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Book Review By Harriet Klausner
Wind Rider's Oath by David Weber



Baen, May 2004, 26.00, 498 pp.
ISBN: 0743488210

Though badly outnumbered, hradani horse stealer Bahzell Bahnakson persuaded Sothoii leader Baron Tellian to surrender to him rather than lose to him, as Bahzell is the War God's champion. As part of the agreement reached by Bahzell and Tellian, he allowed the Sothoii to go home in peace in one piece.

Named by his father the hradani chief as ambassador to the Sothoii, Bahzell travels to the Wind Plain. Being extremely tall, he sees this as an opportunity to obtain a large steed, something the Sothoii are noted for and why they detest the hradani for stealing and eating their horses.

Surprisingly several Sothoii accept Bahzell as a windrider—the first hradani to achieve such acclaim. However, between the surrender when they outnumbered the enemy by 30 to 1 even if he is the War God's favorite and the honor of windrider bestowed upon a hradani, many Sothoii purists are outraged; this outsider has battered their pride in their heritage. An insurgency surfaces further stirred by the Goddess Queen of Hell and those who recently lost power plotting assassination to bring down the current rulers including Bahzell.

Harriet Klausner


Plot & Themes
Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past
Political power play Yes
Political plotlets - preventing/managing clash/war between govts/kingdoms
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Religious overtones? Yes
Descript. of chases or violence - 10 %
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40 %
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10 %

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status:
Age: - 20's-30's

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status:
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters

Setting
Earth setting: - during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript
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