Title: Daughter of Winter (Fairy Queens #3)
Author: Amber Argyle
Publication Date: April 22, 2016
My Of Ice and Snow (#0.5) Review
My Winter Queen (#1) Review
My Of Fire & Ash (#1.5) Review
My Summer Queen (#2) Review
Synopsis: Bargains. Only the truly desperate make them. Only the truly desperate need them. And always, the desperate pay.
The silence and never-ending dark of winter are all Elice has ever known, for she is the daughter of the Winter Queen. Isolated in a northern queendom with only the seals for company, she dreams of color and music and life. So when a whaling ship crashes just offshore, she doesn't hesitate to rescue the lone survivor, Adar, who quickly becomes her friend. She must keep him hidden from her mother at all costs, for if the Winter Queen discovers him trespassing, she'll kill him.
When her mother reveals just how dark her soul has become, Elice realizes she is as much a prisoner as Adar. To ever know true freedom—to ever become the woman she was meant to be—she must flee with him. But in their flight, she begins to see hints of something more nefarious. The darkness that has taken hold of her mother is spreading, staining the world with its influence.
Unbeknownst to Elice, a bargain was made long ago. A bargain she was born to fulfill.
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Review: I adore Amber Argyle's books. I've never read one that I didn't love, and Daughter of Winter was no exception! Amber has this incredible way with words that makes the story, the world, and the characters all come to life and jump off the page. As soon as I started reading, I felt like I was really in the Winter Queendom and (even though it's basically never-ending winter), I didn't want to leave it!
This book focuses on Elise, the daughter of the Winter Queen (who we met in the first Fairy Queens book). Elise also has power over winter, although she's nowhere near as strong as her mother. Unlike her fairy mother, however, Elise is warmhearted and caring, and she wants to help as many creatures survive the harsh environment as she can. Although I didn't connect with Elise at first, I eventually grew to love her just as much as the other characters in this series. She's been sheltered her whole life and has a lot of growing and learning to do, but she adapts quickly and begins become the woman she was meant to be. I can't wait to find out what's in store for her next!
Although Ilyenna is not the main focus of this book, I still really enjoyed seeing her again. She's much colder (no pun intended!) then she was in the first book, but she's been through so much and I can't really blame her for retreating into winter. She still does love her daughter in her own way, but it's hard for her to show it. I actually kind of wish we had seen more of Ilyenna, because I think she's still my favorite character in the series. She's just so different from most other fantasy protagonists, and I just can't get enough of her story.
As usual, the plot and the world building are spot on. The book starts out a little slow as it establishes Elise and the Winter Queendom, but then things pick up pretty soon after we met Adar. And then, about halfway through, things take off at breakneck speed. I could hardly keep up, but I loved every second of it! I was glued to the edge of my seat and couldn't wait to see how Elice and Adar would find a way out of one dangerous situation after another. I really felt like I was in danger with them, and that I could feel the cold settling around me as I was reading.
Overall, Amber Argyle delivers with this latest installment in the Fairy Queens series. If you've read the other books in this series, you definitely want to get your hands on Daughter of Winter ASAP! If you haven't, what are you waiting for?! All three books (and both novellas) are incredible, and if you love fantasy, you are missing out on probably one of the best fantasy series out there! I cannot wait to read the final book, Winter's Heir! 4.5/5 for Daughter of Winter!
--Ashley
Thank you so much for always being so willing to support all my new books. <3
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