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snazel's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent serious middle grade fantasy, fall about loyalty and family and healing. (I say serious not because it's grim but because it's not a laugh-a-minute, you know.) If you're looking for a fae book with tricksy, murdery fairies, which as I know is a subset of genre that always needs more entries, this is a good one.
somewheregirl7's review against another edition
3.0
Fer travels to the Faery world to discover her past.
This wasn't a bad book and my daughter loved it. For me, however, it was a little too predictable, a standard vanilla faery fantasy. I liked the characters but didn't feel a particular connection to any of them. In the end it was a struggle for me to make it through the book. However, as I said, my daughter really enjoyed it overall so that's a good recommendation to me. It's a nice, light, middle-grade reader that might not challenge or change the way we think or see the world but never-the-less delivers a bit of entertainment.
This wasn't a bad book and my daughter loved it. For me, however, it was a little too predictable, a standard vanilla faery fantasy. I liked the characters but didn't feel a particular connection to any of them. In the end it was a struggle for me to make it through the book. However, as I said, my daughter really enjoyed it overall so that's a good recommendation to me. It's a nice, light, middle-grade reader that might not challenge or change the way we think or see the world but never-the-less delivers a bit of entertainment.
suzreadz42's review against another edition
4.0
Read this a few years ago, actually, but kept thinking about it! Then I read it again this year, and I can just as confidently say it is an all around very fun, magical read.
julieartz's review against another edition
4.0
With a female heroine and a more complex plot, this series by Sarah Prineas is a natural progression for a young reader who loved Magic Thief and is now ready for a bit more. Full of magic, adventure, and the importance of love, loyalty, and friendship, Winterling is a treat for readers of all ages.
kitkatmichelle's review against another edition
3.0
My thoughts soon after starting Winterling: This is such a cliché fantasy story. A girl ends up going through a portal into a world. She must save both this new, magical world and the "real" world. Sounds like about a billion fantasy stories, if you know what I mean. Portal travel, a villain, and a little girl with more power than she knows? Puh-leaze.
But Fer's grandmother interested me from the start. There was something special about Grand-Jane, and so I pushed on.
Then I met Rook, the serious, formal, stubborn puck-puppy with a thrice-sworn oath to the evil villain (oh, wait, that's redundant. oh, well.) Puppy-puck and his yellow eyes and his gruff but cute "leave me alone"s intrigued me even more.
Then I met the Mór. Even though she's the villain, she captured my interest too.
In the end, you see, the characters had me. I fell in love with them, even with Owen and Laurelin (despite their being not exactly alive...) I hated the whole herbs-and-honey magic; it weirded me out. And the whole wildling sickness thing, with people turning into wild animals through Fer's seeing-stone, disturbed me. But THE CHARACTERS. Even Fer got amazing.
Pick up Winterling. Give it a try, especially if you're a fantasy fan like me. Travel through the moon-pool, through the Way.
Oh, and just a warning. Don't let ANYONE ask you a question three times.
But Fer's grandmother interested me from the start. There was something special about Grand-Jane, and so I pushed on.
Then I met Rook, the serious, formal, stubborn puck-puppy with a thrice-sworn oath to the evil villain (oh, wait, that's redundant. oh, well.) Puppy-puck and his yellow eyes and his gruff but cute "leave me alone"s intrigued me even more.
Then I met the Mór. Even though she's the villain, she captured my interest too.
In the end, you see, the characters had me. I fell in love with them, even with Owen and Laurelin (despite their being not exactly alive...) I hated the whole herbs-and-honey magic; it weirded me out. And the whole wildling sickness thing, with people turning into wild animals through Fer's seeing-stone, disturbed me. But THE CHARACTERS. Even Fer got amazing.
Pick up Winterling. Give it a try, especially if you're a fantasy fan like me. Travel through the moon-pool, through the Way.
Oh, and just a warning. Don't let ANYONE ask you a question three times.
buuboobaby's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars
Wonderful MG fantasy with a strong female lead and a great cast of supporting characters. I couldn't put this one down. Suspenseful and exciting, this is a fun read.
Full review here: http://www.mangamaniaccafe.com/?p=5972
Wonderful MG fantasy with a strong female lead and a great cast of supporting characters. I couldn't put this one down. Suspenseful and exciting, this is a fun read.
Full review here: http://www.mangamaniaccafe.com/?p=5972
readtoramble's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 STARS
Winterling by Sarah Prineas is the first book in the Winterling series that follows Jennifer – or Fer – as she discovers a whole new world that is just waiting for her, and one in which she more than belongs.
The Way is the path that Fer takes into the other world, and once she gets there, it is such a unique and detailed place. The author did an amazing job of infusing character, darkness, the pervading evil and sense that something is wrong, forged into what once was a beautiful land, and all brought together in what I call an “atmospheric” atmosphere. In other worlds, the author nailed this element for me.
I really enjoyed this book. It was much darker than I was expecting, but I think that it will get a lot less dark in the next book and that we will learn so much more about the land, the people, the past and all the secrets that grip the Way.
The pacing was actually really good and while it did maybe go a little bit fast, I like that this book was fairly short and that this is (so far) a 3 book series. I also loved all the elements about the seasons and how the Mor can change winter into spring with the sacrifices she has to make. The atmosphere, the setting and the plot were all elements that I really enjoyed and I think that with the author’s beautiful writing style, she pulled this all off really well.
I gave this book 4.5 stars. This was just missing that tiny spark I need to give a book 5 stars, but since this is a series, I’m sure the 5 stars will be awarded to one of them. I thoroughly enjoyed Winterling, I was engaged, intrigued and fascinated by everything, and I loved the different characters, the reveals and the knowledge that so much more is coming.
If you love middle grade stories that are more on the dark side, with resilient and determined main characters, intriguing and possibly evil side characters, a very strong and gloomy atmosphere, an interesting plot and beautiful writing, then this is the book for you. I highly recommend it.
My full review will be up on my blog soon.
Winterling by Sarah Prineas is the first book in the Winterling series that follows Jennifer – or Fer – as she discovers a whole new world that is just waiting for her, and one in which she more than belongs.
The Way is the path that Fer takes into the other world, and once she gets there, it is such a unique and detailed place. The author did an amazing job of infusing character, darkness, the pervading evil and sense that something is wrong, forged into what once was a beautiful land, and all brought together in what I call an “atmospheric” atmosphere. In other worlds, the author nailed this element for me.
I really enjoyed this book. It was much darker than I was expecting, but I think that it will get a lot less dark in the next book and that we will learn so much more about the land, the people, the past and all the secrets that grip the Way.
The pacing was actually really good and while it did maybe go a little bit fast, I like that this book was fairly short and that this is (so far) a 3 book series. I also loved all the elements about the seasons and how the Mor can change winter into spring with the sacrifices she has to make. The atmosphere, the setting and the plot were all elements that I really enjoyed and I think that with the author’s beautiful writing style, she pulled this all off really well.
I gave this book 4.5 stars. This was just missing that tiny spark I need to give a book 5 stars, but since this is a series, I’m sure the 5 stars will be awarded to one of them. I thoroughly enjoyed Winterling, I was engaged, intrigued and fascinated by everything, and I loved the different characters, the reveals and the knowledge that so much more is coming.
If you love middle grade stories that are more on the dark side, with resilient and determined main characters, intriguing and possibly evil side characters, a very strong and gloomy atmosphere, an interesting plot and beautiful writing, then this is the book for you. I highly recommend it.
My full review will be up on my blog soon.