I’ve often heard that Alexey Pehov’s Wind and Sparks series is perceived as a continuation of The Chronicles of Siala about the thief Garret. To be honest, I used to feel the same way myself, especially after the details of The Chronicles of Siala faded in my memory following my first read. I even thought of it as “the next books after Garret.” Though I knew that wasn’t the case.
The Wind and Sparks series was written between 2005 and 2008. Between it and The Chronicles of Siala, Alexey managed to write The Last Testament (co-authored with Andrey Yegorov) and Under the Sign of the Manticore (which I still consider one of his best novels, by the way).
He also wrote the first half of the Kindret series at the same time as Wind and Sparks. So it’s impossible to say that the next story about Garret followed immediately after The Chronicles of Siala. By this point, Pehov approached his craft as a much more experienced writer.
The events in Wind and Sparks take place in an entirely different universe—it’s not the grim world of Siala’s thief. Although echoes of that world exist, they can easily go unnoticed, especially if there’s a long gap between reading the two series. But if you do catch those subtle connections, it adds an extra layer of enjoyment. There is a link, but the main connecting thread is indeed Garret. I don’t think this is a spoiler, as many have mentioned it before. That said, Garret is far from the main character here, though it would also be unfair to call him a mere supporting role.
And yet, this is a different world with its own laws, unique magic, and its own malevolent elves. There are no orcs here, though. Still, it’s classic fantasy in all its glory, featuring multiple races, fragile alliances between them, an eternal struggle for power and magic, and even genocide of some in the name of others.
In this world, magic is immensely powerful but has two sides—light and dark. The truth lies somewhere in between, yet most magicians refuse to acknowledge this, leading to an unending war between the two schools. And in such wars, there are always defectors. In this world, those defectors became the Damned, who once rebelled against their light teachers and turned into the greatest nightmare of the land. They were defeated centuries ago and became the stuff of children’s bedtime warnings. But now they’ve returned, and a devastating war is tearing the empire apart.
Unexpectedly, this chaotic storm draws in a mountain scout, a guard from a border fortress, and two assassins trying to escape their past and blend in among ordinary people. It’s clear, however, that all of them will play crucial roles in this protracted battle.
Wind and Sparks is both similar to and distinct from The Chronicles of Siala. Perhaps all fantasy worlds will always have some resemblance to one another—and to Tolkien’s legendary Middle-earth. However, in Pehov’s series, elves are far from the beautiful and noble creatures many imagine after seeing Legolas in The Lord of the Rings (and even Tolkien’s elves weren’t all sweetness and light).
Both series are not a collection of separate novels about the same characters but rather large stories divided into multiple parts. Each book is a piece of a greater whole, and they cannot be read individually. In fact, it’s best to read them all in succession so as not to miss anything.
The main difference between the books lies in the protagonists. In the first cycle, there was a single main character—the thief Garret. The story was shown through his eyes and told in his voice. While there were many other wonderful characters around him, they revolved around him. And at times, he moved through the plot entirely alone. In Wind and Sparks, there are multiple protagonists, and the narrative alternates between their perspectives. One character does stand out more than the others, but he’s not the sole focus. This is both an advantage and a drawback.
This is particularly noted by many readers of the first book, Chasers of the Wind. You’re immediately thrown into a vast, unfamiliar world, and it feels like you’re drowning under an avalanche of information: the geography of the world with countless names, the history of the magicians’ conflict, a whole brood of the Damned, several main characters, and multiple parallel storylines. Add to this the varied narrative styles—sometimes third-person, sometimes switching to first-person, but only for one character. On top of that, there’s a flood of present events combined with references to the deeds of past years and centuries. It all hits the reader at once, and the picture doesn’t come together immediately. Many questions hang in the air, and by the end of the first book, there are still no answers. It feels like a very long, detailed introduction to the plot. I know some readers, including a few friends of mine, gave up at this point and didn’t continue with the series.
The second book, Wormwood Wind, is much more accessible in this regard. From the very beginning, it starts addressing some of the lingering questions, delves deeper into the world’s history, and offers a new perspective on events. It also provides greater insight into the motivations of certain characters. Finally, you start to understand what’s going on. At the same time, there are fewer storylines, and the narrative becomes more action-packed. You feel much more engaged and less inclined to get distracted. The pace picks up, and the world is no longer black and white—the war is no longer a simple battle between “good guys” and “bad guys.”
The third book, Reapers of the Wind, gallops ahead at full speed and doesn’t let you put it down. The events unfold at a breakneck pace, you learn more about the characters, the war doesn’t go as planned, and you might even start to empathize with some of the “villains.” This is because the author increasingly poses a quiet question: what is true, and what is false? What can good justify to remain good? And what defines evil as evil? The killers don’t repent—they remain killers. But now, you better understand how they ended up that way and who pushed them into that position. These are questions many authors have explored before, and Alexey Pehov is not a trailblazer in this regard. Still, he chooses to present them in this form, within this story.
And while questions occasionally arise—like why an apparently invincible enemy might die in such a seemingly ridiculous way—life is full of such random occurrences.
The final part, Spark and Wind, is meant to tie up all the loose ends. Although it seems like the main intrigue has already been revealed in the earlier books, and now it’s simply a war—until the final victory, or just the end. For me, the narrative felt like it faltered here. It remains engaging, but the intensity and suspense have diminished. You’re no longer expecting revelations. Instead, you just want to know how the story concludes: will it end the way you imagine, or will the author come up with something unexpected? And, importantly, what role does Garret ultimately play in all this?
Unfortunately, the ending left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed, both during my first read and now on rereading it. It doesn’t seem to answer all the questions. Of course, an author isn’t obligated to explain everything, sometimes leaving room for the reader to think for themselves (though I’m not exactly that type of reader). Still, I felt that certain motivations remained unexplored—much like my earlier criticism of The Chronicles of Siala.
That said, Wind and Sparks is a much more mature work than The Chronicles of Siala, which was already very good. If I were to assign ratings, I’d give the first book a 4 (with a bit of hesitation), a solid 4.5 for the second and third, and a 4 for the final book. Overall, though, the series is very good.
P.S. This is also one of the few novels featuring a character with my name. Yes, yes, Knari, nicknamed “Hamster.” Unfortunately, he only lasts for one chapter and dies an inglorious death. 😉
P.P.S. Unfortunately, only the first book of the series has been translated into English.
My rating: 4.5/5
