Wind Daughter by Joanna Ruth Meyer

Tucked away in the frosty depths of the mountains, there lives a lively storyteller and his empathic daughter, Satu. He weaves stories together for her, telling Satu tales of love, glory, and wisdom. This storyteller, however, was once the commanding North Wind, who chose to lose his abilities and return to his mortal form out of love for Satu’s mother. The loss of his magic, conducted through dark means, prompted harsh ripples of impact and led to the world unraveling due to imbalance. Caught in a whirlwind of despair and dejection upon realizing the magnitude of the Unraveling, Satu ventures into a precarious voyage to capture the threads of her father’s loose power and reclaim her magic. Her determination to succeed meets a more sinister hunger, that of the Winter Lord, who seeks to steal the North Wind’s expansive yet devastating abilities for himself. Trapped in a desperate quest against the Winter Lord, Satu holds the quill in her own hand, willing to write her story and rise from the shadows which hid her for so long.

I believe that this title is a beautiful read as the author captures the emotions and aspirations of the main character, Satu, elegantly, utilizing sweet and meaningful metaphors to represent the events she faces in this novel. The plot is well thought-out and establishes a strong foundation for the impact the characters and their own stories will hold on each reader. I was able to connect to and understand Satu’s experiences and her astonishment towards her rewritten destiny while remaining eager to follow the paths the rest of the special characters would follow. The many layers this book carries did make it difficult for me to peel back these layers at times, although this element of this novel ultimately enhanced my experience with this book as a whole. Overall, I enjoyed the adventures this title took me on, and I highly recommend it to enthusiastic readers of fantasy and magic!

A memorable aspect of this title is the emotional journey it took me on, primarily regarding character development. Satu’s and the Winter Lord’s character development throughout the story is fascinating to witness, and holds many exciting twists and turns! The story unfolds into a brave sage where Satu was able to conquer her fears of following a destiny prewritten for her, rising up to face her personal hurdles for the good of the people when her entire world, as she knew it, was in complete peril. I admire and find it memorable how the author, Joanna Ruth Meyer, penned characters with such underlying depth.