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cepbreed's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-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
4.25
I'M SO PROUD OF MYSELF I TOTALLY CALLED IT AFTER READING THE LAST BOOK!!! Bitterblue and Giddon have my entire heart and each chapter of longing and want made me fall for them more. The pining was beautifully done and the set up in the last book, even if unintentional, made them an instant favorite of mine. Soulmates don't always need to find each other immediately they just need to have their "its always been you" moment. God I love Cashore's ability to flesh out characters in her entirely unique way. Each interaction is purposeful, each conversation adds layers to the personal narratives of the characters involved, it's masterful. I've never felt so close to a character in a fantasy novel as I do with Lovisa. She is remarkable and vulnerable. Just that is enough to inspire me. Thank you Kristen Cashore for this series that I never thought I'd love so hard. I'd like to travel back in time and simultaneously punch and hug the person I was when I picked up the first book. She was naive in expressing a dislike for the series, but wise to continue on despite that initial opinion. I'll remember these books forever.
Ranking of the books: Bitterblue, Winterkeep, Fire, Graceling
Song:
Ranking of the books: Bitterblue, Winterkeep, Fire, Graceling
Song:
- Mirrorball - Taylor Swift
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and War
Minor: Drug use and Infidelity
sophiesmallhands's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
mcgildey's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
5.0
Gorgeous! As a lifelong fan of the Graceling books, I picked this up as soon as I could! It took me a while to pick it up, I was worried that it might ruin my view of one of my favourite series if it was bad. I should have trusted Cashore! It had everything I loved about the series and more! Stunning worldbuilding, immersive writing, and great characters (I especially loved the sections exploring non-human povs!) This book got me out of a reading dry spell and was a great isolation companion. This is a very biased review, but I highly recommend Winterkeep regardless!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
miciahsreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Kidnapping
Minor: War
saltydough's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I've been reading the Graceling books since I was young, and I really enjoyed finding myself back in that world again. Kristin Cashore is undeniably a very good writer and creates carefully thought-through plots with lots of focus on the characters' thoughts and feelings. That being said, this is not my favorite or hers, which could also be down to the fact that I'm no longer within the target age range. I felt that the multiple POVs didn't work very well because she Cashore didn't change her writing style, or the character's thoughts, enough for each one to be distinctive. In such a character-focused story, switching from one to the other is almost counter-productive because we never stay in anyone's head long enough to feel truly connected to their POV. I was also a bit disappointed by Giddon and Bitterblue's romance. Though I think those characters do have chemistry when they're on the page together, it was annoying that when they were apart, every other sentence would be about how Bitterblue would've loved this or Giddin would've done that, and so on. I get that Cashore was trying to create that pining, but it just didn't work for me.
I do think this is a really fun and entertaining book, though, and I appreciated the allegory about climate change. Would recommend!
I do think this is a really fun and entertaining book, though, and I appreciated the allegory about climate change. Would recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Violence, Kidnapping, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use
elle_dee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
alexander_pendragon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
currently I can't remember enjoying a book this much
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
leahjanespeare's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
SPOILERS FOR BITTERBLUE (the book) For real. Do not proceed if you have not read it. So read it pronto and I'll see you afterward.
Wow, where do I even begin? I waited 10 years for this book (as I had an arc of Bitterblue), 5 more months until I read it after purchasing it on release day due to extreme anxiety that I wouldn't like it, and then I read all 520 pages in a day and a half. My mind is whirling. Let the book depression sink in.
How do I sort out my thoughts?
Bitterblue: Yes, yes. I kinda hated Bitterblue in her own book. ...well, no. I hated that she didn't get her 'guy' at the end. And she was very naive and annoying. And the book Bitterblue was entirely different from the first two books. Anyway, part of my hesitation to begin this book was my dislike for that one. BUT leading up to the Winterkeep release, I reread Graceling and Fire (for the upteenth time) and also Bitterblue for the first time since 2012, and guess what? I didn't hate Bitterblue anymore. I am not sure why, maybe because I matured and wasn't ready for her story the first time around? This series has always been an adult crossover audience in my opinion, and I certainly wasn't an adult in 2012. Now, it was nice to reconnect with her, and I have a new appreciation for her as a person. Bitterblue didn't have a super active role in this book as a whole for REASONS which actually made me kind of sad, but she already had a lot of her story told, so it was time to share the screen.
Giddon: Oh, my heart. How I loved getting Giddon's pov in this book. I didn't really think twice about him in Bitterblue, just that he was mopey about not winning Katsa's heart. But I am so glad his story continued, you can see he's matured these past 13 years since we first met him in Graceling. In fact, since time passed in the books alongside the real world, his growth feels all the more real to me since I've grown too. His devotion and true heart run deep, and I teared up a number of times hearing his internal dialogue and sentiments. Such a wonderful fellow.
Lovisa: Lovisa is the new main human character that shares the page with Bitterblue and Giddon. I will admit, it took me a long time to warm up to her. She is harsh, damaged, traumatised. She has an interesting relationship with sex and affection. The darker themes in this book (suicide idealation, abuse, neglect) mostly revolve around her, and it's a bumpy ride. Her character itself portrays a painfully realistic and complicated picture of a young woman who needs help to find her own strength within. So, acknowledge her complexities, do not judge her, and be amazed at her story.
The villains: Remember Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter from His Dark Materials? Yeah, the Cavenda parents make those two look like inept schoolchildren. Their pure manipulative talent is horrifying and yet all too possible to imagine. I can't say a whole lot without spoiling things, but trust me, whatever you initially think of the two: it's much, much worse.
The foxes! The blue foxes. It's been a while since I've come across a fictional creature that intrigued and terrified me like these foxes. What a creative creation to introduce into this world, and I am excited to explore them in (hopefully??) future books. They were the icing on the creepy cake that was Winterkeep as a whole and it wouldn't have been the same without them.
Overall, this fantasy world is arguably one of the best I've ever read and that has been constructed. It's also a queernormative world. Within it live complicated and terrible and wonderful people but never is sexuality a remote plotpoint or notable mention for any of them. There is magic, monsters, miracles. The inhabitants of the world itself are still learning about other areas and different kinds of people, with different beliefs and customs. It's dangerous (the monsters), sex positive (no slut shaming), and exciting. I really can't express my love enough.
Winterkeep was worth the ten year wait and I am ready to wait patiently another ten years for more.
Wow, where do I even begin? I waited 10 years for this book (as I had an arc of Bitterblue), 5 more months until I read it after purchasing it on release day due to extreme anxiety that I wouldn't like it, and then I read all 520 pages in a day and a half. My mind is whirling. Let the book depression sink in.
How do I sort out my thoughts?
Bitterblue: Yes, yes. I kinda hated Bitterblue in her own book. ...well, no. I hated that she didn't get her 'guy' at the end. And she was very naive and annoying. And the book Bitterblue was entirely different from the first two books. Anyway, part of my hesitation to begin this book was my dislike for that one. BUT leading up to the Winterkeep release, I reread Graceling and Fire (for the upteenth time) and also Bitterblue for the first time since 2012, and guess what? I didn't hate Bitterblue anymore. I am not sure why, maybe because I matured and wasn't ready for her story the first time around? This series has always been an adult crossover audience in my opinion, and I certainly wasn't an adult in 2012. Now, it was nice to reconnect with her, and I have a new appreciation for her as a person. Bitterblue didn't have a super active role in this book as a whole for REASONS which actually made me kind of sad, but she already had a lot of her story told, so it was time to share the screen.
Giddon: Oh, my heart. How I loved getting Giddon's pov in this book. I didn't really think twice about him in Bitterblue, just that he was mopey about not winning Katsa's heart. But I am so glad his story continued, you can see he's matured these past 13 years since we first met him in Graceling. In fact, since time passed in the books alongside the real world, his growth feels all the more real to me since I've grown too. His devotion and true heart run deep, and I teared up a number of times hearing his internal dialogue and sentiments. Such a wonderful fellow.
Lovisa: Lovisa is the new main human character that shares the page with Bitterblue and Giddon. I will admit, it took me a long time to warm up to her. She is harsh, damaged, traumatised. She has an interesting relationship with sex and affection. The darker themes in this book (suicide idealation, abuse, neglect) mostly revolve around her, and it's a bumpy ride. Her character itself portrays a painfully realistic and complicated picture of a young woman who needs help to find her own strength within. So, acknowledge her complexities, do not judge her, and be amazed at her story.
The villains: Remember Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter from His Dark Materials? Yeah, the Cavenda parents make those two look like inept schoolchildren. Their pure manipulative talent is horrifying and yet all too possible to imagine. I can't say a whole lot without spoiling things, but trust me, whatever you initially think of the two: it's much, much worse.
The foxes! The blue foxes. It's been a while since I've come across a fictional creature that intrigued and terrified me like these foxes. What a creative creation to introduce into this world, and I am excited to explore them in (hopefully??) future books. They were the icing on the creepy cake that was Winterkeep as a whole and it wouldn't have been the same without them.
Overall, this fantasy world is arguably one of the best I've ever read and that has been constructed. It's also a queernormative world. Within it live complicated and terrible and wonderful people but never is sexuality a remote plotpoint or notable mention for any of them. There is magic, monsters, miracles. The inhabitants of the world itself are still learning about other areas and different kinds of people, with different beliefs and customs. It's dangerous (the monsters), sex positive (no slut shaming), and exciting. I really can't express my love enough.
Winterkeep was worth the ten year wait and I am ready to wait patiently another ten years for more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, and Grief
kayladaila's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Sexual content, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
erniedresser's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Violence, and Death of parent