ALONE AGAINST AN EMPIRE.
When Yash of Zeltah arrives in the fortress city of Honaq she is greeted as a barbarian, a simple pawn. Her marriage to prince Chej has been arranged, they say, to avert war. Yet she knows the truth, for the armies already ravage the land. A skilled and deadly assassin, there is more to Yash than any might suspect. Before another day can pass, she must defeat the masters of the nine towers-the plagues, magics, and monsters they control, the soldiers they command. Without raising an alarm, she must kill all who oppose her-even the immortal emperor. The lives and souls of Zeltah, the people and the land upon which they live, all depend on it.
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DZHESQ, MASTER of the Blue Needle Tower, murdered a slave and read the portents in the dimming of her eyes (CHAPTER ONE, DZHESQ THE NEEDLE)
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(Titan Books, 20 August 2024, e-galley, 396 pages, ARC from the publisher via @NetGalley_UK)
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I've only read the author's Elder Scrolls novels many years ago which I really enjoyed so I didn't know what to expect from The Wind that Sweeps the Stars. I chose to read the book on the strength of the blurb and my fond memories of the Elder Scrolls novels. I enjoyed this book a lot but I found it quite confusing overall. The action scenes were fast often to the detriment of enjoying the book as it felt like I was only starting to get a grip on the plot elements and what character was the focus of the scene before it changed. I did enjoy a lot of the book but found the fast scenes and large number of characters a bit overwhelming at times. The book takes place across a single night which is probably why it was so fast paced and rapid but I felt the pace could have been slowed down a bit. I couldn't fully enjoy or get behind the book.