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arenaeauthor's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I can’t put into words how beautiful this book is.
eventyrlys's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I wanted to give this book a higher rating. In terms of writing and world-building it's definitely 4.5 stars, but there were a few things I couldn't get past that brought this book down. Firstly, having not read Echo North in quite a while, I was a bit lost on the relationships of some of the characters and the events of the novel and so I was a bit confused at points. It didn't interfere too much with my understanding of the plot, but it definitely would have helped if I'd read it more recently. Especially given that this is a companion and not a sequel, I think relying a little less heavily on readers remembering Echo North well would have been better. The second thing that I couldn't quite get past was the main character. While I like that the author doesn't shy away from the idea that having emotions doesn't make you weak, and that being empathetic can make you stronger, not weaker, I really couldn't stand how often the main character cried. I mean, it was constant. Satu was basically a puddle of tears the entire book. I mean, she did sort of manage to get through the plot, but dear god. So much crying. I wanted to shake her and tell her to get up and get on with things already.
atabora's review against another edition
4.0
Initially I was going to give this a lower rating, my main complaint being that the protagonist is very juvenile but then I remembered she’s 17, still a teenager. I think about myself at that age and I think I would react similarly to having the weight of the world thrown my shoulders. I saw other reviews that mentioned how young Satu acted throughout but I think we’re just used to these YA books who go on these grand adventures to save the world and take it in stride that we don’t stop to think these are basically children.
Overall it was a beautifully written book.
Overall it was a beautifully written book.
arafaye's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
argrenier's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
alexperc_92's review against another edition
5.0
Review can be found on *Milky Way of Books*
Minor spoilers from the first book. It is preferable to read the first book
I enjoyed very much Echo North the first book of this series, inspired by "East of the Sun and West of the Moon". A part of that story was the appearance of the North wind who had helped Echo in her quest.
This companion novel follows Satu the daughter of the North wind, and her adventures after the events of the first book. Shy by nature she enjoys her life with her parents, filled with their stories of how her father who used to be immortal fell in love with her mother and the price. But when feral magic begins destroying the very fabric of the universe, Satu will come to the sudden realization that she will need far more than courage to save not only her family but the universe itself.
Armed with her parents' stories and followed by the Winter Lord, a past ally of the Wolf Queen, she will soon discover that magic comes at a grave price.
There are no words to describe the beauty of this book. Joanna Ruth did it again weaving a magical story filled with emotion, self discovery, and true love. I cried by the end of the book when I realized what had truly happened and what Satu had to go through. This book was one of these reads that even after putting down it stays with you and it was worth every tear I shed.
Minor spoilers from the first book. It is preferable to read the first book
I enjoyed very much Echo North the first book of this series, inspired by "East of the Sun and West of the Moon". A part of that story was the appearance of the North wind who had helped Echo in her quest.
This companion novel follows Satu the daughter of the North wind, and her adventures after the events of the first book. Shy by nature she enjoys her life with her parents, filled with their stories of how her father who used to be immortal fell in love with her mother and the price. But when feral magic begins destroying the very fabric of the universe, Satu will come to the sudden realization that she will need far more than courage to save not only her family but the universe itself.
Armed with her parents' stories and followed by the Winter Lord, a past ally of the Wolf Queen, she will soon discover that magic comes at a grave price.
There are no words to describe the beauty of this book. Joanna Ruth did it again weaving a magical story filled with emotion, self discovery, and true love. I cried by the end of the book when I realized what had truly happened and what Satu had to go through. This book was one of these reads that even after putting down it stays with you and it was worth every tear I shed.
katiereads16's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
i enjoyed this book but it was semi all over the place. like they made the Wolf Queen this big deal but she ended up not playing a huge role and was “taken care of” very quickly. and as for Satu she’s an idiot and i love her. my god every time she gave a thread to Fann is pained me. i was screaming at book like a crazy person just going “NO SATU HES OBVIOUSLY USING YOU” but nooo she’s just so caring and has to give everything to this ghost boy she doesn’t even know. whatever didn’t really matter in the end. and as for the Winter Lord, i liked him but i feel that we didn’t really get too into who he was. this sounds crazy because we literally went back in time to relive his life, but it felt kind of empty. and the rush from villain to good guy was so sudden that it didn’t really fit the enemies to lovers trope. but nonetheless their love in the end was adorable and i’m happy with the ending.
7dream's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This isn't really a review but more like my thoughts on the book and what I liked/disliked.
This book is one of the few YA novels I have picked up in a long time. I forget how well written some of them can be, and this novel is a great example. It is the companion novel to the author's other work, "Echo" and from what I gather, the plot line to both is pretty similar to one another. A young girl embarks on a magical journey, she encounters a dark stranger, discovers her own strength, and love prevails.
I never read Echo so I could not compare, but Wind Daughter felt whimsical, its lore was something I never encountered before so it felt fresh and enticing. I loved that the protagonist "Satu" has severe social anxiety and shows the real and unromantic points of how that can cause real fears and frustrations within yourself. She felt very relatable as I too want to cry as many time as she let herself in this book.
I don't think they made it a point for her to overcome that fear; rather, it focused on her strengths. Her sensitivity gave way to her compassion. It made her a sensible and courageous protagonist. Everything she did, even though she was trembling and scared, she still went forth because love and life was what mattered to her. Even down to the most smallest life she would shed tears for and risk her life to protect. In a way she was admirable.
I also loved the idea that everything was a story, everything had its own story, and that each one is just as precious. This is emphasized through Satu's father Ivan, the town's respected storyteller. It made it feel important as we witnessed Satu's story unfold before us like we were witnessing history and this feeling was enhanced more so since Satu was aware she had to create her own story, a part from her own family.
The romance in this book built up interestingly. I will say I found it somewhat romantic. I think if I did not know of the preexisting "Echo" novel, I would be more inclined to like the pairing. This is just a personal gripe but the main POC lead ending up with a white character bores me. Nothing is wrong with it and I think the two are a lovely pair.
Another aspect of the romance aside from the physical aspect is how they regard romance. I would think love for a family member, lover, etc would be regarded in a similar level but it felt that Satu's parents favor each other more. For instance when the world literally starts to fall apart, Satu in her panic, fear, and confusion keeps asking to know what is going on. Its clear her parents both know but both are too caught up in each other's own despair that they leave their daughter to defend for herself as they disappear. They could not warn her before they did. It felt very frustrating.
What was more, that in their love to have Satu, they risked the fabric of the world ripping apart, and it eventually did as that was the major force that Satu had to face. They left her their mess to clean up.
Then he had to leave her parents after saving them. Returning them to their own respective times. I like this point because it forces Satu to become more independent from her parents but it doesn't change her socialization habits at all so it felt pointless.
Lastly, to support my point that romantic love seems to take precedence, she ends up with Finn in the end and she decides that even though he is mortal and she will live on past him, she still wants a child and potentially to become human and die with him like her father chose to do and risk the stability of the world. Satu states that when her child is old enough, they will give them the choice of becoming a god to take her place just like she took her father's place to uphold the balance of the world. I feel like that is a burdensome choice. What if they do not want to? You will remain stagnant as your lover ages before you? And if they choose to take your place? How do we know it is in good faith? Would they feel pressured by filial piety? I personally did not like that part at all.
TL;DR: In spite of all my personal gripes above, I really did love this book and cried over it. I think the lore of the book and the writing style are beautiful. Completely sweeps you away from the world.
This book is one of the few YA novels I have picked up in a long time. I forget how well written some of them can be, and this novel is a great example. It is the companion novel to the author's other work, "Echo" and from what I gather, the plot line to both is pretty similar to one another. A young girl embarks on a magical journey, she encounters a dark stranger, discovers her own strength, and love prevails.
I never read Echo so I could not compare, but Wind Daughter felt whimsical, its lore was something I never encountered before so it felt fresh and enticing. I loved that the protagonist "Satu" has severe social anxiety and shows the real and unromantic points of how that can cause real fears and frustrations within yourself. She felt very relatable as I too want to cry as many time as she let herself in this book.
I don't think they made it a point for her to overcome that fear; rather, it focused on her strengths. Her sensitivity gave way to her compassion. It made her a sensible and courageous protagonist. Everything she did, even though she was trembling and scared, she still went forth because love and life was what mattered to her. Even down to the most smallest life she would shed tears for and risk her life to protect. In a way she was admirable.
I also loved the idea that everything was a story, everything had its own story, and that each one is just as precious. This is emphasized through Satu's father Ivan, the town's respected storyteller. It made it feel important as we witnessed Satu's story unfold before us like we were witnessing history and this feeling was enhanced more so since Satu was aware she had to create her own story, a part from her own family.
The romance in this book built up interestingly. I will say I found it somewhat romantic. I think if I did not know of the preexisting "Echo" novel, I would be more inclined to like the pairing. This is just a personal gripe but the main POC lead ending up with a white character bores me. Nothing is wrong with it and I think the two are a lovely pair.
Another aspect of the romance aside from the physical aspect is how they regard romance. I would think love for a family member, lover, etc would be regarded in a similar level but it felt that
What was more,
Then he had to leave her parents after saving them. Returning them to their own respective times. I like this point because it forces Satu to become more independent from her parents but it doesn't change her socialization habits at all so it felt pointless.
Lastly, to support my point that romantic love seems to take precedence, she ends up with Finn in the end and she decides that even though he is mortal and she will live on past him, she still wants a child and potentially to become human and die with him like her father chose to do and risk the stability of the world. Satu states that when her child is old enough, they will give them the choice of becoming a god to take her place just like she took her father's place to uphold the balance of the world. I feel like that is a burdensome choice. What if they do not want to? You will remain stagnant as your lover ages before you? And if they choose to take your place? How do we know it is in good faith? Would they feel pressured by filial piety?
TL;DR: In spite of all my personal gripes above, I really did love this book and cried over it. I think the lore of the book and the writing style are beautiful. Completely sweeps you away from the world.