Reviews with content warning for Suicide - A Winter's Promise

This was just fine. The world building is cool but I’m not particularly drawn to the characters or romance. The narrator of the audiobook did a great job. I’m not interested enough to continue probably but if I do I’ll continue with the audio.

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skudiklier's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

Honestly, I just couldn't get into this one. I might have even DNF'd it if it hadn't been an audiobook. It was interesting enough on some levels, and I cared about what happened to Ophelia, but in some ways it just felt like a bunch of sad/frustrating/confusing things happening over and over. Like every once in a while the situation would change but it never got better, and I just didn't feel very engaged on most levels. It's well-written I think but it's just not for me.

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bialves's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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rorikae's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

'A Winter's Promise' by Christelle Dabos is a translated YA fantasy that introduces a whimsical world with darkness just below the surface.
Ophelia is a reader, someone who has the power to read the history of an object with her fingers. Content to work in her family's museum, her life is upended when her family announces that she is to be wed to Thorn, the treasurer of Pole, a distant Ark. Ophelia is whisked away to a world she does not know that is drenched in snow and where she comes to understand that dangerous political plots boil under the surface. As she tries to understand her new home and the family she is joining, she is pulled into the politics of this society while attempting to hide her identity.
Dabos creates a unique world that she populates with a full spectrum of characters. Ophelia is an easy main character to root for, especially considering the other characters she is surrounded by, though she really comes into her own at the end of this first book. Dabos's descriptions create a lush world full of snow, excess, streets inside of buildings, and lots of mirrors. The world was instantly intriguing and one of the pieces that kept me interested throughout the book as we get to know more about Ophelia. Dabos also does a good job of bringing the reader into the same state as Ophelia, questioning the motivations of the characters that surround her as she slowly learns more about the Pole. Though the evocativeness of the writing was a high point, the writing did also wander. Dabos gives a full picture of the world sometimes to the detriment of the plot. Since this is a translated work, it is unclear to me if this is an issue with the translation or if it is true to the story in its original French as well.
I am interested in where the story goes next and will definitely be picking up the next installment. Dabos' worldbuilding is incredibly engaging and she has set up political plots and questions that I think will be explored more fully in the following books.

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fareid123's review against another edition

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mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Bit slow in places
Hard to read at points
Ending was confusing and unsatisfying

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grizzlysnack's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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_allison_'s review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

3.5

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toffishay's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

An interesting introduction to this world. I would have liked a little more world-building; we are kind of thrown into the deep end with this world and not given a lot of backstory or direction. I like Ophelia and I liked following her on her journey. And the court intrigue was fun and I want to learn more about that. It was a bit of a slog in the middle and they spent a lot of time at the Citeceleste that I think could have been cut down. But I am intrigued by the relationship between Thorn and Ophelia and I am interested in learning more about their powers.

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