I had the strangest experience with Adrian Selby's debut, SNAKEWOOD. The writing was superb, and the author has a gift for instilling his characters with their own, distinctive voices (something that is also on display in THE WINTER ROAD). But in his debut, I didn't like all the voices, which made for a bit of an uneven read...

In THE WINTER ROAD, Selby has levelled up in pretty much every way (hurrah!). The novel grabbed my attention quickly, and held it. It's set in the same world, so you may get some benefit from having read SNAKEWOOD, but I don't think it's essential. The magic system remains interesting and kinda weird.

With an excellent protagonist in Teyr Amondsen, who Selby really brings to life on the page, THE WINTER ROAD is an improvement in almost every way on the author's debut.

I'm really looking forward to reading the author's latest novel, BROTHER RED (out this week).

If you have been on pins and needles breathlessly anticipating a warm-hearted adventure filled with talking dragons, sugarplums, and fairies 🧚‍♀️, then Selby’s The Winter Road probably isn’t what you’ve been waiting for. It’s a fantasy adventure but one that would make all Cimmerians proud.

It features a battle-hardened aging mercenary battling against impossible odds. It’s grim, gritty, dark, foreboding, and filled with nasty sword fights with bloody consequences. Indeed, it’s a world where the warriors don’t only give it their all, but they ingest fighting brews made from all manner of plant and herb that make them raging beserkers. And, spores are thrown into battle. It’s not for the faint of heart. Not for the queasy among us.

The lead character, Teyr Amondson, is a fantastic creation whose spirit is undaunting and prowess unmatched. Remarkably, Teyr, who battles, rampages, and celebrates with the best of them, is a woman and that in the land where this takes place, it’s not even worth commenting on.

Teyr has a dream of building a road through the wilderness to unite the clans. But on the way the caravan takes on foes such as bandit warlords and is betrayed and backstabbed. There is a map of this world at the start of the book, but much of the geography is a bit mysterious and cloaked in mist.

There are several timelines at work here, which might at first be a little confusing, but it will all make sense. As will Teyr’s way of speaking.

Altogether, a very satisfying gritty dark fantasy read.

Blurb~

“The brutally powerful story of a daring warrior traveling a path that might bring salvation to her people...or lead her to ruin. For fans of Mark Lawrence, Andrzej Sapkowski, and Joe Abercrombie.

The Circle - a thousand miles of perilous forests and warring clans. No one has ever tamed such treacherous territory before, but ex-soldier Teyr Amondsen, veteran of a hundred battles, is determined to try.

With a merchant caravan protected by a crew of skilled mercenaries, Teyr embarks on a dangerous mission to forge a road across the untamed wilderness that was once her home. But a warlord has risen in the wilds of the Circle, uniting its clans and terrorizing its people. Teyr's battles are far from over . . .”



Review~

Wow! This dark fantasy is an intense read and definitely not for the faint of heart. It is brutally violent at times, and savage, wrought with much suffering and misery for the MC, Teyr. Selby’s writing style is evocative and the word building is phenomenal. There is such depth to this narrative, you become immersed in the story from almost the very beginning. The story is engrossing at the very least and can be attributed to the author’s skillful writing talent. This is a woeful tale, seemingly contrived to transport readers into a dark and penetrating world that sucks you in and takes you through a whirlwind of emotions. I cannot speak highly enough to the author’s ability to wrench your heart through the spell cast upon readers of this book!

Told from differing timelines ( then, now, and after), you are almost immediately dropped into a realm where violence rules and the action keeps going, propelling the story and the characters forward. The pace of this book is so captivating that you can NOT put it down. It moves fast enough to keep your interest while providing relief at just the right moments. It is in these moments that we get glimpses into the characters’ vulnerabilities and you can truly become endeared to them.

The plot and characters do drive the story forward, both being intertwined such that the characters themselves ARE the story. I don’t think this story would work without these characters. Teyr, the female protagonist, has got to be one of the strongest and most ferocious warriors I have ever read about. She is my newest favorite heroine. She is beleaguered with suffering but still has the softness of heart to be able to love just as fiercely as she fights. It makes her more believable and you just WANT her to win. The warlord,Khiese’s character is so vividly written, I actually DESPISE this guy. I became viscerally reactive to his tyrannical ways. The supporting characters are just as important to the plot as the MCs, and all are written very well too.

I don’t want to give any spoilers but let me tell you that if you like a strong female lead and a truly evil nemesis- this is definitely a book for you. I can’t say that this was an easy or enjoyable read. It wasn’t. It was gut wrenching and unrestrained. It will suck you in and take you to the brink- you will feel anger, resentment, pity, and eventually sorrow. This novel is AMAZING!

I have tried to review this in such a way that I don’t give any real clues or spoilers, but I hope this can relay how extreme this book is and how tumultuous a journey the reader takes when reading it. 10/5- can I do that?!?!? It is fantastic and a MUST read!

I was given this book by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This review, or portions thereof, with be posted (when able) to Amazon, Goodreads, B&N, IG, Pinterest, FB, Litsy, Kobo, BAM, and my own blog.
Unfortunately I am unable to provide all links at this time as I am using my phone.

I have already posted this review to Amazon, Pinterest, Goodreads, IG, and my blog. I will post to other sites shortly. I am Karylahn on Litsy. Karyl Ahn White on Goodreads.

The Winter Road is an emotionally-charged, epic journey featuring one of the strongest heroines you’ll come across. Teyr is powerful beyond measure, channeling her rage into action, often for the greater good. The writing is superb, switching between past and present, illustrating how she became the person she is and what drives her forward. Coupled with a world most fitting of epic fantasy and a terrifying enemy, The Winter Road presents a powerful story of loss and the fight to restore justice to the world.

Review will be published at: https://reviewsandrobots.com/2018/12/04/the-winter-road-book-review/

This is it ladies and gentleman. A one of a kind masterpiece we have all been waiting for.

In this story we are following a female ex veteran soldier, Teyr Amondsen, whose goal it is to build a road across the untamed wilderness, to lead a rag-tag crew of mercenaries in a merchant caravan across these dense forests. A wilderness that she used to call her home. Time has passed and unfortunately a warlord has risen and is terrorizing the lands people. It’s about war; friendship; politics; grief. THIS WILL MAKE YOU CRRYY!

Gritty, evocative, more than a little sexy, addictive, dripping with originality. Adrian Selby's layered storytelling is masterfully constructed. The Winter Road is beautiful and intense and damn refreshing! I LOVED THIS SO HARD!

The first thing I have to say about this book is that it is brutal. And I loved every minute of it. Selby has created a completely brutal world, thrown in a badass female ex-soldier, - a war crow - and mixed it all up with a fantastic dose of magic. The world is completely immersive, and at no point does he hold the reader’s hand, rather the reader is dropped in an expected to follow along - my favourite way to experience a book. Even better is how the information about the brews in this book is revealed. I call it magic, but really, what they do is use the plants found in the natural world to create elixirs that affect the drinker’s attributes. So there are brews for strength, for enhanced sight, the list goes on and on. But none of this is really spelled out, rather the reader gets to experience it, and even more it’s made clear the stakes behind using the brews - it’s hard on the body and if made improperly can be deadly.

Teyr’s voice was incredible, and it was almost as if I could hear her talking to me from the page. The way she regarded the world, her hopes and fears, were so clear through the writing - which was gorgeous - and yet it was never monologuey or anything like that. And it is rare to find a female character like Teyr - a completely badass veteran - and the most important part of the book is that she’s just allowed to exist like that. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the other characters in the book are just as well-formed, and I got so attached to all of them.

What I loved most about this book, is how it completely shattered my heart. Though it was a little slow to get into, I was somehow hooked and completely invested without even realizing it. It’s been a long time since I just sat there and cried after finishing a book, and this one did it for me. All I could think was that this is how fantasy ought to be written. I wasn’t sold on the format at first - switching back and forth between past and present tense first person got a little confusing, but once I was used to it, I completely understood why, and then when I got to the last part of the book, that’s when my heart really took a beating.

So, in terms of recommending this book - it’s not for everyone. It’s violent, gritty and dark, and the reader is thrown in with little explanation. So, for readers who tend towards grim-dark and gritty military fantasy, definitely give this one a go.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

the winter road (Adrian Selby)

Title: the winter road

Author: Adrian Selby

Publisher: Orbit Books

Publication Date: TODAY!! (hardcover/e-book)

ISBN: 978-0316465885

Source: NetGalley



Damn, what a good book!  The blurb does not do this one justice at all.  This is a grimdark fantasy that follows Teyr Amondsen, an ex-soldier.  She be awesome!  Her goal is to build a trade road that will bring the communities of the Circle together through commerce and thus allow more people to prosper.  While a lofty goal, her plans are threatened when a selfish warlord begins conscripting the Circle communities for his army to help take over the Circle.  Teyr had put her battles behind her but she blatantly refuses to give in to the warlord's plotting.  She fights back.

The highlight of this for me was Teyr's character.  I admire her tenacity, grit, fortitude, and intelligence.  Talk about suffering!  This book is one long slog for Teyr and I was both horrified at how bad her luck was and was boldly cheering on her pure stubbornness.  For all that she is a hardened fighter, her life as a merchant and relationship with her partner and his son shows her softer side.  She cares for those she works with and has her own version of integrity.  She is complicated and interesting.  Life around her is certainly never boring.

The secondary highlight was the world building.  In particular, I loved the use of plants as a major resource.  Plants are a type of currency and have many uses.  One is for battle brews that enrich a warrior's sight, strength, and other attributes based on what is in them.  Each war band has it's own secret recipes and fiercely guard them.  What was awesome is that ye have to "pay the colour" for their use.  Besides causing the user to be violently ill and face potential death, the mixes also ruin the user's skin and cause a period of complete defenselessness.  I just loved everything about the plant use in both war and in daily life.  Add in the clan of plant users with mystical abilities and it be just plan awesome.

But besides the cool plants, I also very much enjoyed the clan structures and family bonds.  I thought the world was very believable and loved that women have strong roles in many places.  I loved the dual narratives of Teyr's past and present that really did set the correct tone and allowed for the reader to experience excellent character growth.  And then once the timelines merge, the pace picks up and the tension increases.  The epistolary nature of the ending of the book was different and perfect.

Apparently this is one of three planned companion books set in Sarun.  There is another book called, snakewood, that takes place 250 years after this one.  I will have to give that one a shot.  Arrr!

Don’t just take me word for readin’ this book (though it should be enough!).  Also check out what me crew had to say about this one:

Drew @ thetattoedbookgeek – “There is a darkness to The Winter Road and the story that Selby is telling. It is a tale fermented in misery and steeped in pain with Selby putting his characters through many a hardship. There is suffering aplenty handed out for many involved and the world is savage. The journeys undertaken are fraught with peril and the Circle is a cruel mistress for those who inhabit it.  I was drawn to the darkness in The Winter Road and I absolutely loved it!"

So lastly . . .

Thank ye Orbit Books!

Goodreads has this to say about the novel:

The greatest empire of them all began with a road.

The Circle – a thousand miles of perilous forests and warring clans. No one has ever tamed such treacherous territory before, but ex-soldier Teyr Amondsen, veteran of a hundred battles, is determined to try.

With a merchant caravan protected by a crew of skilled mercenaries, Amondsen embarks on a dangerous mission to forge a road across the untamed wilderness that was once her home. But a warlord rises in the wilds of the Circle, uniting its clans and terrorising its people. Teyr’s battles may not be over yet . . .
aa
All roads lead back to war.

To visit the author’s website go to:

Adrian Selby - Author

To buy the novel go to:

the winter road - Book

To add to Goodreads go to:

Yer Ports for Plunder List

This novel has a very clunky start to it, where the reader is just as bewildered or confused as the main character. That being said the story does start to come together after the first 50 pages and becomes a very enjoyable read. Selby creates a unique language and world in the Winter Road. He keeps the reader on their toes and the main character seems to always be on the losing end all the way till the end. That being said the end of the book does drag a bit for me, but is nice closure for the reader. I would recommend this to readers who like more of a gritty Viking type story.

Do you like dark gritty fantasies starring badass female protagonists centered around infrastructure? If you do then, well, you’ll definitely want to give The Winter Road a go. So Teyr Amondsen, our protagonist, is an ex-mercernary turned wealthy businesswoman in this weird viking world that seems like a cross between North-of-the-Wall Game of Thrones and Mad Max: Fury Road, with Teyr as Furiosa (buzz cut and all). Anyway, warriors in this world fight by taking these things called “fightbrews” which are basically a shitton of drugs. Well, plants, but plants that are super druggy. Anyway, Teyr’s great ambition is to build a road and a trading route through an area called The Circle in order to bring riches to everyone along the way. Teyr sets out with a caravan of mercenaries and merchants in order to make this road, bringing her “keep” (spouse), Aude and her stepson, Mosa with her.

Only thing is, the situation in The Circle isn’t all that great. There’s this warlord called Khiese who is slowly gaining more territory with the help of his fanatical followers, called Whiteboys because they paint themselves white. Khiese is slowly forcing the clans of the Circle to take up his banner, and he doesn’t like the idea of Teyr or her road. He wants her the fuck out of the circle. Teyr, being the ambitious sort, refuses.

As you can imagine, things do not go well.

So on paper, The Winter Road sounds like something I’d love to read: dark fantasy! Badass female protagonist! Trade policies! Literal road-building! I’ve also talked a lot about my admiration for sci-fi and fantasy that follows the “deep end of the pool” philosophy of storytelling: just throw your reader right into the world and expect them to keep up. Well, The Winter Road does this, but it does not do it particularly right - there aren’t enough context clues to get you through what everything is at first and rather than swimming out of the deep end, it feels a bit more like you’re drowning. Often, while reading the book, it felt as though I’d come into the second or third book of a series that I hadn’t even read, and that I was missing something. Some fundamental backstory that I would’ve gotten if I’d read the first and second books…only The Winter Road is a standalone book.

The other major problem that I had with the book was that I just…didn’t care. About the characters, the world, the setting, the road, any of it. It’s the sort of story that expects you to catch on to everything quickly, and rather than catching on and rolling with it, my brain just checked out. More than once I fell asleep reading this book on the train. This isn’t really a fair criticism, as I am up every morning at 4 am and just sitting still for more than five minutes will cause me to fall asleep, but if a book can manage to keep me awake during my weekday afternoon commute, it’s really something.

So. The Winter Road. It was not my cup of tea. That does not mean it won’t be your cup of tea - you don’t have to take my word as gospel. You might pick up this book and find it amazing. Only one way to find out, though.

Thanks to Orbit and the author for an early finished copy of The Winter Road in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this advanced copy does not influence my thoughts or opinions on the novel, but loving Selby’s first novel, Snakewood, might have bumped it up a weensy bit.

Also, just as an FYI, my review is a tiny bit spoilery if you haven’t read Snakewood, but it won’t ruin the read for you at all.

Teyr Amondsen, ex-merc and mother, is on a mission. One no soul has ever attempted and lived to tell the tale. She is going to lead a merchant caravan across thousands of miles of dense forests and unruly clans, known as ‘The Circle’, in the hopes to unite them all and create a road. Accomplishing this is one thing, but doing so without the faith of your people, and knowing that a warlord across the wilderness, one with his own agenda, is gaining power and an army through sheer terror, Amondsen is in for more than she bargained for. She may be retired, but her prowess as a solider may be the only thing that can keep this foreign power at bay.

Much like his first novel, Snakewood, The Winter Road is a standalone set in the same world. If you read Snakewood, you’ll remember an organization called ‘The Post’. The Winter Road, being a prequel of sorts, tells the origin story of its establishment, along with the far-fetched ambitions of its founder (which is, you guessed it, Teyr).

While TWR isn’t as immersive as Snakewood was, what with dropping you into the action within minutes of starting the book and being written as an epistolary work, it is nonetheless captivating. Selby’s penchant for world-building and storytelling is astounding and I could live in his world for ages, though I’d probably be killed by White Boys or some brewed up merc looking for coin. TWR is written from a singular POV, so down a much straighter path than the author’s previous work, but Selby does throw in a wrinkle by interweaving past and present timelines. Having said that, he does so fluidly, climaxing in epic fashion.

My favorite parts of TWR have to be the characters and the “brew” system. Amondsen is truly a character that you can stand behind and one you will ride the emotional roller coaster with again and again. Her selflessness, though you can say she is selfish in her ambitions, is not only a highly sought after character trait, but becomes a flaw for our hero throughout the novel. As far as the “brew” system, Selby brings it back into the fold without giving the reader too much of a history lesson but man is it ever in play during this adventure. The brews are not only useful for healing or poisoning, but can give enhanced vision or fighting prowess, be used as traps to incapacitate foes, or to downright murder someone. Though highly original in my eyes, you can see glimpses of a similar system in Angus Watson’s ‘West of West’ trilogy, but with animals instead of plants (another series I highly recommend. See my reviews for Book 1 and Book 2).

All in all, if you read Snakewood (and enjoyed it), you’ll more than likely give The Winter Road a go. I would’ve given it a shot even if I hadn’t read Snakewood just based off of the gorgeous cover by Jaime Jones. If you enjoy High Fantasy with some grimdarkiness thrown in, I say you grab a copy.

I feel like I was missing something crucial because I didn't read the author's other book. I was confused half the time, again, probably because I didn't read the other book- which I guess is set in the same world, and probably has more worldbuilding/explaining in it.
That being said, the premise, plot and characters are quite good, I can see their merit's, but it just wasn't for me.

The Winter Road
Actual Rating 3.5 stars

The Winter Road was an amazing fantasy novel. I loved the characters and I especially loved the intense world building. I think that most readers who enjoy a unique fantasy novel will enjoy reading this book.

The thing that made this book for me was the main character Teyr Amondsen. Teyr was an amazing character. She was a strong female character that I could get behind and support. I especially loved her story. Teyr started off as a mercenary and later turned into a merchant. Her dreams to build a trade road from the city of Hilliest to the other side of the circle was a noble undertaking and I admired her tenacity. I must admit that some of her story was hard to read just because of the some of the horrible things that happened to her throughout the course of the novel.

As for the plot of the story I found it fascinating and riveting. Whenever I read a chapter about the events that happened in Teyr’s past I was begging for more (sometimes I wanted to read more about the past then the present.) The world building that took place was exquisite and so unique. The world that Selby created was vibrant and colorful. At times while reading I was in a complete state of suspended disbelief. While the world and its workings could be confusing at times Selby made sure to give us enough information that we could decipher what was going on and how it pertained to the story.

Overall I loved this book I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a face paced, intense fantasy novel featuring a strong female character with ambitions and an intense past. I would not recommend this novel to people who shy away from blood or gore.

THE WINTER ROAD is a well-written tale that at times moves at a pace seemingly defined by the icy season it’s named for. Those who stick out some of the slower sections, however, will be rewarded with bursts of tense action, moments of both tears and joy, and a meticulously thought out system of herbology that is integrated into every part of the world building, from medicine to combat. Those looking for flashy magic or high-stakes intrigue would do better to look elsewhere. But if your cup of tea is one mercenary’s fight against the elements, bandits, and the warlord who brings destruction wherever he goes, then you’ve found your next read.

THE WINTER ROAD is the second book set in a world first established in Selby’s debut work, SNAKEWOOD. Having not read SNAKEWOOD prior to this, I cannot comment on how it ties with or compares to his previous entry, but I can assure readers that this is a standalone read, with no prior knowledge required, especially as THE WINTER ROAD is set 250 years before the events of SNAKEWOOD.

In THE WINTER ROAD, we follow Teyr Amondsen, a female mercenary-turned-merchant whose greatest ambition is to build a trade road from the coast city of Hillfast to the other side of the great expanse known as the Circle, where the many high clans and families live and have their small fiefdoms. Teyr’s dream is threatened when rumors reach her of a man name Samma Khiese, whose small army lays waste to any family that refuses to swear fealty to him. Believing the warlord is someone who can be dealt with in time, Teyr sets out with a caravan to travel to the heart of the Circle to make a gift to the mysterious tribe known as the Oskoro in the hopes of securing their friendship and aid in bringing the other clans together in peace. But Khiese soon proves he is not to be trifled with, a lesson Amondsen may learn far too late.

While he does thrust you into the deep end of an unknown world, Selby does an excellent job of walking the difficult line of explaining enough things to keep you afloat without giving you so much it feel like an info dump. The story is largely told from the first person of Teyr, who talks in the cadence and idioms of her people, which helps immerse the reader fully in the world. She makes enough asides here and there to explain certain concepts to the reader, like the idea of “paying the colour,” a phrase mercenaries use to describe the physical toll their plant-based fightbrews take on the body. While some of the dialogue felt a bit stiff in the beginning, it eventually feels like a natural rhythm.

The pacing of the story itself I found a bit uneven at times. The first half of the book alternates between events one year ago, when Teyr first set out with her caravan, and “now” where we learn that her journey met with an unspecified tragic ending. While the “then” segments had me more eager to read to find out what happened, the “now” sections didn’t hold my interest as much. “Now” was Teyr’s trip back home to Hillfast and a series of unfortunate events that happened along the way. While there was world-building at work, I felt a bit like the narrative was stalling for time until the other storyline could catch up . The “then” segments, however, have an aura of impending doom, as you become increasingly certain of what is going to happen, but not when or how, which kept me much more engaged. And when Teyr does finally cross paths with Samma Khiese, he brings with him the calm cruelty of Negan from THE WALKING DEAD, the kind of man who will murder a loved one in front of you while explaining how their death is your fault. Teyr and Khiese’s initial meeting was a worthy payoff to the ominous buildup.

The second half of the book is a much more straightforward revenge tale, which unfolds at a brisker clip than the first half. While the final showdown was satisfying, it was the moments afterwards that brought tears to my eyes and made me feel the journey had been worth seeing through. I wish it had ended on this moment, as the letters that followed as an epilogue to the story, while showing you what happened to certain characters, had little to interest me. I suspect that some of this might have been creating ties to SNAKEWOOD or the third book that is to be set in this world, but didn’t feel necessary for the standalone experience.

I cannot end the review without mentioning the plant-based system that Selby has created in this world, a system that drives everything. I hesitate to call it magic as it is a largely grounded way of making potions, poultices and mixes that factor into much of daily life for these characters. Recipes for mixes are closely guarded clan secrets and sharing one is a mark of trust or an olive branch of friendship. Mercenaries in particular rely on “fightbrews” to give them a sort of berserker rage – to go against a mercenary on a fightbrew without being on one yourself is almost certain death. In particular, I appreciated Selby’s attention to the cost of using such concoctions over long periods of time, from changes in skin tone to eventual physical deterioration. Attention to these details flesh out the unique parts of this culture, which otherwise could have been another generic medieval European setting.

THE WINTER ROAD is a book that takes some patience, but I found the read worth it in the end. It is a much more grounded entry in the fantasy genre, where traveling caravans and bandit attacks are what drive the action. But Selby has a knack for creating a believable world and way of life, and the way he writes immerses you in it fully. If that kind of grounded, grimdark world appeals to you, then this is definitely a book to check out.

Thanks for the early review copy!

I recommend this book to fans of fantasy. I don't tend to pick a lot of adult fantasy but I enjoyed this well-written one. I will be picking up more from this author.