This book had such potential but in the end it was not quite up to snuff for me. Expected a little more.... excitement

Title: Winter by Winter
Author: Jordan Stratford
Release Date: 03.24.2020
Review Date: 03.24.2020

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

When the enemies of King Ragnar destroy Ladda's village, she'll do anything it takes to lead the survivors to safety—even agreeing to marry the king himself. But Ragnar and Ladda both quickly discover that there's more to her role than that of queen. As she assumes the burden of shield maiden and admiral of the Swanfleet, guiding her own ships among Ragnar’s, her calling to battle becomes clear. She's been chosen, blessed by the goddess Skathi, and her enemies will fall before her blade… Winter by Winter brings to life Hladgertha, the historical teenage Viking pirate queen from the Chronicles of Saxo, and presents a heroine whose cunning and heart resonate across the centuries.


I'm never sure how to review a book that is mostly mediocre. I can't gush about it. I don't have strong enough feelings to bash it. This one overall was just kind of boring. Nothing really happened and by the last 20 minutes left in the book I was wanting to skim and get it done. I did like some elements to it, like the Viking/Norse parts. But that's it.

Thanks to the publisher that provided me with the ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.75/5 stars.

I’ll be honest, the first thing that’d drawn me to this book was the cover: I mean, it’s incredibly beautiful, isn’t it? Then, I read the plot and discovered it was about Ragnar and Hladgertha (yep, I’m a Vikings fan), so I was completely sold! Stories about Vikings and strong women are just my cup of tea.
I think the author has a real passion for Norse mythology. We can totally see it in how he masters the subject and in some of the realistic and historical details he is able to provide.
Our main protagonist here is Ladda. I really liked her character and her stubbornness. She’s not afraid to speak her mind and she doesn’t allow men to push her around.
The writing style is something I really appreciated. It’s kind of poetic in its rhythm and structure. I think this is something refreshing and gives the novel a sublime atmosphere. The plot is very captivating and I really loved some changes that were made to the original legend.
But now, let’s come to the things I didn’t appreciate.
The “length” of this book is kind of self-defeating in my opinion. It’s way too short and I think some important things were too rushed or not mentioned at all, while others of less importance were too slow.
I also really struggled to form a true and deep emotional connection with the characters, even if I appreciated and liked some of them.
I believe this story had an interesting concept and did have a great potential, but for the reasons mentioned above, I don’t think it made the most of them.
Anyway, it still was an enjoyable and light read.

4*
Pros: Viking warriors, what more would you wish for? Immersive narrative. Fierce and complex female lead. Down-to-earth and not sugar-coated. Beautiful introduction to Norse mythology and folklore, along with their livelihoods, culture and traditions.
.
Cons: Description and scene sequences often jumbled and confusing. Lacking emotional relatability.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a nice easy read. Fluid writing and I liked the world building and how the author described Everything.

The characters? Top notch. I loved Ladda and her temper. The way Ragnar acted and the humor between them. His character was probably my favorite. Ladda was a very strong character too and I liked her a lot.

Would definitely recommend this book of you enjoy Viking stories and a quick read.

Fast paced and fun, this is a fantastic book for older YA readers who are searching for more Viking books like the juvenile How to Train Your Dragon series by Cressida Cowell and want to dive deeper into Norse legend. I really can't say enough good about Ladda as a strong female character and all around badass in general. I especially enjoyed Ladda's strong love for her family, friends, and village as she spends the whole book with one thing in mind: protecting them.

I am a bit concerned that the writing style may be a bit much for YA readers and could turn them off the story altogether since it is a difficult read. That being said the writing style is spot on for a Viking story and written like they would speak which is very impressive, although I feel if Stratford really wanted to write this way it should have been for an adult audience who may be able to appreciate it more than teens. In addition, while I had no problems with Ladda's string of romances, the last page was extremely confusing and I had to stop and ask what the heck just happened. In order to avoid spoilers, I'm going to stay vague: was it a friendly kiss? Are they now lovers? So confused!

I personally enjoyed this book, but I don't think it is a subject that has a large following in our community to make it worth purchasing for our collection unless a patron happens to request it. Maybe with a bit more hype and advertising? But I think it was very well done. It felt very much as though Ladda were telling her story directly to me from her seat in Gaulardale. Great work!

Thought this book has potential. It had a beautiful cover and a good idea, but it felt rushed and lacked detail.

⭐️⭐️ two stars
*
Thank you @netgalley and Outland Entertainment for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Release date March 24th.
*
Overall feeling: meh
*
How is it possible for a story following a badass female Viking warrior to fall so flat? There was action from page one, yet the book didn’t capture my attention. Characters were one-dimensional, writing was a bit wordy, and I was just BORED! This story is only 120 pages... but I felt like it dragged on for ages. SMH.
*
The one positive thing that came out of this story: my discovery of Hladgertha. A queen, warrior and pirate?! Yes please! 🙏🏽 I pray that there is a documentary series about her. I need it in my life.

I wanted to love this book, considering it is basically the story of Lagertha and Ragnar. Vikings for YA readers, I thought, similar to wonderful books like Sky in the Deep.

The idea was great, the characters of Ladda, Ragnar and Eindr strong and charming. Sadly, the story couldn't keep up with them.
The timeline of events wasn't too clear, often it seemed to move all too fast. There could have been a bit more of the romance or passion, as it was it was hard to understand how Ladda and Ragnar fell so quickly for another. The real spark was missing.
And the action scenes were without fire, too.

Overall, I felt like the book was technically good but real emotions, the fire I would expect from hotblooded Vikings like Ragnar or Ladda, were missing. There was no real passion felt, no sadness, no anger.
This book could have been amazing, had it just more heart.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

<I> Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this novel via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is currently set to be published at the end of March, 2020. </I>

2.5 stars

UGH. I wanted to love this. I have been looking for more viking historical fiction similar to Young's <u>Sky in the Deep</u> and Hartsuyker's <u>The Half-Drowned King</u>. I thought I had something beautiful based on the description of <u> Winter by Winter</u>, but I was disappointed.

I am sorry to the author, Stratford, because the potential for this being a great novel was there. The storyline was everything I wanted. Ladda, a strong female lead, remained true to herself and her family while having a smattering of romantic relationships with other powerful men - yes! Good. Wonderful. That being said, I could not get past the writing style. The book was missing something big, but I am still ruminating over being able to place exactly what it was. It read as if it intended to be action packed and fast-paced, yet it felt as if it was moving along at glacial speed. Ladda's relationships were scattered and seemingly came out of nowhere while simultaneously being prolonged and vanishing in the blink of an eye. Raids and battles were happening, but the drama was lackluster and there was no anticipation or excitement. It was a book of contradictions. Where was the climax? I couldn't tell you. The cover was gorgeous, but everything between it seemed more like a draft than a published book. Perhaps if it was more direct and polished I could have rated it higher, but as it stands I was not impressed.

**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.**

Title Winter by Winter

Author Jordan Stratford

Description from Amazon

When the enemies of King Ragnar destroy Ladda’s village, she’ll do anything it takes to lead the survivors to safety—even agreeing to marry the king himself. But Ragnar and Ladda both quickly discover that there’s more to her role than that of queen. As she assumes the burden of shield maiden and admiral of the Swanfleet, guiding her own ships among Ragnar’s, her calling to battle becomes clear. She’s been chosen, blessed by the goddess Skathi, and her enemies will fall before her blade… Winter by Winter brings to life Hladgertha, the historical teenage Viking pirate queen from the Chronicles of Saxo, and presents a heroine whose cunning and heart resonate across the centuries.

Release Date March 24, 2020

Initial Thoughts

I was excited to read this book. I really enjoy Viking stories and was eager to learn more about Hladgertha’s backstory.

Some Things I Liked

Ladda as the star. I love the show Vikings on A&E and Hlagertha’s character was sort of secondary for a while (in the later seasons she holds her own), but I was glad to see a young Ladda represented as a leader and warrior here.
Ragnar. I pictured him as a young version of the TV show character and the attitude and actions totally fit. I loved that this representation of Ragnar stayed true to what I envision for this character.
Feminism. I loved that this book showcased Ladda’s fight for women to be treated equal to men. In a time when women were considered property, I was really glad to see Ladda’s role as well as her fight for her gender.
Historical fantasy. I also really enjoyed the fantasy elements of the gods, visions, and other mythological creatures that were woven into this historical story. I though the balance was well done and neither history, nor fantasy outshone the other.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About

The romance. For a short book, I was a little surprised to see how all over the place Ladda was. I’m ok with a little bit of a love triangle but this was too much and I felt like it discounted her love for the guy she ended up with.

Series Value

I could easily see this developing into a series. Ladda’s story is far from over (or, that’s what Vikings taught me). But, even if her story is over historically, I enjoyed her character tremendously and would like to see more about her adventures.

Final Thoughts

I really hope this turns into a series. I’d love to see more of this world and these characters. Aside from the romance, this was a solid four star historical fantasy read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

Shielded by KayLynn Flanders – if you liked the story of a shieldmaiden in Viking times, try this July 2020 release when it comes out in a few months.
The Weight of a Soul by Elizabeth Tammi – again, if you liked the Viking inspiration mixed with fantasy elements of Norse mythology, try this book by Elizabeth Tammi.
Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young – if you liked the Viking vibes and the idea of a sister who would do anything to protect a sibling, definitely check this book out. Also, check out The Girl the Sea Gave Back which is a sequel to Sky in the Deep.

Winter by Winter is based on such an interesting concept. The idea had a lot of potential.


Unfortunately, I found the writing style a bit difficult to read. I felt like there were too many metaphors, which at times were so elaborate that I wasn't sure what was really happening. Even though it is a short book, it took me quite a while to finish reading it because Winter by Winter didn't grab my attention or jumpstart my imagination.


When it comes to the actual storyline of Winter by Winter, I was pleasantly surprised. Winter by Winter is action-packed from start to finish and Ladda's story is elaborate and really well thought out.


I also really struggled to figure out the time frame when it came to this book. To me, it felt as if a day had passed while it was actually a month. Which in turn made some of the events of the book seem really unbelievable.


I also really struggled to form an emotional connection with the characters. This is unfortunate because Ladda is a complex character with a lot of different aspects to her. I would have loved to get to know her better.


Winter by Winter isn't a bad book, but it fell a bit flat for me.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.