Tried this book but it wasn't for me - the writing style wasn't flowing for me and I couldn't follow the story properly. Adore the cover though!

A really fun book full of all kinds of fantastic fairy tale characters but acting completely different than I expected them to. I really enjoyed this winter read!

If you want a fun story that takes you on a wild ride, this might be the one for you! Sadly, although I never thought I would say this about a Christmas related story... this was not my favourite. While this had everything I usually love - Christmas, quirky and loveable characters, and a fast-paced fantastical plot - this was a bit of a let down. The plot was overly convoluted for my taste and the writing was not my favourite. But if you are looking for fast-paced hilarity, I would still recommend giving this a try.

The Kingdom of Aurora stands at the North Pole, and the royal family has ruled the land from Castle Borealis since time immemorial. They are also completely bonkers. The royal family, that is. But then Alexia and Volgha are born; and while Alexia is as nutty as all of her predecessors, Volgha is introverted, intelligent, and empathetic. Rather than pursuing the usual royal entertainments, she hangs out with the Court Wizard (a druid by the name of Osgrey) and learns witchcraft. .... Unfortunately, one of Alexia's dearest friends is Loki -- yes, that Loki -- who commands Volgha to cast a spell to split his mind in half, thereby allowing him to play a trick on himself. And that's when things begin to go terribly, terribly wrong. Now the ice is melting, the Frost Giants are coming, and the Gods have opted to stay out of the whole mess .... Leaving Volgha and Santa Klaus to save the day.

I did mention that Santa Klaus is her next-door neighbor, didn't I?

The easiest way I can describe The Winter Riddle is as follows: take your favorite epic quest fantasy, throw in Sabrina the Teenage Witch, add a touch of The Craft, a pinch of Monty Python, mix well, and hand it over to Terry Pratchett. The Winter Riddle is sly, clever, funny, and epic. The fate of the world is at stake, after all, and it's just ridiculous enough to keep you laughing without going over into complete absurdity. That is a fine line to walk, and Hooker does it very well. For example:

Among rockwort's many uses was a sort of forgetful, tingly feeling that it produced when the tea was made just right. Not the swimmy-headed, giggly feeling like with earthbloom, which tended to make every idea sound like a good one, especially when it came to writing poetry about former sweethearts and then sending it to them. Rockwort had no poetic side effects.

Or this:

Witches generally disliked the whole hexing game, but it had to be done. Vex one witch without repercussions, and the whole system of respectful fear just sort of falls apart. "A hex for a vex," as the old saying goes. Volgha didn't consider herself a fierce traditionalist, but some customs simply shouldn't be breached.

The Winter Riddle is just the sort of book that one can sit down and enjoy on a cold winter day: lots of magic, lots of flying around on a broom, a sarcastic crow familiar with a taste for anchovies, and a reluctant heroine who must make friends (horrors!) if she is to save the day. There is no sex and no swearing at all, making this the sort of book adults and teens and tweens can all read together (although please note that there are references to a Royal Tickler; yes, it makes sense in the context of the story).

Highly recommended to fans of Kevin Hearne, RL Naquin, and Terry Pratchett.

Not my favorite genre but I can see why some people can enjoy this story 😂 overall if you remove the fact it’s not in my regular genre of books, it’s good! Probably will recommend it more for the guys tho :)

Santa, a witch, giants, Odin, Thor and Loki all in one novel. You would think it would be weird but this was one of the best books. I am definitely a fan of Sam Hooker. As an author I would describe him as a cross between Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Very creative. I can’t wait to read more. This was my second or third novel I read by him and definitely will read more.

After having read and enjoyed Peril in the Old Country, also by Sam Hooker, I was excited to receive this from Netgalley for review. This is my fair and unbiased review.

It becomes clear very early in this book that it is written with much of the same wit and humor that we saw in Peril, and also filled with ridiculous characters and unlikely situations, but it is also quite the different story altogether.

Volgha is the heir to the crown of White Queen, a position that she has no interest in whatsoever. In fact, she simply wants to be left alone. Her sister on the other hand embraces the title of the White Queen, and she proves to be the source of the greatest misery for Volgha, who can hardly tolerate the queen’s silly antics. The most outlandish is revealed when the queen and her best friend, Loki (the Norse God of Mischief), create a challenge to create a riddle that Loki cannot solve. The trick is that he has to fool himself.

Yes, it is as weird as it sounds… but in a good way.

I was not prepared for how well the characters were handled in The Winter Riddle. Each character was written well, many of whom had a good deal of depth. And the cast of characters was very diverse ranging from Vikings to Frost Giants and even Santa and his elves. Volgha (the White Witch) is taken way out of her comfort zone to partner with some and stand opposed to others as she seeks to get this over with and go back into hiding.

This book takes much of the traditional concepts of the North Pole and its inhabitants and gives them a fresh makeover, or perhaps more accurately, a complete re-boot. While this story may not fit within the canon of classic Christmas literature, it certainly holds its own and is well worth a read for someone who is looking for something different.

I struggled with this book a lot. It was supposed to be satirical and humorous but the story just fell flat for me. The first half of the book is taken up with world building and meeting the major players but nothing ever really happens. We meet characters from different mythologies like Santa, Vikings, Frost Giants, and Loki and the other Asgard Gods. They don't necessarily seem to really go together well. The main character, Volgha, is a witch who mostly just wants to be left alone but is basically forced to be involved in the action of the story by the other characters against her will. She just wasn't an endearing character. There are other books where you end up liking the unlikable or morally grey character but there just wasn't really anything to like about Volgha. The were a few secondary characters that were appealing, like Redcrow, Osgrey and Miranda but they don't really enter the story until after the halfway point. I would not be likely to recommend this.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

The Winter Riddle was a perfect pick for a fun fantasy read in December. While Santa Claus is a great character in this book (and I loved his origin story and how the act of delivering presents started) this story is really about The Winter Witch, Volgha, who just wants to be left alone but keeps getting stuck in the middle of everyone’s problems.

This was a very funny read (I laughed out loud a few times) and has everything you could want from a fantasy book, witches, greedy queens, frost giants, necromancers, druids, the gods of Asgard (including Loki), a sassy familiar, and of course Santa and his elves, while not becoming overwhelming or a circus of a story. I loved Volgha’s personality and her consistent threat of hexing those who vexed her, it was great to see Krespo the elf help his friends even though he was terrified most of the book, and I couldn’t get enough of Volgha’s familiar Redcrow and his commentary on everything she did. Surprisingly, this book got a little deeper with the idea of moving on from the prejudices of past generations and the idea that friendships can come in all shapes and sizes.

This was definitely a fun winter read for fantasy lovers filled with plenty of jokes, sass, and hexing people although if you’re not a fan of the genera is may not work for you as it really leans into riffing the tropes of the genera.

Thank you Netgalley for my free review copy

My Review: I saw this book and the synopsis sounded like an interesting take on the Santa origin story. I did really enjoy the fantasy influence as well as the various myths that are pulled into the book. Unfortunately, I did struggle with this one, it is a slow and cumbersome read, which I don't always mind but during the busy holiday season, it was a bit much for my liking. I also struggled with the satire humor, I have said this before that I struggle with this in books and this one had a lot of it. I think a lot of readers who enjoy that humor influence in their books will really enjoy it.

My Rating: I did really enjoy several elements in this story, particularly Santa being a Viking-like warrior. This was just not the right book for me at the right time. I still give it a rating of Two Paws and a Stump Wag.

This was such a delightful read, I am so, so glad I picked it up! While some of the content of the book makes me think it's perhaps not really for children, The Winter Riddle has the whimsical atmosphere, witty dialogue and wonderful characters you'd wish for in a fantasy middle grade. Gosh, this was such a fun read! Witches + Vikings + a rather mad queen? A tree that used to be a druid? What's not to love??

I'm having a really hard time deciding what age group this is intended for. I got it thinking it was an adult novel, then I started reading it and going "Is this middle grade? No wait it must be adult... YA? No, that seems decidedly middle grade... But THAT is decidedly NOT middle grade content. ...Well huh." It was just that sometimes the humor was a little too on the nose, if that makes sense. I'm pretty sure this is an adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy novel with that particular quirky sense of humor that runs in the same vein as authors like Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, and Piers Anthony. If you like the brand of humors of the aforementioned authors, then this book is for you!

I love how hilarious and absurd this book is, but still manages to have a coherent plot. Holiday hijinks at their finest for sure! I especially adore the glimpses of backstory Hooker gives of Santa Claus and his elves, and Santa's dark past as a mighty warrior. It reminded me heavily of the version of Santa you see in the movie Rise of the Guardians (except I picture him younger and super hot). I am also 100% here for the teensy hints of romance between Santa and Volgha. Santa + Volgha 4eva.

Hooker's world building is also really fun, playing off Norse mythology, the mythos around Santa Claus and the North Pole, and then his magic system is just zany and fun. (Especially the reason witches get brooms to fly, which I will not ruin for you - you'll have to read the book!) I'd have loved some more explanation about why the rulers of the Kingdom of Aurora were each more mad than the last - but maybe that was in there and I was too overloaded by text to remember it. The first chapter or so is SUPER information overloaded and heavy, and is a tough slog to get through. But it's worth it because once you break through that first icy layer, the rest of the going is pure powdery winter wonderland magical dream snow. (Yes, that was a lot of adjectives, wasn't it? You're welcome.)

In summary: Adult book with a sense of humor that might appeal to those with a bit of a peculiar sense of humor (read: potty jokes), Norse mythology and vikings and Santa (oh my!), holiday hijinks, more Santa + Volgha please. Now I wait for a sequel in which we get more of Santa's mighty warrior backstory, and also him and Volgha smooching. Preferably a lot. Because while this is a fantasy novel, I am a romance girl at heart. ;)

Not at all what I expected. Wasn't really in the mood for a book like this, but it reminded me of Hitchhiker's Guide. Disappointed.

Sooo good! A bit Terry Pratchett, a little Nail Gaiman....Reminiscent of Tiffany from “Wee Free Men”. Hyjinx and adventure, with a bit of magic and mythology thrown on. Very fun! I hope this is not the last we see of these characters!

Ahhh! So freakin bummed, I wanted to love this book but the style was just not for me. I was having a very hard time understand what the heck was going on. Trust me when I say this was a me thing not the book thing. I would totally give it a try it just wasn’t working for me.

Review of THE WINTER RIDDLE
by Sam Hooker

Beautifully and delightfully snarky. I frequently had to stop and reread a line to be certain I absorbed all the humour! (smile) Mr. Hooker definitely has a flair for writing, especially of writing his special combination of dark-humourous-eccentric-poignant-grim epic fantasy. Yes, that's a whole new subgenre I just coined, to fit this novel. Although it's mostly set in the Kingdom of Aurora at the wonderful North Pole, the themes and characters are often applicable elsewhere, both contemporaneously and in history. Quite enjoyable and a read in which to delight!

A hilariously written winter tale, combining aspects of so many different things like viking mythology, witchery, Santa, and more. Best for fans who like a little absurd, at times over the top, sometimes rediculous humor similar to the Life of Brian, Discworld, or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It doesn't completely go to the nonsense spots, these two hit, but it is lingering on the same kind of quirky humor - at least from my perspective.

It was overall a really fun wintery book and I truly enjoyed most of it. I was only quite annoyed by Loki and how he behaved. This was just over the top into the wrong direction for me.

I received this book as a free eBook ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This started off kind of silly, and I wasn't sure I would like it, but in the end I enjoyed the story. Who would imagine the author would be able to pull off a story with drunken monarchs, witches, Vikings, and Santa?

To start with the first few chapters didn't get to me, but then when the story started to unfold, I couldn't stop reading it. There was to much information and character at the start so I guess that's reason it didn't make me want to read it. But I wanted to know the story as there was to much to know about it. And I kind of want to be a witch now. The story was good and it was interesting. It had Santa, Asgard gods and magic. And you would never think how can there be these elements in one story. But author made this story more interesting. So I liked the story.

Now the character, our main character is Volgha who is a witch and wants be left alone. The only thing she wants to do is practice the witching way. But then she does things she wasn't supposed to and one thing leads to other. But I loved her character, because she decided to take care of mistake she made, that character development is what I like.

I can't say much of other characters as they come later on in the story and it might spoil the story, so you should go and pick up this book and read it!!!

*I got the e-galley from the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

Note: ebook provided by the publisher for review through Netgalley. Thank you Black Spot Books!

On with the review...

Sometimes a book comes along that I desperately want to love, but I just find myself putting it down and struggling to pick it up again. The Winter Riddle is one of those books. It's not that the book isn't an amusing farce. It really is amusing and a farce as suggested, but the madcap zaniness is so scattered at times, that I still don't really know what the plot was. There was a witch and a druid who turned into a tree and Santa and an inept ruler plus Loki, frost giants, and someone called the tickler. So much that I should love and want to know more about because I love me some goofy writing and fun characters. But the plot... it meanders too much for me to even attempt to explain. There's still fun to be had in Hooker's dialogue. Just didn't hook me as much as I hoped it would.