, traveling the world by sea. So Maris challenges tradition, demanding that flyers be chosen on the basis of merit rather than inheritance. And when she wins that bitter battle, she discovers that her troubles are only beginning.

For not all flyers are willing to accept the world's new structure, and as Maris battles to teach those who yearn to fly, she finds herself likewise fighting to preserve the integrity of a society she so longed to join—not to mention the very fabric that holds her culture together.(less)

Paperback, 416 pages

Published April 29th 2003 by Bantam (first published January 1st 1975)

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Oct 30, 2012 Ric rated it 4 of 5 stars

A classic from the 70s, memorable for its wonderful depiction of the joys of flying, I mean with wings, like an eagle. The written version of the flight training segment of the movie Avatar. 30+ years after, the memories are fading but overall it was a good read.

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Feb 25, 2013 Lisa H. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I was a little disappointed by this book toward the middle, but it came together as it went along and I was pretty satisfied by the end.

It's set on a world called Windhaven that is largely ocean, with widely-scattered islands. Long ago settled by star-farers from Earth, its remote pockets of population are kept in contact by a caste of flyers, who soar the air currents on wings made out of the indestructible fabric from the original ship's solar wind sail, flying between the islands to share ne...more

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Jan 22, 2013 La Stamberga dei Lettori rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sakura87

A lungo fuori catalogo (la prima edizione italiana risale al 1983 per la Nord), Il pianeta dei venti non è realmente un romanzo, ma una raccolta che contiene tre racconti lunghi di G.R.R. Martin e Lisa Tuttle, scritti tra il 1975 e il 1982: Le tempeste, Un’ala e La caduta, preceduti da un Prologo e seguiti da un Epilogo.
La protagonista dei tre racconti, cronologicamente ordinati, è Maris, una Volatrice: in un mondo di isole che si ergono su mari pericolosi per la navigazione, i contatti più fre...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Maris is a young girl who wants nothing more than to use the wings that she feels that she has earned. Unfortunately, flyer tradition states that wings are only to be passed from parent to oldest child when that child comes of age. Maris' stepfather and mentor didn't think he would have a child of his own, and so he adopted Maris and taught her to fly. However, a late-life surprise meant that Maris would have to give up the wings to her stepbrother, who never wanted to fly anyway. Maris is an ex...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Ryan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fic-ya, fic-speculative, fic-escapist, fic-fantasy

An early 1980s collaboration between a now-famous author and a less famous one, Windhaven demonstrates that the young George R.R. Martin had talent for world-building and character-driven storytelling. While not as sprawling and a whole lot less violent than A Game of Thrones, it’ll probably appeal to anyone who liked his more family-friendly Hedge Knight novella.

The story takes place on a distant, windswept ocean world, where humans lost advanced technology generations ago, but were able to can...more An early 1980s collaboration between a now-famous author and a less famous one, Windhaven demonstrates that the young George R.R. Martin had talent for world-building and character-driven storytelling. While not as sprawling and a whole lot less violent than A Game of Thrones, it’ll probably appeal to anyone who liked his more family-friendly Hedge Knight novella.

The story takes place on a distant, windswept ocean world, where humans lost advanced technology generations ago, but were able to cannibalize their wrecked starship and build muscle-and-wind-powered wings to carry messengers over the dangerous seas between far-flung islands. Over time, a caste system has evolved in which wings are passed down by inheritance, with most people excluded from the chance to fly and be a citizen of the world. However, that changes when a young woman named Maris challenges tradition and brings about a new order. From there, the plot, which takes snapshots of Maris’s life over the next few decades, shows how change often brings complications.

The writing isn’t too sophisticated, but I thought Windhaven worked well on the level of a Young Adult fantasy novel (sci-fi elements are barely present), conveying the poignant sense of having a privilege that’s hard to bear losing. What I really enjoyed though, was the nuance that the authors put into the story’s evolution. At each stage of her life, Maris finds her idealism echoed by younger people, who push things a bit further and bring about new shakeups in the political order of the world, not always with desirable consequences. The characters aren’t complex, but their varied perspectives are each given a fair hearing. Not surprisingly, there’s a quiet play on the Icarus myth that runs through the story, touching on its different chords.

All in all, a well-constructed, bittersweet minor gem of a novel, and I’m glad someone saw fit to bring it out of the vault and produce an audio version. Its drama is simpler and more reflective than that of A Game of Thrones, but it’s an early highlight in Martin’s career, written along with a friend (I’m not so familiar with Lisa Tuttle’s work). And, unlike the aforementioned series, you can actually finish reading it! The audiobook narrator does a fine job, representing different characters with distinct accents.(less)

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Mar 04, 2012 Zsor rated it 3 of 5 stars

As fascinating as the world of Windhaven is, I found it difficult to connect with the characters in this book. Too much is left unfleshed and the flyers themselves are inflexible specialists who have trained all their lives to do one thing. I've read too many stories like this, where the love of a profession or calling is everything. Sport is like this and maybe music and craft are too to some extent. Art on the other hand creates generalists who, if they can't do the one thing, find something e...more As fascinating as the world of Windhaven is, I found it difficult to connect with the characters in this book. Too much is left unfleshed and the flyers themselves are inflexible specialists who have trained all their lives to do one thing. I've read too many stories like this, where the love of a profession or calling is everything. Sport is like this and maybe music and craft are too to some extent. Art on the other hand creates generalists who, if they can't do the one thing, find something else to be passionate about. So it might be that my mindset is more art. I found it hard to believe these characters wouldn't have a plan b in a profession where longevity wasn't common.
Some of the main concepts didn't work for me. The elitism that our central character fights against may in some way be an essential thing. If your job is dangerous and will most likely kill you, requires all your time in training, and is your greatest passion... perhaps the traditions and being special would keep people doing it. Would make sure this essential service continued. I wasn’t convinced upsetting the status quo was the best thing and I didn't believe the flyers would vote to allow outside challengers to come and take their wings without better reasons. Or maybe I just thought the competitions silly and frivolous in a world where they depended on these wings for survival. Yes it makes sense they would happen, but not that they would make them so competitive that all practice would go towards the end of winning and keeping the wings rather than safely delivering messages. I also couldn't believe that they wouldn’t be constantly attempting to make new wings. The small glimpses you get of this world, insufficient as they are, don't allow for that kind of madness.
I also found it disjointed, but I realize that is because it was two shorter stories combined. ¬
Like all George RR Martin’s books that I have read so far there’s a little bit too much crusty realism at the end. I read to escape, so I like to forget that we all age and we all die. There’s a reason so much fiction doesn’t include that bit. The annoying thing is that he writes so well that I won’t be giving up reading his books any time soon. I don’t think this is one of his best (haven’t read anything else by the other author credited, Lisa Tuttle), but there are some good characters and a great world.
(less)

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Nov 08, 2011 Anmras rated it 2 of 5 stars

Herein was a great disappointment, what with my expectations of GRRM much too high according to the Song of Ice and Fire series. I figured with another author this would add insight to commonly explored areas of his writing, but something about this collaboration is desperately uneven. I can only imagine that it was GRRM who created the world and story, and Lisa Tuttle was largely responsible for the writing.

Firstly, the story is split into three parts, each separated by several years in the ma...more

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Jan 11, 2010 Harold Ogle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. "Windhaven" is a collection of three short stories in the same setting, in which a spacecraft finds itself lost and is forced to crash on the closest habitable planet in order for the crew to survive. The planet is mostly ocean, with a few island archipelagos scattered around. The colonists found themselves trying to live on a planet with no industrial base, and no real way to create one with the tools at hand. Gargantuan sea monsters inhabit the oceans, making any sort of sea travel a dangerous...more "Windhaven" is a collection of three short stories in the same setting, in which a spacecraft finds itself lost and is forced to crash on the closest habitable planet in order for the crew to survive. The planet is mostly ocean, with a few island archipelagos scattered around. The colonists found themselves trying to live on a planet with no industrial base, and no real way to create one with the tools at hand. Gargantuan sea monsters inhabit the oceans, making any sort of sea travel a dangerous gamble, so the colonists were faced with a decision: try to maintain the existing technology in the hopes of a miraculous rescue, or try to survive for the long-term. Eventually, this leads to civil war in the colony, with the win going to the group that wanted to scuttle the wrecked spacecraft and degenerating high-technology equipment in order to make tools that would be useful in a non-industrial society. One of the primary tools is a kind of collapsible wing, which can be used to glide on the ferocious winds of a planet with no major land masses and thus enable communication by courier between the islands. By the time the book begins, millennia have passed, and the culture of "flyers" is set in stone: each flyer learns to use his wings in the service of his home island, which he continues to do, traveling the world as no one else can do, until his or her first-born offspring reaches 13 years of age, when the wings are automatically passed on to the child. There are many flaws in this system of primogeniture, of course, and the book explores how a rural society hide-bound in such traditions reacts to change. This change comes in the form of Maris, a commoner who is so passionate about flying that she is adopted by a childless flyer on her home island...but then she is forced to relinquish the wings that would have been hers when her "father" has a son in his advancing years.

The three stories of the book are distinct from one another, and work well separately, but they also do come together as a pretty decent narrative, though a great span of time passes between each story. The first story is about how Maris desperately fights for her wings, and changes Windhaven society in the process. She ends up stealing the wings from her brother - who supports her and has no interest in being a flyer himself, calling a convocation of all the flyers on Windhaven in order to plead her case, and how she scrambles to invent a change that all the flyers can accept which will allow her to keep her wings. This story is the most enjoyable of the three, and the court-room drama at the end is nicely realized. In the end, Maris stumbles onto the idea of creating a challenge system, where the "land-bound" can challenge existing flyers at annual tournaments, and the better flyer in these challenges is the one to get the wings...thus allowing the wings to pass onto families who were not "born with wings". The second story is seven years later, when Maris is fully adult. It's about how Maris reacts to the inevitable, logical extension of the challenge system: that someone without any honor or respect for the rest of flyer culture learns how to fly really well and challenges for the wings. It's an interesting moral conundrum: Maris despises Val, but she is committed to being just, and so she supports him in any case, even when all the other flyers turn against him. She never thought that someone so reprehensible, so lacking in respect, would become a flyer, but she cannot deny the right of anyone, no matter how vile, to try to be a flyer. The third story takes place more than thirty years later, when an island's ruler attempts to control his island's flyers so that he can instigate a war with another island. It's a power struggle between the flyers - who fancy themselves impartial couriers above petty politics - and the rulers of the land, so see who has the more power.

The book is particularly well done in that Maris' voice is so different with each story, reflecting how her attitudes and experiences have changed over time. In the first, she's hungry, desperate to fly, and full of vigor. In the second, she is a celebrity and ruler among the flyers, and in the third, she is a bitter, sick old woman. Like all GRRM, this is grim stuff with a lot of complicated character motivations, but readers expecting the intricacy of "A Game of Thrones" aren't paying attention. George R. R. Martin is and has always been primarily an author of morally ambiguous short stories, like "Sandkings". The Song of Ice and Fire books, as a full-length fantasy series, are a fluke in his career, and this may explain some of why it takes him so long to complete each one. "Windhaven" is an effective character study told across three separate stories in the same setting, which were written separately over the span of several years in the 70s. For me, it was also interesting to read this, as I recently read C.J. Cherryh's "Foreigner", which starts with a very similar premise of a spaceship getting way off course and having to settle on an inhospitable world. They make an interesting comparison, because the three authors (counting Lisa Tuttle) chose very different directions to take the two stories, despite their initial similarities.(less)

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Jul 30, 2012 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, science-fiction, fantasy

This fantasy appears to me to be in the tradition of Ursula Leguin, replete with a coming of age story bound up with social development issues, moral choices, and fable-like messages. The descendents of marooned starfarers inhabit a world of many small islands. Aside from sailing in an ocean with dangerous sea monsters, the only link between islands is via a cadre of flyers who use wings made of metal struts and special indestructible cloth left over from the ancestors. The aristocracy of flyers...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Monica Ong rated it 4 of 5 stars

This story comprises of the 3 (or 4) main events in the life of Maris of Lesser Amberly.
A girl who's born as a fisherman's daughter, never to be a flyer, but then she protested and fought for change.

In this book, I saw how Maris struggled and fought for the break of traditions, how she battled through her imperfections, and how she tried to find a place to fit in.
Is she a one-wing/woodwing or a flyer-born?
She made some good and bad decisions, the latter earning her a bit too much trouble tha...more

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Jul 30, 2009 Nicolas rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fable, world-opera, top, mer, rayon-fantasy-et-sf

Anciennement titré en français “Elle qui chevauche les tempêtes”(1), ce roman est en fait un recueil de trois grosses nouvelles (encadrées par un prologue et un épilogue). Et, histoire de gâcher complètement le suspense, je vous dis tout de suite que c’est un chef d’oeuvre du niveau des meilleures oeuvres de ma bibliothèque. Oui, j’ai adoré. Mais heureusement, je vais vous dire pourquoi.

D’abord, le monde décrit m’a parlé à un niveau difficilement imaginable. Forcément, en tant qu’ancien marin de...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Stephanie Sarkany rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was, quite frankly, blown away by this book. I feel that it is one of those books that I will think on year after year. It was slow to get into for me but once I got past the first 20 or so pages, I was enthralled by the world and the character of Maris. While the rest of the characters were not as well-developed as Maris, her development made up for their lacking. And I think that the style of the book, which follows Maris for pretty much her entire life, lends itself well to focusing solely...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Jacquie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Many generations ago a colony of humans crash landed on a small, habitable planet which they named Windhaven; a windy and oceanic world, with the only land being small chains of islands separated by great distances. They discovered that on this world the continuous winds and low gravity enabled humans to fly with the help of wings they constructed out of pieces of their cannibalized ship. Now, generations later, the flyers are an elite class. They traverse the vast distances between islands, bri...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Katerina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: recensioni

Romanzo di fantascienza. Romanzo diviso in tre parti, che sarebbero tre racconti poi raccolti in un unico volume.
Romanzo che mi è piaciuto davvero, davvero tanto.

I protagonisti sono i discendenti di astronauti che si sono schiantati su questo pianeta, caratterizzato da fortissimi venti, tempeste improvvise, una pressione diversa e una conformazione ad arcipelago: tante isole sparse, collegate da navi e da Volatori.
I Volatori sono i discendenti degli astronauti che, con i rottami delle astronavi,...more Romanzo di fantascienza. Romanzo diviso in tre parti, che sarebbero tre racconti poi raccolti in un unico volume.
Romanzo che mi è piaciuto davvero, davvero tanto.

I protagonisti sono i discendenti di astronauti che si sono schiantati su questo pianeta, caratterizzato da fortissimi venti, tempeste improvvise, una pressione diversa e una conformazione ad arcipelago: tante isole sparse, collegate da navi e da Volatori.
I Volatori sono i discendenti degli astronauti che, con i rottami delle astronavi, hanno costruito le Ali, insostituibili e non replicabili, e sono una casta chiusissima: le ali passano di genitore in figli, e i Volatori sono a servizio della comunità ma al di sopra delle sue leggi.

La protagonista è Maris, figlia di pescatori che nella vita vuole solo volare. Ma secondo la tradizione il suo sogno è impossibile.

Il libro segue Maris in tre momenti distinti (più l'epilogo) che sarebbero i tre racconti (Tempeste-1975; Un'Ala-1980; La Caduta-1981).

La storia della protagonista è più che altro un pretesto per raccontare altro: la lotta tra vecchio e nuovo, tra tradizione e cambiamento. Le ricerca dell'equilibrio quando la società si sta muovendo verso il futuro e devi decidere cosa conta davvero e cosa può - deve - essere lasciato alle spalle.

E' una storia su causa ed effetto, e su come le nostre decisioni possono avere conseguenze a lungo termine a cui non abbiamo pensato, perchè Maris vuole volare ma per farlo deve cambiare il suo mondo, ed è qualcosa che non può finire con lei.

Il libro è scritto bene, anche se c'è il paradosso che tu stai leggendo il secondo romanzo di Martin dopo aver letto il suo ultimo, quindi lo stile sembra quasi un passo indietro, acerbo rispetto a quello a cui sei abituato, ma cavolo se questi due alle prime armi erano schifosamente bravi (sul serio: secondo romanzo di Martin, primo romanzo della Tuttle).
E' tutto molto essenziale, senza troppi abbellimenti o parti superflue. Mondo e personaggi non hanno grandi spiegoni perchè gli autori hanno ritenuto i lettori abbastanza inteligenti da capire le cose anche senza sbattertele in faccia sei volte, e personalmente l'ho molto apprezzato.

Come romanzo di fantascienza è strano, perchè non solo non c'è grande tecnologia, ma il confine ultimo da conquistare non è l'universo ma il cielo. Non ci sono combattimenti contro mostri strani, ma persone che vivono la loro vita, cercando di fare la differenza per ciò in cui credono.

Libro molto interessante, e consigliato.(less)

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Sep 03, 2012 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This is actually much closer to 3.5 stars then three.

I enjoyed this book; I especially liked the prologue and the first story, and the whole concept of the flyers, the world of Windhaven, and the description of flying. In the second story, some of the characters were too butthurt for my taste, something for which I have a low tolerance reading about, and I could guess very early on that Maris would end up (view spoiler)...more

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Nov 25, 2012 Kwinks rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really loved the first section of this story, "Storms". Maris was an inspiring character in a fantastic world that I just could not wait to explore. But the story began to tank for me in the second story and really fell off the cliff in the third. Instead of exploring Windhaven and all of the wonders that the flyers see there, we are thrown into politics. Politics between flyers, politics between the flyers and the landsmen. Yawn.
I am going to try and read more Tuttle as I am curious as to...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Carl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Marvelous Excellent and Beautiful. It makes me nostalgic for the 80's when the longer short fiction forms in the Speculative Fiction mileu were written by a bevy of top drawer talent- Zelazny,McCaffrey, Ellison and Wolfe (Among many others), who were turning out magnificent Novellas and novelettes at a regular clip.

Based on and expanded from two novellas written five years apart, Windhaven is a marvelous example of compact world building and is an unintentional anectdote to today's penchant for...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Romana1 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi-fantasy

Decided to read one of GMMR's earlier novels-and was not disappointed! Since I am terrible at writing reviews, I'll just make this simple-I enjoyed reading about Maris and the flyers, the landsmen, and the singers.

Windhaven is a collection of previously published short stories following the life of Maris, the daughter of a fisherman who becomes a flyer. Because a flyer's wings are inherited, Maris must challenge this tradition, and leads the way to changing the law so that a person is given win...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Brighid rated it 2 of 5 stars

Ok. So I'm going to give this a try as I like GRRM. The other reason I am trying this is that I also liked Anne McCaffery and her "Dragonriders of Pern" world. If anyone has read some of Anne's books they are going to look with suspicion and interest after reading the description of Windhaven. Personally I can't wait to see if its a lawsuit in the making. You can't get much closer to the same story without getting slapped in the face with it. Crashed colony ship? check. Strange planet that the c...more

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May 16, 2013 Susanna Parker rated it 4 of 5 stars

I did really like this book, though it wasn't what I was expecting. I thought I'd follow Maris through a briefer, but more intense struggle, rather than through her long life. But that doesn't make it a bad book - quite the contrary. Seeing the world change around the actions of one woman was fascinating - not that she caused everything, but rather she was a catalyst for change throughout her life. At the end, I wish we'd been able to follow Windhaven past Maris' death, to see the changes that c...more

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Sep 18, 2009 Peter rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, sciencefiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 13, 2013 Tangleflower rated it 3 of 5 stars

The first thing you notice reading this book is that both Martin and Tuttle got better at writing later on. The prose is pretty clunky, the characters aren't the most interesting or relatable, and the plot is mediocre. The setting is the most important part of the premise, and is fairly compelling. Fans of A Song of Ice and Fire might get a kick out of noticing names of people and places that Martin reused later on, as well as a sort-of cameo by the character that would eventually become Tyrion...more

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Jan 31, 2010 Jiayun Yun rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked the book because it was very real, in the sense that there weren't cliche elements such as ultimate triumphs of good over evil, and the exploits of the characters weren't entirely smooth-sailing. The book conveyed how there will always be disappointments in life, and things can't always turn out the way you want, no matter how much you want them too. And because it was so real, the story was really moving and several times I stopped reading to jump around with excitement. :)

However, the...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Jon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Jon by: Martin

This thirty-year-old book is essentially a collection of three novellas, the first of which, "The Storms of Windhaven", was nominated for both the Hugo and Nebula awards thirty-five years ago. Although the same main character (and many supporting characters) appear throughout all three parts, they really feel like distinct works.

The setting is a planet where a spaceship crashed hundreds of years ago. The inhabitants have lost much of the technology, but cannibalized the starship to make wings fo...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Sakura87 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: autori-nordamericani, fantascienza, novecento, eroine-challenge

A lungo fuori catalogo (la prima edizione italiana risale al 1983 per la Nord), Il pianeta dei venti non è realmente un romanzo, ma una raccolta che contiene tre racconti lunghi di G.R.R. Martin e Lisa Tuttle, scritti tra il 1975 e il 1982: Le tempeste, Un’ala e La caduta, preceduti da un Prologo e seguiti da un Epilogo.
La protagonista dei tre racconti, cronologicamente ordinati, è Maris, una Volatrice: in un mondo di isole che si ergono su mari pericolosi per la navigazione, i contatti più freq...more A lungo fuori catalogo (la prima edizione italiana risale al 1983 per la Nord), Il pianeta dei venti non è realmente un romanzo, ma una raccolta che contiene tre racconti lunghi di G.R.R. Martin e Lisa Tuttle, scritti tra il 1975 e il 1982: Le tempeste, Un’ala e La caduta, preceduti da un Prologo e seguiti da un Epilogo.
La protagonista dei tre racconti, cronologicamente ordinati, è Maris, una Volatrice: in un mondo di isole che si ergono su mari pericolosi per la navigazione, i contatti più frequenti e sicuri avvengono tramite uomini in grado di volare con ali metalliche. Costoro compongono una casta privilegiata: tramandandosi le poche ali rimaste da genitore a primogenito, i Volatori sfruttano le correnti per librarsi da un’isola all’altra trasmettendo in poche ore messaggi importanti che altrimenti impiegherebbero mesi a giungere. Ma l’essenza dei Volatori è ben altra: essi sono un tutt’uno coi venti e il cielo, sanno leggere le correnti e anticipare tempeste e bonacce, volare è in breve tutta la loro vita e sono consapevoli della loro fortuna e libertà, disprezzando pertanto i meschini Terragnoli costretti a vivere radicati a terra.
Maris è figlia di pescatori, e ha potuto coronare il suo sogno di volare grazie all’adozione di un Volatore che ormai disperava di poter generare un erede. Ne Le tempeste viene narrata la sua battaglia contro la tradizione, che sta per strapparle le ali essendo giunto a maggiore età Coll, l’erede del patrigno tanto sperato e infine nato. Se Maris è disperata, Coll è spaventato, poiché le sue inclinazioni lo spingono a voler diventare un cantore piuttosto che un Volatore. Le tradizioni, tuttavia, non consentono al primogenito di un Volatore di rifiutare le ali, né queste possono essere cedute a qualcuno che le meriti o desideri maggiormente. Le tradizioni, però, possono essere sfidate e cambiate, ed è ciò che farà Maris. Un’ala mostra una Maris più vecchia di sette anni alle prese con le conseguenze delle sue azioni: ottenuta la possibilità di fondare delle Accademie che formino chiunque desideri imparare volare per sfidare i legittimi detentori delle ali, la donna deve cozzare contro il disincanto dei giovani che ha illuso di poter volare in un mondo cambiato nella forma ma non nella sostanza, e contro il razzismo dei Volatori di cui sente sempre meno di far parte. Infine, ne La caduta Maris dovrà fare i conti con l'età e un terribile incidente che la priverà della capacità di volare, nonché con il mondo creato dalle sue scelte, un nuovo capitolo della storia che ha privato i Volatori dell'aura leggendaria tanto conosciuta e amata dai Terragnoli.

Sarà la presenza di altre due mani oltre a quelle del famoso autore americano, ma quelle di Martin si sentono poco.
I tre racconti presentano un universo affascinante e curato, ma non si amalgamano abbastanza da creare una vicenda unitaria che catturi l’attenzione del lettore costituendosi come percorso organico. Non ci sono in realtà difetti sostanziali, solo una tale dose di insipidezza da rendere impossibile l‘imprimersi nella memoria dei personaggi o delle vicende che hanno accompagnato il lettore per quasi quattrocento pagine: il tema della strenua volontà che rende possibile ogni cosa, ma comporta sacrifici, perdite e disillusione, non è certamente nuovo ed è sviluppato in modo assai poco originale; altrettanto abusato è lo schema del giovane dotato di natali sfortunati cui è pertanto impedito di seguire il proprio sogno, che sfida un sistema di regole ingiuste e reazionarie – talmente tanto che risultano quasi incredibili in un mondo dove dalle poche ali rimaste dipendono i destini di così tante persone per poterle affidare a qualcuno che non ha le capacità per portarle; solo l'ultimo racconto, che narra il disincanto della vecchiaia, la necessità di riscrivere la propria vita e di fare i conti con le conseguenze delle scelte prese in gioventù, riesce a convincere e interessare.
Ma nel complesso, volendo considerare le tre parti come un unicum e non giudicare separatamente i tre racconti, risulta un lavoro poco più che mediocre, formalmente (manca l’acutezza della pennellata di Martin, la sapienza nel costruire pause e attese e nel gestire i tempi narrativi, la profondità dei personaggi) e contenutisticamente, consigliato solo a chi desidera qualche ora d’evasione senza troppe pretese.

Nota sulla quarta di copertina: come al solito, chi l'ha scritta deve aver letto o capito molto poco del libro, dal momento che fa riferimento a una società 'maschilista' che assolutamente non lo è; classista senza dubbio, ma nella casta dei Volatori una primogenita vale quanto un primogenito, e una donna quanto un uomo: le donne possono volare persino se incinte, fermarsi quando troppo pericoloso, per poi richiedere le ali subito dopo il parto. Immagino che sbandierare una rivoluzione femminista da parte della protagonista facesse troppo gola.
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Oct 22, 2012 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Given that GRR Martin is one of the co-authors and the Amazon review included the phrase "...she finds herself likewise fighting to preserve the integrity of a society she so longed to join—not to mention the very fabric that holds her culture together" I kind of expected the story to be on a scale that affects the entire world and political-intrigue heavy. (I spent a significant portion of GAME OF THRONES just try to keep who's who and doing what straight.) This isn't quite as epic as all that,...more

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May 10, 2012 Sol Gonzalez rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2007, ciencia-ficción

Libro que consta de tres historias principales y un prefacio que dá fin a todas las historias. El lugar en el que se desarrollan es la colonia espacial Windhaven, misma que colisiona en un planeta con baja gravedad y una atmósfera densa. El planeta estaba constituido en su mayor parte por mares y unos pequeños archipielagos distribuidos en toda la superficie. La fuerza de las tormentas hacía casi imposibles los viajes en barco y debido a estas condiciones, los habitantes crearon alas a partir de...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Bobscopatz rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book, so why couldn't I find it in myself to give it at least a 4-star rating? Because at some points in the book I just didn't care anymore. I could tell someone was trying to pull my heartstrings and they tugged too hard.

Overall, this is a good concept, but not a great one. It might have suffered from one too many authors' involvement. I don't know.

I do know that I was engaged for most of the first half (descriptive of the main idea) but the conflict and resolution just left me...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Matt rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: do-not-own, 2013, audiobook-library-loan, fantasy

2.5 stars

This was a pretty good book. I could certainly tell that this was one of Martin's earliest works because the usual early writer mistakes (namely writing too much and not leaving anything to the reader's imagination) were evident.

What I liked about this book was primarily the premise. The idea that humans had come to another planet (seemingly that planet wasn't the one they had planned on going to) after who knows what kind of catastrophe only to lose all of the higher technology that go...more

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Aug 10, 2007 Heather rated it 1 of 5 stars

If like myself, you have enjoyed Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire Series and been completely blown away by the honesty of his characters, the brilliance of his politics and spent countless hours awake at night, unable to sleep because you just HAVE to know what happens next, please don't read this book. George R. R. Marin may have the utmost respect for the talents of Lisa Tuttle, but after reading this book, I can't say I share his opinion. The concept is good but the characters are flat. Half-w...more

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About George R.R. Martin

George R. R. Martin was born September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father was Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and his mother was Margaret Brady Martin. He has two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten.

Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies,...more George R. R. Martin was born September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father was Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and his mother was Margaret Brady Martin. He has two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten.

Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: "The Hero," sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.

In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.

As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.

In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.

Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.

Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.

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Books by George R.R. Martin

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)

A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2)

A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3)

A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, #4)

A Dance With Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire, #5)

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