The Wind Merchant

The Wind Merchant

by Ryan Dunlap

Out of the ashes of The Clockwork War, mankind rose above the clouds to begin anew with The Atmo Project, a group of twenty-one flying cities running off the overabundant resource that destroyed the world below. Nearly a century later, one-third of the cities have fallen from disrepair or sky pirate attacks.

When fledgling wind merchant Ras Veir inadvertently disrupts the natural fuel source keeping his home city of Verdant aloft, he must fly his airship clear across Atmo to right his wrong. But he can't do it alone, and adventure-minded girl next door Calista Tourbillon wouldn't dream to pass up an opportunity to escape Verdant with her childhood friend, especially if it means tangling with dread sky pirates, clockwork automatons, and the remnants of the long-forgotten world beneath the clouds to retrieve a rare element on the wind from a place known only as The Wild.

Genres: Steampunk, Fantasy, Fiction

334 pages, Paperback

First published June 25, 2012

About the author

Ryan Dunlap is a storyteller accustomed to weaving tales with twenty-four images per second, and wrote/directed the feature film Greyscale. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and is told he should have been born a century ago.

Reviews

[Stan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book, especially for a first novel. Ryan Dunlap has created a very interesting world of the steam punk variety. The story keeps a very good pace, has memorable characters who actually grow as the story progresses, and even manages a few unexpected (by me) plots adjustments along the way. It was an interesting and entertaining story well told - which made it worth my time. I am looking forward to Dunlap's next book set in this world!

I read this book in 2013, before I was using goodreads, so I don't have a finished date.

[Edmund Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really a great book. Very action-packed and full of adventure.
Mr Dunlap has managed to create an interesting steampunk like world where man dwells in the sky, harvesting strange and mysterious forms of energy to stay aloft.

Very cleverly-crafted and makes you want more!

[Alex Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book frustrated me.  I liked the characters and the potential they had, I liked the settings and the fun visuals it brought to mind, and I even thought the overall story arc wasn't a bad one, but at various times throughout the book which generally has a nicely flowing writing style, I was yanked out of being immersed in the story by some poor writing.  At times it felt like it skipped to an outcome or the next scene without adequately describing the journey between the two, and when you're mid-flow happily following along to have gaps like that thrust upon you, just felt jarring.  It's a real shame, because by fleshing out those instances a bit more it would have smoothed the narative and perhaps I would have felt this deserved more than 3 out of 5 stars.  Being used to reading hardcore epic sci-fi by the likes of Peter F Hamilton, I felt that the baseline physics of Dunlap's world didn't entirely make sense.  Unfortunately the suspension of disbelief with some of the technologies and situations described just didn't feel like it rang true.  I'd like to continue reading Dunlap's trilogy, but I sincerely hope the jarring inconsistencies in the writing are ironed out.

[Russell Bigelow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved it. It had great, characters with believable and relatable motivations. It was also an engaging setting. I also digest over 95% of my books in an audiobook format. I enjoy hearing the author read their own books as it is a window directly into the world the author created, as opposed to someone elses interpretation or understanding of that world. I would love to be able to finish the Trilogy in audio format. (On a side note the author narrated as well or better than some professional narrator's.) 10/10 have recommended.

[OttoTheBierDude Thebierdude · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is required reading for Steampunk fans. All of the characters are endearingly witty! The twists and turns in the plot keep you engaged and wanting more. I would recommend it to science fiction and fantasy fans. I will probably read this book again.

[James Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action

Nonstop action and adventure in a world reminiscent of Girl Genius. Reveals a lot more about its world than I expected in one book

[Katie Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of this book from the day I heard the author was writing it. Ryan Dunlap's short films are legendary, and I knew any novel of his would be breathtaking. I wasn't mistaken.

The Wind Merchant exceeded my expectations, and was so much more than I imagined. Synopsises are one thing Dunlap does not excel at (I still have no clue what Greyscale is about) so I was pleasantly surprised to discover the more fantastical elements woven into a traditional steampunk setting.

Over a century ago there was a war between two races on Earth, resulting in Time and Energy becoming generally mucked up. A lot of people died, a lot of people got locked up together, and a lot of people fled earth in an attempt not to die, building floating cities and harvesting energy from the wind to power them. Some people have the skill, or "knack" of being able to see the energy in the wind, making them skilled at harvesting it, and some people lack this knowledge, making them useless as Wind Merchants. But soon we discover that the world isn't as simple as being a Knack or a Lack....

A fun read, riveting all the way. The action becomes confusing towards the climax, but it levels out at the end. Most of the time when the author of a good book starts talking about sequels I protest that one should leave well enough alone, but in this case I want to know more about the Clockwork War and will eagerly welcome a younger siblings to "The Wind Merchant."

[J.K. Riki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books I didn't want to end, I was enjoying it so much. It isn't without flaws (the ending had a weird pacing of dragging on a little and then coming to an abrupt conclusion) but overall I loved it and definitely will read more by the author! Particularly excited to get the sequel. The characters were memorable and interesting, and the relationships were all ones you desperately wanted to cheer for. I'm glad I picked this one up on a whim at an independent bookstore while visiting Nashville!

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Wind merchant is the perfect geek book with everything you would want in a story down to the perfect geek girl.

The story meanders and first but it picks up in the second half.
Also it is pretty confusing at times because of the complexity of what is going on.

But all and all the book is a great adventure with an intriguing world and a good protagonist.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I could use half stars, I'd go up to 4 1/2 on this one. The storytelling here is top-notch, the plot is interesting and kept me guessing, but in some places the writing style bothers me just enough to take me out of the story. It's not enough to make me stop reading, though, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

[Amanda.fallingintobooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my usual read but still good nonetheless. Richly imaginative with characters that grab you from the start and demand you hear their story. I couldn't put it down. What a world the author created. If you love steam punk then this is a must read!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid story which starts out slow, but picks up about halfway through. Probably could have used another editing pass to tighten things up, but otherwise a good debut novel.