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A review by kayaj
Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw
4.0
I absolutely LOVED the Shea Ernshaw’s debut, The Wicked Deep. I was happy to note that her follow-up, while a totally different story, was still recognizable as the same author. But first, can we just appreciate the cover?!?! And the naked hardback is GORGEOUS, with silvery-blue tree branches creeping up the book. Hats off to the design team! It’s absolutely beautiful*.
*oh come on, you all KNOW that i’m shallow when it comes to book covers. sometimes i’m more judgmental about the cover than the actual book itself
The writing/atmosphere! I LOVE good atmosphere. The Wicked Deep tasted of salt and beach and stormy summer, while this was pure snow and forest and witchy, witchy magic. Imagery (especially nature and stars) is something I highly prize in writing, so when it’s done well I SCREAM and tab and SCREAM some more! So obviously, I fell head-over-heels in love!
Nora was an incredible female character. All her life, people had called her weird and wanted nothing to do with her. Still, she isn’t ashamed that she is a Walker, a witch. Her only regret is not being able to learn more from her grandmother before her death, and not having a shadow (special talent) like all Walker women before her.
“I want to be like the women who came before me, brave and clever with the shimmer of dark moonlight in their veins.”
Oliver was…interesting. I neither liked nor disliked him at first, then my emotions wavered, and towards the end I was definitely rooting for him! His chapters were short and vague, only adding to the sense of uneasy mystery pervading the entirety of the book.
it got pretty intense, not going to lie.
I guessed part of the big plot twist at the end, but the ending? TOTALLY unpredictable. In fact, I think that the last 100 pages really solidified how much I enjoy Ernshaw’s stories, because while I don’t adore her romance or characters as much as others, her writing and plotting is just so excellent. I got Life Is Strange vibes, actually*.
*i just realized that one of the characters is named max caulfield AND i got life is strange vibes…i'm screaming
The romance was okay. WAY too insta-lovey for my tastes, with a bit too much teenage drama and angst. I ended up personally not minding it much because the conclusion was so fantastic in my eyes but if that’s something that really bothers you, I’d recommend perhaps adjusting your expectations or reconsidering!
“…I didn’t imagine him: a boy made of snow and dark stars. And once the sun rose in the sky, he turned back into dust and disappeared.”
The setting was not my favorite. Mainly because we stay in the area for most of the book, so it felt a little redundant at times. Of course, that might just be because I’m used to fantasy novels that take you to a trillion places in one book haha! But the pace, plot, and setting of Winterwood didn’t quite keep my interest at times, at least not as much as I wished.
So in conclusion, 4/5 Lost Things!
A huge thank you to Simon and Schuster for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
*oh come on, you all KNOW that i’m shallow when it comes to book covers. sometimes i’m more judgmental about the cover than the actual book itself
The writing/atmosphere! I LOVE good atmosphere. The Wicked Deep tasted of salt and beach and stormy summer, while this was pure snow and forest and witchy, witchy magic. Imagery (especially nature and stars) is something I highly prize in writing, so when it’s done well I SCREAM and tab and SCREAM some more! So obviously, I fell head-over-heels in love!
Nora was an incredible female character. All her life, people had called her weird and wanted nothing to do with her. Still, she isn’t ashamed that she is a Walker, a witch. Her only regret is not being able to learn more from her grandmother before her death, and not having a shadow (special talent) like all Walker women before her.
“I want to be like the women who came before me, brave and clever with the shimmer of dark moonlight in their veins.”
Oliver was…interesting. I neither liked nor disliked him at first, then my emotions wavered, and towards the end I was definitely rooting for him! His chapters were short and vague, only adding to the sense of uneasy mystery pervading the entirety of the book.
it got pretty intense, not going to lie.
I guessed part of the big plot twist at the end, but the ending? TOTALLY unpredictable. In fact, I think that the last 100 pages really solidified how much I enjoy Ernshaw’s stories, because while I don’t adore her romance or characters as much as others, her writing and plotting is just so excellent. I got Life Is Strange vibes, actually*.
*i just realized that one of the characters is named max caulfield AND i got life is strange vibes…i'm screaming
The romance was okay. WAY too insta-lovey for my tastes, with a bit too much teenage drama and angst. I ended up personally not minding it much because the conclusion was so fantastic in my eyes but if that’s something that really bothers you, I’d recommend perhaps adjusting your expectations or reconsidering!
“…I didn’t imagine him: a boy made of snow and dark stars. And once the sun rose in the sky, he turned back into dust and disappeared.”
The setting was not my favorite. Mainly because we stay in the area for most of the book, so it felt a little redundant at times. Of course, that might just be because I’m used to fantasy novels that take you to a trillion places in one book haha! But the pace, plot, and setting of Winterwood didn’t quite keep my interest at times, at least not as much as I wished.
So in conclusion, 4/5 Lost Things!
A huge thank you to Simon and Schuster for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!