A review by Nalini Haynes
★★★★★ five out of five stars
The Red Wind is the first of the Kingdom of the Lost series for children; I previously reviewed book 2, The Cloud Road.
Bily and Zluty seem to be part squirrel-ish creatures and part human. They are brothers who live contentedly in a house they built for themselves since waking from their egg. They’ve grow up, learnt to hunt, gather and create everything they need.
Then the Red Wind destroys their lives, bringing a ‘rainstorm’ of rocks before flooding fills their basement.
Red Wind is elegant in its simplicity, effectively painting a vivid picture of Bily, Zluty, their lives and relationships. Many facets of the story that puzzled me after reading book two out of sequence are explained and yet a mystery evolves across these two novels.
Isobelle Carmody uses direct language to gradually build a complex world without overwhelming young audiences.
I highly recommend the Kingdom of the Lost series to readers of all ages for enjoyment and to writers learning the craft, regardless of the age of your intended audience.