- Hardcover: 352 pages
- Publisher: Bantam Books; First THUS edition (Jun 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0553801236
- ISBN-13: 978-0553801231
- Product Dimensions: 23.1 x 16.3 x 3.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 526,412 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Book Description
An evocative tale revolution and change set on a lost colony co-authored by one of the 90s masters of fantasy.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
George R. R. Martin has thrilled a generation of readers with his epic works of the imagination, most recently the critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling saga told in the novels A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, and A Storm of Swords. Lisa Tuttle has won acclaim from fans of science fiction, horror, and fantasy alike -- most recently for her haunting novel The Pillow Friend. Now together they gift readers with this classic tale of a brilliantly rendered world of ironbound tradition, where a rebellious soul seeks to prove the power of a dream.
The planet of Windhaven was not originally a home to humans, but it became one following the crash of a colony starship. It is a world of small islands, harsh weather, and monster-infested seas. Communication among the scattered settlements was virtually impossible until the discovery that, thanks to light gravity and a dense atmosphere, humans were able to fly with the aid of metal wings made of bits of the cannibalized spaceship.
Many generations later, among the scattered islands that make up the water world of Windhaven, no one holds more prestige than the silver-winged flyers, who bring news, gossip, songs, and stories. They are romantic figures crossing treacherous oceans, braving shifting winds and sudden storms that could easily dash them from the sky to instant death. They are also members of an increasingly elite caste, for the wings -- always in limited quantity -- are growing gradually rarer as their bearers perish.
With such elitism comes arrogance and a rigid adherence to hidebound tradition. And for the flyers, allowing just anyone to join their cadre is an idea that borders on heresy. Wings are meant only for the offspring of flyers -- now the new nobility of Windhaven. Except that sometimes life is not quite so neat.
Maris of Amberly, a fisherman's daughter, was raised by a flyer and wants nothing more than to soar on the currents high above Windhaven. By tradition, however, the wings must go to her stepbrother, Coll, the flyer's legitimate son. But Coll wants only to be a singer, traveling the world by sea. So Maris challenges tradition, demanding that flyers be chosen on the basis of merit rather than inheritance. And when she wins that bitter battle, she discovers that her troubles are only beginning.
For not all flyers are willing to accept the world's new structure, and as Maris battles to teach those who yearn to fly, she finds herself likewise fighting to preserve the integrity of a society she so longed to join -- not to mention the very fabric that holds her culture together.
The planet of Windhaven was not originally a home to humans, but it became one following the crash of a colony starship. It is a world of small islands, harsh weather, and monster-infested seas. Communication among the scattered settlements was virtually impossible until the discovery that, thanks to light gravity and a dense atmosphere, humans were able to fly with the aid of metal wings made of bits of the cannibalized spaceship.
Many generations later, among the scattered islands that make up the water world of Windhaven, no one holds more prestige than the silver-winged flyers, who bring news, gossip, songs, and stories. They are romantic figures crossing treacherous oceans, braving shifting winds and sudden storms that could easily dash them from the sky to instant death. They are also members of an increasingly elite caste, for the wings -- always in limited quantity -- are growing gradually rarer as their bearers perish.
With such elitism comes arrogance and a rigid adherence to hidebound tradition. And for the flyers, allowing just anyone to join their cadre is an idea that borders on heresy. Wings are meant only for the offspring of flyers -- now the new nobility of Windhaven. Except that sometimes life is not quite so neat.
Maris of Amberly, a fisherman's daughter, was raised by a flyer and wants nothing more than to soar on the currents high above Windhaven. By tradition, however, the wings must go to her stepbrother, Coll, the flyer's legitimate son. But Coll wants only to be a singer, traveling the world by sea. So Maris challenges tradition, demanding that flyers be chosen on the basis of merit rather than inheritance. And when she wins that bitter battle, she discovers that her troubles are only beginning.
For not all flyers are willing to accept the world's new structure, and as Maris battles to teach those who yearn to fly, she finds herself likewise fighting to preserve the integrity of a society she so longed to join -- not to mention the very fabric that holds her culture together.
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First Sentence
MARIS RODE THE STORM ten feet above the sea, taming the winds on wide cloth-of-metal wings. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt
MARIS RODE THE STORM ten feet above the sea, taming the winds on wide cloth-of-metal wings. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
47 of 49 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Windhaven is a world where the only land is in the form of small islands in a stormy sea. It's only inhabitants are the descendants of a crashed Earth colony ship who live a low-technology existence on those islands. One of the major forms of communication on Windhaven is messages carried by the flyers who use wings crafted from the spaceship's materials to fly between the islands, the wings are highly prized and passed down only through the elite flyer families. The main theme of this books concerns the efforts of the ordinary citizens of Windhaven, particuarily the book's heroine, to be allowed the chance to be able to become flyers. The more conservative of the flyer families resist the idea of others also being allowed to fly and this book deals with the conflict between the two groups. Like Martin's other books the characters are what makes this book good, as well as the convincing and original world. Fans of his major series, A Song of Ice and Fire should not be disapointed although the theme and feel of the book bears more similarity to Anne Mcaffrey's Pern series than Martin's other books. In summary, an entertaining book that is well worth reading.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I bought this book on the strength of George RR Martin's other works and was in two minds once I received it - the blurb reads like the worst of romantic fantasy and with commendations by Anne McCaffrey and Marion Zimmer Bradley (sorry but...) and a "young girl achieves her dreams of flying and makes the world a better place" plot synopsis.
Frankly I thought there was no hope for this story by this point. Still, I'd bought it and, even if it sounded like it was turgid wishy-washy idealism and escapism, I was going to have to read it...
Early next morning I finally finished the book and managed to put it down and get some sleep. Yes, the main character is a somewhat foolish idealist with a dream of flying and breaking down the caste system, but the story is about much more than that, it shows that even great and noble actions like establishing equality can have disasterous consequences and that changing the law to be "fairer" may sound good in principle but when it hurts your friends then your idealism wavers.
Definitely recommended and slightly off the well worn track of mainstream fantasy.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
George RR Martin's early stuff is being reissued on the back the success of his 'Song of Ice and Fire' series. And a good thing too. This collaboration with Lisa Tuttle at first gave me the impression it would be predictable but a good read. In fact it was wonderful.
It follows Maris, who has no right to fly except that there is nothing she wants more in the world. Broadly in three parts, the books charts her difficult, thrilling and compelling adventures right through her life. Boldly imagined, adult and moving, this is a very welcome reprint.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A decent book, though neither author's best.
Windhaven is a storm-wracked world consisting of a vast ocean and a small scattering of islands, home to the descendants of survivors of a spacecraft crash centuries earlier. Read more
Published 13 days ago by A. Whitehead
Sad disappointment
WindhavenIts possible that if I'd never read all of the books of, 'Song of Ice and Fire' I wouldn't have been so disappointed with Windhaven. Read more
Published 5 months ago by SheriL
Whinney - not for tube reading
This isn't a review, it's a reviewarning.
When I purchased this book from Amazon I was expecting a manly George R.R. Read more
When I purchased this book from Amazon I was expecting a manly George R.R. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Captain Nunchucks
A big miss...which is a shame
I like George R R Martin's other works but this was awful. The characters were badly drawn, the background and culture of the people had little development and overall it made me... Read more
Published on 26 April 2010 by Book Crazy
Walk on by
A weak story, not terribly well written or thought out. Reminiscent of Anne McCaffrey, I'm afraid - and not even at her best. Read more
Published on 18 April 2010 by Victoria Clare
Anne McCaffrey lite
I bought this on the strength of Ice and Fire. I found Pern on a bad day, and without the dragons. It may have got better, but after after 47 pages I just don't care.
Published on 3 April 2010 by patacake
Not what I had expected
On Windhaven Flyers play a vital role in the life of the community. The planet has no large landmass, instead consisting of thousands of small islands and the Flyers provide the... Read more
Published on 18 Feb 2010 by AnetteF
Simply the Best
Georgge RR Martin's characterisation is simply the best in the business, and this collaboration with Lisa Tuttle simply can't be put down. Read more
Published on 9 Aug 2005 by Mark Habgood
Its not bad but......
I bought this book on the strength of ice and fire a truly imaginative and great read. I kept it safe to read on my holiday, I started to read it and immediately was struck by the... Read more
Published on 9 Aug 2002 by Mal
George Martin just keeps getting better
Less than a year ago i had never heard of George R.R Martin until someone gave me a copy of A Game of Thrones and since then i've been hooked. Read more
Published on 14 July 2001 by Mr. G. Iveson
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