Review: ‘Winterkeep’ by Kristin Cashore
“When someone tried to press a story on you, you needed to be able to refuse. But it was also nice to know that the story would be there again for you another day.”
There are some books that welcome us like old friends; they will open their cover and wrap you in a warm and familiar embrace. For me, ‘Winterkeep’ by Kristin Cashore was very much a hug like that. Despite being separated from that particular story and world for quite an extended period (Bitterblue, the third book in the Graceling series, was released in 2012), it was as though no time had passed at all.
Something is rotten in the heart of Winterkeep...
Four years after Bitterblue left off, a new land has been discovered to the east: Torla; and the closest nation to Monsea is Winterkeep. Winterkeep is a land of miracles, a democratic republic run by people who like each other, where people speak to telepathic sea creatures, adopt telepathic foxes as pets, and fly across the sky in ships attached to balloons.
But when Bitterblue’s envoys to Winterkeep drown under suspicious circumstances, she and Giddon and her half sister, Hava, set off to discover the truth–putting both Bitterblue’s life and Giddon’s heart to the test when Bitterblue is kidnapped. Giddon believes she has drowned, leaving him and Hava to solve the mystery of what’s wrong in Winterkeep.
Lovisa Cavenda is the teenage daughter of a powerful Scholar and Industrialist (the opposing governing parties) with a fire inside her that is always hungry, always just nearly about to make something happen. She is the key to everything, but only if she can figure out what’s going on before anyone else, and only if she’s willing to transcend the person she’s been all her life.
Characters
What I found particularly interesting, aside from that fact that I could so easily slip between the pages without the need to re-read its predecessors, was how intelligently the characters had matured.
There is something very YA, or Young Adult, about ‘Graceling’ and ‘Fire’ respectively. ‘Bitterblue’, as it follows a more intense character development story could easily be argued for a crossover. (I appreciate that actually, the whole series is easily marketed across a wide range of age groups and audiences, but there was definitely a YA angle with the original trilogy).
‘Winterkeep’ is all grown up. In the best possible way. It would be doing Bitterblue a disservice to freeze her in time, to not expect some kind of physical and emotional growth to have taken place. She’s very much a woman now.
Cleverly, Cashore keeps a strong line of youthful innocence and energy through new characters. Lovisa Cavenda, and her fellow classmates, are wonderfully varied in their maturity, as you might expect in any learning environment.
I adore Giddon, and watching his heart open up like a flower was such a beautiful thing to read. I am also very fond of Nev and Hava. Just those girls that are tough on the outside, and keep themselves tough on the inside (regardless of whether they are or not).
Lovisa was an incredibly interesting character. Not only is there a lot to unpack in regards to family therapy, but I was really drawn to what felt like her questioning her own sexuality, or how she feels in terms of attraction and connection to others. I feel like there will be many readers who will be able to identify with how she communicates her feelings towards sex and desire.
“She had the unsettled feeling that Mari’s attitudes about sex were normal and hers weren’t.”
For me, the stars of the show were the silbercows. These strange sea creatures had their story written with a kind of finesse and careful consideration that, as a writer, I am insanely jealous of. The way they tie the whole narrative together, creating a voice for themes such as environmental activism, folklore and legend (and how that shapes a culture), innocence lost and found, the reliability of memory, and sentient rights. That’s pretty badass, right? Silbercow fan for life!
Setting
I loved that this book was mostly set away from the realms we have grown familiar with. By focusing in and around Winterkeep, it creates such an interesting dynamic. I thouroughly enjoy the notion that this whole area has developed its politics and ways of life completely separate from Bitterblue’s lands. It mirrored the strange feelings and thoughts I had when I visited Japan a couple years ago.
It’s the fact that the things that are so integral and non-negotiable in your own society and culture are not even contemplated in another… And they are all fine. Nothing crumbled or fell apart, the people themselves are still thriving. Just in a different lane.
“She’d never found politics difficult to follow, because every dispute was the same. People were motivated by money, power, idealism. Usually money.”
Probably my favourite part about the city was the ambles. I loved the sense of a completely jumbled up and confusing labyrinth of buildings and businesses, and the only way out is to buy something. How wonderfully maddening! Every city has its own version of this, the maze of stalls and sellers and crowds, at least.
Overall
For me, ‘Winterkeep’ is the book I didn’t know I needed. I didn’t realise just how much I had missed the ‘Graceling’ series, nor did I realise just how much there was left to explore and to be said.
It’s an absolute masterpiece. The first book, ‘Graceling’, will always hold a special place in my heart, as is the case for many favourites in a series. It’s that first introduction that will forever keep you in its grip. But my-oh-my this is a genuine gem. The story moves along at a good speed and the attention to detail is not lost on this avid reader.
The quote I chose at the beginning of this post is particularly relevant on so many levels. I love the layers of interest within the meaning. What does that mean? Well, firstly, I can’t help but think about the 8 years between the release of ‘Bitterblue’ and ‘Winterkeep’.
I often feel like there is a lot of pressure on authors to perform, and to do so at a fast lick of a pace. If something is successful, then why aren’t you making more of it now now now NOW. The ‘Graceling’ series could have easily been left at a trilogy and I wouldn’t have been mad. But the welcoming of this new addition… Something feels right about the timing.
Secondly, it has a more wider meaning. That no one should force a story upon unwilling ears. Read the room. Does it need to be said now? Can it wait? I like the idea of letting someone know they have something to say, but that it can wait until they are ready to listen.
Lastly, it means that I’m not going to force this book upon you, as much as I would love to throw at your head and scream at you to get it read… I won’t do that. When you’re ready, ‘Winterkeep’ will be waiting for you (and it won’t disappoint).
Have you read the ‘Graceling’ series? Which is your favourite?
‘Winterkeep’ is cited for publication on 21.01.21
Written by Sarah - ARC received with thanks from Gollancz via NetGalley
