The Luck of the Wheels by Megan Lindholm
Review by Cyndi J. (cyndij)
LUCK OF THE WHEELS is the fourth and final book in the Ki and Vandien Quartet (aka The Windsingers). Previous books which have been reviewed here on the PaperBackSwap Blog are here: HARPY’S FLIGHT, THE WINDSINGERS and THE LIMBRETH GATE. In my opinion you could read this book as a standalone, since nothing in the plot hinges on anything that’s gone before. That’s a little disappointing to me, but more about that later.
Ki and Vandien could be referred to as gypsies (in this world they are called Romni), as they have no fixed abode except for the wagon drawn by Ki’s two horses. They live by hauling goods, and as this novel opens they’re broke, as usual, in a strange country, and need to find work.
They’re offered really good money to take a passenger to a town two weeks travel away – a teenager nicknamed Goat who has been apprenticed to his uncle. They ought to have taken notice of the large fee, and how eager the rest of the townspeople are to see the back of this kid. He is, even for a teenager, a nasty bit of work. And it gets worse, because on their first night a runaway girl shows up, with a tale of woe and begging for a ride to her fiance.
Along with the hostility between the two kids, Ki and Vandien need to be careful of the Duke’s men, who rampage through the countryside harassing travellers and looting what they will. And when they try to drop off Willow, they’re soon embroiled in a plot to overthrow said Duke. It’s only going to get worse from here. Great description of the fencing match at the festival, and we learn just a bit more about Vandien’s family and how he came to be on the road.
It was interesting how Lindholm shifted the plot from Goat’s disturbing personality and talents into the overthrow scheme. It was also interesting how she tried to shift Goat from pervert into victim. It wasn’t a bad rationale, but Lindholm did such a good job making the two teenagers both so despicable that I couldn’t get on board with her message of forgiveness.
I was disappointed that Lindholm did not follow up on the bombshell she dropped about Ki’s ancestry in the last book, not to mention how that particular world came to be. I don’t know if she intended more stories, but it did seem an odd thing to leave hanging.
This is not a series I would re-read, but you can see how Lindholm evolved as a writer over the set. Good world-building, and the pacing improves each time. LUCK OF THE WHEELS is out of print as are the rest, but if you’re interested, it shouldn’t be too hard to find a copy.
