Review: Wind and Shadow, by Kathy Tyers

Wind and Shadow, by Kathy Tyers (Marcher Lord Press, 2011)

Prophetic hope, ancient evil, and the struggle to live a life of faith when temptation masks as truth and danger’s all around ….

Fans of Kathy Tyers’ Firebird trilogy have waited a long time for the story to continue. Wind and  Shadow begins the tale of the next generation of the Caldwells, a Sentinel family prophesied to produce a messiah-type hero.

The Sentinels are humans with psionic power, feared but needed by the other humans. And the enemies they faced in the original series aren’t as vanquished as readers had hoped.

Wind and Shadow features twins Kiel and Kinnor Caldwell, one a priest and one a soldier, and Wind Haworth, a young woman divided between two cultures and welcomed by none.

Is Kiel the Promised One? The evil being that captures him schemes to turn him from the Path. Kinnor and Wind are unlikely allies to rescue him … or die trying. And more lives are at stake than they know.

You don’t have to read the Firebird trilogy first, although it’s a strong series and now available in a single volume with the author’s annotations. Wind and Shadow refers to past characters and events as needed and new readers will have no trouble starting here. Since it introduces an unfamiliar planet with new characters, all readers need to orient themselves at the beginning.

It’s a compelling and satisfying story (complete with danger, romance, fast ships and explosions). The planet, culture and technology come to life, as do the internal conflicts of the key characters. I appreciate how those of faith struggle to apply that faith in crisis, and how their choices are not always straightforward – or even right.

You can learn more about NYT bestselling author Kathy Tyers at her website. And watch for Daystar, the conclusion to the Firebird saga, releasing in April 2012.

Other reviews of Wind and Shadow: Valerie Comer at Live Simply-Simply Love; Teisha Priest at Christian Fiction Book Reviews; Stephanie Shackelford at Routines for Writers; Jessica Marcarelli at Visions of Other Worlds.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Mort, by Terry Pratchett

Mort, by Terry Pratchett (HarperTorch, 2001)

It’s rare to find a book that prompts a snicker on nearly every page. Mort falls delightfully into this category, and I had to restrain myself from interrupting everyone around me to share the best lines.

The title character, Mort, is an awkward teen whose father decides to apprentice him out instead of putting him to work on the family farm. At the apprentice fair, Mort is the last one chosen… by Death.

As one might expect, Death is a bony fellow, although he rides a living horse (named Binky). Mort is relieved to discover he doesn’t have to turn skeletal himself to take the position.

Mort lives with his employer, along with Death’s adopted human daughter and their butler/cook. As Mort takes on more responsibilities, it leaves Death with more time for himself, and his attempts to relax prompt a sort of midlife crisis (if someone who’s not alive can have such a thing).

When Mort tries to save a girl he’s supposed to help die, reality begins to warp. The harder he tries to fix it, the more desperate things get. And Death can’t be found.

Thank you to my friends who’ve been suggesting I read Terry Pratchett. Starting part-way through his Discworld series may not have been the wisest idea, but Mort stands alone quite nicely and I don’t think I lost anything this way.

If you’re not familiar with the Discworld universe, suffice to say the planet isn’t a sphere. It’s flat and highly unusual. Book one is Going Postal, and since one of my friends said it’s her favourite, that’s the one I’ll read next. [Edit: Thanks to Tamara, who commented that Going Postal is not book one although a fine read. For an overview of the Discworld series, see Terry Pratchett's Discworld at Fabulous Realms.]

The official Terry Pratchett website has plenty of Discworld resources, including an artist’s rendering of what the Disc itself looks like.

[Book from my personal library.]