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3.75 stars! This review will be spoiler free!
Synopsis:
“Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield—her brother, fighting with the enemy—the brother she watched die five years ago.
Faced with her brother's betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.”
-- there’s more to the synops, but really this is all you need --
Thoughts:
I love standalones that can completely expand on a new world and new peoples, unravel an entire plot, and make me fall in love with all the characters in less than 400 pages. Such a fast read! The world was cold and brutal. The family aspects had so much heart, family in YA means so much to me. The romance was “enemies to lovers,” a troupe I love, and it was so cute, such tension and angst! The characters were all likeable, though they are kind of superficial, meaning they have simple personalities that you expect them too, nothing unique or eyecatching. The battle scenes were heart racing. The entire plot, though pretty predictable for someone well versed in fantasy (which is why I took off one star), was still entertaining. There are also a few things I still have questions about.. Like what was with the bear?
Overall:
I liked it. Twas a fun, fast read! I’d recommend for anyone who enjoys Viking-esque worlds, fast paced battle scenes, hate-to-love romance, and the presence of strong family bonds. It may not be the best read for those who prefer much more complicated plots with crazy twists and turns, those who prefer to have a lot more magic in their fantasy reads, or those who need more unique/deep characters.
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