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sonice's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. I'm not sure what to say other than to repeat some beats from my review for A Shadow in Summer; excellent plot (mostly; one major occurrence rang just a little too convenient to me, hence the docked half star), expert writing, awesome character work, cool and unique magic system. Again, Abraham has managed to write a book with nearly no action that, despite this, is so bloody engrossing. If plotting, scheming and politicking in fantasy is up your alley and you haven't yet read this series I would highly advise you check it out.
wzwy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
brianthehuman's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
3.5
js_2301's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
scottsofbohemia's review against another edition
4.0
Great second act, thickens the world and questions some of its deeper tenements while telling a compelling tale with complex emotions and relations.
truthlessofcanada's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.5
Somehow both these first 2 books have had a love triangle thing center stage and yet it hasn't been annoying at all. That's a neat trick.
Betrayal in Winter is a novel full of political scheming, and heart. It is one of the novels that manages to have deeply honourable characters who still are complex, conflicted and human, showing that you don't have to write bastards to write characters who feel human.
It also shows that you can write bastards who seem human, as it also has a fantastic antagonist point of view who a lot of people seem to actually like (?), like as a person? huh, but who I consider a fantastically written antagonist whose motives come from an extremely understandable place, but it is destroyed by ambition, ruthlessness, and frankly a lack of self-awareness, and unwilligness to consider their own responsibility in the outcome of events. They managed to be a somewhat tragic antagonist who I felt for as the reader, while also not liking them....like really at all.
In general, compared to Shadow in Summer the events of this book felt more important as I was reading them, and to me the characters stood out more. I thought while reading book 1 and continue to think that Abraham is extremely efficient at characterization, but book 1 for me didn't have stand out moments where while reading it I was blown away by the characters I was reading, and Betrayal In Winter did.
Also, the Andat, and how they interact with their poet is such a good idea.
8.8
Betrayal in Winter is a novel full of political scheming, and heart. It is one of the novels that manages to have deeply honourable characters who still are complex, conflicted and human, showing that you don't have to write bastards to write characters who feel human.
It also shows that you can write bastards who seem human, as it also has a fantastic antagonist point of view who a lot of people seem to actually like (?), like as a person? huh, but who I consider a fantastically written antagonist whose motives come from an extremely understandable place, but it is destroyed by ambition, ruthlessness, and frankly a lack of self-awareness, and unwilligness to consider their own responsibility in the outcome of events. They managed to be a somewhat tragic antagonist who I felt for as the reader, while also not liking them....like really at all.
In general, compared to Shadow in Summer the events of this book felt more important as I was reading them, and to me the characters stood out more. I thought while reading book 1 and continue to think that Abraham is extremely efficient at characterization, but book 1 for me didn't have stand out moments where while reading it I was blown away by the characters I was reading, and Betrayal In Winter did.
Also, the Andat, and how they interact with their poet is such a good idea.
8.8
kadomi's review against another edition
4.0
A Betrayal in Winter greatly improves the premise of the first book in the series. It's set 14 years after the fall of Saraykeht in the first book, and set in Machi, a city far in the north. The andat, the servant demon of the city, is Stone-Made-Soft, and just like Seedless in the first book, he longs for his freedom, in a less menacing way. The ruler of Machi is dying, and as is tradition, his sons are now meant to kill each other, to determine succession. The first son is killed, but as it turns out not by the brothers, and Maati from the first book, the poet without an andat, is sent to investigate. And of course there's Otah Machi who has left his family behind, who is a legitimate heir and suspected to be behind the first murder.
This description should already point at the main strength of the book, political intrigue. It's very slow, and the reader knows all along who's behind the killings.
If I have to nitpick, it's that yet again, my least favorite trope, the love triangle, rears its ugly head. Though it's hard to even describe it as love.
I was ultimately satisfied with the outcome, and am looking forward to seeing where this goes next. A thing I have to mention is that Abraham manages to make this culture seem utterly alien to me. It's not classic Western fantasy at all. I appreciate that a lot.
This description should already point at the main strength of the book, political intrigue. It's very slow, and the reader knows all along who's behind the killings.
If I have to nitpick, it's that yet again, my least favorite trope, the love triangle, rears its ugly head. Though it's hard to even describe it as love.
I was ultimately satisfied with the outcome, and am looking forward to seeing where this goes next. A thing I have to mention is that Abraham manages to make this culture seem utterly alien to me. It's not classic Western fantasy at all. I appreciate that a lot.
archergal's review against another edition
4.0
This novel continues the story started in A Shadow in Summer, albeit maybe 12 - 13 years later. It has a number of the same characters as the first book - Otah, failed poet and son of the Khai Machi; Maati, another failed poet. The location is in another kingdom, the kingdom of Machi in the far north of the world.
There's a lot of palace intrigue going on here. The normal route of succession for the Khaiate is for the sons of the family to kill each other off until there's only one left. (Exceptions are made for younger sons who are poets, or branded, or otherwise out of the picture.) But nobody - and I mean, NOBODY, suspects that a daughter might have a desire for the throne. In this world, women don't do that. But Idaan, daughter of the Khai, is ambitious. She thinks she might have a way to be at least part-ruler in this kingdom. But ultimately, is the price more than she can pay?
It's a good sequel. We meet another andat (Stone-made-soft) and its poet-controller Cehmai. There's not quite as much conflict between poet and andat in this book, but the tension is always there. Powers like the andat don't like being slaves.
Good writing. My personal taste doesn't run to palace intrigue/assassination/politics, but Abraham makes it pretty tolerable.
There's a lot of palace intrigue going on here. The normal route of succession for the Khaiate is for the sons of the family to kill each other off until there's only one left. (Exceptions are made for younger sons who are poets, or branded, or otherwise out of the picture.) But nobody - and I mean, NOBODY, suspects that a daughter might have a desire for the throne. In this world, women don't do that. But Idaan, daughter of the Khai, is ambitious. She thinks she might have a way to be at least part-ruler in this kingdom. But ultimately, is the price more than she can pay?
It's a good sequel. We meet another andat (Stone-made-soft) and its poet-controller Cehmai. There's not quite as much conflict between poet and andat in this book, but the tension is always there. Powers like the andat don't like being slaves.
Good writing. My personal taste doesn't run to palace intrigue/assassination/politics, but Abraham makes it pretty tolerable.
wjsanger's review against another edition
5.0
Love he discovered could feel very much like sorrow
Daniel Abraham is in complete control of his craft here. He writes such tragically real characters that often make brutal decisions but you completely understand the motivations. The smallest decisions often have the biggest consequences. I cannot wait to see how this continues to play out.
Daniel Abraham is in complete control of his craft here. He writes such tragically real characters that often make brutal decisions but you completely understand the motivations. The smallest decisions often have the biggest consequences. I cannot wait to see how this continues to play out.
saraubs's review against another edition
4.0
I will save my full thoughts for the live show, and just say that I am continuing to enjoy my time with this series. Abraham is a meticulous plotter with exquisite prose and he makes you fall for his characters within a relatively short time (compared to most epic fantasy). This one fell just shy of the first volume for me, but left me eager to continue on and experience the unfolding of this masterfully crafted story.