Book Review: Breath Warmth & Dream

Breath, Warmth, and Dream by Zig Zag Claybourne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Is your brain weary of fast-paced books with overly clever twists and edgy personalities? They can be fun, but now and then it’s good to give yourself little spa-time. This story will feed and refresh your heart, soul, and mind with its gorgeous wordplay, lush worldbuilding, unique characters, and heartfelt, thoughtful messages. The author clearly loves his work, and I think he loves us, too.

As for what the book is actually about: Mother Khumalo is a witch who’s just found a nice abandoned cottage outside the port town of Waterfall. She tidies it up and decides to pause in her travels and stay awhile. Her daughter Amnandi is returning from time spent at sea. Mother and daughter settle in, go into town often, and get themselves involved in protecting the town from three extremely horrid entities.

Simple plot, but it’s enough to weave a net strong enough to hold Zig Zag’s words, which are 98% of the reason you should be reading this book. He writes with care, choosing words for their beauty, flow, and meaning. This is a celebration of the art of wordsmithery, and I envy the author’s opportunity to experience it in such a magical way.

If you are concerned about starting into a promised trilogy, rest assured that Zig Zag has completed the second book and is well into the third. This author keeps promises.