Daughter of Redwinter started out great: fast-paced and full of action, it didn’t let you rest before it threw you straight into the world headfirst. And then it slowed down.

Let me put this one bluntly: this is a book that I felt was too long. Had it kept up the pace from the opening 120 pages or so, then the fact that it was almost 500 pages wouldn’t have registered to me. Instead, for the middle 250 pages or so, it slows to an almost snail’s pace (it feels, at times), before finally, finally, picking back up in the final 120 pages.

A large chunk of the middle section didn’t drive the story forward, didn’t really provide much character development either. And this might have been okay, if I had felt like this was providing the world and characters with depth, but there was a shallowness to it all. It had some cool concepts, for sure—what comes to mind is the magic system—but, while that was fleshed out, a lot of the world wasn’t. As I said, this wouldn’t have mattered so much if it had kept up the pace, or even if there had been a slowburning mystery unfolding in the background. Instead, that mystery was shoved in at the end, all the investigating done in a rush, and the twist coming almost out of nowhere (I’m not necessarily against this, but I do think twists work a little better if you seed very tiny hints in amongst it, so that the reader might go back and think “oh, that’s where it was”).

The characters, too, suffered from this. Our narrator was, perhaps understandably, most so, although at times it felt as though everything happened too easily for her, she came up trumps whatever she tried (though definitely not as badly as in some other books I’ve read). It’s the side characters who suffered most, even those who were supposed to be some kind of example to the main character. One in particular, Ovitus, seemed to be only there to provide some kind of comic relief—almost every word that came out of his mouth was about Liana, no matter the topic that began the conversation, he would always find a way to bring it back to her—the “joke” being that he was unsuitable for pretty much everything (including her) because he was a scholar and also fat (this latter one perhaps being unintentional, but it sure got brought up more than his scholarliness when it came to why he was unsuitable). I say comic relief, but the truth is, he was never funny. While never quite reaching this level of two-dimensionality, the other characters could each be summed up fairly rapidly, in a few words.

I think the only reason I might say that this book merited being rounded up to 3 stars from 2.5, was that there was promise to it all. As I said, the opening and closing 120 pages were fun, they were action-packed and, if the book had continued like that, then there are a number of things in this review that wouldn’t have mattered as much.

As it was, though, this was not an auspicious start to my reading Ed McDonald.

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…

Raine has the forbidden power of seeing and talking to the dead. To survive she has joined a cult which is now under siege due to her 'sight'. Things get worse when she finds and helps an injured woman who's escaped from Redwinter, monastery of the Draoihn. They are warrior magicians who will do anything to retrieve what was stolen. Raine ends up in Redwinter, her power suddenly more important than ever.

A quite descriptive narrative with a plentiful recounting of events and surroundings. A sassy on the edge of sarcastic but also sorrowful 1st person POV. It is invitingly personal but also all-encompassing of what is happening around Raine, as to give us the whole story. Sometimes the figurative speech provides us with high lyrical notes, wordplay that is beautiful.

The premise is quite intriguing. The protagonist relatable in the sense that she may have this incredible ability that she is learning about, but she doesn't have everything figured out. She is flawed. Her journey is not smooth sailing and she is better for it, as is the book. Contains an interesting magic system and a worldbuilding of Celctic/Briton flair with things like kilts, towers, hidden folk and clans.

In some parts there was an unloading of lots of info and it got confusing. I liked the brewing of the plot and the machinations, it was intelligent and twisty-turvy, though I wish the 'chain of reveals' had begun sooner and the action that followed. Something was lost in the execution. The result was an uneven book, where some parts were so interesting you gobbled up the pages and others were too slow, lagging too much.

This book is about realizing and seeing your power, personal freedom and duty.

A book colored with the hunger for power, betrayal, scheming and devious secret plans, danger lurking everywhere. There is promise here and a chance at a brilliant sequel.

I liked the concept and the magic system of this setting. Unfortunately, this book suffered from too many cool plot threads with not enough time to explore them in the depth I would have liked.

All of the characters fell flat for me, I just couldn’t like any of them and not because they are written to make you dislike them, they where just all a bit boring. Our protagonist had the potential to be really cool, but she lacked the depth to achieve this.

This is not to say this was a bad book but just that it lacked the depth of character and lore to make it my cup of tea.

I was excited for Daughter of Redwinter having enjoyed McDonald’s previous trilogy. While my overall feelings were this was a good book, it took me longer to become engrossed in it than I was expecting.

There felt to be a lot of world-building in the first third of the book. Also, due to magical events manipulating emotions of the main character, I found it hard to connect to her. She didn’t care about the world or anyone in it, which made it hard to care about her.

However, the characters still grew on me and the unfolding of events made them likeable. Once the pacing of events started to pick up around the mid-way mark, I realised I couldn’t put it down and the book was starting to deliver in the way that I hoped.

Raine – despite her emotional disconnection for the majority of the book – is likeable enough. You learn about the world through her eyes. She’s determined to prove herself and become something more; to find a place where she belongs.

The various misdirection surrounding the rest of the characters makes it hard to talk about them. But they are an interesting bunch with conflicting personalities and desires that provides interesting tension, even among those considered allies.

As mentioned, the pacing felt slow and the tension lacking for a lot of the book. My enjoyment increased dramatically when the stakes were suddenly raised; it needed that heightened danger for the world and the characters to come to life.

An enjoyable read if you keep going past the early chapters. I’d love to read more set in this world and definitely interested in reading more from Ed McDonald in the future. A recommendation from me.

Daughter of Redwinter (The Redwinter Chronicles 1) is exactly the kind of fantasy I like best these days. It concentrates on one character with no unnecessary side-plots that drag the story in the hopes to make it ‘epic’. The story follows the MC as they face events that aren’t in their control, yet have to solve anyway. As they do so, they become more than they were in the beginning.

Raine is a young woman who has thrown her lot with a small band of mercenaries. As she is trying to find a way out of siege, she comes across a young woman fleeing and helps her—an epic mistake. The woman tries to awaken a terrible being and the warrior pursuing her only just manages to subdue it and only with Raine’s help.

Ulovar takes her with him to Redwinter, a fortress town of the Draoihn, warriors who protect the realm with their special abilities. Raine hopes to be trained with them too, but their Grand Master decides otherwise. Raine has to settle into an existence of not quite a servant and definitely not a warrior. But she doesn’t quite feel like she belongs, because she has a secret that will get her executed. She can see the dead.

But she can’t leave, because Ulovar is accused of treason for what took place during the siege. It’s up to Raine to prove his innocence. In the end, she has to decide if death is a small price to pay for the truth after all.

This was an excellent book. The description makes it sound like an epic fantasy, but it’s rather small in scope, part a mystery, part a build-up to something larger. The pace is fast and the chapters are short. The mystery took its time to unravel, and although I called the twist, I did it only a little before it was revealed.

The world is well-crafted with an interesting history and mythology, a pre-industrial society that doesn’t automatically follow the rules of real-world equivalent. The Draoihn with their trances and gates were an interesting invention, though not entirely unique as such.

Raine is an excellent main character. She’s lost, frightened and unable to trust anyone because of her ability. She blames herself for what happened to the mercenaries and goes through much of the book not caring about anything. She seeks to belong with desperation that leads her to make mistakes that are both predictable and natural. She relies to the strengths she had from the start and while she does pull off some epic moves in the final battle, they aren’t beyond reason or her character’s development.

Side characters were interesting, but remain a bit vague because of the first person narrative. There are a couple of potential love interests for Raine, who doesn’t limit her love to opposite gender, but nothing comes of them yet. She makes friends, some briefly and the characters all but disappear, some with great length like Ovitus, Ulovar’s nephew and heir. None of the main relationships are easily defined as black and white, friend or enemy.

While this was a start of a series, the first book reads as a stand-alone with a satisfying ending and no cliffhangers. There is, however, an opening for Raine’s story to continue. I’m looking forward to reading more.

10 / 10 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2022/06/28/daughter-of-redwinter-by-ed-mcdonald-review/

—
<b>Those who see the dead soon join them.</b>

Seventeen year-old Raine knows what she wants out of life, and has it. A man that loves her, a life where she’s respected, a group she’s protected in so much that she almost feels loved. The only problem is that her new family is on the run and holed up in a decaying monastery—which has started widening the cracks in her perfect life.

Maybe her love isn’t so perfect. Braithe is great, but at twice her age he should know better. He yells and belittles and raises his hand to her far too often, to the point that Raine is starting to feel like nothing but a bedwarmer. Her perfect family is less than perfect as well. The sisters preach about the colors within, and their followers eat it up. But Raine isn’t a believer. In fact, she’s never felt like one of them less.

But her die is cast and her lot chosen. She’s with them to the death—especially since death is coming for them all.

In the form of a lost apprentice, hunted by her Draoihn brethren. One that Raine helps, and who repays her by trying to summon an ancient evil unto the world.

An evil Raine helps defeat, but only just. After which she is whisked off to Redwinter by the Draoihn pair, as a witness to the foiled end of the world plot. But after being spared certain death, Raine is now confronted by a probable and much worse end. For if they knew her secret—her ability to see and commune with the dead—these warrior mages would kill her in a much more spectacular and painful manner.

As she lingers in Redwinter, Raine finds more than she ever could’ve hoped, but far less than she might have dreamt of: a life, albeit not one she expected; friends, though they might turn on her if they ever found out her secret; power, though it’s temperamental and impossible to control; and a plot, one she’s got to get under control before it burns her new home down around her.

—

I thought I had this pegged as soon as we prevented the ancient evil from releasing itself on the world. I was wrong.

This was not a “teen discovers powers”, “teen goes to magic school”, “enter hijinx and tomfoolery and maybe the end of the world”, like I expected. Sure, it has many of those characteristics—so many that it really looks like it’s going to follow the same pattern. And then the plot takes a left turn. Even further on, when I thought we’d fallen back into the original pattern—it takes another abrupt turn. I’m not going to spoil either of these, but they’re as surprising as they are entertaining, and—better yet—they work really well. The twists may not be world-changing, but they do just enough to change the story while keeping the pace and flow intact.

Raine is an excellent character. She’s young and foolish. She’s clever and witty. She’s pessimistic but hopeful. She has darkness within her, but light as well. She’s… human. Well designed, well portrayed, well written. She’s by far the strongest character, though the others are well written as well. Often profoundly so. Ovitus was among one of my favorite characters just for his sheer complexity. He’s not a particularly… charming character, though he does have something about him that makes him appealing. He’s just so interesting—especially in how he interacts with the world, the other characters, Raine herself—that he’s a fascinating character to read. Raine was by far my favorite, though a few of the others grew on me over the story’s course.

What else do I really have to say about this? Well, not too much as it turns out. I could rave about how well everything is done or about how much I loved every bit of it, but sadly I don’t think this would be enough. The only thing I can really do is tell you to read it, and recommend it whole-heartedly.

TL;DR

Not much to say here, except that Daughter of Redwinter continues Ed McDonald’s strong course of written works. I won’t even bore you by recapping the details. Everything was strong, in my opinion. A great world, great characters, story, blah blah blah. This is (very, very likely) my book of 2022 thus far. Go read it.

This is my first introduction to Ed McDonald’s work (even though I have had his Raven’s Mark series on my kindle for absolutely ages) and I have to say I was very impressed, and I fond it to be a satisfying read that has also made sure that I will be going back and reading his first trilogy as soon as I can.
Daughter of Redwinter centres around year old Raine. When we first meet her, she is savin the life of another young woman who has travelled to the north of the country where the story is set. We soon learn that Raine is holed up in an old monastery awaiting an attack from a local lord. It’s not long that we find out that Raine can see ghosts (which is referred to mainly as Grave Sight in the book, but we learn that it is also part of the wider magical system of ‘Gates’ called Skal).

As the first part of the story progresses, we learn that Raine is part of a wider group of an alternative religion that follows a trio of Seers and that the local lord believes tha they have the Grave Sight, which is seen as inherently evil and is punishable by death.

When Raine saves Hazia, she subsequently sets off a series of events. You see Hazia is a hunted woman. She is hunted by a small band of Draoihn who are the magic users, and vehemently uphold the Crown’s laws. When she takes in Hazia, we see the release of an ancient evil which has devastating results for Raine and leaves her going back to Redwinter with the Draoihn as a witness to the events at the monastery.

Now, as a first-time reader to Ed McDonald’s books, one of the first things that I found that immediately engaged me in the book was his prose. The prose on the whole picked me up and swept me away and I was immediately engaged with the book. Not only does he write well-paced action scenes, but the lulls in between the action were equally as engaging. In fact, it was in the lulls of the story that the prose really shone for me, I found it made me want to keep on reading.
As I really did not know what to expect with the book, it took me a while to adjust to Ed McDonald’s style and the differences in pace. Initially, the story throws you in at the deep end and you have to hit the ground running. However, as we get to the second act, the pace slows down considerably as we enter a change in environment and are introduced to the real cast of characters. Not only that, but we also follow Raine as both her environment changes and so does Raine’s sense of self.
I have to say that I loved Raine as a character, and I enjoyed seeing her journey as an individual. Initially when we start the book, we see Raine as someone who makes bad decisions, but she is passionate. However, when we come to the end of the first act, we see a different Raine who has been affected by the events that she has endured and also the changes that are forced upon her as she enters the service of the Draoihn. We join her in her journey as she undergoes a transformation to a different Raine that we meet at the end of the book and how she finds herself something akin to a family. I made loads of notes in the book, but the one that stands out is this one -
“Man is ever bound by obligations, but to lose them gives no freedom but abandonment”
For me, this perfectly sums up Raine’s journey. Throughout the book she does not adhere to any obligations, and she does not feel tied to anybody, which has been a theme throughout her life, and as we go through the story, we observe Raine actually find these things, to feel a part of something.

In addition to this, Raine is a teenager, and one of the things that Ed McDonald does really well is to allow the characters be teenagers, struggling to work out how to be an adult while still being immature enough to be a child, and also all the questionable decisions that come with this.

The plot itself is an interesting one, full of mystery, backstabbing and about turns that confound you. However, the mystery aspect does not become as apparent until it cleverly takes centre stage in the third act. That is not to say that it is not there, it just that in the second act it takes a backseat to Raine’s development. I have to say I found this really clever and absorbing, particularly how the setup is carefully planned out in the background.

One of the things that stood out for me was the setting and the lore of the world. Seldom have I seen a fantasy set in a Scottish Highlands themed backdrop. And the incorporation of the folklore of Scotland really sets it apart. I loved the fae aspect of the land and the myths that were interwoven with the story.

The world building is masterfully done. It is seamlessly integrated into the plot, and it is not until you take a step back you notice how skilfully it is woven into the tapestry of the story that I had those wow moments.

There is no way that you can not mention the magic system in this book. I was wholly taken with it. The magic system is split into different parts and is really good how each separate aspect of the magic system can be explored, which I am hoping may come up in a later book, and I think that is all I am going to tell you on this because you have to experience the book for yourself.

Now, I think I am done raving about how good this book is. Now just go and read it for yourselves and discover the magic of Daughter of Redwinter.

This would be my first Ed McDonald book to read. I already have the trilogy of Raven's Mark and I starting love McDonald's writing style.

Daughter of Redwinter is rich and great fantasy. It is pure of lore and religion based story. I do love Raine's character. The singular thought within the book made her character strong and engaging.

Looking forward to the sequel!

Raine is a girl who can speak to the dead and one day, she rescued a woman and turned her life around. The first chapter was very gripping not going to lie, even though it was hard for me to connect with Raine initially but as I powered through, she ended up being one of my fav characters in the book. I also love how morally grey everyone feels, not until at the end of the book that the reader were to slowly understand who are the good guys are.

The world-building is intricately exciting to read but it was not overbearing with loads of info-dumping, making the read easy and enjoyable.

For those who love medieval fantasy worlds, this might be a good read for them.

Can't wait for the second book!

"Everything was one thing. The tiny gaps that separate us from the things that we touch, the space between grains of air. They weren't real. They weren't any bigger or smaller than any other thing. Just gaps. And a gap is nothing."

Raine isn't like any other 17-year-old. She can see the dead, a secret she has to guard closely because those who have the "spirit-sight" are put to gruesome deaths.

When she helps a wounded young woman, Hazia, Raine also inadvertently helps raise the spirit of a former magical warrior. Hazia had stolen an artifact that brought this ancient fighter back to life. Raine ends up helping two Draoihn, Ulovar and Ovitus, bind the warrior's power and destroy him. Draoihn are like wizards, who can access six circles of power, going into trances that allow them to do this. Raine too has this ability, though she can only access the 'First Gate'.

But when the Draoihn take her back with them to their keep – Redwinter – the Grandmaster refuses to admit her so she can be taught, and she becomes a servant in Ulovar's household instead. Despite her station, for the first time in her life, Raine begins to feel a sense of belonging – she starts to make friends with the apprentices, but at the same time, she isn't free because she'd be killed if they knew she saw ghosts.

Back at Redwinter, Ulovar is arrested for disobeying the Grandmaster's directive that he not pursue Hazia, who, as an apprentice, should not have had the power to steal the artifact. So, how did she manage to do it?

Raine is approached by a secret group called "Those Who See", others who are able to see spirits of the dead. They try to recruit her to their cause, in vehement opposition to the Draoihn. But who is right?

There are multiple puzzles for Raine to solve if she's to aid those who helped her and protect herself at the same time. It's a dangerous line to walk, and ultimately, Raine will have to compromise her own safety to save others.

Overall, I enjoyed this start of a new fantasy series. I haven't read this author before but am eager to explore his other works. I felt like the beginning of the book and the worldbuilding was a bit rushed. I was given a lot of information that didn't make sense to me because there was no context, and I was only able to infer a lot of it later in the book. This meant I struggled through the first 40% of the novel. Raine also felt a bit wooden to me at times – I know this was deliberate (Ulovar messes with her mind to stop her from feeling grief), but it meant I struggled to empathise with her at times.

That said, Raine is certainly interesting and I am keen to discover what happens to her next. If Goodreads only had half stars I'd have given this 3.5 instead of 3.

Book Review - Daughter of Redwinter by Ed McDonald
4/5 Stars

I was send an e-ARC on Netgalley by Orion in return for a honest review.

Daughter of Redwinter tells the tale of Raine. When we meet Raine she is in a though spot, locked in a crumbling besieged monastery with her abusive boyfriend/cult leader. This changes when she rescues a mysterious girl from her "evil" pursuers. She is thrown into a high level conspiracy by evil necromancers and ends up a resident at a school for sorcerers. Oh did I tell you Raine also sees ghosts, a skill that carries a death sentence from the same sorcerers she shares a castle with?

Ed McDonald takes us to a world very much like a medieval Scotland. Here magic is a very real thing, practiced by a group of sorcerers called the Draoihn. The setting itself is interesting, but what really caught my eye was the magic system. Magic is activated by passing certain gates all linked to a specific aspect of magic. Although I've seen similar systems, this one was very well crafted.

When it comes to character building McDonald does a perfect job of sketching Raine as a conflicted and real protagonist. She reads like a actual person, making her story an interesting one. The side characters are also fleshed out enough for you to care about them and their fate. There is also plenty of LGTBQ representation, including Raine who herself is bisexual, which really helped with giving the world a complete and realistic feeling. This combined with the effect of the magic on the characters and their lives makes for a very compelling read.

The plotline was also very interesting and I was put on a wrong path by the author several times, which I love. The only real problem I had was with the pacing of the middle part. McDonald opens with a lot of action and get's off to an amazing start, but towards the middle to plot slows and there is maybe a bit to much meandering worldbuilding for me. This is all rectified in the last fourth of the book where the plot and action all of a sudden comes together.

All in all a very entertaining read and a world and main protagonist I will gladly follow into a next installment. Interesting enough for me to actually splurge and buy the Broken Binding special edition.

"Daughter of Redwinter" was one of those enjoyable reads that feels a little bit slow in parts. "Oh, get on with it" was uttered several times... and then I found myself holding my breath as the story picked up speed. The characters are a tiny bit flat, but the writing, the setting, and the core of the story are brilliant. I'm looking forward to book 2.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

Daughter of Redwinter is an exciting fantasy novel that follows Raine, a girl who can speak with the dead. She rescues a woman, and in doing so, triggers events that completely upend her life and could potentially end in her death.

We are dropped immediately into a complex world with a lot of history and a lot going on. The world building is sublime, weaving in interesting politics, magic and religion that I desperately want to know more about. The story is good too, with plenty happening to keep me guessing and wanting to keep reading.

It took me a long time to warm to Raine, though. For the first quarter of the book I didn't really connect with any of the characters. I did really like Esher and Sanvaunt, who were introduced later. This was one of those books that I stuck with because of the interesting world, and I'm glad I did.

Daughter of Redwinter gripped me from the very first chapter. It’s a brilliant start to a new fantasy series and I loved the main character of the title.
Daughter of Redwinter is told in the first person by 17 year old Raine. We first meet her as part of a group who are trapped in a fortress by a powerful clan who want to kill them because of their beliefs. Raine has the ability to see the dead which is a power thought to be evil so she has to keep it secret or it will mean her death. However, right from the start we see that she has other powers although she has no idea what this means for her.
The fortress falls and Raine is taken to Redwinter to act as a witness for the events which took place. In Redwinter she begins to learn about her powers although she is forbidden to learn about how to use them. She also becomes involved with the rivalry between powerful clans and ends up having to choose which side she will support.
Raine is a fascinating character. She is a 17 year old girl who has made some questionable choices in her life so far and continues to make mistakes through the book. She feels completely alone and spends a lot of the book feeling very detached from those around her. As she and the reader find out more about Redwinter, she begins to make connections with the other characters although it is not until the very end that she decides which side she will support. For a 17 year old she comes across as quite ruthless but it is in keeping with the things that have happened to her.
There are many other characters all of whom are brilliantly portrayed by Ed Maconald. What I especially loved was that many of them are morally grey and like Raine, the reader isn’t quite sure until the end who actually are the good guys.
The setting is a fairly traditional medieval fantasy world with a strong Scottish flavour echoed by the clan names . The world building is amazing and has enough detail that you can picture things clearly without subjecting the reader to an overload of information. I enjoyed the magic system and the history behind it. The characters, setting and magic all combined to make a brilliant novel. I loved the fact that the book has a satisfying conclusion rather than ending on a cliff hanger as so many fantasy books seem to.
I'm really grateful to Net Galley and Orion Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest reiview.

This book had me gripped from the very first sentence - you know a book will have a hold on you when that first sentence has you shook! I can't fault any part of this book, it was fantastic from beginning to end.

The entire book was gripping, from the first few chapters which were thrilling and full of excitement - you are thrown into the action here and it doesn't drop the pace throughout. The high thrills pace is kept up throughout the entire book, making you want to read it in one sitting (alas, I needed sleep but I still sped through this one).

The magic system was really interesting and I loved finding out more about how it worked and the history behind it. The world was also engrossing for me and it was fascinating seeing more about the history there too - the different clans, the wars, the factions, etc.

The characters were brilliantly written, including the side-characters. There are times that Raine can be difficult to like, but that's what happens with morally grey characters and I found that to be really captivating. Plus, having the main character be bisexual is certainly a bonus! She had great interactions with other characters (Sanvaunt, Ulovar, Esher for example) which helped propel the plot forward.

What I loved most was that you didn't know who to trust throughout this book. You were never entirely sure who the "good guys" were, especially since most characters were morally grey (my favourite kind). There are many reveals at the end and, once you know what they are, you find there was definitely foreshadowing building up to it, but the reveals took me by surprise while still leaving many unanswered questions, setting up for the second instalment.

Overall I really enjoyed this one.

Having heard great things about this book, I was very excited when I was given an opportunity to read this as an ARC from netgalley.

Needless to say I was not disappointed. The world building done by Ed McDonald was fantastic and really helped suck me into the book!
The main character Raine was extremely well written and the author wrote her well especially being 17 she makes teenager mistakes that makes her a believable character. Her power (or curse) makes her even more interesting especially as the book progresses.

The book is a slow burn but keeps tensions high and I couldn’t stop reading. Definitely a page turner . The book was extremely well written book with great prose and has got me extremely excited for where the next part in the series will go.

Highly recommended and I’ll definitely be picking this up upon official release.

Ed McDonald a mis les pieds dans le plat de la fantasy avec la trilogie Blackwing, publiée chez nous par Bragelonne. Aujourd’hui il revient en VO avec une nouvelle série qui s’annonce moins grimdark-désespouar : The chronicles of Redwinter qui commence avec le roman que je vais vous présenter ici, Daughter of Redwinter.

Raine a le don de voir les fantômes, mais elle doit le cacher parce que c’est interdit et on exécute joyeusement les gens comme elle. Alors qu’elle s’était réfugiée dans un groupe de religieux, son secret est révélé et le chef de clan local les pourchasse jusqu’à un monastère où ils sont assiégés. Tentant une sortie discrète, Raine tombe sur une fille en détresse, blessée et poursuivie par des guerriers aux pouvoirs bizarres. Venir en aide à cette fille va être le point de départ d’un combat désespéré, et d’une aventure qui mènera notre jeune héroïne aux portes de Redwinter, la forteresse des Draoihns.

Donc changement de ton pour l’auteur, ici on laisse effectivement tomber le grimdark pour une aventure au ton plus classique et vu que c’était mon souci principal avec Blackwing, je suis complètement pour ! Pourtant ça veut pas dire que c’est le pays des bisounours, on a quand même pas mal de tragédies, un univers assez sombre, mais le ton est différent, les personnages sont jeunes, narration à point de vue unique, et quelque part on a une histoire d’adolescents dans une école de magie (à peu près ?). Est-ce que c’est du Young Adult ? J’en sais foutre rien, et je m’en fous un peu. On a quelques éléments de cette catégorie, mais aussi des moments assez durs et un univers sombre, et quelques composantes qui piochent dans l’horreur.


Une fois passé les premiers chapitres très rythmés de l’introduction, ce que j’ai résumé dans mon pitch, on va arriver à Redwinter où Raine va faire la connaissance du monde des Draoihns, ces mages-guerriers qui s’initient aux pouvoirs des cercles de la création. La forteresse est leur lieu de vie, mais aussi un lieu de formation pour apprentis, et Raine va entrer dans cet univers et découvrir son fonctionnement, ses secrets. Mais ça commence plutôt mal vu que le protecteur qui l’a prise sous son aile est emprisonné pour trahison dès leur arrivée. Il y a une coupure dans le rythme à ce moment-là, on reprend un peu notre souffle. Raine va découvrir cet univers, ses nouveaux « camarades » Ovitus, Liara, Esher, Sanvaunt, qu’on va apprendre à connaitre petit à petit. Et là l’auteur va nous installer son ambiance et ses mystères.

Parce que Daughter of Redwinter est rempli d’énigmes, Raine est accueillie assez froidement à la forteresse et se retrouve mise à part, elle va devoir faire sa place toute seule et découvrir la vérité sur certains secrets des draoihns. Je blaguais en disant qu’on était dans une école de magie, pourtant c’est bien le cas mais rassurez-vous, on nous épargne les cours de potions et les profs rigolos, mais on est bien avec un groupe d’adolescents qui vont se rencontrer et se lier, pour ensemble découvrir les secrets de leurs ainés. La progression des découvertes est extrêmement bien gérée par Ed McDonald, tout cet univers est intrigant, tout le monde cache des petits secrets même si une grande menace pèse sur Redwinter. Les clans se méfient les uns des autres et les traitres se planquent.

J’ai adoré cette saveur celte écossaise aussi, la « fantasy en kilt » est assez rare (sauf si vous avez la très bonne idée de lire Morgan of Glencoe), on a des clans LacMachin et LacTruc qui sonnent comme le « mac » gaélique, on a des highlands et quelques créatures magiques. Le système de magie reste mystérieux mais on apprend que les Draoihns franchissent différentes « portes » pour atteindre des cercles de magie de création, la plupart des apprentis n’en connaissent qu’une, tandis que la grande cheffe en est à la cinquième qui permet une certaine manipulation de la réalité. On a aussi la vision des morts dont Raine est douée, malédiction mais aussi un des moteurs de toutes ces énigmes, c’est une magie interdite car elle pourrait permettre aux puissances du passé de revenir. Ed McDonald nous donne quelques petits indices sur les mythes du passé, les anciens conflits mais c’est jamais balancé clairement comme un gros info-dump, c’est des petites miettes semées à droite à gauche et j’aime beaucoup ça.

La progression de Raine est super prenante, c’est une adolescente, elle fait des erreurs, son personnage évolue, elle aime, elle déteste, mais elle ne sait pas tout, elle a beaucoup à découvrir. Chacun des personnages est un mystère à dévoiler, elle va enquêter mais aussi se lier, parfois sans les connaitre complètement. Pour une jeune femme de 17 ans elle en prend assez plein la gueule mais elle doit faire face, même si elle est extérieure à toutes ces manigances. Elle est la nouvelle, la paria, mais peut-être qu’elle est la seule à pouvoir découvrir la vérité, elle entre dans le monde des adultes avec un gros coup de pied dans la porte.

Daughter of Redwinter est un excellent roman de fantasy à l’ambiance particulière, dense, à l’univers plein de mystères. Famille, loyauté, trahisons, complots, magie, et une héroïne qui doit cacher ses secrets en découvrant ceux des autres, Ed McDonald change de registre mais nous présente une série pleine de promesses dont j’ai hâte de découvrir la suite.

Roman reçu en service presse de la part de Netgalley UK et l’éditeur Gollancz, merci à eux.

Ed McDonald inicia una trilogía completamente nueva sin relación con la saga que lo dio a conocer. Y no solo eso, sino que el autor se anima con un cambio sustancial de tono y se aleja del grimdark con el que generalmente se ha caracterizado su serie anterior para abrazar una fantasía mas generalista pero que mezcla por igual ciertos tropos clásicos aunándolos con sistemas mágicos y relaciones personales modernas.

Daughter of Redwinter nos presenta a Raine, una adolescente que nos narra en primera persona sus aventuras en el mundo fantástico donde tiene lugar la novela. En los primeros momentos de la novela la vemos lidiar con un conflicto de cierta escala que termina con ella en Redwinter, un enclave autosuficiente apartado de todo y con sus propias reglas donde comenzará a descubrir detalles sobre los poderes mágicos que la acompañan desde pequeña mientras descubre viejas y nuevas rivalidades entre los clanes que la habitan. Raine puede ver y hablar con los muertos. Este no es el único aspecto mágico de la novela, ya que existe una fuente de poderes mágicos a los que se accede a través de unas puertas fantásticas. Según cruces desde una a siete puertas puedes acceder a distintos poderes, aunque los que te otorgan las dos últimas están prohibidos y solo seres oscuros se ven tentados de acceder a ellos.

La novela empieza con un ritmo altísimo. El primer quince o veinte por ciento es un no parar de eventos, revelaciones y consecuencias hasta llegar a Redwinter que hacen que rápidamente enganches con la lectura. A partir de ahí McDonald echa el freno para profundizar en la psicología tanto de Raine como de algunos secundarios que la acompañan. Durante más de la mitad de la lectura la novela coquetea con las típicas novelas de “joven llegando a lugar aislado donde te vamos a enseñar cuatro cosas”, aunque afortunadamente no termina de caer en la trampa y le da a la historia una personalidad propia. Además de los distintos clanes, allí conocemos a los Draoihn, quienes tienen el conocimiento sobre las puertas y los poderes mágicos a los que acceder por cada una.
Decía al principio que Daughter of Redwinter es una novela que aúna conceptos clásicos con otros más modernos. La novela en ningún momento cae en descripciones sobrecargadas pero ciertos detalles sobre como McDonald enfoca algunas de estas situaciones me han recordado a los grandes clásicos del género. La historia se cuenta de una manera completamente lineal mientras que, por otro lado, el personaje de Raine es mucho más profundo de lo que muchos clásicos nos ofrecieron, profundizando sobre su psique y hablando abiertamente de situaciones mentales de los que hace décadas nadie nos preocupábamos.

Era de esperar que la novela acelerara el ritmo notablemente en el último tercio, sobre todo a raíz de la aparición de ciertos misterios en su parte intermedia. Desde el principio debemos saber que Daughter of Redwinter es el inicio de una serie de fantasía de la que McDonald recientemente comentaba en sus redes sociales que acababa de terminar el primer borrador de la segunda entrega. Sin embargo, este primer volumen cierra una historia propia dejando los suficientes flecos sueltos para que quienes hemos disfrutado de ella nos comamos las uñas durante una temporada hasta la llegada de su segunda parte.

Uno de estos alicientes para el siguiente libro será explorar el mundo donde suceden los eventos de la novela. Al contrario de lo que es habitual, McDonald no describe demasiado el mundo, política o eventos históricos del mundo fuera de Redwinter. Algo que puede decepcionar a quien busca profundidad en ese sentido y se pueda quedar con una sensación de libro introductorio.

Personalmente no me subí al carro de su anterior trilogía La Marca del Cuervo. En este caso, sí he conectado con Raine mucho más de lo que lo hice con Ryhalt Galharrow, el protagonista de aquella. Por ello, y porque es una novela muy entretenida a pesar de una arriesgada parte central que puede dejar algún lector por el camino, Daughter of Redwinter me parece un libro de fantasía clásica recomendable que no cae en ciertas tentaciones, cuenta con un sistema mágico original y una personalidad propia que la hace especial dentro del género.

I enjoyed this book even if some more action in the middle part would have helped.
I liked the strong female character, the world building, and the storytelling.
It starts and end with a bang, it drags a bit in the middle.
I liked the style of writing and can't wait to read the next novel.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine