Chasers of the Wind

Ветер и искры #1

by Alexey Pehov

Centuries after the disastrous War of the Necromancers, the Nabatorians, aligned with the evil necromancers of Sdis, mount an invasion of the Empire. Luk, a soldier, and Ga-Nor, a Northern barbarian, are thrown together as they attempt to escape the Nabatorian hordes and find their way back to their comrades.

Gray and Layan are a married couple, master thieves who are hiding out and trying to escape their former gang. They hope to evade the bounty hunters that hound them and retire to a faraway land in peace.

Tia is a powerful dark sorceress and one of The Damned--a group trying to take over the world and using the Nabatorian invasion as a diversion.

Unfortunately, for Gray and Layan, they unwittingly hold the key to a powerful magical weapon that could bring The Damned back to power.

Hounded by the killers on their trail and by the fearsome creatures sent by The Damned, Gray and Layan are aided by Luk and Ga-Nor--and Harold, the hero of The Chronicles of Siala. Realizing what's at stake they decide that, against all odds, they must stop The Damned.

"Chasers of the Wind "is the first book in a new series from internationally bestselling author Alexey Pehov.

Genres: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Fiction, Russia, Magic, Epic Fantasy, Zombies

624 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Alexey Pehov is the award-winning author of "The Chronicles of Siala," a bestselling series in his native Russia. SHADOW PROWLER (first published in Russia in 2002 as STEALTH IN THE SHADOWS) was the first book in the series THE CHRONICLES OF SIAL, and became one of Russia’s biggest, most successful debuts. His novel UNDER THE SIGN OF THE MANTIKOR was named "Book of Year" and "Best Fantasy Novel" in 2004 by Russia's largest fantasy magazine, World of Fantasy.

The name Alexey Pehov is a transliteration of Алексей Пехов.

Reviews

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 4 out of 5]

✔ The good thing about this book is that it’s, um, you know, slightly pretty good and stuff.

✘ The bad thing about this Slightly Pretty Good Book™ is that it ends on a Cliffhanger of Doom and Oblivion™.

✘ The bad, BAD thing about this Slightly Pretty Good Book of the Cliffhanger Doom and Oblivion Ending™ is that THE BLOODY SHRIMPING PUBLISHER HAS NO BLOODY SHRIMPING PLAN TO BLOODY SHRIMPING PUBLISH THE REMAINDER OF THE SERIES IN ANY LANGUAGE KNOWN TO A CERTAIN FORMER NEFARIOUS BREEDER OF MURDEROUS CRUSTACEANS.



To think I’m the one with the bad rep around here, and that most decapods think I’m ruthless and heartless and evil and cruel and diabolical and stuff! That’s only because they don’t know the Wickedly Malevolent Tor Books Overlords, if you ask me. Humph and harrumph and stuff! I am quite outrageously put out and stuff!

Okay, so I could do the lazy-as-a-lethargic-barnacle-on-extra-strength-valium thing, and decide not to review this book at all. I mean, what would be the point, anyway? It’s not like anyone is going to bother to pick it up, now that I’ve revealed the awful, ugly, YOU-WILL-NEVER-KNOW-WHAT-HAPPENS-NEXT-UNLESS-YOU-LEARN-RUSSIAN truth about it. So those who are a little Russian might be willing to give it a try. And those who are slightly fluent in Evil Russian Speakation™, too. But the rest of the Lowly Barnacled Bunch™? Pretty sure they don’t give a fish about this Slightly Pretty Good Book™ and/or what the shrimp it might be about. Anyway. My point is (because yes, I have one. Point, I mean. I also have crustacean-launching cannons, just so you know), I could have not reviewed the book because why bother and stuff but I’m feeling super extra energetic and bold and audacious today so I will and no no, really, I insist, my pleasure and stuff.



Don’t ask.

So, you should read this Slightly Pretty Good Book™ (even though YOU WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT) because:

① If you don’t the Evil Russians™ will might come for you, and you will might never be heard of again.

② The world is pretty yummilicious. It kind of reads like your standard Fantasy fare at first, but turns out to be deliciously dark and epic and original and fresh and stuff. There’s Super Extra Cool Magic™, Delightfully Delightful Necromancy™ *waves at her boyfriend Johannes Cabal*, Ha Ha Ha Stuff™, and a most delectable array of Exquisitely Diverse Characters™ (exploding fish-like people and winged people and return-of-the-living-dead-type-people, oh my!).

③ There are delicious, ancient villains whose names alone make my exoskeleton tingle and shiver and flutter and stuff. I mean, these evil guys and chicks are named after horrendous diseases! How amazing is that?! We’ve got Leprosy! We’ve got Typhoid! We’ve got Consumption! Aren’t those the cutest names ever?! I’m feeling super inspired all of a sudden, and can’t wait for the next batch of murderous crustaceans to hatch. My new babies are going to have the coolest, most charming names ever! I am all excite and stuff!

④ The most scrumptious cast of characters is most eclectic and most scrumptious. And the most scrumptious thing about the scrumptious cast is that none of its scrumptious members are entirely very good. And that’s pretty scrumptious, if you ask me. There is a scrumptious husband-wife team of yummy assassins with bucket loads of scrumptious thugs at their heels. There is also a most scrumptious red-haired, kilt-wearing, Viking-type scout dude who may or may not be residing in my High Security Harem as we speak. There is also Viking-type scout dude’s reluctant sidekick whose main reason for being scrumptious resides in the fact that he has a thing for toads being screwed (don’t ask). There are also most scrumptious traitors but spoiler spoiler spoiler so spoiler spoiler spoiler. All in all, I would almost be tempted to say that the cast of characters is nearly most scrumptious. A little.



I’m with you on that one, O Onion-Ringed One.

⑤ Severed limbs and detached heads, yay! I should have started with that one, come to think of it. I mean, blood, gore and jolly dismemberment are all one really needs in life to be gloriously and blissfully happy, is it not? I knew you’d agree with me on that one, Comely Arthropods Mine.

⑥ Alternate first and third person POVs. Okay, so it seems that some People of the Despicable Book Taste™ who read paper/digital/whatever editions of this book think alternating between first and third person narrative was sometimes confusing and clunky and clumsy and stuff. They obviously read the book wrong. They obviously should have done the Superiorly Clever Thing™, like my little self, and listened to the audio version. Because there are two separate narrators, one for the first person POV, and one for the third person POV. Ha. And both do a pretty wondrous job, too. Ha². So no confusion, clumsiness or clunkiness this side of the Mariana Trench. Ha³. Not to mention that none of the translation issues some People of the Despicable Book Taste™ mentioned in their reviews are noticeable in the audio version. Ha⁴.



So. My advice to you Boldalicious Barnacles would be to read this Slightly Pretty Good Book™ (even though YOU WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT), and then either learn how to read Russian in 10 minutes or rent a platoon of murderous crustaceans from me (at the reduced priced of $1,000,000) and threaten to unleash them on Tor Books if the rest of the series isn’t released in English within the next two months by the end of the year (“but hey, no pressure” message included in the rental price). Pretty sure one of these solutions will work great for you. Especially the second one. Just a feeling my bank account has I have. In the meantime, I’ll be personally contributing to the Wind and Sparks War Effort™ by innocently casting the baleful, vindictive glare of a thousand pissed-off, homicidal shrimps on the lovely Tor Books people. I expect positive results post haste.





[Pre-review nonsense]

That feeling you get when the book you just finished ends in a Bloody Stinking Cliffhanger (BSC™) but the lovely people at Tor the Bloody Shrimping Publisher (BSP™) has no plans to release the rest of the series:



And also:



And also, also:



➽ Full Someone Better Release The Rest of This Series Post Haste Or Else Someone Might Perhaps Maybe Possibly Unleash A Bunch Of Murderous Crustaceans On Someone But Hey No Pressure And Stuff Crappy Non Review (BSPYBRATBITSPHOESMPPMUABOMCOYBHNPASCNR™) to come.



[October 2017]

The Evil Russians™ super enthusiastically rated this book 3 miserable little stars, so of course I had to read it. That's crustacean logic for you. Or maybe Exceptionally Efficient Long Distance Russian Brain Hacking (EELDRBH™) at work.



Ha! I knew it! Okay, Evgeny, you can ditch the silly costume now, we all know it's you. The axe is a nice touch, though. I think you should keep it.

[Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

3.5 stars

So I don't think I've read a translated book before. At least not a recently translated book.

I've thought about it. I mean, the book was popular enough in it's native language to get translated into English and re-published, so that speaks highly for it, right? Yeah, definitely . . .

BUT.

Language is a complex and beautiful thing, and this isn't a real life interaction where only the gist of the information needs to be understood. This is LITERATURE, and there is not one thing that anyone can say to convince me that Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening doesn't lose some essential spark when it's adapted into something not-English. The words are like a dance, expertly choreographed, and that cannot be translated.

So that's why I've kind of avoided this kind of book in the past. And you know what?

I was right.

BUT.

Chasers of the Wind by Alexey Pehov was a surprisingly good read. It took awhile, but the characters grew on me. This is straight-up fantasy, so there are multiple POVs, but not too many, and the shifting perspectives are mostly focused on pairs.

My favorite pair is Ness and Layen/Gray and Weasel, an assassin husband and wife team (Gray and Weasel are their "working" names). Gray is an expert shot with almost any kind of bow, and Weasel has the Gift (MAGIC), but as far as we know, is completely unaffiliated with the magical hierarchy, the strangeness of this circumstance being communicated in various, but thankfully not obvious, ways.

Second favorite pair is Luk and Ga-Nor. Luk is a rascal and a solider who is overfond of dice, and Ga-Nor is a Northern tracker, and viewed by the majority of society as a savage. Ga-Nor keeps Luk out of trouble, Luk lightens things up for taciturn Ga-Nor, and they just work well together. I like them.

NOT my favorite is Pork, the village idiot, and Tia, or Typhoid, the Overlord, or Damned, depending on who you ask. Pork is the Noah Percy in M. Night Shyamalan's The Village variety of village idiot---NOT the good kind, the creepy and sinister kind. And Tia is a spoiled brat who has probably been a spoiled brat for the entirety of her existence (over 500 years).

So the characters were pretty well-developed and mostly likable, unless the point was not to like them, then you didn't.

The world-building was . . . interesting. The book begins with the fall of the impregnable fortress. The early and very thorough takeover of the impregnable fortress doesn't happen until you've been told SIX times in four pages how awesomely awesome this fortress is, and how it will never, EVER fall.

*rolls eyes*

And that magical hierarchy I spoke of earlier? They're most often referred to as Walkers and Embers. Embers are kind of obvious. Walkers, not so much, but we didn't find out until 77% into the book what they actually were.

Then there's Luk's overuse of his favorite curse, "screw a toad." 33 times. 33 times, he swears, "screw a toad."

And that's a good intro to the language crossover issues.

Using nature inspired names is a fairly common practice. Especially in fantasy where you often find numerous magical and diverse peoples. Elves, Fae, earth magic users, etc. will have names like Rowan Whitethorn of House Somekindoftree. This happens in contemporary novels too. One of my favorite non-magical characters is named Blue Echohawk.

But what about House Strawberry?

*frowns*

Or House Butterfly?

*frowns and squints*

Okay, maybe, if we're talking about cute, little Tinkerbell fairies. Maybe. But take a gander at that book cover. Does that look like the cover of a book with cute, little Tinkerbell fairies?

NOPE.

Houses Strawberry and Butterfly are two of the seven Highborn (Elf) houses, and though we don't actually meet any of them (well, there is one, but he doesn't count), we are lead to believe that they are a rather fierce and warmongering people.

And they'd have to be. Otherwise no one would take them seriously.

So there are the bizarre name issues. And then there are the bizarre dialogue and description issues.

The dialogue issue is most obvious in a conversation between two of the Overlords, Tia and Rovan (<------the Highborn who doesn't count). Rovan is acting completely out of character, and Tia, rather than saying something like, "Who are you, and what have you done with Rovan?" which would make sense to a native English speaker, says, "I don't recognize you."

*frowns and squints AGAIN*

And I'm familiar enough with the Rascal Soldier character to assume that he is more than a joker and a gambler. But that belief was a deliberate decision, b/c there wasn't any evidence to support that claim. At least not until more than halfway through the book when Ness comments that, "Luk, despite his frivolity, is not a man to mess with," and the lack of evidence had been such that that one statement filled me with a sense of vindication.

BUT.

Overall, Chasers of the Wind by Alexey Pehov was an entertaining enough read that the obvious translation misfires were merely nuisances that I flicked away like a gnat. The alternately interesting and monstrous creatures, as well as the complexities of the magical races drew me in completely. While I'd not yet classify Chasers of the Wind as dark fantasy, there are definitely hints of darker things to come. Necromancers, overtly feared Overlords known to the masses as Leprosy and Consumption who wield great and terrible power, and wizards whose primary function is controlling demons we've yet to encounter, all promise more exciting chapters from this world. I'll definitely read the next book, and I'd recommend this to readers who like a bit of nefarious in their fantasy.

[Bookwraiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths Reviews

If Robert Jordan, Glen Cook, and George R.R. Martin had ever written a fantasy book together, Chasers of the Wind would be it. The book is fun, engaging and action-packed, mixing assassins, massive world building, vile necromancers, and ancient mysteries to create a damn fine fantasy novel. I can’t recommend it enough for lovers of massive worlds and epic fantasy.

As this tale begins, a reader is thrown into a centuries long conflict between the Empire and its neighbor, Nabator, as a simple soldier named Luk is caught up in a sudden attack on the Gates of Six Towers. However, while the attack itself is shocking since peace has reigned for years, what horrifies Luk is that among the Nabatorians soldiers walk the risen dead. Something that means only one thing: the Damned have returned to the Empire!

You see, the Damned are the most feared and reviled people in history. Eight great Walkers (the Empire’s term for magic-users) who used their power to rise the desiccated flesh of the dead to do their bidding, and with this vile magic, they brought fire and death to the whole of the lands until their defeat sent them fleeing into the remote south beyond even Nabator. Ever since, the Damned have been the stuff of legend and myth; their names used to frighten small children into behaving. But no one thought they were real or that they would ever return to their old home, the Empire. So when the impregnable Gates of the Six Towers is breached and the enemy hordes unleashed upon the unsuspecting Empire, Luk’s fear of the Damned is so great that all he can do is flee into the wilderness, desperate to hide himself from the ancient evil.

Not too far away from the gates, the tiny hamlet of Dog Green is utterly ignorant of the goings on in the rest of the world. That isn’t unusual nor bothersome to the simple people who live there. Actually, they like their peace and quiet, which is a good thing since – surrounded by forests and swamps – the few travelers who do pass through the town usually only do just that: pass through without ever stopping. So when four men show up in town looking for a man and a woman named Gray and Layen, it is out of the ordinary and raises a few eyebrows, but no one in Dog Green could ever have guessed why.

For you see, more than six years ago in the far off city of Al’sgara beside the Oyster Sea, two Giijan, or master assassins if you will, did the impossible. These two – called Gray and Layen – assassinated an un-killable Walker (sorcerer). Someone so powerful – both magically and politically – that it rocked the foundations of power. Before these two could be found and punished, however, they were themselves murdered. A fire destroying their home and their bodies.

Some few called the conflagration a clever subterfuge by the two Giijan. A way to conceal their obvious escape from Al’sgara. But no one – not even the practitioners of magic – could ever find any trace of them. So finally, people accepted that Gray and Layen had really been killed.

Now, however, these four men show up in Dog Green, asking about the two infamous Giijan or any couples who only appeared in Dog Green during the last few years, and this eventually leads the strangers to a certain house on the edge of town. A place where the two, dead assassins ae found living a life of marital bliss, eager to not be pulled back into the underworld they left behind. Yet now Gray and Layen might not have a choice, because they discover that a huge sum has been placed upon their head, and they must either go back to Al’sgara and kill those hunting them or attempt to flee yet again.

While Gray and Layen grapple with their discovery and their choices, the vanguard of the Nabatorian army reaches Dog Green. With the invaders covering the town and a necromancer sniffing out any magic users, there seems nothing left for Gray and Layen to do but sit back and wait it out – until one of the Damned enters the township looking for a powerful Walker (Empire’s name for magic users). A Walker that could only be Layen!

From this beginning, Alexey Pehov crafts an epic fantasy that has it all. If you love world building, it is here. Evil villains with centuries old axes to grind? No problem, the Damned fit the bill. Clever assassins? Check. Empires clashing? There is a war going on here, even if it is in the background in this book. Unique, inventive races? Mr. Pehov has them in the story. How about a married couple who actually love and care about one another? Wow, it is here. And we must not forget the mysterious sorcerers of the world: the Walkers, whose society is only teased a bit but promises to be further delved into in the next book. Honestly, Mr. Pehov has included all the necessary elements to make this a page-turning epic in my opinion.

With all that being said, there are a few issues with the novel. Nothing that unduly affected my enjoyment, but rather, things which other people have complained of. Allow me to explain.

Mr. Pehov is Russian, so naturally, this novel was written in Russian and translated into English, which is the language I am reading it in. While I felt that the translator did an excellent job, there are sections of the book which seem a bit wordy or do not read smoothly. So keep that in mind.

The book moves slowly. I would make the analogy of a heavy object rolling down a hill and gradually picking up speed until it is moving at warp speed by the bottom. To me that is how Chasers of the Wind reads. Mr. Pehov meticulously starts off the book setting up the story, introducing people and filling in lore. It reads slow, because there is so much foundation being laid. Once that is done, however, the story pace picks up until by the end of the novel things are moving along rapidly. At least, that was my feelings.

As I mentioned, I really enjoyed Chasers of the Wind and would recommend it to anyone who likes grand, sweeping epic fantasy that has lots of characters and plot lines going on. So if that is you, give this one a try.

I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank both of them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a bit to get into Chasers of the Wind, and it was a rough ride at times, but I Chasers of the Wind ended up enjoying this book quite a bit. Color me surprised because as I look back it was something of a grab-bag fantasy; a little bit of everything was thrown into the mix and most of it was worth keeping.

With a backdrop of an invading hoard led by The Damned, a collective of necromancers with individual names like Typhoid, the book focuses on a small core of characters of various interest. A married couple, very much still in love, and with a strong reason to hide could be considered the protagonists of the story and carry it well. It is refreshing to see Gray and Layan take turns helping each other in true teamwork. A barbarian warrior is paired with a gambler to make up another pairing. While educated Northern barbarians are almost cliché at this point, the gambler proves to be more adept than his entrance would have suggested.

Then we get to Typhoid, a member of the damned who we first meet on the trail chasing Layan and Gray. On her own she is a compelling character; near immortal and incredibly powerful. On her own she makes a real compelling character who is almost bored in her power, playing small games to keep her interest. But early on she finds herself tied to character with serious intellectual disabilities that made her sections some of the weakest of the book. The poor soul, known only by the name Pork, is borderline vicious on his own and certainly not a character that would be considered a representation to be proud of. I could never tell if he was being played for laughs or supposed to be a tragic figure; mostly I just cringed when he showed up despite the relative awesomeness of his host.

Did I say grab-bag? Let’s see, I already mentioned Gray and Layan, an assassin and a mage of unknown power. We see a northern barbarian and an ancient necromancer. Did I mention archers with snake-like hind ends? Not really sure where they fit in other than a nice random encounter tm but they were there. Necromancers of course lead to zombies, but never before have I seen exploding zombie grenades. Kind of cool.

The story itself unfolds slowly. Where the various pairs fit into the larger picture is a bit hard to figure out; thus far none are taking a dominate role in the obvious battle to come. While their paths are interesting to be sure the lack of an overreaching destination makes the entire journey a bit of a letdown. I ended this book knowing a bit about each of the characters, but without any larger knowledge of the war that sits in the backdrop. I saw little to suggest where this series is going; a reader’s continued interest will largely depend on a cliffhanger ending and how much they connected with the characters.

As I sit right now I think I saw enough to make me want to read the next book; quick paced action and a low page count are definite points in this books favor. It is certainly good enough to recommend that epic fantasy fans should give it a try and make their own decision.

3 Stars

One last note. There was a major detraction to this book that had nothing to do with the story itself. Large amounts of world building notes were stuffed into the story in parenthesis, explaining various terms like an encyclopedia entry. I don’t know if the book was written this way or it was edited in, but it was horribly distracting at times.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very engaging book to listen and a good book to focus on while I tried to sleep. Keept my mind from the everyday stuff and I coul fall in this fantasy world.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided an advance copy by Tor.

An unexpected 5/5! Probably more like a 4.75/5, but it felt worthy of the bump to 5. I didn't know much about this book going in, especially given that this was originally published in Russian, as I understand.

The plotline felt fresh... It wasn't mind blowing, but it was definitely original enough that it kept me reading at a fairly quick pace, ready to find out what happens next. I don't feel like the plot was appropriately tied up at the end, though. Sure, it's going to be a series, but it felt like it had one more chapter to go before the setup for the next book. No real major closure, but I'm still not complaining.

Characters felt well rounded and believable. Again, not really cliched, which I greatly appreciated. Grey characters, but not in the way that's been getting common, in my opinion. I found it interesting that the characters each had a different framing device; it was easy to tell who I was reading without having to have sections titled out with names.

World building was fantastic. So many interesting races and cultures along the way! Hopefully there will be more in coming books. There was no map in the ARC, but there is a place holder for the final copy - I would have found that useful, as I kind of struggled to keep up with the locations.

Only weak point for me was in the writing itself. I'm sure it is partially due to the translation to English, but it was slightly clunky. It only bothered me for the first pages, as I warmed into it, but there were certain spots where the structuring of the sentences just felt odd.

I absolutely will continue to read this series as it comes out. I really feel as though this should be making more noise than it seems to be. Perhaps it is because it already debuted in another language in 2005? Anyways... I highly recommend this to any fantasy fan.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great page-turner with an inventive fantasy world and unusual magic system. The translation from Russian is very smooth, and the audiobook is very well-done. Recommended for fans of Michael J. Sullivan or John Gwynne.

[Talitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hook: "He who chases the wind will find the storm."

Disclaimer:
I received this e-book for free via NetGalley, but in no way did it affect my literary taste buds. This critique is my honest opinion.

To Be Released: June 17th

Book #1 in The Cycle of Wind and Sparks

The Plot:
Luk is just plain unlucky. The day he had guard duty on the Gates of Six Towers, necromancers from Sdis decided to sneak in and attack it, leaving him to run for the hills until he meets up with a man he owes his life and some gambling debts, Ga-Nor. Meanwhile, in the village of Dog Green, Pars the carpenter (aka Gray or Ness) and his wife Layen have been lying low for seven years, having assassinated a Walker (a magic user) and collected the price of her head, leaving some evidence behind to give the appearance that they were dead. Until a group of old compatriots stop by to warn them they are no longer believed to be dead, and there is a price on their heads, turning them into fair game.

What immediately captured my attention to look at this book was the title, followed shortly by the cover. It isn't often you see such an attractive presentation package for a fantasy book that both shows action and the world it is set in, making you want to hastily buy it and find the passage that relates to the image. The opening chapters in this book draw you in relatively quickly, as do the personalities of the characters. This book is told in both third person and first person narrative, which is unusual, but I eventually warmed to it. Never have I heard a curse like "screw a toad" that immediately told which character was speaking: in this case, it was Luk. While reading, you had a feel of some of the different cultures and races of Chasers of the Wind, though not all, lending a pleasant sense of mystery to the world.

That said, much of this story is comprised of a journey and sequence of chases. Some of the scenes didn't seem relevant to the plot, but this book is part of a series, and what might not seem pertinent in this book may have bearing on the next. Somewhere before the middle of the book, I reached a lull in the story, where interesting things weren't happening quickly enough for my liking, leaving me to power through despite it. The remainder of the book went by in a flash, leaving me hungry for more, and a bit disappointed with the pre-resolution ending. The fate of the main characters is hanging in the balance, and some of the plot is left unresolved. I can appreciate that this is, again, part of a series, but I would've liked a few more pages to wrap up some other angles of the story.

This book has female antagonists (yes, more than one), which I truly enjoyed reading about. Too often in fantasy there are only male villains to be found, or if there is a villainess, she is often overshadowed by a male antagonist as her boss. With the two central villainesses of Chasers of the Wind, one is acting on ulterior motives and the other is outclassed by an older female antagonist (who we don't see much of). There are also quite a few female characters in this book, though only one is a protagonist. I was surprised at the abundance of women who hold positions of power in this book, as many fantasy novels choose to tread the medieval path and use them solely as love interests or characters otherwise uninvolved in the plot.

Chasers of the Wind is an unusual book in the current marketplace of fantasy. Not only did it prominently feature women and cast main characters as a married couple, it infused a fresh set of cultures and races into a believable world. Although I did get stalled in a few places and the ending was too unresolved for my taste, I won't soon forget the protagonists or their journey to Al'sgara.

What I really mean to say is... 'Screw a toad'! I want to read the next book right now!

Rating: 4 of 5 stars for a unique world and characters that can be defined by their phrases.

As posted on my blog:
http://victoriansoulcritiques.blogspo...

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I may be hyper-critical here, but after a promising beginning (other than the zombies; I'm so sick of zombies) I got tired of all the bait-and-switch maneuvers. The "to be continued" ending that didn't even bother with the window dressing of a conclusion just clinched my disappointment in the book. Nevertheless, I would recommend this for die-hard fantasy fans. Why? Because I count myself among that number and I was engaged enough and disappointed enough in the non-ending that I do want to read the sequel!

[Sotiris Karaiskos · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of a promising modern fantasy series, with all the elements we have become accustomed to in recent years. A start that doesn't seem bad at all to me, with the author starting an interesting story and relying more on the characters and the description of the fantastic elements than on the action scenes, although they are not lacking. But this story until the end of the book does not seem to find its way, making this first part feel more like an introduction. I am waiting for this to happen in the second part so that I can draw safe conclusions.

Η αρχή μιας υποσχόμενης σύγχρονης σειράς φαντασίας, με όλα τα στοιχεία που έχουμε συνηθίσει τα τελευταία χρόνια. Μία αρχή που δεν μου φαίνεται καθόλου κακή, με τον συγγραφέα να ξεκινάει μία ενδιαφέρουσα ιστορία και να βασίζεται περισσότερο στους χαρακτήρες και στην περιγραφή των φανταστικών στοιχείων παρά στις σκηνές δράσης, αν και αυτές δεν λείπουν. Αυτή η ιστορία όμως μέχρι το τέλος του βιβλίου δεν φαίνεται να βρίσκει το δρόμο της, κάνοντας αυτό το πρώτο μέρος να μοιάζει περισσότερο εισαγωγικό. Αυτό περιμένω να γίνει στο δεύτερο μέρος για να μπορέσω να βγάλω ασφαλή συμπεράσματα.

[Arthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is quite a bit different from the original three entries in The Chronicles of Siala. In fact I don't really think it should be placed in that series at all.

I don't believe the book is set in Siala at all, it's most likely a completely different world created by another Dancer, maybe even Harold. The elves still exist as the Highborn of Sandor (who also use a completely different naming system than the rigid one of the first series. They also have a king and different houses, and no light and dark split), but there is no mention of gnomes, dwarves, goblins, orcs, ogres, etc. Not only that but the magic system is completely different, consisting of two types- Wizards who can bind demons and souls but do little else (they were also referred to as shamans, but very different from the shamans of Siala), and those of the gift, who are more traditional magic users.

It's hinted later in the book when Gray meets Harold that this is set a very long time after the events of the first trilogy, hundreds, or even thousands of years after. Harold has fully come into his own as a Dancer of the Shadows. He's very very old, and much like the Dancers of the first novels who played the Game as a ways of amusing themselves, he's now amusing himself by playing the Game of the world he's in. So in that he's become old and jaded, and well, much less human than he was in the original books. He's mastered his powers and become a true Dancer. His power is glimpsed by one of the Damned and viewed as limitless and said to be able to crush one of the Damned, the strongest beings in that world, like flies. But as a result, he's also succumbed to the boredom of being an ageless immortal being, hence why he's playing the Game. It's unknown if this world is of his creation or another Dancer's, though it's hinted that it's of his making ("It may be this world came out a bit flawed, but I know all about locks."). It's also unknown what kind of stake he has in this game. Is he one of the puppet masters controlling one side? Or is he merely a curious bystander? Harold has always reminded me of Vlad Taltos and now even moreso. It reminds me of when Vlad grew older and much more powerful and dangerous, a real player in his own right in the game of his world, and also had to leave his family and friends as a result. He also was unknowing of the power he possessed and quite powerless in the beginning, except for the rare instances in times of need where his burgeoning power displayed itself. This is very similar to Harold's growth as a character.

It's unfair to really compare this new series to its predecessor as they're very different. The first series was a more classical, Tolkien-esque journey, hugely broad in scope, to save the world whereas this is much darker and smaller in scope and more focused. Would I say I like this series better? No, but I've only read the first book and time will tell. The characters aren't as endearing as the first, Harold and Kli-Kli as well as Hallas and Deler really made the first series fantastic. It was also lighter in tone as well. But this has more action and less exploration.

Ultimately though, I really liked this book. The quality of the translation was excellent, though not nearly as good as the sublime job done on the first three books. My only annoyance is that there wasn't a series set in between these two series to see what became of Siala, the Nameless One, and the Master, as well as Harold's ascension to his full powers. But other than that, I'm glad to return to Pehov's world and works. Eagerly awaiting the release of the next few books.

[Don Priest · Rating 2 out of 5]

A decent enough fantasy novel, but with a few writing and story choices that detracted from the experience. The worst offense is that the author sometimes interrupts the story to expound on some tidbit, slapping the extra information in parentheses right in the middle of the paragraph. This can range from a quick description of some creature, to a half page description of an ancient war. It completely takes the reader out of the story, ruining the flow of whatever is going on. It's not applied at all consistently either, with some things explained, and others (such as another fantasy creature) completely ignored. A terrible choice, both author and editor should be ashamed of letting it happen.

The story is fairly standard, and suffers from having a few pointless characters. The first few you meet seem like they'll be important, but never really do much of anything, and in the end are practically forgotten, with nothing more than a few perfunctory passages to show they're still around. The real main characters show up later, and the two groups do intersect, but not in a truly meaningful way. They split up at practically the first opportunity, and their entire interaction could have been left out without losing anything.

The dialogue is just plain confusing at times. I would read an entire exchange, and have no idea what the characters had really talked or agreed about. It's not that it was difficult matter to understand, just the way it was presented, how the characters talked to each other. It feels like part of the conversation was left out, like a few lines were skipped for no reason. More looks into what characters were thinking at the time, or just more vocalizing of their intentions, would have been tremendous.

In short, read it if you're in the mood for fantasy, and have already read other, better stories, like The Emperor's Blades by Brian Stavely, or Traitor's Blade by Sebastian de Castell.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.

Chasers of the Wind has all the elements for a high fantasy book: magic and magical creatures, a panoply of races and species, action and mystery. And yet, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was reading a Dungeons and Dragons inspired story. Now don't take me wrong, I love tabletop RPGs with a passion. It may be silly for outsiders - adults acting like sword bearers and magic wielders, breathing everything as if their character was a living part of their lives -, but that's the thing. The secret for it to work lies in making you forget you're playing pretend and to believe you're living the story. This novel did not manage to do that. If anything, I kept expecting an interruption from the game master telling everyone to take down damage points and roll their d20s. It only felt less like an RPG by the end of the book, which, coincidentally, was when I started to care for the characters.

And why do I say that? First of all, there's the fact that the language itself is not one to weep tears of joy over. Possibly because this is a translated book and many of the phrasings felt chunky. Then there's the excess of notes between brackets to explain what this drink or that place is (I don't know if this came with or without the translation), and the PoV changes from third to first person when Gray was in focus, which, quite frankly, annoyed me as they happened mid-chapter quite often.

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[Loretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, this is right up there with in the fantasy and supernatural! Complex and ever increasingly complicated as it progresses, I have a good feeling about this series! It started out slower than I had hoped and other activities kept interrupting but I have accomplished devouring this novel at last. Onward and ever forwards!

[Garrett Daum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was better than I anticipated. Although there were some translations error that ended up being a little quirky it didn't hinder the flow of the book. I really enjoyed Gray's(Ness) and Weasel's(Layen)relationship. All too often books involve NEW romance and its a nice change of pace to see a young married couple learning more about each other as the book progresses.

My one complaint of this book is that it just kind of ended with MANY loose ends. I will definitely have to pick up the sequel to see how the author ties together the inevitable convergence of the abstract plots.

[Tintenhain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anfangs zieht es sich ein bisschen, läuft dann aber zu Hochform auf. Tolle Charaktere, ein unerwartetes Wiedersehen und ein böser Cliffhanger.
Ganz knapp die 5 Sterne verpasst, aber ich erwarte hier sowieso noch eine Steigerung!

[S.B. (Beauty in Ruins) · Rating 4 out of 5]

As fantasy epics go, Chasers of the Wind is an absolutely phenomenal story, populated by fantastic characters, with a stellar approach to magic (and necromancy) that hooked me hard and deep from the first page. There's no doubt that Alexey Pehov is a man of serious talents, with an imagination much like my own, but I'm afraid the story suffers a tad due to some issues with the framing.

Let me get the negatives out of the way first, because I really want to focus on what was so enjoyable about the tale. I'm not sure how much of the issues are inherent to Pehov's original narrative, and how much is a result of Elinor Huntington's translation, but there were three stumbling blocks for me. First, as might be expected with a translation, there are some awkward passages (particularly early on) that feel forced, as if Huntington was really reaching for an approximate translation. Second, the narrative is interspersed with bracketed clarifying notes (some of them quite long) that might have had some value as footnotes, but which break the flow of the story. I don't know if they were part of the original text or are something added for English readers, but they could have been handled better. Lastly, and this is the most jarring of all, the story inexplicably switches from a third-person narration to first-person narration whenever Gray is the focus - a switch that sometimes happens mid-scene, leaving you scrambling to figure out whether you missed a transition somewhere,

Now, with that out of the way, let's focus on the good stuff.

What immediately struck me about the story was the use of magic and necromancy. Pehov makes it central to the tale, not just standard fantasy window dressing, and he makes it significant. His Walkers and Embers are a powerful combination (I really liked their symbiotic sort of relationship), and their magic is the kind upon which the fate of entire empires can pivot. Similarly, the enemy necromancers are awesome in the depth and range of their magic, with the monsters they create truly terrifying. Their ambush/attack on the Gates of Six Towers to open the tale was one of the best opening battle sequences I have ever read. If you can imagine how draining it must be to fight for your life against undead creatures that feel no pain, imagine having to do it all over again with the monsters who used to be your comrades.

Pehov populates his late with some great characters as well, particularly the soldiering team of Luk and Ga-Nor. Although the two have an awkward sort of camaraderie that lends the tale much of its humor, they're also solid, admirable heroes in their own right. I was actually quite surprised at how often Luk managed to not only hold his ground, but actually distinguish himself against the far more experienced warrior. Similarly, the team of Gray and Layen is a welcome sort of pairing for an epic fantasy, being a happily married husband and wife, one of whom happens to have access to Walker magic, and the other of which is an expert assassin. Their relationship isn't key to the story, and Pehov doesn't milk it for dramatic effect, it's just a part of who they are.

Having brought up Gary, I must say a few words about the assassins of Chasers of the Wind. This is another element, like that of the necromancers, where Pehov really manages to do something fresh and original with the genre. His assassins are an interesting society, with assassins who range from surgical sort of precision strikes to overwhelming brutality. The flashback scene in which we learn why Gray and Layen are on the run, and see how Gray's biggest job was accomplished, is exceptionally well done.

Plot-wise, this is very clearly the opening stanza in a much longer tale, so there's not a lot of story arc or complex resolution here. Much of the story consists of battles, chases, rescues, and confrontations. It's a very fast-moving tale, with the exception of a lull in the middle, that absolutely races to a conclusion. It's big, it's epic, and it's honestly awe-inspiring in places. If you find the opening narration at all awkward, like I did, stick with it and trust that the story and the characters will carry you through . . . because they absolutely do.


Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins

[Enaka · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise is good and the worldbuilding is well done, but still, I can't say I liked it. The characters are frankly boring and seemed to all think the exact same way. The most interesting dynamic is the one shared by Ga-Nor and Luk, but they get pushed aside quite a long way from the end so that Layen and Gray can be in the spotlight. Layen manages to be a damsel in distress despite being a mage with a ~mysterious past~ (a past so mysterious even her husband of several years knows nothing of it!) by losing her powers pretty much at the beginning of the story.
The necromancers are literally named after diseases because I suppose they wouldn't seem evil enough otherwise. Another way Pehov could make them look evil is by making one of them not straight- oh wait, he did, he even made him a sadist! Could try the same with a Je'arre- never mind, already done, he even gets called a freak. Impressive. Look, I honestly wouldn't have noticed if there were no LGBTQ+ people in the story, but because there are and they're all comically evil and/or killed by the protagonist, it annoyed me. I have no idea if all of Pehov's work is the same, maybe I just got the bad apple of the bunch, but with my TBR pile, I'm not going to check.
Harold is an interesting character, but without having read the Chronicles of Siala, he just seems out of place, like when your Dungeon Master throws their level 20 character into the campaign to solve your problems for you instead of letting you figure it out. To be fair, I probably would have enjoyed the cameo more if I'd read the Chronicles, but that's not likely to happen.
The ending is certainly one of the worst parts of the book; it wraps up absolutely nothing, the "big bad" Joch is killed instantly and doesn't even fight back, and while I know it's part of a series, there was just so much buildup for so little reward that it was frustrating, especially as the next books in the series don't look like they're going to be translated anytime soon.
In the end, it's not the worst book I've read. It's got good elements to it (the Fish were interesting, as were the Morassian locks) but fantasy just has better to offer. Still, most people seemed to enjoy the book and I'm definitely in the minority here.

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Всъщност, книгата не заслужава 4 звезди, по-скоро 3+, но все пак... Самият факт, че с приключването ѝ веднага хукнах да тегля следващата от тетралогията, е достатъчен, за да прибавя малко до 4.

"Ветер и искры" е типично приключенско магическо фентъзи, с много позитивното качество да е достатъчно различно от мейнстрийма, за да не ти е ясно още от първата книга кого копира авторът. Действието се развива в свят, наречен Светът на Хара, в който се бият два вида магии и воюват две империи, а ъндърграундът явно ще накланя везните ту към едната, ту към другата страна. В първата книга изобщо не става ясно кой какъв е и за какво се бори, но въпреки тази "пестеливост", авторът е хвърлил достатъчно въдици, за да градира интереса на читателя и да го накара да посегне към следващата част.

Основен минус на "Искатели ветра" е твърде еднообразният сюжет - "добрите" бягат от "лошите" и попадат на други "лоши", без изобщо да става ясно какво искат от тях едните и другите. Плюсът е в това, че въпреки многословността, сравнително бавното темпо на повествованието и твърде схематично нахвърляните характеристики на образите, чувството, че си попаднал в изключително интересен свят, който тепърва ще ти се разкрива, се засилва с всяка следваща глава. Всъщност, цялата първа част е нещо като много сложна и заплетена завръзка - надявам се, че втората книга ще оправдае това ми усещане и няма да ме откаже да завърша обещаващо започналата тетралогия.

[Felix Laventman · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I want to state: I never red "Chronicles of Siala" series (I saw in several review references to that one...) and I only familiar with authors "Guardian" series. While the later (Guardian) holds somewhat resemblance to Andrzej Sapkowskis' "Witcher", its extremely well written and well paced and hold a twist that would set Holly Mother Catholic Church run amok.
On the other hand, Chasers of the Wind, immediately made an impression of quite mediocre "rip-off" to the Robert Jordans' "Steal of Time". We all know how slow passed Jordan was and thus most of his character were generally insufferable most of the time - Pehov decided to go with more "sexier" characters: instead of bunch of confused teenagers, who are surprisingly heavy smokers and could very well hold a drink, lets get it on with hard boiled warriors and assassins. The book is well paced, but I can't shake the feeling of major world/plot gaps that hopefully would be filled in the next books.

[Varo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Я, похоже, начала читать Пехова не с той книги - это какой-то нудный D&D сеттинг с неопытным DM )) Я понимаю, что это первая книга серии, но зачем оставлять столько подвешенных в воздухе вопросов - почему напали? а это кто? а это почему? зачем? куда? Ссылки в конце книги - это очень мило, но нет. Предполагается, видимо, что в следующих эпизодах нам все объяснят? Ну, и самое главное - мотивы героев и их отношения друг с другом неправдоподобны и нелогичны чуть более, чем полностью.

[Samuel Billingsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book getting back into reading as an adult. I found it to be very immersive and exciting, the characters were very likeable and well developed apart from a couple. One thing I would warn against is that the other three books in this series are not translated from Russian and this is very disappointing. For this reason I dont know if I can recommend especially considering it ends on a rather large cliff hanger. Overall a good book though.

[Chester O Hoberg Jr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent in every aspect.

One of the best authors of fantasy for creating a world that is interesting and characters that seem real. I hope the author will continue this story line.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cool bookstore find! I saw it and was immediately intrigued. I'm glad I bought it even though I don't know if I'll get my hands on the second. This was still a cool story and I really liked the characters and the world!

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't as good as his first series, but was still interesting. I think I would've liked it more if I could have immediately followed up with the next book in the series. It was a little hard for me to understand everything that was going on in the beginning because I thought there was insufficient world building. The characters got interesting by the end but it was a little bit of work to get through. The whole time I'm waiting for Harold to show up, and when he finally does, you get no real explanation of why or how he is there, or how the world this story is set in compares to Siala. I'm still confused on this. Some of the world he created was very interesting. I really thought the Damned were cool. I just wish there was more of a foundation set in the world building. I would wait to read this until the entire series is finished.

[Forrest Bryant · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm blaming the translator for my apathy regarding this book. Multiple parentheticals explaining things that didn't need them, especially when the book also has a glossary.

[Rudi Opperman · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a great pity that more of Alexey Pehov’s books are not translated into English. What an author! Adventure at its best.

[Tamp_kh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Неплохо продуманный мир, интересная завязка событий, достаточно взрослая интрига. В общем и целом - неплохое начало серии.

[Mojozoom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmmm... I don't get it. Is Leyan his wife or his son? He refers to her/him both ways. Very confused on that.

[Александр Насевич · Rating 5 out of 5]

Читать после Сиалы.