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Winter Be My Shield
(Children of the Black Sun #1)
by
A complex, adult epic fantasy from a new Australian author ... original, dramatic, unputdownable ...
Sierra has a despised and forbidden gift -- she raises power from the suffering of others. Enslaved by the King's Torturer, Sierra escapes, barely keeping ahead of Rasten, the man sent to hunt her down. Then she falls in with dangerous company: the fugitive Prince Cammarian ...more
Sierra has a despised and forbidden gift -- she raises power from the suffering of others. Enslaved by the King's Torturer, Sierra escapes, barely keeping ahead of Rasten, the man sent to hunt her down. Then she falls in with dangerous company: the fugitive Prince Cammarian ...more
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Paperback, 464 pages
Published
January 6th 2012
by Harper Collins
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Start your review of Winter Be My Shield (Children of the Black Sun, #1)

…the blizzard was her shield – without it she would never have come this far.
Sierra has escaped the clutches of the King’s Torturer, Lord Kell and his apprentice, Rasten. For two years she has been imprisoned and abused to break her spirit and her mind. Sierra, a Child of the Black Sun possesses a special gift, a power that feeds off and grows from the sufferings of others. So powerful is her ability, Kell will stop at nothing to bring her back.
After a failed coup ten years ago Prince Cammarian ...more

May 10, 2020
Hillary
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
high-fantasy,
dnf-zone
DNF page 118 | 10/05/2020
Why am I so unlucky with high fantasy? I’m so bored.
Why am I so unlucky with high fantasy? I’m so bored.

This was so much more entertaining than I expected it to be! I added it to my shelf waaaaaay back in 2013 and I've picked it up a bunch of times, read a page or two, and decided to pick up something else instead. Finally I forced myself to read it (for an Aussie Readers challenge) and it was so much more captivating than I anticipated!
I find that I'm really easily affected by setting, so the fact that this was all snow and ice was initially off-putting but once I got into it I found I didn't min ...more
I find that I'm really easily affected by setting, so the fact that this was all snow and ice was initially off-putting but once I got into it I found I didn't min ...more

I really enjoyed this. It was an emotionally intense piece of the growth of a mage in a group of cultures that have very different ideas of what to do with mages, pretty much none of them good. It's also the first part of a larger novel (and says so right there on the cover, well done!), but feels like a complete book with where the main characters end up. Of course, that's with the luxury of knowing that the full trilogy is already published, I don't imagine I'd be so sanguine if I had to wait
...more

This was a really solid high fantasy! Some thoughts:
★ There are some really interesting characters here! And they're all sympathetic, even one of the villains, who is my favorite type of bad guy: crazy and terrible but with understandable motivations. I loved his relationship with the main character, Sierra, because I love villain/heroine dynamics. This isn't a villain romance by any stretch of the imagination, but Rasten, the villain, is creepily obsessed with Sierra for various reasons, thoug ...more
★ There are some really interesting characters here! And they're all sympathetic, even one of the villains, who is my favorite type of bad guy: crazy and terrible but with understandable motivations. I loved his relationship with the main character, Sierra, because I love villain/heroine dynamics. This isn't a villain romance by any stretch of the imagination, but Rasten, the villain, is creepily obsessed with Sierra for various reasons, thoug ...more

In the kingdom of Ricalan, winter is a formidable force for many months of the year, as well as a useful ally in this time of invasion and attack. It's not only the settlers from Mesentreia forcing the Ricalani tribes off their land as they've been doing for the last few decades, supported by Ricalan's Mesentreian queen. Now they must also contend with forces from the Akharian Empire to the west. The Empire is also feeling the pinch from Mesentreia and its settler-invaders, and is using Ricalan
...more

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Also posted on my blog, Rinn Reads.
I have read a lot of fantasy novels in my life; it has pretty much always been one of my favourite genres since as far back as I can remember. Therefore, if I can find a fantasy novel that feels like a breath of fresh air, is unique and original, then I’m happy. Unfortunately, whilst Winter Be My Shield did not quite hit that high note, it was still a good, solid read. ...more
I have read a lot of fantasy novels in my life; it has pretty much always been one of my favourite genres since as far back as I can remember. Therefore, if I can find a fantasy novel that feels like a breath of fresh air, is unique and original, then I’m happy. Unfortunately, whilst Winter Be My Shield did not quite hit that high note, it was still a good, solid read. ...more

This review forms part of my contribution to the AWWC 2014. I enjoyed this book. It was an excellent taster for what promises to be an excellent series.
Jo Spurrier is a clever writer, and has built a really interesting world. Having said that, this book was clearly a book that sets up the rest of the story, and I did vacillate somewhat over how many stars to give it. I was torn between 3.5 and 4, primarily because I became entwined in the characters enough to want to know what happens to them.
I ...more
Jo Spurrier is a clever writer, and has built a really interesting world. Having said that, this book was clearly a book that sets up the rest of the story, and I did vacillate somewhat over how many stars to give it. I was torn between 3.5 and 4, primarily because I became entwined in the characters enough to want to know what happens to them.
I ...more

Aug 24, 2019
Karina Webster
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2019-favourites
I’m not sure I can summarise this novel better than the queen of fantasy herself, Robin Hobb:
“Unlikely heroes, villains you will cheer for, and cold that eats your bones. Winter Be My Shield will take you to an unforgiving place, but you won’t want to leave it.”
This is definitely a 4.5 star read for me, I found it utterly immersive with an intriguing political landscape and complex characters. I can’t believe this was a debut, the writing is superb and the pacing is great. For the ground and tim ...more
“Unlikely heroes, villains you will cheer for, and cold that eats your bones. Winter Be My Shield will take you to an unforgiving place, but you won’t want to leave it.”
This is definitely a 4.5 star read for me, I found it utterly immersive with an intriguing political landscape and complex characters. I can’t believe this was a debut, the writing is superb and the pacing is great. For the ground and tim ...more

I tried my hardest to wade through this book but in the end, it was simply not possible. I'll agree with other reviewers here that the book does possess a lot of originality, but I can't empathise with their enthusiasm for it.
My issues with this book are many - for starters the characters for most of the book, do nothing except wander about in seeming circles from one snow-bound location to the other. There's lots of dialogue, lots of going back and forth, but little of substance happens. Nothi ...more
My issues with this book are many - for starters the characters for most of the book, do nothing except wander about in seeming circles from one snow-bound location to the other. There's lots of dialogue, lots of going back and forth, but little of substance happens. Nothi ...more

Solid world building and nuanced characterization make this fantasy novel worth reading. The pacing is slow and there is a lot of trudging through snow and setting up tents, but also some bracing (by which I mean brutal) action scenes. It's not that original, but refreshing all the same. There's the mandatory exiled prince, but he's not the protagonist - his foster brother Isodro is. Isodro is nobel and brave enough for a hero, but he is also disabled and suffering PTSD after enduring torture an
...more

Fine, I think is the word that I'd use to describe this book. Just fine. Nothing harmful or particularly terrible but nothing that really engrossed me either. Probably the weirdest thing was the tonal shifts. Obviously it's going to be a bit dark, what with the whole magic from pain thing, but for the majority of the book it reads more like YA with how many internal monologues there are, and how much so many of the characters elaborate on their plans and feelings.
Then we start talking about pris ...more
Then we start talking about pris ...more

Chiefly a story about Sierra, a sympath - a mage who gathers energy from the pleasure/pain of those around her - after she escapes a powerful mage find of torture and meets up with one of her former Master's victims and his foster brother, who happens to be a prince hunted by his mother and King brother.
Very good, though with a couple of weak points - the biggest of which was that the book ends on a cliffhanger without much resolved - definitely not a stand alone read. ...more
Very good, though with a couple of weak points - the biggest of which was that the book ends on a cliffhanger without much resolved - definitely not a stand alone read. ...more

Well, that was great. RTC

Winter Be My Shield is Jo Spurrier’s debut novel and the first book of Children of the Black Sun trilogy. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced review copy of this book from Harper Voyager.
Set in a country where winter lasts about six months and involves piles of snow (much like the cover depicts), the story follows Sierra, Cam and Isidro. Sierra is a powerful mage but was enslaved by the sadistic Blood Mage Kell and forced to feed him power while he tortured various prisoners. She was parti ...more
Set in a country where winter lasts about six months and involves piles of snow (much like the cover depicts), the story follows Sierra, Cam and Isidro. Sierra is a powerful mage but was enslaved by the sadistic Blood Mage Kell and forced to feed him power while he tortured various prisoners. She was parti ...more

"Black Sun" count: 95. Gee, what series is this again? I can't remember; better repeat it another BILLION times.
I probably wouldn't have noticed if the rest of the book had been good, but it wasn't at all. I didn't care about a single character; in fact, I was rooting against all of them by the end simply for something interesting/entertaining to happen. They trudge around in snow, whine, call each other infuriating nicknames, yadda yadda. The magic system wasn't interesting enough to save this ...more
I probably wouldn't have noticed if the rest of the book had been good, but it wasn't at all. I didn't care about a single character; in fact, I was rooting against all of them by the end simply for something interesting/entertaining to happen. They trudge around in snow, whine, call each other infuriating nicknames, yadda yadda. The magic system wasn't interesting enough to save this ...more

Strong world-building (as a Canadian I can really get into a wintry setting.) A three-sided war with no side that doesn't want to use or kill the heroine leads to hard choices. Ditto for the tortured hero. I will definitely look for book two.
Quibble: I was hoping for more of a climax, but this was more of a character-makes-a-choice ending for book one in a series. ...more
Quibble: I was hoping for more of a climax, but this was more of a character-makes-a-choice ending for book one in a series. ...more

I choose this book because I was at the public library and decided to give some fantasy a go. Aside from the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings (which I of course enjoyed!) - I have absolutely hated most fantasy when I have previously attempted to read it, mainly because it has seemed so hard to believe and because all fantasy books seem to involve similar themes, namely, dragons, swirly whoosy magic and unlikely heroes rising to defeat a powerful force of evil! I know many people like these types of
...more

Feb 11, 2014
K.
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
No one ever
Shelves:
would-not-read-again,
australian,
fantasy,
2014,
own-it-kindle,
setting-fantasy,
war,
audience-adult
I was on the struggle bus with this book from pretty much page one. I don't know what it was, but there was just something about it that dragged. I made it about 25% of the way through and seriously considered throwing it on the DNF pile because I was JUST. SO. BORED and it had taken me days to read that far, which never happens. I never felt like I was making any progress with it - you'd turn page after page after page, and my Kindle was all "Nope, you're still only 11% done. LOL."
In addition t ...more
In addition t ...more

I liked this book, but honestly got so bewildered by who was on what side in their ongoing tussles that it became very difficult to follow any of the machinations. Basically: Isidro and Cam are against literally everyone else, including their own mothers. I think. I don't know, I got really confused. Honestly, the depictions of surviving winter in a perpetually frozen landscape were far more interesting.
One significant nitpick, speaking as a geographer. A major plot point revolves around the cli ...more
One significant nitpick, speaking as a geographer. A major plot point revolves around the cli ...more

The book started slow. It took almost a 4th of the book before stuff actually started to happen. The action scenes that came after that were interesting but the rest of the book was dull. It was also lots of chunky info-dump on info dump. Seriously it felt like the first 100 pages was nothing but. Now I don’t mind info-dumps because high fantasy novels do need to exposition, but it gets heavy to handle when there’s more exposition than actual plot in the book. Because bigger parts of the book wa
...more

Both heavy on characters and world. The characters were fully fleshed, though I did not particularly connect. Isidro was my most favourite character, followed by another that works directly with him but doesn't appear until 75% of the way through the book.
The first third of the book kept me interested - the world fascinated me and the characters interactions with each other. Then a switch flipped and I suddenly no longer cared. There was no upping of stakes, I became disinterested in the story a ...more
The first third of the book kept me interested - the world fascinated me and the characters interactions with each other. Then a switch flipped and I suddenly no longer cared. There was no upping of stakes, I became disinterested in the story a ...more

2.5/5
Winter Be My Shield is Jo Spurrier's competent debut novel. It's not your average fantasy book, as there's some interesting and unique ideas going on in it. The magic system in particular is a good one. However, this is brought down by bland story-telling and irritating main characters. These problems are off-putting enough that it made it a chore to finish the book, let alone continue on to the rest of the trilogy. It's hard to say if Winter Be My Shield is worth the effort, but each to th ...more
Winter Be My Shield is Jo Spurrier's competent debut novel. It's not your average fantasy book, as there's some interesting and unique ideas going on in it. The magic system in particular is a good one. However, this is brought down by bland story-telling and irritating main characters. These problems are off-putting enough that it made it a chore to finish the book, let alone continue on to the rest of the trilogy. It's hard to say if Winter Be My Shield is worth the effort, but each to th ...more

A great high fantasy novel from an Australian author. Recommend to lovers of fantasy. I enjoyed this story so much I bought the second one almost as soon as I had finished. (Sadly though I didn't enjoy the second one as much and was frustrated with how the character development happens) The character stories in this one however really drew me in and I'm still looking forward to seeing how it all pan's out for them.
...more

3.5 - 4 stars
An intriguing world with layered characters. Quite gritty in parts and you can tell that the author is trying to illustrate the violence of the world in a subtle matter. However, dropping a C-bomb in the last 10 pages did not lend any effectiveness, rather, it turned me off. Hence the drop by half a star. I will give the second one a go though.
An intriguing world with layered characters. Quite gritty in parts and you can tell that the author is trying to illustrate the violence of the world in a subtle matter. However, dropping a C-bomb in the last 10 pages did not lend any effectiveness, rather, it turned me off. Hence the drop by half a star. I will give the second one a go though.

Full review to come, but OMG, best fantasy I've read in ages. Think Te good bits of Robert Jordan, JV Jones, Sara Douglas....just darn good story telling, with great characters. ...more

10 November 2015: $1.99 on Kindle
...more

Sep 04, 2018
West Hartford Public Library
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
adult-summer-reading-2018-reviews
"A terrific, complex fantasy that you cannot put down. I have the ebook. It's awesome!"--patron
...more

It was wonderful to read this tale of a devastating blizzard-covered escape on a 37 degree summer day. I can't believe how hard this series is slept on. I've been waiting to read Winter Be My Shield forever, and it was as good as I imagined.
I know I'm seven years late, but hell, you wouldn't understand how much I want to drop everything right now and make a Save Isidro Balorica campaign. I really wonder if Jo Spurrier was answering a challenge to make a character suffer the most humanly possible ...more
I know I'm seven years late, but hell, you wouldn't understand how much I want to drop everything right now and make a Save Isidro Balorica campaign. I really wonder if Jo Spurrier was answering a challenge to make a character suffer the most humanly possible ...more

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