At first glance Citlalli on the Edge of the Wind may come across as a rather quaint and old-fashioned take on children’s fantasy that is completely out of step with what kids have come to expect in recent years, however a more detailed reading makes it all too clear that this is in fact a book that is meant for adults masquerading as a young adult fantasy. This may seem like an odd approach, but it is one that enables the author an unexpected degree of freedom to portray and analyze a subtext that is much darker than a cursory examination would seem to suggest. In fact, in a very strange way, this may well be one of the most subversive fantasy books I have read in a very long time.
At its core is the nature of the interaction between human and magical beings, and while there are a number of elements that are barely hinted at, one can only hope that they will be developed more thoroughly in a future volume.
As for the story itself, while the basic plot is relatively simple, the characters are engaging, their interactions are believable and the story is absolutely coherent. Yes, this book is undoubtedly different, and at times it may seem to be striding two worlds, but this is obviously a deliberate choice that is deftly handled, and even though this book is well-worth it as a stand-alone, at times one can’t help but to wonder just where it is that things are going.