Reviewed by Olga Markova for Readers' Favorite

Rider of the Wind is a fabulous fantasy and the third installment of The Bardic Isles Series by award-winning author and talented musician and composer Marla Himeda. The story takes us to the country of Eire. Two rival orders – the Bards and the Druids – live in Eire. It is two centuries before Kaelin, the Bard whose life drives the prequels, was born. Envious of the mines in the Bards’ part of Eire, the devious Druid leader is arranging to evict the Bards and possess the mines. Anticipating trouble, the Master Bard is training Cyral, a gifted orphan harpist, for the mission to find a new abode for the Bards. At the same time, the Druids’ Grovekeeper is training his apprentice, who has a rare magical gift that will be instrumental in rescuing the Bards. But will the Bardic Order survive the Druidic onslaught?

Rider of the Wind was a delightful reunion with Marla Himeda’s Bardic Isles Series. As a fan of the series, I enjoyed every moment of this incredibly wonderful sequel. Unusually retrospective, it was the most eventful of the three installments and set the scene for the prequels and for the upcoming fourth book. Everything felt perfect in this admirable story – the pace, the devious intrigue that drove the suspense, the depth of moral dilemmas, and lessons of self-awareness and self-control. I was in awe of the abundant snippets of wisdom – one of my favorites was the mind-opening “crazy does not necessarily mean wrong!” Every aspect of this astonishingly satisfying story was beyond praise, but what resonated most with me was the cinematic portrayal of the afterlife and heartwarming guidance through grief.

I listened to the audiobook and was delighted to reunite with the voice of talented and experienced voice actor Will Hahn and Marla Himeda’s fabulous music. This audio production was flawless on all counts and one-of-a-kind, as the musical compositions were pivotal to the storyline and instrumental to the Bardic Order rescue. The perfectly crafted blend of music and riveting adventure narrative offered a cinematic experience and proof of the Bardic concept that all things were made of music. I am grateful to the author for sharing her immense gifts of writing and music in this admirable multimedia story and to Will, whose awesome narration brought it to life. All in all, if you like magical fantasy and music, Rider of the Wind is a stellar audio production you will love.