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Winterkeep

(Graceling Realm #4)

Kristin Cashore

4.11 · Rating details · 3,744 ratings · 857 reviews

Something is rotten in the heart of Winterkeep...

Four years after Bitterblue left off, a new land has been discovered to the east: Torla; and the closest nation to Monsea is Winterkeep. Winterkeep is a land of miracles, a democratic republic run by people who like each other, where people speak to telepathic sea creatures, adopt telepathic foxes as pets, and fly across the ...more

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Paperback, 528 pages

Published January 21st 2021 by Gollancz (first published January 19th 2021)

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· 3,744 ratings · 857 reviews

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Jul 27, 2020 Lea (drumsofautumn) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: top-books-of-2021, read-2021, most-anticipated-2021

1.) Graceling ★★★★★
2.) Fire ★★★★★
3.) Bitterblue ★★★★★

“It had taken her so long to give up that key, the key to her cage. But it was a cage that no longer existed, because she’d destroyed it, by herself.”

I have been a huge fan of the Graceling Realm Trilogy ever since I first read it after Bitterblue's release. The series means a lot to me because I discovered it right when I started becoming the reader that I am today and the series was something that so perfectly encapsuled all t ...more

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Dec 12, 2020 may ➹ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-and-a-half-star, earc, pov-male, read-2020, pov-multiple, pretty-cover, rep-lgbtqiap, important-messages, pov-female, pov-3rd

immediately after I finished this book, I wrote in my notes, “god im. why am i literally about to cry I CANT DO THIS AGAIN i refuse to shed tears over the work of a white woman yet again NO” so that’s how it’s going

this was very good :’) rtc, 4.5 probably

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Jun 22, 2020 Tatiana marked it as dnf · review of another edition

Shelves: ppb, 2021, fantasy, tres-annoying, i-am-so-over-you, ya

30% DNF

Me and Kristin Cashore are through, going our separate ways, bye.

I didn't care for many things in this book: telepathic foxes, weird sea creatures, airships, sudden shift in worldbuilding from medieval kingdoms to industrial democratic countries, all simplistic and dull, characters described by how many partners they've slept with - these things maybe turn out to serve some valuable role in the story (although Cashore's "free love" message surely has been hammered well enough the last hun ...more

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Jul 02, 2020 Helena of Eretz ✰ marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs, asap, high-fantasy, young-adult

I received this complimentary ARC from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

I'll admit that I'm a bit hesitant about this...

Following along this trend of continuing older 2010's-era YA series: Shatter Me, Darkest Minds, Fire and Thorns, Hunger Games, Twilight and now Graceling ... I hope that this doesn’t ruin the love that I have for this series. ...more

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Jun 05, 2020 Alexandra Elend Wolf added it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 2021, rtc

Well, that was a huge surprise.

One thing I think I needed to say from the get go here is, well, this book should come with trigger warnings. It's heavy and dark and sad and devastating. It treats very difficult topics and the kind of things that are just a little too much and should never happen.

That being said, I think it did a magnificent job at showing Lovisa's journey and how all of that would, very realistically, be processed. Even if it's not pretty.

I was down right bawling my eyes out ...more

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Dec 28, 2020 h o l l i s rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, finished-in-december-2020, fantasy, meh, zzzz-snooze, disappointing, family-focused, grief-or-loss, 2020-reads, baa-baa-black-sheep

Woe, for I am bummed.

Lets start with the good : where this book really shines is the worldbuilding. While the world had expanned a time or two in the first three books of the Graceling Realm series, it goes even further in WINTERKEEP. That plus the in-book passage of time, and new problems, is what keeps this series feeling fresh and, particularly in the case of coming back to a series so many years after publishing what seemed to be the final book, makes it feel less like the cash grab we so of Woe, for I am bummed.

Lets start with the good : where this book really shines is the worldbuilding. While the world had expanned a time or two in the first three books of the Graceling Realm series, it goes even further in WINTERKEEP. That plus the in-book passage of time, and new problems, is what keeps this series feeling fresh and, particularly in the case of coming back to a series so many years after publishing what seemed to be the final book, makes it feel less like the cash grab we so often see. But that said..

Maybe had I not just reread the first three books I wouldn't have noticed as much (though that isn't to say I would've liked it any more than I did..) but none of the recurring characters felt true to form. Giddon, in particular, felt strange as if he didn't quite fit into the shape he'd once been formed of, and Bitterblue.. I don't know. She was a harder character to like throughout the series but she was a character you could respect, to sympathize with, and yet she also felt a little untethered in this book, too. As for the new introductions? Didn't like a single one.

The plot itself felt disjointed but I'm used to Cashore stringing us along on a wild ride that only starts to make sense near the end, but this one? I don't know. Basically everything from the characters to their motivations, and how it drove the plot and their machinations, nothing really felt all that solid. I both appreciated and yet hated the inclusion of yet another twisty and toxic emotional dynamic, because it's definitely important to shed light on and have young readers educated on how it's not acceptable, but combined with the fact that I wasn't enjoying the story, or the character who took the brunt of it all? Yeah, it was tough.

I think there was potential here, for sure, and I definitely maybe had too high a set of expectations after revisiting and rediscovering my love for books one to three all over again, but.. this just didn't work for me. Not as a fan of the series or as just a reader of fantasy. I couldn't love it, could barely like it, and it seemed to take me way too long to get through. I'm sad.

I definitely wouldn't recommend this to anyone who hasn't read already the Graceling Realm books but I would also caution fans to lower their expectations. I have no idea if this is kicking out even more books to come in this world but, despite how I feel about this one, I would still read more.

2.5 stars

** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **

----

This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities. ...more

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Jun 06, 2020 ˗ˏˋ aphrodite ˊˎ˗ marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: new-releases-2021

NEW GRACELING REALMS BOOK????????

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Jun 06, 2020 shre ♡ marked it as to-read · review of another edition

2010 era authors are really keeping us going in 2020.

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Dec 09, 2020 Lauren Don’tGoBrekkerMyHeart rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, reviews

*cries eternally*
This was soooooo good!

Okay something that I need to get off my chest immediately is that I'm tired of seeing people in this review section saying this is just another Midnight Sun or Ballad of Snakes and Songbirds (idk if that is even the correct title) because this is not like those books at all. I've never been given the impression that Cashore is writing this continuation as a means for more money because each book has only added to the lore in a bigger and better form. She's *cries eternally*
This was soooooo good!

Okay something that I need to get off my chest immediately is that I'm tired of seeing people in this review section saying this is just another Midnight Sun or Ballad of Snakes and Songbirds (idk if that is even the correct title) because this is not like those books at all. I've never been given the impression that Cashore is writing this continuation as a means for more money because each book has only added to the lore in a bigger and better form. She's also used her novels numerous times to start conversations in the YA community about issues like feminism, environmentalism (happens in Winterkeep), etc. I'm not going to linger on this anymore because I'm going to switch to my mix of pure, obsessed fangirl and analyst, but this is a note to all those annoying haters.

To start Winterkeep takes place five years after Bitterblue. I know a lot of YA people are not big fans of the books after Graceling because they start to have a slower pace, hold more adult themes, etc. and to that I say they sure do.
It makes them MONUMENTALLY better.
I would highly compare Winterkeep to Bitterblue because Cashore is expanding this world to new lengths I could never have forseen before. It also takes some time for the intense action sequences to happen, but it is well worth it. Just because the action isn’t as forthcoming as it is in Graceling or even Fire does not mean this book isn’t incredible. It’s very political to be honest. Lots of sneaking and scheming.
Lovisa, our newest character recruit, is a morally ambiguous teen, at times, who is torn on her allegiances and duty to her home Winterkeep or her to loved ones. Bitterblue, on the other hand, is just trying to protect and run her kingdom while dealing with another continent with insane technological advances (when compared to the Seven Kingdoms, the Dells, and their continent overall). When Bitterblue and crew start to see some mysterious and deadly circumstances taking place, they plan to get to the bottom of it.
Winterkeep is another piece of growth for this world. I laughed. I cried. And I most certainly screamed my head off. There's so many emotions that coil and boil throughout this story from the entire range of characters. I liked this installment specifically because a lot of the side characters in Bitterblue come farther into the light. Enigmas like Hava become invaluable to the storyline, and I've always been curious about her character after finding out her backstory towards the end of Bitterblue.
Now I cannot say much else because then I'd spoil you all, and that would be horrific because this is an amazing book. What I can say indefinitely is that I went through Winterkeep so quickly that it did not even feel like a 500+ page novel. I'm devouring the lore left and right and just trying to keep up with these marvelous foxes. Ooops I've said too much.. *wink wink*
Anyway, this book was incredible, and I know I've said this multiple times already, but I just need to say it again. Cashore steps beyond the bounds of YA to bring in environmental issues to the Graceling-verse and even a darker element to politics than ever seen before. She's always been an author even before the 2010's that discussed topics not yet mainstream, but she uses her fantasy books as activist messages essentially. It's brilliant and valuable.
P.S. As a little aside, they’re some changes to this story than what happened in Bitterblue. Keep the 5 years in mind because of course nothing is the same as it once was. People growth, mature, etc.

Just like without Cashore's previous books they're some heavy triggers, and I'm going to list as many as I can recall.
TW: Animal abuse, child abuse, gaslighting (mostly parental), prisoner starvation, near drowning, sexual assault (not rape but specifically rough, cruel sexual touching without permission), suicidal thoughts, kidnapping, claustrophobia, environmental cruelty/ deterioration, and bomb warfare. ...more

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Jan 17, 2021 jenny✨ marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fantasy, 2021, tbr-2021

how... how did i not know this was HAPPENING until now???

first graceling reread in almost a decade, here i come!

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Jul 28, 2020 Angelica marked it as to-read · review of another edition

authors need to know when to let their series end.
It's like all the authors of the previous decade have decided that this was the perfect time to come back into the spotlight.

First The Hunger Games, Twilight, Shatter Me, The Iron Fey, and now this????? ...more

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Jun 06, 2020 Kilikina marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: save-the-world, ya, 2021, fantasy, acquire-at-all-costs, apocalyptic-land, january

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dial Books for this ARC chapter sample in exchange for an honest review

The Graceling Realm series is one of my all time favorites. I prayed & hoped Kristin would continue to write another book/series in this world, and I was elated when I saw Winterkeep was finally announced.

What I’ve loved most about this series so far, besides its characters, is it’s incredible world building. It’s been years since I’ve read Butterblue, yet when I read this chapter sampler i ...more

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Jan 14, 2021 The Nerd Daily rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Nathalie DeFelice

The Graceling Realm series came out when I had started high school (once upon a time), and I devoured each book as it came out. It’s unforgettable worldbuilding and riveting characters just hold you in place, and you can’t help but wonder what’s going to happen next. Bitterblue, I thought, marked the end of the series until Kristin announced the arrival of Winterkeep, along with a whole new re-envisioning of the series covers. T ...more

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Jan 29, 2021 Sara the dreamer rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was, without any shadow of a doubt, everything I wanted.

How do I start talking about this book? It was complete perfection. Being reunited with some of my favorite characters was just so wonderful, and I couldn't believe that I could read more about them. Giddon, in this book, is absolutely delightful. His growth throughout the entire series is one of the most amazing thing I've ever read, and Kristin Cashore deserves all the praise for how well she turned a selfish, privileged male charact This was, without any shadow of a doubt, everything I wanted.

How do I start talking about this book? It was complete perfection. Being reunited with some of my favorite characters was just so wonderful, and I couldn't believe that I could read more about them. Giddon, in this book, is absolutely delightful. His growth throughout the entire series is one of the most amazing thing I've ever read, and Kristin Cashore deserves all the praise for how well she turned a selfish, privileged male character into a caring and refreshing one. Truly, reading about Giddon fighting toxic masculinity left and right while also battling his own demons and flaws is something that everyone should experience. He is such a well rounded character and his relationship with Bitterblue will never fail to make me incredibly emotional and happy. The care and the deep bond they share moved me to tears, and I will think about it for years.

Speaking of Bitterblue, I can't tell you how proud I am of my girl in this one. Seeing her grow and understand her own power, and how she should use it, makes me so happy. She has always been one of my faves, but with every book I relate to her and care about her even more. I love how stubborn, kind and thoughful she is, and how she always strives to do the right thing, even if it's not easy. Her insecurities also make her so dear and near to my heart, and I'll always cherish her.

The new world we discover in this one is also so mystical and wonderful, and it was amazing to get to see it through the character's eyes for the first time. I loved the whole mystery that propels the plot forward, and all the angst Kristin Cashore put her characters - and her readers!! - through. The suffering was wonderful and oh, so worth it. The humour is also stellar in this one, as with all of the graceling books, and I laughed out loud so many times. Did I really care about Lovisa and the new characters that were introduced? Not as much as the others for sure. But did I still have the time of my life and will reread this book as soon as possible? Absolutely.

Nothing, and I will always say it, compares to the Graceling series. ...more

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Jun 01, 2020 Hannah added it · review of another edition

Shelves: high-fantasy, ya, 2020, beta-read

NOT HUMBLE, JUST A BRAG

You're gonna love it. I can't wait to read the final. ...more

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Oct 28, 2020 J.A. Ironside rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-releases, fantasy

4.5 stars

ARC provided by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

There seems to have been a lot of doubt about this book in terms of why is it being added to the series now or at all? No doubt this is in the wake of Suzanne Collin new Hunger Games prequel and the Twilight Companion novel, Midnight Sun. I'm struggling to understand the negativity because unless the author seriously retcons everything, why wouldn't you want more of what you love? And if it did just encapsulate a moment you would 4.5 stars

ARC provided by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

There seems to have been a lot of doubt about this book in terms of why is it being added to the series now or at all? No doubt this is in the wake of Suzanne Collin new Hunger Games prequel and the Twilight Companion novel, Midnight Sun. I'm struggling to understand the negativity because unless the author seriously retcons everything, why wouldn't you want more of what you love? And if it did just encapsulate a moment you would rather no one messed with, you can choose to just ignore new material. I know - concept!

Anyway, I really enjoyed Winterkeep. I loved the Graceling series in general although my least favourite was Bitterblue, which just didn't land for me when I read it. Winterkeep moves on around five or six years after Bitterblue. The queen of Monsea has adjusted well to ruling and despite her country's financial troubles, has helped people to move forward and heal after the tyrannical rule of her father. After the discovery of the Dells, explorers have also located other lands including Winterkeep.

Winterkeep thinks of itself as a more evolved land. It's governed by a president and senate of politicians instead of a royal family and feudal system. It has sophisticated infrastructure for trade, commerce, medicine and education. And it has its own myths, legends and magical creatures. However below this beau idelle, all is not well. Two of Bitterblue's emissaries die in suspicious circumstances and a piece of information shows that perhaps Winterkeep is not trading with Monsea in good faith. Bitterblue decides to lead a delegation to Winterkeep to see for herself - and that's when things go drastically wrong.

The themes of the Graceling series have always been unflinching and mature but delivered in a very accessible way. Winterkeep builds on this, looking at the pushes and pulls between family, between differing nations, between progress and innovation versus environmental concerns, between loyalty and integrity. One of the strongest themes is truth; concealed truth, edited truth, the truths you are too obtuse to see or try to protect yourself from and the truths that other people deny you. The prose is easy and engaging so you could be forgiven for not realising how many complicated strands are woven in here. This is multi layered and clever, funny and sweet and poignant. Sometimes it is our differences and our willingness to accept them that allow us to find common ground.

I especially enjoyed Giddon's character arc and the adventurous Telepathic Fox's pov. Louvisa's pov is challenging but utterly pitch perfect for someone surviving in the middle of a situation of physical and emotional abuse without really allowing herself to know that's what's going on because there's no room to process it while it's happening.

In short, Fire is still my favourite book in the series but this comes a close series. If you're interested but unsure, give it a go. It really is a beautiful addition. ...more

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Nov 17, 2020 Amy rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-from-egalley, fantasy, 2020

This review is ALL spoilers, so if you are a fan of the series and plan to read it, go to another review.

I had the opportunity to review this book from an e-galley, thanks #NetGalley, #LibraryJournal #SchoolLibraryJournal, #DayofDialogue, #DialBooksforYoungReaders

This book left me with the same questions I had about the earlier books in the series, but more so. Who is the audience for this book? The world building is ok, but the elements, especially the political elements that drive the plot, a ...more

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Mar 20, 2021 Robin (Bridge Four) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-5-stars, fantastic-fantasy, chick-i-want-to-hang-out-with, 2021-reads, book-boyfriend-material, cool-creatures, awesome-audio, books-of-my-heart

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart

Over the years, I’ve enjoyed the Gracing Realm series by Kristin Cashore. Bitterblue in particular is a favorite character of mine throughout the series and so I was so happy to see that Winterkeep is another story that involves Bitterblue, years after she became the Queen.

It is time to explore an entire new land in the Gracing world, one with telepathic sea animals and blue foxes that bond with humans. A place where the politi ...more

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Jan 21, 2021 Renata rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, ya

Kristin Cashore writes fantasy at exactly the level that I prefer--where there's a note at the beginning saying that she's using days and months of the Gregorian calendar as a shorthand and we should just assume they're "translations" from whatever calendar they use in these fantasy countries. You know what? THANK YOU Kristin, I absolutely have no interest in learning fake fantasy months. (I'm aware that other fantasy readers are extremely interested in that level of fantasy, and to you I say: y ...more

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Aug 14, 2020 Maris Bave rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, fantasy, forever-favorites, dark-but-good, intense, childhood-magic, strange-whimsical-unheard-of-magic

Full review on my blog: The Sea Writes

This one was well worth the wait. And it was so refreshingly easy to follow after struggling through To Sleep in a Sea of Stars for the past month.

Cashore’s original, brilliant magic is on full display in this one. As always, the setting is so real you could reach out and touch it. It has magical creatures (talking foxes and seals! Icosetrapus cyclops!), but it is also far more industrialized than the Dells or Monsea, ultimately feeling more like our own wo Full review on my blog: The Sea Writes

This one was well worth the wait. And it was so refreshingly easy to follow after struggling through To Sleep in a Sea of Stars for the past month.

Cashore’s original, brilliant magic is on full display in this one. As always, the setting is so real you could reach out and touch it. It has magical creatures (talking foxes and seals! Icosetrapus cyclops!), but it is also far more industrialized than the Dells or Monsea, ultimately feeling more like our own world a century and a half ago. A lot of the political conflict draws on many contentious elements of the real world today, but (for the most part) it doesn’t hit you over the head with them. They are blended pretty seamlessly into the unique concerns of Winterkeep, not added thoughtlessly on top as “social commentary.”(view spoiler)

One of my favorite things about Cashore’s writing has always been the emotional nuance of her stories, and Winterkeep does not disappoint. Fire and Bitterblue especially can make me cry on one page and laugh by the next, no matter how many times I read them. Winterkeep was the same way, only with more laughter this time around. ((view spoiler)) Cashore isn’t afraid to discuss some very confusing and difficult things quite frankly, ranging from lying in court to abusive parents to sex. She does it so simply and straightforwardly, however, that those scenes come across as thoughtful and intriguing rather than forced or awkward.

Winterkeep was more character-focused than plot-focused, more like Bitterblue than Graceling or Fire in that regard. What could have been quite a dramatic international blowup was shunted off to the side in favor of showing smaller character interactions. Not that I’m complaining, but I think either kind of story would have been excellent. Would have been happy with more action, but I'm also quite happy with what I got. I've never said "oh Giddon," so many times before. He grew up so much, and I'm so proud. (view spoiler). ...more

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Feb 02, 2021 Heather M rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-lit

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 3.5* (on actually reading what I wrote here and with time I’ve dropped the rating lol) on god i'd die for lovisa. such an angry, brittle, cunning, funny, heartbreaker of a kid. as usual cashore does beautiful trauma writing and grief writing. this one kinda snuck up on me because it doesn't have the kind of large scale devastation leck visited on the entire cast, but gets into abuses more insidious and closer to home, no less difficult to read. but it was such a treat to see bitterblue in the po 3.5* (on actually reading what I wrote here and with time I’ve dropped the rating lol) on god i'd die for lovisa. such an angry, brittle, cunning, funny, heartbreaker of a kid. as usual cashore does beautiful trauma writing and grief writing. this one kinda snuck up on me because it doesn't have the kind of large scale devastation leck visited on the entire cast, but gets into abuses more insidious and closer to home, no less difficult to read. but it was such a treat to see bitterblue in the position of taking care of a traumatized child, for a bit.

at the same time this was the funniest maybe of all the books? between lovisa, nev, bitterblue, hava, the damn foxes??? all deeply funny and distinct voices. i enjoyed the overall widening of the universe. the creature was perfect.

and look i had. hopes. for bitterblue that are well established and decidedly not giddon but it's fine, i'm actually glad that i reread the series beforehand because this was very heavily telegraphed in her book, even though cashore says she wasn't consciously intending that. and there are worse things in a love interest than ...basically just pining and being large? my grudge against him from the first book is my business and it's fine. the fact that hava was in all of his chapters just DUNKING on him really made it go down smooth. i love her. i love her. two of my favorite characters are liars and i love that for me.

i do want to talk about how much sex is in this book, not because i have trouble with it but because there's so much it really underlines how timid cashore is about f/f. more than a few mentions of queer desire and offscreen queer couples, but all of the onscreen sex is het sex. she gets a lot of credit for sprinkling queerness throughout her books, but it isn't treated the same and i don't think that's arguable. to be fair she has started something with lovisa and nev and it's nice to see that in her main characters for once but they don't even kiss and i don't know what her next book will focus on so it's just a bit frustrating. ...more

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Sep 16, 2020 michelle (magical reads) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: released-in-2021, 2021

4.25 stars

rep: bisexual brown protagonist, brown side characters
cw: parental abuse (emotional, physical, gaslighting)

this was so good omg

original review:

i am LOOKING directly at it !

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Sep 16, 2020 ♠ TABI⁷ ♠ marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss

ayyy this cover is doing good things to my eyes

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Feb 09, 2021 Samantha rated it liked it · review of another edition

Though Winterkeep was not without its merits, maybe we didn’t need a fourth Graceling Realms book after all.

Going in, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Cahsore’s return to this series. It’s been a long time since the original trilogy concluded and I admittedly don’t remember it well (aside from the fact that I liked it very much). This one? I liked...less.

Though I don’t believe it to be notably longer than the other books in the series, it *felt* hugely overlong. It’s a slow slog punctua Though Winterkeep was not without its merits, maybe we didn’t need a fourth Graceling Realms book after all.

Going in, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Cahsore’s return to this series. It’s been a long time since the original trilogy concluded and I admittedly don’t remember it well (aside from the fact that I liked it very much). This one? I liked...less.

Though I don’t believe it to be notably longer than the other books in the series, it *felt* hugely overlong. It’s a slow slog punctuated by redeeming moments that—while charming—aren’t enough to stop the reader from feeling mired in an unengaging political plot and entirely too much filler material.

Generally speaking, I like Cashore’s characters and am happy to witness their interactions, even the relatively trivial ones. I also continue to love Cashore’s unique and lovely treatment of non-human/animal characters. And major points for diversity that feels natural and not like tokenism.

I didn’t love the shift in worldbuilding from traditional high fantasy to some sort of steampunk meets Waterworld hybrid. And while the intrigue along the way is quite good at times, the ultimate reason behind all the villainous plotting and heroic derring-do is um, rather dull. A daring don’t? I’ll see myself out.

I also found the blasé, la la la, everyone is randomly sleeping with everyone thing to be a bit off-putting. Cashore clearly has something she wants to say about normalizing casual sex (as this stuff started showing up back in the middle of the trilogy and increases in fervor with each book), but it feels excessive and gauche.

There is a big difference between promoting sexual freedom for women and institutionalizing the idea of sleeping with lots of partners in whom one has no emotional investment, nor any interest in forming one. I don’t particularly see this as morally problematic, but it’s kind of an eye roll of an attempt at strident feminism.

In all, this one has its good points, particularly in some of its humor, it’s excellent animal characters, and in the always wonderful Bitterblue, but it’s hugely overlong and ultimately disappoints plot-wise. If you haven’t done so already, I recommend reading Cashore’s bizarre and exceptional stand-alone novel Jane, Unlimited instead.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.* ...more

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Dec 17, 2020 Cori McCarthy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-s

First of all, I want to thank Penguinteen for sending me this ARC through Netgalley! This was one of my most anticipated books of next year, and I am so excited I got to read it a little early!

Magical World-Building. Fierce Characters. Epic Romance. This book gives you all this and more! Winterkeep was such a magical read, and probably my favorite out of all four books in the Graceling Realm series! It was fast-paced with so many new characters that I found it hard to put this book down. I will ...more

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Jul 29, 2020 Michelle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

4.5 stars

The Graceling series is my favorite series so you can imagine how excited I was about this book. Seeing familiar faces, meeting new characters and exploring more of the world is all so exciting.

Winterkeep takes place five years after Bitterblue. There has already been contact between the Royal Continent (aka Seven Kingdoms) and Torla where our main setting of Winterkeep is located. Torla is east of The Dells so the world has been expanded even more since Bitterblue. We have five perspe ...more

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Jun 06, 2020 Sally rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, fantasy, romance, 2021-reads, young-adult

Before reading: Omfg I can’t believe I’m alive to read the continuation of Bitterblue/Giddon in canon. 😱

After reading: Top tier pining. I made so many highlights it's actually embarrassing lolol.

We stan a healthy relationship built on trust, respect, open communication, and friendship. How lovely that my babies found such amazing partners who make them want to be their best self.

Other jumbled thoughts:
- Parental abuse and 'sins of the father' is such a recurring theme throughout the series.
- ...more

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Feb 10, 2021 Nickie rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: august-2020-2021, end-of-a-series, audiobooks

Nope. Not part of the series. It is disgraceful for an author to try and pick up a series a decade later. Stop piggybacking on your old characters of which there was ONE graceling that made a brief appearance. There are telepathic foxes in this part of the world and that was about the only redeeming quality to this book. This book had tons of sex. An unnecessary and distracting amount. I think all but one of the female characters uses sex to drive the narrative. Have sex with this person that yo ...more

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Oct 19, 2020 Sya rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Kidnapped queens and lonely girls; brave, sad men and stressed out foxes; airships and glaciers and a sad and lonely sea creature wrapped up in political intrigue. Gorgeous and compelling and my favourite read this year. Thank you to the publisher for copy in return for an honest review.

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Sep 17, 2020 Arielle ⭐ Cursebreaker ⭐ marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: i-need

HOW AM I ONLY JUST NOW SEEING THIS??!!??!?! Bitterblue shook me to my very core. I need to immediately re-read.

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

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About Kristin Cashore

Kristin Cashore

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Kristin Cashore grew up in the northeast Pennsylvania countryside as the second of four daughters. She received a bachelor's degree from Williams College and a master's from the Center for the Study of Children's Literature at Simmons College. She currently lives in the Boston area. ...more

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Graceling Realm (5 books)

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Quotes from Winterkeep

“They’re stronger than me. But I’m stronger then the way they’re trying to make me feel.” — 7 likes

“No one can do anything with politics and government," Lovisa said scornfully. "It's just two bickering sides who are exactly the same, pretending to fight about good sense and ideals when really it's all about money.” — 5 likes

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