The Wind from the North

Skarga’s life has been a brutal one. From the family that hated her to the evil being that kept her as his slave, she has had to fight to stay alive.  Now, however, she finds herself protected by Thoddun, ruler of the Transanima, an ancient race of shape shifters.  But traveling far to the northern Arctic Circles and into his kingdom does little to ensure her safety.  Never has there been a human allowed and none have any affection for her kind. In fact, most would prefer her as prey, but, with nowhere else to go, Skarga must find a way to fit in.  Almost immediately however, Mandegga, the last female Transanima, challenges her right to be there and the blood begins to spill.  Caught in a world she knows nothing about Skarga must defend her place and the man she has fallen in love with.

This second book in the Stars and Wind Trilogy is just as engrossing and nail-biting as the first!  The protracted language Thoddun uses does become annoying at times and the storyline slows in points but those small ticks are drowned amidst the excitement of the beautifully penned plotline.  The characters are unique and creative; the world is both real yet fantastical.  It’s the relationship developing between Thoddun and Skarga that takes center stage, however, and boy does it keep the reader on edge! One is just as clueless as Skarga as she tries to determine the great king’s feelings and reasons for his actions. Yet, it happily ends with a sigh - and a quick look for the next book!

Ruth Lynn Ritter