Windswept: Windswept Book One

Gritty and amusing at its best, the question here is whether our heroine can break out of the limitations of her system and achieve a bit of real economic independence. I give the author quite a lot of credit for basically making an argument for syndicalist collectivism to a genre larded with more than its share of libertarian-leaning readers. That I don't merit this book a bit more is a commentary on how some of the world building is kind of thin and most of the other members of my book group just didn't care for the novel's protagonist.

Padma Mehta needs to recruit 33 more people to the Union and pad her bank account with the signing bonus if she's to buy the Old Windswept distillery. When an opportunity comes by that would put her over the line, she can't pass it up - even if it is put her way by smelly loser Vytai Bloombeck. Padma's forgotten that if something sounds too good to be true, it possibly is. The next few days will test what she's really willing to do to make her numbers and save her planet.

This is a hell of a ride - you may feel as battered as its grumpy heroine by the end of the twists, turns, accelerations and nosedives - but if you finish it without a grin I'll be surprised. Honestly, it's worth the price of admission for the irrepressible lawyer and show more the snarky old ladies at the end. Screwball scifi noir for the win.

Full review, and much enthusiasm. show less

This science fiction thriller was a true delight! It was fun, fast paced, and I adored the heroine.

Padma Mehta’s a crotchety union rep dreaming of retirement and her plans to buy a distillery. But for her dreams to come true, she needs to get thirty-three more people for her head count. Which means she needs to wait for thirty-three more people to fall from the sky.

Most of known space is controlled by three mega-corporations, who rely on the labor of indentured servants. But corporate life isn’t all its cracked up to be, and some indentures Breach – fleeing down the space elevator to the Union on Padma’s backwater, sugar cane producing planet.

When a small time con artist tells Padma that forty people are about to Breach, of show more course Padma checks it out. But in her desperate bid to make her headcount, Padma stumbles onto a plot that could endanger her entire planet.

Padma was far and away my favorite thing about Windswept. She’s just so self confident and audacious! I knew I utterly loved her when near the beginning of the book she’s pulling Breaches out of the ocean when some corporate ships start to go after their boat. Padma jumps overboard, uses her SF mind link thingie to take a photo of the corporate boats speeding away from her, and posts the photo on the net with a caption something like, “WalWa sees me drowning and does nothing! Hire lawyers and avenge me!” How can you not love a heroine like that? Plus, it’s rare to find an older heroine in science fiction. Padma was great on so many levels.

I also enjoyed the world Rakunas has created. I always like when speculative fiction novels actually consider how economics impact their setting, and Windswept was great for this. Padma’s planet is entirely reliant on the production of sugar cane, since industrial grade molasses is used as fuel for space ships. If the sugar cane crop fails, the economy fails with it, and the Union and all its workers would be at the mercy of the corporate overlords.

Windswept was just so much fun. The pacing’s good, and the action snaps along. I wouldn’t say it belongs to the subgenre of science fiction humor, but what humor it has is excellently used. Basically, it’s such a great debut. I can’t wait to read the sequel!

Originally posted on The Illustrated Page. show less

With all the sf about corporations replacing governments, how come it’s taken this long to get sf starring a union organizer? (Further suggestions welcome.) Padma is a long-suffering, hard-negotiating steward on a planet whose sole export is fuel-grade cane, trying to scrape up enough money to buy her own refinery. For that, she needs to recruit forty more Breaches, people who leave the corporations for union work. Shenanigans ensue; it’s a good yarn, though the reader is likely ahead of Padma in figuring out the twists given that we know it’s a book and she doesn’t.

Windswept
(Windswept #1)
by Adam Rakunas
I picked up the narrated version that has over a dozen narrators performing the novel! It was excellent! I could have never imagined those voices in my head! This was top notch! I picked it up on Chirp on sale and boy was it worth it!
The story of Padmah trying to retire and keep her sanity in this insane world had me cheering her on! She was desperate and she went to crazy extremes to get people! She was hilarious!
The story is funny and witty, it has the most unusual characters, a mystery or two, plenty of twists, and the energetic drive of this woman! Loved everything about this book! I think I would have liked the book to read it but after hearing it with the multiple narrators, this is by far the show more best way to enjoy this book! I got it for a few buck on chirp! Watch for sales! Pick this up!!! I am going to be watching for book 2! show less

Three and a half stars. I found the first half of "Windswept" was too boring to hold my interest long enough for me to understand the worldbuilding (which was admittedly very good), so then I ended up semi-bored and semi-confused. Not a great combo.

However, I distinctly remember the last time I looked at the page count to see how much more I had to read-- 281. After that, things got EXCITING! I really enjoyed the last two hundred pages and I wish the whole book had maintained a pace closer to that.

The ending worked, too. Everything was tied up in kind of a ragged, maybe rum-stained, bow and I enjoyed it.

Overall: I'm conflicted about recommending this, because the first half was such a slog. I know it won't be for everyone, though. show more For what it's worth, I don't regret spending $8 for my trade paperback. show less

I wonder why I have never heard of this guy? I really enjoyed the book, it's well-written, pithy, and lots of action. Fresh take on some standard science fiction themes. I liked the characters. Read it straight through and will be looking for more from Rakunas.