The Winds of Change Audiobook By Sam Paisley cover art

The Winds of Change

The Elements of Time, Book 1

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The Winds of Change

By: Sam Paisley
Narrated by: Scott Fleming
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First was the realm of eternity. From the darkness came forth light, and the realm of eternity gave birth to the realm of the living. That is how the cycle began. This is the word of Elevation.

Destiny, personal responsibility, what the future holds—common concerns for anyone graduating high school. But usually not because of a cosmic war between timeless beings where you’re the central player.

As the end of school quickly approaches, and Cooper Bailey watches his perfect world slip away, his only concern is savouring every last minute of his high school career. For his best friend, Reid Patterson, graduation is a doorway to the future, where his discipline and focus will finally allow him to meet his true potential. When a mysterious mirror-masked man begs for their help to stop a dangerous heretic, Cooper and Reid find themselves thrust into unknown worlds, wrestling with a destiny as old as time itself. As the truths about their roles in the universe unfold, and enemies disguise themselves as allies, their only hope is to trust each other—and learn fast! Far from home and in mortal peril, Cooper and Reid attempt to hone their newfound abilities and come to grips with their purpose for being.

Inspired by classic and modern science fiction and fantasy, and drawing upon timeless themes of destiny and personal responsibility, The Elements of Time is a series written for anyone who loves an escape into a rich and deep world. Enjoy the first entry into this award winning new science-fantasy series!

©2023 Sam Paisley (P)2024 Sam Paisley Action & Adventure Epic Fantasy Literature & Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy Fiction High School Combat Sports
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If you like Epic Fantasy, YA coming of age stories, the chosen one with s8me interesting rumination in time, the universe and the beings that might control it all I think you will enjoy this one.

4.5 rounded up

Epic YA Fantasy

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This story stars two Teenagers who find themselves at the center of an intergalactic war between factions! This one is for fans of Toonami and Progression fantasy! Do not let the slow build stop you from listening to this book!

A Wonderful Start!

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I bought this book on Audible before I realized it was 24 hours of listening. I thought, oh well, I’ll just listen to the first couple of hours…13 hours later, I was so immersed in the story, I knew I’d have to see it through to the end. I’m glad I did. Great story. Great characters. Great world to dive into. I’m jealous that you get to read it for the first time. You’ll love it.

Smart, imaginative, and totally immersive

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“First was the realm of eternity. From the darkness came forth light, and the realm of eternity gave birth to the realm of the living. That is how the cycle began. This is the word of Elevation.”

Don’t settle for another predictable novel. Sam Paisley’s debut, The Winds of Change is destined to be a breakout success. Paisley takes you on a heartwarming coming-of-age story filled with emotional rollercoasters. Simply put, Paisley's debut is anything but forgettable.

Warning for readers who typically skip prologues, don't skip this one! Paisley's Prologue explodes onto the scene, leaving you shell shocked as you move on to Chapter 1. It's packed with clever foreshadowing, so make sure you pay close attention.

We kick things off in what feels like a typical small town as we get to know our two main protagonists, Cooper and Reid. These two best friends are the embodiment of opposites attract. Cooper is a star athlete and thrives in the spotlight. While Reid is the bookworm who finds solace in the library's quiet corners. If you enjoy a good bromance, then you will love the dynamic between these two. Their effortless banter resonates with the same easy familiarity I share with my own friends, drawing you into their world from the get-go.

“Ugh. You’re such a dork sometimes, you know that?” Cooper said. “Yes, but a dork with a magic stone,” Reid taunted.

The Elements of Time: The Winds of Change by Sam Paisley
But Paisley's exceptional character work doesn't stop there. This debut portal fantasy thrives with the use of multiple POVs. It's clear he meticulously planned each character arc, resulting in a story where everyone feels natural. None of the interactions feel rushed or forced, a remarkable feat considering the blend of sci-fi and fantasy elements. As a character-driven reader like myself, I can promise you'll be captivated by Paisley's interconnected cast.

Unlike most authors who are content with crafting a single world, Paisley boldly builds not only multiple worlds but also explores alternative dimensions. This opens The Elements of Time trilogy to endless possibilities, further fueling readers speculation as they eagerly await the next installment. World-building and dimension-hopping become the backdrop for Cooper and Reid as they encounter new members of the cast as they enter "The Trials". It's here that they'll embark on a journey of self-discovery, awakening to their true destiny. The need to hone their fighting skills becomes paramount for survival. To avoid spoilers, I won't reveal too much about the actual trials. However I will say, if readers look closely they will find clever foreshadowing hinting at future developments within the book and the series.

“You’re not even worthy enough to be Prolia initiates, and now your lives are in danger.”

Tropes are an aspect of fantasy that readers either love or hate, and Paisley took on a large number of them. However, for a good majority of them, I feel like he managed to put a bit of a unique twist on each, truly making them his own. I’m especially a fan of coming-of-age, found family, and mentor-apprentice tropes in general, and he tackled each of these with ease.

One of my favorite parts of the story arc is when Cooper and Reid are separated for a bit for some one-on-one training with their mentors. Growing up as a child of the 80's, this mentor-apprentice dynamic always reminds me most of Mr. Miyagi and Daniel-San from the classic film 'The Karate Kid.' I can't think of a better example of a mentor-apprentice dynamic and I felt a strong sense of it as these two spent their time training, and honestly I loved every minute of it. More importantly though, Paisley once again showcased his writing skills and took the time to slow the story down. He ensured the training aspect of the character arc had the room it needed to develop naturally. So many authors fall short here, with characters going from zero to hero in a blink. Thankfully, that wasn't the case here, and I truly appreciate his attention to detail.

If I haven’t sold you on the book yet, maybe the magic system will. Remember how I told you earlier that Paisley likes to take normal tropes and put his own twist on them? Well, his elemental magic system is a prime example of this. While it leverages the traditional elements, it does so via these adorable little creatures called “Spreeta” that require a symbiosis bond with the one who is going to wield the magic. I think I've said enough without revealing too much, as I don’t want to spoil anything, but I promise you this approach is not something you see in fantasy every day.

“The Keepers are beings of pure time, but they have an equal and opposite: beings of pure space. The Spatial Elementals, fire, air, water and earth, are the building blocks of our universe.”

When it's all said and done, "The Winds of Change" by Sam Paisley is one hell of a debut novel with damn near perfect pacing between excitement and build-up, all while sprinkling in just enough foreshadowing to keep you on your toes from start to finish. Don't let the YA label fool you; this book is just as much for adults as it is for teens. Some of the deeper hidden meanings within the story, I believe, will resonate with readers and leave the truths revealed living rent-free in the reader's mind for years to come.

Talk about a fantastic debut novel.

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Wow. This is a story of layers. Layers within layers, twists within twists, heartfelt emotion within philosophical musings, wisdom and nuance within a coming-of-age story.

Within the truly epic scope and scale of this story there is a simple tale of becoming, fulfilling potential, and navigating the fear of losing oneself to said potential.

While The Elements of Time is slow in its build up, it is meticulous in its detail and the ending delivers on every promise, leaving no stone unturned. In an age of bloated epic fantasy or “epic fantasy-lite” stories that lack ambition or vision, this debut novel packs a punch.

This is a no-doubt-about-it top book of the year candidate. I will read anything Sam Paisley writes!

A Bold New Epic

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A refreshing story of friendship that doesn’t bow to the conventional expectations of a chosen one narrative. The author authentically captures the essence of youth, the uncertainty, confidence, and hope all getting mashed into one big stew of emotion. All while giving us a magical world of gods, mysteries and ancient bonds.

An Outstanding Debut

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I decided to buy the audio for this one. Scott Fleming was a great choice for narration, but did an almost Massachusetts/Boston accent (wah-rrior, dah-ughter, Coop-uh). Not at all an issue for me, I just noticed! Or imagined it…?

This one is really unique. It’s an urban/portal fantasy that at times feels wholly scifi, then it turns and feels wholly fantasy, with zero urban. The kind of story that makes you forget all about earth and high school. It blends entire galaxies away from earth, with some advanced technology that surpasses human knowledge. It features gods that make it feel ancient, but somehow it still feels rooted in the now. Through Cooper and Reed, it’s a coming of age story, an underdog story, and certainly a reluctant hero story. It blends so many things in its own original way that I feel like I can’t even summarize it.

The best friends of Cooper and Reed were spectacular. One is book smart, less confident, but certainly not without strength. The other is an athlete, confident and although bright, less focused on the future. While in some schools or circled this would be an unlikely match, their friendship formed at a young age and they didn’t let it stop them. They are opposites, like two sides of the same coin. They need each other, balance each other, and propel each other. I loved the healthy male friendship on display, and getting both of them focused on as POVs showed the reader how little jealously was there between them. Then they both succeed in unlocking/befriending the elements of air and fire called Spreeta. Little white and red creatures that I thought of as almost angry bird style little things. I imagined them as cute, but they controlled immense power. And they unlocked that power in both of the boys, as well as functionally offering a new responsibility for them, forcing maturing.

The magic system feels old and full and yet it left some things up for interpretation. Empathic objects can be bestowed to those with certain specifically strong traits. These can be any object, including weapons. But these empathic objects are just a scrape off the surface. There’s ways to learn a multitude of powers and strengths, as well as utilizing unimaginable tech. The strength unlocked by the Spreeta help the boys to find their inner power and unleash it. Their displays of strength kind of felt almost superhero to me, kind of a la Wistful Ascending by J.C.M. Berne, but with a completely different foundation. Then you throw in a twist almost a la Terminator…this one truly has it all.

I loved the mentor figures so much. One, a misunderstood, centuries-old protector, a man that fits the trope perfectly. The other, another old character, but this one stuck inside the body of a child. The two played off each other even when they weren’t together, one the wise and understanding, the other quicker to action. It was great to see the senior-year teen Cooper go toe to toe with a kid and be forced to back down over and over. The author does a great job of twisting tropes in ways that feel fresh and familiar at the same time.

For the first time in a long time honestly, I had zero idea where a book was going to go. It was an awfully nice change.

A unique portal/urban fantasy

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A behemoth of a story that whisks you away from high school drama and to an expansive universe full of elemental magic, ancient gods, cute but powerful furball creatures, and MORE!

Narrator also delivered an excellent performance bringing the story and large cast to life.

Also, that ending though…WTF?! Great twist that I honestly did not see coming.

Full review to be posted on FanFiAddict!

An epic sci-fantasy adventure packed to the brim of fun.

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I want to start by thanking the author for kindly sending me a review copy of The Winds of Change. While I may not be the target audience for this book, I can absolutely see its appeal, especially for early to mid-teen boys who enjoy fast-paced adventure stories with strong world-building.

Going in blind, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I immediately picked up strong Percy Jackson vibes—fans of mythic adventures with a modern twist will likely feel right at home. The strongest aspect of the book is its world-building, which feels both unique and well thought out. The setting and lore are expertly woven into the narrative, making it one of the novel’s standout features.

While I wasn’t fully invested in the main characters, Cooper and Reid, as "chosen ones" (they didn’t seem particularly exceptional in a way that justified their roles), the supporting cast was compelling and, at times, even more interesting. The subplots had excellent pacing and payoff, keeping me engaged throughout. However, the primary plot didn’t quite have the same sense of urgency, and I sometimes felt more like I was being told the story rather than experiencing it alongside the characters. This made it harder for me to connect emotionally with their journey.

That said, the twist was brilliantly executed—just enough foreshadowing to make me suspect but never fully certain until the big reveal. The book is undeniably imaginative, and despite my minor critiques, I appreciate the creativity and effort that went into crafting this adventure.

Overall, The Winds of Change is a solid read with an intriguing world, well-paced subplots, and a great twist. While it didn’t fully resonate with me, I think its target audience will find plenty to love. I’m rating it 3.5 stars, rounded up, and I look forward to seeing what Sam Paisley writes next!

Fantastic World Building and a Well Planned Twist

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Did I really just read a debut?

The Winds of Change is a phenomenal start to what is going to be a top-tier adventure. The careful detail of the plot and worldbuilding was on a level I have rarely seen in the first book of a series. Packed with mystery, intrigue, edge-of-your-seat action, and heartfelt emotional moments, I’m struggling to find what this book didn’t have.

Admittedly, it was a slow start for me. I don’t know if it was the YA vibe of the early portions throwing me off, as that’s not my typical reading material, or if it was just too much at the start with too few answers being offered regarding what was happening, but I did have to push through the early segments for a bit. However, once it changed, it really changed!

The set pieces of gods, master senseis, Padawan-like soldiers, one badass antihero, and two kids from Earth in way over their heads; once it all started coming together, it fit beautifully, and the story flowed like no other. The ending was terrific, one of the best I’ve ever read. The author clearly put a lot of time and detail into the backdrops of his worlds and mythology, and while by the end, I feel fulfilled in what I was given, I’m now craving to learn so much more.

This book is perfect for fans of The Last Airbender, Stargate, Star Wars, or any sci-fi story of a similar ilk. While I think it will thrive with a YA audience, it should also do just fine with adult readers. I cannot recommend this one enough. Go and give it a chance. You won’t be disappointed!

A phenomenal start to what is going to be a top-tier adventure.

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