Friday, January 10, 2014

Mistress of the Wind by Michelle Diener - my review! and a giveaway!!


On Tour with Prism Book Tours

The Tour!


Mistress of the Wind 300Mistress of the Wind
by Michelle Diener
New Adult/Sci-Fi Fantasy
Paperback, 342 pages
Expected publication: December 19th 2013


Bjorn needs to find a very special woman . . . 

The fate of his people, and his own life, depends on it. But when he does find her, she is nothing like he imagined, and may just harbor more secrets than he does himself.

Astrid has never taken well to commands. No matter who issues them . . . 

She's clashed her whole life with her father, and now her lover, the mysterious man who comes to her bedroom in darkness and disappears to guard his mountain by day as a bear, is finding it out the hard way. And when he's taken by his enemies, no one is prepared for Astrid's response. 

It is never wise to anger the mistress of the wind . . . 

A captivating and magical adult retelling of the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon.

Praise for Mistress of the Wind:
“Diener’s adaptation retains the familiar elements of the original, echoing both the structure and spirit of the classic, but true to form, she puts her own spin both the plot and the narrative, crafting an intricately alluring tale of self-sacrifice, steadfast devotion and enduring love.“ Flashlight Commentary
“The story is fast-paced and never boring, the world a beauty and Michelle’s writing so wonderfully detailed that I felt I was with Bjorn and Astrid on their journey.“ Book Bird Reviews
Author Michelle Diener takes this re-telling to another level. She doesn’t restrict herself to an East of the Sun, West of the moon retelling. Instead we are also given parts reminiscent of Psyche’s quest. Which just allowed for a much more richer story.  Paperback Wonderland


My Thoughts:

I love this book!!!!!!!!

:-D

I am a little familiar with East of the Sun, West of the Moon... so I had some hopes and a little bit of nerves when I started this book. Could it possibly live up to my high expectations?!

Ha!

Bjorn is perfect. So self-sufficient and bossy - there's bluster that gets in the way of his tender side that makes him so real. He has a huge heart, but he's used to fighting all the time and regrets his quick reaction to spunky Astrid in a way that endeared him to me. He never gives up, which I also love. He's facing impossible odds right from page one and never, ever stops believing. 

I felt very protective of Astrid early on, too, and made Bjorn prove himself worthy to me repeatedly, so the poor guy really has it rough.  :-)

Astrid totally ROCKS!!  She's smart and realistic in a down-to-earth sort of way. She's thrown into things... like, uh, the bed without knowing what's going on. She doesn't lose her head or accept what Bjorn spoon-feeds her. Nope.  She considers what he tells her... and adds to that what he doesn't tell her... and heads out to make her own conclusions her own way.

Michelle Diener follows the fairy tale quite closely while weaving in the Norse mythology stuff. Right in the middle of the story there's a very big switcheroo... and this is where I expected things to get boring or fuzzy with lack of specific detail because... well, read the story.  This is where Michelle totally won me over. The Norse mythology side fills in all the vagueness of the fairy tale and the second half of the book is even better than the first. *rubs hands gleefully*

Astrid continues to be awesome in believable steps. Character after character shows up in vivid life, all different, all unusual. I thoroughly enjoyed being in Astrid's head as she tackles the biggest, uh, obstacle, yet - her own inheritance.

Love!!

I really want to keep all the Nordic mythology stuff secret, although that's where the title comes from. If you know the fairy tale - or if you don't - read confidently. It's all there, laid out beautifully. And enjoy all the delightful extras that Michelle weaves in!!

I have been asked about the bedroom scene a few times, so let me be clear. It's adult, not closed door... uh, in the dark, though. *cough*  And it's essential to the story and referred to often. If you're hoping to turn this story into YA with your own censoring, that would be tricky. 

My personal hang-up was the question of "not married, but with bedroom rights", which is made very clear and is quite the source of inner struggle, etc. In fact, I reserved my opinion as to how I felt about that to see how Bjorn and Astrid treated their relationship long-term.  Which, I concluded delightfully, was more committed than most who say vows first, which satisfied my "before God if not man" bone.

My recommendation - this is a must-read for everyone.  :-)  If you're not an adult (ie, sexing grown up ikes!), don't read this yet, but do plan on reading it later. (If you don't have a "later" TBR pile, you ought to. 0.0  YA is the bomb, but there are very good books that use Adult stuff to effect the story and this is one!)  Even if you aren't into fairy tales (what?!) or mythology (are you kidding me?!) I think you'll enjoy this story!  If you are a fairy tale BONSAI FAN like me, this is one for your library.  :-D

5 Stars - for the writing, for the creativity, for the real character growth, for the speed.  I love this book!!!

What, oh what? will Michelle Diener give us next?!  Whoohoo!!


Image of Michelle DienerMichelle Diener writes historical fiction. Her Susanna Horenbout & John Parker series, set in the court of Henry VIII, includes In a Treacherous Court, Keeper of the King's Secrets and In Defense of the Queen.

Michelle's other historical novels include Daughter of the Sky, The Emperor's Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies (loosely connected to The Emperor's Conspiracy).

Michelle's first fantasy novel, Mistress of the Wind, is set for a December 23, 2013, release.

Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.



International Giveaway:

10 copies of Mistress of the Wind, Kindle or print, winner's choice.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Posted by Burgandy Ice at 6:18 AM
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