Daughter of Winter (Fairy Queens #3)by: Amber Argyle
Publication Date: Apr. 21, 2016
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Fantasy
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: e-ARC received via the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 194 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Bargains. Only the truly desperate make them. Only the truly desperate need them. And always, the desperate pay.
The silence and never-ending dark of winter are all Elice has ever known, for she is the daughter of the Winter Queen. Isolated in a northern queendom with only the seals for company, she dreams of color and music and life. So when a whaling ship crashes just offshore, she doesn't hesitate to rescue the lone survivor, Adar, who quickly becomes her friend. She must keep him hidden from her mother at all costs, for if the Winter Queen discovers him trespassing, she'll kill him.
When her mother reveals just how dark her soul has become, Elice realizes she is as much a prisoner as Adar. To ever know true freedom—to ever become the woman she was meant to be—she must flee with him. But in their flight, she begins to see hints of something more nefarious. The darkness that has taken hold of her mother is spreading, staining the world with its influence.
Unbeknownst to Elice, a bargain was made long ago. A bargain she was born to fulfill.
The silence and never-ending dark of winter are all Elice has ever known, for she is the daughter of the Winter Queen. Isolated in a northern queendom with only the seals for company, she dreams of color and music and life. So when a whaling ship crashes just offshore, she doesn't hesitate to rescue the lone survivor, Adar, who quickly becomes her friend. She must keep him hidden from her mother at all costs, for if the Winter Queen discovers him trespassing, she'll kill him.
When her mother reveals just how dark her soul has become, Elice realizes she is as much a prisoner as Adar. To ever know true freedom—to ever become the woman she was meant to be—she must flee with him. But in their flight, she begins to see hints of something more nefarious. The darkness that has taken hold of her mother is spreading, staining the world with its influence.
Unbeknownst to Elice, a bargain was made long ago. A bargain she was born to fulfill.
I have really enjoyed the first two books in this series, so I was excited to read this one, as it centers around Ilyenna's daughter, Elice. This book really hurt my heart because of some of the things that take place, especially since I loved Ilyenna in Winter Queen. I obviously don't want to spoil anything, but Ilyenna has changed quite a bit since we last saw her. She has really transformed into the queen of winter not just literally, but figuratively as well. She is harsh and unfeeling with her daughter and has almost completely lost what humanity she had left.
Elice is such a sweet girl. She is a caretaker and a healer like her mother once was and her compassion really endeared her to me. She leads a lonely life and I wanted nothing more than for her to find a companion to keep her company. I really enjoyed Adar, even though I didn't feel I really got to know him as a character. He is hiding something huge from Elice and while I can guess what it might be, I think that prevents us from getting too close because he himself holds himself at a bit of a distance.
I did think this one developed a bit slower than some of the other books. There wasn't as much action in this one, but it was more of a build up of what's to come in the next books. I am looking forward to seeing where Argyle takes this series and how things will develop with Elice, Adar, the Summer realm, and her destiny to become more than she ever dreamed she would be.
