Winter Queen
Author: Amber Argyle
Publisher: Starling Publishing
Published: June 2013
ISBN13: 9780985739441
Hardcover: 254 pages
Reviewed by Mindy
FTC FYI: Received an eArc in exchange of an honest review.
Goodreads Summary
~Becoming a winter queen will make Ilyenna as cold and cruel and deadly as winter itself, but it might be the only way to save her people from a war they have no hope of winning.~
Mortally wounded during a raid, seventeen-year-old Ilyenna is healed by winter fairies who present her with a seductive offer: become one of them and share their power over winter. But that power comes with a price. If she accepts, she will become a force of nature, lose her humanity, and abandon her family.
Unwilling to pay such a high price, Ilyenna is enslaved by one of the invaders, Darrien. While in captivity, she learns the attack wasn’t just a simple raid but part of a larger plot to overthrow her entire nation.
With the enemy stealing over the mountains and Darrien coming to take her to his bed, Ilyenna must decide whether to resurrect the power the fairies left behind. Doing so will allow her to defeat Darrien and the other invaders, but if she embraces winter, she will lose herself to that destroying power—forever.
My Review
I was immediately taken in to Ilyenna’s world. I found myself reading way past my bedtime and only stopped out of sheer exhaustion. This world that the author has created is harsh, but amazing. Your heart breaks for these characters as you read their struggles. Each character is written with care and the bad guys are the meaning of the word bad. I cheered, gasped, and cried many times. I never knew what was coming next. I really enjoyed the fairy twist and the surprises that it would bring to the story. I am really looking forward to the next book in the series. There is some war violence and other violence, but nothing that affected my reading.
5 out of 5 stars. Amber is a very talented writer. I am a big fan of her writing. I really enjoyed her Witch Song series and I reviewed both Witch Song and Witch Born. Book 3 of the Witch Song series, Witch Fall, is expected this month. Summer Queen is expected next year. Currently Witch Song and Witch Born are on sale for $2.99. Winter Queen is $3.99!
Winter Queen was nominated for 2013 Whitney Award. The finalists will be announced January 2014.
Amber is also doing a YA Scavenger Hunt, more details are on her blog. She’s giving away over 17 books!
Author Links
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Purchase Links