A strong blend of old and new. We get more advanced technology and a monarchy, and several POVs from well known (and beloved) characters. Cashore has a knack for characterization and her characters got a new life. While the book starts slowly, it's gaining momentum throughout and packs plenty of action and twists in the second half. A great book.

I was so ecstatic to receive an ARC of Winterkeep, the Graceling series is one of my all time favourite fantasy series ever. I absolutely adore Kristin’s writing. It was with great joy and anticipation I dived back into this world and let me tell you now, I was in no way at all disappointed. Fans of these books will be overjoyed to be back with amazing characters, absolutely stunning world building and writing. Can I just say fox ! No spoilers but I loved this so much, I’m a huge fan of all animals, but I love foxes and I was just this is so amazing. You could read this as a stand-alone, but you do experience a much greater world if you’ve read all the books, also why deprive yourself of classic fantasy , if you’re new to this world definitely go to the beginning and read Graceling, if like me you’re a very eager fan then have no fear, dive in , this is absolutely fantastic !

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I am so bloody excited to be back in this world. Graceling and Bitterblue are two of my favourite YA fantasy books ever, and even though Fire (the second book), wasn't my favourite, Winterkeep was still very very high on my TBR list. I was lucky enough to be sent an ARC of Winterkeep, and was asked if I wanted to be part of a blog tour... SO HERE WE ARE!

Disclaimer: 1) this book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 2) there may be slight spoilers for the previous three books in this review. 

Trigger warnings: kidnapping/containment, slut-shaming, child abuse, death, murder

Four years after Bitterblue left off, a new land has been discovered to the east: Torla; and the closest nation to Monsea is Winterkeep. Winterkeep is a land of miracles, a democratic republic run by people who like each other, where people speak to telepathic sea creatures, adopt telepathic foxes as pets, and fly across the sky in ships attached to balloons.

But when Bitterblue’s envoys to Winterkeep drown under suspicious circumstances, she and Giddon and her half sister, Hava, set off to discover the truth–putting both Bitterblue’s life and Giddon’s heart to the test when Bitterbue is kidnapped. Giddon believes she has drowned, leaving him and Hava to solve the mystery of what’s wrong in Winterkeep.

Lovisa Cavenda is the teenage daughter of a powerful Scholar and Industrialist (the opposing governing parties) with a fire inside her that is always hungry, always just nearly about to make something happen. She is the key to everything, but only if she can figure out what’s going on before anyone else, and only if she’s willing to transcend the person she’s been all her life.

The novel opens up introducing us to under the new city of Winterkeep. In the first two books, we're given a new species that always makes the readers imagination go wild. In the first book, it was obviously Gracelings, and in Fire it was the monsters. In Winterkeep, we have telepathic fishes/seals(?) - at least that what I imagine the Silbercrows being. We also have a big, weird looking sea creature who has 13 tentacles and 23 eyes, and then the telepathic, blue foxes who can bond to humans (sort of like familiars from His Dark Materials). It's all very strange, but it was the Silbercrows and the weird octopus thing that I really had time struggling to wrap my head around. It was just so... out there. But hey, I just got on with the story.

I was so glad to be back with some of my favourite characters like Bitterblue, Giddon, Skye, and Hava. They really are a precious bunch, but what surprised me the most was their ages! To be honest, it shouldn't have really been a surprise because what do you expect when years go by? For them NOT to age? I'm so stupid. But, it was mentioned that Giddon was 31 (which would make Katsa, and Po a similar age to that as well), and then Bitterblue was 22. It just made me feel very old.

Readers don't just follow our beloved, familiar characters though. We're introduced to sixteen-year-old, Lovisa Cavenda and her world in Winterkeep, where she learns about the scheming behind politics, and just how important friendships are. I didn't really know how to feel about Lovisa though. One minute, she was a nice characters to read about,  - especially when she was with her brothers -  and she did some heroic things, but then most of the time I just couldn't like her. Some of the things that she said were just... bitchy. I don't know another way to describe it. However, she did go through a huge emotional development, which I was thankful for, as it must have been so hard for her to try and forget about her home-life. She was also such a sex positive character, who was confident with it, and it was definitely a breath of fresh air to read about a YA character who is so open about it.

There's always been a lot of political intrigue in the Graceling series, but I think it just felt so much better in Winterkeep; it was a lot like our own politics: a government, instead of just a monarchy like the previous three books. A husband and wife who are in different political parties who go on a weird criminal rampage by kidnapping, stealing, and killing? I kept thinking: sign me up, this sounds amazing. But then, I got to reading about the parents. Ferla (Lovisa's mom) is pure evil. I hate everything about her. The way that she treated her children was so upsetting, and by the time I had read about a couple of things that she was done, I was ready to transport myself into the world just so I could kill her myself.

Remember those blue, telepathic foxes that I mentioned? We actually get to read a few chapters from its perspective and I'm not gonna lie, I actually enjoyed it. I loved how we got to see him scheme his way around the Cavenda home, and how he used his bond with Ferla.

Whilst we get surprise POV's like the fox, we also get surprise romances 😉 and I love every single one of them. They make me so happy, but because of spoilers, that's all I'm going to say about that topic!

If you love a novel with a lot of substance: characters who have huge emotional growth, little romance, adventures, sex positivity, and beautiful friendships, then you just have to read this series!

Overall, Winterkeep was such an enjoyable book, and a great addition to the series. I'm so glad to be back in the world. I could read about Bitterblue, Katsa, Po, Giddon, Skye, Hava... ALL OF THEM... forever. I just love them all so much. If you love a novel with a lot of substance: characters who have huge emotional growth, little romance, adventures, sex positivity, and beautiful friendships, then you just have to read this series!

Thank you so much for this ARC - I first read Graceling around ten years ago and it's one of the few YA books that I still recommend to teens whenever I can, particularly to girls, as I still think it has one of the most progressive takes on a YA love story I have ever read. For young adults, and young teens in particular, it is one of the healthiest takes on exploring sexuality and finding one's own voice.

Picking up the story with Giddon and Bitterblue, many years later, felt like reconnecting with old friends and it was a joy to discover how they'd grown, as the original Graceling readers have as well. This is still YA but it is YA for those of us who read YA that long ago and have since moved on to a wider range of fantasy books. It had enough intrigue and plot in it to stand on its own as a great book, but equally and cleverly wove in details of the characters from the older three books to jog our memories (I didn't re-read the originals before starting Winterkeep). Beautifully written and will be much recommended by myself and the Novellic editorial team to our YA and Fantasy readers.

If you’re not familiar with this series, the Graceling realm has different lands, humans and creatures. Each book has completion but they all closely link to one another. They do need to be read in order to be enjoyed in the best way.

I was not done with Bitterblue at the end of the same named book and so when Winterkeep picked up her tale again alongside Giddon and Hava, I was pretty pleased. Winterkeep itself was a land of capitalism, supposed ethics but in reality, it was a place of few scruples. I might not have liked the land but I did like the worldbuilding. The characters were colourful and I had favourites like Lovisa and Ad Fox.

Talking of foxes and this cover, foxes are pretty pivotal to this story. I had a bit of love-hate-love relationship with these creature characters but they did grow on me. I liked the idea of the silbercrows and even the keeper became likeable after a difficult start. I love the way that the author introduces new lands, creatures and experiences in each book; it’s a wonderland.

As to some of our old Graceling realm friends, they say absence makes the heart grow fonder. I don’t want to say why, but that premise is so poignant in this book. The feels I got from the characters that were apart were huge and I had stickies all over my paperback.

"As they drank, Hava asked Arni so many questions that Giddon was able to retreat into a kind of stupor. Raise cup to face, tip liquid in. Think nothing, feel nothing."

The main and side characters were epic as always. Giddon and Hava had Banter for days. Giddon held my heart in this book. The villainous characters were very three dimensional, sly and sometimes appearing otherwise. I loved to hate these guys.

Winterkeep was a page turner with a storyline to keep you guessing. It had flow and pace that really worked for me. I loved the early tragedy (sicko) and how that played out into the rest of the story.

I’m so excited for fans to read this long awaited installment and I hope they love it like I did.

Thank you to @gollancz for the early review copy.

The second I heard there might be the possibility of another instalment in the Graceling series I was sold.
Graceling and its companion books are staple pieces that I continually recommend to anyone whom will listen to me, and Fire has held a space on my favourite list for the last ten years since I first read it.

I was hoping that Winterkeep would keep the action, the magic, and the whimsy of the books that came before them and yet still give me that thrill of anction and intrigue.
And I’ll be honest it did not disappoint. Each POV took a tiny piece of my heart and did not let go.

In Winterkeep we follow five different POV’s, some familiar, one newly introduced and two non-human which I though added an additional delicious layer to the story.

With a new land having been discovered to the East, Cashore somehow, once again, ups the ante and make the sprawling universe of the Graceling Realm even more fantastical.
We follow wellknown characters such as Bitterblue, Giddon and Hava as they set out to find out what really happened to Bitterblue’s envoys.
We also meet the ever hungry, and very sneaky Louisa Cavenda who somehow finds herself the linchpin in a unraveling of her family.
This is a truly fantastical story, one which originality will be stuck in the back of my head for months to come.

There is political intrigue, diplomacy and purple telepathic manatees.
There is also sly foxes who know more then they let on, also! Incredible sex positivity that I have all but longed for in young adult fantasy, There is no hiding from it, but also no reason to hide.
Another great positive I took from this book is the casual queerness which is not once questioned. And of course a soft cinnamon roll of a man who cries continually and who holds my whole heart.

The pacing is wonderful, the writing is funny and yet elaborate and the characters are the star of the show.

This is a truly wonderful addition to a series I absolutely adore, and the only negative I can give to it is that I wish it was longer.

"Winterkeep" is the 4th book in the "Graceling Realm" series... You guessed it - I haven't read the first three books. While I really enjoyed the plot, characters, and the world this book is set in (not to mention the lovely writing style of Kristin Cashore), I did feel like there was something missing. This book can be read as a standalone, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the first 3 books in the series.

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

When I found out Kristin Cashore was releasing another book in the world of the Graceling series I was ecstatic – it was one of my favourite series as a teen, with Fire still being on my all time faves list. So, what did I think of Winterkeep? Well, I read all 500 pages in one sitting, that’s what.

Winterkeep expands the universe the series is set in, through new lands to explore and a mix of new and old characters. We are re-united with Queen Bitterblue (5 years after Bitterblue the book ended) and Giddon, and introduced to Lovisa, a teen from Winterkeep.

After two of her men go missing, Bitterblue and Giddon head to Winterkeep for the first time – a nation that has advanced technology beyond their wildest dreams. What happened to her men? What can she learn? Will she see her ex-lover Katu over there since he hasn’t been in touch?

Lovisa is a new character – she’s studying politics at Winterkeep’s school being the daughter of two prominent politicians, uniquely from opposing political parties. I enjoyed Lovisa’s character, but I won’t say too much because of spoilers.

My absolute favourite part of this book was its love of animals and the environment. There are telepathic foxes (one even gets a point of view), seal like creatures called silbercows that can communicate through images, cats, poodles and farm animals. I loved it, it was so comforting and made me happy cry in places.

So while I may have not had the same attachment to the characters as I did in Graceling and Fire before this, I loved the world-building so much. Overall, this is such a great follow up in one of my favourite series (thank you Kristin!)

Winterkeep is the fourth book in the Graceling series, and honestly one of the strongest installments, if not my favourite. We follow a nice blend of new characters and old favourites, which I think worked so well for this book balancing nostalgia with fresh new innovation.

Queen Bitterblue is travelling to the newly discovered kingdom of Winterkeep, in order to investigate the mysterious drowning of some of her ambassadors and the disappearance of a friend from Winterkeep. She is accompanied by Giddon and the dynamic between them is just ASDFHJKSDFGHSJJHJD. I AM OBSESSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't ship them that much in bitterblue, but in this book I am now a hardcore shipper, the care they have for each other and the teamwork they have is just perfect, as well as the slow realisations they both come to throughout the book. Also the way Giddon simps for Bitterblue is such a mood. Kristin Cashore is always amazing and writing romance and doesn't disappoint in this book.
I also loved getting to know more about Hava and her dynamic with Giddon especially, I really want a Hava book please!!!!!!

We also follow some new characters, the mian of which is Lovisa Cavenda who is such an interesting and well crafted character. Her family is seemingly perfect on the outside, but is actually incredibly abusive and emotionally manipulative. Throughout the novel we see the way this has affected Lovisa and watch her slowly come to terms with the fact she has been abused and how this is not her fault. Her plot line is almost a pyschological thriller type scenario with some insane twists and turns, as well as a lot of political intrigue and conspiracies. Honestly there is so much going on and it is so juicy!!!!!

Her (Lovisa) mother and father are political rivals but also work together behind the scenes. Lovisa's mother is very cold and seems very outwardly abusive, whereas her father is a much more sinister sort of parent, who Lovisa sees as the nice one but is actually not doing anything to help her, gaslighting and is probably the main villian of the book. This book really shows how the enviroment Lovisa has been raised in really impacts on her and how she feels broken, especially with regards to relationships and sex and it heartbreaking at times. I also loved how Bitterblue almost rescues Lovisa from her situation (not exactly but she helps her realise) and how full circle this was with Katsa and Bitterblue from Graceling.

We also have the POV of a telepathic fox and I loved this addition. I always love talking anial companions and this was no exception! Adventure the fox is bonded to Ferla Cavenda (Lovisa's mother) and is trying to help our main chracaters, working against Ferla whilst also keeping the secrets of Foxkind. Adventure is truly a hero and I never thought I would get so emotional over a fictional fox.

Adventure and Lovisa take some actions in the book which are pretty shocking and morally dubious and I really love how Kristen Cashore explores this and how it stems from the abuse, but also how important it is to take responsiblity. The family dynamics are incredibly complex and I think the most well executed out of any of the Graceling books, and it shows how trauma can span over many generations. Lovisa is very torn about how she feels with regards to her parents and whose side she should be on. Another heartbreaking to watch is how she feels responisble for her younger brothers and is always trying to protect them from Ferla. Also I may have had a few tears towards the end due to how proud I was of Lovisa but also how heartbreaking her situation was.

We also get some interludes with a magical sea creature called the keeper and this really added to the magic of the book, and I always love things set around the sea. I loved how this tied into the main plot at the end as well. This novel also felt quite steampunky and like technolgy was progressing in the world, and I always love it when fantasy series take this route.

In conclusion this book felt like such a necessary edition to the series (espcially since a lot of series continuations lately have felt like cash grabs) and added so much to the world and charcater arcs that felt a little incomplete in the original triolgy, I also really liked how we had a different villian, and that it felt like a complete story whilst also setting up for future books really well (please publishing gods I'm begging you for a sapphic Hava spinoff uwu).

4.5 stars

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

There seems to have been a lot of doubt about this book in terms of why is it being added to the series now or at all? No doubt this is in the wake of Suzanne Collin new Hunger Games prequel and the Twilight Companion novel, Midnight Sun. I'm struggling to understand the negativity because unless the author seriously retcons everything, why wouldn't you want more of what you love? And if it did just encapsulate a moment you would rather no one messed with, you can choose to just ignore new material. I know - concept!

Anyway, I really enjoyed Winterkeep. I loved the Graceling series in general although my least favourite was Bitterblue, which just didn't land for me when I read it. Winterkeep moves on around five or six years after Bitterblue. The queen of Monsea has adjusted well to ruling and despite her country's financial troubles, has helped people to move forward and heal after the tyrannical rule of her father. After the discovery of the Dells, explorers have also located other lands including Winterkeep.

Winterkeep thinks of itself as a more evolved land. It's governed by a president and senate of politicians instead of a royal family and feudal system. It has sophisticated infrastructure for trade, commerce, medicine and education. And it has its own myths, legends and magical creatures. However below this beau idelle, all is not well. Two of Bitterblue's emissaries die in suspicious circumstances and a piece of information shows that perhaps Winterkeep is not trading with Monsea in good faith. Bitterblue decides to lead a delegation to Winterkeep to see for herself - and that's when things go drastically wrong.

The themes of the Graceling series have always been unflinching and mature but delivered in a very accessible way. Winterkeep builds on this, looking at the pushes and pulls between family, between differing nations, between progress and innovation versus environmental concerns, between loyalty and integrity. One of the strongest themes is truth; concealed truth, edited truth, the truths you are too obtuse to see or try to protect yourself from and the truths that other people deny you. The prose is easy and engaging so you could be forgiven for not realising how many complicated strands are woven in here. This is multi layered and clever, funny and sweet and poignant. Sometimes it is our differences and our willingness to accept them that allow us to find common ground.

I especially enjoyed Giddon's character arc and the adventurous Telepathic Fox's pov. Louvisa's pov is challenging but utterly pitch perfect for someone surviving in the middle of a situation of physical and emotional abuse without really allowing herself to know that's what's going on because there's no room to process it while it's happening.

In short, Fire is still my favourite book in the series but this comes a close series. If you're interested but unsure, give it a go. It really is a beautiful addition.