The Winds of Khalakovo (Lays of Anuskaya Series #1)

by Bradley P. Beaulieu

Overview

Among inhospitable and unforgiving seas stands Khalakovo, a mountainous archipelago of seven islands, its prominent eyrie stretching a thousand feet into the sky. Serviced by windships bearing goods and dignitaries, Khalakovo's eyrie stands at the crossroads of world trade. But all is not well in Khalakovo. Conflict has erupted between the ruling Landed, the indigenous Aramahn, and the fanatical Maharraht, and a wasting disease has grown rampant over the past decade. Now, Khalakovo is to play host to the Nine Dukes, a meeting which will weigh heavily upon Khalakovo's future.
When an elemental spirit attacks an incoming windship, murdering the Grand Duke and his retinue, Prince Nikandr, heir to the scepter of Khalakovo, is tasked with finding the child prodigy believed to be behind the summoning. However, Nikandr discovers that the boy is an autistic savant who may hold the key to lifting the blight that has been sweeping the islands. Can the Dukes, thirsty for revenge, be held at bay? Can Khalakovo be saved? The elusive answer drifts upon the Winds of Khalakovo...

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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781597802185
Publisher:	Night Shade
Publication date:	04/01/2011
Series:	Lays of Anuskaya Series , #1
Pages:	354
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Bradley Beaulieu began writing his first fantasy novel in college, and has since dedicated himself to the craft. His previous work has been voted a Million Writers Award notable story and was the winner of the Writer of the Future 20 contest in 2004. The Flames of Shadam Khoreh is his third book in the Lays of Anuskaya trilogy, and Beaulieu lives in Racine, Wisconsin, with his wife and two children.

Editorial Reviews

Debut novelist Beaulieu paints a detailed and realistic portrayal of individual fates bound up in social responsibilities as well-grounded cultures clash. Prince Nikandr Khalakovo, facing an arranged marriage, also suffers from a wasting disease plaguing the Anuskaya islands. When the rebellious Maharraht loose a fire elemental and kill the visiting Grand Duke Stasa Bolgravya, civil war erupts, and all factions seek to capture a mysterious autistic boy who straddles both the spirit and the material worlds. Beaulieu skillfully juggles elements borrowed from familiar cultures (primarily Russian and Bedouin) as well as telepathy, airborne ships, and magical gems. Viewpoint shifts are occasionally confusing, but the prose is often poetic—airborne skiffs under attack "dropped like kingfishers" and "twisted in the air like maple seeds"—and the characters have welcome depth. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

The archipelago duchy of Khalakovo, a center of trade and the envy of other island duchies, suffers from internal strife led by the Maharraht, a group of nomadic extremists indigenous to the land. When Nikandr, the heir to the ducal throne, must accept a marriage of convenience to Atiana, daughter of the Duke of Vostroma, he finds it difficult to forsake his lover, a woman of the Aramahn tribe from which the Maharraht have arisen. Tensions reach the breaking point with the arrival of the Nine Dukes, which coincides with an attack by elemental spirits, an assassination, and the appearance of a young boy with unmistakable powers of elemental control. Overlaid with the rich feel of Cyrillic culture, Beaulieu's debut introduces a fascinating world of archipelagic realms and shamanic magic worked primarily by women. VERDICT Strong characters and a plot filled with tension and difficult choices make this a good option for fantasy fans.

Library Journal