Lovin' los libros

A book blog dedicated to young adult and new adult novels

ARC Review: Winter Queen by Amber Argyle

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Winter Queen (Fairy Queens #1)
    by: Amber Argyle

Publication Date: June 19, 2013
Publisher:Starling Publishing
Genre: Fantasy
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: e-ARC received from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 254 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 5/5 stars

Becoming a winter queen will make Ilyenna as cold and cruel and deadly as winter itself, but it might be the only way to save her people from a war they have no hope of winning.~

Mortally wounded during a raid, seventeen-year-old Ilyenna is healed by winter fairies who present her with a seductive offer: become one of them and share their power over winter. But that power comes with a price. If she accepts, she will become a force of nature, lose her humanity, and abandon her family.

Unwilling to pay such a high price, Ilyenna is enslaved by one of the invaders, Darrien. While in captivity, she learns the attack wasn’t just a simple raid but part of a larger plot to overthrow her entire nation.

With the enemy stealing over the mountains and Darrien coming to take her to his bed, Ilyenna must decide whether to resurrect the power the fairies left behind. Doing so will allow her to defeat Darrien and the other invaders, but if she embraces winter, she will lose herself to that destroying power—forever.

                              


I cannot stress enough how much I loved this book! I am so happy I came across Amber during the YA Scavenger Hunt! I was going through checking out everyone's blog and saw I could get an e-ARC from her and of course I couldn't pass it up! I also saw that it was about faeries, so ya know. :)

This was such a fast read for me. The pacing was perfect and never once did I feel like Amber rushed the plot to get from one point to another. The pages just flew by for me and I literally could not stop reading. This first book did a great job of introducing you to the different clans from which our characters belong and showing how they interact, as well as what happens when the peace among them is broken. It really just gave us a small introduction to the fairy world. Our main character, Ilyenna, is forced to make some difficult decisions and she does not go into them lightly. I suspect we will have more of a look into the fairy world in book two.

I really liked Ilyenna's character. She was strong, brave, and loyal to her clan and loved ones. Being the clan mistress, she was forced to take action and make the necessary decisions in order to prepare for the possibility of attack. Ilyenna, however, is forced into servitude because she would not sacrifice her clan. Reading about Ilyenna's enslavement was very difficult for me. My heart just broke at the way she was treated and what she would do to protect her fellow clanswomen.

At the enemy clan's village, Ilyenna discovers that is where Rone, head of a neighboring clan, is also imprisoned and forced to work. Ilyenna and Rone have known each other since they were younger, him being her brother's best friend. She has always harbored feelings for him and watching the two interact with each other is great. He is a warrior- strong, loyal, and unyielding. However, he is protective of her and keeps finding ways to see her and make sure she's ok. Ilyenna is convinced he doesn't hold any true feelings for her, that he sees her as nothing but a sister.

Watching the two of them grow closer together and realize their true feelings for each other was one of the biggest things I loved about this book. They both could be so dense when it came to figuring each other out, but it all came down to the simple fact that because they loved each other, they would do anything to ensure the other would survive.

As I said earlier, the fairies really do not play a huge part in this book. After Ilyenna is mortally injured, the winter faeries come to her aid and restore her. However, they are looking for a new Winter Queen to serve and they think Ilyenna is up for the job. With every opportunity comes a price, however. Should Ilyenna accept, she will lose her humanity and will not remember who she was and what she feels. Is love worth making the ultimate sacrifice?

This book was full of action, romance, suspense, and intrigue- I cannot wait for the second book to be released!

*I received an advanced copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.*


About the Author:
 

Amber Argyle

Amber Argyle is the author of Witch Song and its sequel, Witch Born. She grew up with three brothers on a cattle ranch in the Rocky Mountains. She spent hours riding horses, roaming the mountains, and playing in her family’s creepy barn. This environment fueled her imagination for writing high fantasy.

She has worked as a short order cook, janitor, and staff member in a mental institution. All of which has given her great insight into the human condition and has made for some unique characters.

She received her bachelor’s degree in English and Physical Education from Utah State University.

She currently resides in Utah with her husband and three small children.
Author Links:
 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amber-Argyle/165661500156934?ref=hl
http://www.amberargyle.blogspot.com

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10 comments

  1. this sounds wonderful. I have just reading all The Iron Fey books by Julie Kagawa so I'm a bit 'faeried out' but this sounds like one for the TBR.
    Thanks for the review.
    Gwynn
    http://gwynnethwhite.blogspot.com/

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    1. Ooh, I loved the Iron Fey books! They were great! I definitely understand about being fairied out. I find that I can't read too many books with the same types of elements one after the other. I need to mix it up!

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  2. This sounds awesome, right up my ally & the cover is beautiful! Great review

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  3. Oh this sounds wonderful! I love fairies and I love this cover. Great review!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Ashley! It was such a good book! I really enjoyed it!

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  4. I have this as well and I really need to get to it. The cover is stunning! I'm glad you enjoyed it so much and I can't wait to get to know Ilyenna

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    Replies
    1. I hope you like it Michelle! I'll be looking forward to reading your review!

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  5. Oh I am thrilled to see this!! Winter Queen has been on my wishlist since I first laid eyes on it & read the synopsis and it looks like it will live up to my expectations :D Yay! I love the sound of the fairies, the MC sounds amazing and the romance sounds just perfect!! Thanks for the awesome review!

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    Replies
    1. Oh, I loved the romance! It was great! And likeable characters always make a book so much more enjoyable!

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