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Windswept: A Short Fairytale
Princess Zhenya is in love with the rain.
Heir to a century-old curse, she spends her life in royal captivity lest she be carried away by the wind. Her one solace is Yori, the handsome storm wraith who comes to her window on rainy nights. But he can never be part of her constrained palace life, where she must tread cautiously and follow the rules.
On the eve of an arranged marriage, she makes a fateful choice that sets the curse in motion. But the wind she fears may hold the key to her freedom. Hounded by vengeful wraiths, Zhenya must risk her soul and uncover the truth about the curse.
Or else she may become the very terror she flees.
Heir to a century-old curse, she spends her life in royal captivity lest she be carried away by the wind. Her one solace is Yori, the handsome storm wraith who comes to her window on rainy nights. But he can never be part of her constrained palace life, where she must tread cautiously and follow the rules.
On the eve of an arranged marriage, she makes a fateful choice that sets the curse in motion. But the wind she fears may hold the key to her freedom. Hounded by vengeful wraiths, Zhenya must risk her soul and uncover the truth about the curse.
Or else she may become the very terror she flees.
49 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2018
About the author
Sarah Delena White
7 books86 followersSarah Delena White was raised by wolves in an alternate dimension. She writes eclectic speculative fiction that reworks mythology with a fine balance of poetry and snark. She’s an experienced world traveler who loves to weave world folklore and ancient concepts into vibrant, original story worlds. She is the administrative manager for Uncommon Universes Press. When she’s not writing, she can be found making elegant designer bead jewelry, traveling to festivals as a professional ballad singer, drinking tea, and seeking to create the perfect latte. She can be bribed with dark chocolate.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 28, 2019
A lovely little novella, with a mix of "Beauty and the Beast" and "Rapunzel" vibes, that tells the story of how a reclusive princess falls in love with the rain that falls constantly on her castle tower, and the developments that love sparks. When I first read the blurb, I thought the princess had to be mental if she really felt like that. I mean, some people do love rain, but to be actually in love with it? And fortunately it wasn't what I'd guessed, there's an explanation for everything that goes on, a feat for such a short tale, and not too in-your-face. The worldbuilding is simple enough, and hints at possible reuse for future stories, which would be nice.
April 11, 2018
I got a chance to beta this and really enjoyed it. It's a satisfying tale that manages to be both emotional and breezy with some wonderful imagery. Definitely worth a read.
April 12, 2018
EXCELLENT story!! I immensely enjoyed it so much and thought it was beautifully (and powerfully) written. The characters were extremely engaging and brought out “the feels.”
Definitely one of my favorite reads for the 2018 year and want to get this in paperback ASAP.
Now that I’ve said a “formal” review, I will say that I have gushed about this story so much to my husband! I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT SO MUCH!!!
It is definitely not your average princess story and just adored the twist at the end. Plus, everything is just fantastic. I have no other words to use that describe how much I enjoyed Windswept and how many times I know I’ll gush about it again.
A must read for any reader!
Definitely one of my favorite reads for the 2018 year and want to get this in paperback ASAP.
Now that I’ve said a “formal” review, I will say that I have gushed about this story so much to my husband! I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT SO MUCH!!!
It is definitely not your average princess story and just adored the twist at the end. Plus, everything is just fantastic. I have no other words to use that describe how much I enjoyed Windswept and how many times I know I’ll gush about it again.
A must read for any reader!
September 3, 2018
So sweet!
Beautiful writing. I’m sitting here trying to decide if it’s allegorical for anything and deciding I don’t give a darn if it is or isn’t. It’s a sweet story and I enjoyed it.
Beautiful writing. I’m sitting here trying to decide if it’s allegorical for anything and deciding I don’t give a darn if it is or isn’t. It’s a sweet story and I enjoyed it.
November 3, 2018
I want more from this world! Read it in under an hour and everything was so captivating i wanted more.
December 20, 2018
A lovely short story about empowerment and love. I felt like this short story could be right there on the shelf with other traditional fairy tales. I can't wait to read this authors main series. :D
June 21, 2019
Windswept is a fun, romantic story about a generational family curse. The fact that a forbidden romance is part of it just adds to the story's fun.
This is not your average princess in love story and I loved the twist at the end as well as how Author White wrote the various characters. Part of me wishes it had been longer, but the rest thinks it was just the right length.
This is not your average princess in love story and I loved the twist at the end as well as how Author White wrote the various characters. Part of me wishes it had been longer, but the rest thinks it was just the right length.
May 10, 2018
3.5 stars
An interesting premise, but Windswept fell a little flat for me. I felt like the story had a lot of potential, but was, in a way, rather anticlimactic. That's not to say that others won't enjoy it, though! Sarah Delena White is a very talented author, and I can't wait to see what else she has in store! ^_^
An interesting premise, but Windswept fell a little flat for me. I felt like the story had a lot of potential, but was, in a way, rather anticlimactic. That's not to say that others won't enjoy it, though! Sarah Delena White is a very talented author, and I can't wait to see what else she has in store! ^_^
June 20, 2019
I read this delightful short story of forbidden love, coming of age, and the protagonist’s search for truth in about one hour. If you like fantasy that combines the excitement of elementals with a love story, and are looking for a quick read, check this one out! I enjoyed it thoroughly.
October 31, 2018
Great romantic story. A princess wrestles between saving her people and herself or marrying the wraith she has grown to love.
September 20, 2019
Sarah W uses vivid imagery to paint pictures and emotions in the mind's eye that are a scant half step away from being utterly real. A beautiful read-in-one-sitting tale with evocative characters and a sweet romance. And a gorgeous cover! Highly recommend.
May 18, 2018
It was pretty amazing how well Sarah Delena White wrote such a satisfying and epic romantic fantasy in so little a wordcount. The tale is quite lovely and definitely worth buying! I am always eager to see more from this author.
November 14, 2019
Close down Facebook, and Instagram.
Turn off the radio.
The television, yes, turn that off too.
Mute your phone.
Feed and water the cat. Let the dog out. Barricade yourself in a room with a triple shot of Bailey’s. (One ice cube only. Trust me on this. I know things.)
And allow Ms. White to carry you to a dimension adorned with W.B.Yeats’ Cloths of Heaven.
Enwrought with golden
and silver light,
The blue and the dim
and the dark cloths
Of night and light and
the half-light
In //Windswept: A Short Fairytale//, Ms.White welds vivid imagery with a prose both tender and muscular. Fact is, her direct approach to a yarn reminds me of the “swing and sway” of an Icelandic saga. And THAT, as much as anything else, whirled me back more than half a lifetime to a special time. A time when I regularly danced —intellectually, emotionally, and physically — on the periphery of fairytales.
And fables.
And, yes, the sagas.
And, if you open your mind and heart, I wager it’ll do much the same for your own self.
The main characters are intrepid, capable, and clear-eyed. They temper their passions with deferred gratification, enviable patience, and a remarkable pragmatism. And, finally, the romance is sweet without the reader needing a shot of insulin.
So kick back, relax, take a sip o’ Bailey’s…
And attend.
By the way, Ms.White? If my compatriots had but known you back-in-the-day, they’d have named you Faie-Sarah the Deep Minded.
(Trust me on this. I know things.)
Turn off the radio.
The television, yes, turn that off too.
Mute your phone.
Feed and water the cat. Let the dog out. Barricade yourself in a room with a triple shot of Bailey’s. (One ice cube only. Trust me on this. I know things.)
And allow Ms. White to carry you to a dimension adorned with W.B.Yeats’ Cloths of Heaven.
Enwrought with golden
and silver light,
The blue and the dim
and the dark cloths
Of night and light and
the half-light
In //Windswept: A Short Fairytale//, Ms.White welds vivid imagery with a prose both tender and muscular. Fact is, her direct approach to a yarn reminds me of the “swing and sway” of an Icelandic saga. And THAT, as much as anything else, whirled me back more than half a lifetime to a special time. A time when I regularly danced —intellectually, emotionally, and physically — on the periphery of fairytales.
And fables.
And, yes, the sagas.
And, if you open your mind and heart, I wager it’ll do much the same for your own self.
The main characters are intrepid, capable, and clear-eyed. They temper their passions with deferred gratification, enviable patience, and a remarkable pragmatism. And, finally, the romance is sweet without the reader needing a shot of insulin.
So kick back, relax, take a sip o’ Bailey’s…
And attend.
By the way, Ms.White? If my compatriots had but known you back-in-the-day, they’d have named you Faie-Sarah the Deep Minded.
(Trust me on this. I know things.)
July 5, 2023
Subject to a family curse that afflicts the women in her family, Princess Zhenya has no choice but to wed someone in an arranged marriage. Unfortunately, this will mean she will be imprisoned in a different prison than the one she already feels like she lives in. She also fears separation from her one comfort, the company of the handsome storm wraith Yori.
This was a wonderfully weaved fairytale like story that I thoroughly enjoyed. A lot was packed into this short story. I enjoyed getting to know Princess Zhenya and Yori. I also enjoyed the satisfying conclusion.
This was a wonderfully weaved fairytale like story that I thoroughly enjoyed. A lot was packed into this short story. I enjoyed getting to know Princess Zhenya and Yori. I also enjoyed the satisfying conclusion.
August 30, 2023
The writing in this short story was superb. It took me to a mystical world where a princess can fall in love with a storm.
Tgough it was short, nothing was missing. I felt like I knew Yori and Zhenya despite only getting a bit of backstory. Their characters were beautiful and clearly matched each other wonderfully. The curse and consequences was also paced out well.
Really I'm going on and on to say this was an amazing short-story, and it's a shame more people haven't heard of Sarah Delena White.
Tgough it was short, nothing was missing. I felt like I knew Yori and Zhenya despite only getting a bit of backstory. Their characters were beautiful and clearly matched each other wonderfully. The curse and consequences was also paced out well.
Really I'm going on and on to say this was an amazing short-story, and it's a shame more people haven't heard of Sarah Delena White.
May 1, 2018
Beautifully written - the story simply flows. I can't believe I went through it as quick as I did!
Honestly I feel the story easily could have been longer, and almost wish it was. I say almost, simply because it does flow and reads extremely well, but I would have loved to have a bit more than a brief snapshot into this world.
Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed this read, and will be adding the author to my watch list.
Honestly I feel the story easily could have been longer, and almost wish it was. I say almost, simply because it does flow and reads extremely well, but I would have loved to have a bit more than a brief snapshot into this world.
Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed this read, and will be adding the author to my watch list.
July 27, 2018
A quick read and, to be honest, better than I thought it would be. I didn't have to wade through chapters of backstory to empathize or even like the characters. The connection was there from the beginning. Hope there are more stories like these to come.
September 5, 2018
Windswept pulled me in from the very beginning. The characters (including the villain) were engaging with realistic motives. It was a quick, fun read with a satisfying conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
July 5, 2018
Beautifully written, engrossing, and a quick read.
September 7, 2018
Sweet short fairy tale
This sweet, short fairy tale is an imaginative, elemental love story. A perfect little read for a rainy, stormy night.
This sweet, short fairy tale is an imaginative, elemental love story. A perfect little read for a rainy, stormy night.
April 11, 2023
A sweet fairytale type story told with whimsical charm. It felt like it should have been longer, giving the characters more time to grow and feelings to develop. It would make for a wonderful novel.
February 23, 2021
I need more short stories like this in my life. This was so lovely to read. I loved the fairytale element to things and how Zhenya and Yori were together, how she brought out the human in hi, how he fell in love with a princess, how the two of them defied the odds to be together. This story was so great and I absolutely loved it!
June 10, 2018
Windswept is a fun, romantic tale of forbidden love and a curse that has threatened a family for generations. Zhenya and Yori share a sweet bond in spite of all the things standing in their way. The mythology in Windswept is intriguing and refreshing, and I loved the twist behind the curse.
December 6, 2018
Windswept is loosely based on the ballet Giselle, where a young princess, Zhenya, is trapped inside her castle, with Yori’s visits being the highlight of her life. However, on the eve on the marriage that would end his visits forever, she takes a risk to reach outside to him, with major consequences to her life. I adore Zhenya and her struggles as she deals with what’s going on and stands strong as she makes her final choice. Yori is awesome too, caring for Zhenya and her well being no matter what. These two are great, aiding in each other’s development.
The story moves along at a good pace and I loved the prose and imagery and added to the whimsical and fairy tale nature of the story. The two plot twists were well done and the ending is what I expect from a story such as this. If you liked this like I did, check out White’s novels, Halayda and Rothana, which have a similar prose style.
The story moves along at a good pace and I loved the prose and imagery and added to the whimsical and fairy tale nature of the story. The two plot twists were well done and the ending is what I expect from a story such as this. If you liked this like I did, check out White’s novels, Halayda and Rothana, which have a similar prose style.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews