Wind Rider

August 15, 2018
Mari, Nik, and the mixed (Earth Walker/Companion) Pack's journey from Death, is interspersed with a new character's narrative.Three years ago, River, daughter of the leader of Herd Magenti (one of the five great Herds dwelling on the plains of the Wind Riders) attended a Rendezvous, the ceremony where the herds' young can be Chosen and one can become a Wind Rider, gaining a bonded horse companion. Casting a shadow is the return of River's childhood best friend, Clayton, whose feelings she doesn't reciprocate (she's asexual in a sexually-liberated culture). Her storyline follows her path to leadership, as she navigates politics and faces treachery. Strong, compassionate River's scenes--despite temporal and spatial distance--compel readers with equine action and foreshadowing of the main narrative. Other storylines overlap with The Sun Warrior (2017), with the revived God of Death covetously spying Mari's power during the Pack's escape. While the Pack (with Dove and Lily) braves adversity while fleeing Death, romances bloom (including a lovely depiction of supporting a rape survivor in reclaiming her power and intimacy) and the openly-discussed ideal of inclusion yields results. Finally, Tribe Storyteller Ralina attempts to save her people, though her cunning brings her uncomfortably close to her enemy. Unfortunately, the story contains tired stereotypical tropes around Native Americans as well as blindness. Characters have a variety of skin tones.Expert world-expanding storyline-juggling raises the stakes while building up to the series' climax. (Fantasy. 14-adult)

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November 15, 2018
Grades 8-11 Sun Priest Nik and Moon Woman Mari are now leading their newly incorporated Pack, a blending of two different tribes, on a journey to seek asylum among the Wind Riders of the Plains. They're racing against the God of Death, who intends to annihilate them all. New to this volume in the series (following Moon Chosen, 2016, and Sun Warrior, 2017) are the Wind Riders themselves, a matriarchal community whose members have the same tight psychological bonds with their horses that Tribe of the Trees members have with their canines. Cast easily navigates between the multiple stories, clearly noting locations and time lines. Wind Rider River and her beautiful mare, Anjo, will be the envy of any horse-crazy teen, and the depiction of the emotional bonds between humans and animals is one of the series' strongest points. There's nonstop action, gore, and romance, and the comfortingly predictable broad characterizations of good and evil. While not a stand-alone title, series fans will be happy to read this entry and hang on for more.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)