This book was a wild ride from start to finish. Recently I have been looking for books that are similar to Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones and through my sleuthing I came across this title.
It is the story of a girl names Sydelle who is from a small desert town that is in the middle of a ten year drought. She is a talented weaver and longs to travel. We find out early on that there have been some political upheavals since the death of the king, but to Sydelle it is all a far away thought when your very survival hangs in the balance from the drought. Then suddenly these problems are brought to her doorstep with the wizard Wayland North. He has sensitive information about the king's death that could prevent a war, but he is being chased by an evil wizard and an army. To slow down those who are pursuing him he brings forth a rainstorm, breaking the ten year drought. Thankful for his help Sydelle's parents, the leaders of the village, offer a reward for Wayland telling him to take anything he wants. What he wants is Sydelle. Sydelle is angry at North because he has forced her to leave her home against her will and has left her village under siege. Too make matters worse North is keeping things from her, important things, like why he choose her, what this is all really about, and about North's mysterious past.
Like I said this book is comparable to Howl's Moving Castle, but it's similar in such a way where the feel of the story is alike without it seeming like you're reading the exact same thing over again. This is a marvelous book that every fan of fantasy books will enjoy. My only complaint is that I cannot find an eBook copy to buy of this book anywhere, and I know it has to be somewhere as I read this through my library's overdrive program. Alas I have resigned myself to buy a physical copy (don't feel too sorry for me it's not as all dramatic as that).
