A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos

TW: sexism

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This polar fantasy follows Ophelia as she has been set in an arranged marriage with a man she has never met. In this world, people live on Arks that are each known for their magic type and godly “sponsor” (for lack of a better term). The man she is being forced to marry is from a different ark, and he’s a too-tall, impolite man named Thorn. She is whisked away with her aunt to begin her new life in a place she has heard almost nothing of, and she comes to find it is more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. Follow Ophelia on her journey, which may have more stakes than she ever could have anticipated.

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This book is being really hyped up right now, and for good reason. I found myself really enjoying this title. I thought the translation was well done, I found the characters so fun, and the setting was super interesting to read. I really enjoy how the mix of plot and character development was even. One did not overpower the other. They actually used one another to develop each aspect. I am not normally a huge fan of romance, but this book did it so well. I can tell that this is an incredibly slow burn, and I am so pumped for that. The main character develops over the course of the novel, but it is slow and realistic. The magic in this world is unique. I love how each clan and each family has a different kind of magoc; it adds depth to the novel. And each character uses their magic for such different reasons that it makes each character feel wholly unique. The setting was so fun. I loved the manor(?) we were in for most of the novel and how it would change based on what was happening in the story. Overall, if you are a fantasy lover, you will enjoy this book. It's fun and dark and easy enough to understand without being too predictiable. I cannot wait to continue with the series and see how the plot progresses.