A review by artemishi
Winter, White and Wicked by Shannon Dittemore

adventurous tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Characters: 6, Sylver is somewhat fleshed out as a character, but Mars, Hyla, and Kyndel are abstracts centered around a central theme (dangerous smuggler, brave fighter, hot guy). Mars gets a backstory at the end, but we're still short on character development. They're all somewhere between flat and three-dimensional. On the flip side, Winter herself is a complex character, which was unexpected. 

Atmosphere: 7, the landscape of a desolate, constant winter on a small island, with corporate-controlled mining operations, addiction problems, and poverty was easy to picture. I did have two major disconnects in terms of immersion: the frigid atmosphere being described, but Sylvi never feeling it, kept me from internalizing it as well; most of the action sequences with the rig were confusing to me- I thought I understood who was where and doing what, but then there'd be an abrupt shift and it'd cause me to question my understanding. Unfortunately, that last one pulled me out of story multiple times, so I had to push myself to keep reading. 

Writing: 6, the writing was neither good nor bad. The dialogue helped establish character via tone, but there was a lot of convenient ESP happening between characters. And there's insta-love, which we all know I hate. No spoilers, but the author seemed to be turning that trope on its head, until the end when she just dove into it. Honestly, I'm not going to continue this duology, and I'm unlikely to pick up anything else by the author. 

Plot: 7, the pacing was consistent- as was the danger and damage to our characters- and nothing dragged. The end did feel very wrapped up and convenient, with people reaching conclusions without us seeing the path they took to get there. The setting and mythology of the story is unique, and for that I give it points. 

Intrigue: 5, I had to push myself to read this after multiple instances of being pushed out of the story during the action sequences that should've been pulling me in. And not being very invested with the MC meant being ambivalent about the plot. 

Logic: 7, I was confused about the magic system until the final 2 chapters. Things were stated to be threats, seen to adversely affect the MC, but then suddenly not be an issue for her at all. Conversely, the Shiv and Paradyian beliefs and cultures were pretty well established, and those characters acted in accordance with their cultural beliefs. Motivation-wise, the characters seem to be acting in accordance to their values (what we know of them, anyway). 

Enjoyment: 6, I knew by the halfway mark that I didn't care to finish the duology, so I can't say I really enjoyed the story. But it wasn't bad, per se.