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A review by steve_pagechewing
The Winter Road by Adrian Selby
5.0
I had high expectations for this book, it's been one I've been looking forward to for a while. But I didn't expect it to have this much of an impact on me.
This is one of the few books I didn't mind reading the synopsis, it gives you just enough detail to tell you about the story without spoiling anything. We follow Teyr, who is on a mission to travel through the Circle, which is an untamed land full of warlords and warring clans she used to call home.
This book starts off with a bang. You know within the first few pages what kind of ride this is going to be. Or do you?
In this world herbs are almost like drugs. With the right recipe you can craft all sorts of brews that can do all sorts of things, good and bad.
I'm picky about action, especially in fantasy books. The action scenes in The Winter Road are quick, disorienting and visceral. During the fight scenes you feel like you're there and the world is spinning around you. There's a brutal, violent and moving story between these pages that are going to stick with me for a while. It's not just a story about the Circle and our main character Teyr.
There is lots of traveling, and you can feel the distance - it wears on you. The environment is oppressive. The danger is always present. You never feel safe. When things really get going the story takes some absolutely devastating twists and turns.
As the story unraveled I thought about life. About getting older and our bodies shutting down. About the passage of time, no matter how hard you try there will always be something in your way, some obstacle to overcome.
This is a story about life, history, time, getting older and love. When I flipped the last page of the book I kept thinking about the story, that's the kind of story I love.
Video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI6AOJLuwaY&t
SPOILER discussion with Adrian Selby: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGoG8mZbxmw&t
This is one of the few books I didn't mind reading the synopsis, it gives you just enough detail to tell you about the story without spoiling anything. We follow Teyr, who is on a mission to travel through the Circle, which is an untamed land full of warlords and warring clans she used to call home.
This book starts off with a bang. You know within the first few pages what kind of ride this is going to be. Or do you?
In this world herbs are almost like drugs. With the right recipe you can craft all sorts of brews that can do all sorts of things, good and bad.
I'm picky about action, especially in fantasy books. The action scenes in The Winter Road are quick, disorienting and visceral. During the fight scenes you feel like you're there and the world is spinning around you. There's a brutal, violent and moving story between these pages that are going to stick with me for a while. It's not just a story about the Circle and our main character Teyr.
There is lots of traveling, and you can feel the distance - it wears on you. The environment is oppressive. The danger is always present. You never feel safe. When things really get going the story takes some absolutely devastating twists and turns.
As the story unraveled I thought about life. About getting older and our bodies shutting down. About the passage of time, no matter how hard you try there will always be something in your way, some obstacle to overcome.
This is a story about life, history, time, getting older and love. When I flipped the last page of the book I kept thinking about the story, that's the kind of story I love.
Video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI6AOJLuwaY&t
SPOILER discussion with Adrian Selby: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGoG8mZbxmw&t