A review by ohthesheenanigans
Blood Stew: The Windshine Chronicles by Todd Sullivan

4.0

I have never been so ecstatic to discover that there was going to be a third installment of the ‘The Windshine Chronicles’ series. This time around, we follow the protagonist, Kim Nam-gi, who dreams to be a hero and unlike most dreamers, since birth, Nam-gi has been cursed with a malformed spine. Tied to a walking stick instead of a sword, he toils in his family seafood restaurant while studying advanced spells under a dark elf. The skills he gains from the only foreigner to give him a chance works in his advantage as he uses magic to save his family’s establishment. With the hopes of his father granting permission for him to become an adventurer who slays monsters and dragons, he tricks customers with magic for the family owned business to prosper enough to escape a money hungry lender—readers witness the tale of a disable teen who overcomes the overwhelming odds in his quest to become a hero.

The author has always had a unique ability to draw readers in with his worldbuilding, complex characters, well-drawn storyline, and heroism. The Korean elements in his novels have always fascinated me and pushed me to look up historical events, figures, traditions and landscapes to get a better understanding of the cultural backgrounds of the characters—so kudos to the author for representing them so well in his works. All in all, like its predecessors, this is a well written fantasy novel with diverse feel that any reader can enjoy.