Midwinter Folk

It was a very nice and interesting read.
And i really, really liked the front page, with that in mind - the pages flew by and the book felt sort of magical. Though this sadly, is not a favorite book of mine.

Despite odd pacing—never quite slow, but varying between steady and breakneck—Midwinter Folk was a very enjoyable read. I found myself caught up in the characters, thinking about them not just when they weren’t on the page, but also at times when I had to put the book down to do other things. There was a moment or two that made me wince a little and wonder how suitable this is for children, which is not a thing I usually do, but I know I absolutely would have lost myself in this story when I was young.

Midwinter Folk is an enjoyable story which took me on the adventures of the heroine, Rowan. This magical fairy tale is Rebekah Clayton’s first childrens’ book which is centred around a young girl who is destined to undertake a treacherous journey and quest to save her brother and all that she knows. Rowan struggles with keeping her family together and completing her quest with the help from her friends. The discoveries of Rowan’s new abilities and who she really is, along with the troubles of her family life, will help this story resonate with many young people.

Midwinter Folk has all the great features a child’s fantasy novel should have: villains, self-discovery, mystical people and places, trusting and knowing supporters of the main character, a deep driven reason to complete the quest. I found myself comparing this book to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The vivid descriptions enable the reader to visualise the scenery and the characters, some of which are quite graphic and gruesome. Readers who have a spot for animals or are a little squeamish may find a few of the scenes in the final part of this book unnerving. Some of the descriptions were confusing; for example, I was unsure of the age of Rowan and got a bit lost in some of the battle scenes, however, this did not take away the true enjoyment of the storyline.

I enjoyed the slow unwind of this beautifully told fantasy. Rowan is a relatable heroine and the backdrop – first of a frozen London and later of the summer lands – has an almost Narnian feel to it. This draws a lot from fairy tales in its themes. It’s a gradual story. There is plenty of action but the prose forces you to slow down and pay attention. A perfect winter read.

I was ready to love this book but unfortunately, I just can't. There are too many things about it that I can't disregard. Thankfully, there were also quite a few things I did enjoy, so I thought I'd first talk about those and then get into the issues.

Things I liked:
1. The story is engaging from the get go. And the fast pace keeps it that way. From the first page, it got my attention and spiked my curiosity. It made me want to keep reading to see what would happen to Rowan.

2. The setting is magical and Rebekah Clayton does such a lovely job with the descriptions. She paints a vivid picture of a winter landscape which is beautiful and deadly. Some of those scenes made me feel like a child reading Narnia for the first time.

Things I struggled with:
1. Is this a children's book or is this YA? I'm not entirely sure. At first glance, this is definitely a children's book. Young protagonist who's innocent and good gets thrown into a Narniaesque world of adventures. But Clayton constantly tackles some more mature issues that are honestly way too intense for a children’s book. Seriously, I’m not one to say that lightly. I don't believe children should be overprotected or shielded from anything and everything. But, I do believe they shouldn't be exposed to abuse, rape, and more, all in one book. (Those themes could be toned out a lot to reach the right audience.) This confusion meansI can't recommend it as a children's book due to some of its mature themes and I also can't recommend it as a YA book because so much of the story is set up for children.

2. While reading, I often felt like the story wasn't fleshed out enough. I kept waiting for things to get explained but some of them never were. Or were given such a thin explanation that I was left wanting more. Why is Rowan the Durae, why is the world the way it is. What is this ancient fight she's thrown into? I kept feeling hungry for more and I just didn't get it.

3. It often felt like the book jumped from one scene to the other without much of a transition, leaving me to try to figure out what was going on for a few paragraphs, sometimes rereading a page a few times until I finally got the context. That could just be a me problem but I think having smoother transitions would've not only made the reading experience better, it might have also helped flesh out the story and set up clearer connections between events.

Conclusion:
So here you go. I almost loved Midwinter Folk. Clayton sets up a compelling story and I could've honestly disregarded most of my issues with the book if I wasn't constantly confused by its intended audience.

My thanks to Troubadour Publishing Ltd/Matador for a digital edition via NetGalley of ‘Midwinter Folk’ by Rebekah Clayton in exchange for an honest review. It was published in September 2019 and my apologies for the late feedback.

The protagonist of ‘Midwinter Folk’ is Rowan. Her age isn’t given but she’s stated as being in Year Six at school, which makes her 10-11. Following her parent’s divorce Rowan is disturbed when her older brother Luke becomes ‘cold and strange’. Then Rowan starts hearing voices. Is she going mad?

With London in the grip of the coldest winter on record, Rowan and Luke are sent by their mother to York to visit their grandparents. Yet the countryside proves even stranger and then Luke goes off with a sinister group oblivious to his sister’s concerns.

Rowan learns of the dangers facing them and of her own destiny after she befriends Charli, a girl of her own age who is a member of the Wandering Folk. Charli’s Aunt is a wise woman who is able to alert Rowan as to the nature of the danger facing Luke and sends both she and Charli on a quest into the Otherworld. There they make contact with Faerie and magical creatures and again are sent on a journey.

This was a hard story to summarise though I was delighted at how artfully Rebekah Clayton embraced the folklore and mythology of Britain to weave this fantasy with its mixture of the modern and the timeless.

I know that judging a book by its cover is dangerous but I loved this one by artist Amanda Clark and after reading the novel it was clear that it had well represented the enchantment within.

I found that the descriptions were vivid and lyrical. Most of all ‘Midwinter Folk’ evoked a sense of nostalgia for those classic works of British fantasy where young people stumble into a wider reality. The winter setting and the sinister hunters especially brought to mind Susan Cooper’s ‘The Dark is Rising’ sequence. Yet there were also reminders that it is set in the modern day with references to popular culture and technology.

Still, I did have concerns. ‘Midwinter Folk’ is listed on U.K.’s school reading list site as suitable for ages 12-16. Given its dark themes and some disturbing scenes, this feels right though Rowan’s young age might well attract younger readers. In addition, that stunning cover feels more suitable for a children’s book.

Aside from the age appropriate issues, I also felt that there were aspects of the plot that weren’t explained leaving me a bit confused. The ending also felt rather rushed and a bit disconnected. I wondered if this was intentional or if a sequel is planned to further explore Rowan’s destiny.

Overall I enjoyed it.

Rowan doesn’t understand why her brother Luke has turned so “cold”towards her. They have always been best friends. Wen she goes skating with a friend on the Thames River, Rowan is followed and attacked by dogs. She doesn’t get hurt but she is scare. Her mother gets a phone call and must have
Luke and Rowan go stay with grandma. Grandma says yes but grandpa is ill. They take a train to the village. Rowan gets almost attacked by the same dogs but is saved by the conductor. When she and Luke arrive at the village no one is there to take them to grandma’s home. After a short period of time a friend of Grandma’s picks them up explains that they will stay at her place as she has more room at her home. It will make it easier for grandma to take care of grandpa. One day Rowan follows Luke to see what he is doing. Along the way Rowan gets a new friend named Charli. Charli takes Rowan to the healer in their gypsy camp. Charli and Rowan decides that they must discover where Luke wen when he disappeared after doing a spell. They do the spell and go to follow Luke. Will they find him? Will they get back to grandma’s friend?

This was a terrific action-pack, adventure-filled story. It is good vs. evil. I loved following Rowan’s journey to find her brother. The novel involves the whole family in different ways as they try to find understand what their role is after their parents divorce. It’s also about learning to trust yourself and to do the right thing.

Readers who adore the old-fashioned Fairy Tales (prior to dilution for modern consumption) will adore MIDWINTER FOLK, a beautifully detailed and lyrically imagined panorama of a slightly near-future London and Yorkshire (think ICE DIARIES), in what appears a new Ice Age; and the "other worlds," those of the Fae and the Foul Folk--so close to mundane reality that if we could only "polish the glass" we could see. So close....that they can reach through and touch us...with their icy wintry fingers...and their blazing-eyed hounds....

This is a lovely, rather old fashioned children´s fantasy, in the sense that like many classic children´s tales it is heavily inspired by fairy tales, in this case celtic folklore. There is little focus on technology and more on relations between the characters as the main character is also dealing with her parents divorce, her mum is turning every penny and her father is not much around and her brother has become alienated from the family. Although of course in this case there turns out to be an underlying sinister reason for why all of this has happened to this family. I´m sure a lot of today´s children can relate with many of the every day challenges Rowan has to deal with and at the same time enjoy the fairytale that unfolds as well. I find it a bit hard to judge the proper age group for this book, the main character is still a child and thinks and acts as one, so I would say that on the whole this would be a suitable read for 9-12 years old, but at the same time there´s hinting about darker subjects that would suggest an older reading group.


Thank you #TroubadorPublishing and #RebekahClayton for providing me with an E-ARC of #midwinterFolk via the good people at #Netgalley.

Thanks for the ARC of this book. I really enjoyed this magical book. I was able to get lost in the story for a few hours and that's how you know a book is good. I'm not sure I would label this a children's book, however. Can't wait to read more by the author.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I enjoyed this story very much and felt like I knew each character personally due to the description of them. I enjoyed the storyline. This is not my usual genre but in this instance I am extremely pleased and grateful for opening up my mind to something totally different. Thanks again.