The Wind Child

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on Waterstones.com
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date 3 Feb 2022 | Archive Date 16 Feb 2022

Talking about this book? Use #TheWindChild #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

Packed with a colourful Slavic cast of tempestuous gods and frightening monsters, The Wind Child is above all a story about friendship, and how far you would go and what you would sacrifice to avoid saying goodbye to someone you love.

No human has ever returned from Navia, the Slavic afterlife. But twelve-year-old Mara is not entirely human. She is the granddaughter of Stribog, the god of winter winds and she’s determined to bring her beloved father back from the dead. Though powerless, Mara and her best friend Torniv, the bear-shifter, set out on an epic journey to defy the gods and rescue her father.

On their epic journey they will bargain with forest lords, free goddesses from enchantments, sail the stormy seas in a ship made of gold and dodge the cooking pot of the villainous Baba Latingorka. Little do the intrepid duo know of the terrible forces they have set in motion, for the world is full of darkness and Mara will have to rely on her wits to survive.

Packed with a colourful Slavic cast of tempestuous gods and frightening monsters, The Wind Child is above all a story about friendship, and how far you would go and what you would sacrifice to avoid...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781912979783
PRICE £7.99 (GBP)

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Shelf App (EPUB)
Send to Kindle (EPUB)

Average rating from 15 members


Featured Reviews

Requested this book as it just screams out to me. I adore polar fantasies, Slavic mythology, Sophie Anderson's writing and this one just screamed all of those things to me. And it didn't disappoint. This book was just a joy from the first page and one that I think that those who love the thing I just mentioned would enjoy. It is packed with adventure and exceptionally head-strong characters with Mara and Torniv being determined to succeed in their quests which include lots of different figures from Slavic mythology. A wonderful book.

Thank you for the arc. Can't wait to have the finished copy in my hands.

Was this review helpful?

This was such a good read and a perfect book for middle graders to immerse themselves in reading, mythology and folklore. It has such a good storyline, great writing and well developed characters and I loved the mythology elements as I knew absolutely nothing about slavic mythology/folklore before reading this book. I loved it

Was this review helpful?

This is such an entirely wonderful book. Not only is it an immersive story full of great characters, but I learned a lot about Slavic mythology along the way – and I love learning new things. This is a rather short middle grade fantasy adventure, which makes it perfect for young readers, and especially reluctant readers as well. It is addictive – I got stuck into it so much that I could not stop reading until I was done, which for me, is one of the crucial elements of a great children’s book. I found this to be an uncontested five star read – the only thing I could imagine being improved about it is to add some interior illustrations, which is more of a publishing thing rather than a criticism of the book itself, added value, not something that detracts from it now.

One of the things I loved most about The Wind Child is the emotional impact the story had on me. Mara sets out on this grand adventure to try and achieve the impossible, to try and get her recently deceased father back from the afterlife. The ending of the story is both heartbreaking and heartwarming and is the best possible way the book could have resolved. It had me crying in the best possible way (though that may have been connected to reading a dead parent book around the ten year anniversary of my mum’s passing as well, making me more emotionally susceptible to the topic).

Mara and her friend Torniv are fantastic characters. They are not all-powerful, but they are stubborn and they don’t accept no for an answer, and they are determined to succeed. It was a joy to follow them on part of their story, and I wish that we got to spend more time with them. I loved The Wind Child just as much as Gabriela’s adult debut, The Second Bell, and if you have a child in your life, I highly recommend you get them a copy, and either read it with them, or let them read it while you read Gabriela’s other book. She truly is a writer to look out for, and one that I think will go far.

Was this review helpful?

This is a book full of Slavic gods and monsters and a really enjoyable read - perfect for Middle Grade.
At its heart there is a story of the value of friendship and the sacrifices we make for those we love.

Mara is the grand-daughter of Striborg, the god of the Winter Wind. Her mother is Striborg's daughter but her father is human and Mara has inherited his qualities rather than her mother's. She possesses no magic. At the start of the story they return to her father's home as he is dying.

When her father dies, Mara has 40 days to get her father back as it takes that length of time for the dead to reach Navia where the soul will divide and enter the heart of a new-born. What I particularly loved was that at the beginning of each chapter we are told what the soul is feeling on its 40 day journey to Navia.

It is unheard of for a soul to be taken back from Navia and it is something that no human would ever be able to achieve but Mara puts her faith into the fact that she must have some of Stribog's blood somewhere, that she is not entirely human. On her journey she is joined by Torniv, a boy who feels an outsider. Together they battle against gods and monsters.

This is a story of love, endurance, adventure. A perfect read.

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: