Daughter of Redwinter by Ed McDonald is a spellbinding fantasy novel that will sweep you away on an epic adventure. The story follows a young warrior as she sets out to avenge her family and claim her birthright as the daughter of Redwinter. McDonald's world-building is immersive, with richly detailed landscapes and magical lore. The characters are diverse and dynamic, with their own unique abilities and personalities. The action is fast-paced, with epic battles and duels that will leave you breathless. Daughter of Redwinter is a must-read for fantasy enthusiasts who crave a thrilling and unforgettable journey.

This one is difficult to rate. It has a lot of similarities to NEVERNIGHT, which is an interesting choice. This one is pretty...bland. The world is well-done, but generic, and so is everything: characters, magic, plot...etc. You've probably read this book before somewhere, and there's a good chance it was better.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for a copy of Daughter of Redwinter by Ed McDonald.

"Raine can see--and more importantly, speak--to the dead. It's a wretched gift with a death sentence that has her doing many dubious things to save her skin. Seeking refuge with a deluded cult is her latest bad, survival-related decision. But her rare act of kindness--rescuing an injured woman in the snow--is even worse.
Because the woman has escaped from Redwinter, the fortress-monastery of the Draoihn, warrior magicians who answer to no king and who will stop at nothing to retrieve what she's stolen. A battle, a betrayal, and a horrific revelation forces Raine to enter Redwinter. It becomes clear that her ability might save an entire nation.
Pity she might have to die for that to happen..."

Daughter of Redwinter is the first in a series. Raine has a special ability that is a curse and a blessing. The magic system in this novel is well written and the characters are fleshed out. I am excited for the sequel to come out this year.

I was unsure if I would enjoy the first book of The Redwinter Chronicles and had not read anything before by Ed McDonald and I was left … underwhelmed. Daughter of Redwinter is the first installment of a new epic fantasy series set in a world where seeing the dead is a thing but is certainly not a good thing. Continue reading to see my thoughts on this new series.

Issues of Characters/Themes
Some of the characters were pretty interesting and intriguing, doing a good job of creating interest for further character development in subsequent books in the series. In certain ways, however, some characterizations and events were not necessary, such as grooming and abusive relationships. These did not add to the story nor create any character growth, only later realizations and comparisons to other relationships.

There was also a character that would not accept rejection by numerous characters but continued with stalking behaviors. There was some queer representation, but it was either a passing comment or considered something to hide rather than an accepted aspect of someone’s identity. Unfortunately, these were not addressed in ways that cast these as negative behaviors. While these problematic themes all could create avenues for conflict in the series, it seems mostly unnecessary.

Pace & World Building
The pace of Daughter of Redwinter was up and down, which I do not always like in a book. I could see this causing someone to not enjoy the book or get through it. But overall, the overarching story and conflict were fairly interesting. There was a clear effort, being the first book of a trilogy, to build the world, which may in part contribute to the meandering pace at times. I still think more work needs to be done to flesh out the world.

There could have also been more discussion of how the magic system actually worked. There are Draoihn whose magic works through opening Gates and their degree of power is proportionate to the number of Gates they can open. That is about all I got. The ability of our main character to see the dead is also not greatly explored. I understand she’s lived with it her whole life, but there isn’t a huge understanding of how it works and she does not seem to be very curious about it either. Her ability was mostly just a reason for her to be distant from people for fear they may turn her in.

Overall
Daughter of Redwinter had some potential that it did not really live up to. If you generally like fantasies and want to read a new series this could be for you; it’s just not for me. I think my main concerns stemmed from the fact that it is the POV of a 17-year-old girl where a 17-year-old girl is certainly not the one writing it. It leads to an unfortunate set of stereotyped behaviors and goals. Although, I would consider reading the sequel to see if some of my critiques are too hasty.

Daughter of Redwinter is a story that follows the protagonist Raine, a 17 year old girl that can see the dead. Seeing the dead is very much outlawed in this world.
Honestly, it took me too long to finish this book. McDonald's writing did not hold my attention at all. The characterization isn't favourable in any way for me. What made me feel so put off by this book is the age gap plot line. Might as well add trigger warning because the scenes involving said age gap/grooming is in the early chapters of the book. Pacing of the book could be much better as it drags in the middle of the book.

Daughter of Redwinter is about Raine, a 17-year-old girl, who can see the dead, an illegal ability in this world. She’s holed up with a band of sooth-sayers and their followers, surrounded by the people who want to kill them. One decision of hers to try to escape the keep and then help an injured woman she finds on the outside drastically changes the course of her life.
This book had an explosive start and a fast-paced end, but the middle 30 to 60 percent was very slow. I can understand building tension and intrigue, but that wasn’t done here. It’s very slow world-building while, presumably, things happen in the background that our protagonist can’t see. If there was more than one POV, maybe that would’ve helped speed things along. The last 40% of the book did help to make up for the slog of the middle, but it doesn’t take way that I read this 350-page fantasy book over the course of a whole month.
I have mixed feelings about Raine. For plot related reasons, she doesn’t have a lot of strong feelings, which doesn’t make for a compelling protagonist. By the end I was more on board with her, but again, that middle was really dragging for me. And for the curious, she is bisexual or at the very least, expresses attraction for both men and women in the book.
I enjoyed some of the side characters a lot. Esher, Sanvaunt, and Ulovar were good side characters that I honestly wanted more from.
I rated this book 3 stars! If you’re looking for a wintery adult fantasy book to put you in the mood for the season, this might be for you!

Very good higher fantasy that starts out slow but then builds up speed & becomes engrossing. When I first got the book from NetGalley didn't get past the beginning so then actually bought it to continue so bear with the first & it is worth it. A young woman whose left her abusive mother around 14 years of age to join a religious cult & gets involved with a man that has taken the claim of guardian leader/protector that is also abusive. She can see the dead which is a major violation that will mean death if caught. The sisters of the flock used something she heard from a spirit so they are held up in a fortress as a clan is after them for such. Set in Highland type atmosphere. She finds a woman being chased while out hunting & tries to help her though the men after her are some type of Kings mages that are dangerous. When she tries to shoot one & that becomes an epic fail, a spirit that seems to be The Morrigan pops up & saves her while talking in her mind crashing the guy into a river & allowing her to escape. Finding the woman seriously wounded she has to make a choice of taking her back to the caste/fortress that her group is held up in. It blooms from there like a huge night lily. Am looking forward to the next book of the series.

Oh my god. This took so long to finish. It wasn't a bad book, it just really did not keep my attention well at all. Raine was a very lackluster uninteresting heroine for a large portion of this book. The magic was interesting but also very confusing at first. I also had a hard time with name pronunciation and remembering who was who.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc, unfortunately I decided to dnf the book a few chapters in. I'm reluctant to read stories with gross age gaps and grooming and this book starts right off the bat with that relationship. I've heard great things about the author's other series but I don't think this one is for me.

I liked Daughter of Redwinter.
The story was beautifully written, with a consistent style and tone, and efficiency of description that didn't slow the pace. Daughter of Redwinter was original, and well written. An excellent addition to the genre. This was a smooth-flowing story with lots of action and very likeable characters. I would recommend Daughter of Redwinter to any fan of the genre.

Wow, I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. The world-building was fascinating and the characters had depth and interesting backgrounds. And even though I didn't always like the main character, Raine, or her choices, it was enjoyable watching her grow and learn more about herself and her surrounding world. I did think the climax was a slight letdown just because it was built up so much only to be over in a few pages, but the rest of the book was so good that it didn't even matter. If you like high fantasy worlds with interesting lore and characters, then you'll likely enjoy this book too. I will certainly be watching out for the sequel.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Stars: 3.5 out of 5.

I liked the idea behind this book better than the execution, but it was still an enjoyable read all in all.

Raine in particular is an interesting character with a lot of flaws and a lot of trauma in her past, who manages to stay relatable. I loved her character arc and her emotional growth throughout this book.  From a young girl who constantly doubts her worth and her place in the world, who has been told over and over that she isn't worth anything, to a young woman who knows exactly who she is, who her friends are, and what she believes in. And who is willing to stand up and fight for that, even if by doing so she is risking her life.

However, I found that the middle of the book feels a bit draggy, because a lot of things happen to Raine instead of being instigated by her.  She's basically floating along the narrative flow from right after the battle at the monastery to the part where she chooses to rescue her friend from his kidnappers. I understand why it was done this way, and it is justified, narratively speaking. But it makes for a rather dull read. Since Raine herself doesn't know what she wants to do with her life and just kind of exists day to day, the reader feels like none of the events happening have any meaning. We don't know what's important because Raine doesn't care about anything.

But once Raine finally decides where her place is and what's important to her, she becomes a really wonderful character - she takes action, she makes tough choices, and she emerges victorious out of what seemed like an impossible situation. I will be curious to see how her life with evolve going forward, now that her big secret is known by several people who aren't trying to kill her for it.

The worldbuilding is also rather fascinating. It reminds me of Scotland and England back in the middle ages when the Scot were subjugated by the English. Raine comes form the highlands, there is talk of clans, and the scenery is reminiscent of what I've seen in Scotland. There is also talk of moon horses that sounds a bit like kelpies, and hidden folk, the fae, etc. I would like to explore this world more, learn more of its secrets. 

I wasn't as excited with the side characters. The characterizations there aren't as well-done as Raine. Half the time we had just hints and sketches of character without full definition. Granted, a lot of it steams from the fact that we see this story through Raine's eyes, and she'd been emotionally shunted for most of the book. It was hard for her to empathize with other or care enough to pay close attention to them. But even the people she seems interested in aren't as well-defined as I would have liked them to be. 

Also, while I can believe into the motivation of the main villain in the story, I find it hard to believe that he was powerful enough to mind control so many of his followers. So does this mean that some of them followed him willingly even though all he wanted was petty revenge? Or was he so good of a liar that nobody suspected anything until the very end? Then why at least some of them didn't turn on him after his grand speech in the cavern when the truth came out? Why were they willing to still die for him?

All in all tough, this book accomplished what a first book in a new series should do - it introduced and interesting world that readers want to explore more. It introduced a compelling protagonist that I wouldn't mind following for a few more books. And it told an interesting story. It also didn't leave us with a cliffhanger, thank the havens. All the questions relating to this particular story were answered by the end of the book while leaving enough unsaid that I am excited about picking up the next installment. 

PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've read one in McDonald's last trilogy, Ravenwing. I took it as a raw, action-filled fantasy adventure... This is what I was anticipating from this new trilogy. I was a little let down when I just couldn't get past about 75 pages. Too many simple questions left unanswered early on in the book... A mysterious character who really didn't enthrall me enough to keep reading.

Many of my friends loved this book but this just wasn't for me. I didn't feel invested in the character's journey and the world building didn't wow me either.

A man trying to write a woman protagonist is always... fun. In this fantasy novel, we find protagonist Raine under siege. She's been a follower of some old soothsayers for a few years now, though she's not a true believer. It was a convenient avenue to escape her mother right up until the old ladies were accused of communing with the dead. It's not true; in fact, that ability belongs to Raine. The siege comes to a calamitous end when Draoihn (magic practitioners) from Redwinter show up, releasing and then containing an ancient evil force. Raine's own magical ability is awakened (separate from her secret and dreaded ability to see the dead), so she is adopted by the Draoihn and taken to Redwinter for further training, or so they say.

Ok, so my main problem is the strong stench of male gaze on everything, made even more jarring by the supposedly female POV. Let's start with Raine's dating history. She had a crush on her boss from the age of thirteen (he was 26), but she's impressed with his restraint because he waited til she made a move at sixteen before they got together. Even though it counts as womanhood in this world, who cares? That's creepy as hell. The author has the grace to indicate that his emotional and physical abuse is wrong, but that is a low low bar. He still wrote this situation into being and for what? Traumatic backstory that I have to suffer through as a woman reading it? Raine later muses that the relationship left her "broken," which she's allowed to feel but which I would have liked to see interrogated on a broader level, i.e. victims of rape and abuse shouldn't have to take that on themselves.

And this one bad relationship isn't all Raine has to contend with from the dumber sex. Every man seems to develop lust for her, and she has to fend them off. It's exhausting. She's told she's going to have to "watch out" for a man in her new household because she's so pretty. A different man lies to everyone saying he and Raine are lovers, ruining her chances with someone she likes and changing how people view her without her knowing. Once she finds out, she feels ashamed of how everyone must perceive her, taking on a weight that shouldn't be hers to bear (re: sexism, victim shaming, puritanical bullshit). The main problem here is that no woman can tell him to fuck off because he's powerful. It's widely known that he fixates on a woman before moving on to a new one, imagining romantic connections that don't exist. Yuck. But while he's taken to task for other failings by his family, this particular behavior is allowed to continue with a kind of indulgent disgust. And the women just have to put up with it, make their peace with it, and hope he doesn't do it again to them or to someone new. But it's not presented as this black-and-white. Ultimately, Raine still views this liar as a friend, noting that there's something wrong with him to yearn after her and other women and not see it's unreturned. But he's deserving of pity. He's stupid but not malicious so that apparently makes a difference in this kind of scenario. He can grow and change on these women's backs. And damn if that doesn't sound like a man's perspective being put in a woman's mouth.

Another weirdass thing is a comment that Raine speaks at a higher pitch when talking to men except for this special guy, and I don't get what I'm meant to take away from that? It's presented as this sign of true romantic intent towards the special man in question whereas she takes on a more girlish affect with the general male populace. From a woman author, I would find it easier to parse. We all know the ways we might smooth ourselves out for survival's sake, an area where Raine excels due to the hard life she's lived. But the vibe here feels more about giving a stamp of approval to a specific man rather than considering Raine's traumas. I'm not trying to get in another woman's business... unless her actions were cooked up in the mind of a man.

Another fun gender thing is that a woman says "men will be men" in reference to violent action. It comes from a character that is already morally questionable, so it's not exactly relayed with an air of approval. But why subject us to it in such an ambiguous way? The shit the women have internalized (and in this case, weaponized) in this world is unreal.

I persevered because the book is marked as LGBT+, and I felt I owed it to myself to find out more. Gay couples are disapproved of in the world's predominant religion, so the sapphic curiosities of Raine are off to a bad start. I also felt let down that it boils down to a bi woman in a love triangle with a man and a woman as her two interests. And the man is clearly endgame based on how Raine's reactions are written. Also, he's a romantic, misunderstood, dutiful bastard son who is sidelined by his family. Aka a cookie-cutter endgame love interest. And no bi person is less queer based on who they do or don't date, but the subtext of having a bi character choose between a man and woman in favor of a man makes me uneasy here based on the mountain of other issues it's perched on top of.

Finally, as a general fantasy comment, there's not quite an infodump, but there's still a cascade of named historical eras and figures thrown around. It feels like a showy attempt to convince us of the author's world-building prowess. Instead, it just annoyed me.

This was a miss for me, folks. Women don't need to be traumatized by gender violence and harassment to make your fantasy world gritty.

Great world building and characters. If you are a fantasy reader you will enjoy. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access to an e-arc.

What I can say about this novel? Interesting plot for one. I like characters, that's two. Nice writing style, that's three. I'm curious what will happen to Reina and others, so I think that author did good job.

Daughter of Redwinter was just not my jam. It was slow and I struggled to get into it. This one was not for me.

DAUGHTER OF REDWINTER is a dark, twisty, and deeply well-plotted fantasy. McDonald carefully crafted the beginning of a tale with so much resonance but never sacrificing the action and magical components. It is simply one of the best first in a series I have read in a while.

I will be honest. At first, I wasn’t sure this would be a book I would finish. It took me a solid six to seven chapters to get the groove, identify all the players, and begin to understand the world I was entering. But, when everything clicked, it was a down-right addictive read.

Even though Raine’s character is at the center of the story, it becomes clear that the cast around her is just as important. It becomes clear to the reader that those we meet feed into the overall story. They allow the reader to learn more about the magic and history that is so critical in a book like this.

If DAUGHTER OF REDWINTER is any indication of what is to come, I cannot wait to read book two.

Man, this was a fantastic read! This world was so well developed, with history that I can't wait to learn more of. With characters that I had such a great time reading about! This is the kinda of fantasy that is dense, in that way where you have to read it just a little bit slower, so you can pick up the meaning and understand what the heck was going on.

The synopsis had me thinking on thing. And then the beginning was all this random craziness that I had no idea what was going on, and then things slowed down, and we had a chance to understand this world, what Raine could do-and why people with it get killed.

Raine is understandably hardened to the world. And what happens to her in the castle, that didn't help things. And then to not be offered this opportunity, was not a fun experience either. But she's at Redwinter, and oh, the politics and goings on are fraught with danger!

I loved that ending, how she used all the skills she had available, and beat the bad guy. I'm excited to see where the sequel goes, because there was quite a bit of politics going on, and just because this was resolved, doesn't mean there won't be more trouble in the future!

There's so much history and magic and potential to this world. We only scratched the surface of what we can learn, and I'm really excited to see where the series goes from here! And what Raine adds to the table, I can't wait to see how things are shaken up!

This was a fantastic read, and I can't wait for the sequel!