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The Winter Epic #1
The Girl Who Kept Winter
This is a fantasy romance that will make you laugh and cry at the same time.
Set in a fantasy world similar to ancient Asia, The Girl Who Kept Winter is a love story between Luu Dong Tu (lit translation: "the girl who kept winter") and a mysterious, dangerous yet passionate man, Obsidian - the King of Poison.
Luu Dong Tu is the oldest daughter of a small dojo. Her life has been normal, growing up in a small town, working at her family dojo until the day she is forced into a marriage with the spoiled son of a local official to save her family.
Her life is turned on its head as five days before the wedding, she finds herself abducted by three strangers from a notorious group of martial art experts, the Monstrous Eighteen.
In their company, she encounters the intriguing Obsidian, king of poison, a man whose entire body is laced with a lethal toxin. Obsidian is a cold, distant, and dangerous man with a mysterious past. No one has ever touched him and lived to tell the tale until an innocent kiss from Dong Tu seals their destiny.
The story follows Dong Tu as she becomes tangled in a romance with the dangerous yet handsome man, catching a glimpse into his life in the Whispered World.
Can Dong Tu come home in time to save her family without having to marry the son of the local official? Who is Obsidian and what is the snow that follows his steps? How will Dong Tu fall in love with the man nobody can touch? Will Dong Tu and Obsidian be together?
The Girl Who Kept Winter is a journey of falling in love for the first time, an adventure in the fantasy martial art world of swordplays, air bending, wind walking, superpower, kungfu fighting wuxia.
Join Dong Tu as she discovers Obsidian’s true identity and resolves the mystery of the snow and the poison that laces his skin.
The venture with an ending that keeps you longing for more.
The Girl Who Kept Winter is the English version of Tuyet Den - a Vietnamese young adult classic, loved by generations. This book is Twilight meets Phantom of the Opera in a world of anime style martial art. It makes you giggle, it's bittersweet and it brings tears to your eyes, this book has it all.
Finally, The Girl Who Kept Winter has the romance that makes books similar to its genre such as the Untamed (Mo Dao Zu Shi) so popular. The Girl Who Kept Winter has the the dramatic plot twist that makes it a Korean drama in book form.
Set in a fantasy world similar to ancient Asia, The Girl Who Kept Winter is a love story between Luu Dong Tu (lit translation: "the girl who kept winter") and a mysterious, dangerous yet passionate man, Obsidian - the King of Poison.
Luu Dong Tu is the oldest daughter of a small dojo. Her life has been normal, growing up in a small town, working at her family dojo until the day she is forced into a marriage with the spoiled son of a local official to save her family.
Her life is turned on its head as five days before the wedding, she finds herself abducted by three strangers from a notorious group of martial art experts, the Monstrous Eighteen.
In their company, she encounters the intriguing Obsidian, king of poison, a man whose entire body is laced with a lethal toxin. Obsidian is a cold, distant, and dangerous man with a mysterious past. No one has ever touched him and lived to tell the tale until an innocent kiss from Dong Tu seals their destiny.
The story follows Dong Tu as she becomes tangled in a romance with the dangerous yet handsome man, catching a glimpse into his life in the Whispered World.
Can Dong Tu come home in time to save her family without having to marry the son of the local official? Who is Obsidian and what is the snow that follows his steps? How will Dong Tu fall in love with the man nobody can touch? Will Dong Tu and Obsidian be together?
The Girl Who Kept Winter is a journey of falling in love for the first time, an adventure in the fantasy martial art world of swordplays, air bending, wind walking, superpower, kungfu fighting wuxia.
Join Dong Tu as she discovers Obsidian’s true identity and resolves the mystery of the snow and the poison that laces his skin.
The venture with an ending that keeps you longing for more.
The Girl Who Kept Winter is the English version of Tuyet Den - a Vietnamese young adult classic, loved by generations. This book is Twilight meets Phantom of the Opera in a world of anime style martial art. It makes you giggle, it's bittersweet and it brings tears to your eyes, this book has it all.
Finally, The Girl Who Kept Winter has the romance that makes books similar to its genre such as the Untamed (Mo Dao Zu Shi) so popular. The Girl Who Kept Winter has the the dramatic plot twist that makes it a Korean drama in book form.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 21, 2020
275 people are currently reading
2143 people want to read
About the author
Giao Chi
5 books56 followersGiao Chi (Annie Phan) grew up in Vietnam and Singapore. She graduated from Duke University with an MBA and currently lives in the San Francisco Bay area.
At thirteen years old, she won a professional comic scriptwriting award from the Nhi Dong publishing company. She went on to publish more than three hundred comics printed in magazines such as Nhi Dong, Khan Quang Do, and Muc Tim. Her first novel, Tuyet Den (English version: The Girl Who Kept Winter), began as a blog post that went viral in 2007 and was later expanded into a full-length best-seller. Her novels, comics, and graphic novels have been enjoyed by generations of Vietnamese readers.
Join The Girl Who Kept Winter mailing list to receive book release updates: http://giaochiphan.com/
At thirteen years old, she won a professional comic scriptwriting award from the Nhi Dong publishing company. She went on to publish more than three hundred comics printed in magazines such as Nhi Dong, Khan Quang Do, and Muc Tim. Her first novel, Tuyet Den (English version: The Girl Who Kept Winter), began as a blog post that went viral in 2007 and was later expanded into a full-length best-seller. Her novels, comics, and graphic novels have been enjoyed by generations of Vietnamese readers.
Join The Girl Who Kept Winter mailing list to receive book release updates: http://giaochiphan.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
January 10, 2023
Oh.. My Gosh Geeeeez! Pls, pls meet my Phong!! lol If you fly to the Sky in "Daughter of the Moon Goddess" or dive in to the Sea in "The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea" Travel Poison Region and attend Hoa Hon Palace already!! 🐍
QUICK PLOT INTRO : Dong Tu, as the oldest daughter of dojo family, is forced to marry the son of offical local to save her family!! But before her wedding day, she was abducted by the material art group calls the Monstrous Eighteen.
There, she met him Obsidian, the king of poison whose his body is full of toxin. And alas.. OMG! Dong Tu and Obsidian accidentally touched!! She was poisoned and going to die before her wedding day and cannot save her family? What's gonna happen next?? 😲
Asian YA meets Phantom of the Opera in Vietnamese martial art fantasy world, my friends.
Similar to Chinese Wuxia if it's easy for anyone to imagine, in case if you don't familiar with the setting and all. But for me? I'm so glad to find Vietnamese fantasy book to read!! xD You gotta meet my Phong My mysterious, tortured, torment, miserable Phong. I want to hug him tight and give him teddy bear *cries* Why does his life have to be this hurt? Why??? Yeah.. my King of Poison who hide his handsome face in the mask.
Then he met lovely Dong Tu.. who always worry about him.
Their slow-burned romance turns to star-crossed lovers begins. *sobs* 😭😭😭
Monstrous Eighteen members are also great! 😁 They kind of funny and made me lol in this road. Their abilites are really interesting. Also the world-building of this book is kind of refressing to me. Whispered World Wow! 😮 Posion Region and all the posions I gone through. Book 2 now !!!
QUICK PLOT INTRO : Dong Tu, as the oldest daughter of dojo family, is forced to marry the son of offical local to save her family!! But before her wedding day, she was abducted by the material art group calls the Monstrous Eighteen.
There, she met him Obsidian, the king of poison whose his body is full of toxin. And alas.. OMG! Dong Tu and Obsidian accidentally touched!! She was poisoned and going to die before her wedding day and cannot save her family? What's gonna happen next?? 😲
Asian YA meets Phantom of the Opera in Vietnamese martial art fantasy world, my friends.
Similar to Chinese Wuxia if it's easy for anyone to imagine, in case if you don't familiar with the setting and all. But for me? I'm so glad to find Vietnamese fantasy book to read!! xD You gotta meet my Phong My mysterious, tortured, torment, miserable Phong. I want to hug him tight and give him teddy bear *cries* Why does his life have to be this hurt? Why??? Yeah.. my King of Poison who hide his handsome face in the mask.
Then he met lovely Dong Tu.. who always worry about him.
Their slow-burned romance turns to star-crossed lovers begins. *sobs* 😭😭😭
Monstrous Eighteen members are also great! 😁 They kind of funny and made me lol in this road. Their abilites are really interesting. Also the world-building of this book is kind of refressing to me. Whispered World Wow! 😮 Posion Region and all the posions I gone through. Book 2 now !!!
December 30, 2020
Also known as Tuyết Đen (Black Snow) in its original Vietnamese form
Fun and addicting: two must have traits of truyện chưởng (Vietnamese term for Asian martial arts stories) that The Girl Who Kept Winter certainly embodies!
I have fond memories of watching phím chưởng (Asian martial arts dramas) with my grandfather and father (and I still love watching them today), so it was easy for me to immerse myself in The Girl Who Kept Winter. Unlike those stories and dramas, this novel is really concise while still maintaining the essence of the genre. On top of that, most of these stories are written by Chinese authors, so it's really great to see a Vietnamese take on the genre.
I hope more Vietnamese novels like this are translated to English, though it would probably be good for me to try reading it in the original Vietnamese to brush up on the language, haha. I read this translation via Kindle Unlimited, but I would love to read it in its original Vietnamese some day if I can get a copy.
aaaaa, I totally anticipated the ending, and I need the second book straight away.
Fun and addicting: two must have traits of truyện chưởng (Vietnamese term for Asian martial arts stories) that The Girl Who Kept Winter certainly embodies!
I have fond memories of watching phím chưởng (Asian martial arts dramas) with my grandfather and father (and I still love watching them today), so it was easy for me to immerse myself in The Girl Who Kept Winter. Unlike those stories and dramas, this novel is really concise while still maintaining the essence of the genre. On top of that, most of these stories are written by Chinese authors, so it's really great to see a Vietnamese take on the genre.
I hope more Vietnamese novels like this are translated to English, though it would probably be good for me to try reading it in the original Vietnamese to brush up on the language, haha. I read this translation via Kindle Unlimited, but I would love to read it in its original Vietnamese some day if I can get a copy.
aaaaa, I totally anticipated the ending, and I need the second book straight away.
April 7, 2022
Edit: link to my review of Book 2 (Frigid) here.
I gave this a try because it is on Kindle Unlimited and I'm still on the free trial eheh, and I wasn't disappointed! I am really invested in the characters, the world and the story, so I will now immediately move on to devour Book 2.
The world: written by a Vietnamese author, the setting similar to xianxia in Chinese literature, where both fantasy and martial arts play a major role in character and plot development.
The characters: Our main girl Dong Tu, is an ordinary human practiced in martial arts while her love interest is a mysterious, cold King of Poison, whose touch is enough to kill. Drama ensues.
Spring, summer, autumn, winter, the seasons come and go
If you were snow, I'd keep winter
And so the story began, it was said that a girl fell in love with snow and thus kept winter..
I will say that this first book is quite short for the amount of content packed in. Although I love the characters and the romance between our main characters, their relationship and individual character developments were a little rushed. I would also have liked some other characters to have more depth, which I am hoping Book 2 will dive deeper into. Thereforeeee, I shall update on how the sequel goes when I am done with it!
I gave this a try because it is on Kindle Unlimited and I'm still on the free trial eheh, and I wasn't disappointed! I am really invested in the characters, the world and the story, so I will now immediately move on to devour Book 2.
The world: written by a Vietnamese author, the setting similar to xianxia in Chinese literature, where both fantasy and martial arts play a major role in character and plot development.
The characters: Our main girl Dong Tu, is an ordinary human practiced in martial arts while her love interest is a mysterious, cold King of Poison, whose touch is enough to kill. Drama ensues.
Spring, summer, autumn, winter, the seasons come and go
If you were snow, I'd keep winter
And so the story began, it was said that a girl fell in love with snow and thus kept winter..
I will say that this first book is quite short for the amount of content packed in. Although I love the characters and the romance between our main characters, their relationship and individual character developments were a little rushed. I would also have liked some other characters to have more depth, which I am hoping Book 2 will dive deeper into. Thereforeeee, I shall update on how the sequel goes when I am done with it!
October 20, 2022
don’t mind my devoted compassion and eternal tears falling all over this book
June 16, 2025
*2021 Around the Year Reading Challenge*
Prompt #9: A book you associate with a certain season or time of year
Umm. I genuinely am at a loss for words. It started off as a romantic fairy tale about a girl who is accidentally poisoned by a man who allows her to live long enough to return home. He then watches from a ceiling beam in her home as she dies in her bridal clothes, and frightens everyone with his appearance as he walks out, leaving a trail of black snowflakes behind him.
Then it devolved into madness.
Literally, the best way I could describe this book is that it's like the craziest manga/anime you've ever encountered, but forcing it into book form (which clearly doesn't work). Think random new monsters/foes at every turn with slapstick comedy, extremely unrealistic scenarios and characters (menacing killers become comedic lovesick fools a page later), and everyone literally calling out the names of their moves/attacks like something out of Sailor Moon or Pokemon. In fact, Pokemon might be a great analogy for what it is - similar feel, going back and forth between action and comedy. Except it works for Pokemon because it's an anime and manga and not a novel. Even the romance here reminded me of Brock and Nurse Joy, with the male lead going from aloof to blushing all over the place and continuously thinking the MC is cute in a really awkward way:
And later:
We get it, you think she's cute. And it's not out of character at all for you to be describing her like this, tough guy.
And I kid you not: every time the main characters are alone together, it's comedic rather than romantic because there's a group of 3 demons who spy and eavesdrop on them from the roof and watch while laughing and teasing the male lead.
There's also the changing perspectives (we don't see a lot either of the MCs for a good chunk of the book because it starts following a group of silly side characters) and extended flashbacks that also make it seem more like it was meant to be a TV show.
An example below: Context is that Gia (an antagonist-turned-ally) is trying to assault (rape??) MC Dong Tu by throwing her on his bed and tearing at her clothes, but stops in order to tell her about his childhood and relationship with the male lead. We literally get a full, multi-page flashback from his point of view before he returns his attention to attacking her.
To be clear - this book is pretty much PG (PG-13 is a stretch, but I could see why the action scenes could be upgraded to that) so obviously nothing happens and he becomes a comic-relief type character who is roped into teaching her some top-secret fighting moves the next day.
The only reason I'm giving this book 2 stars is because of the very beginning and ending, which are serious, fairy tale-esque rather than irreverent slapstick, and have the touch of tragic romance I always look for. I'm curious enough to want to read the sequel (which apparently took 13 years to release, and has better reviews) so we'll see if anything improves there.
TL;DR : I'm sure this book would be awesome as an animated show for preteens, but it just comes off as ridiculous in novel-form. Slapstick alone is fine, but the huge shift in tone and writing is what I found jarring and strange.
Edit: Forgot to mention the inconsistencies. Male lead was apparently 5 years old when a major event happened, but is later described as being "almost seven" (meaning 6) and then just actually "seven" before being 5 again. Not great when an author can't keep track of their characters' lives/ages.
Prompt #9: A book you associate with a certain season or time of year
Umm. I genuinely am at a loss for words. It started off as a romantic fairy tale about a girl who is accidentally poisoned by a man who allows her to live long enough to return home. He then watches from a ceiling beam in her home as she dies in her bridal clothes, and frightens everyone with his appearance as he walks out, leaving a trail of black snowflakes behind him.
Then it devolved into madness.
Literally, the best way I could describe this book is that it's like the craziest manga/anime you've ever encountered, but forcing it into book form (which clearly doesn't work). Think random new monsters/foes at every turn with slapstick comedy, extremely unrealistic scenarios and characters (menacing killers become comedic lovesick fools a page later), and everyone literally calling out the names of their moves/attacks like something out of Sailor Moon or Pokemon. In fact, Pokemon might be a great analogy for what it is - similar feel, going back and forth between action and comedy. Except it works for Pokemon because it's an anime and manga and not a novel. Even the romance here reminded me of Brock and Nurse Joy, with the male lead going from aloof to blushing all over the place and continuously thinking the MC is cute in a really awkward way:
...as she slept so soundly besides him, that made her seem even cuter.
And later:
She was even wearing his clothes, which made her attractive in an awkwardly cute way. The shirt hung off of one of her shoulders, while on him it was tight. She's just so small, Obsidian thought, and it makes her even cuter... and those adorable lips...
We get it, you think she's cute. And it's not out of character at all for you to be describing her like this, tough guy.
And I kid you not: every time the main characters are alone together, it's comedic rather than romantic because there's a group of 3 demons who spy and eavesdrop on them from the roof and watch while laughing and teasing the male lead.
There's also the changing perspectives (we don't see a lot either of the MCs for a good chunk of the book because it starts following a group of silly side characters) and extended flashbacks that also make it seem more like it was meant to be a TV show.
An example below: Context is that Gia (an antagonist-turned-ally) is trying to assault (rape??) MC Dong Tu by throwing her on his bed and tearing at her clothes, but stops in order to tell her about his childhood and relationship with the male lead. We literally get a full, multi-page flashback from his point of view before he returns his attention to attacking her.
Dong Tu frowned. The sibling rivalry between Gia and Phong was obvious...but he also idolized him. it was very strange.
"But wait a minute!" Gia exclaimed, suddenly remembering his original intent. "I didn't keep you here to tell you bedtime stories, after all!"[...] Gia began to rip off Dong Tu's clothes, explaining exactly why he was so excited about her presence as he did. (126)
To be clear - this book is pretty much PG (PG-13 is a stretch, but I could see why the action scenes could be upgraded to that) so obviously nothing happens and he becomes a comic-relief type character who is roped into teaching her some top-secret fighting moves the next day.
The only reason I'm giving this book 2 stars is because of the very beginning and ending, which are serious, fairy tale-esque rather than irreverent slapstick, and have the touch of tragic romance I always look for. I'm curious enough to want to read the sequel (which apparently took 13 years to release, and has better reviews) so we'll see if anything improves there.
TL;DR : I'm sure this book would be awesome as an animated show for preteens, but it just comes off as ridiculous in novel-form. Slapstick alone is fine, but the huge shift in tone and writing is what I found jarring and strange.
Edit: Forgot to mention the inconsistencies. Male lead was apparently 5 years old when a major event happened, but is later described as being "almost seven" (meaning 6) and then just actually "seven" before being 5 again. Not great when an author can't keep track of their characters' lives/ages.
January 30, 2022
The fight scenes got very boring and stretched out too long for my liking but the love story side of it was *sigh*
I would pay money for someone to find me a Phong. I'd complain that because the writing style was like the narration of a tale - very similar to The Bear and the Nightingale - there's always this distance between the characters and the reader, and you don't get that deep insight, just a brush that leaves you craving for more. But Phong and Dong Tu have lots of moments together - compared to the main characters in the aforementioned book - and that chemistry slaps you right in the face and makes you desire that for your own lesser-than-average self (me, I'm talking about myself here), so I shan't complain too much.
I also learned the second book was published YEARS after this one lmao so I'm happy I got to it late. I can find and read it whenever and I feel so bad for the people who waited for so long to find out if Dong Tu is able to whip shit around.
I would pay money for someone to find me a Phong. I'd complain that because the writing style was like the narration of a tale - very similar to The Bear and the Nightingale - there's always this distance between the characters and the reader, and you don't get that deep insight, just a brush that leaves you craving for more. But Phong and Dong Tu have lots of moments together - compared to the main characters in the aforementioned book - and that chemistry slaps you right in the face and makes you desire that for your own lesser-than-average self (me, I'm talking about myself here), so I shan't complain too much.
I also learned the second book was published YEARS after this one lmao so I'm happy I got to it late. I can find and read it whenever and I feel so bad for the people who waited for so long to find out if Dong Tu is able to whip shit around.
March 2, 2022
So I enjoyed the story, characters, and the comedic parts, but the translation could have been much better. Despite having so many people translating it, the book comes off rushed. It's clear that it was translated and then cleaned up enough to be understood in English, so their goal was to keep the text faithful to the original. However, English writing needs more padding to connect scenes or even paragraphs to each other, and this book needs that. Overall, still like the story a lot minus the translation.
May 16, 2021
Having watched fantasy chinese dramas and being vietnamese myself, it was easy for me to visualize this book in my mind but I did, however, struggle at some parts.
The writing was not smooth but I understand that this is a translation. I do think that if this book was made into a drama, this would be a good watch.
I was lukewarm about the book the ending did pull strings for me. To me, the ending was THAT good that I, overall, liked the book.
The writing was not smooth but I understand that this is a translation. I do think that if this book was made into a drama, this would be a good watch.
I was lukewarm about the book the ending did pull strings for me. To me, the ending was THAT good that I, overall, liked the book.
December 22, 2020
It was a beautifully written story. But it felt rushed and details put in that didn't make sense, though I know things do get lost in translation. Loved the imagery and the feel of the story. I just wish there had been more or the book would have been a little longer to fully flesh out all the details and storyline.
September 26, 2021
*3.555*
I'm not happy with the ending 😪 therefore I need book 2 asap 🤭
still it was an enjoyable story with interesting characters and fantasy elements.
at times, the narrating was a bit confusing tho
but the most important thing: Vietnamese representation 🙆♀️ by an vietnamese author 🙆♀️
I'm not happy with the ending 😪 therefore I need book 2 asap 🤭
still it was an enjoyable story with interesting characters and fantasy elements.
at times, the narrating was a bit confusing tho
but the most important thing: Vietnamese representation 🙆♀️ by an vietnamese author 🙆♀️
January 14, 2021
I need the second book please, like, right now!!!!
I love historical love story, historical romance, but not all, because sometimes I end up reading bland stories. But this one, I love it. There's something fragile and tender about historical love story that I just wanted to preserve and be careful around it.
The story was about an ordinary girl named Dong Tu, who was arranged to be married to an asshole named (let's just not name the asshole), who just wanted to marry her to get back at her for slapping him in public when he grabbed her "accidentally" in a place he shouldn't have. Before the wedding, she went to deliver something on the other side of the mountain with some of the trusted people from their dojo. But when they were on their way home, they met some of the members of the notorious gang from the poison society. She then met Obsidian, the Poison King. He accidentaly poisoned her and she tried to help her. But to totally remove the poison from her body, it will take will be a matter of life and death for Obsidian. He decided to help her go down the mountain (maybe because he's already developing a feeling for her, or because of guilt) going home. Along the waythey met a group of man, Bach Duong, with seven beautiful women and they fought Obsidian and his companions and Bach Duong ended up helping Dong Tu with her poison problem.
Obsidian ended up helping her escape her arranged wedding. But Obsidian was badly hurt when,
When you start reading the story, it sounds really simple and the words were basic, but as I continue reading, I fell in love with the characters, hated the assholes and the bitches and really wanted to kill the son of the bitches.
I am really happy that there was a chance for Phong and Dong Tu to be together, but man, the cliffhanger was a killer!!! If there will be a second book, it might be a continuation of how , how she and Phong met again, the , and the story of how the 'almost asshole husband' "accidentally" been castrated by her wife.
Until now, I am still thinking about real meaning of the title, but nevertheless, I love the story.
I love historical love story, historical romance, but not all, because sometimes I end up reading bland stories. But this one, I love it. There's something fragile and tender about historical love story that I just wanted to preserve and be careful around it.
The story was about an ordinary girl named Dong Tu, who was arranged to be married to an asshole named (let's just not name the asshole), who just wanted to marry her to get back at her for slapping him in public when he grabbed her "accidentally" in a place he shouldn't have. Before the wedding, she went to deliver something on the other side of the mountain with some of the trusted people from their dojo. But when they were on their way home, they met some of the members of the notorious gang from the poison society. She then met Obsidian, the Poison King. He accidentaly poisoned her and she tried to help her. But to totally remove the poison from her body, it will take will be a matter of life and death for Obsidian. He decided to help her go down the mountain (maybe because he's already developing a feeling for her, or because of guilt) going home. Along the waythey met a group of man, Bach Duong, with seven beautiful women and they fought Obsidian and his companions and Bach Duong ended up helping Dong Tu with her poison problem.
Obsidian ended up helping her escape her arranged wedding. But Obsidian was badly hurt when,
When you start reading the story, it sounds really simple and the words were basic, but as I continue reading, I fell in love with the characters, hated the assholes and the bitches and really wanted to kill the son of the bitches.
I am really happy that there was a chance for Phong and Dong Tu to be together, but man, the cliffhanger was a killer!!! If there will be a second book, it might be a continuation of how , how she and Phong met again, the , and the story of how the 'almost asshole husband' "accidentally" been castrated by her wife.
Until now, I am still thinking about real meaning of the title, but nevertheless, I love the story.
And so the story began, it was said that a girl fell in love with snow and thus kept winter...
“It was not a kiss!” Had it really been a kiss? “If it was a kiss, it should have been on the lips, shouldn’t it?” he asked aloud of no one.
April 28, 2021
A short-ish read that's easy to follow and fly through. The telling of the story is a bit distant and the emotional moments are not as charged as they could be, but this was a starkly unique story with a wide array of cast and numerous carefully placed pieces. Everything fit carefully together in a way that was surprisingly satisfying. For readers not good with foreign names, I recommend keeping a list of characters (or google one and keep it up on your screen while you read). At times, some of the more minor characters were hard to recall. However, there is a nice balance of recapping for most. I also really liked the way each character got their chance to have a backstory. It was really well done and brief enough to keep away the drag that usually follows flashbacks.
March 1, 2022
I like the story, I wish I could read it in its original language. I always feel like some emotions are lost during translation. But if you like watching foreign films on subtitles, definitely a good read
December 23, 2020
It had an exciting premise and beautiful cover but the romance between the characters happened way too fast. Feel like the relationship could've been more of a slowburn spread out over a few books.
November 6, 2022
Luu Dong Tu is the eldest daughter of the Luu family, which runs a well-respected dojo. She's a skilled martial artist in her own right, but unfortunately she's engaged to marry Vinh Phuc, the magistrate's spoiled son. Shortly before their wedding, Dong Tu and several other martial artists from the Luu family were sent to guard a delivery being made in a neighboring district. Something horrible happened during that mission, and although Dong Tu eventually made it back to her own wedding, she died of poison before it could take place.
Dong Tu had been poisoned by an encounter with Obsidian, one of the Monstrous Eighteen. With some assistance, she was able to resist his poison long enough to make it back to her wedding and ensure her family wasn't accused of going back on its word, but the poison that infuses Obsidian's entire body has no cure. Which doesn't stop him from seemingly raising Dong Tu from the dead.
And so begins this story of deadly poisons, martial arts battles, long-lost brothers, people with weird powers, jealous women, ridiculous matchmakers, and that one guy who thinks he's all that.
This was an impulse purchase inspired by my "ooh pretty" response to the cover, which Facebook algorithms kept throwing in my face. Apparently this book began as a blog post that was later expanded, and, judging by the credits section at the end, it sounds like a team of devoted English-speaking fans helped the author get it translated into English.
I don't know if it was the translation or the original writing, but the storytelling came across as bland and a bit childish. The overall balance was off, too. The romance, which I thought would be a significant part of the story, was overshadowed by everything else. Obsidian and Dong Tu barely spent any time together after the initial accidental poisoning, and their "romance" generally read like two pre-teens wondering if holding hands with someone once means you're a couple.
Hopefully Anole and Switch were supposed to be comedic relief characters, because that's how they came across. They spent most of the book lurking at the edges of any scene that might have Obsidian and Dong Tu in it, so they could tease Obsidian and act, I'm guessing, as reader stand-ins squealing over their OTP.
The storyline involving Bach Duong, his search for his long-lost brother Phong, and Obsidian's tragic backstory was stronger than any of the attempted romance between Dong Tu and Obsidian. And even those "stronger" bits had me thinking that I'd probably have preferred watching a TV adaptation of this series over reading the book. Maybe the humor, excitement, and romance would all have come across better with actors' charisma behind them.
A warning to romance fans: this doesn't end on a happy note. But it does leave room for a sequel, which has been written and published. I doubt I'll be reading it, though - I just didn't get into the characters and their world enough.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
Dong Tu had been poisoned by an encounter with Obsidian, one of the Monstrous Eighteen. With some assistance, she was able to resist his poison long enough to make it back to her wedding and ensure her family wasn't accused of going back on its word, but the poison that infuses Obsidian's entire body has no cure. Which doesn't stop him from seemingly raising Dong Tu from the dead.
And so begins this story of deadly poisons, martial arts battles, long-lost brothers, people with weird powers, jealous women, ridiculous matchmakers, and that one guy who thinks he's all that.
This was an impulse purchase inspired by my "ooh pretty" response to the cover, which Facebook algorithms kept throwing in my face. Apparently this book began as a blog post that was later expanded, and, judging by the credits section at the end, it sounds like a team of devoted English-speaking fans helped the author get it translated into English.
I don't know if it was the translation or the original writing, but the storytelling came across as bland and a bit childish. The overall balance was off, too. The romance, which I thought would be a significant part of the story, was overshadowed by everything else. Obsidian and Dong Tu barely spent any time together after the initial accidental poisoning, and their "romance" generally read like two pre-teens wondering if holding hands with someone once means you're a couple.
Hopefully Anole and Switch were supposed to be comedic relief characters, because that's how they came across. They spent most of the book lurking at the edges of any scene that might have Obsidian and Dong Tu in it, so they could tease Obsidian and act, I'm guessing, as reader stand-ins squealing over their OTP.
The storyline involving Bach Duong, his search for his long-lost brother Phong, and Obsidian's tragic backstory was stronger than any of the attempted romance between Dong Tu and Obsidian. And even those "stronger" bits had me thinking that I'd probably have preferred watching a TV adaptation of this series over reading the book. Maybe the humor, excitement, and romance would all have come across better with actors' charisma behind them.
A warning to romance fans: this doesn't end on a happy note. But it does leave room for a sequel, which has been written and published. I doubt I'll be reading it, though - I just didn't get into the characters and their world enough.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
December 5, 2022
Set in a fantasy world similar to ancient Asia, The Girl Who Kept Winter is a love story between Luu Dong Tu (lit translation: "the girl who kept winter") and a mysterious, dangerous yet passionate man, Obsidian - the King of Poison.
A simple read but i really enjoyed every second of it <3
stop i really enjoy their interactions 😭 going to read the second book soon!
A simple read but i really enjoyed every second of it <3
stop i really enjoy their interactions 😭 going to read the second book soon!
April 9, 2022
Very fun! Lots of Vietnamese-style wuxia (there is a word for it but I don't know it, so.) with martial arts good guys and bad guys and mostly in-between guys who don't fit the guys or bad label well. Also lots of "ooh, Obsidian like likes the girl" and "NO I DON'T!!!" which is hilarious. Definitely will have to read the next one.
May 17, 2022
This book needs to be broadcasted more and shown to more people because it is underrated and it is a shame because it going for it.
1) The author is a wonderful Vietnamese woman who from what i have seen hasnt written a lot or has not had a lot translated to english which is again a shame because she did a wonderful job with this story.
2) The main character's Dong Tu and Obsidian are a will they--won't they couple and that is cute in some aspects and I know it is because Obsidian doesnt know how to form a lasting and committed relationship but it drove me bonkers.
3) I don't know if it was the way it was translated and it does a explanation of how Vietnamese doesn't translate well and trust me a lot of languages doesn't translate well to English because we took a lot of words from other cultures and claimed them as our own like we owned and started them but I digress....with some of the fighting and explanation of certain story aspects it felt jumbled but otherwise I enjoyed it.
More people need to read this book and its sequel just to see a new kind of story with a lot of new twists also to support more Asian authors because dang it there needs to be more.
1) The author is a wonderful Vietnamese woman who from what i have seen hasnt written a lot or has not had a lot translated to english which is again a shame because she did a wonderful job with this story.
2) The main character's Dong Tu and Obsidian are a will they--won't they couple and that is cute in some aspects and I know it is because Obsidian doesnt know how to form a lasting and committed relationship but it drove me bonkers.
3) I don't know if it was the way it was translated and it does a explanation of how Vietnamese doesn't translate well and trust me a lot of languages doesn't translate well to English because we took a lot of words from other cultures and claimed them as our own like we owned and started them but I digress....with some of the fighting and explanation of certain story aspects it felt jumbled but otherwise I enjoyed it.
More people need to read this book and its sequel just to see a new kind of story with a lot of new twists also to support more Asian authors because dang it there needs to be more.
January 10, 2021
Interestingly done. This definitely puts into mind old school kung fu films that I used to watch with my dad as a teen. But you add in that fantasy element of The Whisper World, which I took to be a legion of poisoners for hire, so, I think assassins. The main character seems like a total badass in the beginning but then she kind of gets thrown into a whole bunch of situations and you kind of lose track of that a bit while the plot is developing (fast).
There are several fighting scenes with super attacks, discovered identities, lots of poison (no surprise), and then of course the romantic aspect which is pretty sizable. We are left with a kind of cliffhanger/open end, definitely a set up for the next book. All in all, I liked it because it kind of reminded me of Ranma 1/2. If you like that, or other martial arts movies AND a healthy dose of falling fast, you might like this.
Also, it was super awesome reading a translation of a Vietnamese novel. I haven't ever read anything in a Vietnamese fantasy setting, so this was a welcome venture!
There are several fighting scenes with super attacks, discovered identities, lots of poison (no surprise), and then of course the romantic aspect which is pretty sizable. We are left with a kind of cliffhanger/open end, definitely a set up for the next book. All in all, I liked it because it kind of reminded me of Ranma 1/2. If you like that, or other martial arts movies AND a healthy dose of falling fast, you might like this.
Also, it was super awesome reading a translation of a Vietnamese novel. I haven't ever read anything in a Vietnamese fantasy setting, so this was a welcome venture!
June 4, 2021
Stunning entrance into Vietnamese mythology!
I am a big fan of Translation fiction, and this novel did not disappoint. It was an interesting, fast paced story that was engaging and thought provoking, through its characters, dialogue and the hard work of both author and translators to bring "The Girl Who Kept Winter" to English speaking readers.
Dong Tu and Obsidian are somewhat star-crossed, truly bemused lovers to be. However, what is refreshing about this love story is that their romance is never ALL the characters are, they are well rounded people... Or Poison Kings in Obsidian's case. With flaws and dreams and consequences to face.
Joined by a whole host of interesting and fascinating secondary characters, Dong Tu's sister and the mysterious Switch being my personal favourites, utterly fill the pages with life and just a little chaos that makes this a brilliant read.
I would definitely recommend it to anyone, but especially anyone looking for that first dip into translated fiction novels.
(This review is also on Amazon.co.uk and is all my own opinions)
I am a big fan of Translation fiction, and this novel did not disappoint. It was an interesting, fast paced story that was engaging and thought provoking, through its characters, dialogue and the hard work of both author and translators to bring "The Girl Who Kept Winter" to English speaking readers.
Dong Tu and Obsidian are somewhat star-crossed, truly bemused lovers to be. However, what is refreshing about this love story is that their romance is never ALL the characters are, they are well rounded people... Or Poison Kings in Obsidian's case. With flaws and dreams and consequences to face.
Joined by a whole host of interesting and fascinating secondary characters, Dong Tu's sister and the mysterious Switch being my personal favourites, utterly fill the pages with life and just a little chaos that makes this a brilliant read.
I would definitely recommend it to anyone, but especially anyone looking for that first dip into translated fiction novels.
(This review is also on Amazon.co.uk and is all my own opinions)
April 5, 2021
The overall plot of the story was intriguing, and the novelty of the characters was also very refreshing. Despite this, I found that there was a lot of martial arts present, and for those who do not know much about martial arts, those scenes were a bit harder to imagine and fully comprehend. Although I had difficulty comprehending these parts, the love story between the characters is a unique one-- mainly because of how different the characters are from typical characters who fall in love-- and not a tale as old as time as the fairytale retelling of love stories. The plot was just as intriguing as it was sad, and I am very excited to read the next installment in the series to continue following the unfolding of this beautifully crafted love story.
January 1, 2022
I’ve always been interested in foreign love stories, so when this popped up one day as a recommendation on A Avon, I just had to check it out. It such a beautiful and tragic love story between two people from two different world, but the effort that they put for each other was enough for me to read 100 pages on the first day! I won’t give any spoilers about any specific details, but I would definitely recommend this book if your into tragic romance. The one thing that people should be aware of with this book is that if you don’t continually read it, the names of some of the characters can sometimes mix with each other because some of the names are familiar. I can’t wait to start reading the sequel! Also, Obsidian is just so great, like the man of any fictional girl’s dreams!
January 18, 2021
4 stars (paperback)
A blind buy after I saw the cover on an IG ad. I wasn’t sure what I was going to be walking into but for the sake of that beautiful cover, I didn’t care and I dove in.
The book was fun. Reminded me of a shojo manga - a mix of comedy and seriousness. Obsidian and Dong Tu were adorable. Anole and Switch were great in poking drama and sitting back to see what happened. Even the Poison Legion squad kinda grew on me towards the end.
I hope there is another book coming out soon because that ending!
All and all, I’m glad I bought the book and got to enjoy this story ~
A blind buy after I saw the cover on an IG ad. I wasn’t sure what I was going to be walking into but for the sake of that beautiful cover, I didn’t care and I dove in.
The book was fun. Reminded me of a shojo manga - a mix of comedy and seriousness. Obsidian and Dong Tu were adorable. Anole and Switch were great in poking drama and sitting back to see what happened. Even the Poison Legion squad kinda grew on me towards the end.
I hope there is another book coming out soon because that ending!
All and all, I’m glad I bought the book and got to enjoy this story ~
December 21, 2021
This was a fun, quick read. Are you interested in East Asian culture? You should like it. It is written in a simple style but it reminded me of the style of folklore and fairy tales. It doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, as some have suggested, but sets the story up for the next book. I didn’t want to put it down. As this is more of a fairy tale, the story is plot driven, but book 2 seems to hint at character growth.
October 26, 2020
An interested book, I read the Vietnamese version of it and this English version is amazing as well. The author added many more details compared to the Vietnamese version. Moreover, I loved how they noy choosing the pinyin for some Chinese-term that normally found in the Wuxia-book which would be hard to understand, they translated into English helped my reading smooth.
April 29, 2021
Beautiful story. As a person who is appreciative of Asian works this was very good. Of course not a book for people that do not understand Asian culture because they will find it confusing. It can be difficult to translate some Asian languages to English to fully convey the story. It was simple yet a book I could not put down.
August 1, 2021
This was so good!
Reads like a movie/anime/manga. There were a lot of characters and any of the characters could have been the main character. Even though there was a lot going on and the plot was very fast paced, I wasn't confused one bit.
I bought this with the second book so I can't understand the pain of waiting 13 years for the sequel, but I don't doubt that was hard for y'all.
Reads like a movie/anime/manga. There were a lot of characters and any of the characters could have been the main character. Even though there was a lot going on and the plot was very fast paced, I wasn't confused one bit.
I bought this with the second book so I can't understand the pain of waiting 13 years for the sequel, but I don't doubt that was hard for y'all.
January 20, 2022
While the romance looms large, it's the dark energy & martial arts action that'll stay with you. You may walk into this expecting it to be predictable, but it isn't. The writing style isn't going to blow you away because it's a translation, but good has been done with it. I look forward to reading the sequel.
January 18, 2021
What a fun, quick read! If you're a fan of wuxia style novels, this is definitely a must-read. My only qualm is that the romance was very quick and felt a little under-developed, but overall I had a good time with this book and I hope to see other works by Giao Chi translated into English :)
January 21, 2021
I love the premise and idea of the whole story, I just wish that it was written differently with more detail. All of the characters were amazing but it felt so dull to me because you only got to know so little about each of them. I did enjoy this read though, I wish that it was longer. :)
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