What do you think?
Rate this book
A Winter's War: The Seer Chronicles 1: A Tale of War and Love
A proud shieldmaiden protects her home. A knight rebels against his family. If you enjoy "A Song of Ice and Fire" or "A Wheel of Time," this book is a good fit for you!
"Exciting, raw, and mournful fantasy. This book is full of intrigue, and you can never guess which way the story will go. It has a good drive forward. There are plenty of gray scales between good and evil, which I like! I love Mirian! She is one of the best female fantasy characters I've read about. She feels genuine and real, with all her weaknesses and problems. Yet she is strong and never stops fighting." - Anna Hallander, Swedish fantasy author about the original, Swedish version.
Against all odds, Mirian Simonsdatur must defend her hometown from the Gnoll Horde. The gnolls are thousands. Mirian and her defenders are few. Will her daughter survive?
Erik, the youngest son of the powerful Jarl of the Vale, dreams of being a noble knight. But he has been abused, and his spirit is broken. Erik must choose between the people and his own father. To lead the Rebellion, or see it crushed beneath his father’s boots.
Meanwhile, Raazoul the Witch King has used dark magic to murder the King, setting the land on a path of civil war.
In this world of blizzards and battles, all sorts of different people must survive and make their way in the world, including a mercenary captain, a wise gnoll shaman, a curious daughter, a mysterious wanderer, and a legionary captain with his friend and lover.
This book promises a gritty world of battles, court intrigues, romantic subplots, and a spicy love scene or two. It also promises character growth and magic, as well as mythical and fantastical beings, all in a setting inspired by medieval Scandinavian history. Those who love The Wheel of Time or A Song of Ice and Fire will likely enjoy this story.
"Exciting, raw, and mournful fantasy. This book is full of intrigue, and you can never guess which way the story will go. It has a good drive forward. There are plenty of gray scales between good and evil, which I like! I love Mirian! She is one of the best female fantasy characters I've read about. She feels genuine and real, with all her weaknesses and problems. Yet she is strong and never stops fighting." - Anna Hallander, Swedish fantasy author about the original, Swedish version.
Against all odds, Mirian Simonsdatur must defend her hometown from the Gnoll Horde. The gnolls are thousands. Mirian and her defenders are few. Will her daughter survive?
Erik, the youngest son of the powerful Jarl of the Vale, dreams of being a noble knight. But he has been abused, and his spirit is broken. Erik must choose between the people and his own father. To lead the Rebellion, or see it crushed beneath his father’s boots.
Meanwhile, Raazoul the Witch King has used dark magic to murder the King, setting the land on a path of civil war.
In this world of blizzards and battles, all sorts of different people must survive and make their way in the world, including a mercenary captain, a wise gnoll shaman, a curious daughter, a mysterious wanderer, and a legionary captain with his friend and lover.
This book promises a gritty world of battles, court intrigues, romantic subplots, and a spicy love scene or two. It also promises character growth and magic, as well as mythical and fantastical beings, all in a setting inspired by medieval Scandinavian history. Those who love The Wheel of Time or A Song of Ice and Fire will likely enjoy this story.
- GenresFantasy
598 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 10, 2025
4 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 9, 2025
Oh my god I've done it!!
Firstly I'd like to thank the author for the free copy of this novel i received in exchange for an honest review!
This was a 3.5 star read for me. I enjoyed a lot of the story and characters.
One thing I will say is the worldbuilding confused me at points. I don't want to use the 'there's too much stuff' argument, but at times it did feel a little over-saturated, many elements I didn't expect at all and they'd frankly felt a little like nothing more than plot devices.
They did make for an interesting read nonetheless and at the end of the day I enjoyed how the story ended.
Another 'issue' I had while reading is EVERYONE HAD NAMES. Now I'm a person who loves naming things and even in my own writing I spend so much time picking names for characters. And it wasn't until I was met with a story with so many names that I realised it is a bit of a problem even in my own projects. I forget so many names upon meeting characters and later on in the story it takes a minute to recall who the character is, especially if they're a minor side character who didn't get much on-page time as is.
But moving on.
I liked the aspect of the book being narrated by Johanna, but seemingly only on Mirian's parts of the story, since I imagine it would be impossible for Johanna to know all the things written in other characters' pov chapters. My only issue then is that begs the question how do we know about the other characters in their chapters? Since Mirian's story is told by Johanna basically reading Mirian's diary, it makes me question why we didn't get all the other characters' stories introduced by someone else, or even if Johanna is the author of it all, why don't we know how she got all their journals/diaries/annals where we get their povs.
Last note I had was all the mentions of Marcus Eviano, which, granted, are obvious breadcrumbs for the next novel, but just seeing the name over and over again and not being given anything but tiny details past the name made the mention of it a bit pointless for me. Also I'd like to point out that after a certain point in the story, specifically when Mirian had the dream about the murder of the headmaster at the magic academy, I thought the plot was going to move in that direction. I don't know if I like the foundation for the next book to be laid down so early and then not have the plot move towards it in essentially any way.
Overall, i really enjoyed the Scandinavian-like world and how the history of the world was really well built up, giving the reader a sense of this being a 'real', well thought-out world with rhyme and reason for things being the way they are. I think a lot of work nowadays makes their worlds lack that essence, that sense of 'this is the way things are and I'll tell you exactly why' and having it actually be important to characters' personalities, beliefs, regrets and having it actually impact the lives of EVERYONE there, not just the few main characters. For that I commend Appelberg.
With that, I shall conclude my review. I think this was very well done, and it's a shame I'm not at the level of scandinavian languages yet to have read it in swedish.
Firstly I'd like to thank the author for the free copy of this novel i received in exchange for an honest review!
This was a 3.5 star read for me. I enjoyed a lot of the story and characters.
One thing I will say is the worldbuilding confused me at points. I don't want to use the 'there's too much stuff' argument, but at times it did feel a little over-saturated, many elements I didn't expect at all and they'd frankly felt a little like nothing more than plot devices.
They did make for an interesting read nonetheless and at the end of the day I enjoyed how the story ended.
Another 'issue' I had while reading is EVERYONE HAD NAMES. Now I'm a person who loves naming things and even in my own writing I spend so much time picking names for characters. And it wasn't until I was met with a story with so many names that I realised it is a bit of a problem even in my own projects. I forget so many names upon meeting characters and later on in the story it takes a minute to recall who the character is, especially if they're a minor side character who didn't get much on-page time as is.
But moving on.
I liked the aspect of the book being narrated by Johanna, but seemingly only on Mirian's parts of the story, since I imagine it would be impossible for Johanna to know all the things written in other characters' pov chapters. My only issue then is that begs the question how do we know about the other characters in their chapters? Since Mirian's story is told by Johanna basically reading Mirian's diary, it makes me question why we didn't get all the other characters' stories introduced by someone else, or even if Johanna is the author of it all, why don't we know how she got all their journals/diaries/annals where we get their povs.
Last note I had was all the mentions of Marcus Eviano, which, granted, are obvious breadcrumbs for the next novel, but just seeing the name over and over again and not being given anything but tiny details past the name made the mention of it a bit pointless for me. Also I'd like to point out that after a certain point in the story, specifically when Mirian had the dream about the murder of the headmaster at the magic academy, I thought the plot was going to move in that direction. I don't know if I like the foundation for the next book to be laid down so early and then not have the plot move towards it in essentially any way.
Overall, i really enjoyed the Scandinavian-like world and how the history of the world was really well built up, giving the reader a sense of this being a 'real', well thought-out world with rhyme and reason for things being the way they are. I think a lot of work nowadays makes their worlds lack that essence, that sense of 'this is the way things are and I'll tell you exactly why' and having it actually be important to characters' personalities, beliefs, regrets and having it actually impact the lives of EVERYONE there, not just the few main characters. For that I commend Appelberg.
With that, I shall conclude my review. I think this was very well done, and it's a shame I'm not at the level of scandinavian languages yet to have read it in swedish.
April 12, 2025
A good story set in a scandinavian fantasy which opens in the dead of winter (think lots of snow and very cold!). A king killed by an evil power and an ursurper put in his place. Lady Mirian, warrior woman and Lady of Norttmark, who will do anything and everything to protect her people and her daughter, Johanna. Erik, who starts a rebellion against his father's and brother's rule in the Vale. Delgorian, the Wanderer, who lost so much in the revolution, still fighting for justice for all those who died. Lots of battles (the battle of Norttmark was particularly good with a surprising end).
I enjoyed this although the writing style is a little heavy-going. Whether that's the author's style or it's due to the translation from the original Swedish, I'm not sure. However, well worth perservering with it. I'm curious about where the story goes from here especially after the way the book ends! I'll certainly give book 2 a read.
Thanks to Marcus Appelberg for the free ARC. All opinions are my own.
I enjoyed this although the writing style is a little heavy-going. Whether that's the author's style or it's due to the translation from the original Swedish, I'm not sure. However, well worth perservering with it. I'm curious about where the story goes from here especially after the way the book ends! I'll certainly give book 2 a read.
Thanks to Marcus Appelberg for the free ARC. All opinions are my own.
April 21, 2025
It was definitely a page turner for sure. I could picture what was happening while reading. Characters were great and flow of the writing was easy to follow without worrying about what I am reading. From all the characters if I had to choose a favorite it would have to be Mirian Simonsdatur because there is nothing stronger than the love a mother has for her daughter. Out of the scenes throughout the book I really enjoyed the battle scenes and the spicy scenes as well. (you have to read it to find out)
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 10, 2025
Thank you to the author for a complementary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts expressed here are my own.
This is the first in the epic fantasy adventure of Lady Miriam and her battle to save her village from many enemies. The world building is intricate, layered and can be at times, overly complex.
There are a lot of characters as if some cases their names are very similar it can get difficult to keep track of who is saying/doing what. This is not a book that you can skim through! I found the plot to be engaging and came to truly care for what happened to the characters. The battle scenes were descriptive and exciting. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the sequel!
This is the first in the epic fantasy adventure of Lady Miriam and her battle to save her village from many enemies. The world building is intricate, layered and can be at times, overly complex.
There are a lot of characters as if some cases their names are very similar it can get difficult to keep track of who is saying/doing what. This is not a book that you can skim through! I found the plot to be engaging and came to truly care for what happened to the characters. The battle scenes were descriptive and exciting. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the sequel!
April 26, 2025
I was really excited when I first came across this book because it seemed right up my alley. After reading, I still believe that of the plot. The story of this book is well-developed and interesting, and I felt incentivised to read until the end to have a full picture of the plot – which says a great deal, because ‘A Winter’s War’ is extremely long (which isn’t a bad thing at all).
I have to admit that I found the writing style difficult to connect to and engage with. I never felt fully immersed in the story, and I felt reminded constantly of the fact that this isn’t a real world on a page. The description is honestly beautiful and would be very effective if the writing style were easier to get lost in, so it really is a shame. It might have something to do with translation issues, and I’m not holding that against the author because the book overall is creative.
As for the characters, every character feels very individualistic and unique. I didn’t feel confused about whose dialogue belonged to whom, which is a good sign. I liked the main character and it’s nice to see her perspective.
Overall, I did enjoy reading this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys long, in-depth fantasy. I might even recommend this to those who like mythology. All in all, a great book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I have to admit that I found the writing style difficult to connect to and engage with. I never felt fully immersed in the story, and I felt reminded constantly of the fact that this isn’t a real world on a page. The description is honestly beautiful and would be very effective if the writing style were easier to get lost in, so it really is a shame. It might have something to do with translation issues, and I’m not holding that against the author because the book overall is creative.
As for the characters, every character feels very individualistic and unique. I didn’t feel confused about whose dialogue belonged to whom, which is a good sign. I liked the main character and it’s nice to see her perspective.
Overall, I did enjoy reading this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys long, in-depth fantasy. I might even recommend this to those who like mythology. All in all, a great book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 28, 2025
A strong debut, and even stronger shield maiden! In two words I'd call A Winter's War beautiful and brutal.
It starts off with a bang followed by rebellion, gnoll invasions, and dark sorcery. What more could a fan of norse mythology and fantasy want? I loved Mirian Simonsdatur, the lady of the north trying to hold her people together with nothing but determination and a spear. She's a badass, but also human and emotional (a well-written strong female character).
There are also moments of humor that give the characters even more depth (and made me chuckle) like when Mirian’s daughter, Johanna, fills pastries with vinegar to prank people.
The world building is superb and feels lived-in with complex political intrigue, and the magic, though rare, is awesome. If you want a norse epic fantasy that feels like The Witcher met Game of Thrones in a blizzard to raise hell, you’ll love this!
Note: Keep in mind it's translated from Swedish, and though most of it is done quite well, there are moments of "lost in translation" but it didn't pull me out of the story.
—I was given a free copy in exchange for a voluntary honest review.
It starts off with a bang followed by rebellion, gnoll invasions, and dark sorcery. What more could a fan of norse mythology and fantasy want? I loved Mirian Simonsdatur, the lady of the north trying to hold her people together with nothing but determination and a spear. She's a badass, but also human and emotional (a well-written strong female character).
There are also moments of humor that give the characters even more depth (and made me chuckle) like when Mirian’s daughter, Johanna, fills pastries with vinegar to prank people.
The world building is superb and feels lived-in with complex political intrigue, and the magic, though rare, is awesome. If you want a norse epic fantasy that feels like The Witcher met Game of Thrones in a blizzard to raise hell, you’ll love this!
Note: Keep in mind it's translated from Swedish, and though most of it is done quite well, there are moments of "lost in translation" but it didn't pull me out of the story.
—I was given a free copy in exchange for a voluntary honest review.
June 13, 2025
I was granted the opportunity to read the ARC copy of this, thanks to the author, Marcus Appelberg. I did enjoy the story for what it was, though I will admit I did get a bit confused from the transitions into the past and different point of views.
However, that may be more of a me thing, so please don't let that discourage you from checking this book out, especially if you enjoy authors like Terry Goodkind, George R.R. Martin and J.R.R. Tolkien. I think you'll enjoy this book. I am curious about the continuation of the series and look forward to seeing how it goes!
Thank you again, to the author, Marcus Appelberg, for letting me read the ARC of this book!
However, that may be more of a me thing, so please don't let that discourage you from checking this book out, especially if you enjoy authors like Terry Goodkind, George R.R. Martin and J.R.R. Tolkien. I think you'll enjoy this book. I am curious about the continuation of the series and look forward to seeing how it goes!
Thank you again, to the author, Marcus Appelberg, for letting me read the ARC of this book!
July 20, 2025
This is an incredibly ambitious story set in a unique and carefully crafted world. The scope of it is truly impressive.
As a reader, it was clear that the author put an extraordinary amount of detail, research, and thought into building every part of this story and its characters. Each character is well written, with a distinct voice and purpose.
I really enjoyed the magic system, the battle scenes, and the layers of political intrigue woven throughout.
This is a great read for fans of epic fantasy with extensive world-building, a large and complex cast of characters, and plenty of action and battle scenes!
As a reader, it was clear that the author put an extraordinary amount of detail, research, and thought into building every part of this story and its characters. Each character is well written, with a distinct voice and purpose.
I really enjoyed the magic system, the battle scenes, and the layers of political intrigue woven throughout.
This is a great read for fans of epic fantasy with extensive world-building, a large and complex cast of characters, and plenty of action and battle scenes!
June 14, 2025
I am reading A Winter’s War and have been enjoying it immensely. It is an epic tale of war and political intrigue set in a fascinating world inspired by medieval Scandinavian history and mythology. It sets up a world with an intriguing lore and mythos and poses mysteries that keep me guessing. The characters all feel well fleshed out, making me really invested in the direction the story takes them. I can’t give this book a stronger recommendation. If you love medieval fantasy fiction with heaping helpings of well-written drama, it is a must-read!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews