this one wasn’t my favorite. i felt it was cheesy and a little redundant and made for a tough read. i wanted more of of this title and i wasn’t able to connect

I enjoyed this book! It took me a while to get into it, as I felt the first 25% or so was a little bit slow. I thought I would end up DNFing this book, but I did get into it after that!

I thought the narrator did a great job with this story, and while I probably would have enjoyed it if I had read book 1 first (I didn't know this was a sequel when I requested it), it was still a fun read.

I'm not sure if it's because I didn't read the first book, or because of the pacing but I felt that I wasn't quite fully immersed into the story, or eager to follow/ connect with Emri.

I would recommend this to fantasy fans.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I enjoyed this one! I did go back and read the first one and I'm glad I did. I'm sure you could get away with just reading this one but I feel like I would have missed out on a lot if I hadn't. The narrator was good but I do think I would have gotten into this a lot more if I had read a physical copy.

I absolutely ADORED this book! Daughter of Winter and Twilight is a brilliant addition/sequel to the Queen of Coin and Whispers world, at once continuing the story and massively expanding the world. As a fantasy fan with a fixation on deep worldbuilding, my favourite thing for an author to do is to set up a mythology or history and then slowly debunk it, and this book achieved that incredibly well. Set many years after the original book, we get to see the old protagonists as adults, get to see how the last two decades have changed them and what the long-reaching consequences of the first book were, without it derailing the new narrative. Emri herself is a brilliant protagonist, filled with empathy and all the destructive tendencies one could ever want. I sincerely hope there will be another book in the series to innovatively deal with the fallout of what occurred in this book (no spoilers, of course). Corcoran also has an incredible voice for description and atmosphere which really immerses you in the book!

The narrator is brilliant, although it was a little jarring after becoming used to the previous narrator for the first book. Nonetheless, this narrator picks up the reigns and delivers an engaging and skilled performance, especially with her character voices.

Emri is the adoptive daughter of the ruling queens. As next in line for the throne and now approaching her majority, she is endlessly caught up in feelings of inadequacy and lack of belonging even in her own home, surrounded by her loved ones. When her estranged yet perfect cousin comes to visit, Emri is reminded of her dark past pre-adoption and wonders if she will ever grow into the type of queen her people deserve.

This book includes;
- LGBT romances
- sapphic love and longing
- political intrigue
- trials for survival

"Daughter of Winter and Twilight" has a lot of great elements. I love the concept of a coming-of-age story that centers an adopted child with a difficult past, especially since it's not a character arc that is commonly explored in fantasy. I also loved that it is sort of a standalone book, despite being the second in a series. That said, I was not able to connect deeply with Emri or her motivations. I'm not sure if it was the pacing or the narration, but I wasn't able to really immerse myself into the storyline the way I like to. The storyline is certainly unique and I know that this book will have many fans, especially in queer teen fantasy lovers.

I would recommend this book to fans of "The Phoenix King" and similar fantasy novels that have a strong historical fiction atmosphere with elements of fantasy.

I received this audiobook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Helen Corcoran, and Bolinda Audio for the opportunity to read and review this novel. This review is also available on my GoodReads.

This book was everything I wanted from a Queen of Coin and Whispers sequel/companion and more. Corcoran is truly a master of political intrigue and making every aspect of this fantasy world unique. The characters were so compelling, the setting was breathtaking, the storyline did not let up for one second. I can't help but hope there will be more novels set in this world, but I will absolutely pick up any book Helen Corcoran blesses us with.
The audio for this novel was fantastic and I really enjoyed listening to it while reading along with my ebook copy.

Daughter of Winter and Twilight is a standalone sequel to Queen of Coin and Whispers, and follows a princess who must face the gods and magic she believed no longer existed. The book is set fourteen years after Queen of Coin and Whispers and includes several characters from that book, including the two protagonists. Our main character for the sequel is their adopted daughter. It’s been a couple of years since I read the last book, and though this is meant to be a standalone, I found myself straining to try and remember what had happened before and struggling to understand everything. I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the first book more recently.

The novel opens well with plenty of court intrigue, introducing us to this world and our protagonist, Emri. The first third of the book was good, and Lady Winter’s introduction was dramatic and tense. This was definitely the most impactful scene. I loved the descriptions of all the gods, their different personalities, and how even the nicer ones felt remote and magical. They were beautiful and powerful, and the author excellently portrayed how different they are from mortals.

Unfortunately, the bulk of the book was slow and not as engaging as the first third. It also wasn’t what I was expecting. Lady Winter’s trials are more psychological and emotional, and for a ‘race against time’ there is little urgency. The characters spend a lot of time wandering inside the mountain, eating and sleeping, and not really knowing what it is they are meant to do. A lot of scenes, descriptions and internal thoughts felt repetitive. If the novel had been edited down a bit, and unnecessary or repeated details trimmed a little, the pace would have been improved.

As the royals spend more time trapped in the mountain, they draw closer together and a bond grows between them. I enjoyed seeing their interactions and how their relationships changed. They go through a tough time in the mountain, and need each other’s support to get through it. An unfortunate side effect of the experience being physically and emotionally draining for the characters, is that I felt drained reading it. I found it difficult to get through because it felt emotionally taxing to read.

There is great representation in this book with lots of queer characters, and it was also nice to see Sapphic queens ruling together. One of the characters becomes ill during the book, and though she recovers, she isn’t completely cured and the experience has a lasting impact on her health. As someone who has had post-viral health issues, I felt the representation in the book was well done, and was glad the author didn’t use the magical cure trope.

The narration by Katy Sobey was great, however I found it a little breathy at the start. It almost sounded like she was gasping each time she took a breath. Either this improved or I just got used to it as I didn’t notice it anymore after a few chapters.

Daughter of Winter and Twilight starts strongly and has many elements that I enjoyed, but went in a direction that I didn’t enjoy with much slower pacing than I was expecting based on the synopsis. This one wasn’t for me, but I hope others will enjoy it more.

The language felt pretentious to listen to and the story was very dry and boring. Maybe if I had read the first book already, but at 10% in I didn't care about any of the characters or their drama. The idea of this hated cousin coming for a visit just exhausted me. I just couldn't find the energy to continue wading through the language choices for something I had no interest in.

Thank You for the review copy. When I started listening to this, I didn't know it was a sequel. But I didn't find myself stuck as a result of it. So, all those like me who haven't read the first book can still listen to it.

The story is focused on 18-year-old Emri, daughter of Lia and Xania and her tryst with adventure and proving herself. If you love fantasy, this book has all the ingredients for a good one.

It is a story of facing old hurts and overcoming obstacles with characters who will pull you into the narrative. So, definitely go for it.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. I hadn’t realised this was part of a series, but this was stunningly narrated and captivating all the same.

Wow, what a sequel! I loved the audiobook narration. The twists were twisty and the queers queered; what more could I ask for?

rep: queer

spice level: none

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review. Daughter of Winter and Twilight is a really heartfelt love story. I hadn’t read the previous book, but that didn’t matter, it was atmospheric and easy to connect to the two leads. The audiobook was also gorgeously narrated.

It's an incredible listen. I was so engrossed in this audio. They way the story is told by the narrator it brilliant.

The story is about a small group of young people being put to the test for the gods. To be released and to let magic back into the world. It's very well written and very well done. The detail and the world building.

I would recommend this audio to many people to listen to.

4.5 stars

Daughter of Winter and Twilight is the sequel to Queen of Coin and Whispers, though it can be read as a stand-alone. Emri is the adopted daughter and heir of two queens and is on the verge of coming of age. Emri has feelings for her best friend and one of her ladies, who knows a match is improbable given that for most of Emri's life, it's been assumed that she'll have arranged marriage with the prince of another realm, Prince Theo.

When Emri's estranged cousin, Melisande, comes to visit, a magical force kidnaps them. The two come face-to-face with a goddess Lady Winter, who Emri believed was a myth. The two must overcome their differences as they join two other young royals, Gabi and Theo, as they're forced on Lady Winter's quest. Time is running out, and if they can't complete Lady Winter's task, they'll die.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that the narrator, Katy Sobey did a great job. I didn't read the first book in the series, but the author recapped it well enough that I never felt lost. The beginning was a bit slow, but once Emri and Melisande were taken, the plot picked up. I really loved the characters, especially the dynamic between Emri, Melisande, Gabi, and Theo and the way they all had to learn to rely on each other. I also loved how an adopted girl is the heir to the throne and how many queer characters there are in this story! I would definitely read more books in this series.

If you're looking for a new adult fantasy with a lot of gay characters, definitely pick this one up!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an early copy. All thoughts are my own.

This is one of those rare instances where I enjoyed the sequel more than the first book! While the first book had a pretty big focus on court politics, this book was more of an epic journey. This book shifts focus from the main characters of the first book and shifts toward the life of their adopted daughter who has been sent on a quest by a vengeful goddess. This is a fantastic book and I am hoping there is a third that will expand upon this world even further! The narrator in the audiobook was fantastic and really helped bring the story to life.

Daughters of Winter and Twilight was an incredibly slow start for me. I really had a hard time sticking with the book. The first 25% of the book is just introducing the characters Emri and Melisande and establishing Emri’s history and position. Overall, most of the events that occurred in this first part could have been condensed because a lot of what happened is inner musings or scenes that aren’t particularly relevant once you finally move into the main plot.

It’s hard to pull off a story that relies heavily on flashbacks and memories of the past and for the most part it worked for this story. The stories of the past God trials was fascinating. However, the shifting back and forth from present and past tense didn’t flow well and stuttered for me mentally. I had to re-play sections more than once. It also feels bogged down a bit and is overly wordy in places where less can be more in way of less flashbacks and explanations (It’s possible that as a second book and having not read the first one it was intentional and just didn’t work for me personally).

As I have said this is a longer novel (setting aside my personal preferences) and it is compelling. The book has moments of well developed high fantasy, magic and lore of a land ruled by gods, royalty, and power. The magic system was well done and I enjoyed that aspect as it came into play.

There’s a lot to unpack with this one so if you love high fantasy, unique characters and a slow build in the plot then you will love this book. If you like fast moving plots, action, and adventure you may have a hard time getting into the story at first. If you can hang in there I believe it’s worth it. I do feel ambivalence about this book because there is so much I loved and so much that didn’t work for me. Overall if you like this author give it a try I think you will enjoy it.

This was a brilliant stand-alone sequel that I fully admit I was not expecting to love so much! It did take me a while to get into the story, however, as I said, this is a sequel (something which I wasn't aware of at first) so if you've followed the series so far then it shouldn't be a problem - but even in saying that, after I properly got into the story and figured out who was who, then it was much more enjoyable and I really liked the complex and realistic characters set in such a magical, fantasy-based world. The main character was loveable throughout the story and the first-person point of view made it a lot easier to feel what she was feeling and relate to her struggles. The side characters were just as fun to read and the plot, although initially very slow to show itself, was engaging and had me on the edge of my seat on more than one occasion. I also thoroughly enjoyed the ending which was realistic and satisfying instead of happily-ever-after which most fantasy novels tend to be, and I cannot express enough how incredibly grateful I was for the romance in this book *not* to be the main focus (or even important to) the story!

A brilliantly written novel that had me frankly in awe and wondering if our dear author has secretly known intimately the life of a princess, because the language and experiences and descriptions were so damn specific I can't imagine how such a thing is possible without personal experience.

Jokes aside, it was genuinely a brilliant novel. Smart, clever, and queer—a combination I happen to be a big fan of. (Genuinely, I love how being queer was far more common here than being straight—we love to see it.)

The beginning 50 percent or slow was rather slow and left me uncertain what my overall thoughts would end up being—it was so smart, and so hyperaware of social conventions, the teeter-totter of court politics even when the broader politics weren't being engaged in. It did a wonderful job of familiarizing us with the various characters, helping us know them, care for them, learn their intricacies. It also just felt slow to me because of this, a bit of a drag, feeling very physically static.

And then there was a turning point around the 50 percent mark, and the whole narrative truly picked up steam for me, turning a book that to me, was brilliantly written, but perhaps not for me into a book that was far more engaging.

There were moments where I still had mild qualms—e.g., how we define humiliation, and specific causes an effects that occurred in the latter half—but ultimately, the story still felt wonderful and heartfelt. It's worth noting I did not read the first book in this duology, and this worked entirely as a standalone as well.

Amazing work, and thank you to Netgalley for a copy of the audiobook (and also, that narrator was asTOUNDING).

I received an audio arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I’m having a difficult time getting into this story. It’s not capturing my attention. I am a mood reader. So there is a good chance it’s just me. Even so after several attempts I’m putting it away for now.

The audio is good. The narrator are doing a good job from what over heard.

I will not leave any reviews on any social platforms since I cannot give a full review of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, it is a sequel to Queen of Coin and Whispers. This story follows Emri, the daughter of Xania and Lia. It was an interesting story, however I wish that some of the world building was a bit more fleshed out, some parts felt a little disjointed. Overall though, I did enjoy this book, the story was great and it was a solid follow up to Queen of Coin and Whispers.