moirwyn's review against another edition
4.0
This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2016/09/14/winterwood-by-jacey-bedford/
Winterwood by Jacey Bedford is the first book in the Rowankind series. It features a strong female protagonist, angry fae, and pirates, which are an excellent combination.
Although it’s the first book in the Rowankind series, Winterwood is self-contained and forms a complete story arc. Book 2, Silverwolf, is scheduled for release in January.
Rossalinde (or Ross) Tremayne is a privateer captain. Her husband was Captain Redbeard, and when he died, she started cross-dressing and took up his role on the high seas. She’s having a hard time letting go though, as evidenced by the fact that she’s constantly followed by his ghost.
One day Ross gets called to her mother’s deathbed, and she’s given a winterwood box. The box is magical, and is the key to righting a sin committed by her family several generations ago. It’s also the key to understanding the Rowankind, a race enslaved by the aristocracy on the British Isles. Ross initially tries to run away from the task, in part because she’s got some serious Mommy issues. You see, in this alternate version of history, magic exists but is highly regulated by the Crown. And when Ross discovered that she had magic, her mother became cold and hostile, pushing her away. Ross still hasn’t forgiven her, and has built her own happy life on the high seas.
Then Ross discovers that she has a half brother, her other brother is still alive, and there’s some seriously weird shit going on in her family tree. Oh, and she’s also being followed and hunted by members of a Secret Service type of organization, who are hell-bent to kill her and retrieve the Winterwood box. And this is where the book gets political and philosophical, because the Winterwood box holds the secret as to why the Rowankind are enslaved, and using the box will change the face of England. It’s both the right thing to do, and equally terrifying to Ross, because she has no idea how the Rowankind will react and is afraid of triggering a bloodbath.
Winterwood also has a romantic aspect. In her journey, Ross meets Corwin, a mysterious silver-haired gentleman who awakens long-buried feelings. And in order to pursue a relationship with Corwin, Ross needs to learn how to let go of her husband’s ghost and move on, which is easier said than done.
Winterwood was an excellent vacation read. It’s not a particularly serious book, and has a lot of fun fantasy elements, including magic, ghosts, werewolves, hellish creatures, and of course the fae.
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2016/09/14/winterwood-by-jacey-bedford/
Winterwood by Jacey Bedford is the first book in the Rowankind series. It features a strong female protagonist, angry fae, and pirates, which are an excellent combination.
Although it’s the first book in the Rowankind series, Winterwood is self-contained and forms a complete story arc. Book 2, Silverwolf, is scheduled for release in January.
Rossalinde (or Ross) Tremayne is a privateer captain. Her husband was Captain Redbeard, and when he died, she started cross-dressing and took up his role on the high seas. She’s having a hard time letting go though, as evidenced by the fact that she’s constantly followed by his ghost.
One day Ross gets called to her mother’s deathbed, and she’s given a winterwood box. The box is magical, and is the key to righting a sin committed by her family several generations ago. It’s also the key to understanding the Rowankind, a race enslaved by the aristocracy on the British Isles. Ross initially tries to run away from the task, in part because she’s got some serious Mommy issues. You see, in this alternate version of history, magic exists but is highly regulated by the Crown. And when Ross discovered that she had magic, her mother became cold and hostile, pushing her away. Ross still hasn’t forgiven her, and has built her own happy life on the high seas.
Then Ross discovers that she has a half brother, her other brother is still alive, and there’s some seriously weird shit going on in her family tree. Oh, and she’s also being followed and hunted by members of a Secret Service type of organization, who are hell-bent to kill her and retrieve the Winterwood box. And this is where the book gets political and philosophical, because the Winterwood box holds the secret as to why the Rowankind are enslaved, and using the box will change the face of England. It’s both the right thing to do, and equally terrifying to Ross, because she has no idea how the Rowankind will react and is afraid of triggering a bloodbath.
Winterwood also has a romantic aspect. In her journey, Ross meets Corwin, a mysterious silver-haired gentleman who awakens long-buried feelings. And in order to pursue a relationship with Corwin, Ross needs to learn how to let go of her husband’s ghost and move on, which is easier said than done.
Winterwood was an excellent vacation read. It’s not a particularly serious book, and has a lot of fun fantasy elements, including magic, ghosts, werewolves, hellish creatures, and of course the fae.
ladyofbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this book so much!!! Really good writing, great characters, and an enthralling magic system with pirates, witches, and plenty of ghosts and bad guys! Can't wait for the next one!!!
mlottermoser's review against another edition
2.0
Ross, a woman masquerading as a male privateer is called to her mothers deathbed. She soon learns her family had more than one secret. She must use her wit, magic, and family to help her set things right.
I enjoyed the magical elements and the moral dilemma at the end, but found the book a little too sexual for my taste.
I enjoyed the magical elements and the moral dilemma at the end, but found the book a little too sexual for my taste.
comicgirl's review against another edition
3.0
3 1/2 stars. Lot of story, for a first book in a series; probably could have been split into two books. Well written.
melodicfate's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting fantasy romance, which also managed to be an alternate history novel. As the heroine was a cross-dressing pirate, it's no surprise I jumped on this book as fast as I could. And I was rewarded for that, too. I got action, adventure, magic, mythology, and a pretty good romance. I'm kind of wondering what book 2 will bring, as things wrapped up pretty well in here.
buuboobaby's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 - 4 stars
I thought the world building was very interesting, and I loved the strong protagonist. The pacing was all over the place, though, making it hard for me to stay completely engaged in the story. When the action did kick into gear, the story telling soared. Waiting for these bursts of awesome got a little frustrating.
I thought the world building was very interesting, and I loved the strong protagonist. The pacing was all over the place, though, making it hard for me to stay completely engaged in the story. When the action did kick into gear, the story telling soared. Waiting for these bursts of awesome got a little frustrating.
nelsonseye's review
3.0
After a slow start, Winterwood was a decent read. I liked the elements of English folklore and the descriptions of the cities and towns. I was perhaps less interested in the details of sailing and ship life. I figured out the main mystery on my own, but its unfolding was well done and there were some very good suspenseful moments. I may or may not read the next in the series.
etoiline's review
5.0
Magic, fae, pirates...
What more could you want? This novel has historical romance, seafaring adventure, a magic box that everyone wants, a handsome shapeshifter, elemental magic, and a great secret that must be uncovered to set things right. Happy to read it.
What more could you want? This novel has historical romance, seafaring adventure, a magic box that everyone wants, a handsome shapeshifter, elemental magic, and a great secret that must be uncovered to set things right. Happy to read it.
bookwyrm_lark's review against another edition
5.0
Originally published on my blog, The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
How could I resist a fantasy about a “widowed, cross-dressing privateer captain and unregistered witch,” her pirate crew, a werewolf, a ghost, and the Fae? Also a magical box, a great wrong to set right, and a ruthless, magic-wielding government spymaster.
The answer, of course, is that I couldn’t.
Winterwood was everything I hoped for and more. I loved it! Jacey Bedford combines great storytelling, good worldbuilding, and interesting characters, serving up a compelling novel with a well-balanced mixture of action and dialogue. Add in healthy helpings of mystery and magic and a dash each of romance and political intrigue, woven into a believable alt-history setting, and it was the perfect escape from the pandemic shutdown.
The novel is told in first person from the point of view of Ross (Rossalinde), the notorious Captain Red Tremayne, a title and career she inherited from her late husband. She’s a privateer, sailing for the Crown, and prefers the sea and her ship, the Heart of Oak, to life ashore, for reasons that become evident as you get further into the book — yet at least half of the book takes place in England. Ross is strong and independent, openminded, practical, and intelligent, and loyal to her friends. She’s also lonely, misses her husband, and longs for a connection to her remaining family. She is neither a saint nor a villain, and her judgement is not infallible. Ross is, in a sense, a “Chosen One,” in that she has the power and responsibility to right a 200-year-old wrong. The implications of that decision are significant — assuming she can stay alive long enough to carry it out. Ross struggles with that decision through the book… all the while trying to come to terms with who and what she is, determine whom she can trust, and discover why a king’s agent is determined to kill her.
We see the other characters only through Ross’s eyes and thoughts, and it’s interesting to see her perceptions of them change over time — particularly the rowankind boy David, and Corwen, a gentleman who appears out of nowhere and seems determined to assist Ross. I also became rather fond of Hookey, her first mate, a blunt and sometimes ruthless pirate whose loyalty and friendship seem unshakeable. Even minor characters are well-drawn and believable, and the villain, though obsessed and despicably ruthless, acts not because he is inherently evil but out of deep-seated beliefs. In fact, throughout the entire book Bedford eschews simplistic tropes of “good” and “evil” in favor of more realistic ethical struggles between expediency and honor, self-interest and altruism, fealty vs. what is morally right, and the good of the many vs. the needs of the few.
Winterwood is the first in a trilogy. I have already ordered the next two books, and can’t wait to read them.
Read for the COYER Quarantine Challenge (Opposites Readathon), The Backlist Reader Challenge, and the Mount TBR Reading Challenge.
How could I resist a fantasy about a “widowed, cross-dressing privateer captain and unregistered witch,” her pirate crew, a werewolf, a ghost, and the Fae? Also a magical box, a great wrong to set right, and a ruthless, magic-wielding government spymaster.
The answer, of course, is that I couldn’t.
Winterwood was everything I hoped for and more. I loved it! Jacey Bedford combines great storytelling, good worldbuilding, and interesting characters, serving up a compelling novel with a well-balanced mixture of action and dialogue. Add in healthy helpings of mystery and magic and a dash each of romance and political intrigue, woven into a believable alt-history setting, and it was the perfect escape from the pandemic shutdown.
The novel is told in first person from the point of view of Ross (Rossalinde), the notorious Captain Red Tremayne, a title and career she inherited from her late husband. She’s a privateer, sailing for the Crown, and prefers the sea and her ship, the Heart of Oak, to life ashore, for reasons that become evident as you get further into the book — yet at least half of the book takes place in England. Ross is strong and independent, openminded, practical, and intelligent, and loyal to her friends. She’s also lonely, misses her husband, and longs for a connection to her remaining family. She is neither a saint nor a villain, and her judgement is not infallible. Ross is, in a sense, a “Chosen One,” in that she has the power and responsibility to right a 200-year-old wrong. The implications of that decision are significant — assuming she can stay alive long enough to carry it out. Ross struggles with that decision through the book… all the while trying to come to terms with who and what she is, determine whom she can trust, and discover why a king’s agent is determined to kill her.
We see the other characters only through Ross’s eyes and thoughts, and it’s interesting to see her perceptions of them change over time — particularly the rowankind boy David, and Corwen, a gentleman who appears out of nowhere and seems determined to assist Ross. I also became rather fond of Hookey, her first mate, a blunt and sometimes ruthless pirate whose loyalty and friendship seem unshakeable. Even minor characters are well-drawn and believable, and the villain, though obsessed and despicably ruthless, acts not because he is inherently evil but out of deep-seated beliefs. In fact, throughout the entire book Bedford eschews simplistic tropes of “good” and “evil” in favor of more realistic ethical struggles between expediency and honor, self-interest and altruism, fealty vs. what is morally right, and the good of the many vs. the needs of the few.
Winterwood is the first in a trilogy. I have already ordered the next two books, and can’t wait to read them.
Read for the COYER Quarantine Challenge (Opposites Readathon), The Backlist Reader Challenge, and the Mount TBR Reading Challenge.
wordnerdy's review against another edition
3.0
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2016/02/2016-book-21.html
There is kind of a lot going on in this book, but it's all my jam, so let me bust into caps for a moment: MAGICAL HISTORICAL STORY ABOUT A WOMAN WHO IS A CROSS-DRESSING PIRATE CAPTAIN AND ALSO A SECRET WITCH! Like whaaaaaaat, that is amaaaaazing. Oh, ALSO, she is being haunted by the ghost of her beloved husband. And then she comes into possession of a magical mysterious box of a macguffin, not to mention a half-brother who's also half rowankind (sort of a magical person-like thing who is sort of enslaved?), and they're being pursued, and there's all sorts of magical stuff going on. Honestly, I liked this a lot, but I've already sort of forgotten half the things that happened b/c it's a bit meandering--like, this could have been a lot tighter and more effective. But there's some fun stuff going on, even if the heroine is a dope a lot of the time. She's still really cool and sympathetic, and the world-building here is really interesting. It looks like this is the start of a series, though this works perfectly well as a stand-alone. I'll definitely be checking out the next one. B+.
There is kind of a lot going on in this book, but it's all my jam, so let me bust into caps for a moment: MAGICAL HISTORICAL STORY ABOUT A WOMAN WHO IS A CROSS-DRESSING PIRATE CAPTAIN AND ALSO A SECRET WITCH! Like whaaaaaaat, that is amaaaaazing. Oh, ALSO, she is being haunted by the ghost of her beloved husband. And then she comes into possession of a magical mysterious box of a macguffin, not to mention a half-brother who's also half rowankind (sort of a magical person-like thing who is sort of enslaved?), and they're being pursued, and there's all sorts of magical stuff going on. Honestly, I liked this a lot, but I've already sort of forgotten half the things that happened b/c it's a bit meandering--like, this could have been a lot tighter and more effective. But there's some fun stuff going on, even if the heroine is a dope a lot of the time. She's still really cool and sympathetic, and the world-building here is really interesting. It looks like this is the start of a series, though this works perfectly well as a stand-alone. I'll definitely be checking out the next one. B+.