Warren Rochelle's Blog - Posts Tagged "jo-graham"

Wind Raker by Melissa Scott

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Like the first three books in this series, The Order of the Air, Scott and Graham have clearly done their homework in creating/recreating this alternate 1930s which is also ours-rather this is a hidden 1930s. History as we know it is in progress: the Nazis have risen to power in Germany, and FDR is in the White House. And there are other forces, other powers, at work. Magic is real, so are the old gods and the Occult. There are those of us, like Alma and Lewis, Mitch, and Jerry, who are practitioners, who are the Order of the Air, and work for good--and others who don't.

"It's the summer of 1935 and Gilchrist Aviation's owner, Alma Gilchrist Segura has brokered a deal that will take herself and fellow pilots Lewis Segura and Mitchell Sorley to Honolulu to test a new seaplane." The gig pays enough that they can take their families along, including the 3 children of their handyman who has abandoned them. Jerry, the other member of the Order is already out there, working on a new dig "investigating whether Hawaii was actually discovered by the Chinese. It's a crackpot idea but it's [Jerry's] chance to prove he can still handle fieldwork," even though missing part of his left from an injury in the Great War.

But, as Scott and Graham fans can expect, not so fast. Who is funding this dig and why? Why is the German archaeologist Willi Radke there, "who seems to know exactly what they want to find?" Why is this new plane plagued by mechanical errors--could the engineer Lily really be cursed? Who wants to kill a "middle-aged Army office of an allied lodge?" Evil is at work, powerful evil, can Jerry, Al, Mitch, and Lewis defeat it?

Along with the magical mystery there is the human drama. The abandoned and traumatized children--will they accept Mitch and his wife, Stasi, as foster parents? Can Jerry prove himself as a dig director and restart his career? Will the unexpected relationship Jerry finds himself in with Willi last past the summer? Should it?

At times, the background material of 1930s aviation slows down this richly detailed and well constructed story, but not enough to slow the reader and lose any interest. And background material like this is necessary. Mystery, drama, danger, evil--all here, along with believable and engaging characters.

Fans will enjoy this book. Those who have been waiting for Jerry to have a relationships will be glad, too.

Recommended.




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