Winterkeep
"For the past five years, Queen Bitterblue of Monsea has heroically rebuilt her nation after her father's horrific reign. Now she has learned of a land called Torla in the east, and the closest nation there: Winterkeep-a place where telepathic foxes bond with humans, and people fly across the sky in wondrous airships. She sends envoys there, but when they fail to return, Bitterblue, with her most trusted companions, sets off to Winterkeep herself. On the way, tragedy strikes-a tragedy with devestating remifications. And meanwhile, in Winterkeep, ovisa Cavenda waits and watches, a fire inside her that is always hungry. The teenage daughter of two powerful politicians, she is the key to unlocking everything-but only if she's willing to transcend the person she's been all her life."
Winterkeep by Kristen Cashoe held my attention for the entire novel, to put it mildly. Due to the pacing of the novels, and the beginning often being a little slow, I've been reading a different novel in between each installment of the Graceling series. However, I could not wait to pick this one up. I do not know why this series is advertised as being easy and able to pick up any novel in any order. In my opinion, that would be incredibly confusing. The first two novels build the base world and the base relationships. It sets up Leck as the former villain, Bitterblue as his successor (and her origin story), and the world outside of the seven original kingdoms.
Beginning with any book would be confusing, reading in order would be the best reading experience. I cannot stress this enough.
Especially with this novel's case, as it is the only one in the series thus far to take on multiple perspectives as the story goes on. Had the reader no understanding of the characters beforehand, this would seem jarring.
I digress, back to the review.
Cashore seems to expand on her writing capabilities with each installment. She has once again built on the known more, adding even more advanced nations to the east. Their politics are strikingly similar to what the average American citizen might be familiar with. There are two political parties, each just as manipulative and corrupt as the other. Then, there is Bitterblue and our other heroes. They are the morales of this venture, seeking the truth and deciding what is best for the good of the world amidst politicians and wealthy families that only seem to want to line their pockets.
Our heroes band together to fight against the current that is political corruption and the crimes that come with it. This novel is filled with so many intricate plot nuances, twists and turns. It had me on the edge of my seat the entire way.
Towards the end, I even wondered if there were enough pages to establish a conclusion.
Turns out there were just enough to leave the reader both satisfied and hungry for the next installment.
Cashore has done it again!