2.5 Stars

This was my first experience reading Ed McDonald, and it certainly did not give me a positive opinion on this author. The premise and tagline (along with the very pretty cover) piqued my interest, but I unfortunately found my interest waning very quickly, something that only continued the further into the story that I got. The prose is quite good, the worldbuilding quite interesting, but the characters and story are what really pulled this one down for me.

This book presents a fairly archetypical storyline where the main character ends up getting involved with the Draoihn, warrior mages of Redwinter, and finds out there is a lot more going on in the world than she understood. This is a story that I think definitely could have been interesting, and I will say the worldbuilding was very good in this novel, but the biggest issue I had was with the characters.

For in-world reasons, our main character Raine is extremely flat and feels almost like she is in a fog to the reader for the majority of this book. I understand this is an intentional choice the author made for this narrative, but I can't for the life of me understand why he made this choice. Writing characters that the reader can connect to is very important, especially in the first book of a series, and this is a major failure for me in this book.

Many of the secondary characters also feel fairly one-dimensional and stereotypical (and not for in-world reasons). We have the overweight "loser" no one likes, the handsome, dedicated young man, the girl who likes to get a little wild, so on and so forth. None of these characters have any depth and often just serve to either feel horny about the main character or be outlets for the main character's horniness.

The worldbuilding and magic system are by far the stars of the show and do set up a very interesting world. We of course have people who can see the dead as per the tagline, but also a magic system involving different "gates" that mages can access via trances to affect the world around them as well as themselves. The backstory set up on the world and how it got to be the way it is, as well as why the Draoihn exist, is handled very well. Unfortunately even an interesting world was not enough to overcome the negatives in this story for me.

So we have an interesting world, but dull characters; the climax can still be the make or break moment for a book that has given me mixed feelings, and that was certainly the case here. The further into the book I got, the more incredibly obvious and predictable many aspects of the ending became. I don't know if the very heavy handed hints were intentional, but it made all the reveals hold no real weight for me (and not even feel like "reveals" really). Moreso the ending of the book begins to feel extremely YA (and poorly written YA at that) including the use of some very YA tropes that just irritated me.

All in all this book felt like a misstep as a first book in a series for me, and instead of making me interested in future books in that series, has made me sure that I don't have any interest in continuing.

Video link included goes live 06/17/22

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for the advanced readers copy of Daughter of Redwinter!

This the is the first book I've read by Ed McDonald and honestly can't wait to read more. Daughter of Redwinter is a high fantasy book that follow Raine, a 17 year old who can see ghosts (finding out why she can see ghosts was one of my favorite parts). Her life is pretty normal for a young MC in a fantasy novel until she discovers a woman bleeding out in the forest clutching an artifact, and this is where the book kicks into high gear.

I love Raine and following her through her journey of healing, self discovery, and finding out where she fits into the world. The magic system seems very interesting and although we know what the different gates are, I wish we had seen them used more in this book. I assume we'll get more of that in the sequel as we continue following Raine on her journey. Also, I wish we had gotten to know the side characters a little more, and again assume we'll see that in the next book.

Overall, I loved this book and would highly recommend to fantasy lovers. The world building doesn't feel overwhelming and leaves you with a desire to know more. Once I started reading, I didn't want to put this book down. I look forward to more in this series.

This was my first time reading a book by this author. I’m so grateful Tor gave me the chance to read this book. I need the second book asap!! This book follows 17 year old Raine who has a gift that could get her killed. Raine is a girl that life has dealt some tough cards to and thanks to a horrible accident she is thrust into the thick of political intrigue and a world full of soldiers. She must learn how to navigate a life she doesn’t understand and wasn’t prepared for. If you like a coming of age story with a hero that has spent their life basically alone this story is for you. You will find found family in this story. Raine was so relatable to me. Even though she is 17 I can see many adults enjoying this story as well as teens. 10/10 would recommend to anyone who loves high and epic fantasy. I desperately need the rest of the series though.

Raine's life is irrevocably altered after she stumbles across a dying girl on the run.
She soon finds herself having to navigate a new environment with different rules, expectations, magic and mystery.
Raine herself can see the dead, something she has to keep secret or risk being forced to join them.

An intriguing start to a new series with a headstrong girl at its center.

I loved the lore, history, magic and adventure. Unfortunately, I didn't love the main character, Raine. Luckily, there were plenty of great side characters.
Also, I have discovered that this is supposed to be the first book in a new series, but it felt final. I need a hook to bring me back again, so I'm worried I will forget about this series.
I am relieved that all that cool world building will get an opportunity to shine, though. Not much of the history and magic was used, and I was concerned that I learned it for nothing. Phew!

Daughter of Redwinter is an amazing start to the series. It has amazing worldbuilding and interesting characters. The main character Raine is a seventeen year old girl who can see and talk to the dead. This book started really strong and has a really interesting plot. The characters were really well written. Also, it has an interesting magic system. If you like dark and action packed fantasy series you should definitely check this book. I can't wait to continue and find out what's happening next.

Thank you, Tor Books, for allowing me to read Daughter of Redwinter early!

This was another case of me being hooked more by the cover than the premise and ending up burned because of that. I'm not saying I hated it, but I certainly didn't love it.

When I first read the synopsis for this book, I was so excited. I am all about death magic, and the idea of a story where the protagonist can speak to, and control the dead? I was so ready! However, I will admit I ended up a little disappointed. While I genuinely liked Daughter of Redwinter, and its complex magic and world, there is one major aspect of the narrative that just irked me.
First and foremost, I want to clarify that this is not a book to pick up if you’re in the mood for a lot of action. Daughter of Redwinter is very politics heavy, and while there are some battles and action scenes, they are few and far between. Raine’s abilities, while cool, didn’t really show up too often, and generally it mostly consisted of her observing the ghosts as opposed to actively commanding them to do anything. In fact, the sort of passive, observational quality of the world building is what I had a problem with.
Normally when a novel is politics and subterfuge heavy, it offsets the periods of inaction by having the protagonist “discover” various forms of information through active investigation. Raine doesn’t really discover anything. She has a lot of secrets and information told to her by other characters, and then she basically runs with that until another character tells her otherwise. While the politics of the world were interesting, Raine’s absorption of all that information felt far too passive. Kind of like reading the wikipedia summary of a movie you want to see, as opposed to actually seeing it.
Whether I choose to continue with this series down the line when the subsequent novels release remains to be seen, but I would probably still recommend this book if you’re into high fantasy and political intrigue.

Seventeen year old Raine can see ghosts and speak to them, a talent she doesn’t want since it could get her killed if anyone found out. When the story opens she’s hiding out in a cult-like monastery with a lover who certainly doesn’t appreciate her. When she rescues an injured young woman from the snow, her actions bring destruction and all the inhabitants of the isolated monastery are killed by a neighbouring lord with the help of the Draoihn, powerful warrior magicians. Raine ends up with the Draoihn in Redwinter, where she is taken on as a senior servant, and begins to learn. She’s an interesting and sympathetic character. I enjoyed the book, but I do wish I could pronounce Draoihn. Though this is the first in a new series, it reads well as a standalone.

This is a very intriguing book, the beginning completely sucked me in, We get wonderful world-building, some epic battle scenes, and some uncovering of long-held secrets

We first meet Raine when she is attempting to find a way for her and the people she has been traveling with to escape, they are currently under siege or will be soon when the enemy breaches the gates. What she finds however is a woman who is gravely injured and this unleashes a whole can of worms no one could see coming.

The beginning and end of this story were really engaging, with a bit of a slump in the middle. Though that is where we get most of our world-building set in the place of Redwinter. At first, Raine feels safe here even though the man that brought her here was partially responsible for the death of a lot of people she cared about, but then things begin to change and Raine has to decide if Redwinter is actually just a gilded cage. or somewhere she can learn and become stronger in her gifts. She is safe for now, but if anyone finds out her secret she would be put to death.

But when the poo hits the fan, and demons come out to play Raine has to decide if she will risk herself to save the people she has come to care for.

I can't wait to see where the rest of the story is going to go from here!

Stellar world building, epic battles, strong female lead and magic, what more could you ask for? A great cast of characters? It is all here in Daughter of Redwinter. Although a little slow at times while relationships are being developed and Kings and evil doers are plotting, all in all a fun surprise filled plot line. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Haunting, chilling, and evocative storytelling. An exciting ride following a great cast of characters, intriguing plot twists, and the eerie world where some people can see the dead but, if found out, are likely to be publicly executed for possessing that ability. Strongly recommend this page-turner of a book.

After reading a bunch of fast-paced YA books before this one, Daughter of Redwinter was a reminder to slow down and savor the journey. The world-building was rich and interesting, infused throughout the layers of Raine's life and experiences. There was so much mystery from the beginning, with cultists, worshiping colors (?!), dangerous monsters, surprisingly scary magic, unexpected upheaval, and more. I really don't want to spoil too much of the surprise, but I really enjoyed seeing this world and its people from Raine's point of view. She is an outsider, over and over again, observing cultures and people. Witnessing their dedication, their betrayals, their rituals, their lies, and most of the time feeling very much on the outside of all of it. Yet at the same time we get a deep look at her inner life and how this affects her interactions with this entire world, and it was enthralling. The magic system was fascinating, with elements that reminded me of the necromancy in Sabriel, but with a really cool mental twist. I can't wait for the next book in this series.

3.5/5 Stars. Thank you Net Galley for this ARC. Loved the concept of this book and the cover is stunning. The dialogue and prose for this read was really lacking for me. Might come back to this series eventually but for now, It's just average.

I loved this book.
The main character, Raine, is an engaging and believable character. Whilst some of her decisions frustrated me (I'm no longer a 17 year old girl after all!) they made sense in the context of her life and her character arc was satisfying.
Without any spoilers she has some very unique talents which made this book really stand out for me.
The world building is excellent and I love the way the society has been set up, however the characters really made this for me. They have all stayed with me and I can't wait to dive into the next installment already!
There's magic, mystery, thriller and of course all the fantasy elements we all love from the genre but with a really refreshing take.
This is written in first person, which for me takes a bit longer to really get into, but please don't be put off if you're the same as me. Once I was in I really felt like I was on this journey with Raine and the first person perspective was perfect for this book.
Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for an advanced eARC of this novel.

A gripping read, worth checking by readers interested in intriguing worldbuilding, solid characterization, and clever plots. Recommended.

Daughter of Redwinter is a very plain fantasy. The world has very little in the way of fantastical elements, giving us a magic system that never truly feels fleshed out or explained. The beginning of this book starts off with some intense action that eventually dies off into a slog to get through. The characters aren't anything special, often coming across as immature and written in a YA vibe. A good 30% of this book could have been cut/shortened to jam pack the action and world building, but instead we get a chunky middle that feels repetitive and boring.

Guys, we have a contender for best book of the year right here! Having previously enjoyed Ed McDonald's Raven's Mark trilogy, in all it's weirdly disturbing goodness, I knew Daughter of Redwinter was going to be good at the very least. What I wasn't quite expecting was for this book to consume my mind for three days. It was the highlight of my evenings - knowing I could spend a few hours lost in this imaginative world before bed. And then the ending left me unable to fall asleep because my brain was just churning with imagery.

Daughter of Redwinter starts off rather bleakly, for Raine and her strange company are besieged n an abandoned fortress in the frigid north. As Raine searches for a backdoor through the catacombs, she stumbles across a wounded woman named Kazia who possesses a bespelled paper. She risks much to rescue Kazia from the Draoihn warrior chasing her and unfortunately Kazia repays that kindness by unleashing a dark spirit which kills her and nearly does in the Draoihn Ulovar LacNaithe and his nephew Ovitus during the battle. Raine helps the Draoihn and in thanks, they take her back to Redwinter with them since she can be both a witness to the events and possibly a new apprentice,  as Raine has the ability to open what they call "gates". What they must never know is that Raine can see the dead (which she later learns is the Sixth Gate) because it is an automatic death sentence.

Upon arriving at Redwinter it quickly becomes clear that this place can be intensely political,  especially between certain well-placed families. As I'm sure many of my readers have gathered over the years, I love some family rivalries, backstabbing, and nasty politics in my fantasy so this suited me quite well. Raine's loyalties are divided though, because she does realize if her secret is discovered she'll be brutally killed by the people who took her in and there is a group of people in the nearby city who share her ability to see the dead who've reached out to her. Watching Raine's growth from being this scared girl who wasn't in control of her own destiny to becoming more confident in her own skin and striving to become someone with power was fascinating. There was no instant gratification and she wasn't dealt all winning hands- the strive to achieve felt quite organic because it wasn't perfectly laid out. And lest I forget to mention one of the best parts, the slowly building friendships between Raine and the apprentices were marvelous. There wasn't a load of hatred or resentment due to status or her being a newcomer, she just found some people she genuinely liked and they became friends!

Sometimes I feel like I just babble when I come across a book that truly sweeps me away because I'm just so damn enthusiastic about everything! But this book had it all - likable characters, badass warriors, epic magic, and loads and loads of secrets and ancient history. Daughter of Redwinter will most definitely be on my list of best books of 2022 and it has well and truly earned the 5 star rating. As a matter of fact, I'm headed off to pre-order the signed edition from The Broken Binding so I can support my new favorite book shop and a favorite author!

3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and TorBooks for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review!

So, I had a mixed experience with this book. Ultimately, I enjoyed it enough that I’m going to pick up book 2 when it comes out. However, I had some genuine problems with this book, and ranted to my husband many times…

I’ll start with the things that I loved. There were many scenes that just displayed excellent writing, whether it was shifting my perceptions of characters over time, some really cool ideas related to the MC seeing the dead, or just some truly hilarious moments. When the MC was taking matters into her own hands, I quite liked her. These were enough to make this book deserve its 3.5 stars.

… Now for why it doesn’t deserve 5 stars. I do not think the beginning was well-written. I was genuinely bored off-and-on until I hit the 30% mark. I think it was a combo of two things: Not enough time spent with the MC before her world changed meant I never felt the impact her personality shift (this issue is felt throughout the book) and the MC barely takes any agency until around 30%, aside from a few major actions around the inciting incident.

My other biggest issue with this whole book was a specific magical element that effects the MC, playing a part in the book before you even know it’s there. It needed to either be improved or removed from the story entirely. I liked the idea of it, it could have been used to explore the MC’s personality, but, apart from a few moments of good usage, it was poorly explained, spottily used, and in the end, didn’t even seem like it mattered.

I could nitpick a few other things, but those were really my main issues, and I really did enjoy many things in this book. I think book 2 has a chance of being significantly better, since it’ll be lacking my biggest issues with this story.

I ended up struggling to get into this one. I thought it had a very intriguing premise and the cover is amazing. I hadn't read any of this author's work before. I think that ultimately the writing still didn't work for me and I got really bogged down by the slow pacing in the middle section of the book. Basically we start off with some really high-stakes action that I feel does a good job of revealing tantalizing bits of world-building to the reader in a natural way. I enjoyed Raine's spunky and pragmatic attitude, and the way she has to balance her higher ideals of doing the right thing against her own self-interest. She cares about the people around her, but ultimately she is going to save her own skin. At least that's what she tells herself. She generally ends up doing what is right in the end. That is, until Ulovar cauterizes her mind to block her emotions. This emotionless and traumatized Raine is difficult to read. It makes a lot of sense that she would be numb and dissociated from life after the traumatic events that she witnesses and takes part in. However, I felt like this section went on way too long and because Raine had next to no interest in the world around her, it made the section very tedious to read. Ultimately things pick back up again, but on the whole, this writing style ended up not being for me. It's a shame because I was really intrigued by Raine's "spirit-sight" and especially the unexpected way in which some "spirts" begin following her and speaking to her. I thought the atmosphere created was really effective, and it was an interesting idea for a magical system. Ultimately the world was a bit too confusing for me and I didn't feel strongly connected enough to Raine to feel invested. Also, at times this read very YA. With the protagonist and many side-characters in their teens and early twenties, I was getting a little annoyed by the decisions that were made and the way things were handled. I know that technically these are "adults" in this world, but they didn't behave like adults, in my opinion. Raine especially was hard to read, if you are looking for adult fiction, which this is marketed as. It definitely wouldn't work for adult patrons at my library. I have a hard enough time selling adult fiction and having a very YA-feeling protagonist would make it next to impossible.