Lukasz's Reviews > A Wind From the Wilderness

What a stunning cover! I mean, just look at it. Glorious. And, even better, it ties with the story, shows the setting and the story's Byzantine inspirations. The Wind from The Wilderness tells an engaging story of Lukas Bessarion - son of a Roman aristocrat who finds himself transported to a world where he has no family or connections. Enemies from the past are closing in on him, and his only ally has good reasons to kill him. All of this happens in the times of the First Crusade.

I rarely read historical fantasy and I don’t care about historical details so I won’t comment on this aspect of the story. I’m more interested in characters, intrigue, and pacing. Rowntree intertwines her protagonists’ stories with real events. We get characters who should be enemies but get close to each other. We get romance, redemption, self-exploration, and growth. And a richly detailed world. While the pacing could be better in places, the story immersed me and made me root for the cast.

Lukas alone wouldn’t gain my full sympathy - he starts way too pompous and arrogant to be relatable. Happily, Ayla - a resourceful and honorable Turkish girl makes up for his shortcomings. Plus, they have great chemistry, and they’re fun together. The third important character, Raymond St Gilles, the crusading count engaged in the complex strategizing and politicking felt more distant to me. He’s so focused on his obligations to God, his people, and his oaths that we rarely see his more relatable side.

Rowntree’s prose is elegant without getting flowery. Don’t let the dense prologue mislead you - the story reads well and has (mostly) a good pacing. In AWftW, historical elements outweigh fantasy elements. The theurgic magic system is there, but it’s not fully developed. Or understandable. Supernatural beings (angels, demons, saints, and djinn) have their hands in the described events, but they remain in the background. Instead, the story focuses on people and their beliefs about the supernatural.

I suspect some fantasy readers would prefer to get a clearer look at the magic system, and perhaps they’ll have a chance in the sequels.

By turns tragic and triumphant, poignant and joyful, this is ultimately an engrossing read. Rowntree combines historical adventure with fantasy and excels at portraying the emotionally charged interplay of her memorable characters.