bibliobrittish's profile picture

bibliobrittish 's review for:

Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore
5.0

4.5 - Reading the original Graceling Realm trilogy over the past year was a salve for the soul. Cashore's writing is both beautiful and story-driven all at once, where many authors only do one or the other. Winterkeep is no exception. But where the first three books were intimate accounts of a single character's POV, Winterkeep is a sprawling gut punch that dives deep into political intrigue and doesn't shy away from anger.

Though it took me a few chapters to settle in, once Lovisa's POV was added, it was near-impossible to put down. Her hurts were my hurts (many of which hit a little too close to home), her joys my joys. I adored the various romances that flourished amidst so much strife, the new animal friends, and Giddon & Hava's friendly banter that had me falling off my chair laughing. Actually, many a moment had me struggling to contain my giggles late at night - Cashore a master at balancing the high stakes and gentle moments.

With twist & turns you'll never see coming, I can only hope Winterkeep is the beginning of so much more - a necessary expansion amidst the boon of YA authors revisiting older worlds. Oh, and did I mention it's magnificently queer?