My children are no strangers to adventure. As part of a military family, they’ve traveled throughout our beautiful country from coast to coast and have enjoyed lots of amazing places.
The title and cover of “Windrider,” a sci-fi fantasy novel by AJ Elliott, captivated my kids. They sat for two hours listening to it the first day I opened the book.
Ari, a Windrider, lives in the city of Gaobeyna. Windriders are the city’s peacekeepers who ride windboards as their mode of transportation. While Ari is in her rookie year, a tragedy strikes that forces her out of the city and into a place of exile. She vanishes without even telling her closest friend, Jacq.
While she’s gone, everything she knows back home begins to fall apart, even as she builds a new life in the desert. In Gaobeyna, a group of insurgents is actively trying to resurrect an ancient deity, coincidentally tied to a temple very near Ari’s new home.
Eventually, Ari and her new companions come upon a small group of Windriders way out in the desert, which surprisingly includes Jacq.
They begin to put the pieces of this attack on Gaobeyna together and realize what must be done to save the city. The entanglement of Windriders and even politicians in this coordinated attack will leave readers guessing and wondering who’s on which side of this fight.
Ari must choose whether to go back to Gaobeyna and risk everything or stay safe in the desert. However, even staying safe might lead to danger.
Adventurous Road
Elliott made this an invigorating, adventurous read with characters whom children can look up to. The redemption arc for Ari is wonderful to follow, showing her grow in bravery amid fear and uncertainty.
My children and I enjoyed the themes of light versus darkness that are woven into the story, something that has always fascinated the author. The content is clean and free of adult themes, another breath of fresh air. It’s just really good storytelling.
I highly recommend this book for children who are itching for an adventure. My youngest is 10, and she’s now Elliott’s biggest fan. As a homeschooling mother, I’m so glad to have found a book my kids would easily start over even though we just finished it.
My 10-year-old and 12-year-old are fighting over who gets to reread it first. This book is great for readers ages 10+, perhaps a bit younger if the child is a voracious reader. It’s available in paperback, as an audiobook, and on Kindle, and it’s soon to be released in hardcover.
Elliott is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Space Force, where she works in international affairs. She’s also a wife and mother to a “tornado toddler.”
When I spoke with her, she said that she’s always been interested in travel, foreign languages, and different cultures. She’s grateful to pursue these things in real life and in her novels.
The sequel to “Windrider,” titled “Stormchaser,” is already drafted and scheduled for release in 2027. This will be the second novel of a three-part series.
My children and I loved this book. The world where Windrider Ari lives is built with loads of creativity that captures the imagination. The storyline is addictive, and the characters are perfectly imperfect—you know, actually relatable.
There’s a lot to look forward to with this new author, and we’re very glad to have found “Windrider.”
‘Windrider’
By AJ Elliott
Blue Fire Publishing: Dec. 24, 2025
Paperback, 304 pages
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