A review by themountaingoats
Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore

:/ fine but underwhelming next to its predecessors. the multiple POVs, bringing back giddon and bitterblue as central characters for SOME reason (?), and the lack of focus on the central parent/child relationship (which is frequently the most compelling part  of graceling books) made this feel a lot weaker comparatively. i probably would’ve liked it a lot more if we had stayed entirely w Lovisa and been introduced to everything through her. i can’t be “objective” or nuanced with this series because the first 3 meant so much to me when i was growing up. a departure from formula can be great, but it really didn’t work for me here. really disappointed, and kinda sad that i’m too old for even my favorite YA to feel the same anymore or to be impactful.