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booklovin's review
5.0
Winterâs Heir is the conclusion to Argyleâs Fairy Queens series and Iâve both been longing for and dreading this moment. Iâve loved every single book in this series to pieces and knowing that the ending were rushing forward made my heart ache. I donât want to leave the world and the characters Iâve grown to love so much. I know Iâll always be able to return by re-reading the books, and I definitely will (many times!) but it still breaks my heart a bit knowing that thereâll never be any new stories to explore. However necessary, I hate endings and having to say goodbye. Thereâs also all these expectations when it comes to the finale and I was terrified that Winterâs Heir wouldnât be able to live up to them. Being the last in a series of six books, where each and every book have been amazing, is not easy. But deep down I knew Argyle would give the series the closure it deserved and she definitely did. It was epic and moving and kind of perfect. I couldnât have asked for more.
Winterâs Heir starts off right were we left Elice and Adar at the end of Daughter of Winter. Itâs action packed and fast paced from page one and you can really feel how the finale is rushing closer and closer. Itâs a captivating and emotional journey and all questions get their answers. Iâm really impressed by how Argyle ties all the books together in this one. I love when you can suddenly see how everything fits together. A lot has happened since Of Ice and Snow and Winter Queen and everyting is tied up so nicely in Winterâs Heir. Itâs hard to grasp that this really is the end. That there will be no more. When youâve followed three generations, in six equally amazing books, itâs very hard to let go. The Fairy Queens series will always have a special place in my heart. It reminds me of why I love reading so much and has everything I could ever wish for in a book series - love, friendship, action, lovable characters, amazing world building and vivid descriptions.
In Winterâs Heir weâre back in the Summer Realm and even though I love the harsh beauty of the Winter Queendom, the Summer Realm will always be the place I love most. I love the crowded cities, the vibrant colors and the warmth. And of course I was thrilled to finally see my favorite character, Nelay, again. I may even have shed a tear or two. Sheâs still one of my all time favorite characters and even though sheâs no longer the main character, she still shines just as bright and Iâm happy for every scene she gets, however small.
Elice is the star of Winterâs Heir and sheâs grown so much during these two last books. Sheâs been through such a difficult journey and been forced to make impossible choices, but still she manages to stay true to her heart and never loses her kindness and strength. The journey helped her find herself and truly live up to her potential, but without losing what she already had. Sheâs an amazing heroine. Adar has also grown a lot and he feels more mature. He still has that witty charm, that you cannot not like, but he doesnât get on my nerves as much as in the previous book. Just as Elice, heâs had a difficult journey and faced impossible choices. But, as Elice, he fought his way through and grew so much in the process. I love them both immensely and they make the most adorable couple.
A few new characters are introduced in Winterâs Heir and I really like Cinder. I know Argyle is going to release a novella about her soon and I cannot wait to read it! What I liked the most though, was seeing all the old characters again. Iâve grown so attached to them all and seeing them again felt like coming home. Again, it breaks my heart having to say goodbye to them all.
World building and descriptions are on-point as always. As Iâve said in almost every review, Argyle is a queen when it comes to making sure everything is described in a way that will make you feel like youâre truly part of the world. This again, makes it so hard to leave. The world has become like a second home and while reading it feels just as real as my own world. I love when a book can give you that feeling. Itâs magical!
Winterâs Heir is an epic closure to an amazing series and I canât recommend it enough. I canât recommend the whole series enough. I love it so, so much and itâs one of my all-time favorites. It has everything you could wish for and more. Captivating stories, multi-layered characters and breath-taking settings. If you havenât read the previous books yet â what are you waiting for? This is a series you donât want to miss.
Winterâs Heir starts off right were we left Elice and Adar at the end of Daughter of Winter. Itâs action packed and fast paced from page one and you can really feel how the finale is rushing closer and closer. Itâs a captivating and emotional journey and all questions get their answers. Iâm really impressed by how Argyle ties all the books together in this one. I love when you can suddenly see how everything fits together. A lot has happened since Of Ice and Snow and Winter Queen and everyting is tied up so nicely in Winterâs Heir. Itâs hard to grasp that this really is the end. That there will be no more. When youâve followed three generations, in six equally amazing books, itâs very hard to let go. The Fairy Queens series will always have a special place in my heart. It reminds me of why I love reading so much and has everything I could ever wish for in a book series - love, friendship, action, lovable characters, amazing world building and vivid descriptions.
In Winterâs Heir weâre back in the Summer Realm and even though I love the harsh beauty of the Winter Queendom, the Summer Realm will always be the place I love most. I love the crowded cities, the vibrant colors and the warmth. And of course I was thrilled to finally see my favorite character, Nelay, again. I may even have shed a tear or two. Sheâs still one of my all time favorite characters and even though sheâs no longer the main character, she still shines just as bright and Iâm happy for every scene she gets, however small.
Elice is the star of Winterâs Heir and sheâs grown so much during these two last books. Sheâs been through such a difficult journey and been forced to make impossible choices, but still she manages to stay true to her heart and never loses her kindness and strength. The journey helped her find herself and truly live up to her potential, but without losing what she already had. Sheâs an amazing heroine. Adar has also grown a lot and he feels more mature. He still has that witty charm, that you cannot not like, but he doesnât get on my nerves as much as in the previous book. Just as Elice, heâs had a difficult journey and faced impossible choices. But, as Elice, he fought his way through and grew so much in the process. I love them both immensely and they make the most adorable couple.
A few new characters are introduced in Winterâs Heir and I really like Cinder. I know Argyle is going to release a novella about her soon and I cannot wait to read it! What I liked the most though, was seeing all the old characters again. Iâve grown so attached to them all and seeing them again felt like coming home. Again, it breaks my heart having to say goodbye to them all.
World building and descriptions are on-point as always. As Iâve said in almost every review, Argyle is a queen when it comes to making sure everything is described in a way that will make you feel like youâre truly part of the world. This again, makes it so hard to leave. The world has become like a second home and while reading it feels just as real as my own world. I love when a book can give you that feeling. Itâs magical!
Winterâs Heir is an epic closure to an amazing series and I canât recommend it enough. I canât recommend the whole series enough. I love it so, so much and itâs one of my all-time favorites. It has everything you could wish for and more. Captivating stories, multi-layered characters and breath-taking settings. If you havenât read the previous books yet â what are you waiting for? This is a series you donât want to miss.
knitonepugtwo's review
4.0
I was originally concerned that breaking this book & the previous one was merely a money-grab on the part of the publishers and that âthe themes were so differentâ was just an excuse.
So hereâs me admitting I was wrong. These really do feel like two different books and I can totally see why they were broken apart. Donât read this review if you havenât read the first book.
âWinterâs Daughterâ ends with our hero, Elise, escaping the Winter Queendom but ignorant of the danger sheâs walking in to with her companion, Adar. âWinterâs Heirâ starts just on the other side. Elise is enamored with her new freedom and a world of color and trees; she doesnât see deception and heartbreak lurking, waiting for her.
I really enjoyed the opening of Eliceâs eyes to what was happening in the world around her, even if it had to be a painful lesson. And seeing more of Adarâs character rather than his wounded persona and hearing some of his thoughts meant that he became a real character instead of an annoyingly convenient plot point. The book also filled in some gaps in our, and Eliceâs, history.
This definitely helped wrap up the story, while also leaving the world open for more tales. I, for one, wouldnât mind hearing a bit more about Elice and her life.
"Winter's Heir" is definitely worth a read if you enjoyed the series to begin with!
So hereâs me admitting I was wrong. These really do feel like two different books and I can totally see why they were broken apart. Donât read this review if you havenât read the first book.
âWinterâs Daughterâ ends with our hero, Elise, escaping the Winter Queendom but ignorant of the danger sheâs walking in to with her companion, Adar. âWinterâs Heirâ starts just on the other side. Elise is enamored with her new freedom and a world of color and trees; she doesnât see deception and heartbreak lurking, waiting for her.
I really enjoyed the opening of Eliceâs eyes to what was happening in the world around her, even if it had to be a painful lesson. And seeing more of Adarâs character rather than his wounded persona and hearing some of his thoughts meant that he became a real character instead of an annoyingly convenient plot point. The book also filled in some gaps in our, and Eliceâs, history.
This definitely helped wrap up the story, while also leaving the world open for more tales. I, for one, wouldnât mind hearing a bit more about Elice and her life.
"Winter's Heir" is definitely worth a read if you enjoyed the series to begin with!
inlibrisveritas's review
5.0
4.5 Stars
Winter's Heir picks up right after Daughter of Winter ends, and so I must give a warning to those who haven't read DoW yet. There may be some spoilers in this for you, I will try to keep it to a minimum, but I can't promise that one won't sneak in on me.
Elice and Adar are now into the second part of their journey, they have escaped the heart of Winter. Unfortunately their troubles do not end here. Elice begins to have troubles calling on her power, and the war raging between Winter and Summer becomes even worse. To say Winter's Heir is tense, is an understatement, but what's amazing about this novel is it's ability to part through the tension and still show the beauty of the world. We get to see the world beyond the winter kingdom through the eyes of someone who has only ever known the cold unforgiving isolation that is the Heart of Winter.I love the journey Elice started in Daughter of Winter, and seeing her truly experience the things she had been longing to see and feel was incredibly rewarded. Ilyena and Nelay have come so far since their respective books (Winter Queen & Summer Queen), and at the height of their power we see them struggle with maintain their kingdom and their relationships. Part of me mourns the changes in them, but another part of me truly loves their stories and how much they have changed because those little glimmers of the women they use to be shine even more brightly.
The story itself, is rather quickly paced without feeling rushed and connects directly into Daughter of Winter and it really ties up nicely. (That ending though!) I really love that each story hinges on a common theme, and expounds on what each of those themes mean. And this wouldn't be a review about an Argyle novel without me mentioning the amazing world building. I seriously have no idea which aspect I love more; the amazing women she creates or the world that she paints into existence with mere words.
I'm so sad that this series is at it's end. It's hard to let go of characters that you have seen through the lowest moments to the height of their power, from their childhood to motherhood. It's been a fantastic ride, and though I'm sad to see it go I'm really pleased with the way everything ended.
Winter's Heir picks up right after Daughter of Winter ends, and so I must give a warning to those who haven't read DoW yet. There may be some spoilers in this for you, I will try to keep it to a minimum, but I can't promise that one won't sneak in on me.
Elice and Adar are now into the second part of their journey, they have escaped the heart of Winter. Unfortunately their troubles do not end here. Elice begins to have troubles calling on her power, and the war raging between Winter and Summer becomes even worse. To say Winter's Heir is tense, is an understatement, but what's amazing about this novel is it's ability to part through the tension and still show the beauty of the world. We get to see the world beyond the winter kingdom through the eyes of someone who has only ever known the cold unforgiving isolation that is the Heart of Winter.I love the journey Elice started in Daughter of Winter, and seeing her truly experience the things she had been longing to see and feel was incredibly rewarded. Ilyena and Nelay have come so far since their respective books (Winter Queen & Summer Queen), and at the height of their power we see them struggle with maintain their kingdom and their relationships. Part of me mourns the changes in them, but another part of me truly loves their stories and how much they have changed because those little glimmers of the women they use to be shine even more brightly.
The story itself, is rather quickly paced without feeling rushed and connects directly into Daughter of Winter and it really ties up nicely. (That ending though!) I really love that each story hinges on a common theme, and expounds on what each of those themes mean. And this wouldn't be a review about an Argyle novel without me mentioning the amazing world building. I seriously have no idea which aspect I love more; the amazing women she creates or the world that she paints into existence with mere words.
I'm so sad that this series is at it's end. It's hard to let go of characters that you have seen through the lowest moments to the height of their power, from their childhood to motherhood. It's been a fantastic ride, and though I'm sad to see it go I'm really pleased with the way everything ended.
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