Daughter of Redwinter

The Redwinter Chronicles #1

by Ed McDonald

Raine is seventeen-years-old and still on the run. She can see the dead, a secret that could get her killed. Seeking refuge with a deluded cult is her latest bad decision but rescuing an injured woman in the snow is soon revealed to be a horrific mistake. Hazia endangers not just Raine, but the whole world: she's escaped from Redwinter, fortress-monastery of the Draoihn, the warrior magicians who answer to no king or queen of the land, but to their own Grand Master. They will stop at nothing to retrieve what she's stolen.

Raine must survive by her wits, and her skill with a bow in a world turned upside down. A battle, a betrayal and a horrific revelation finds her herself inside Redwinter, where anyone caught communing with ghosts is put to death. As conspirators plot to release an ancient enemy, Raine's ability to see the dead might be their only hope, but to use her power would see her condemned.

Genres: Fantasy, Adult, High Fantasy, LGBT, Queer, Fiction, Audiobook

345 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 28, 2022

About the author

Ed McDonald is a UK born fantasy writer.

Ed is a medieval historian and swordsman by training. He currently lives in London, UK.

Reviews

[Robin Hobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, the usual warning. Ed McDonald and I are friends. Friends at a great distance and mostly electronically, but friends. I do not think that affects my review of this book.

I received this Advance Reading Copy for free from Tor many months ago. Many, many months. Before I had my eye surgery to take out my cataracts and restore me to pristine sight. Only, sadly, that didn't happen right away. I won't go into all the ups and downs, but will only say that I can now drive, even at night, with no glasses. And I now have reading glasses so I can read again. Easily.
But sadly not as swiftly as I once read. Ah well, being 70 takes a toll.

Anyway, on to the book in question.

This story doesn't wait for the reader. It dumps you into a world and expects you to read along until you find your feet or learn to swim with it. I like that.

At first reading, I wasn't sure I liked Raine, the narrator. Oh, she was telling a compelling story and I knew I'd read it, but did I like her? she is 16 maybe 17 years old and doing all the same sorts of stupid things I did at that age. Well, I wasn't shooting people with a bow when I was 17, but you know what I mean.

It turned out that it didn't matter if she was a 'likeable narrator' or not because she got swept into a story where so many things were beyond her control, in very deadly ways.

I've said before in a long ago essay that I wrote somewhere else (don't ask me to remember where) that the stories of 'sidekicks' or minor characters are often the most interesting. Those great events are grinding along and those very important people are involved. But then there's Sam Gamgee, just doing the best he can. Or Watson, keeping track of what's going on. Alfred, butlering along for Batman. And that is where Raine ends up. Not an apprentice at Redwinter, moving toward knowledge and power. Sure, Raine was saved from horrid death and played a major part in preventing a Very Bad Thing. So she gets to be a Head Retainer. Stand behind the guests and pour the wine. Run errands and deliver messages.

So as a member of the household staff, she watches deadly events begin to unfold, and she's doing her best to keep her secrets safe, the secrets that would probably end in her messy execution if anyone gets to know of it. But she cannot resist the rip tide of events that pulls her into the thick of things.

This book builds along solidly, painting in a complex backdrop of culture, magic and characters. But the final six chapters are a rocket ride, so don't start reading those if you have to get up early the next day. Save them to read all at once when you can really focus and enjoy them.

The book does have a solid satisfactory ending. No cliffhanger, but obviously there is more to tell and I have great faith that McDonald will deliver it in more books to come.

Go buy it.

[PamG · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Daughter of Redwinter , Ed McDonald brings readers an epic fantasy that has excitement, danger, and suspense. In this first book in the Redwinter Chronicles series, he introduces Raine, the main character, and does a fantastic job of building a world that is unique.

Raine can see all of and speak to some of the dead. However, this dangerous ability comes with a death sentence if others learn of it. She left her mother’s home, joined a cult, and through one act of kindness, has changed the course of her life and many others. The injured woman she rescues left Redwinter, the fortress-monastery of the Draoihn, warrior magicians intent on retrieving what she stole from them.

Raine’s mother did not like her and did not treat her well. When a group including three sooth-sisters gives her an opportunity to join them, she does. Then things go wrong and Raine learns that even an act of kindness can have consequences. She thinks she wants power so she won’t have to be afraid and so she can have true freedom. However, is this what she really wants?

Raine is a main character that readers will want to succeed in life. She tries to do the right thing, but isn’t always successful and she seems to be full of self-pity at times. However, she’s a dynamic character who changes and grows as the story unfolds. Both her attitude and outlook on life evolve throughout the book as actions take place. The other characters are less dynamic than Raine, but nevertheless vibrant, providing support or conflict to keep things interesting. A list of the many characters and a description of pieces of this mystic world are at the back of the book. I thought this would have been more helpful at the beginning so readers know they are there.

There’s a lot of time spent introducing the characters and some of their back-stories as well as world-building, but that’s not unusual in the first book in a series of this magnitude. However, there is a lot of introspection by the main character that slows the pace as times. There are action scenes, especially at the beginning and the ending, but the middle section could have been more potent. As readers become acquainted with the characters, both good and bad, it becomes clear that there is much more going on than the theft of an artifact. The author weaves themes of grief, empathy or its lack, domestic abuse, community, murder, magic, death, ghosts, fear, duty, honor, secrets, greed, friendship, and politics into this great start to the series.

Overall, this fantasy is gripping and thought-provoking. The high stakes and smooth writing made it a page turner. While it’s the first novel I have read by this author, I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you enjoy epic fantasies with great world-building, an unusual magic system, and a diverse set of characters, then you may enjoy this novel as much as I did.

Macmillan-Tor/Forge – Tor Books and the author provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for June 28, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

[Nick Borrelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original review posted on my blog Out of This World SFF:
https://outofthisworldrev.blogspot.co...

Before I begin my review of this book I would just like to mention that Ed McDonald quite quickly cemented his place as one of my favorite authors with his previous series, Raven's Mark. If you haven't had an opportunity to read that one yet, you really should because it is utterly brilliant in every way and a grimdark/dark fantasy masterpiece in my opinion. So when I first saw some marketing for a brand new series by him coming out this summer, I practically passed out with excitement. Thankfully, I was able to obtain an advance copy recently from publisher Tor, and away I went immersing myself in this hypnotic new tale.

The very first thing that I noticed about DAUGHTER OF REDWINTER is that the feel of it is slightly different from the dark and ominous Raven's Mark books. That's not to say that this book doesn't have its dark moments. Any story where the main character can commune with the dead is not exactly going to be a chuckle fest. But it definitely had a different mood to it as I read it and it felt more like a traditional fantasy with some darkly sinister elements. Honestly, I loved the change of pace and it just made me admire McDonald even more as a writer because it showed me that he's not just a one trick pony.

The worldbuilding in particular really stood out to me, but Ed McDonald has always been one of the best at creating some awe-inspiring settings. This one blew me away though as he brings us a world where a veil separates the "real world" from a hidden realm that is populated by foul demons and mysterious evil beings called The Faded. The Faded really captured my imagination and made me fly through each chapter wanting to know more about them and their history. As this world is laid out there are hints that at certain intervals in the history of the realm this veil has been tested and possibly breached by the vile occupants on the other side. Could this be happening again, and if so, will it finally prove successful?

I'd also like to touch on the main character Raine. Following her journey was truly a rollercoaster ride. To say that she has had her tests throughout her young life would be an understatement. And the fact that she is so young makes it all the more intense as we get to experience her making both good and also very questionable decisions. She possesses a power to see and speak with the dead that she still doesn't full understand and is coming to grips with. Can it be an asset in the potential troubles to come? Can she master it fully or will it remain a wild magical gift that she can't ever completely get under control? And it is obvious that there are others who would like to use (or possibly abuse) the fact that she can do this. So there's also the uncertainty of not knowing who exactly is on her side or who wants to manipulate her for their own purposes.

In the end I was left breathless with where this story ended up and pretty upset that I didn't immediately have the next book in my hands to continue. McDonald has outdone himself with this suspenseful and captivating new book. This bodes extremely well for this series and if future entries are even half as good as this one, I'll be adding The Redwinter Chronicles to my reading ring of honor.

If you like fantasy stories that take you to wondrous places that are also brimming with ghostly beings, this is your book. If you like fantasy stories with characters who are immensely compelling and not perfect, this is your book. If you like fantasy stories that ooze with danger and peril around every corner, this is your book. And finally, if you like fantasy stories that are so expertly written that you can see and feel the action playing out in your head so vividly that you believe it's all totally real, then THIS IS YOUR BOOK. Another smash hit of a fantasy adventure from Ed McDonald!

[Nicholas Eames · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ed McDonald only writes awesome books. Period.

Daughter of Redwinter is less grim than his previous series. There's much more intrigue, cool lore, and ancient, mysterious factions in play. Also, like its main character, I didn't know who to trust until the very last page. Even now I'm not so sure...

The beginning of another great series. I'm stoked!

[LIsa Noell "Rocking the chutzpah!" · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to Macmillan Tor/Forge, Ed McDonald and Netgalley.
This is another case of being happy to read a book that I never would have picked up on my own!
I didn't like this book at all! Until I kept reading it.
It's true that some stories aren't that great to begin with, and this was NO exception!
For the setting, I was a bit surprised to find modern language. That's a bit jarring, and I will never like it!
However, maybe I became numb, "doubt it!" BUT, eventually this whole dang tale came together .
I was awfully sad to see the end of this book, and also disappointed to see that book 2 had yet to be announced.
Crikey! Yeah, I need more!

[Allen Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Proof that the end of a book can change your opinion. The middle section of this book dragged for me, but I read the last 30% in a single sitting. It's that good. McDonald really knows how to write tense scenes filled with action and horror.

Full review to come.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of Ed's Raven's Mark series, I had been looking forward to seeing what he had in store next. I'm happy to say that Daughter of Redwinter hits the bullseye in many satisfying ways.

Raine is a engaging character, with a strong and singular voice. She's only seventeen, so she makes some dumb teenager mistakes that are relatable and honest. But she also has a heart of stone and a peerless resolve, and she's very easy to root for. She has an extremely cool curse/power she was born into, and it gets more and more interesting as the story progresses.

Another source of enjoyment was how unexpectedly different the writing was from Raven's Mark. Ed writes a tight, clean prose and this felt especially well-edited and polished. Not a page or paragraph wasted; every passage was pertinent and compelling and drove the plot forward while developing the characters further. Raven's Mark was grim, but I would not classify Daughter of Redwinter as a grim story, though it does have some dark moments and heavy themes. Altogether this book felt like a tightly-packaged, well-produced, very well-written story, start to finish. My only complaint is that I'm not a huge fan of the cover. The font and colors feel off-tone to what the story portrays.

This was less of a classical hero's quest or a rousing good vs. evil story. More than anything, this book had the structure of a good, dark mystery novel. All grey characters whom you didn't know what side they were on until they end, some good surprise reveals and misdirections, and some well-developed toxic relationships that are unfortunately all too tangible.

I could go on about the interesting magic system in the world, or the religion and lore, but it's best to go into most of it blind. All in all, this was a real page-turner, one that kept me guessing, and pulling the rug out from under me. It's a bit of a slow burn, but tensions are kept high while new questions kept rolling in. This is an exciting entry to a new series and I'm already looking forward to getting my hands on the sequel.

[Holly Hearts Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Props to the awesome audiobook which I'm so glad I decided to follow along with.
Full review to come on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/hollyheartsbooks

[Liene · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for arc/e-arc.
First of all, I am a huge fan of Ed McDonald's first series, The Raven's Mark, so this book was one of my most highly anticipated releases of the year.
But, I feel like a completely different author wrote this? It's my understanding that he actually wrote this before Raven's Mark, even though it's only being published now, and that's the only thing that might possibly make this make sense to me.
I so desperately wanted to find something to like about this because 1) I prefer to enjoy what I'm reading and 2) it pains me to rate a book by an author I love so low. But, I found nothing.
This book suffers from terrible pacing, a passive and unlikeable main character, tons of over-written passages, a world that feels shallow, events that feel hollow, and supporting characters who behave like plot devices. If there is a positive I can claim to have identified, it is that at its very core, there is the nugget of a solid story idea. But, that nugget is buried beneath an avalanche of amateurish writing.
Back to rereading Raven's Mark until he starts writing a new series I guess....

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 Stars
I love dark fantasy so I had high hopes that this new release would be right up my alley. Yet despite this protagonist having the ability to see and speak to the dead, the tone of the tone was not particularly creepy. That alone would not normally be an issue, but I regrettably found the characters to be quite flat and the worldbuilding less imaginative than I would normally expect from fantasy. 

Simple put, this was a decent fantasy novel with an interesting, but familiar plot. If you simply cannot get enough fantasy, this is one you might want to check out. 

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.

[Catriona Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Daughter of Redwinter. It was sad, exciting, mysterious and beautifully plotted, with characters who have taken up residence in my head. I’m not normally a huge fantasy reader (though I love and respect the genre) - and it was wonderful to read something that so perfectly combined thriller, horror, fantasy and even YA to such great effect. Ed has done such a fantastic job here, I’m so proud to have been able to witness this novel’s evolution - and yet still be thrilled, surprised and moved by the final result.

[Hamad · Rating 4 out of 5]

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I don’t know how this compares to McDonald’s other series because it is my first time reading the author but I quite enjoyed it. If the first series has a different tone and is indeed better maybe the expectations would make this a less amusing read but from an objective point of view, it was well written.

We are thrown immediately into the heart of the story and I kind of liked that. The author expects us to be a bit patient and make the connection later and I had no problems with that as I was never really confused by the story itself as I was immersed in the story. The story follows 17 year old Raine who can see the dead. Sounds cool until you know it is kind of a cursed ability and stigmatized and is sort of a death sentence. When she does a kind act and saves an injured woman in the snow, her life is turned upside down and the actual story begins.

Raine was an interesting protagonist. Her age is a bit tricky in this novel as 17 is usually the age of a YA protagonist but the story has adult themes and writing which makes it somewhere in the middle with NA vibes. You can tell that there will be the angst of a teenager in this story but also the development of Raine was good so it was not that big of a deal.

I loved the world-building; the ghosts -faded- and the lady with the feathers and also the magic system were all simple yet very intriguing aspects of the story. It was not very easy to see where the story was going which is both a good and a bad thing but it was interesting enough to hold my attention till the end which was well done and leaves space for the next entry without the dreaded cliffhanger.

Summary: My first time reading the author’s works and it won’t be the last one. The story starts abruptly with some action and I enjoyed that. The writing is good, the world building is even better and the characters felt real. I will be continuing this one in the future.

[Rob Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short review: It's REALLY good. You should read it.

[William Gwynne]

Daughter of Redwinter is a unique fantasy tale that adopts a very different tone from that I have grown used to in the genre. There are some great, fresh ideas in this new release and beginning to a new series by Ed McDonald. I have not read his debut series, so I cannot directly compare, but I have heard this is very different.

Whilst I would say there were some pacing issues, and part of the mystery did not hook me, Daughter of Redwinter is a book I would still recommend if the blurb intrigues you. It is well written, with very interesting ideas and some fantastic sequences.

Full Review to Come

[Westerly Wind · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Daughter of Redwinter since I love Ed McDonald’s Raven’s Mark trilogy. I wholeheartedly recommend this series if you like inventive (grim)dark fantasy.

Daughter of Redwinter is not quite that grimdark. But readers should be aware that it has dark aspects. In particular it should not be mistaken for “YA fantasy”, even if the main character Raine is only seventeen.

Raine can see the dead, which is a death sentence in the world she lives in (that is probably loosely inspired by medieval Scotland). Life was not kind to Raine. Seeking refuge with a cult she does not believe in that is now under siege in a mountain fortress does certainly not bode well for her future. Her decision to rescue an injured woman she finds in the snow ultimately leads to the death of her fellow cultists. The fugitive woman is hunted by the Draoihn, the king’s warrior magicians, who want to prevent the resurrection of an ancient spirit (Ciuthach) in the crypts of the mountain fortress.

"The dreams, I was aware of. I saw the depth of fire in Ciuthach’s molten eyes shining at me from every dark corner. I had stared into the burning, hungering soul of a creature of bygone power. The sooth-sisters used to say that evil was nothing but a matter of perspective, but they were wrong. I had stared into its hungering maw, and I knew the sharpness of its teeth."

Since Raine helps the Draoihn to defeat Ciuthach, the Draoihn offer her a place at the Draoihn’s headquarter, Redwinter. It is clear that Raine has an aptitude for magic, and she therefore hopes that she will be accepted as an apprentice in Redwinter. However, this does not come to pass, either for political reasons (since her new master is in disgrace), or since her goal is rather to become powerful in her own right than to serve the crown. So she ends up as a member of the household staff (as “first retainer”). While she now has a materially comfortable, even luxurious, life, Raine is ultimately just a glorified servant. She watches the events unfold, but is not in a position to control the situation.

What also plays an important role in her character development is that in the aftermath of the fight with the ancient spirit, Raine is damaged by the Draoihn’s magic. Apologies for my “amateur psychiatry” explanation, but to me it reads as if she has suffered some brain damage that probably makes her something akin to a psychopath:

" 'Do you feel anything? Anything for other people at all?’ I didn’t answer her, and closed the door. The question kept me unwanted company. I felt some things. I felt fear, and I got angry and annoyed, and I’d definitely felt some things for people that I really didn’t want to think about too hard. But when it came to what I had done, and the terrible things I had seen in the north—no. There was nothing there. A piece of me was missing. I had felt victorious before, glad of my accomplishment. The girl I had been before all this started wouldn’t have felt that way. Maybe she wouldn’t have loosed that first arrow. Maybe she’d have been dead."

This might not make Raine an easily likeable main character, or a reliable narrator, but it makes her an intriguing protagonist.

Ed McDonald throws us right into the story and expects us to follow. There are no info-dumps or over-explanations, and the book has plenty of (dark) atmosphere right from the beginning. In my opinion this is great worldbuilding. The magic system is also quite original. All characters are interesting.

The novel is a bit slow and rather introspective in the middle section, but this is not due to bad pacing or the inclusion of superfluous details. It is owed to the fact that Raine is a servant, and that the book explores how she was changed by the fight with Ciuthach.

The final part of the novel is gripping (do not read this if you are planning to go to bed shortly ;-). 

I am very much looking forward to the next installment.

[Pooja Peravali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raine and the cult she has been traveling with for years are besieged in an ancient monastery when she rescues a mysterious wounded girl. But this act of kindness only serves to pull her into a dark conspiracy.

I picked up this book because I am always on the lookout for fantasy authors I've not read before, and because I've always enjoyed stories with death magic. But what stood out to me in this book were actually the characters.

Raine is a realistic seventeen-year-old, and a major part of this book is seeing her try to figure herself out even as she grapples with magic and mysteries. She often made decisions that frustrated me, but it always made sense why she made them. The secondary characters are also very vivid and complex, both good and bad. I also enjoyed the sharply humorous bits peppering the story - I'll not soon forget a certain romance novelist!

However, I did feel that this book meandered for a very long time. After a really gripping start to the story, the plot sags as we hit the road, and does not tighten up again until fairly late in the story. I am not complaining that the story had a slow pace - rather that an odd number of things popped up that were not really addressed in the story, some of them major.

I also am a little disappointed by the depiction of Ovitus. He is supposed to be a rather unlikable character, and he certainly had enough obvious personality flaws for it - but I did not love that one of them, according to pretty much every character in the story, is that he is obese. It felt like an out-of-place value judgment about one's worth and weight.

I listened to the audiobook of Daughter of Redwinter, which is narrated by Samara MacLaren. I thought she did a very good job of voicing Raine, and I found her accent fitting for the setting. However she did not always have a lot of variation between some characters' voices - I had trouble differentiating Raine and Esher when they were having conversations with each other, for example.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Sarah Mac · Rating 2 out of 5]

NB: For some reason I can’t make this review flow properly, so I give up. Please accept my apologies for the tedious bullet format. I am ashamed, but not so much that it outweighs my laziness. 🫣


—I love the cover art for this trilogy, but it desperately needs a map.

—The pace has 3 speeds: slow, slower, & dead battery.

—Much like Mark Lawrence’s RED SISTER, this sells itself as adult dark fantasy featuring a youthful protagonist…but it isn’t. It’s bait & switch YA. All the characters are incredibly gorgeous except for poor Ovitus (whose only defining characteristics are that he’s fat & girl-crazy); all the conflicts are trite teenage boarding school schlock; 98% of adult characters are uber-vague, uber-rigid, or uber-not-present, later proven to be capricious & foolish in their actions. Zzzz.

—Excepting the first & final chapters, the remaining plot is a bland slog. I guess we’re supposed to care about moonlight drinking parties, making out with Esher, or touching Sanvaunt’s hand, but then ignore why Ulovar’s trial is so politically charged or how Ciuthach’s resurrection threatens the Draoihn universe or the many plot holes throughout. Seriously? (One example: Raine is an impossibly gifted Mary Sue, so why doesn’t the Grandmaster order her placed with a different clan to sponsor her apprenticeship, which would address the perceptions of favoritism AND keep Raine where the Grandmaster can control her? 🤔 Duuuur…I dunno, & neither does the author, because this solution is never even mentioned.)

—Sanvaunt’s every line, action, & reaction feels like a dude author cobbling together what he thinks young women find attractive: a blatant Kit-Harrington-as-Jon-Snow clone, a bastard son with sweaty dark curls, well-made arms, & perpetual Emo Face, a badass fighter with social anxiety + an overblown sense of duty who who secretly writes romance novels. 🙄 Sorry, but no. As a wise movie said: I’m too old for this shit.

—Raine is really unpleasant. She acts like a self-righteous unfeeling bitch, then whines because everyone thinks she’s a self-righteous unfeeling bitch. 🙈 Yes, bad things happen to her & people take advantage…but Raine is the fantasy equivalent of annoying coworkers who proudly proclaim how they have no filter so it’s ok for them to be impolite shitheads because they’re HONEST, not RUDE! 😱 Spare me.

—Raine comes off as a female-edgelord (edgelady?) version of Gabriel in EMPIRE OF THE VAMPIRE. Enough said.


Tepid 2 stars due to keen disappointment.

[TheReadingStray · Rating 5 out of 5]

First-Person Narration ✓ Heart-Wrenching ✓ Spiritual Magic ✓

“But how can something that has no form begin in one place and end somewhere else? If a crow begins flying south, but what arrives is a swan, then the crow never undertook a journey.”

Check out my Blog

What is the Book about?

Those who see the dead soon join them.

From the author of the critically-acclaimed Blackwing trilogy comes Ed McDonald’s Daughter of Redwinter, the first of a brilliant fantasy series about how one choice can change a universe.

Raine can see–and more importantly, speak–to the dead. It’s a wretched gift with a death sentence that has her doing many dubious things to save her skin. Seeking refuge with a deluded cult is her latest bad, survival-related decision. But her rare act of kindness–rescuing an injured woman in the snow–is even worse.

Because the woman has escaped from Redwinter, the fortress-monastery of the Draoihn, warrior magicians who answer to no king and who will stop at nothing to retrieve what she’s stolen. A battle, a betrayal, and a horrific revelation forces Raine to enter Redwinter. It becomes clear that her ability might save an entire nation.

Pity she might have to die for that to happen…

Rating
Plot ★★★☆☆
Characters ★★★★☆
Excitement ★★★☆☆
Atmosphere ★★★★★
Writing Style ★★★★☆

Favourite Character
Raine, Sanvaunt

My thoughts while reading it

This is a book that is difficult to write a review for, I think you just have to experience for yourself how these written words sweep you away on every single page so that you can feel what I felt while reading this incredible book. Ed McDonald has written an unbelievably good book that takes you emotionally from the first page and holds that feeling until the last page. A world that won’t let you go, along with a strong heroine who pulls you in emotionally, in a story that thrills you.

In this story, you are immediately thrown into Raine’s life with little regard for the reader’s feelings. Right in the first chapter the struggle begins that Raine has to overcome in the whole book – the struggle against a piece of herself. Because of this fast-paced beginning, you can quickly lose yourself in the story, because you have to be swept along right away. An emotional bond with the character develops early on, which is further strengthened by the first-person narrative. The story takes you through many ups and downs and even if the beginning and the end are the most action-packed of the story, the middle part of the story is no less exciting to read, as more secrets are revealed there, but new ones also emerge. This makes for such a beautifully written story of action, fear for one’s life, a little detective work and also always questioning what Raine actually wants in her life. So Raine is thrown from one situation to the next again and again without having any influence on what actually happens to her. The fact that so many things happen that lead you through the book makes it an exciting adventure where you don’t know the outcome of the story yourself.

Raine is a character I will never forget. She has to go through so much suffering, make so many decisions that are hard to make at such a young age and lose many of the friends she once made. Raine is a girl who has become what she is through all her circumstances – a girl without hope, a girl who only has to be afraid and a girl without feelings. Raine suffers from depression, which often makes her seem cold because she can no longer perceive the world with her feelings in the same way. Ed McDonald describes this depression as it must really feel for those affected, not a sadness that surrounds her, but this lack of feeling. I wouldn’t want to be in Raine’s shoes, but reading her story through her eyes makes you empathise with her like few other characters. I would have liked to show Raine that the world offers more and that she can feel something again and I hope that through this story she will be allowed to experience many more beautiful moments. However, the secondary characters were also masterfully written as they have much to contribute to Raine’s character and yet can always give her hope and love. Every single secondary character is exciting in their own way, because there is no white/black thinking here, but everyone carries something good and bad with them. Especially Sanvaunt could do it to me as well and I liked every interaction with him and Raine.

There is not only one very interesting magic system, but even two of them! Both systems are very spiritual, which gives the world a mysterious atmosphere, but also something dark. One system is about seeing the dead. Raine has this gift, although you can’t really call it a gift. Since access to the realm of the dead is despised and punished with far-reaching consequences, Raine has to hide this ability. I love such gifts that are somehow a bit witchy, it gives a feeling of something forbidden and so mystical. I would have liked to see more of this ability and hope that the next volume will focus more on this ability. The other magic system relates to a complex concept that relies on opening different gates. Each opened gate has its own power that allows the user to better perceive the environment, for example. However, not every gate should be opened, as it also contains powers that are not intended for humans.

Read this book! This book is a page-turner that kept you hooked the whole time and pulled the rug out from under me! The questions that keep coming up don’t let you stop and you almost want to read through the book in one session. The world is so expressive and different that I am so excited to see what will happen in the next volume. Hopefully it won’t be so long in coming…

Reading Recommendation? ✓
Favourite? ✘

[Mike Shackle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was the perfect antidote to the dreary world around me. It's very different to Ed McDonald's previous trilogy and all the better for it.

Raine Wildrose finds herself thrust into a world she doesn't understand, where the only people she can trust are the ghosts that surround her. She shines full of hope as she navigates dark conspiracies, unwilling to give up despite the monstrous obstacles that come her way.

This is the work of an author bursting with confidence, weaving a tale full of magic, mystery and intrigue.

[Spencer Orey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting opening, with a good puzzle about helping someone in need and the dead. Really really really long meandering middle where the protagonist doesn’t seem to have a goal. Interesting ending.

The magic was ok. I went in intrigued by the premise of seeing the dead when it’s illegal to see the dead. It wasn’t relevant in the long middle.

[Allison · Rating 1 out of 5]

A man trying to write a woman protagonist is always... fun. In this fantasy novel, we find protagonist Raine under siege. She's been a follower of some old soothsayers for a few years now, though she's not a true believer. It was a convenient avenue to escape her mother right up until the old ladies were accused of communing with the dead. It's not true; in fact, that ability belongs to Raine. The siege comes to a calamitous end when Draoihn (magic practitioners) from Redwinter show up, releasing and then containing an ancient evil force. Raine's own magical ability is awakened (separate from her secret and dreaded ability to see the dead), so she is adopted by the Draoihn and taken to Redwinter for further training, or so they say.

Ok, so my main problem is the strong stench of male gaze on everything, made even more jarring by the supposedly female POV. Let's start with Raine's dating history. She had a crush on her boss from the age of thirteen (he was 26), but she's impressed with his restraint because he waited til she made a move at sixteen before they got together. Even though it counts as womanhood in this world, who cares? That's creepy as hell. The author has the grace to indicate that his emotional and physical abuse is wrong, but that is a low low bar. He still wrote this situation into being and for what? Traumatic backstory that I have to suffer through as a woman reading it? Raine later muses that the relationship left her "broken," which she's allowed to feel but which I would have liked to see interrogated on a broader level, i.e. victims of rape and abuse shouldn't have to take that on themselves.

And this one bad relationship isn't all Raine has to contend with from the dumber sex. Every man seems to develop lust for her, and she has to fend them off. It's exhausting. She's told she's going to have to "watch out" for a man in her new household because she's so pretty. A different man lies to everyone saying he and Raine are lovers, ruining her chances with someone she likes and changing how people view her without her knowing. Once she finds out, she feels ashamed of how everyone must perceive her, taking on a weight that shouldn't be hers to bear (re: sexism, victim shaming, puritanical bullshit). The main problem here is that no woman can tell him to fuck off because he's powerful. It's widely known that he fixates on a woman before moving on to a new one, imagining romantic connections that don't exist. Yuck. But while he's taken to task for other failings by his family, this particular behavior is allowed to continue with a kind of indulgent disgust. And the women just have to put up with it, make their peace with it, and hope he doesn't do it again to them or to someone new. But it's not presented as this black-and-white. Ultimately, Raine still views this liar as a friend, noting that there's something wrong with him to yearn after her and other women and not see it's unreturned. But he's deserving of pity. He's stupid but not malicious so that apparently makes a difference in this kind of scenario. He can grow and change on these women's backs. And damn if that doesn't sound like a man's perspective being put in a woman's mouth.

Another weirdass thing is a comment that Raine speaks at a higher pitch when talking to men except for this special guy, and I don't get what I'm meant to take away from that? It's presented as this sign of true romantic intent towards the special man in question whereas she takes on a more girlish affect with the general male populace. From a woman author, I would find it easier to parse. We all know the ways we might smooth ourselves out for survival's sake, an area where Raine excels due to the hard life she's lived. But the vibe here feels more about giving a stamp of approval to a specific man rather than considering Raine's traumas. I'm not trying to get in another woman's business... unless her actions were cooked up in the mind of a man.

Another fun gender thing is that a woman says "men will be men" in reference to violent action. It comes from a character that is already morally questionable, so it's not exactly relayed with an air of approval. But why subject us to it in such an ambiguous way? The shit the women have internalized (and in this case, weaponized) in this world is unreal.

I persevered because the book is marked as LGBT+, and I felt I owed it to myself to find out more. Gay couples are disapproved of in the world's predominant religion, so the sapphic curiosities of Raine are off to a bad start. I also felt let down that it boils down to a bi woman in a love triangle with a man and a woman as her two interests. And the man is clearly endgame based on how Raine's reactions are written. Also, he's a romantic, misunderstood, dutiful bastard son who is sidelined by his family. Aka a cookie-cutter endgame love interest. And no bi person is less queer based on who they do or don't date, but the subtext of having a bi character choose between a man and woman in favor of a man makes me uneasy here based on the mountain of other issues it's perched on top of.

Finally, as a general fantasy comment, there's not quite an infodump, but there's still a cascade of named historical eras and figures thrown around. It feels like a showy attempt to convince us of the author's world-building prowess. Instead, it just annoyed me.

This was a miss for me, folks. Women don't need to be traumatized by gender violence and harassment to make your fantasy world gritty.

[Edward Gwynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The closest thing prose-wise to a fantasy Sally Rooney book I've read. This had some great elements like the Scottish highland-influenced world building and the premise. It felt a little overwritten at times, tended to move forwards too slowly and the POV just wasn't all that loveable.

[Liis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really crap and rusty at writing reviews lately... but imagine me singing all the praises. The compliments are raining down and Ed McDonald just delivered a book that you will want to read. Top notch!

*** a review has been written... I couldn't let it simply go...

Do you know that gif where long-haired Nicholas Cage has his face upturned to the fresh air and sunshine, a look of contentment on his face? This book is that feeling…

Ed McDonald is an absolute wizard when it comes to creating characters. They are people on page that you just start to feel strongly for. It is as true for Raven’s Mark trilogy as much as it is true for Daughter of Redwinter. It’s one of those books that make you realize that, in fact, you had simply been enjoying your previous reads on an average level, and this very title just made you go – oh, but this is how a reading experience CAN feel… This sweet, sweet reading pleasure.

There is quite a lot to unpack about this book, but never too much at once. Most importantly, although the book is so much more, there is an important piece of the bigger picture that shapes our female character Raine… I don’t want to give away spoilers but I can, vaguely, say that it’s to do with how she’s being treated and we get to explore the ins and outs of her response; and it was the most real depiction I have come across in a while. Ed has managed to respectfully and beautifully and carefully deliver a situation and solve it. I know it makes no sense if you haven’t read the book, but if you will, or if you have, you’ll know what I’m on about…

As a character, Raine goes from small to gigantic in the grand scheme of things and this is only to state the fact as explained in the blurb already. But her development is far from simple. Ed McDonald has crafted an intriguing story which starts with big problems in a small village which then snowball into epic proportions. And as Raine is trying to find her place in the world, she will be no stranger to cruelty, death and difficult choices. I thoroughly enjoyed how McDonald was able to put the essence of Raine on paper, how her thought processes were unraveled to change her yet again from one person to the next. There were moments of joy, stillness and gentleness; but also sweeps of depression. Dark, oppressive melancholy. It was put on paper masterfully and that is the secret sauce, the ability to write the character emotions so well, you simply connect. Click.

So, it is true that the character development of our MC Raine is no walk in the park. She is young, has already had a far from perfect childhood and life will throw challenge after challenge her way. Thing is, when most people would grumble under pressure, Raine is made of tougher stuff. You see the way she matures right in front of your eyes and that’s magical.

Daughter of Redwinter is not only about Raine though. Yes, she’s an important piece in a large game but it’s that game, the way of life, the culture, the Draoihn that also captivate. Who they are, what they do, WHY they do what they do. There is a rich story in between the covers of this book and yet McDonald doesn’t overdo it with frills; doesn’t delay the reader from getting on with the story; doesn’t digress. I like this flow that the author seems to write in, it’s confident and it makes all the difference.

As Raine becomes mingled with the bigger picture, more characters are introduced and thus also various relationship dynamics. There’s nothing overly sappy… What I mean is, you won’t have to read through some entirely cringey puppy love scenes. The whole aspect of potential feelings and love has rather been wrapped in a theme of ‘finding oneself’ and there’s nothing wrong with that. It adds an air of lighter tension to an already pregnant-with-danger atmosphere.

So, you see, Ed McDonald has yet again delivered. I would absolutely recommend this fantasy title to all fantasy readers. It has it all, it’s not overly graphic, or overly descriptive. It’s a pleasurable read and I hope the story continues…

[Lata · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024-11: 5 stars.
If possible, I enjoyed this story even more, and caught the hints laid by the author pointing to the culprit in this book. Raine still is magnificent, and I really liked Sanvaunt this time and his secret scribblings.

On to book two!

2023-07: 4.5 stars.
Seventeen-year-old Raine can see ghosts, and finds a young woman, Hazia, dying in the wood, chased by a mysterious warrior, (whom Raine eventually learns is Ulovar LacNaithe). The dying woman wants Raine to take her to Dalnesse, where coincidentally, Raine lives. Dalnesse is a remote, secret settlement founded by a religious cult; the place is already under siege by another clan, and bringing the near dead woman there spikes fears of an incursion by the rival clan. Instead, it's not their feared enemy that arrives; Raine's kind action ends up dooming Dalnesse when soldiers from Redwinter come to claim Hazia, and what she stole from that keep. The whole situation devolves into horrors and death.

After Dalnesse’s destruction, Raine is taken to Redwinter, where she is needed to testify to the horrifying events at Dalnesse; Ulovar is taken into custody for chasing after Hazia without permission, and Raine is brought before Grandmaster Vedira Robilar.

Grandmaster Robilar rejects Raine for fitness for Draoihn (magical) and martial training, and Raine's ability to see the dead is thankfully not divined. Instead, she is trained to be a retainer, serving drinks and food. It’s not at all what she wanted, but it gives her a near anonymous vantage point from which to watch the members of Redwinter, and to begin to learn of the tensions amongst the clans living in proximity with Redwinter.

Raine discovers a conspiracy to destroy the Draoihn, and goes through hell trying to sort out the situation and almost dies in the process.

This was terrific, and a terrific start to what I think will be a fantastic series. Raine is magnificent, and I cannot wait for the next book to see what she gets up to next.

[Kristin Sledge · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars rounded down. A promising beginning to an original fantasy world.

Raine feels like something is missing in her life. She has found some resemblance of a life with a cult-like group and a warm bed with one of the leaders. When a stranger arrives seeking sanctuary Raine offers it to her not knowing that the magical warriors of the Draoihn are hot in her trail. Raine faces an entity unlike anything she's ever seen, awakening something inside her the Draoihn see of use. What will this mean for Raine and her future? And what secrets and mysteries will unfold before her at Redwinter?

That summary was so hard to write! I didn't want to give too much away because this book is excellent in making every detail count. No time is wasted and it moves at a breakneck speed to propel you towards magic and intrigue. My big gripe though is this: the magic system(which is amazing) is super confusing while reading. At the end of the book, the system is explained in a sort of glossary. I wish this had been at the front, but also understand for spoilerish purposes that it should remain in the back. My advice to readers: once Raine begins her magic training, flip to the back and read the glossary/definitions and then continue on about your day. It won't spoil anything that far in and you'll better understand what she's truly learning. Now that I have read the glossary and understand the magic system I absolutely love it.

4.25 stars rounded down and a want for book 2. Recommended for readers 16+ as there is some more mature content. Readers who love intricate fantasy (think Wheel of Time), women who aren't ashamed to speak their minds, and love a good mystery. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an AudioARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Benghis Kahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just a stunningly good start to a new series. It's a slim 300+ pages, but it has a lot of depth and is not the fastest read in the world since it's not particularly action-packed, though it has a handful of those kinds of scenes and they were all extremely impactful. However, where this book really shines is with the character work.

The reading experience reminded me of the Farseer Trilogy somewhat, with it being first-person of one POV with a big focus on internal reflections of the young adult protagonist trying to find their place in the world and navigate mysterious events around them.

Rain is a fantastic and deep protagonist, a 17-year old who had to grow up fast and is a bit world-weary by the time we meet her at the start of this book but gets to be much more so soon into the book. The inciting incident here was extremely compelling, and it threw Rain into a completely new situation as an outsider that allowed us the reader to learn about key series lore alongside her. We feel the anger, puzzlement, intrigue, insecurity, and just about every other emotion along with Rain throughout the book, and I have to give McDonald credit for crafting an extremely believable and complex character here who had my utter investment and rooting interest (not too dissimilar from Vin in Mistborn).

I also really enjoyed the side characters in this one, who are some of the most nuanced, rounded non-POV cast of characters I may have ever encountered. McDonald put in a lot of mystery elements here that kept me guessing (wrongly) and resulted in an extraordinarily tense climax with satisfying reveals.

I can't wait to see where this goes next!

[Elena Linville-Abdo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stars: 3.5 out of 5.

I liked the idea behind this book better than the execution, but it was still an enjoyable read all in all.

Raine in particular is an interesting character with a lot of flaws and a lot of trauma in her past, who manages to stay relatable. I loved her character arc and her emotional growth throughout this book.  From a young girl who constantly doubts her worth and her place in the world, who has been told over and over that she isn't worth anything, to a young woman who knows exactly who she is, who her friends are, and what she believes in. And who is willing to stand up and fight for that, even if by doing so she is risking her life.

However, I found that the middle of the book feels a bit draggy, because a lot of things happen to Raine instead of being instigated by her.  She's basically floating along the narrative flow from right after the battle at the monastery to the part where she chooses to rescue her friend from his kidnappers. I understand why it was done this way, and it is justified, narratively speaking. But it makes for a rather dull read. Since Raine herself doesn't know what she wants to do with her life and just kind of exists day to day, the reader feels like none of the events happening have any meaning. We don't know what's important because Raine doesn't care about anything.

But once Raine finally decides where her place is and what's important to her, she becomes a really wonderful character - she takes action, she makes tough choices, and she emerges victorious out of what seemed like an impossible situation. I will be curious to see how her life with evolve going forward, now that her big secret is known by several people who aren't trying to kill her for it.

The worldbuilding is also rather fascinating. It reminds me of Scotland and England back in the middle ages when the Scot were subjugated by the English. Raine comes form the highlands, there is talk of clans, and the scenery is reminiscent of what I've seen in Scotland. There is also talk of moon horses that sounds a bit like kelpies, and hidden folk, the fae, etc. I would like to explore this world more, learn more of its secrets. 

I wasn't as excited with the side characters. The characterizations there aren't as well-done as Raine. Half the time we had just hints and sketches of character without full definition. Granted, a lot of it steams from the fact that we see this story through Raine's eyes, and she'd been emotionally shunted for most of the book. It was hard for her to empathize with other or care enough to pay close attention to them. But even the people she seems interested in aren't as well-defined as I would have liked them to be. 

Also, while I can believe into the motivation of the main villain in the story, I find it hard to believe that he was powerful enough to mind control so many of his followers. So does this mean that some of them followed him willingly even though all he wanted was petty revenge? Or was he so good of a liar that nobody suspected anything until the very end? Then why at least some of them didn't turn on him after his grand speech in the cavern when the truth came out? Why were they willing to still die for him?

All in all tough, this book accomplished what a first book in a new series should do - it introduced and interesting world that readers want to explore more. It introduced a compelling protagonist that I wouldn't mind following for a few more books. And it told an interesting story. It also didn't leave us with a cliffhanger, thank the havens. All the questions relating to this particular story were answered by the end of the book while leaving enough unsaid that I am excited about picking up the next installment. 

PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Ayre · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this universe seeing the dead is punishable by death. Raine has been able to see the dead her entire life and she also knows to hide that fact. One day she finds a women dying in the woods and attempts to save her, but shes being hunted by a group of warrior wizards from Redwinter trying to take back what shes stolen. Helping this women changes the entire pace of Raine's life and her seeing the dead can get her killed at any moment.

This is a high 2 almost a 3 because I liked the story but the author made some "universe" choices I felt weren't necessary and potentially harmful to some readers. Our main character is 17 years old and, at the start of the book, she's in an abusive "relationship" with a 30 year old man. The author makes it pretty clear that she was groomed and there is nothing good about the relationship BUT there isn't really a plot reason that she needed to be in this relationship at all. (other than general life trauma) I almost DNFed the book because I'm very uncomfortable reading about grooming and child abuse, no matter what the context. Additionally there are queer characters in the book but the universe is "religious" and "anti queer". I understand fully that both of these things happen in real life but this is fantasy, this author created his own world and could make any choice at all about how the people of this world treat each other in the background. Yet he still chose to highlight trauma instead of creating an escape.

I also have a lot of problem with a clearly incel character in the book. He was constantly described as a "nice guy" and "great guy", "so sweet and harmless". This character literally fictionalized sexual relationships with multiple female characters and spread harmful rumors about their supposed sexual actions. If they publicly turned him down he would say they were having sex with someone "inappropriate" It is also mentioned multiple times that he didn't see some women as people, they were just idealized caricatures. In addition, he would stalk and harass these women. Nothing about his behavior was okay but everyone just excused it in a "boys will be boys" kind of way.

Additionally, there were little things about the writing that I could tell this 17 year old girl was written by a man, someone with not experience as a young girl. Ed just doesn't quite seem to see young girls as fully formed people.

The actual plot of the story was good but not great. The plot of many fantasy stories are good, why should readers waste their time with some much harmful content when they could just read a different story. I recommend this for people who are interested in the plot but aren't bothered by any of the content I've spoken about.

I have no plans to continue this series.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to leave this review.

[Ane Kongsdal · Rating 5 out of 5]

What made me read this book, was the review written by Robin Hobb. She wrote that one had to make sure there was time enough to finish the book when the final chunk of it took off, and this I can verify! While I found the book a little bit slow in the beginning, it was a whirlwind in the end. I literally just sat down to read and then finished the book without knowing how much time had passed, whether I should have eaten something, picked up the kid from kindergarten or maybe even slept somewhere in there. The ending of this book just happened, it took control, and I loved it.

I also agree with Robin Hobb about the narrator, Raine, not being instantly likeable. I struggled a bit in the beginning with understanding why I should like her, or even want to read about her life. And I think what changed this was how she suddenly stopped being in control of her own narrative, but rather was swept away by life happening to her. It was quite different from the fantasy narrators I am used to. (Edit: realising now that this is not true, at all. It's pretty much the standard narrative of most of my fav fantasy books)

This, I think, is one thing I thoroughly enjoyed about this book. In one way it is typical medieval-set fantasy, the type of fantasy most of us think of when we hear the word “fantasy”. In another it was completely new and such a fresh breath! I might have liked the magic system to be more clear, but then I tend to like hard magic more than soft. However, even though it wasn’t explicit, it still made perfect sense.

One of the things I loved the most, was how the story actually resolved itself in the end. Although I like a good series, I also really like it when I’m not left with more questions than answers, and when I don’t feel like I have to wait for ages just to have my answers answered. Although there were still things that have yet to be explained, and it is clear (or so I hope) that there will be more books in this universe, this story had an end.

I will admit I was annoyed by the use of the word “feck” (just use “fuck” already), but luckily this was also my biggest grievance.

[Dimitris Kopsidas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read Ed McDonald's first grimdark trilogy (Raven's Mark) for a long time and when I saw he was releasing a new series I jumped immediately on the opportunity to read it. Of course this isn't a grimdark book, it's more of a classic fantasy book with a 17 year old girl as a protagonist.
I enjoyed the mystery parts of the book. Our main character Raine is never sure who to trust and there are a lot of people trying to take her on their side. The second half of the book was very easy to read and packed with action and twists. Two of the side characters were quite interesting. Also the book, even though is the first in a series, easily stands as a standalone.
Unfortunately there were also some things that could've been executed better.
To call the first quarter of the book rushed would be an understatement. From page one stuff happens, but since we're not given any background on the characters or the world, it gets a bit difficult to follow what's going on and more importantly get invested in everything. Speaking of getting invested, our protagonist doesn't help with that. Raine is a young girl who's been hurt and abandoned her whole life (so we are told) but still some of her actions and choices are hard to justify and in the end she came by a bit unlikeable to me.
The worldbuilding is not really well explained but maybe that will be fixed in the second book.
In conclusion I have to say that this book reminded me of how I felt for the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne trilogy by Brian Staveley. I'm pretty sure (if you've read the above trilogy) that whatever your enjoyment level was for Staveley's trilogy, you'll have very similar reaction to this.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor/Forge for providing me with this eARC.