Windwalker

by Natasha Mostert

Book Overview

From the award-winning author of SEASON OF THE WITCH, comes a highly original story of murder, redemption, eternal love and destiny. When photographer, Justine Callaway, walks into the deserted... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0765349299
• Release Date: April 2005
• Publisher: Tor Paranormal Romance
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 1.0" x 4.1"

Customer Reviews

Beautiful... But will make you cry like Titanic

Windwalker is a tale of fated lovers meeting -- in a way that will fill you with awe and that sense of anticipation, that flustered need to tear your hair out, as you cheerlead for their pivotal meeting, and the elation you are overcome with when they do, quite finally, meet -- in their current lifetimes, but parting due to the clashing of divine agendas. Justine is a photo-journalist with a rocky past -- her bitterness over her parents' divorce renders her into a rebellious teenager and later into a suicidal self-destructive adult. She obtains a peculiar tattoo as a teenager without recognizing the significance of the symbol. It turns out that Adam, her soulmate, also possesses the same tattoo. Moreover, they share the the same quote describing joy and suffering, and Justine, too, believes one of her greatest regrets would be not meeting the someone she was supposed to meet. After the death of her brother, Justine seeks time out from the world and her job by retreating as caretaker to an abandoned mansion in limbo on the market. She immerses herself in Paradine Park, its 30-rooms and tragic history. She is immediately drawn to the painting of the family that lived there - while the place was still well-tended to, the furniture still present, the ghostly feel of the place overcome by its living inhabitants - a decade ago. She becomes obssessed with the oldest son, the murderer who tears apart his family. Adam is the hero and lover, who is known as a villain and murderer for much of his life. He is driven by his emotions, but he forces purgatory for his soul after failing to leash the animal in him. Although he is the heir to wealth and status, he becomes a recluse, escaping to an secluded city in Africa to atone (and escape the cops). Despite his self-banishment from society, he is still obsessed with the theory that drives his life. Ever since he was a child, he has had dreams of a woman whom he knows from the depths of his soul to be his soulmate. Although he is plagued with dyslexia, he is a deep, brooding, thinker -- and, his paradigm is based on the idea of reincarnation -- of soulmates, whose lives are blown by celestial winds through time, which intersect in the happy lifetimes. In the isolation and seclusion of the thunderous winds of the desert city he has exiled himself to, he overcomes his disability, and he writes his soul to this unknown woman, whom he is certain he would meet in this lifetime. And, they do meet. Although, it is after much suspense, and well past the first half of the book. Their short time together is perhaps reminiscent of the fact that there is little in life that is solely pleasurable -- the strife and hassle gone into allowing that little pleasure far exceeds in time. A beautiful scene: Although Adam has poured many nights into hundreds, if not thousands, of letters to Justine, he becomes overcome with despair (along with the reader) that he is merely fooling himself, attached to a flawed view of th

Mostert Shines Yet Again

I read "The Midnight Side" by this same author, and was extremely impressed. However, this novel is even better. You will not find adherence to stereotyped/cliched expectations of romance or suspense in Mostert's work. No formulaic plot progression. In her stories, anything can happen. This isn't predictable mindless stuff, you will be disappointed if that is what you want. This book is intelligent, elegant, and unexpected. Her descriptions of scenery, places, events, are brilliant. Show me another contemporary writer who can write like this. It is beautiful. It seems that most people miss the point of this evocative and haunting book. You have to give yourself to this story and follow where it leads, you just cannot impose your own expectations on it. I laughed when I saw someone referring to the "severe animal cruelty". This is simply ridiculous. Beware of spoiler reviews who pretend to give away the ending - there are many twists to the plot, subtle and profound, which cannot be described here in just a few sentences.

This book rocks

Natasha Mostert must be one of the most imaginative writers around and her third novel, Windwalker equals her fantastic debut novel, The Midnight Side. But she's a one-of-a-kind writer and her books will not satisfy readers looking for candyfloss romance novels in which boy meets girl, and then walk hand in hand into the sunset (big yawn.) If you're into that kind of formulaic potboiler, then Mostert is not the author for you. She writes edgy, dark and disturbing books, which are wildly original. However, if you're looking for an intelligent plot written in beautiful language, give Windwalker a try. You'll be glad you did. This book rocks.

romantic & mysterious

I would not categorize this book as your typical romance novel, neither would I call it your typical mystery novel, yet the story is both romantic and mysterious. The characters are extremely well developed with plenty of background information to explain why each person behaves the way he/she does. The book is set in the UK and a seldom heard of corner of the world, Namibia. I found the descriptions and other information about Namibia quite fascinating. The emotional, bittersweet ending is so very beautiful, although somewhat predictable. Natasha Mostert is an extremely talented writer, and I now look forward to reading her other novel, The Midnight Side.

terrific atypical paranormal romantic suspense

To obtain the job, photographer Justine Calloway had to lie about being married and that her spouse would join her. When the offer to become the caretaker at remote Paradine Park happens, Jane accepts, needing the change of scenery to escape her feelings of guilt and remorse. Though for the most part alone and aware of the tragic history of Paradine, Jane is comfortable there as if she always belonged there. Thus where she had been indifferent except how it might impact her employment, Jane now detests the plans to convert the almost decade empty sprawling English estate to a spa In Africa, Adam Buchanan sees a picture of the new caretaker in a magazine. He is stunned as he has seen the woman in the photo in his dreams. He knows that Justine is his soulmate, but to claim her he must return home, the place of his worst nightmare. The bitter memories of the tragedy almost a decade ago at his family home Paradine Park wash all over him. Adam knows he must confront his worst nightmare, the murder of his brother Dickie in the gardens in which everyone figures he did it especially since he fled England after looking at his dead sibling on the ground. WINDWALKER is an intriguing tale that is an atypical paranormal romantic suspense. The story line grips the reader with its rotating first person viewpoints that enable the audience to see what makes Justine and Adam tick, especially the fears that motivate much of what they do. Fans who appreciate something radically different in their literature will want to read Natasha Mostert's intriguing yet unique and odd thriller. Harriet Klausner