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beansandfungi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
4.25
A really strong fantasy novel, with some unique aspects to it. Raine isn't my favourite protagonist, she can be irritating at times, but I definitely enjoyed it on the whole!
hellorocketship's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
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
4.25
qjbrown96's review
3.0
I was pretty excited to read this because of McDonald’s fanbase with his Blackwing series. I expected great prose with an imaginative world and I definitely got the unique world building. I’ve never read a book like this at all and for that I’ll be reading the next book in the series, but the prose was a bit choppy. He really loves to make sentences short with periods instead of commas. The story was also extremely slow which is not what I expected with a book so short but it turned out to be okay. The ending fight scene was also pretty mediocre. The main character wasn’t that great but she was decent. Some of the side characters were all right. The bad guys weren’t all that hateable (probably because the was so short). I heard that this book was written before he wrote Blackwing so maybe that’s why this isn’t to par with my expectations. All of that being said I didn’t love it but I liked it and will still continue with the series and definitely will read his previous series soon.
dellereadsbooks's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lynguy1's review
4.0
With Daughter of Redwinter, Ed McDonald brings readers an epic fantasy that has excitement, danger, and suspense. In this first book in the Redwinter Chronicles series, he introduces Raine, the main character, and does a fantastic job of building a world that is unique.
Raine can see all of and speak to some of the dead. However, this dangerous ability comes with a death sentence if others learn of it. She left her mother’s home, joined a cult, and through one act of kindness, has changed the course of her life and many others. The injured woman she rescues left Redwinter, the fortress-monastery of the Draoihn, warrior magicians intent on retrieving what she stole from them.
Raine’s mother did not like her and did not treat her well. When a group including three sooth-sisters gives her an opportunity to join them, she does. Then things go wrong and Raine learns that even an act of kindness can have consequences. She thinks she wants power so she won’t have to be afraid and so she can have true freedom. However, is this what she really wants?
Raine is a main character that readers will want to succeed in life. She tries to do the right thing, but isn’t always successful and she seems to be full of self-pity at times. However, she’s a dynamic character who changes and grows as the story unfolds. Both her attitude and outlook on life evolve throughout the book as actions take place. The other characters are less dynamic than Raine, but nevertheless vibrant, providing support or conflict to keep things interesting. A list of the many characters and a description of pieces of this mystic world are at the back of the book. I thought this would have been more helpful at the beginning so readers know they are there.
There’s a lot of time spent introducing the characters and some of their back-stories as well as world-building, but that’s not unusual in the first book in a series of this magnitude. However, there is a lot of introspection by the main character that slows the pace as times. There are action scenes, especially at the beginning and the ending, but the middle section could have been more potent. As readers become acquainted with the characters, both good and bad, it becomes clear that there is much more going on than the theft of an artifact. The author weaves themes of grief, empathy or its lack, domestic abuse, community, murder, magic, death, ghosts, fear, duty, honor, secrets, greed, friendship, and politics into this great start to the series.
Overall, this fantasy is gripping and thought-provoking. The high stakes and smooth writing made it a page turner. While it’s the first novel I have read by this author, I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you enjoy epic fantasies with great world-building, an unusual magic system, and a diverse set of characters, then you may enjoy this novel as much as I did.
Macmillan-Tor/Forge – Tor Books and the author provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for June 28, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
Raine can see all of and speak to some of the dead. However, this dangerous ability comes with a death sentence if others learn of it. She left her mother’s home, joined a cult, and through one act of kindness, has changed the course of her life and many others. The injured woman she rescues left Redwinter, the fortress-monastery of the Draoihn, warrior magicians intent on retrieving what she stole from them.
Raine’s mother did not like her and did not treat her well. When a group including three sooth-sisters gives her an opportunity to join them, she does. Then things go wrong and Raine learns that even an act of kindness can have consequences. She thinks she wants power so she won’t have to be afraid and so she can have true freedom. However, is this what she really wants?
Raine is a main character that readers will want to succeed in life. She tries to do the right thing, but isn’t always successful and she seems to be full of self-pity at times. However, she’s a dynamic character who changes and grows as the story unfolds. Both her attitude and outlook on life evolve throughout the book as actions take place. The other characters are less dynamic than Raine, but nevertheless vibrant, providing support or conflict to keep things interesting. A list of the many characters and a description of pieces of this mystic world are at the back of the book. I thought this would have been more helpful at the beginning so readers know they are there.
There’s a lot of time spent introducing the characters and some of their back-stories as well as world-building, but that’s not unusual in the first book in a series of this magnitude. However, there is a lot of introspection by the main character that slows the pace as times. There are action scenes, especially at the beginning and the ending, but the middle section could have been more potent. As readers become acquainted with the characters, both good and bad, it becomes clear that there is much more going on than the theft of an artifact. The author weaves themes of grief, empathy or its lack, domestic abuse, community, murder, magic, death, ghosts, fear, duty, honor, secrets, greed, friendship, and politics into this great start to the series.
Overall, this fantasy is gripping and thought-provoking. The high stakes and smooth writing made it a page turner. While it’s the first novel I have read by this author, I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you enjoy epic fantasies with great world-building, an unusual magic system, and a diverse set of characters, then you may enjoy this novel as much as I did.
Macmillan-Tor/Forge – Tor Books and the author provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for June 28, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
luke114's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
4.0
Took me like 100 pages to get used to the fact it was in first perspective. Really liked the book tho. Amazing and intricate characters and relationshis, feels real. Doesn't shy away from less fun stuff. Intresting plot too, parts felt kinda rushed, especially the ending. But solid book, and very fun to read after having read too much YA as of late.
deadtaco's review against another edition
2.5
I'm really unsure how I feel about this, I have just finished and although there were points I was interested and curious in how the story was progressing, I definitely felt bored through a lot of it maybe it was a little too politics and clan heavy for my liking, which is a shame because I was really excited to read this, not sure if I would continue with the second book
whammajamma's review
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
angelayn's review against another edition
3.0
It started slow, then something exciting happened only to return to being incredibly slow. Worth pushing through as the end started to pick up rapidly and ended with a satisfying boom.
Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Looking forward to the next book in the series.