A review by thenovelmaura
Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Thanks to Penguin Teen for the eARC of this book, which was one of my most anticipated 2021 reads. I love the Graceling Realm series and I couldn't believe Cashore decided to continue the trilogy eight years after Bitterblue came out! While the plot of this book is standalone, I do think you'll have an easier time with the world building and large cast of characters if you've read the other books first. Honestly, I was confused by the beginning, since several perspectives are introduced and a few are characters we've never seen before. Although it was satisfying to see how everything tied together later in the story, it required a lot of patience to make it to that point.

I'll also say that this is a lot more political than the rest of the series (at least more than Graceling, which I re-read recently), and I was hoping for more action or exploration of the new continent, rather than descriptions of Winterkeep's political parties and their debates on legalizing a certain resource. Still, Cashore's writing kept me coming back for more, and all the characters, mysteries, and magical creatures started to grow on me. She is so good at describing grief and characters' responses to trauma that I'm left constantly in awe. I don't think this fully lives up to the rest of the series, but if you're looking for that 2010 YA nostalgia factor, you'll probably be as satisfied as I was. 

  I was going to give this a higher rating, but a friend pointed out to me that Giddon first met Bitterblue when she was 8 years old (and he stayed in Monsea with her while she was growing up). While I enjoyed the way their relationship was described in this book, I don't think I would have been able to view it in the same light had I remembered that information while reading it. A large age gap is fine, but I don't understand how you could be romantically interested in someone you met when she was 8 and you were in your 20's.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings