Release Date: April 10, 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: YA Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling
Source: ARC provided by the publisher/publicist in exchange for an honest review
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Fans of Kendare Blake and Marissa Meyer will rejoice as Lexa Hillyer returns to a lush fantasy world in deep peril, concluding the dark and stunning fairy tale reinvention that began with Spindle Fire.
Aurora, torn from the dream world and Heath, plots to assassinate the faerie queen Malfleur, only to confront temptations she never expected. Isabelle, meanwhile, opens her heart to Prince William as they attempt to unite their kingdoms and wage a winning war against Malfleur’s army of Vultures.
But when the appearance of an unbreakable glass slipper prompts Isabelle to discover more about her lineage, her true identity begins to take shape and her legacy becomes as clear as ice. Devoted half sisters Isabelle and Aurora will grapple with their understanding of love and loyalty as they face a threat even greater than that of the evil queen—the threat of losing each other forever.
Review:
Lexa Hillyer won me over with Spindle Fire last fall. I loved the world building and the characters, and while it started off at a slower pace, Lexa greatly built up the speed by the end, setting the stage for book #2.
Now that I've read Winter Glass, the verdict is in. I liked Spindle Fire but I LOVED Winter Glass!
Winter Glass takes this duology to a whole new level! It's fast paced as well as exciting; it contains romance and adventure; and there simply wasn't a time where I wasn't dying to know what would happen next. In fact, I became so invested in the story that I forget to eat dinner.
Just like with Spindle Fire, Winter Glass contains multiple POVs and once again Lexa does a marvelous job of bringing them together. I enjoyed seeing from so many perspectives - Aurora, Isabella, Malfleur, Wren, Gilbert, etc. Each added something special to the book, and I liked the way in which Lexa used this to build suspense and tension. So many times I thought to myself "hmm, that character is acting a little odd" and later on I'd read from that character's perspective and think "now that makes so much more sense!"
Talking about the characters, Winter Glass also brings about some fantastic character development.
Aurora and Isabella, the two leading ladies, contain to grow and proposer, individually as well as together.
When the book begins, Aurora has mixed feelings about waking up. She wants to go back to her dream world, to Wren and Heath; however, she also wants to take down Malfleur for good. In the process, she becomes more fierce, more willing to take risks, and she also begins to follow her heart, and where it takes her may surprise her as well as the reader.
Isabelle, on the other hand, is torn between two loves - the love she has for her sister and the love she has for Prince William. At first, I was slightly peeved with Isabella. I couldn't believe she was so willing to give up her chance at happiness so quickly. I wished she would talk to Aurora, tell her who she was feeling and work from there. However, deep down, I could understand why - Isabella's always felt the need to protect her sister, and even though she's changed while Aurora's been asleep, it has remained her gut reaction. I enjoyed seeing her take charge as the book progressed as well as embrace the parts of her that made her unique.
Together, Isabelle and Aurora aren't the same as they were before. There's secrets, tensions, and mixed signals, and even though they are tougher, they seemingly aren't. I enjoyed seeing their sister bond further explored, and I have to say I was quite happy with the overall result.
In regards to the plot, Winter Glass picks up where Spindle Fire left off. The quest to bring Malfleur down is still a central point, and Winter Glass manages to take this storyline in some exciting new directions. It brought about adventures and new characters, all of which I found interesting. I especially enjoyed the trip into the Ice kingdom. There's also major changes in Isabelle and Aurora's kingdom.
Lastly, I appreciated how once again Lexa Hillyer makes you question the lines between evil versus good. More about Malfleur's past is reveled, and while I don't condone what she has done, I can understand it to a point. All she wanted was love, but when she felt that love threatened, she did what she thought was best: take love away from the people whose love failed her.
Lexa Hillyer won me over with Spindle Fire last fall. I loved the world building and the characters, and while it started off at a slower pace, Lexa greatly built up the speed by the end, setting the stage for book #2.
Now that I've read Winter Glass, the verdict is in. I liked Spindle Fire but I LOVED Winter Glass!
Winter Glass takes this duology to a whole new level! It's fast paced as well as exciting; it contains romance and adventure; and there simply wasn't a time where I wasn't dying to know what would happen next. In fact, I became so invested in the story that I forget to eat dinner.
Just like with Spindle Fire, Winter Glass contains multiple POVs and once again Lexa does a marvelous job of bringing them together. I enjoyed seeing from so many perspectives - Aurora, Isabella, Malfleur, Wren, Gilbert, etc. Each added something special to the book, and I liked the way in which Lexa used this to build suspense and tension. So many times I thought to myself "hmm, that character is acting a little odd" and later on I'd read from that character's perspective and think "now that makes so much more sense!"
Talking about the characters, Winter Glass also brings about some fantastic character development.
Aurora and Isabella, the two leading ladies, contain to grow and proposer, individually as well as together.
When the book begins, Aurora has mixed feelings about waking up. She wants to go back to her dream world, to Wren and Heath; however, she also wants to take down Malfleur for good. In the process, she becomes more fierce, more willing to take risks, and she also begins to follow her heart, and where it takes her may surprise her as well as the reader.
Isabelle, on the other hand, is torn between two loves - the love she has for her sister and the love she has for Prince William. At first, I was slightly peeved with Isabella. I couldn't believe she was so willing to give up her chance at happiness so quickly. I wished she would talk to Aurora, tell her who she was feeling and work from there. However, deep down, I could understand why - Isabella's always felt the need to protect her sister, and even though she's changed while Aurora's been asleep, it has remained her gut reaction. I enjoyed seeing her take charge as the book progressed as well as embrace the parts of her that made her unique.
Together, Isabelle and Aurora aren't the same as they were before. There's secrets, tensions, and mixed signals, and even though they are tougher, they seemingly aren't. I enjoyed seeing their sister bond further explored, and I have to say I was quite happy with the overall result.
In regards to the plot, Winter Glass picks up where Spindle Fire left off. The quest to bring Malfleur down is still a central point, and Winter Glass manages to take this storyline in some exciting new directions. It brought about adventures and new characters, all of which I found interesting. I especially enjoyed the trip into the Ice kingdom. There's also major changes in Isabelle and Aurora's kingdom.
Lastly, I appreciated how once again Lexa Hillyer makes you question the lines between evil versus good. More about Malfleur's past is reveled, and while I don't condone what she has done, I can understand it to a point. All she wanted was love, but when she felt that love threatened, she did what she thought was best: take love away from the people whose love failed her.
Overall, Winter Glass is an exemplary follow-up, and I feel that readers who may have felt iffy about Spindle Fire will really enjoy this one. I'm sad to see this series come to an end, but I couldn't be happier with the conclusion.
OOh a sequel that's better than the first book! I haven't read the first yet, but I might have to add this duology to my TBR. I love discussions about evil v/s good in books!
ReplyDeleteWow, it sounds like this book is even better than its predecessor. I've not read Spindle Fire but I have an ARC of Winter Glass so I've been thinking about reading both. Perhaps I shall! This is a duology? Duology series are the best. 😀 Great review, Lauren!
ReplyDeleteHave a fantastic weekend. =)
Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE it when an author blurs the lines of good and bad. I find it an irresistible theme.
ReplyDeleteYay for the sequel improving upon the first book! I'm dying to start this duology. It looks incredible :)