by Terrance Mc Arthur

Details on how to win a copy of A Wind in the Night at the end of this review.

There are two books in Barb & J. C. Hendee’s twelfth Noble Dead horror-tinged fantasy A Wind in the Night, and they happen at the same time. One book involves a wild-haired sage named Wynn going to a remote castle with a vampire she really likes, an assassin-elf who doesn’t “assas” any more (and the she-sage used to really like him…but she is confused by changes in his character), a wolf-dog (who is Fay on the inside), and a “sageling” who doesn’t want to go back to the castle where he grew up. They also hope to find clues to the location of a powerful Orb that must not fall into the possession of Something Bad. They find more than they expected.

The other book in this book is about a different group trying to find another Orb. Part-vampire Magiere and her part-elf Leesil/Leshil (what he’s called depends on who is calling him) travel with another Fay-wolf, an assassin-elf who can assas better than most assassin-elves, and an outcast elf-girl who is now known as Wayfarer (which is a good thing, because her old name could dislocate your jaw!) go on a sea cruise that is not on the Good Ship Lollipop.

Scattered through these two books that happen simultaneously (switching from character to character and story to story several times a chapter), there are wraiths, murderers, other assassins, arcane scrolls, characters of unfamiliar races, mutations, dark secrets, not-too-dark secrets, and bad food. To add to the sensory overload, Flashbacks-R-Us must have had a sale, because the past pops up almost as much as the present.

The amazing thing about A Wind in the Night is that I think I like it better than the earlier books in this series that has spanned three series (so far). Maybe I’ve finally gotten the characters differentiated in my mind. Maybe the authors are just wearing me down with the volume of their writing, or maybe I just like it, but I’m looking forward to the next book.

I will admit that I went through all 422 pages of this book, wondering why it was called A Wind in the Night. Two or three hours after I finished it, I said, “Oh, yeah. That’s why.”

To enter to win a copy of A Wind in the Night, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Wind,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen March 15, 2014. U.S. residents only.

Check out more fantasy book reviews in our fantasy and fangs section.

Terrance V. Mc Arthur is a Community Librarian for the WoW! (WithOut Walls) Division of the Fresno County Public Library, roaming the Valley to meet the public’s information needs.