Review of The North Wind Descends

[OTrain Disene]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The North Wind Descends" by N.L. Holmes.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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When we talk about books that fuse a lot of genres into one to give you a beautiful product, we talk about books like this one, The North Wind Descends. It is written by N.L. Holmes, and it is so good. I could categorise it as historical fiction, fantasy, mystery, and thriller. It mixes all of these to bring you a story about Hani, who has just been honoured by the king. He also has to investigate some important murder that leads him deep into sensitive matters and even puts his life and of his associates in danger. This book will have you hooked from the first page right around to the last.

The book opens up with Hani and his secretary Maya in the office of the Lower Kingdom, where they got summoned by the vizier. They both don’t know the reason behind this haste invitation, especially since the person who invited them is new in the position. Hani is worried that they may ask him about some mission he had done in the past, maybe ask him to account for it or something, but his secretary tells him that it might be good news. And good news it is. Hani later finds out that he is to be “named Master of the King’s Stable and receive the gold of honour.” He is excited. He didn’t expect this. He is also told that he is going to be commissioned to another town called Djahy, but first, he has to stop in Azzati, where he will receive further instructions.

In Azzati, Hani meets with the commissioner, Ptah-mes, who gives him further instructions that the king will be marching his army to Kharu. His job is to make sure that there are enough provisions, water, and supplies along the way. He has to meet with another king who will get their supplies and make sure everything is in order.

That’s where things get a little complicated. Hani finds that some people he has to deal with are not so easy. There has been a murder of an official that he now has to investigate and solve. There are also rumours that the king might be heavily ill. Will Hani be able to come out of this untouched and unscathed? What about his family? Will it be safe? Especially his eldest daughter? Read this book to find out more.

It was betrayal after betrayal in this book. It had been a long time since I read fantasy, and I am glad that this book was my come back. It made sure to keep me on my toes with its suspense. When I thought things would be simple for Hani, I found out that I thought wrong. Hani had to deal with those who were stubborn, who wanted things to go either their way or the highway. As a calm person, he was able to keep a cool head in all of this. Hani showed great leadership skills. He wasn’t easily swayed by emotions. He was my favourite character in the book.

The plot had many subplots that made the book unique and great. The plot never ran out in the middle. It just kept on going and going, hooking you from start to finish. The author wrote gently. I loved that it had more dialogue than narration. This upped its pace and made the action believable. I loved that the descriptions were just well applied because they didn’t give out way too much to take away the joy of your imagination.

There is nothing I disliked about the book. Although it is the fourth in the series, it can be read as a standalone. What proved to be a challenge to me were the names. They were not so easy to pronounce, but they were easy to memorise. So you wouldn’t confuse them. If you love all things concerning the Egyptian era, you will love this book as it is loosely based on it. Some characters are inspired by real people.

The conclusion was well thought out. It wrapped everything up with style. But it still left room for what is surely yet to come because not everything was concluded.

With all I have said, I feel like the book deserves all the stars, so four out of four stars is what I am awarding it with. Everything about it was about to standards. The book seemed to be professionally edited because I saw a couple of errors, which were minor. It would appeal to those who are into fantasy and mystery. It contains strong words that might offend sensitive readers.

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The North Wind Descends
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[Sharon Christanto]

Wow, it has 4 genres mixed into a book. As a fan of thriller and fantasy novels, I'll start reading this series. Thanks for the detailed review

[Stephanie Kanu]

This review was fun to read. I take this to mean the book would be even more delightful. I Would certainly want to read it.

[Judy_Akha]

I am a big fan of fantasy and mystery, but this book seems tangled. Nice review.

[Chesko]

Looks like a complete package; different genres mixed into one. Thanks for the recommendation.

[Maestro Kutlwa Musiq Radipabe VI]

Great review, very detailed too and I got a real sense what the book is about. This is book definitely falls under genres I live
Thank you for you honest and great review