The Winds of Khalakovo, By Brad Beaulieu

Hey, Folks:

I just finished a great novel by my friend Brad. It's called The Winds of Khalakovo, and it is his debut novel. Not that you'd know it, because he's really honed his craft and put together a fine novel. It's available HERE, and I recommend that you buy it. Buy two and give one to a friend. Seriously.

Here's what I said in my review:

The Winds of Khalakovo is a beautiful, poignant, and powerful story. Nothing is easy for the characters. The consequences of their actions and the prices they must pay as the story unfolds are profound. With a rich tapestry of culture behind the tale, the sense of reality remains vivid all the way through. With subtlety and forethought, the author builds up hopes and expectations, only to confound them as plans fail and new revelations are learned.

Spoiler Alert:

We begin with Nikandr, a headstrong prince who lives with the secret that he is doomed, an incurable sickness gnawing away at him. He is one of the Landed, a czarist-Russian tinged culture who controls the islands with their Windships. The Aramahn, Turkish-influenced nomads who can call upon elemental spirits, aid them in their control of the winds and waters. The Maharraht, however, are a rebel sect of the Aramahn who want to destroy the Landed. Agents of the Maharraht are nearer to Nikandr than he imagines...

When the Grand Duke is killed by an elemental spirit and the Maharraht are implicated, a divisive investigation begins, revealing that the fabric that separates the material world from the elemental is torn, and that problems far graver than any rearrangement of society are afoot. Everything leads back to one troubled boy, the key to either healing the tear in reality or ripping it asunder.

Nikandr and the other characters must go beyond all they imagine themselves capable of to try and save Anuskaya.

End of Spoilers:

I highly recommend Brad's book. I think it is a fresh, compelling, and intoxicating new fantasy, one that will appeal readers of all stripes.