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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I will read everything Katherine Arden writes. I love her work so much, and this book was no different.
This book is first and foremost a book about trauma of war, memory, grief, despair, the past and illustrates all of this with ghosts and other imagery, but it's told in such a captivating and hauntingly beautiful way. Katherine Arden always has been a master of atmosphere and transporting you to the places she writes about. That was truly the best part of the book in a lot of ways.
Following Laura and Freddie and their journeys and experiences and time in the war was a lot at times, but I was never bored. Laura was a nurse and we spent a lot of time getting to see that side of things - the horrors of the injuries; physical and mental and emotional and the PTSD as well as the way different people dealt with those horrors. Freddie was a soldier who wakes up in a pillbox with a German solider named Winter (another important player in the tale) and we get to see the horrors and trauma from that angle. The two sides of war. Then we meet an enigmatic figure named Faland - a man who weaves music out of stories and imprisons those he encounters. The relationships of all of these people; Laura and Freddie (siblings), Freddie and Faland, Freddie and Winter, Laura and Winter, Laura and Jones, and Faland with everyone were fascinating to explore, but not as fleshed out as I wanted. However, once I realized the type of story Arden was telling, I understood partially why it wasn't done that way.
The plot and pacing felt off at times, but not enough to really impact that message and themes and story overall.
All of this culminates in a hauntingly beautiful and devastating story, which was shaped by the world and atmosphere Katherine Arden spun for it.
This book won't be for everyone, it's a heavy read. If you're coming here from Arden's other work, and expect similar aspects, that's not the kind of book this is. It weaves historical fiction, horror and fantasy elements together, but the fantasy and horror are mere drops in the pan compared to some of her other work.
Overall, beautifully done, and one I'll revisit again in the future.
This book is first and foremost a book about trauma of war, memory, grief, despair, the past and illustrates all of this with ghosts and other imagery, but it's told in such a captivating and hauntingly beautiful way. Katherine Arden always has been a master of atmosphere and transporting you to the places she writes about. That was truly the best part of the book in a lot of ways.
Following Laura and Freddie and their journeys and experiences and time in the war was a lot at times, but I was never bored. Laura was a nurse and we spent a lot of time getting to see that side of things - the horrors of the injuries; physical and mental and emotional and the PTSD as well as the way different people dealt with those horrors. Freddie was a soldier who wakes up in a pillbox with a German solider named Winter (another important player in the tale) and we get to see the horrors and trauma from that angle. The two sides of war. Then we meet an enigmatic figure named Faland - a man who weaves music out of stories and imprisons those he encounters. The relationships of all of these people; Laura and Freddie (siblings), Freddie and Faland, Freddie and Winter, Laura and Winter, Laura and Jones, and Faland with everyone were fascinating to explore, but not as fleshed out as I wanted. However, once I realized the type of story Arden was telling, I understood partially why it wasn't done that way.
The plot and pacing felt off at times, but not enough to really impact that message and themes and story overall.
All of this culminates in a hauntingly beautiful and devastating story, which was shaped by the world and atmosphere Katherine Arden spun for it.
This book won't be for everyone, it's a heavy read. If you're coming here from Arden's other work, and expect similar aspects, that's not the kind of book this is. It weaves historical fiction, horror and fantasy elements together, but the fantasy and horror are mere drops in the pan compared to some of her other work.
Overall, beautifully done, and one I'll revisit again in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, War
Moderate: Medical content, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Suicide attempt
It was really well-written and compelling, but also I felt vaguely it was lacking something throughout the read... maybe I really just wanted more out there fantasy, rather than historical magical realism?? Also, the vaguely evil thing is the christian style devil (kinda insinuated). Meh.
I love the concept of a fantastical historical fiction. I'm just not down with it--I can easily see how some people adore Arden's writing. I'm not the target audience for this title.
A beautifully written tale between two siblings desperatley trying to find one another during WW1. The narrative sank its hooks into me, and I was fairly happy with the outcome. It still has a mournful and bittersweet tone that carries on until the book's final pages, and particularly the romance option for Laura was one that I anticipated ending differently, but I wouldn't say that my surprise sullied my opinion of this book.
Not entirely perfect for me, but I would have a very hard time not recommending this book to anyone who likes historical fiction with a touch of fantasy within it. It's appropriately moody, horrifying, and sad to fit with the circumstances of the characters' actions and fates, so I would absolutely give it a read if you're interested!
Not entirely perfect for me, but I would have a very hard time not recommending this book to anyone who likes historical fiction with a touch of fantasy within it. It's appropriately moody, horrifying, and sad to fit with the circumstances of the characters' actions and fates, so I would absolutely give it a read if you're interested!
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4.25/5
(9/1/24)
okay i have successfully taken enough time to mull over this book and write a review.
this book was … so poignant honestly. it discussed and dealt with heavy topics (made even more so due to it being wartime) such as identity, trauma, belonging, types of love, and redemption.
as i read the book i could feel it and the points it was making, the story and characters, all settling deep in my chest.
at the beginning, the ghost of laura’s mother haunts her. literally. she sees her (and her bloody eyes) in multiple places and situations in the book, normally preceding a disastrous event. however, throughout the book, her opinions of her mother’s ghost slowly change. she recognizes the help her mother is giving her, warning her of these instances, and in the end, asks for her help one more time as laura pulls herself and freddie out of farland’s house.
that scene was simply lovely and so emotional and such a clear indicator of the change and healing that laura herself had gone through.
the door scene, in which laura and freddie open all the doors on their way out of the house, looking back through memories — good, but mostly bad — was such a moving part. they walked with one another, brother and sister, through the hardest things each one had seen.
and they made it out on the other side. this spoke volumes concerning the fact that traumatic experiences can be faced and don’t have to define a person.
the relationships between the characters and the choices that they make were so real and understandable. it was wartime. everyone was hurting.
i’m hoping what i have said has done justice to the feelings this book gave me.
this book is life-changing and lovely and definitely worth a read .. followed up by weeks of existential thought concerning it.
(9/1/24)
okay i have successfully taken enough time to mull over this book and write a review.
this book was … so poignant honestly. it discussed and dealt with heavy topics (made even more so due to it being wartime) such as identity, trauma, belonging, types of love, and redemption.
as i read the book i could feel it and the points it was making, the story and characters, all settling deep in my chest.
at the beginning, the ghost of laura’s mother haunts her. literally. she sees her (and her bloody eyes) in multiple places and situations in the book, normally preceding a disastrous event. however, throughout the book, her opinions of her mother’s ghost slowly change. she recognizes the help her mother is giving her, warning her of these instances, and in the end, asks for her help one more time as laura pulls herself and freddie out of farland’s house.
that scene was simply lovely and so emotional and such a clear indicator of the change and healing that laura herself had gone through.
the door scene, in which laura and freddie open all the doors on their way out of the house, looking back through memories — good, but mostly bad — was such a moving part. they walked with one another, brother and sister, through the hardest things each one had seen.
and they made it out on the other side. this spoke volumes concerning the fact that traumatic experiences can be faced and don’t have to define a person.
the relationships between the characters and the choices that they make were so real and understandable. it was wartime. everyone was hurting.
i’m hoping what i have said has done justice to the feelings this book gave me.
this book is life-changing and lovely and definitely worth a read .. followed up by weeks of existential thought concerning it.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Katherine Ardens' Winternight Trilogy is one of my favorite fantasy series, so I was thrilled to see that she had finally written a new adult novel.
I am not one of those readers who automatically expects an author's works to mimic their previous novels, so the fact that this one was set during World War I and had gothic overtones did not surprise me, although fans of her folkloric retellings should be aware that this particular book deviates quite a bit from that genre, although magical realism is a main feature. Arden's writing is exquisite as always and transports the reader into whatever setting she can imagine. So much is written about WWII that I feel that WWI often gets overlooked for the brutality that the soldiers endured and the emotional trauma that they had to live with during a time when mental health was a taboo subject.
The storyline of a sister, Laura, who was a field nurse returning to the Front to find out the mystery behind her brother's supposed death held a promising start and was nicely juxtaposed with the story of her brother Freddie, his escape from an upturned pill box and his journey thereafter. For me however, the plot moved rather slowly and I had a difficult time keeping my attention. Full disclosure, I am a mood reader and the heavy themes that permeated this novel may have influenced by ability to stay focused as the world seems a bit dreary at the moment.
Overall, I liked but did not love this one. It absolutely does not mean that I would not hesitate to read another of Katherine Arden's novels if given the chance, it's just that this one did not resonate with me. I am sure however, that others who love a mix of war stories and magical realism will absolutely devour it.
Thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey, and Katherine Arden for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
I am not one of those readers who automatically expects an author's works to mimic their previous novels, so the fact that this one was set during World War I and had gothic overtones did not surprise me, although fans of her folkloric retellings should be aware that this particular book deviates quite a bit from that genre, although magical realism is a main feature. Arden's writing is exquisite as always and transports the reader into whatever setting she can imagine. So much is written about WWII that I feel that WWI often gets overlooked for the brutality that the soldiers endured and the emotional trauma that they had to live with during a time when mental health was a taboo subject.
The storyline of a sister, Laura, who was a field nurse returning to the Front to find out the mystery behind her brother's supposed death held a promising start and was nicely juxtaposed with the story of her brother Freddie, his escape from an upturned pill box and his journey thereafter. For me however, the plot moved rather slowly and I had a difficult time keeping my attention. Full disclosure, I am a mood reader and the heavy themes that permeated this novel may have influenced by ability to stay focused as the world seems a bit dreary at the moment.
Overall, I liked but did not love this one. It absolutely does not mean that I would not hesitate to read another of Katherine Arden's novels if given the chance, it's just that this one did not resonate with me. I am sure however, that others who love a mix of war stories and magical realism will absolutely devour it.
Thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey, and Katherine Arden for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.