WintercraftBy Jenna Burtenshaw
Pub: Headline
Kate lost her parents years ago during a Wardens raid on her hometown and now she is going to lose what is left of her normal life. As the Wardens return Kate discovers that she is what they are looking for and nothing in her life is truly as she believed it.
Wintercraft is a fairly traditional young adult fantasy combining magic and adventure as the young heroine discovers the truth of her past and who she is. It wasn't a perfect read, some of the naming felt clumsy, Artemis and Da'ru sit uncomfortably alongside Kate and Tom and some moments were a little too convenient for me. That said it was an extremely easy and enjoyable read and Kate, Silas and Edgar were, as the lead characters, were well thought out and engaged the reader well, with sometimes complex motivations.
The plot moved forward with satisfying speed and kept the interest up all the way through. The twists were mostly unexpected and consistently clever keeping me guessing and maintaining suspense effectively. The world was well thought out and the world building neatly achieved, I never questioned the magic system or Kate's movements through the veil.
The set up allows for the series and over all I feel i'd like to return to this world of Wintercraft with it's Skilled and it's Walkers. There are some interesting ideas to develop in future novels and I do want to know what happens next to Kate. Not quite as sophisticated as the Abhorsen books by Garth Nix but non the less worth reading for fans of YA and i'd expect it to be a winner with it's target audience.
6 comments:
Sounds like you weren't entirely won over by this one. I have a copy in my TBR pile waiting to be read soon. For me it's something quite different from what I usually read.
It's enjoyable, but not up to the very high standard of some other YA's i've read lately. I will pass it on the Young & Un:Bound team who I have no doubt will be blown away by it.
Seems every book that comes out now is part of a series.
I don't know Alex, i've know idea if this one is but the set up would allow it. There are some interesting linked series coming along, which aren't the same thing quite and should be quite interesting.
I got a review copy and will read it this month. And it is also for me different from what I usually read.Now I'm really interested in how I will like it.
i'm interested too.
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