Star Winds is the ninth science fiction novel by Barrington J. Bayley.
Rhys Hughes reviewed Star Winds and The Pillars of Eternity as "offbeat" but ultimately reworkings of earlier material.
[1] Andrew Darlington noted that the reworked theme of alchemy (first seen in Empire of Two Worlds) was a significant element, and argued that the first half of the novel, dealing with the actual journey from Earth to Mars, was stronger than the second, which shifted to a galactic venue.
Darlington suggested that Bayley's abandonment of his Martian setting may have been due to the influence of the Viking landings while the book was being written.
[2] David Pringle observed that the distinctions between SF and fantasy were slight, but found the book still engaging.