The Winds of Wharhalen
Tom Nelson
Crystal Dreams Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-59146-090-9
Fiction, Fantasy
Reviewed by Shannon Frost

The land of Killarassee has only recently found peace after years of tyranny at the hands of a brutal warlord, the people freed by the rightful heir to the throne, Queen Engrid.  But the budding reign of the new monarchy is shaky, and enemies of the queen join forces to bring about an end to her rule.  Locke Thomason knows too well the hazards of living in an unstable land.  With only his mare, Arawae, for companionship after his single friend in the world is killed by bandits, Locke wanders without direction and little hope for a bright future.  When his path crosses with a young peasant woman named Eylese, he falls instantly in love and seeks to procure her freedom from the cruel nobleman who owns her.  Trapped by the nobleman’s treachery, Locke finds himself sold into slavery.  His fate takes him along an adventurous and dangerous road leading him eventually to the middle of a battle fighting for the Queen’s Royal Army.  Though death threatens his life at every turn, his thoughts remain always on Eylese and seeking to find a way to right the wrong committed against him.

From the beginning, Winds of Wharhalen is a book that’s easy to get engrossed in.  The world created by author Nelson is wholly believable, and often other than the names of places and races of people, it feels very much like reading a work of medieval fiction since the details in military life and warfare, hierarchy of the social classes, monarchy, peasant life and castle architecture all ring true to our own history.  As the world and lands are finely developed with several different kingdoms and cities, at times there’s want of a map when locations are being spoken of to better understand the lay of the new world. 

For the most part, all the characters are richly detailed with interesting personal histories, especially that of Kaine, the Commander of the Queen’s Army, whose life of pain is only brightened by the woman he loves.  Locke’s transformation from a naïve young man to a battle hardened warrior unfolds with tragic clarity.  If there’s one character that wanted more time, it would’ve been Locke’s love, Eylese, as other than being told her unfortunate circumstance, not much is revealed about her, and she’s actually seen very little for being the woman whose captured Locke’s heart and mind for two years.  One other character that must be mentioned is Locke’s mare, Arawae, as her role in the beginning is as valuable as any other character and with such attention paid to her, and Locke being an expert horseman, Winds of Wharhalen is not only a pleasurable read for those who like fantasy, but also for horse lovers as well.     

With its exciting battles and layered characters, author Nelson brings forth a solid medieval fantasy novel in the Winds of Wharhalen.  There’s much hope that he will continue to bring enjoyment to readers in the future with the characters and world he’s created.