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SPFBO Status: Cut

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Rate: 7.5

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Overview:

An orphan, trapped in the most hopeless of locations, Zephyr is desperate for a way out of his situation and will step on anyone to escape out of the depths of Crater. I found Zephyr to be such an interesting character due to his tunnel vision regarding saving himself, though there are some key contradictions that add complexity to the overall depth. He abandons his friends and put them at risk without a second thought, but will lose all sense of self to anger that builds around anything related to slavery. So his moral compass swings wildly when slavery is the topic but is nonexistent when people who have been loyal or shown him kindness are involved. That extreme does not mesh well, though to be fair, people are often filled with contradictions, especially in such dire situations.

The other main character that The Wind Walker follows is Captain Bacchus. He is a flamboyant, over the top pirate of The Glee who has legendary renown. In reality he is a drunk who seems to be carried by his extraordinary crew. Regardless, his chapters are some of my favorites as they go on a mission that seems to be a curiosity more than anything, especially when the information provided is little more than a riddle. 

The steampunk technology in The Wind Walker was fun especially with the Rat Tails and pretty much every visit to the Tinker’s. In the opening pages of The Wind Walker there were some fantastic images that really bring Crater to life. The whole layered ecosystem was such a curiosity and Shugar did a great job capturing that unique setting in print. 

The ending seemed so rushed from full measure of the consequences of Zephyr’s selfish actions to dual rescue attempts and the big reveal at the end. I felt like I was sprinting and missing important implications along the way. 

Overall, The Wind Walker is a desperate story of escape, intermingled with an elaborate rescue mission, that Shugar isolates into the dark and dangerous Crater.

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Additional Insight (Spoilers Abound):

• Was Jerrik able to save Machuum, Lot and the rest of the crew?
• What will happen to Mitzy and Joulan?
• What happened to Joulan when Zephyr stole the map?
• Where is Belle’s mother?
• Ugh, you could just feel for Tinker when his book fell into its many pages down throughout Crater.
• How was Zephyr able to fly and what other powers does he have?

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