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A review by spiringempress
Winter by Winter by Jordan Stratford
3.0
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Initially, I won't lie but the cover drew my attention because it is absolutely gorgeous. So much so, that I spent some time on Amazon debating whether I should buy the book and eventually, found it through NetGalley instead. However, this book has me torn because it's not bad, but it is incredibly short and does not do justice to the characters.
The story opens with a raid. Hladgertha, or Ladda, rises to the occasion and defends her people with her tongue and finally with combat. This attracts the attention of Ragnar, who comes to avenge his father, Siward, and advises Ladda to move her people away from the coast. Ladda acting on his advice and her iron will leads her people to a nearby valley know as Gaular, where they set up a new village.
However, Ragnar is not done with Ladda. He makes a trade with her to secure the future of her village and in return, she travels with him to seek out his enemies. As the battles unfold, Ladda proves to have a battle prowess and wins victory for Ragnar on several occasions, but this, of course, brings along politics that Ladda must outmaneuver to keep her village safe.
This book is written in a style that is reminiscent of Norse myths and tales. It is, therefore, short, choppy, and slightly mystical, which means that it can come off incoherent or vague. Similar to the criticism for [b:The Boneless Mercies|36949995|The Boneless Mercies|April Genevieve Tucholke|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1512763112l/36949995._SY75_.jpg|52238045], I think it is intentional and meant to evoke a sense of Viking/ancient culture. My biggest gripe is that the story is too short. I absolutely adore Ladda, who is feisty, determined, and generally, a force to be reckoned with, but this book could have unfolded in several novellas and really developed some of the relationships, which ended up being quite brief.
Initially, I won't lie but the cover drew my attention because it is absolutely gorgeous. So much so, that I spent some time on Amazon debating whether I should buy the book and eventually, found it through NetGalley instead. However, this book has me torn because it's not bad, but it is incredibly short and does not do justice to the characters.
The story opens with a raid. Hladgertha, or Ladda, rises to the occasion and defends her people with her tongue and finally with combat. This attracts the attention of Ragnar, who comes to avenge his father, Siward, and advises Ladda to move her people away from the coast. Ladda acting on his advice and her iron will leads her people to a nearby valley know as Gaular, where they set up a new village.
However, Ragnar is not done with Ladda. He makes a trade with her to secure the future of her village and in return, she travels with him to seek out his enemies. As the battles unfold, Ladda proves to have a battle prowess and wins victory for Ragnar on several occasions, but this, of course, brings along politics that Ladda must outmaneuver to keep her village safe.
This book is written in a style that is reminiscent of Norse myths and tales. It is, therefore, short, choppy, and slightly mystical, which means that it can come off incoherent or vague. Similar to the criticism for [b:The Boneless Mercies|36949995|The Boneless Mercies|April Genevieve Tucholke|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1512763112l/36949995._SY75_.jpg|52238045], I think it is intentional and meant to evoke a sense of Viking/ancient culture. My biggest gripe is that the story is too short. I absolutely adore Ladda, who is feisty, determined, and generally, a force to be reckoned with, but this book could have unfolded in several novellas and really developed some of the relationships, which ended up being quite brief.