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Winterblaze (Darkest London #3)

by Kristen Callihan (Goodreads Author)

4.06 of 5 stars 4.06 · rating details · 666 ratings · 186 reviews

Once blissfully in love . . .

Poppy Lane is keeping secrets. Her powerful gift has earned her membership in the Society for the Suppression of Supernaturals, but she must keep both her ability and her alliance with the Society from her husband, Winston. Yet when Winston is brutally attacked by a werewolf, Poppy's secrets are revealed, leaving Winston's trust in her as broke...more

Mass Market Paperback, 400 pages

Published February 26th 2013 by Grand Central Publishing

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Jan 31, 2013 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-pnr-sci-fi-romance

Poppy and Winstone have been married for fourteen years. And for fourteen years Poppy has been keeping secrets. As a member of The Society for the Suppression of Supernaturals (SOS), she and others like her, keep the human world ignorant and safe from the supernatural world. When Winstone, a police inspector, is attacked by a werewolf, he finds out that Poppy is not who she appears to be, his wife the bookseller. When Poppy receives a message that a demon is out to get Winstone, Poppy will do ev...more

33 likes · like · see review

Feb 27, 2013 Annie (Under the Covers Book Blog) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, author-kristen-callahan, books-i-go-rabid-over, books-i-own, favorites, drinks-on-me, king-of-the-harem, for-fresh-fiction-review, genre-historical-romance, read-in-2012, review-requests, series-darkest-london, covers-to-covet, my-hottie-harem

5+++ stars!

The gloomy streets of London are the backdrop to WINTERBLAZE, the third book in Kristen Callihan's Darkest London series. It is the perfect setting for an action- filled romance and I get giddy just thinking about returning to this world!

Kristen Callihan is a master storyteller. She displays her unique talent for plotting and pacing with absolute ease, yet I cannot fathom the amount of planning it takes to pull off what she has accomplished in WINTERBLAZE. The resolution is perfectly...more

11 likes · like · see review

Mar 12, 2013 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: darkest-london, favorites, frau-badass, heartbreaking-separation, hey-look-what-i-can-do, historical-romance, kindle, knocked-up, kristen-callihan, not-your-typical-paranormalian, demons-do-it-for-me, once-is-never-enough, paranormal-romance, revenge-is-sweet, scarred, second-chance-at-love, what-a-jerk

5+++ stars

It's a toss-up, but 'Winterblaze' may just top 'Firelight' as my favorite in this awesome series!

... which really means I think I love Winston even more than Archer!

Callihan has once again crafted a superb story set in a dark and gloomy 19th century London. In the aftermath of events from the last book a ravaged Winston has left Poppy, his indomitable wife of 14 years, after learning that who and what he believed her to be was a mere facade. But an evil force from both of their pasts h...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Kathleen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, pnr-uf

Loved the first two books in this series. Was so looking forward to this one. It started off beautifully, and I was almost giddy. Callihan is a superb writer; her narrative is tight, her dialogue flows.

And the cover is simply gorgeous.

Unfortunately, the story structure did not work for me. I found it more than a little frustrating. The setting jumped from the present to 14 years in the past. It seemed that every time the tension in 1881 grew tight -- bam! -- I'd be back in 1867. And that peace...more Loved the first two books in this series. Was so looking forward to this one. It started off beautifully, and I was almost giddy. Callihan is a superb writer; her narrative is tight, her dialogue flows.

And the cover is simply gorgeous.

Unfortunately, the story structure did not work for me. I found it more than a little frustrating. The setting jumped from the present to 14 years in the past. It seemed that every time the tension in 1881 grew tight -- bam! -- I'd be back in 1867. And that peaceful visit to the past bugged me, because in the present, Poppy and Winston have only four days to find something, or else! Four days. So I'm feeling urgent, but the text takes me into the past. But there are no clues there, and I wasn't all that interested in their life back then (but I loved the prologue -- when they first met at Victoria Station).

Moreover, the POV shifted at irritating times. I'd be reading an emotional scene with Poppy and Win, and -- bam -- I'd be elsewhere, in Jack's head, for example.

On top of that, whenever Winston and Poppy were about to make love -- bam! -- an interruption: a knock at the door one time, a terrified scream, a cough, etc. Please!

So, on many levels the leapfrogging structure of the narrative was irritating. I felt like the author was yanking at my chain. The pacing began to drag for me. Gradually I lost interest in this couple.

Too often the characters were stupid. They know the strongest demon is after them, and they do not take appropriate safety measures or preventions (especially the scenes on the ship). I questioned Winston's intelligence -- signing that contract?? Not the first time, under the influence. The second time, on the ship. He didn't read the fine print. Oops. And the stupidity of wrestling with a demon when (view spoiler).

Positives: All that said, some action scenes had me on the edge of my seat. The spiders. And some erotic scenes were lovely. The heartbreak that Poppy displayed at the beginning was authentic and moving. I chuckled at how Poppy stopped the ship from sailing, so she could board it. It was also good to see Daisy again, from book 2, because I had been unsure how strong she would be in her new state of existence, as a GIM. (Miranda did nothing for me in this book. Seemed immature.) Archer and Ian are always favorites. Glad they got a part. Plus, I enjoyed touring the headquarters of the SOS.

Finally, I don't like the way things played out. We learn something about the three sisters that, along with other things that happened back in book 1, make me question the connected storyline across all three books. Plus, the reason given for what happened to poor ____ lacked credibility, given the collaborative relationship that exists between SOS and Lycans. It was just like, "Oh, my minions went too far..." when in fact, there was never any reason for ___ to sic the bloody buggers on him in the first place. He was making no headway -- was no more a threat than Mary. A plot contrivance, devised mostly for book 4. The epilogue is nothing but a pitch for book 4. It doesn't even involve Poppy and Winston.

I will probably read book 4.

Content: explicit sex, cussing and profanity, violence, some gory parts(less)

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Mar 14, 2013 Layla rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-release, genre-historical, genre-paranormal-fantasy-urban-sf, part-of-a-series, rating-2-stars, read-in-2013

It's yummy Paul Marron(aka Lothaire) on cover, I think!

God, I love this author's covers!

5 likes · like · see review

Jun 12, 2013 Ren is currently reading it

Shelves: drooling-cover, favorite-cover, paul-marron-cover, new-release-2013

NetGalley decline my request for this. Whaaa? They always accept me before and also accept me for both Firelight and Moonglow!!!
Riiiiiiight, I will patiently waiting for this book to come and buy the paperback version. Beside, I named as Ren so I can become woman who have much patience in herself (okay the last part is exaggerating :)) )

One reason why I think I (must) buy this :

PAUL MARRON

Yes, I'm fans of him, and I'm not ashamed about it ;)

EDIT : After I read Moonglow; I'm afraid its not just t...more

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May 08, 2013 Mika rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr, february-2013-release, bored-me-to-death, books-with-stupid-annoying-heroines, meh-characters, meh-hero

I'm officially abandoning Winterblaze. What an awful, awful book. I'm so disappointed that this 3rd installment in the series was such a bore. The main characters couldn't be more uninteresting if they tried. The plot seemed contrived too.

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Mar 04, 2013 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr

A wonderful blend of historical, paranormal world with shifters, demons and just a touch of steampunk.

Kristen Callihan doesn't disappoint with her world building, intense plot and romance. Enjoy!

9 likes · like · see review

Feb 27, 2013 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars

There are so many things I like about the Darkest London series. I love the dark atmosphere and gothic feel of these books. The characters are engaging and interesting. The sexual tension and payoffs satisfy. Each story maintains the tone and core characters, but they still manage to stand apart from each other... each with very different kind of romance.

This book features Poppy, the third and eldest of the Ellis sisters. Unlike the first two book, our couple is already an established o...more 4.5 Stars

There are so many things I like about the Darkest London series. I love the dark atmosphere and gothic feel of these books. The characters are engaging and interesting. The sexual tension and payoffs satisfy. Each story maintains the tone and core characters, but they still manage to stand apart from each other... each with very different kind of romance.

This book features Poppy, the third and eldest of the Ellis sisters. Unlike the first two book, our couple is already an established one here. Poppy and her husband Winston have been married for 14 years, and they are very much in love. But at the end of Moonglow, Winston was attacked by a paranormal being, which opened his eyes to a world he never knew existed. A world his wife is very much a part of. As long as he has known her, she has hidden not only her ice elemental abilities, but the fact that she runs an organization which polices the rogues of the supernatural community. It's too much for him to handle, and walks out on her.

As the story begins, it's been three months since the two of them have been apart. Each is miserable without the other, but neither knows if they can forgive the other for the hurt caused. A demon puts an end to their separation when he threatens Winston to get to Poppy. Without spoiling the details, Poppy and Win must work together to meet the demon's demands or their lose something more precious than either is willing to sacrifice.

It's not often I can get really invested in an established couple. I'm really more a fan of that first blush of attraction and feeling you get with a new relationship. However, I thought Kristen Callihan really made this love story sing. First of all, I loved the flashbacks. We do get to see the beginning of this relationship. But even better is the way that the roadblocks between Winston and Poppy in the present create a believable threat to their future. The sexual tension is still phenomenal (something that is usually the first thing to go with a married couple story) and I found myself rooting hard for these two to make it to the bedroom.

I liked both characters a lot. Winston is not the paragon we first thought him to be and I like seeing his flaws. By the same token, we find that Poppy's deceit isn't as cut and dry and we thought either. She tried to do the right thing, and through the course of the story we learn how her choices were taken away. Everyone has made mistakes, but all for honor or love.

I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to address the secondary characters. Archer, Miranda, Ian, and Daisy are back. (And we learn more about the sisters and what makes them so special.) But the real scene stealers are Mary, the Ghost in the Machine, and Jack Talent, Ian's shapeshifting valet. Clearly, they are the focus of the next book, Shadowdance, and their setup is amazing. Their scenes here have me foaming at the mouth to read their story.

I'd say this book is about on par with Moonglow for me. I liked it a lot, though a shade less than I loved Firelight. Maybe Firelight will just always be my favorite. But this is very, very good and I would definitely recommend it to fans of the series. And for those of you who haven't tried these book yet... what are you waiting for??

Rating: B+

*ARC Provided by Forever via NetGalley(less)

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Mar 14, 2013 Alicia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, netgalley, own-kindle-netgalley

First of all, thanks to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a review copy through NetGalley.

Winterblaze is the third book in the Darkest London series. It features Poppy and her guy Winston. Poppy is the oldest of three sisters, and the prior two books focused on the love lives of her little sisters Miranda and Daisy.

In the prior two novels of this series, Poppy and Winston made minor appearances, but I wasn't particularly fond of either of them. Poppy seemed a little frigid, making d...more First of all, thanks to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a review copy through NetGalley.

Winterblaze is the third book in the Darkest London series. It features Poppy and her guy Winston. Poppy is the oldest of three sisters, and the prior two books focused on the love lives of her little sisters Miranda and Daisy.

In the prior two novels of this series, Poppy and Winston made minor appearances, but I wasn't particularly fond of either of them. Poppy seemed a little frigid, making decisions and keeping secrets that affected her sisters, who were the POV characters. Also, Poppy and her husband Winston were basically an old married couple, and Winston was an investigator--not a fighter.

Basically, what I'm saying is that I did not have high hopes for this book. I was not expecting a kick-ass story out of a stiff older sister and her boring husband. Boy, was I wrong!

Having recently recovered from a supernatural attack, Winston's been recuperating in the home of the werewolf Ian Ranulf. Ian and Archer (the mates of Poppy's sisters) have nursed him to health and taught him how to kick some butt. If he wasn't that sexy alpha male before, he sure is now.

And it turns out that Poppy is deeply involved with a society for policing supernatural activity. Unlike Miranda and Daisy, Poppy has spent her whole life kicking butt. Of all the sisters, she is the most bad ass.

When the lies of their past are uncovered at the beginning of Winterblaze, Poppy and Winston's marriage comes apart at the seams. As a result, we do get the sexual tension and angst and indecision that comes with good romance novels. On top of that, we have a history of lies to unravel, many of which are revealed in a series of flashbacks. Usually, flashbacks annoy me when used a lot. In this case, however, since the memory of their past had been altered by supernatural circumstances, I thought it worked well. I was interested in both their past and their present.

I enjoyed Winterblaze much more than I thought I would. For me, it was better than Moonglow and just as good as Firelight.(less)

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Feb 27, 2013 Jo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, 2013-challenge, review-for-vbc, books-i-own-audio

Review copy provided by publisher via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest view

Originally reviewed for and posted at Vampire Book Club

Rating (out of 5): 5 stars

Note: This review will be spoiler-free, but it does refer to events in previous books. If you haven’t read them yet, check out our reviews for Firelight and Moonglow, books 1 and 2 in this series.

I didn’t think I could possible fall any harder for this gothic Victorian world, but Winterblaze, the third installment of Kristen Callihan’s ut...more

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Feb 22, 2013 Carmel (Rabid Reads) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

Every Darkest London installment is truly unique; unlike most romance series that only switch up the main love interest from book to book, Callihan actually reshapes her whole universe to fit each of her characters’ individual perspectives. She does it once again in Winterblaze by rekindling an existing relationship between a married couple instead of the standard budding romance story. The result is a fresh outlook on love, a fun combination of flashbacks vs. current eve...more Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

Every Darkest London installment is truly unique; unlike most romance series that only switch up the main love interest from book to book, Callihan actually reshapes her whole universe to fit each of her characters’ individual perspectives. She does it once again in Winterblaze by rekindling an existing relationship between a married couple instead of the standard budding romance story. The result is a fresh outlook on love, a fun combination of flashbacks vs. current events and some serious conflict!

Kristen Callihan has never failed to sweep me away with her phenomenal writing style and the trend continues in Winterblaze. Her world-building skills are unmatched and I loved that she incorporated flashbacks to help readers understand what Poppy and Win’s relationship was like prior to their spat. In a way, this book felt like 2-in-1 because of the different time periods. We get to learn about how they met, their courtship and marriage which really helped add some romance into the mix seeing how they were at odds with each other for a good portion of this novel. It’s basically a love story in reverse!

Poppy is a very different kind of heroine compared to her sisters that were featured in previous installments; instead of being a delicate rose she’s the thorns on its stem. Mrs. Lane is a walking contradiction; for society’s sake she appears to be a proper lady but in secret she kicks more butt than her detective husband! The characters in this series are incredibly well rounded and I was glad that I got to learn an equal amount about both halves of this couple because Winston is no less endearing than his wife. Despite all of the lies and secrets that have managed to come between them I never doubted that their love would win out in the end. Plus, the occasional fight can be healthy for a relationship if only because of the make-up sex that usually follows! I loved the diversity of the nookie scenes in this book; they ranged from angry to passionate. Very intense and satisfying!

The pacing and the plotting of this novel are as usual, exquisite. Unraveling the layers upon layers of secrets was pure joy; just when you think that you’ve finally reached the heart of the matter you uncover yet another untruth that even the fibbers themselves were unaware of. This installment is the most supernatural one out of the bunch with endless zombie and demon action which makes this book my favourite Darkest London story to date and quite possible one of my top reads of 2013!

(less)

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Feb 27, 2013 BamaGal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-from-publisher, pnr-uf, historical, steampunk

4+ Stars. All the secrets that Poppy Lane has been keeping from her husband of 14 years about her involvement in SOS blew up in her face by the end of Moonglow. At the beginning of this story, Poppy and Winston are separated, but a series of events pulls them back together when they are sent on a quest by a demon. With the aid of shifter Jack Talent and GIM Mary Chase, they have only a matter of days to retrieve what the mysterious 'Moira Darling' hid away from the demon, and give it to him. Alo...more

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Feb 22, 2013 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-releases, arc-wishlist, paranormal-romance

*Genre* Paranormal Romance
*Rating* 4-5 stars <--debating

*Full Review shortly*

OK, so seriously, this book is freaking hotter than a cat on a hot summers night. I would love to find someone who dares complain about the lack of sex in this book. What lack of sex? Readers of this series will be satiated with lust and envy after reading this book. I'm not sure if Kristen could get any hotter with her characters or her sex scenes :::fans self:: I need some ice to cool off after reading this book. I...more

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May 23, 2013 Diayll rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, netgalley

Originally Reviewed At: Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 5 Controllers
Review Source: NetGalley
Reviewer: Heather

It’s not any big secret how much I’ve fallen in love with Kristen Callahan. I think I’ve stated this before, when I reviewed her first and second books from the Darkest London series. What I love most is that you can pick up wherever, but starting at the beginning is always fun too.

I don’t do spoilers, but I will say that the first three books follow the lives of three sisters. The third boo...more

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May 09, 2013 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013, borrowed

How I love this series. Though I can't say that book 3 is my favorite, I adored Winston and Poppy. Through Firelight and Moonglow, we've only had the privilege of seeing this couple from the perspective of others.

And such a distorted perspective it is.

Both Winston and Poppy carry their own secrets. Moonglow left Winston nearly dead and his marriage to Poppy shattered. It was the kind of ending that had me dying to pick up Winterblaze as soon as possible.

DYING. (Figuratively, not literally. In ca...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Sara rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: did-not-finish

This had quite a lot of potential: a romance novel about a long-term married couple who had never been with anyone else (rare on the part of the male character), and an interesting supernatural/steampunkish world. But unfortunately...the plot dragged so badly I was unable to keep going. Particularly as the two main characters spent paragraphs and paragraphs and pages and pages lusting after one another--to the point of near-ridiculousness. The point was made very early on that yes, despite some...more

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Apr 25, 2013 May Mostly Romance rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, steampunk

ขอเริ่มต้นด้วยการบอกเลยว่า จู่ ๆ เราก็เกิดความรู้สึกว่า อยากอ่านหนังสือเล่มนี้มาก ๆ โดยไม่มีเหตุผลอะไรทั้งสิ้น ไม่ใช่เพราะมีเพื่อนมาส่งข่าวว่า สนุก หรือได้ยินมาจากแหล่งข่าวหนใด มันเหมือนตื่นขึ้นมาก็คิดว่า หนังสือเรื่องนี้คงจะต้องเป็นหนังสือที่โคตรสนุกเลยแน่นอน คิดแบบนี้จริง ๆ นะคะ

ดังนั้นขอเตือนไว้แล้วกันค่ะ เราไม่แน่ใจว่า สะกดจิตตัวเองให้ชอบเล่มนี้รึเปล่านะคะ แต่เราบอกความรู้สึกตอนนี้ (คือหลังจากอ่านจบไปหนึ่งวัน) เราชอบเรื่องนี้มากมาย และถือเป็นหนึ่งในหนังสือที่เราคิดว่า สนุกที่สุดที่ได้อ่านในปี...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-kristie

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: Another strong installment in the Darkest London series.

Opening Sentence: Winston Lane could never recall the impetus that prompted him to leave the confines of his first class railway compartment and step back onto the platform.

The Review:

Kristen Callihan continues her Darkest London series with another strong female character. Poppy Lane has spent most of her life keeping secrets and about half of it running a secret organization. These s...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Melyssa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Poppy Lane is used to being in charge. As the eldest Ellis sister and as the head of a secret society that polices the supernatural while the rest of London sleeps, she is used to the burden of responsibility. Recently, her already unpredictable life was turned in its head, her adoring husband is attacked and discovers the world in which Poppy is immersed. Now, months later, they are still estranged. Poppy understands Winston’s hurt and irritation. He nearly died, now bears an horrific pattern o...more Poppy Lane is used to being in charge. As the eldest Ellis sister and as the head of a secret society that polices the supernatural while the rest of London sleeps, she is used to the burden of responsibility. Recently, her already unpredictable life was turned in its head, her adoring husband is attacked and discovers the world in which Poppy is immersed. Now, months later, they are still estranged. Poppy understands Winston’s hurt and irritation. He nearly died, now bears an horrific pattern of scars, and learned that his wife has been keeping important secrets for the past fourteen years. In spite of all of this, Poppy seeks him out, after receiving a warning that his life is in danger. What follows next is a mad dash around London to find something that was taken from a very vengeful demon many years ago. The cost of failure will be a soul dear to both of them. If that were not enough to deal with, there is the small matter of broken trust, and the fear that their entire marriage is based upon a terrible foundation of lies and deceit.

This installment of Darkest London is a worthy addition to the series. The story goes back and forth in time, letting the reader in on the courtship and early marriage of Poppy and Winston. While other authors may have opted to pull these and offer them as a prequel novella, Callihan instead uses them to make the storylines even stronger. It’s a clever literary device, for characters that already have an established relationship we have viewed in other books in the series. My only ‘complaint’ is a very superficial one, dealing with the voyeuristic delight we take in reading romance novels. Since the Lane’s must essentially rebuild their relationship, there is a whole lot more sexual teasing in this book then in the others. Their broken trust only allows them to get so far, in many of the love scenes or they are summarily interrupted by other plot events. When the deed is finally done, it is a in the name of important plot advancement and character development. It is an interesting use of the rekindling of their romance as an important plot device. It answers the question of “How can you write a romance novel about an established couple?” I really enjoyed that the pair is able to learn so much about each other through their struggles and that they are even more layered characters that previously expected. Overall, I am very impressed and looking forward to learning even more about the SOS. Faithful fans and new readers alike will enjoy the novel and with me, will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

ARC received from: NetGalley
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Date of Publication: February 26, 2013(less)

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Apr 03, 2013 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Mixed feelings on this one... the mystery is kind of sparse and lacked some of the urgency I would've expected, given the deadline (given 4 days to find a woman, they basically seem to wander from place to place asking "hey, have you heard of this woman? Have YOU heard of this woman?"). I'm not even sure how they *made* the deadline... they seemed to have another day on the ship before it docked, and then a day in London, and then three days at the house party, and then another couple... mpf. An...more Mixed feelings on this one... the mystery is kind of sparse and lacked some of the urgency I would've expected, given the deadline (given 4 days to find a woman, they basically seem to wander from place to place asking "hey, have you heard of this woman? Have YOU heard of this woman?"). I'm not even sure how they *made* the deadline... they seemed to have another day on the ship before it docked, and then a day in London, and then three days at the house party, and then another couple... mpf. And there wasn't really any detective work involved in solving the mystery, just pure luck in stumbling over the answer in time. (Also, ridiculously overpowered villains annoy the crap out of me.) And, given how much the H/h yearned for one another and CLEARLY belonged together, I couldn't quite figure out why they were resisting the inevitable for so long. Win's feelings of betrayal didn't have any immediacy for me, and Poppy... well, Poppy WANTED him back, I can't quite figure out why she resisted at all.

This title most definitely cannot stand alone from the previous two. There's too much built on past references to Poppy's organization, the significance of her role as Mother, her relationship with her sisters, and all the supporting cast and worldbuilding from the previous books for this one to be read on its own. In fact, it really could have used a bit more of the "when last we left our heroes..." schtick. I *have* read the previous books in the series, but I didn't really remember the details of Win's attack, or that much about GIMs. I almost feel like a "six months ago..." flashback would've been a better place to start the book, so we'd at least be all on the same page (so to speak) with the cause of the main characters' feelings of betrayal/abandonment, and to give Win's PTSD a little more substance.

The ending was *quite* clever (and DID, at least, involve some detective work), but the whole "I vow to defeat the bad guy, even though I secretly believe it's hopeless" tune was sung a few too many times, for me.

As I said... mixed feelings. Not sure I'm going to pick up the next one, either. The GIM kinda annoys me, and Talent is just too angry-emo for words.(less)

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Mar 05, 2013 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, romance

With Winterblaze, Kristen Callihan brings us the third book in her Darkest London series. There are so many things I like about the Darkest London series. I love the dark atmosphere and gothic feel of these books. The characters are engaging and interesting. The sexual tension and payoffs satisfy. Each story maintains the tone and core characters, but they still manage to stand apart from each other, each with very different kind of romance. We are already quite familiar with the heroine Poppy E...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Eggletina rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the third in an ongoing series. I found it to be the weakest of the three in terms of plot, character and world-building developments. The previous books had interesting themes that offset any niggles I had, but I didn’t find that to be a strength in this particular book. Though there are some interesting developments pertaining to their families and the secrets they’ve been keeping, nearly everything about Poppy and Winston fell flat for me so its impact was lost on me. Both Winston and...more This is the third in an ongoing series. I found it to be the weakest of the three in terms of plot, character and world-building developments. The previous books had interesting themes that offset any niggles I had, but I didn’t find that to be a strength in this particular book. Though there are some interesting developments pertaining to their families and the secrets they’ve been keeping, nearly everything about Poppy and Winston fell flat for me so its impact was lost on me. Both Winston and Poppy harbored secrets which created a sense of betrayal when finally exposed (I say ‘betrayal’ rather than trust issues, because I really think they spent most of their time either responding to or coming to terms with the revealed truth about themselves instead of really exploring it). Winston was badly injured in the previous book, so I expected them both to be changed by what happened. However, they came across as completely different characters rather than changed now that it was time for their own story, which made an already contrived story feel even more so. The plot developments felt more like plot devices and weren’t explored in any way that satisfied me. Have you ever bought something that was really poorly put together, such as a garment made with cheap thread that fell apart after its first washing? That’s what the plot of this book felt like to me: hastily sewn together and rather flimsy upon close inspection. From the previous books, I envisioned Mother as a behind-the-scenes kind of person directing others but in the background by necessity, but here she is pretty much acting on her own and very kick-ass. It just wasn’t very convincing. The changed Winston as a man who’d spent 14 years as an Inspector wasn’t very convincing to me either. Winston and Poppy both had complete personality overhauls in this book that their double-life didn't adequately explain and that felt forced. I also had issues with how the villain in this is used. The author provides some interesting developments there but didn't explore it in the way I had hoped. I can't really say more about that without getting into major spoilers. Suffice it to say, I found the characters' interactions with the villain problematic for a variety of reasons. Overall: this was a lot of build-up and filler material for very little pay-off. I did like Jack and Mary, though, and will be interested in their story. I just hope theirs gets developed in way that has much better pay-off than this one. If not, I doubt I’ll return to the series after that. I do have hope for Jack and Mary. I think they've had more build-up to their own story than Winston and Poppy had in the book that preceded theirs.(less)

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Feb 13, 2013 Kathy Davie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, paranormal, romance

Third in the Darkest London historical paranormal romance series revolving around three Ellis sisters in 1883 . The primary couple focus is on Poppy Lane, a.k.a., Mother, and Winston Lane with a secondary focus priming the pump, so to speak, between Mary Chase and Jack Talent.

I received an ARC from the publisher.

My Take
This story is the absolute best of the three and just so, oh, so very incredibly romantic. A tragic romance absolutely dripping with love in a tangled tale that twists in and arou...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

ORIGINAL POST AT Fangs, Wands and Fairy Dust
WINTERBLAZE by Kristen Callahan:
Longer Format Suits Beach or Blizzard

WINTERBLAZE

Darkest London Series
Kristen Callihan
Grand Central Publishing/Forever
Feb 26, 2013
448 pages
Mass Market Paperback, Kindle, Audio
E-Galley loaned by Publisher via Net Galley.
No remuneration was exchanged and all opinions herein are my own unless otherwise noted.

Once blissfully in love . . .
Poppy Lane is keeping secrets. Her powerful gift has earned her membership

...more

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Dec 23, 2012 Jaclyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, victorian, steampunk-gaslight, historical-romance, net-galley, zombies, werewolves, vampires, shifters

Winterblaze is the third installment in Kristen Callihan’s Darkest London series. This one focuses on Poppy, the eldest of the trio of sisters that the series revolves around so far. At the end of Moonglow Poppy’s secrets, including her power and her involvement with a secret organization, come to light, following an attack on her husband, Winston. Winterblaze opens three months after the attack with Poppy tracking down her husband because an old enemy has threatened her and those she cares abou...more Winterblaze is the third installment in Kristen Callihan’s Darkest London series. This one focuses on Poppy, the eldest of the trio of sisters that the series revolves around so far. At the end of Moonglow Poppy’s secrets, including her power and her involvement with a secret organization, come to light, following an attack on her husband, Winston. Winterblaze opens three months after the attack with Poppy tracking down her husband because an old enemy has threatened her and those she cares about. Poppy and Winston have to deal with the secrets that they have been keeping from one another and determine whether their marriage is worth saving, all while tracking down the true motivation of the terrifying demon that threatens them.

I have read the previous books in Callihan’s series and this one follows suit from the previous books. As an aside, I would recommend reading the books in order because each book really builds from the previous one, especially considering that readers get teasers of the two main characters that will be featured in the fourth book in the series. Anyways, what I liked in Winterblaze was that readers learn more about the mysterious SOS organization and I can really see how the series can develop from there considering that the three sister’s stories have been exhausted (to a degree). The SOS organization reminded me of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series from Philippa Ballantine and Tee Morris. While the Ministry series has a different tone and a lot less emphasis on romance and mythical creatures like werewolves and shifters, Callihan’s series has also created a great alternative London. I can see fans of the Ministry series liking Callihan's series because of the mystery element that seems to get progressively stronger with each book.

While I did enjoy reading Winterblaze I found it to be different from the other books in the series, I think because Poppy and Winston were already married. It was a different reading experience for me reading about a married couple in the romance genre. It was interesting, but different. There was a lot of anger between Poppy and Winston, which is different from the general romance novels where characters simply come together. In Winterblaze, the characters have already had their romantic beginning; this is what's happened after that. It was an interesting look at the happily ever after. Both Poppy and Winston were strong characters; however, at times they were very frustrating because of their animosity towards one another. I think that author did a fantastic job of allowing these characters to grow and learn from the mistakes that they had made with one another. It was an interest take on the romance genre for me.

My favourite parts throughout the book were the chapters from Mary Chase’s and Jack Talent’s point of view. I loved the bickering relationship that both of them have with one another and I was continually wanting to get back to chapters where these two characters interacted with one another. By the end of the book I was very much hoping that the author would be writing another book in the series with these two as the main characters. Thankfully (or un-thankfully, considering the wait) readers are given a teaser for the next book in the series, Shadowdance, and it appears to feature Mary and Jack as the main characters. Suffice to say, I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in the series, I only wish I didn’t have to wait so long.

The Darkest London is fast becoming my favourite gaslight series along with Cindy Spencer Pape’s Gaslight Chronicles and Bec McMaster’s London Steampunk series.

*review copy courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley. (less)

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Mar 25, 2013 Iza rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, magic

SPOILERS

Even though this series are not one of my favorite, I was really looking forward to read this book. Poppy seemed quite cold in the previous books, and Winston wasn’t a noticeable characters, but their story appeared interesting. So I read it. What can I say… During the first part of the novel I expected both of them to become a bit more gentle, intimate (in feelings, not in bed), more approachable, but that didn’t happen. I understand that Poppy is a strong, modern women, with her own op...more SPOILERS

Even though this series are not one of my favorite, I was really looking forward to read this book. Poppy seemed quite cold in the previous books, and Winston wasn’t a noticeable characters, but their story appeared interesting. So I read it. What can I say… During the first part of the novel I expected both of them to become a bit more gentle, intimate (in feelings, not in bed), more approachable, but that didn’t happen. I understand that Poppy is a strong, modern women, with her own opinion and tough character. I have read heroines like that and liked them, but I didn't like her. Winston claimed that he was the only one she showed her true, gentle self, but I didn’t feel it at all. She was hard with him, claiming to love and want him, but barely making any attempts to restore what they had lost. She was wrong not to tell him the truth for 14 years, but she didn’t say sorry in a way that I could feel she meant it. The author wrote that she felt guilty, but I also didn’t feel that guilt. I have nothing against her being tough and a bad-ass, but I wanted to see her a bit more mellow, at least with Winston.
Winston. He was a character I could understand. He made mistakes and he tried to redeem himself even though it was quite hard. No, he wasn’t perfect, but he really loved Poppy. I could feel his affection through the whole book, especially during the parts that told their past. I couldn’t feel Poppy’s love. Winston accused her of caring more for SOS than anything else and he was right. She even admitted that if it wasn’t for the deal Winston made with the demon, she wouldn’t have married him.
Now, I understand that she has a great sense of duty. She had accepted the role of Mother and is responsible for lots of lives. She has to be strong, unyielding, sometimes cruel. She bears such a burden and still she wouldn’t let go even for a minute. I wanted to see her melt a bit, feel her love and caring for her husband.
All of this was the impression that the first half of the book gave me. Then, literally when I reached 50% on my kindle, things changed. Poppy became warmer, more likable. There were some nice moments between her and Winston and they didn’t feel forced, but natural. I learned more about Poppy, understood her better. I even could feel her love for Winston (But, still, I think he loved her more than she him). All of this wasn’t exactly an abrupt change, which makes me think that Poppy from the first part of the book wasn’t the real character. It was just a woman who realized how many mistakes she made and didn’t know how to make them right.
The second part of the story was much more interesting more me, more honest . The thing I couldn’t understand was the demon's ultimatum “you have 4 days to give me what I need” . These 4 days seemed too long and the characters not ones were worried that the time was running out. They did what they should in a calm manner with no hurrying, which is strange. London is a big city, surely only traveling through it a couple of times will take lots of time?
Anyway, I give it 3 and a half stars, the half one gained because of the second part of the book.

(By the way, I wrote the first part of the review (where I mention all the time that I don’t like Poppy) when I was in the middle of the novel, on that 50% of my Kindle. Then, I finished writing and started reading and for some reason I found Poppy more likable. I have no idea how this happened. What I know is that from now on, no matter how much I need to express my rage of what the characters did, I will wait until I read the whole book until starting to write, because apparently everything could change.)
(less)

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Mar 25, 2013 Raquel Leite rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: meus, english

Opinião em:

http://cronicasdeumaleitora.blogspot....

Winterblaze é o terceiro livro de uma série que Adoro! Adoro! Adoro! Chamada de Darkest Londres. Situada numa Londres do século XIX, com um ambiente muito gótico e sombrio.
Apesar de ser o terceiro eu penso que os livros se podem ler individualmente. A série conta a história, especialmente amorosas, de três irmãs. Nos livros anteriores falavam de Miranda e Daisy, e neste fala-nos da Poppy que é a mais velha das três.
Poppy e o seu marido, Winston...more Opinião em:

http://cronicasdeumaleitora.blogspot....

Winterblaze é o terceiro livro de uma série que Adoro! Adoro! Adoro! Chamada de Darkest Londres. Situada numa Londres do século XIX, com um ambiente muito gótico e sombrio.
Apesar de ser o terceiro eu penso que os livros se podem ler individualmente. A série conta a história, especialmente amorosas, de três irmãs. Nos livros anteriores falavam de Miranda e Daisy, e neste fala-nos da Poppy que é a mais velha das três.
Poppy e o seu marido, Winston, aparecem também nos anteriores mas as suas presenças não são muito marcantes e eu terei de ser muito sincera quando digo que não morria de amores por eles. Especialmente por Poppy que era muito “fria” e por vezes cruel com as irmãs chegando a vê-la como a irmã mais velha que está presente apenas para estragar os planos das mais novas. Por isso não estava a espera de um livro excelente em que Poppy fosse uma “kick-ass” como as irmãs.
E sabem que mais?! Eu estava completamente errada!

Depois de sobreviver a um ataque sobrenatural, Winston está a recuperar em casa do lobisomem Ian. Tanto Ian como Archer tem-lhe ensinado como “lutar”, como defender-se e mais importante como cuidar da sua saúde. Isto porque Poppy, anda envolvida numa sociedade da policia que “apanha” bandidos da actividade paranormal.

Após um casamento de 14 anos, Poppy e Winston separam-se devido a muitas mentiras que são descobertas. Winston fazia ideia que existiam seres paranormais só ficando a saber depois de ter sido atacado por um. O que não o agrada nem um bocadinho é saber que a sua mulher está envolvido neste mundo e que ele não desconfiava sequer.
Callihan fez um excelente jogo de personagens neste livro. Para além de conhecermos melhor Poppy, e sabermos que ela nos vai surpreender e muito, arranja uma maneira de manter e de elevar a história a que nos deixou habituados. A tensão sexual está lá sempre presente entre as personagens principais e o facto de que estas duas já serem casadas e depois se separarem por algo sobrenatural e aos poucos tentarem juntarem-se é excelente, até porque aqui a pessoa frágil é Winston por ele ser “normal”.
Adorei todas aquelas passagens do presente para o passado deles, a sua história de amor antes de tudo ter acontecido e as barreiras que os impedem de estar juntos no presente. Basicamente conta-nos como se conhecem, o seu namoro, o casamento e tudo junto foi simplesmente perfeito e até romântico.

As capas, que são lindas, dão realmente um deslumbre dos dons das irmãs, Poppy tem uma habilidade elementar de controlar e criar o gelo,por isso não seria de esperar que o encontro deles os dois depois de se manterem longe durante meses fosse gelada (e quente ao mesmo tempo).
Uma série a não perder que eu espero sinceramente que um dia seja publicado em Portugal.

Os livros anteriores da série :
1 - Firelight
2 - Moonglow
(less)

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May 20, 2013 Tiki rated it 5 of 5 stars

Excellent Victorian steampunk supernatural series and this is a great addition. All of these have been strong, sexy and extremely entertaining. Wasn't sure how I was going to like the story line of a fractured marriage but I loved this. Winston had not been much of a stand out in previous books, but he's now up there with Ian as my favorite in the series. Love a smart, strong, witty man and he's been transformed, couldn't help but be changed after barely surviving being torn apart by the werewol...more

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Apr 03, 2013 ♡ Sassy ~ Amy ♡ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, paranormal-romance, part-of-a-series, shifter, demon, gothic

I love this author! She is completely unique & completely unpredictable. Now to clarify... Some things are easy at guessing & some things are easy to see how it will end up, but there are those little twists that just suck you in. I was so sucked in by her sexual tention between Winston & Poppy too! WOW!

I can go on and on writing about how great the author did, but I would get boring. For me, if the series ended here, I would be totally satisfied, but it goes on to other factions &...more

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About Kristen Callihan

Kristen Callihan is a child of the 80’s, which means she's worn neon skirts, black-lace gloves, and combat boots (although never all at once) and can quote John Hughes movies with the best of them. A life long daydreamer, she finally realized that the characters in her head needed a proper home and thus hit the keyboard. She believes that falling in love is one of the headiest experiences a person...more

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Winterblaze (Darkest London #3)

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