This had such an interesting premise but it really fell short because of one glaring aspect.

The writing was dialogue heavy. It was interesting, but it didn't hold my attention. I really held my hopes up high for this one so I'm really disappointed that I'm giving it a low rating. Because of the writing, it was hard to rate the rest of the story. I can tell the author tried quite hard to tell their story but I feel they need to fix that first.

3.5 Stars

Winter by Winter was definitely reminiscent of Sky in the Deep, which is a huge compliment in my book, and could have been a 4-4.5 star read had it been twice as long. But for only being 120 pages, Jordan Stratford does a decent job of getting the reader invested in Ladda. I would definitely read a sequel or companion book and this made for an enjoyable one sitting read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Initially, I won't lie but the cover drew my attention because it is absolutely gorgeous. So much so, that I spent some time on Amazon debating whether I should buy the book and eventually, found it through NetGalley instead. However, this book has me torn because it's not bad, but it is incredibly short and does not do justice to the characters.

The story opens with a raid. Hladgertha, or Ladda, rises to the occasion and defends her people with her tongue and finally with combat. This attracts the attention of Ragnar, who comes to avenge his grandfather, Siward, and advises Ladda to move her people away from the coast. Ladda acting on his advice and her iron will leads her people to a nearby valley know as Gaular, where they set up a new village.

However, Ragnar is not done with Ladda. He makes a trade with her to secure the future of her village and in return, she travels with him to seek out his enemies. As the battles unfold, Ladda proves to have a battle prowess and wins victory for Ragnar on several occasions, but this, of course, brings along politics that Ladda must outmaneuver to keep her village safe.

This book is written in a style that is reminiscent of Norse myths and tales. It is, therefore, short, choppy, and slightly mystical, which means that it can come off incoherent or vague. Similar to the criticism for "The Boneless Mercies", I think it is intentional and meant to evoke a sense of Viking/ancient culture. My biggest gripe is that the story is too short. I absolutely adore Ladda, who is feisty, determined, and generally, a force to be reckoned with, but this book could have unfolded in several novellas and really developed some of the relationships, which ended up being quite brief.

This book was way too short. The story was so under developed the characters act that connection. The concept was really cool but execution failed.

Loved this book a true adventure, you could easily get lost in this book. Winter by Winter is well worth the read and I recommend it.

Thank you to the publishers for sending me an ARC through NetGalley!

I had a hard time getting into this book because of the writing style in which I found was very incoherent. I stopped reading about halfway through the book.

I love Stratford's writing style. Although it could have been a bit more elaborate, it did feel immersive, and it's fast pace made that while there was a lot of information about the old Nordic gods, culture and stories, it never got boring. I would have loved more of it though, and would certainly not have minded a bit more elaboration if that meant I got to know the characters better and got to immerse myself into this story longer. I hope there will be more to come!

There is one thing that weighed on my mind though, and it's a petty thing that doesn't have to do with the story as it is, I want to be clear about that!
I sat out in the sun, reading about Ladda dislocating her shoulder while fighting a wolf, and just fighting on, and it was never mentioned again. Only days later she was horse riding. It was about 7 weeks after I dislocated my own shoulder, and I was wincing at even the thought of getting on a horseback. Okay, things were more harsh in these times, you had to go on. But let's be honest, even then Ladda would have known better than to haul herself onto a horseback with that shoulder if it wasn't really nessecary, right?

I haven't read a Viking book like this since high school, when I had write my own short story based on what I learned and really enjoyed the process. This novella definitely brought me back to that time, but in a much more fantastical way. Our feisty heroine, Ladda, and her resilient sisters have an otherworldly connection with the gods, communicating with them in dreams and visions.

Hladgertha, or Ladda, is a young woman whose life was ripped apart in a bloody siege. She rises from the ashes to become the new jarl of her people and leads them to a safe haven where they begin to build a new life. She soon finds that being a leader isn't as simple as running her village when she becomes entrenched in the kingdom's political conflicts and wars, recruited by King Ragnar himself. She leaves her sisters and her people behind to ensure they remain safe, yet every step of the way she longs to return home.

I absolutely loved Ladda - her fierce spirit, her courage, her tenacity. She was a ruthless warrior, a caring elder sister, and a loyal friend. I felt her homesickness every step of the way and yearned for her to return to the comfort of her village. I also highlighted many of her quotes, as there were moments I laughed and others I cheered as she boldly took on a room full of men.

The worldbuilding in this book is also very strong, and it's clear the author did his research. The vocabulary, clothing, food, weapons, religion, and politics truly made Ladda's world come to life. Whether sailing the seas, surveying the village, or trekking through the forest, I was always right there at Ladda's side.

Unfortunately, this story was much too short for the amount of content packed into it. Each war against the various kings and rebels could have made up its own novella, or even an entire full-length novel. We see Ladda recover from the loss of her village and lead her people to a new life, go through three romances, and fight in multiple wars all in the span of 120 pages. Because of this, the book seemed like an early draft of a larger novel that could have been expanded, including character relationships, political conflicts, and Ladda's own internal struggles. The ending, especially, wrapped things up very quickly and was incredibly jarring, so instead of being pulled into Ladda's emotional turmoil I found myself rather confused.

If you're looking for a quick historical read with a kickass heroine, I'd definitely recommend this novella; if you're looking for a thrilling Viking epic, unfortunately I'd advise looking elsewhere.

Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for providing me with this ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I both loved and hated this book. The author does a fantastic job weaving in Norse Mythology but the story jumps around so much I needed a map to follow it. There are pieces missing that I feel if added could make this like Sky in The Deep or other Viking books. It would just take about 70 more pages and more investment in growth and what happens to the characters behind the jumps.

I’d like to start off by saying that this book has a very interesting premise, and for how short it is really packed with information. However, I had a hard time getting passed how jumpy this book was and the plotholes. There were sections of this book that I felt like I was missing whole chapters. I’m still unsure of how Ladda goes from a frightened village girl to leading a fleet of ships. This book could have really benefited from being fleshed out more, which makes me sad because the storyline had a lot of potential to be a truly epic story.

Well, this was... something.

I'll start by saying that it's very obvious the author cares about Norse mythology, and did his best to do it justice. I know very little about viking culture so I won't comment on that aspect, but from what I could tell, it was well done.

As for, literally everything else, I'm not quite sure what to say or how to put my feelings into words. The book was too short, and yet it was the longest 120 pages I've ever read. There was action on nearly every page, and yet I had to fight to stay engaged. The writing style was so extremely <i> odd </i> that it gave the story itself a very disjointed feeling.

Ladda was an extremely passionate, fierce protagonist that should have inspired me to care about the story as well. And yet, I could never find myself sharing her passions because she moved on so quickly. Her affairs are meant to be all consuming, yet they are forgotten nearly two paragraphs later. How is anyone supposed to believe you truly loved someone if the second something changes, you're in the arms of another man? I believe this was an attempt to make Ladda a fierce, independent woman, but to me it just made her appear callous and cruel.

I'll also add that this would have worked better as an adult book. Especially with the marriages and affairs and even just the discussions of politics. Maybe my opinion would have been different had the story been given more time, more space to breathe. Perhaps I would have understood why Ladda moved on so quickly if her relationships with others and the world around her hadn't been rushed quite so much.

As it stands, the whole book reads like a dream sequence from a movie, with fragments of a life lived and only hints at information and emotions that should be important to the viewer/reader.

3.5 stars

Perfect for fans of the Half-Drowned King series by Linnea Hartsuyker, Winter by Winter follows Ladda, a young girl who must take charge of her village after it's destroyed in a raiding party. Catching the eye of the young King Ragnar, Ladda finds her calling in controlling a fleet of ships and must do all she can to get vengeance. With a mixture of sympathetic characters, stunning depictions of warfare, and fascinating Norse mythology, the author paints a vivid and historically accurate picture of Viking culture. I only wish that the book was longer as I felt that the ending was a bit rushed, but this in no way affected my enjoyment of the novel!

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

A perfect read for fans of SKY IN THE DEEP by Adrienne Young and/or WARRIOR OF THE WILD by Tricia Levenseller.

A raiding party destroys Ladda’s village and she is determined to do whatever it takes to keep the rest of her family and her people alive. She becomes the village jarl and leads them to a safer location, but for her people to thrive, they need silver. She joins King Ragnar to fight against his enemies for silver, ships, and men. Ladda is both feared and fearless, some even believe she’s a goddess. But most of all she’s a sister, who is protecting her family.

Intertwined in the narrative are the stories of the Norse gods. The goddess, Skathi, visits Ladda several times. Yet, Ladda is a force unto herself as she navigates love, loyalty, loss, and friendship. The story is often gritty, but Ladda gives it heart.

Ladda experiences a menstrual cycle early in the book. Her sister Rota never bleeds. She’s been told by a village elder that she has a male spirit and is encouraged to find a bride.

If you’re looking for a book where women wield weapons fiercely, look no further.

This book caught my eye because I LOVE Norse Mythology, I will always, always read a story that is inspired by/incorporates it. It's beautifully integrated into the story and even if you are familiar with all mythos prior, its written in such a way that you aren't bored to read it from the characters perspectives again, its refreshing, different and intriguing.

This book has a slow start, but I urge you to not let that discourage you.

I loved the heroine from the very beginning, Ladda is something else. She is sarcastic, quick witted and foul tempered. She makes you laugh and admire her right from the very beginning. Everything I love to see in a female lead.

Ragnar is mischievous, he comes off as calm and laid back, takes everything in a teasing manner, its fun to read the male lead as all the above, it's different, for me at least.

If I said the dialogue was beyond entertaining it would still be an understatement. The banter between Ragnar and Ladda is to die for.

Further, I love how the supporting characters are developed, there's nothing worse than when a writer ignores everyone except the leads. Ladda's sister, Kara was especially fascinating and will undoubtedly draw your attention early on, despite the fact that she isn't the epicentre of the book.

Overall, the only cons were that the scene sequencing was confusing, at least on ebook, it might be different with a physical copy but for me, a scene would end and then another that takes place in an entirely different setting would begin without warning.

A recent read that really helped me get my mind off everything was Winter by Winter by Jordan Stratford. It is, of course, about Vikings so I was set up to love it and I’m glad to say that I did!

This book follows Ladda (who you might know from the Vikings tv show as Lagertha) and pulls from Saxo Grammaticus’s Gesta Danorum for inspiration. Yes, all buzzwords of mine!! Ragnar Lothbrok is also a character in this so you know I was thrilled. All in all, this was a fun historical fiction with a touch of fantasy thrown in.

Viking stories are always my comfort food when it comes to books and this was exactly what I needed this week. Now I’m on the hunt for my next Viking read.

This book had such potential but in the end it was not quite up to snuff for me. Expected a little more.... excitement

Thanks to the publisher that provided me with the ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.75/5 stars.

I’ll be honest, the first thing that’d drawn me to this book was the cover: I mean, it’s incredibly beautiful, isn’t it? Then, I read the plot and discovered it was about Ragnar and Hladgertha (yep, I’m a Vikings fan), so I was completely sold! Stories about Vikings and strong women are just my cup of tea.
I think the author has a real passion for Norse mythology. We can totally see it in how he masters the subject and in some of the realistic and historical details he is able to provide.
Our main protagonist here is Ladda. I really liked her character and her stubbornness. She’s not afraid to speak her mind and she doesn’t allow men to push her around.
The writing style is something I really appreciated. It’s kind of poetic in its rhythm and structure. I think this is something refreshing and gives the novel a sublime atmosphere. The plot is very captivating and I really loved some changes that were made to the original legend.
But now, let’s come to the things I didn’t appreciate.
The “length” of this book is kind of self-defeating in my opinion. It’s way too short and I think some important things were too rushed or not mentioned at all, while others of less importance were too slow.
I also really struggled to form a true and deep emotional connection with the characters, even if I appreciated and liked some of them.
I believe this story had an interesting concept and did have a great potential, but for the reasons mentioned above, I don’t think it made the most of them.
Anyway, it still was an enjoyable and light read.

4*
Pros: Viking warriors, what more would you wish for? Immersive narrative. Fierce and complex female lead. Down-to-earth and not sugar-coated. Beautiful introduction to Norse mythology and folklore, along with their livelihoods, culture and traditions.
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Cons: Description and scene sequences often jumbled and confusing. Lacking emotional relatability.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a nice easy read. Fluid writing and I liked the world building and how the author described Everything.

The characters? Top notch. I loved Ladda and her temper. The way Ragnar acted and the humor between them. His character was probably my favorite. Ladda was a very strong character too and I liked her a lot.

Would definitely recommend this book of you enjoy Viking stories and a quick read.

Fast paced and fun, this is a fantastic book for older YA readers who are searching for more Viking books like the juvenile How to Train Your Dragon series by Cressida Cowell and want to dive deeper into Norse legend. I really can't say enough good about Ladda as a strong female character and all around badass in general. I especially enjoyed Ladda's strong love for her family, friends, and village as she spends the whole book with one thing in mind: protecting them.

I am a bit concerned that the writing style may be a bit much for YA readers and could turn them off the story altogether since it is a difficult read. That being said the writing style is spot on for a Viking story and written like they would speak which is very impressive, although I feel if Stratford really wanted to write this way it should have been for an adult audience who may be able to appreciate it more than teens. In addition, while I had no problems with Ladda's string of romances, the last page was extremely confusing and I had to stop and ask what the heck just happened. In order to avoid spoilers, I'm going to stay vague: was it a friendly kiss? Are they now lovers? So confused!