Nihal of the Land of the Wind

By Licia Troisi

An international bestseller: An extraordinary young swordswoman sets out to defeat a tyrant in the first installment in a dark and magical fantasy series.

With her big violet eyes, pointed ears, and blue hair, there is no one like Nihal in all of the Overworld. Living in one of the many towers of the Land of the Wind, she’s an expert in swordplay and the leader of a handful of friends that includes Sennar the wizard. She is an orphan, brought up by an armorer and a sorceress, and her past is shrouded in mystery. But things suddenly change when the Tyrant takes charge. Soon, Nihal finds herself forced to take action as she is faced with the most difficult mission she could imagine.

Fierce, strong, and armed with her black-crystal sword, Nihal sets out to become a real warrior. But as she forges a path alongside Sennar, she may find the price of victory is far greater than she feared.

The debut of the epic series that also includes Sennar’s Mission and The Last Talisman, Nihal of the Land of the Wind is an unforgettable tale of a remarkable young woman growing up in darkness who finds the heroine within.

Nihal of the Land of the Wind is the 1st book in the Chronicles of the Overworld, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mondadori
• Release date: May 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9781480417960

Reviews for Nihal of the Land of the Wind

[itzey · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Thank you Open Road Media for the chance to review this book.

The story captures your imagination right from the start with the imagery and promise of an exciting adventure. Who wouldn't expect a young girl who stands out from her peers with blue hair, large pointed ears and violet eyes to have a secret that will transfix you!

It appeared immediately to me that the story must be aimed at a mid-school audience. The clues to the story line seemed obvious but interesting. The descriptions of the new characters our protagonist meets along the way are appealing but the story lacks the depth of a more serious fantasy novel.

The story features themes of loyalty, trust, and the coming of age struggles of an adolescent albeit in a land of elves, dragons, sorcerers and an evil Tyrant.

I believe young adult readers will enjoy the book and would look forward to the remainder of the series.

[dketelsen_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a beguiling book filled with many bewitching scenes painted with words of power and grace. I really enjoyed reading it and hope that the rest of Licia Troisi's novels are translated into English soon. My only issue with this book is that often the beauty of the prose interferes with logic but I doubt that will bother many readers. This book works much better using strong imagery and stark characterizations than it would otherwise. I strongly recommend Nihal of the Land of the Wind.The main character is Nihal and she's the last remaining person with Elf blood left in the world. This is due to a vendetta by the villian of the story, Tyrant--and with the voices of her slaughtered people constantly filling her dreams, she's out for vengeance wielding the amazing black crystal sword forged by her foster father. And there's dragons too!This volume chronicles Nihal's childhood and training, both martial and magical, as well as her motivation to personally destroy the Tyrant. It's heady stuff and Troisi does a great job at getting the reader into Nihal's head, for better and worse.

[eyes92c · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

...worth the read!_________3 1/2 stars This novel shows flashes of brilliance leavened with somewhat flat prose, as one reviewer has already said.Perhaps it's the translation. The rhythm of reading, of the language flow, seems to move in cycles from riveting and focused to uncertain and unengaging.Many incidences in the novel are fascinating such as Nihal's trial to be judged as worthy to learn magic. Even so that event seems to be a thinly veiled ecological appreciation of the expanse and joining of all things of creation. However, this meditative quality that Nihal experiences is strongly portrayed.Juxtaposed against this is the picture of lands after being conquered by the tyrant. Lands bellowing smoke and strange things, noise and loud music bursting from taverns. No space for silence, peace and the healing of the green spaces. I kept thing of Blake's poetry and his rail against the pervasive effects of the Industrial Revolution, 'those dark satanic mills.'Despite this I enjoyed the major characters. The story of Nihal and her trials to become a knight, Sennar and his magic, and Ido who wants Nihal to channel the energy of her anger in her fighting, to become 'a genuine individual who would be good to herself and the Overworld.'Despite some of the challenges with the flow of the writing, overall I really appreciated the storyline and the developing character of Nihal as she faces her own fears and ghosts from the past, as she begins to mature. I look forward to the next episode.A NetGalley ARC

[velmeran · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.While at the beginning of this book I thought that the story was a bit slow and not to my taste, after a few chapters I began to really enjoy watching the characters grow and mature. The author does an excellent job of portraying the difficulties of coming of age, the variety and flavors of love and what it means to be family. I also appreciate the portrayal of the difficulties faced by a young woman, in a society that believes that the value of a woman lies in being a wife and mother, when she wants and is capable of so much more. This is a complex and rich book with much to offer.I give this book an A-.