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The Wind Maiden
NO MATTER HOW FAST YOU ARE, SOME THINGS YOU CAN’T OUTRUN…
Thea loves to run. Theadne Adir has a gift for speed. It’s the seventeen-year-old’s ticket off Qalon, the war-torn, dust-bowl of a planet she calls home. When she’s a star – track sports are big in the Sarall Supremacy – she can finally pamper her hard-working mom and get her little brother, Joss, the medical care he desperately needs.
When the Supremacy’s war kills Thea’s plans, her way out is shut until a chance encounter leads Thea on a race out of her scarred but familiar life and into the arms of an enemy not at all what they seem. With the help of an alien prince and some unlikely allies, Thea finds herself running not for medals, but for the future of Qalon and the soul of a downtrodden people.
From a theater’s catacombs to a nightmarish wilderness to the top of the tallest building on the planet, the struggle for Qalon coincides with Thea’s own struggle to accept that the lie her teacher told her just might be true: that she – Theadne Adir – is the living incarnation of Qalon’s greatest legend, the Wind Maiden.
Thea loves to run. Theadne Adir has a gift for speed. It’s the seventeen-year-old’s ticket off Qalon, the war-torn, dust-bowl of a planet she calls home. When she’s a star – track sports are big in the Sarall Supremacy – she can finally pamper her hard-working mom and get her little brother, Joss, the medical care he desperately needs.
When the Supremacy’s war kills Thea’s plans, her way out is shut until a chance encounter leads Thea on a race out of her scarred but familiar life and into the arms of an enemy not at all what they seem. With the help of an alien prince and some unlikely allies, Thea finds herself running not for medals, but for the future of Qalon and the soul of a downtrodden people.
From a theater’s catacombs to a nightmarish wilderness to the top of the tallest building on the planet, the struggle for Qalon coincides with Thea’s own struggle to accept that the lie her teacher told her just might be true: that she – Theadne Adir – is the living incarnation of Qalon’s greatest legend, the Wind Maiden.
380 pages, Paperback
First published May 12, 2013
12 people want to read
About the author
Dan M. Klinefelter
1 book15 followersDan discovered his love for words at a young age, a love rarely reflected in his report cards. Today, he works as a paramedic, and in the past has been everything from a radio DJ, a newspaper reporter, and an ordained minister. He lives in Steger, IL with his wife, Kristy, his youngest son, and a menagerie of critters to make Noah proud. He spends most of his free time writing, and sometimes that even includes putting something on paper. The Wind Maiden is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 5, 2013
I fell in love with the book. I went through so many emotions reading it, at times I wanted to smack some of the characters and others I wanted to hug. I cried over Navaan when I thought he was dead, then I laughed when he wasn't and the reason he had pretended to have past. Talius's attitude towards Thea made me want to choke him in his sleep and find a way to blame it on the Supremacy army.
During the entire story I kept thinking of Thea's strong willed brother, Joss's drawings of Thea, and as a mother couldn't help but feeling for Thea's mom and was able to relate to her on a mental level of not knowing what had transpired with her child.
Over all the book was an attention grabber. Very well written and an emotional roller coaster at times. I definitely recommend this book as a must read.
During the entire story I kept thinking of Thea's strong willed brother, Joss's drawings of Thea, and as a mother couldn't help but feeling for Thea's mom and was able to relate to her on a mental level of not knowing what had transpired with her child.
Over all the book was an attention grabber. Very well written and an emotional roller coaster at times. I definitely recommend this book as a must read.
August 15, 2013
This is a really good book. I like the characters, especially Thea and her brother, Joss. It takes a while to build the action, but once it gets going, it's mostly non-stop. I really like the world that's created - it's sort of dystopian, but it's on another planet, not the future, like so many books these days. The settings are richly detailed, but without taking focus away from the characters and the action.
August 3, 2016
Okay, so Dan Klinefelter just went on my list of must read, don't-even-need-to-read-the-back-cover authors. It only took me about three days to get through The Wind Maiden, and this is almost a 400 page novel-I had a really hard time putting it down. This story goes deep but rolls along at a fast pace-lots of action and adventure here.
The world building in very nicely done-descriptive and engaging and varied, from war zones/neighborhoods and cities to the mountains and caves and the ocean, Klinefelter creates a world that is different enough to be exciting and familiar enough to feel authentic and real. Also, I loved the whole legend behind the wind maiden.
So, without giving away too much-Thea is a seventeen year old girl living on a planet that is a hot mess-literally, her home planet is at war with a galaxy wide force called the Supremacy and they're bent on taking over. In many ways they already have, since most of Thea's fellow citizens-herself included, at first-kind of just accept the way things are and try to live a normal life with work, sports, friendships and so on. Thea and her family, really every character in this book, felt easy to relate to and like(and often times champion) and many practically jumped off the page. I love how Thea grows and changes throughout the book, especially without becoming jaded.
As the blurb states, Thea ends up getting kidnapped by opposition forces one night when she's out for a swim because her shower wasn't working. From there, she embarks on a whirlwind journey that is filled with both challenges and blessings. I really don't want to give too much away, but this is a must read for anyone who enjoys science fiction, fantasy, or YA (even if you don't normally read YA with a lot of science fiction or fantasy elements, heck even if you don't normally read YA, I would say give this a try.)
It's one of those novels that is almost cross genre because yes the main character is 17, but I think this appeals to a very wide audience, almost in the way that works like The Golden Compass or The Hunger Games have that ageless quality, if that makes sense. This is just a flat out awesome, unique story and beautifully written. My only problem is how I'm going to wait for the next book in this series. Highly recommended.
The world building in very nicely done-descriptive and engaging and varied, from war zones/neighborhoods and cities to the mountains and caves and the ocean, Klinefelter creates a world that is different enough to be exciting and familiar enough to feel authentic and real. Also, I loved the whole legend behind the wind maiden.
So, without giving away too much-Thea is a seventeen year old girl living on a planet that is a hot mess-literally, her home planet is at war with a galaxy wide force called the Supremacy and they're bent on taking over. In many ways they already have, since most of Thea's fellow citizens-herself included, at first-kind of just accept the way things are and try to live a normal life with work, sports, friendships and so on. Thea and her family, really every character in this book, felt easy to relate to and like(and often times champion) and many practically jumped off the page. I love how Thea grows and changes throughout the book, especially without becoming jaded.
As the blurb states, Thea ends up getting kidnapped by opposition forces one night when she's out for a swim because her shower wasn't working. From there, she embarks on a whirlwind journey that is filled with both challenges and blessings. I really don't want to give too much away, but this is a must read for anyone who enjoys science fiction, fantasy, or YA (even if you don't normally read YA with a lot of science fiction or fantasy elements, heck even if you don't normally read YA, I would say give this a try.)
It's one of those novels that is almost cross genre because yes the main character is 17, but I think this appeals to a very wide audience, almost in the way that works like The Golden Compass or The Hunger Games have that ageless quality, if that makes sense. This is just a flat out awesome, unique story and beautifully written. My only problem is how I'm going to wait for the next book in this series. Highly recommended.
August 15, 2013
Hmm, when I first started reading the book I realized this was not my standard reading choice of books. It took me a couple chapters to get into the book and really feel connected. After the first couple chapters I can honestly say I had a hard time putting the book down. There is so much creativity and action going on! Throughout the book there were details of places far away yet strangely enough I felt like I had actually seen some of these places. I'm very impressed with the authors imagination and am looking forward to a sequel.
July 15, 2014
Loved it! Still waiting on the sequel.....
December 22, 2015
MAJOR SPOILER ALERT WARNING THING:
I liked it. Soppy romance, just like almost every other YA romance book out there, but very good nonetheless. Loved the humor, the action, the depth and development of the characters.
Though I must say, I did NOT expect Craius to die. I was so sure he was gonna be one of the bad guys, and then POOF! he dies. :( The poor guy. But what pulled me the most (about his death) was the millions of questions it left unanswered. Why did he hate Talus so much? Why did his attitude toward Thea change, even if slightly? Was he warming up to her? I'd like to know his backstory, what made him so mean-spirited and the whole thing with the "Torturer's Guild." Also, the situation between Lt. Kor and Garris...??
I thought that Talus' sudden improvement was a bit dramatic, maybe unbelievable. But not bad, not at all. He deserves to be the better character he became, and I'm glad he found his strength through Thea's strength, instead of her weaknesses. I love how it emphasized on that. We need that in more books, especially for today's YA audience. I hope he and Thea can eventually learn each other's language. That tugged me at first, that they needed an interpreter to help them understand each other. But I guess that's a way to show that in spite of the lack of verbal
communication, their relationship can be stronger. Perhaps the author wanted to show that love goes deeper than words.
At first I thought Thea was a bit...eh. She cried, she screamed. But then again, she went through a lot of trauma, seeing people being murdered in cold blood. She became a stronger character, almost against her own will, as all the events through the Barrens and her journey forced her into situations that only the bravest can survive. I loved that although Thea was not the smart, brainy character, she was intelligent. That is, she used her wits, and used them well. She proved again and again how amazing she is, but what stands out most to me is that she is still Thea. Changed, and perhaps the Wind Maiden, as others keep calling her, but to her, she is a daughter, sister, and Thea at heart. I guess I'm trying to say that I love how it kinda showed that no matter how big destinies and roles characters have, in the end, they are still human. And her love for her brother...sniff :') She is definitely a cool character, through the whole book.
So many cliffhangers!
I look forward to reading more. Hopefully I can soon!! :D
I liked it. Soppy romance, just like almost every other YA romance book out there, but very good nonetheless. Loved the humor, the action, the depth and development of the characters.
Though I must say, I did NOT expect Craius to die. I was so sure he was gonna be one of the bad guys, and then POOF! he dies. :( The poor guy. But what pulled me the most (about his death) was the millions of questions it left unanswered. Why did he hate Talus so much? Why did his attitude toward Thea change, even if slightly? Was he warming up to her? I'd like to know his backstory, what made him so mean-spirited and the whole thing with the "Torturer's Guild." Also, the situation between Lt. Kor and Garris...??
I thought that Talus' sudden improvement was a bit dramatic, maybe unbelievable. But not bad, not at all. He deserves to be the better character he became, and I'm glad he found his strength through Thea's strength, instead of her weaknesses. I love how it emphasized on that. We need that in more books, especially for today's YA audience. I hope he and Thea can eventually learn each other's language. That tugged me at first, that they needed an interpreter to help them understand each other. But I guess that's a way to show that in spite of the lack of verbal
communication, their relationship can be stronger. Perhaps the author wanted to show that love goes deeper than words.
At first I thought Thea was a bit...eh. She cried, she screamed. But then again, she went through a lot of trauma, seeing people being murdered in cold blood. She became a stronger character, almost against her own will, as all the events through the Barrens and her journey forced her into situations that only the bravest can survive. I loved that although Thea was not the smart, brainy character, she was intelligent. That is, she used her wits, and used them well. She proved again and again how amazing she is, but what stands out most to me is that she is still Thea. Changed, and perhaps the Wind Maiden, as others keep calling her, but to her, she is a daughter, sister, and Thea at heart. I guess I'm trying to say that I love how it kinda showed that no matter how big destinies and roles characters have, in the end, they are still human. And her love for her brother...sniff :') She is definitely a cool character, through the whole book.
So many cliffhangers!
I look forward to reading more. Hopefully I can soon!! :D
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2013
I only give this book a 3 because 1st I am not a sci-fi fan. I read this book because it was writing by a friends brother in law and a former local of my town. 2nd it was kind of wordy. I am not one for the extra minute details. I like the basic details. This was probably because I am not a sci-fi fan. That being said for it being a Sci-Fi book it was good. I would get an editor to check the spelling and missing words due to there being a few but if you are a SCI-FI fan you will enjoy this book greatly!
Way to go Dan :)
Way to go Dan :)
April 16, 2016
Seriously nice original creation, good characters with a few excellent ones, good pace and very good tension which holds for the whole length of the story. Good plot with extra depth, and with just enough fuzz around the edges of the story to keep the reader wondering. Two alien races and one group of downtrodden nominal humans, and a nicely plausible unfolding of events with lots of action throughout the last two-thirds of the book - up from the first third, which 'only' has an ordinary amount of action! Excellent realization of the title Wind Maiden.
A fair number of editing flaws and misused or misspelled words costs one star. Still worth reading!
A fair number of editing flaws and misused or misspelled words costs one star. Still worth reading!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews