"Winterkeep" by Kristin Cashore is an intriguing addition to the "Graceling" series, offering a rich world filled with complex characters and political intrigue. The plot takes readers to a new, cold, and mysterious land, bringing in fresh perspectives and dynamics. I enjoyed the deeper exploration of themes like power and identity, and the world-building was as immersive as ever. However, at times the pacing felt slow, and some of the characters didn't resonate as strongly with me as in the previous books. Overall, it's a solid read for fans of the series, but it didn’t quite have the same spark as the earlier novels.

I really loved Graceling, it was actually the first audiobook I’d ever listened to, and so I was excited to read this book. It did not disappoint. Can’t wait to read the rest.

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I LOVE KRISTIN CASHORE SO MUCH AHHHH! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

I didn't realize this was a series... because when I initially requested it, I was still new at NetGalley, so I didn't look into it enough. I saw a pretty cover and requested it.

So I can't review this.

I really enjoyed this excerpt and cannot wait to finish the series. The author writes such great characters and settings. Along with plotting out the story

I never actually received a review copy of this book, I just downloaded the excerpt but it is appearing in my "give feedback" tab for some reason so I am writing this to remove it from there.

I was excited to delve back into this universe. But I was also a little nervous. As I am with any spin off or sequal I worry that it will not live up to the hype of the first book.
This book was harder for me to read then the others for some reason. I was not a fan of the multiple view points. 2 is the max I can usually enjoy before I start to get annoyed since I enjoy just focusing on the one thought process

I love this world!! Winterkeep was such a wonderful world to read about. I love the gracling world so much. I highly recommend this series to anyone!

Graceling is one of my favourite books so was thrilled to have the opportunity to return to the world Kristin Cashore has created. Somewhat like visiting old friends on new adventures, comforting yet exciting and intriguing. a very enjoyable read..

THE GRACELING series is my go-to fantasy recommendation for anyone who is looking for feminist fantasy novels. WINTERKEEP was an immersive extension of the original books and I am so grateful to re-enter this world! As long as Kristin Cashore keeps writing this series, I'll keep reading it.

It sometimes takes a single word to spark an intrigue, and in Kristin Cashore's latest book, that word is zilfium. During an age of exploration, the backward kingdom of Monsea discovers a shiny new neighbor: the eco-tech country of Winterkeep. This frosted nation is filled with airships, democracy, telepathic beasts, and more: mysteries surrounding the energy-producing zilfium, mysteries that some would kill to protect. Winterkeep (Graceling Realm Book 4) is a rather refreshing read after the disappointment that was Jane, Unlimited (2017), with the vivid world-building and intrigue that Cashore is known for. But the moments of moral preachiness and plot unbelievability distract from what is otherwise a new exploration of the Graceling Realm.

It has been nine years since Bitterblue (Book 3) was published, but within the narrative, just four years have passed. Twenty-three year old Bitterblue still reigns in of Monsea, where she has grown in wisdom, lovers, and love for chocolate cake and cream puffs. While on a diplomatic trip to Winterkeep to investigate the disappearance of her envoy and the clues surrounding zilfium, she is swept overboard and thought to be drowned. Political and relational chaos ensue, and it's up to sixteen-year-old Lovisa Cavenda, the cunning and spoiled daughter of Winterkeep's president, to discover the secrets beneath--

--Or rather, it's up to Lovisa, old friends like Giddon, and Winterkeep's blue foxes and purple silbercows. Meanwhile, Parliment's Scholars and Industrialists vie for control while covertly pursuing their own agendas--some not-so-subtle parallels to our contemporary circumstances. It seems everyone has a secret to hide.

Unlike the previous books, this one is told with multiple perspectives that help or obscure the central plot. Although the blue fox is my favorite voice (and the only voice that actually deserves the use of excessive exclamation points!), Lovisa and Bitterblue are the primary perspectives. Lovisa can be quite irritating and immature, but as the story unfolds and unravels, we see the desperate ways in which she tries to maintain control and protect her younger brothers from the manipulation and neglect of their parents. Bitterblue serves as a kind of foil, as she herself continues to heal from the wounds inflicted by her own psychopathic father over a decade ago. In the midst of political and industrial machinations, it's this messy process of understanding trauma that captures the heart of the tale.

Like its predecessors (Graceling, Fire, and Bitterblue), Winterkeep is technically a companion book set in the same world. Cashore does a decent job of bringing readers up to speed, with multiple passages about the nature of Graces, the murderous reign of Bitterblue's father, and other backstories. These long retellings can bog down the narrative, but they do serve their purpose. What I appreciate less, though, are the more heavy-handed lessons about environmental preservation. Don't get me wrong: we need more novels that tackle the environment and its abuses. But there are more nuanced ways to do so. That, on top of the multiple unnecessary sex scenes, make the story tiresome. The main romance between Bitterblue and Giddon also made me roll my eyes at several points. (The one redeeming yet hackneyed lesson is that grown men do cry.) These aspects are so ingrained in various characters and plot points that the book becomes encumbered by its own lectures and tears.

When the humans become exasperating, though, the creatures come to the rescue. Cashore frames and fleshes out the narrative through the delightful Keeper chapters, which open each of the five parts of the book. The Keeper is a mythical sea creature who supposedly protects Winterkeep and saves them all from destruction. Yet the actual thirteen-tentacled creature that dwells at the bottom of the sea wants nothing to do with that silly (to her) myth. Her own tightly-held secrets and her growing relationship with the manatee-like silbercows are such fun to read, while also providing parallels between the creature's resistance to fitting the hero narrative and Lovisa's struggle with what it takes to do what's right.

Winterkeep brings readers into a world of clean energy steampunk, with intrigue and murder, abuse and ambition, and a side of myth and clever quips. Despite some misgivings, I will be keeping an eye out for the fifth installment in the Graceling Realm.

P.S. Zilfium sounds mighty close to silphium, a real world plant that may have inspired the book's energy-producing ore. Silphium could only grow in the wild in a very small part of what is modern-day Libya. It was purportedly harvested out of existence in the first century AD due to its amazing attributes ranging from a cure-all to an aphrodisiac and birth control. No wonder the elite of the Roman Empire went nuts over it.

Another Note: I initially received a free digital preview of Winterkeep via NetGalley and the publisher (erm, sorry so late!), but I went on to read the book on my own, courtesy of my friendly local library. I also did not reread the previous books in the series prior to picking up Winterkeep, so my memory of those books and how the characters had been treated previously is quite fuzzy. If you haven't read the series at all, though, I would still recommend starting from the beginning, since there are many connections to previous books.

What a great ending to an amazing fantasy series that I honestly wish I had read sooner. I really liked how all the characters from the previous books got to all come full circle and I throughly enjoyed Bitter blue getting her ending.

I didn't realize this would be just a preview! I'm definitely looking forward to reading the full book.

This was a really fantastic read! I loved being in this world again, though it was a bit disorienting, because we are in this brand new part, with new cultures and people, and there were only a few familiar characters, and mainly a brand new cast.

Another way that this book was different was that we got multiple perspectives. Each part would start with the creature that maybe the Keeper was based off of. And there was Bitterblue, obviously. There was Giddon, and then there was Lovisa. Which let me tell you was a little weird, because that's basically my name, just switching the u for a v.

Oh, and there was also Adventure Fox! I really enjoyed his dilemma, and the blue foxes in general, because they're intelligent, and they're keeping some pretty massive secrets from humanity, which left Adventure in a very sticky position!

I had a great time exploring the politics of this area of the world, Bitterblue has a lot to learn, because some are more then willing to use her ignorance to their advantage. But this plot had so many moving parts to it, and I loved learning more about what was going on from all of these characters! But it came together so well!

Loved this book, it was another fantastic read, and I wouldn't mind more time in this world!

I was not a big fan of Bitterblue, especially when I consider HOW MUCH I loved Graceling and Fire. But as soon as I read Giddon's voice, I was hooked. I'm very into the 2010's YA authors giving us more if they can give us this.

I am unable to give fair feedback on this book because it was only an excerpt, perhaps first few chapters. I was annoyed, as I had thought it was the full book when I requested it.

Beautiful and poetically written.

“It had taken her so long to give up that key, the key to her cage. But it was a cage that no longer existed, because she’d destroyed it, by herself.”

Read now!

I was cautiously optimistic for this book. I loved Fire and Graceling, but Bitterblue really didn’t do it for me. I was hoping and praying that this book would bring me back to a place of love for Kristin Cashores work. Let me tell you, Winterkeep did not disappoint!! There’s a place to see, across the sea. A whole new group of people to meet, with very interesting customs. There’s sea creatures who really remind me of manatee, except for their super cool ability to communicate telepathically with humans?! There’s a huge sea monster, foxes, cats (a lot of cats lol), pigs, and the odd cow. Murder, kidnapping, more murder, a whole governmental conspiracy, love 😍, explosions, just a whole pile of awesome!!
Bitterblue is waaaay better in this book than the last. Likeable, not annoying, and so so much stronger!!
Absolutely a winner if you’ve enjoyed Cashores previous work.
Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Interesting concept but not the best execution. This book has everything to succeed, including a beautiful cover and ambitious writing. Unfortunately, it falls short of expectations and the author is unable to deliver all that was promised. Maybe it will be better suited for someone who just wants to skim read a book or isn't looking for something overly engaging. That wasn't, however, my goal or what I was expecting.

3 stars

I was so excited to return to the Graceling world and had really high hopes for Winterkeep. However, despite the hype, this book let me down. Perhaps I shouldn't have expected much given that Bitterblue was my least favorite book of the original triology, so it would make sense that a book narrated partially from her point of view wouldn't hit home as much as the first two books in the series did. While the writing/perspective wasn't exactly my speed, I did really love the world-building that went into this (I want a book written entirely from the perspective of blue foxes!) and was interested enough because of this to see it through.