Winter Queen

Amber Argyle — 2013

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 the 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.

Reviews

Sheila Goicea@foalsfictionandfiligree

Dec 23, 2021

"She's been marked," came the voice of the first. "She's already one of us." This book was a solid 4.5 stars. The characters were well developed, SO much was happening in the plot, and I was at the edge of my seat from cover to Kindle cover. Speaking of cover, I will be buying the physical copy of this book because...JUST LOOK AT THAT COVER! My bookshelf needs it (along with the rest of the series.) The plot was so tumultuous, and pulled at my heartstrings every page. Our protagonist, Ilyenna, is challenged at every turn. We watch her make difficult decisions every step of the way. Her character marks her as a good leader, and she stays true to that distinction. She thinks of others before herself, and sacrifices so much to ensure the safety of her people. For this reason alone, makes this book great. Dying is a lot easier than living through hell. This book had a lot of original lore intertwined into the entire plot, and it was written so well. Everything from the lore, to clan structure, to society norms and customs and traditions, were all explained in depth. I wish there would have been more world building, and explanation of the surroundings. But, this book was so jam-packed, that I found myself not really caring that it wasn't overdone. I'm sad to see these characters go, as is my understanding that the next book focuses on different characters altogether. But I'm looking forward to seeing how these stories continue to develop, and hopefully converge in the end. This review can also be viewed at my blog: She's Going Book Crazy