Goodreads.com Description: “Once upon a time, I made a promise to a stranger. Though I’d never seen her face, I cared for her above all others.
Once upon a time, I broke my vow. In trying to save the one I loved, I condemned her to a cursed life and stripped her of all freedom in a single, misguided step.
Once upon a time, I set out on a journey. Though it might never earn me forgiveness, I would set her free or die trying.”
About the Author
A geek of all trades, Starla Huchton has been crafting stories in various genres since 2007. She is a three-time finalist for Parsec Awards for her podcast fiction work, and was the first place winner for Science Fiction & Fantasy in the Sandy competition in 2012. Her work spans science fiction, fantasy, New Adult Romance, Young Adult titles, Steampunk, Contemporary, and various other varieties of stories. She is greedy and likes all the genres!
When not writing, Starla trains three Minions, a black lab, and a military husband whilst designing book covers for independent authors and publishers at Designed By Starla.
Find Starla online at…
Website: http://www.starlahuchton.com/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Starla-Huchton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarlaHuchton/?fref=ts
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4348137.Starla_Huchton
Twitter: @starlahuchton
My Review
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Ride the Wind was an enjoyable gender-flipped version of a Norwegian folk tale. It was well-written and very engaging.
I’d never read “East of the Sun and West of the Moon” before, so I couldn’t compare the stories. There were elements, however, of Huchton’s tale that reminded me of “Beauty and the Beast” and Aladdin’s flying carpet.
I enjoyed the characters created in this story. Lukas was such an innocent young man at the start of the story. He learned more about himself once he left home. It was his guilt that consumed him, and pushed him to complete his journey. In completing it, he saw the world and became a better man. Erata was the intriguing young girl who made a foolhardy pact. Her thoughtlessness ended with a severe punishment. On top of it all, she had trust issues needing to be resolved. Once she learned to trust, she acquired hope.
Ride the Wind had such a great underlying theme. Huchton lets readers know that second chances are possible. There are just a few requirements: 1) you must be truly remorseful for your mishap, 2) you must be willing to do whatever is required to rectify your mishap, and 3) you must not expect any form of payment in return.
There was also a great message regarding self-doubt–don’t doubt what you can do. Sometimes when you take yourself out of the situation, you can accomplish great things. What an inspiring message!
I look forward to reading more books by Huchton. If you are interested, be sure to add these other “flipped fairy tales” to your TBR:
Goodreads Description: “Once upon a time, a dark evil crept into my kingdom, stealing my loved ones and the happy life I knew. The world turned against me, and I swore to become stronger, to keep myself safe.
Once upon a time, there was a handsome prince, hair dark as ebony, skin as pure as the freshly driven snow, and I became the only one who stood between him and death.
Once upon a time, our stories intertwined, and now, healing my heart may be the only way to save us all from the evil that threatens to destroy what little we have left.”
Goodreads.com Description: “Once upon a time, my life was certain: it was insignificant, and it was cruel. But I refused to let it define me, no matter how great the cost.
Once upon a time, I made a wish. The world I knew grew wider than the sky and higher than the stars, and I listened to the voice within me, reaching out for freedom.
Once upon a time, my wish became my fate, and my destiny the hardest lesson to learn: kindness may be the most difficult path, but it can save entire kingdoms.”
Rating: 
(5 Hands=Excellent; 4 Hands=Pretty Good; 3 Hands=Good)
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