OVERALL
3/10
WHAT’S IT ABOUT, ANYWAY
One day, Bitterblue, Queen of Monsea, finds that a nation across the sea — called Winterkeep — has been cheating her out of a valuable resource. She sets out to give them a piece of her mind.
In Winterkeep, a daring teenager student of political science is dealing with teenage problems and trying to figure out the great secret she suspects her powerful and rich parents are keeping, which also has to do with this particular resource.
This book is written in multiple POVs.
SOME INFO
Author: Kristin cashore
Genre: Fantasy
Year of Pub.: 2020
WHAT’S GOOD
Lovisa’s relationship with her parents, believe it or not, is the most interesting part of this book. She hates them, loves them, fears them all at the same time. Her struggle to balance these emotions and her detective work are what keep this story alive.
The silbercows are adorable chubby seals who rescue people at sea and do tons of other good stuff. Who doesn’t like them.
Hava really gives it to Giddon, all right. Because someone’s got to.
NOT SO GOOD
*SPOILERS AHEAD
The first off-putting thing about this Medieval-set book is that it reads like a modern romance.
Characters suddenly say things like “okay”, “nice to meet you” to each other and behave casually without any consideration to their status. What makes this less tolerable is the last books in the series are not like that.
It’s kind of draggy. The fox and the Keeper have more POVs than they need. Informations that are given in one POV are repeated in others. The story is character-driven, but none of the main characters are engaging enough to make you want to follow their narrative.
Giddon spends most of the book crying. OK, I get it, the woman you loved fell overboard, but you need a personality, buddy.
Crying once, twice, that’s all right. But every single time?
Not to mention that he cries into Bitterblue’s lap then passes out when they reunite.
If you have just finished Bitterblue and want more of Giddon and BB’s romance – be careful what you wish for.
First of all, what makes BB and Giddon interesting in Bitterblue is the subtlety in their interactions. They make you guess, pull you along, keep you invested in the little moments WHILE maintaining the Medieval-esque atmosphere. And they make you want more.
In Winterkeep? They yell at the open sea to “conquer their fear” like a Hollywood rom-com couple. One of them literally uses the word sex-touch in one of their convos. They say things like:
“We’re a team.”
“We will love our children, no matter what they’re like. They will be whoever they are.”
“Tell me something you need emotional support for right now.”
The are one step short of saying straight to the readers’ faces: See? We’re a healthy couple.
Winterdeep is a democracy governed by two primary parties. They also have airships and trains, apparently. And when we have steampunk mixed with Medieval monarchy, it’s hard to take either one seriously.
For a book that belongs to the Graceling series, we hardly see any Gracelings at all. Instead, there’s a lot of telepathic foxes and talking seals. Different Graces and how they support or play against each other are what make the previous books unique; it is what’s missing completely in this one.
BOTTOM LINE
Well, it was great getting to know Lovisa and the silbercows. Regarding Giddon and Bitterblue, I would like to remember them as they are in the last book.