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kindredkayjay's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Warning for spoilers.
I've seen the reviews of people disliking this book because of the way Ophelia is hardly treated like a person the entire time, and I understand it. Believe me, I was infuriated for Ophelia 95% of the time, but also? I'm hoping that she'll get herself to a place where she's proven herself and overcomes what she's faced with in the sequels. The tension between nearly all of the characters and the mystery and learning about the different magic systems with Ophelia was so interesting that I couldn't stop reading. I love a genuinely good hearted character, but what I love even more is a character so terrible that you want nothing more than to see their downfall. It's even more interesting when it's a small handful of decent (questionably decent anyway) characters entering a space full of the most vile people. If you don't enjoy being infuriated for the main character the entire time and hating just about everyone else, this book probably isnt for you. But if you do? Absolutely read it. I really liked it, and I'm reading the sequel soon.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Child death, Infidelity, Blood, Abandonment, and Alcohol
chloenrogers's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Whimsical fantasy with a side of tense forced marriage. I found the pacing to be slow in parts and wished we had more interactions with our main couple, but the writing was delightful and I can tell we’re gearing up for something much bigger
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
amazelan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Police brutality, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism
Minor: Drug abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Vomit, Abandonment, and Alcohol
lilawsahar's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I haven’t found a book that made me want to finish it immediately in a while. I love Ophelia and I can’t wait to read the next book!
This book has romance: sunshine grump troupe, no one can touch you but I troupe, unrequited love troupe, etc
Things to hopefully find out in the next book: Is Thorn a good person? Is Rosaline going home? Will Ophelia start reading the family book? Do thorn and Ophelia fall in love? What powers will the baby have? What’s the secret history of the book?
This book has romance: sunshine grump troupe, no one can touch you but I troupe, unrequited love troupe, etc
Things to hopefully find out in the next book: Is Thorn a good person? Is Rosaline going home? Will Ophelia start reading the family book? Do thorn and Ophelia fall in love? What powers will the baby have? What’s the secret history of the book?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, and Classism
joisaddler's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Violence, and Classism
skudiklier's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual assault, Blood, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide
bialves's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism
frern's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Das Buch hat mir außerordentlich gut gefallen, für Fantasy dennoch sehr realistisch.
Alle Charaktere sind authentisch und einzigartig. Ihr Persönlichkeiten kommen sehr gut durch die Seiten durch.
Ophelia ist mir von Grund aus sehr sympathisch, man merkt wie ihr Charakter wächst, wie sie durch all diese "Prüfungen" geht und sie mehr oder minder meistert, wie sie selbst den Dingen auf die Schliche kommt, wie das Vertrauen zwischen ihr und Thorn immer wieder schwankt, aber letztendlich doch zunimmt. Thorn hingegen ist etwas undurchsichtiger.
Wie es bei vielen Protagonisten in vielen anderen Büchern der Fall, gehen mir ihre Mängel und Fehler auch nicht auf die Nerven. Nichts, wobei ich mir innerlich denken würde: "wie kann man so d**f sein?"
Den Cliffhänger fand ich nicht so gut, hätte mir ein vollendeteres Ende gewünscht, irgendwie kam da nichts mehr.
Auch wenn mir diese Art des Endes missfällt, wird das in Fantasyreihen wohl kaum verschwinden, wenn bereits im Vorfeld feststeht, es solle einen weiteren Teil geben.
Das Buch ist an sich leicht zu lesen, manchmal gibt es unangekündigte Ausstecher, wo man sich fragt, wo man gerade überhaupt ist, aber wenn man nochmal langsam nachliest, ergibt es durchaus Sinn oder es macht im Laufe der Erzählung Sinn. Wenn man neben seinem Fokus auf die Handelnden, auch die "alte Welt" im Hinterkopf behalten, klappt es auch.
Was einen vielleicht enttäuscht lassen könnte, ist, dass dieses Buch nicht der typischen Spannungskurve folgt. Zumindest ist es ungewohnt.
Eigentlich ist es durchwegs spannend, es passiert was, aber irgendwie auch ruhig.
Ich möchte meinen, diese Ruhe wird von Ophelia ausgestrahlt.
Jedenfalls ist diese Schreibweise definitiv mein Fall.
Persönlich fand ich das sehr angenehm, ich werde mir beim nächsten Büchereibesuch direkt den nächsten Teil besorgen.
Fazit:
Tolle Protagonistin, interessante Charaktere, ereignisreiche aber nicht überschwingliche Handlung, ruhige Erzählweise.
Alle Charaktere sind authentisch und einzigartig. Ihr Persönlichkeiten kommen sehr gut durch die Seiten durch.
Ophelia ist mir von Grund aus sehr sympathisch, man merkt wie ihr Charakter wächst, wie sie durch all diese "Prüfungen" geht und sie mehr oder minder meistert, wie sie selbst den Dingen auf die Schliche kommt, wie das Vertrauen zwischen ihr und Thorn immer wieder schwankt, aber letztendlich doch zunimmt. Thorn hingegen ist etwas undurchsichtiger.
Wie es bei vielen Protagonisten in vielen anderen Büchern der Fall, gehen mir ihre Mängel und Fehler auch nicht auf die Nerven. Nichts, wobei ich mir innerlich denken würde: "wie kann man so d**f sein?"
Den Cliffhänger fand ich nicht so gut, hätte mir ein vollendeteres Ende gewünscht, irgendwie kam da nichts mehr.
Auch wenn mir diese Art des Endes missfällt, wird das in Fantasyreihen wohl kaum verschwinden, wenn bereits im Vorfeld feststeht, es solle einen weiteren Teil geben.
Das Buch ist an sich leicht zu lesen, manchmal gibt es unangekündigte Ausstecher, wo man sich fragt, wo man gerade überhaupt ist, aber wenn man nochmal langsam nachliest, ergibt es durchaus Sinn oder es macht im Laufe der Erzählung Sinn. Wenn man neben seinem Fokus auf die Handelnden, auch die "alte Welt" im Hinterkopf behalten, klappt es auch.
Was einen vielleicht enttäuscht lassen könnte, ist, dass dieses Buch nicht der typischen Spannungskurve folgt. Zumindest ist es ungewohnt.
Eigentlich ist es durchwegs spannend, es passiert was, aber irgendwie auch ruhig.
Ich möchte meinen, diese Ruhe wird von Ophelia ausgestrahlt.
Jedenfalls ist diese Schreibweise definitiv mein Fall.
Persönlich fand ich das sehr angenehm, ich werde mir beim nächsten Büchereibesuch direkt den nächsten Teil besorgen.
Fazit:
Tolle Protagonistin, interessante Charaktere, ereignisreiche aber nicht überschwingliche Handlung, ruhige Erzählweise.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism
royalraspberry's review against another edition
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is a really interesting one because I think it's really outside the wheelhouse of what I normally read - I picked it up for a reading challenge because someone had it listed under "book about your favorite season, winter" and that gets a hard disagree from me, but I did put it under "book with a misleading title".
The writing in this book was absolutely lovely. That said it is 50% world building and 50% political intrigue. And the world building was absolutely spectacular, I really enjoyed all of it. Dabos has created an incredibly interesting world filled with interesting characters (none of whom are trustworthy, but that's part of the fun). But there was just so *little* plot in the book that I really, really struggled.
If you're into fantasy books heavy on character development and world building, this is absolutely the right book for you. It's well written and the narrator for the audio book is completely enchanting to listen to, she brings the rich, beautiful world into a new depth.
The writing in this book was absolutely lovely. That said it is 50% world building and 50% political intrigue. And the world building was absolutely spectacular, I really enjoyed all of it. Dabos has created an incredibly interesting world filled with interesting characters (none of whom are trustworthy, but that's part of the fun). But there was just so *little* plot in the book that I really, really struggled.
If you're into fantasy books heavy on character development and world building, this is absolutely the right book for you. It's well written and the narrator for the audio book is completely enchanting to listen to, she brings the rich, beautiful world into a new depth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Blood, Police brutality, and Murder
rorikae's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Violence, Blood, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Child death, Death, and Suicide