Barrow of Winter

November 14, 2022
Changing focus from warrior-priestess Hessa (the heroine of Hall of Smoke and Temple of No God) to her adopted niece, Thray, Long moves this austere epic fantasy to the north of her Scandinavian-flavored world to follow Thray on a quest to learn about her immortality from her long-missing half siblings, the Winterborn. Children of the drowned god, Ogam, they each manifest different powers, including windwalking and icecarving, that only become apparent after they are ceremonially “blooded.” While Thray lacks obvious abilities, she has been trained in divining magic and is the only offspring who talks with their grandfather, the spirit of Winter itself. But even friends in cold places may not be enough to keep Thray and her homeland alive as the Winterborn plot to extend their rule south. Meanwhile, Thray’s coming-of-age has her reckoning with a deepening sense of the cost of being immortal. Long weaves an intricate world tapestry with colorful threads of myth and magic, though newcomers to the series may struggle to trace the patterns. Readers will want to stick with this stalwart heroine through her chilly treks and blood-stained battles.

December 2, 2022

Thray is an untested Winterborn, a child of Winter and a demi-god, unsure of which bloodline runs true. All her life she has been an outsider in the world, but when her half-sister arrives offering Thray answers if she would only come north, she jumps at the opportunity. What she finds in the north will test her to her core and reveal a dark secret that may bring destruction to the world that she loves. It is up to her to confront this revelation, but she'll have to have to find the strength to do so. A beautiful, impressionistic, and engrossing tale that is reminiscent of a Mercedes Lackey title. It is a coming-of-age tale full of danger and adventure, set against an icy, winter backdrop that imbues itself into each sentence. VERDICT This novel from Long (Temple of No God) is a self-contained story that can be read without reading the previous titles set in the same universe, but readers will definitely want to seek out the others. Fans of character-centric fantasy with a well-built world will find much to love about Thray, the Hall of Smoke world, and its denizens.--Laura Hiatt

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