Wintersea by Liz Highland | Book Review
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CONTENTS
Blurb
MY REVIEW
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Blurb
Rowan Andisa, a healer's apprentice, hiding her magic from the tyrant king. . .
Quinn Alexander, an utterly forgettable prince, with secrets of his own. . .
A rash decision will tie their fates.
To keep herself and her village safe, Rowan leaves her life behind and sets out through the forest for Wintersea, the mysterious, frozen kingdom across the ocean, the only place where magic-born can live free. But her journey takes an unexpected turn when she comes upon the young prince captured by the Woodsmen.
What follows is an adventure into the very heart of the realm, where Rowan is forced into the role of Royal Healer, a dream-come-true but also a nightmare. Because if the royal family discovers her magic, her death won’t be the only consequence. Her people will suffer, too.
But she finds an unlikely ally in Quinn, and soon she’ll discover that he has secrets of his own. Secrets that could exonerate the magic-born . . . but destroy everyone he loves.
In this first installment of the Wintersea Trilogy, hearts will break, loyalties will be tested, and hidden truths will be brought to light.
My Review
Wintersea is a fantasy book you won’t be able to put down! There are so many wonderful elements woven into this story: an apprentice healer thrown into court life, a love triangle with two very opposite princes, forbidden magic, a mysterious hidden past, a vast new fantasy world, and a determined protagonist who set on uncovering the truth.
Plot
A healer’s apprentice with forbidden magic and a prince who would rather be in the background are brought together by chance and drawn together by secrets and their hope for a better world.
But with Prince Quinn’s position of power and Rowan’s illegal gift of magic, they must learn to trust one another, or the consequences could destroy each other lives.
The plot is filled with adventure, journeys, castle life, and another price with his eye on Rowan.
Characters
Rowan, our mc, is trying to figure herself out. She is a skilled healer, but also has a secret; magic that could get her killed in an instant if anyone found out. I really liked Rowan, she has a kind heart and is always trying to do the right thing, despite not knowing which way she is meant to go.
Prince Quinn was my favourite character and is highly relatable; he likes books and staying out of the spotlight. Constantly living in his brother’s shadow, Quinn is finally given a chance to step out and become his own man. It’s fun to see his character growth over this book.
Prince Adrian is the perfect prince, handsome, arrogant, and next in line to the throne. He is a wonderful character! I loved his arrogance and classic princeliness. He is used to getting what he wants and doesn’t like to hear the word no.
Setting, World Building and Magic
I love the setting in Wintersea. It brings out feelings of classic fantasy with the magic and wonder of mystical forests, and the contrasting hustle and bustle of court life in an unfamiliar castle. I love everything to do with forests, healing and herbs, and these scenes are some of my favourite settings.
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Magic isn’t front and center in this book, rather, it’s kept mysterious with hints of it here and there. Since magic is forbidden in this Kingdom it creates an underlying sense of foreboding and danger that I love.
This is a fun new world that has a feeling of being much bigger than what we see in this first book. I can’t wait to read the rest of the trilogy!
Summary
I highly recommend picking this book if you love fantasy with adventure, danger, court life, and romance. This is a fun new high fantasy world to delve into!
About the Author- Liz Highland
Liz Highland writes speculative novels for adults and young adults, as well as middle grade readers. She also writes picture books under another name.
She lives in the hills of Vermont with her husband, kids, and whatever animals they’ve adopted at the time, and when she’s not writing, you can find her hiking, playing in the garden, or getting lost in the stacks at the library.
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