Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Originally tried to read it when first received but as it had been so long since reading the original trilogy I got lost very quickly. Ended up DNFing at the time.
Finally reread the original trilogy so I could read Winterkeep.
I found the first half to be very slow. It felt too much like another world rather than just a different continent. Some of what I would have thought to be more important scenes were very bland. I wasn't surprised by anything that happened. I enjoyed spending time with Bitterblue on the journey though. I am unsure if I'll read the next book, unless it connects back to the series moreso than this one did. Not a bad book, I just expected a lot more.

I loved the original books and really did enjoy being back in the world. I perhaps would have enjoyed it more when I was younger but it was still very nice to read this continuation of the story. I still like Kristin Cashore's writing style.

I loved Graceling and Fire but Bitterblue was a bit meh so I figured Winterkeep could go either way. Unfortunately it went the way of the latter. It was a slog. I had to try to get into several times and frankly it was forgettable. It was missing something that special something that the first books had. I wasn't as invested in the characters, old and new. Returning to a world after nearly a decade is always going to be a risk and I don't think this paid off. Because I hold Graceling and Fire in such esteem, Winterkeep was that much more disappointing. There were 5 POVs instead of focusing on one and this a per peeve of mine. Giddon seemed to be the main protagonist and he was...fine. Nothing about this book excited me but it was nice to catch up with some of the characters from previous Graceling realm novels.

I loved the original trilogy so was so happy when it was announced there would be more! This book did not disappoint and it actually possibly my favourite out of them all. I love this world and these characters and Kristin's writing is so beautiful and magical.

This was an amazing story. I was gripped the entire time, I fell in love with every character and never wanted to step out of this world.

i was a big fan of graceling and its sequels, and when i heard of another one i was estatic, but when i did read this book, i realized that the story is not for me, not today. younger me would have loved this book, with no doubt.

I was in love with this book!
The Graceling trilogy was one of my all time favourites and this was an awesome addition to the world, linking in characters we’ve met before with a brand new bunch to keep it fresh!
Loved it!

How wonderful to return to the Seven Kingdoms and be reunited with my old friends!
Kristin Cashore re-ignited my love for fantasy fiction with Graceling, and every book set in this world has been a delight. Heart wrenching at times, but always worth it and with such beautiful prose. I requested this book faster than anything I've ever seen on Netgalley, and I was not disappointed.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this arc. However, it was not made clear that this is book 4 in a series and I have since realised that I dnf'd the previous books.

I did give this a go though and have decided this author is not for me - the plot and world building along with the writing style is fairly simplistic which leads to it reading like a middlegrade (along with the brightly coloured telepathic animals) but then there is a lot of sex scenes so clearly not Middlegrade, but also doesn't read as adult.

I was super excited to read Winterkeep and cannot believe that it has been nearly 10 years since the last book. How time has flown. I loved that we are finally back in the world of the Graclings as I adored Graceling when it first came out.

For me Winterkeep was a different read to the previous books in the series. A sign perhaps of how the author has changed. Instead of focusing on one particular person we focus on several and instead of focusing on a female character, a lot of the book was told from Giddon's perspective. There is also something rather whimsical and magical about this book.

We also got to meet Lovisa who lives in Winterkeep. A place perhaps more like our, just with mind-speaking foxes. I loved her journey and how she changed as a person throughout the book. We also had Bitterblue's perspective and one of the foxes, whom I wanted to hear more from.

As a returning reader, I did not feel like I had to reread the previous books or even Bitterblue. But if you are a new reader to this series start with Bitterblue. And then read the rest! There are references to Bitterblue, that while explained may be better understood if you know where you are.

As aways this was a roaring adventure. Which also managed to cover a difficult subject of parental abuse and the abuse of power,  with sensitivity and perspective. I did feel that this was a darker book than previous but still one that I will love and cherish.

I loved Winterkeep. The mythical elements added to the story and I loved being in a different part of the Graceling world. I cannot believe how long it has been since the last book and here's hoping that we do not have to wait too long for the next one!

Having read and really enjoyed the Graceling series, I was interested to see where Kristin Cashore would take us next. I am happy to say that I wasn't disappointed. This fourth installment in the Graceling realm follows Bitterblue as she travels to the nearby republic of Winterkeep to investigate the possible murder of two of her ambassadors. As always, the story is rich with political intrigue and society drama, which I always enjoy. Here particularly, the magic of some of the earlier books does not feature as heavily. Instead, we have a fabulously woven tale with a mystery at its heart. I thought the characters were wonderful and I think Kristin Cashore deals with sexuality and sex in general in a really positive way throughout. Some of my favourite characters have returned here, along with some great new ones and I love love LOVE the Blue Foxes! While I thought the pacing was slightly strange to begin within, overall, I found this to be an enthralling and captivating read and I can only hope that we get more books in this world in future.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I didn't notice this was a 4th in a series so I think I lost something even if I appreciated the story.
Good character development and world building, fast paced and entertaining.
I want to read the rest of the series.
Recommended (if you read the rest of the series)
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you, NeGalley and Orion Publishing Group for providing me the e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to say that Graceling Realm is probably one of my favourite series and the first book was the reason, why I love YA fantasy. Winterkeep was my happy return to this great world and I am truly happy for that, because the fourth book was probably the best one.

The world was absolutely perfect. Mysterious sea creatures capable of reading minds, blue foxes bonding with humans, it was amazing. I loved the story of The Keeper and those chapters was one of my favourites.
The second thing I was totally in love with, was the politics in the story., how could power manipulate with people.

Characters were just great! Every one of them had their reasons to act the way they acted. Bitterblue, as a queen who was kidnapped, was trying to save her realm, Giddon, trying to save his queen and Lovisa, who was probably my favourite character, was trying to save her younger brothers because there were so many wrong things in her life. Lovisa had to deal with the fact that her parents kidnaped Bitterblue or with the fact that she and her brothers were constantly abused by their mother. In my opinion, her character had the biggest development in this book and I just loved her.
Of course, I have to mention the Ad, the Fox. This topic was a really interesting one and the Fox and his loyalty literally made me feel something again.

I'll recommend the Graceling Realms Trilogy probably my whole life to anyone who will be willing to listen, because Kristin Cashore created the perfect world full of diversity, social problems, complex politics and strong female characters. Winterkeep could be read as a standalone, sure, but I would really recommend to start with Graceling, Fire and Bitterblue.
4,5/5

A great addition to a classic series. I really enjoyed reading this book and it has encouraged me to pick up the earlier books and do a reread!

They say don't judge a book by its cover, but this cover is so cool and luckily the book is really enjoyable too.

Winterkeep is Cashore's fourth entry into the Graceling Realm series, following the world five years on from the events of Bitterblue. In this one, Cashore expands the world and cast of characters greatly, introducing us to an entirely new and different continent to the one we are familiar with, which I think is part of why this book felt so fresh and wonderful to read. It had just enough of the old books with some familiar characters and homages, but we also got to explore Torla and particularly Winterkeep, a cold land that has a parliamentary democracy as opposed to a monarchy, telepathic foxes and that gets around primarily by airships.

We follow a number of perspectives in this instalment as opposed to previous ones that have for the most part closely followed one protagonist, hearing from familiar characters such as Giddon and Bitterblue as well as new characters including Lovisa, the "Keeper" and a telepathic fox called Adventure. Cashore expertly switches between all of the different perspectives, and the different points of view not only add a lot of brilliant worldbuilding but also allow for the book to constantly feel engaging. Whilst it was great to be back with some of our favourite older characters, I really loved the new characters, particularly Lovisa - a sixteen year old who attends Winterkeeps prestigious academy and is the eldest daughter of two of Winterkeep's most prominent politicians. Her life seems perfect on the outside, but in reality, she is trying to navigate surviving her abusive parents. Abuse and recovering from living in an abusive setting is not an unfamiliar topic to this series - in some ways each of Cashore's protagonists have dealt with abuse and the aftermath in their respective books. What's interesting about this book is that usually, we see our protagonists as they are leaving and recovering from their abusive circumstances, whereas this book takes us through Lovisa living right through it alongside her younger brothers. I cannot speak from personal experience, but Cashore handled this well as she seems to have done in her previous novels, never lingering over the abusive behaviours, but thoroughly examining these awful behaviours and the effect they have on the protagonist. I will say though that some scenes are particularly difficult to read so please do take caution if this is a topic you are sensitive to.

I loved the expansion of the world in this book and the exploration of politics. Again, Cashore handles this sensitively, with care, but clearly with a message; some political systems may seem better than others, but in the wrong hands, most can be exploited and used for personal profit and gain over the good of the people and planet. There were clearly parallels between the two party system of the Scholars and Industrialists and modern two party system in the United States. There aren't necessarily direct parallels between policies, but the close races to parliament seats, the constant bickering and backstabbing and bribery and the influence particularly of money and profit are not unfamiliar in modern politics and are very present in Winterkeep's political system also.

I wans't sure how I was going to feel about the telepathic creatures of this book such as the foxes and the silbercows as they were so different to what we have previously seen in Cashore's world, but as the book went on I adjusted and definitely grew fond in particular of the fox character called Adventure. He has his own plot and story arc that I found really interesting and compelling in the end, and particularly the fox and silbercow characters raised a lot of interesting moral questions about the environment and how creatures that can communicate, but not in the same way as humans, should be treated within this society.

This book was definitely pacier than it's previous instalment, but is still a slow burner, most similar to Fire I would say in terms of action/pacing etc, which I did really like although I do think Cashore is very talented at writing engaging and interesting narratives that are primarily internal and character focused. And ultimately this is like its predecessors in still being a character and theme driven story, which I was thankful to see as I think it's Cashore's sweet spot.

I was nervous going into this as continuations of supposedly previously finished series can fall flat, but I think Cashore did a great job of balancing this feeling fresh and exciting with interesting new characters and bringing in some nostalgia with our old favourite characters. I know she's hinted at some potential other books in this world which I would love to read, her writing and themes just continue to build on each other and improve and I look forward to seeing what she has up her sleeve next (and please, next book about Hava!! please!!).

Absolutely superb book, long awaited book in the same world as Graceling. What can I say? I want more! Absolutely loved the characters, and the world building was amazing. Bought it as soon as it came into store. And another as a gift. I'd love to know more about the world of the foxes. Absolutely fascinating.

I was unaware that this book was #4 in the series when I requested it! Once I found out that, I knew I couldn't review it but I did have a read of the first few chapters and I really loved the writing style and the whole vibe so I'm off to find the first book in the series!

Cashore has created an incredible world in her Graceling series and ups the ante with every instalment as she tackles new problems and expands on an already diverse and incredible world. I couldn't wait to spend more time with Giddon and Bitterblue and see how things had progressed in Monsea following the events in Bitterblue, and the new land and characters created a fascinating new conflict to explore. I love the translation of real world problems into this fantasy world, and Cashore proves time and time again that her voice is a force to be reckoned with.

Return to the Graceling world with this emotional, fierce and fox-tastic story.
A sublimely woven tale of treachery and heartbreak, of inner strength and self-forgiveness, of intrigue and loyalty and loss.



I almost don’t know where to begin with this review, having just finished Winterkeep as i write this i am drowning in emotions and trying to cobble together a coherent line of thought.

Winterkeep is a land of great beauty that hides great dangers.
Bitterblue travels to Lerda, Winterkeep’s capital on a mission to discover the fate of her missing, assumed drowned, envoys.
Our returning cast includes our young, brave and steadfast queen Bitterblue, Giddon, who has grown greatly from the selfish young man he was in Graceling into a considerate and conscientious confidant of the Queen of Monsea. And Hava, our spiky and sarcastic Graced spy, half sister to Bitterblue and definitely my favourite Graceling in this story.
We meet Lovisa Cavenda, a student at Winterkeep academy, a teenager with a sharp mind and a sharper tongue, who’s ambitious unforgiving parents have moulded her into a daughter who will follow in their political footsteps.
And Nev, an animal doctor in training, who’s broody exterior hides a soft heart.
Every character in this story is tied by threads of family or political affiliation to the leading government powers of Winterkeep, the Industrialists and the Scholars.
We follow Lovisa and Bitterblue as their stories meet and intertwine through a series of dramatic and nail-biting events that unfold to reveal the true powers at work behind the flashy air-ships and dinner parties in Winterkeep.



As with all books in the Graceling Realm series, the plot winds and twists and turns, rarely rushing and always taking it’s time to set up scenarios that unravel strand by strand to emotional and satisfying conclusions.
The world building is delightful, exploring a land beyond the seven nations allowed for new and dramatic natural environments as well as human-made architecture and infrastructure, from glaciers to airship-balloons.
As always the writing is simple and free of frills yet conveys oceans of depth and emotion in a few words. It is a style of writing that is completely unique to Cashore and it is one of my favourite things about her books.
The personal journeys each of our characters follow weave together beautifully, each personality clashing or supporting the others in their own unique ways.


Overall I couldn't have asked for a better story to bring me back to the world I fell in love with so many years ago with Graceling.
This is an excellent ya fantasy that addresses many current topics in ways that feel natural and balanced while leading us on a wild and sometimes dark, journey through the lives of a varied and diverse cast of characters.