"Once again, Charlotte Boyett-Compo brings us another compelling read!"
Sultan Eshan Jaleem of Asaraba is the type of bloodthirsty
man who wants conquer and rule everything he can. To that
end, he has sent men into the nearby kingdom of Kishnu
under the command of an infamous general. Not only does the
general kill the men he comes across, has the women sold as
slaves back in Asaraba, the children begging in the
streets, but he also turns the once fertile land into a
desert. One day, the general dies of a heart attack. Now
without a leader, the Asarabans request a commander from
their Sultan who sends his only son, Crown Prince Ardalan
Jaleem to command them. When the Asarabans completely
surround the Kishnu capital, Maharaja Bhishma Santhanam
offers a bounty on the "Evil One" as the Kishnu call Prince
Ardalan. Then the monsoons hit. Not knowing any better, the
Asarabans take refuge from the weather in some caves, never
realizing they are sacred. Once the Asarabans are in the
caves, not only do the Kishnu rally, but all their allies
also come to rid the land of the infidels. Now the
Asarabans are trapped in the sacred caves and they lose
many men when they try to leave. The prince is also
wounded. So the Asarabans need to kidnap a Kishnu healer.
Unfortunately, they kidnap the wrong woman. Given her nature, Princess Sitara Santhanam can not stop
herself from helping the wounded, even the one her people
call the "Evil One"—Prince Ardalan Jaleem. However, the
first time she touches Ardalan, Sitara knows her future
lies with him, as impossible as she knows it to be. The
more time Sitara spends with Ardalan, talking with him, the
more she realizes he is not evil at all. He never wanted to
come to Kishnu. His people are tired of war and fighting.
It is only his father who wants war. In order to save the men he has left, Ardalan knows he must
somehow use Sitara to get out of Kishnu. So when a
messenger comes from the Maharaja, Ardalan tells the man he
will marry Sitara and to send a holy man to perform the
ceremony. Now Sitara becomes upset because she knows his
people will never accept one of her kind as Sultana of
Asaraba, much less a half-breed as a future ruler. But the
ceremony proceeds and Sitara and Ardalan are now married.
The next morning, one of her father's personal bodyguards
comes to lead the Asarabans to the ships. Even though the
Maharaja promised the Asarabans would have safe conduct to
their ships, both Ardalan and Sitara fear a betrayal. Will the Asarabans be allowed to leave Kishnu without any
problems? What will happen if they do get to Asaraba? Will
the Maharaja allow his most beloved daughter to leave
Kishnu? Will Ardalan and Sitara have their happily ever
after? THE WIND WORLD SERIES: DESERT WIND is a thrilling fantasy
ride full of all kinds of twists and turns. Once more,
Charlotte Boyett-Compo does not disappoint with this story
of love, hate, madness and man's inhumanity to man. We have
a very strong heroine in Sitara and I love the way she got
her revenge on the men who betrayed her. Then we have
Ardalan, a very Alpha male, forced into fighting a war he
never wanted by his abusive father. Once again, in spite of
the subject matter, I found myself compelled to read the
next page, and the next until the very satisfying end of
this exciting tale. As with all of Charlotte Boyett-Compo's
stories, I highly recommend this one. Pick it up and read
it, you won't be sorry you did.
Reviewed by Chere Gruver
Posted February 17, 2010
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Prince Ardalan Jaleem has been sent by his father Sultan Eshan Jaleem of Asaraba to invade the peaceful kingdom of Kishnu. Leading the powerful military force is something Ardalan has trained all his life to do, but he soon realizes there is no way he and his men can survive this undertaking. He has led his men into a trap from which he may not be able to extract them. And death eagerly awaits them in the curved blades of their adversaries and those adversaries outnumber them many times over. Mistaken for another woman, Princess Sitara Santhanam of Kishnu, beloved daughter of Maharaja Bhishma Santhanam, is kidnapped and brought to Ardalan's camp to help care for his wounded and dying. A healer in her own right, Sitara cannot stand idly by and watch men suffering—even if it means aiding an enemy. From the moment she meets Prince Ardalan her tender heart is touched by his grievous wounds and when she puts her hands on him, his heart will call out to hers. Under the steaming skies of the desert, two people will discover that love can be found amidst the fury of war. Genre: Futuristic/SciFi Romance
Series: WindWorld
Book Length: Plus Novel
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