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A review by queenterribletimy
A Wind From the Wilderness by Suzannah Rowntree
3.0
I've read A Wind from the Wilderness for SPFBO 6, in which it's a finalist. This review was originally published on Queen's Book Asylum along with the reviews of the rest of the team. Our collective rating is 7/10. My personal rating is 7 which amounts to 3.5*.
When the list of Finalists was out, A Wind from The Wilderness was the one I was most excited about (not including those books I’ve already read, obviously), as historical fiction is very much my jam (duhhhh). I didn’t quite know what to expect going in as I haven’t read reviews or the blurb, I wanted to be surprised. And though I ultimately enjoyed my experience with this book, I was left with quite a lot of mixed feelings.
A Wind from The Wilderness has three main plots: one involves Lukas, who finds himself in the future (well, future for him anyway), in 1097, during the time of the first crusade. All he wants to do is find a way home to his time and family so he could save them. The second involves Ayla, a young Turk girl, waiting for a worthy cause to fulfill a prophecy. And the third is the aforementioned crusade with Raymond Saint-Gilles in the thick of the events.
While I found the historical aspect of the book very interesting and very well written – it’s clear that Rowntree spent a huge amount of time on research -, I also think it kinda took away the spotlight from the main characters, and their stories. It was a much stronger and more refined plotline than the MCs’. Sometimes I felt that we got way too much about the crusade and their very slow progress toward Jerusalem and not enough about the background of the characters or other events. Especially in the light of how the book ended. At those times I felt the pace of the book dragging, while other times I could lose myself in the pages. It’s a pity Lukas and Ayla didn’t get more spotlight, which prevented me from really connect with them. Or care about them, really. Also, I think I would have preferred if Lukas and Ayla remained friends, their feelings for each other seemed a bit forced and not too unbelievable to me. Though, I appreciate how their relationship highlighted cultural differences and how they tried to overcome those.
If I voiced criticism for The Combat Codes regarding the absence of Fantasy elements, I think that I also have to mention that while in A Wind from The Wilderness there are supernatural elements (the vulture, the ritual, the way Ayla and Armen communicates, etc.) I could have done with some more. As well as answers – about the Watchers, the Vowed, about why they hate each other. Though we might get those answers in later installments.
A Wind from The Wilderness is a fine Historical Fiction novel, one that I’m sure many readers will enjoy. And for one, I’m glad we have such books among the SPFBO finalists this year. I think there are some missed opportunities in this one, but I happily got myself lost in this Middle-Eastern world, which was a nice change from all the European-based fantasies out there.
When the list of Finalists was out, A Wind from The Wilderness was the one I was most excited about (not including those books I’ve already read, obviously), as historical fiction is very much my jam (duhhhh). I didn’t quite know what to expect going in as I haven’t read reviews or the blurb, I wanted to be surprised. And though I ultimately enjoyed my experience with this book, I was left with quite a lot of mixed feelings.
A Wind from The Wilderness has three main plots: one involves Lukas, who finds himself in the future (well, future for him anyway), in 1097, during the time of the first crusade. All he wants to do is find a way home to his time and family so he could save them. The second involves Ayla, a young Turk girl, waiting for a worthy cause to fulfill a prophecy. And the third is the aforementioned crusade with Raymond Saint-Gilles in the thick of the events.
While I found the historical aspect of the book very interesting and very well written – it’s clear that Rowntree spent a huge amount of time on research -, I also think it kinda took away the spotlight from the main characters, and their stories. It was a much stronger and more refined plotline than the MCs’. Sometimes I felt that we got way too much about the crusade and their very slow progress toward Jerusalem and not enough about the background of the characters or other events. Especially in the light of how the book ended. At those times I felt the pace of the book dragging, while other times I could lose myself in the pages. It’s a pity Lukas and Ayla didn’t get more spotlight, which prevented me from really connect with them. Or care about them, really. Also, I think I would have preferred if Lukas and Ayla remained friends, their feelings for each other seemed a bit forced and not too unbelievable to me. Though, I appreciate how their relationship highlighted cultural differences and how they tried to overcome those.
If I voiced criticism for The Combat Codes regarding the absence of Fantasy elements, I think that I also have to mention that while in A Wind from The Wilderness there are supernatural elements (the vulture, the ritual, the way Ayla and Armen communicates, etc.) I could have done with some more. As well as answers – about the Watchers, the Vowed, about why they hate each other. Though we might get those answers in later installments.
A Wind from The Wilderness is a fine Historical Fiction novel, one that I’m sure many readers will enjoy. And for one, I’m glad we have such books among the SPFBO finalists this year. I think there are some missed opportunities in this one, but I happily got myself lost in this Middle-Eastern world, which was a nice change from all the European-based fantasies out there.