Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #162148 in Books
• Published on: 2002-04-22
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 339 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Slaves of the Master is the fantastically vivid, breathtaking sequel to The Wind Singer by William Nicholson.

Written with the same passion and cinematic scope as the first book in the series, Slaves of the Mastery picks up the story of siblings Kestrel and Bowman five years on from the closing chapter of The Wind Singer. The city of Aramanth has become a kinder place, but in becoming kinder it has also become weaker, making it the perfect target for the ruthless soldiers of the Mastery. After a swift and brutal battle that leaves the city burned and the Manth people destined for slavery, Kestrel finds herself alone, angry and bitterly sworn to wreak her own revenge. But first she must find her beloved brother Bowman, and he in turn must find a way of understanding the secrets of the mysterious Singer people. Only then can the pair begin to strike out against the Mastery and begin a voyage that will bring the Manth people back to their former stature.

Slaves of the Mastery lives up to all the promises made by The Wind Singer, and readers who enjoyed the first book will certainly be thrilled by the pace and execution of the second. Dramatic, complex and thought-provoking, this is a challenging read for readers aged 10 and over. --Susan Harrison

Customer Reviews

An outstanding book with the scope to make you laugh and cry
Continuing 5 years on from where 'The Wind Singer' left off, this outstanding book will take your breath away and leave you stunned from the first page, until the the last. Based around the people of Aramanth, and in particular the Hath family, 'Slaves of the Mastery' has the potential to make you laugh or cry. William Nicholson has invented a whole host of characters, who, over the course of the book, will be either remembered from 'The Wind Singer', or introduced to us. This book is one of those stories you will want to read over and over, and each time, will grip your mind with a ferociety which will make you hate to finish it.

Brilliant and harrowing 'Gladiator' for kids
The best children's novel of 2001, this is the second of a trilogy. The first, The Wind Siger, won the Gold Smarties and was funny and gripping but this is far better. Admirers of Philip Pullman will find the same kind of seriousness... The Hath family, along with their tribe are taken into slavery by the Mastery, a culture similar to Imperial Rome. It creates high art, especially music, but through terror thanks the the Master's ability to dominate his subjects' minds. The Hath family fight back to free their people, and learn magical powers to challenge the Master. So many children's classics feature a lone hero, but the great thing about Nicholson's books is that the whole family work together and are loyal to each other. There are marvellous inventions such as the manaxa, a deadly gladiatorial dance, a flying cat, a beautiful princess who falls in love with the wrong person and so on but it's this warmth of feeling that is so affecting. A wonderful, captivating and enthralling tale.

A strong and powerful book.
This book is one of the best books I've ever read. I ordered it from Amazon, and while I was waiting for it to arrive I came to amazon to read a few reveiws and see if Kesteral and Bowman were still the stars, but none said. Well I know now, and I'm not going to say! But I can recommend this book, strong and quick moving, with a plot to rival Northern Lights, this book will undoubtably go far. Just make sure you read the previous book, The wind singer, first. AMAZING!