Daughter of Redwinter cover art

Daughter of Redwinter

The Redwinter Chronicles, Book 1

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Daughter of Redwinter

By: Ed McDonald
Narrated by: Samara MacLaren
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About this listen

Raine is seventeen-years-old and still on the run. She can see the dead, a secret that could get her killed. Seeking refuge with a deluded cult is her latest bad decision but rescuing an injured woman in the snow is soon revealed to be a horrific mistake. Hazia endangers not just Raine, but the whole world: she's escaped from Redwinter, fortress-monastery of the Draoihn, the warrior magicians who answer to no king or queen of the land, but to their own Grand Master. They will stop at nothing to retrieve what she's stolen.

Raine must survive by her wits, and her skill with a bow in a world turned upside down. A battle, a betrayal and a horrific revelation finds her herself inside Redwinter, where anyone caught communing with ghosts is put to death. As conspirators plot to release an ancient enemy, Raine's ability to see the dead might be their only hope, but to use her power would see her condemned.

©2022 Ed McDonald (P)2022 Gollancz Action & Adventure Dark Fantasy Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Ghosts Horror Haunted Scary Fiction Royalty

Critic Reviews

"Dark, twisty and excellent." (Mark Lawrence, best-selling author of Prince of Thorns)

"Ed McDonald handles action with a deft hand and has created compelling central characters who remains likeable despite a lengthy list of flaws." (Anthony Ryan, New York Times best-selling author of The Legion of Flame)

"Original world-building and unforgettable characters make Blackwing a dark, powerful debut." (Brian Staveley, author of Skullsworn)
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From the beginning the book was action packed and felt like it had many moving parts. I was worried that it might sway too much into the direction of chaos (like what I felt was wrong with Esselmont's which I can't recall the name of, but I listened to it twice and still felt like I didn't know what just happened) but then it settled to a pace that allows you to become familiar with the characters a bit more, and of course, the pace picked up dramatically towards the end (which is great since you're fairly familiar with the characters by then).

There are still a lot of questions that remain so hopefully they'll be elucidated in the next installment. (Such as why did the feather queen tell the other people about her? Did I miss this or was it not really delved into?)

I personally don't think this book is as strong as McDonald's Raven Mark series, perhaps because the characters in that series were more fleshed out, or the more grim nature of that book, or perhaps I'm recalling with rose tinted glasses. However, it is still a 5/5 from me (I'd actually rate it 4.75 but that's not an option on audible so I'll round up).

Great introduction to a hopeful series

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