Blog tour: Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell

In Carry On, Simon Snow and his friends realized that everything they thought they understood about the world might be wrong. And in Wayward Son, they wondered whether everything they understood about themselves might be wrong.

In Any Way the Wind Blows, Simon and Baz and Penelope and Agatha have to decide how to move forward.

For Simon, that means deciding whether he still wants to be part of the World of Mages -- and if he doesn't, what does that mean for his relationship with Baz? Meanwhile Baz is bouncing between two family crises and not finding any time to talk to anyone about his newfound vampire knowledge. Penelope would love to help, but she's smuggled a cursed American Normal into London, and now she isn't sure what to do with him. And Agatha? Well, Agatha Wellbelove has had enough.

Any Way the Wind Blows takes the gang back to England, back to Watford, and back to their families for their longest and most emotionally wrenching adventure yet.

This book is a finale. It tells secrets and answers questions and lays ghosts to rest.

Carry On was conceived as a book about Chosen One stories; Any Way the Wind Blows is an ending about endings. About catharsis and closure, and how we choose to move on from the traumas and triumphs that try to define us.

(This tour is a bit different, guys - read on for something you'll hopefully enjoy!)

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Ron shouted a hello as he came in, but no one answered until he reached the kitchen. "How was work?" Ginny asked, waving her wand. A glass of butterbeer appeared in front of him.

"Fine. What's going on?" He glanced over to where Harry and Hermione were deep in a book.

"The book came out."

"The book - oh! The last one in that series?"

"Last chance for them to figure out who's writing them," she agreed. "It's obviously someone who knew us."

"Why?"

"Because it's about Harry and Draco."

"Baz isn't Draco!" Harry said without looking up. "And I'm straight."

"Baz is clearly Draco," Ginny told Ron, ignoring Harry. "Pale, moody, aristocratic..."

"And a vampire. Goblin? Something?" 

"Vampire," she agreed. "It's quite nice, actually."

"This is just going to start people talking again," Harry muttered. "More articles, more 'anonymous' statements from Hogwarts students..."

"You can just deny them," Ron pointed out.

"I can. Draco never does."

"He just does it to annoy you," Ginny told him. "Just say no comment."

Ron eyed the book. "It's a fat one. How long have you been reading?"

"About an hour," Harry murmured.

"You're quite a way into it."

"Big print."

"Yeah?" He came over to look.

"Not large-print big." Hermione pushed him away. "Just bigger than some books. But then it is aimed at teenagers."

"Teenagers are reading about you and Draco?"

"Not me and Draco! You're not even in here, you know."

Ron shrugged. "Sounds like I'm better off, to be honest. How is it, anyway?"

"...intriguing," Hermione said thoughtfully.

Harry scowled. "She's only saying that because of the sex scene."

"What, you and Dra-"

"NOT ME AND DRACO!"

"Alright! Honestly!"

"Yes, Simon and Baz," Hermione told Ron, sitting back. "Harry, we could do worse, honestly."

"Someone's trying to make people think me and Draco are together!"

"They're just making it harder for people to figure out who this is based on. But look, they're good stories, well written, the characters are interesting, the twists are great..."

"Plus no one thinks it's real," Ginny added. "They all think this is just the fanfiction written by the girl in that other book. Cath."

"Cover's nice," Ron added.

"Oh, well, if the cover's nice that makes up for everything!"

Hermione laughed. "The series is over, Harry. You were the hero again, as always. And these books do have loads of fans, you know."

He sighed, nodding. "I guess if people enjoy them."

"And really, I don't think anyone who doesn't know you well would guess they're based on you. They're not that similar to us, any more than Star Wars is; it's basically just a Chosen One, a snarky guy, a mentor, a magic school, I'm going to stop now..."

"It's fine," Harry said, waving it off. "I'm over it. I'll just no comment for a few days, the Prophet'll move on eventually."

"What you need is someone to write your actual story," Ron said. "Right from the start."

"Don't be silly, Ron." Hermione closed the book and went to shelve it carefully. "Who'd want to read about any of that?"

Thanks so much for allowing me on the tour! I hope you enjoyed this tongue-in-cheek semi-review. Any Way the Wind Blows published on the 6th of July, completing the trilogy from Rainbow Rowell.