I really enjoyed this second installment in the Redwinter Chronicles Series. I love that this book expanded and gave so much more of eberything that you love from the first book. Beautiful world building, complex politics, and harrowing adventure are a staple of this series and I love it. Raine is such a hot mess. I feel like her messiness is done in a way that instead of making me continuously frustrated at her lack of decision skills I understood the path of her thinking enough to make it make sense with the story. Besides some slight pacing issues I really am enjoying this series and cannot wait to read book 3.

I struggled with the first book, but when I got into it I ended up really enjoying the world and the characters so I immediately took the opportunity to snag the second book. Unfortunately immediately diving into felt like too much for my brain, and it’s been difficult to find the attention and interest to get into. Definitely a case of the wrong timing more than a case of a bad book.

Not realizing this was a series I had to go back and read the first one. Sometimes you can skip that but not here.

Fantastic book, thankfully does not suffer from second book syndrome and is captivating all around. A must read!

Raine, my beautiful little idiot. This book could be called "what if I made every wrong decision that I could possibly make forever and ever". I loved it and it was so so good but it so much but it stressed me out. I look forward to the final book in the series and hope that the characters find some sort of joy. Or that they are at least slightly less miserable.

I would like to thank Tor/Forge for providing a digital copy of this novel via NetGalley. The novel starts with a summary of the first book to catch the reader up. Traitor of Redwinter is in many ways superior to the first novel. There is more of the things I liked in the first one. There is more character development. Raine really comes into her own as she carries out her training as an apprentice at Redwinter. We see her shining, showing great leadership at times. We also see her struggling to keep her secret of being able to see those who have passed. After the previous novel, I was curious how the pact she made with the Feather Queen would show up in further novels. I can say this novel definitely doesn't disappoint in that regard. The Gates are further explained and we see how important they are as they play a big role in several plotlines. Ovitus is even more prominent in this novel as he is a central focus of the main narrative. There is also a lot more action in this novel, as we see our protagonist in the midst of a major conflict. The ending sets up a third novel very well. This novel really worked for me. A problem I often come across in sequels is that authors abandon major plotlines that they presented in previous novels. Traitor of Redwinter does an excellent job of tackling key plot lines from the previous novel and executing them quite well. Can’t wait for the third novel.

Stars: 3 out of 5.

I must admit that I liked book 1 better than the continuation. Don't get me wrong, it's still a solid book, and it packs an emotional punch in the end, but it was just not as entertaining as the first book. I think it might be suffering from the dreaded middle book in a trilogy curse.

But all jokes aside, I think I would have liked this book better if I hadn't been so irritated by the main character for about 80% of the story. This is how long it takes Raine to pull her head out of her ass, and by the time she does it, it's too late to change anything and to save a lot of people. Raine spends most of this book in a spiral of self-loathing and self-destruction. She hates what she is becoming, but can't help using the forbidden Sixth gate anyway. So she goes on a bender including drugs, alcohol, and mindless sex. 

And even that would have been okay, though reading about it got old fast to be honest. The issue is that she lashes out against everyone who tries to get close to her, especially people who love her the most. She is truly horrible to everyone around her. I'm honestly surprised that she still has friends left by the end of the book. And yes, I understand why this is happening. I even understand her actions and her reaction, but that doesn't make it for a fun read. For most of the book, I wanted to smack some sense into her and tell her to quit the self-pity party.

The other issue I have with this book is that the middle section drags a bit with nothing much happening while the dominos are set in place. We start with such an explosive event that has Raine and her friends fleeing for their lives, but then they get back to Redwinter and... We get more studying, and practice combat, and Raine going to bars and gambling dens with Castus, and people (maybe) plotting something. As I said, there are a lot of words, but minimal action. It took me a while get through that part of the book. I even had to put it down and walk away for a couple weeks. 

The last portion of the book kicks things in to overdrive though. Different plotlines collide with devastating results, and the true traitor of Redwinter is revealed. The ending was heartbreaking, and too many good people perished in the battle. I will absolutely check out the third book when it comes out, because I need to know that bOvitus gets what he deserves, and with extreme prejudice. 

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

8 / 10 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2024/07/04/traitor-of-redwinter-by-ed-mcdonald-review/

While Daughter of Redwinter was my book of the year back in 2022, I had some issues with this sequel. There’s seemed to be some poor pacing midway through that—some (those that loved the book) didn’t seem to take issue with at all, while the others (those that didn’t) pretty consistently report. My first time through I bounced off this section pretty hard, giving up at 37%. But if you’re the sequel to one of my favorite books ever, you get another shot. Second time through, completely different story. Didn’t even notice any uneven pacing at all. However, I DID notice something else. There is a self-hatred element to Raine that made my brain curl. Coupled with some teenage angst and cringe-worthy five-love romance, it might well have scared me off if I hadn’t been ready for it from before. And once I got past that…—no problems.

So, why did I give up before? Well, the cringeworthy stuff aside, there’s got to be a lull here in the middle somewhere. I can’t exactly peg it now, but I’ve read enough reviews (including my first aborted one) to know that it exists. Not to mention that I had the traitor pegged from the get-go and at least one twist mentally checked off.

But I was wrong. And here’s where ToRW begins to earn everything back.

We are presented with clues about the traitor’s identity throughout, but ofttimes they are vague or misleading (you know, as authors do). Though the entire book I kept adding them and coming up with the same answer until suddenly I didn’t. And when the traitor finally was revealed—while I wasn’t exactly shocked—it did redeem a part of the story that I’d burned out on before. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to justify everything.

One of the problems with a mind-blowing first installment is that people expect you to follow it up with more of the same. But writing is hard. And bottling lightning is harder. And while the author tries his best to stuff that lightning back into the bottle for a second spin around, this time it came off as a bit… much. There’s a lot going on in Redwinter. A LOT. Looming war, accelerated testing, a traitor in their midst, love and lust and drink and romance and obsession and angst and sorrow and loss and—you get the picture—all packed into one, sub-five hundred page book. In fact, it often feels like everything is happening all at once. Mostly, because it is. And it’s all a bit much. The author had so many ideas to rebottle that lightning that he just overdid it slightly, and the glass is cracking slightly from the weight of it all (that’s non-physical weight, mind).

Oh, I loved reading this book! I had a really great time reading the first, and I loved going back into this world and spending this time with these characters! I was very appreciative of the little summary of the events of the last book, because my memory is poor, and a lot happened. And this world is so very complicated!

Raine is torn-she doesn't want the power, but she keeps using it, because she does have it. Reading this book that is teaching her more, along with the encouragement of the Queen of Feathers who is still a mystery, alongside dreams of various tyrants who got taken down? I don't know how it's going to resolve but I can't wait to find out!

The fact that Ovitus comes back, engaged to their overload's daughter, that was pretty frustrating, given how much he had, how little he had to work for it, and how little she had and how much she had to work for it, especially with his lie that they'd slept together, which is a constant whisper in her head, causing her to be hesitant in what she actually wants, because of what she's thinking other people will think of it.

But that end, and that reveal? That was so epic, and so awful, and I need to know how they're going to deal with it all! Because the depth of what happened, and the consequences to come and have already happened? Words cannot describe how much I want to read the 3rd and final book right now!

Loved reading this book and I can't wait to finish out this series!

Ahoy there mateys! This is the second book in The Redwinter Chronicles.  I started this book in October 2023 and tried to finish it at least five times.  I stopped at 47%.  The major issue was the plot.  What I enjoyed about book one was Raine and how seeing the dead impacted her life.  In the part I read of this novel, the focus was on factions of the Draoihn and politics.  The politics were boring to me and I was getting the bad guy characters confused.  Raine was behaving badly in all regards.  She got on my nerves.  There was relationship / lust drama in a bi-sexual love triangle.  I wanted to finish this given how much I liked the first book.  Alas.  This also has mostly four and five star reviews so I am again in the minority. Arrrr!

Daughter of Redwinter was one of my favourite reads when it came out, and Traitor of Redwinter was also a delight. Much as with Daughter, I wasn't sure I'd like it at first -- Raine is really going through it, self-hating, doing so many things unconsciously to ruin herself, drugs and drink and gambling and hurting the people who are in love with her. And as with Daughter, it paid off beautifully. I care so much about these characters, and I want Raine to find happiness at the end of the next book, no matter what.

I also really, really ship this triad. Pleaaase this disaster bisexual love triangle has all the hallmarks of something ending for a three-person relationship and I desperately hope it ends there. And I think it will but, uh, the Redwinter series is not afraid to kill characters off, so I am pretty breathlessly waiting for resolution.

Can't wait to read more!

Coming back into McDonald's world, wasn't what I hoped for. TRAITOR OF REDWINTER was difficult to finish for me. I wanted so much to love this book, but I couldn't connect and re-enter this story. I loved book one and maybe should have re-read it before I dived into this.

Traitor of Redwinter, by Ed McDonald, easily wins my pick for best book cover of the year, but the contents of its pages are more contested. The sequel to a standout first book, Daughter of Redwinter, Traitor picks up our story after all the kerfuffle in book one with Raine now accepted at the pseudo-magical school, Redwinter, and studying to open the four gates of magic to understand the mysteries of the world better. If you liked the first book, there is a lot more of that signature McDonald fantasy/horror blend with some fabulous set pieces. While there was a ton of content that I loved in Traitor, there were some identity issues that kept the book from surging up our picks for Best of 2023.

The foundation of this book is very solid. The mysteries of the world are intriguing and demand to be investigated. In book two we get to see Raine spend time with a larger field of mentors and peers, and all of them bring new and interesting perspectives to the table. The headmaster of Redwinter, who is utterly terrifying, is particularly fabulous and every chapter Raine spent with her was a light in the dark guiding me forward like a beacon through the book.

The antagonists of this series are some of the most hateable and punchable people I have read. They evoke a visceral reaction in me as a reader and I just want to see them die. They are clear allegories for common villains in real life and watching them get their comeuppance itched a schadenfreude I didn’t know I had. They make the book feel very contextually relevant to the current era, despite the old-timey fantasy content, which is delightful. On top of this the plot, in broad strokes (I will talk about pacing soon…), is really captivating. I need to know what happens next and McDonald’s story has its hooks in me deep.

But, some of those hooks were also yanked out of my flesh painfully by a number of issues that plagued Traitor of Redwinter. The most obvious one is the stalling character development of Raine. Raine went through a lot in book one and had a nice clear arc to accompany the trauma. Book two has a less clear direction that feels a lot more like ‘wait and find out’ as mysteries come to the cast. The twists and turns are exciting, but Raine feels like she is treading water character-wise a lot of the book and it can make her frustrating.

The pacing is also all over the place, and the ambiance can’t seem to pick a lane. The first third of the book reads like a fact-finding spy story with a team of elite warriors on an intense mission. The second third of the book reads like the cut episodes of a teen drama that the editing team decided didn’t quite work. The last third of the book is a horrifying war story that moves as fast as a plummet to hell. All of this results in a book that had a ton of interesting moments I really liked but I don’t really understand as a cohesive story.

Overall, I still liked Traitor of Redwinter, and I plan on continuing the series when the third book comes out. Yet, I can’t help but feel like I witnessed an impressive gymnast routine that was plagued by fumbles ultimately resulting in frustration. I can see the potential of something incredible here, but the execution needed a little work before the competitor earned a 10.

Rating: Traitor of Redwinter – 7.5/10
-Andrew

In Daughter of Redwinter, we follow Raine, a girl with the power to see the dead, who lives in a world where such power is seen as profane and the punishment for it is death. Raine gets swept up in the struggle between Draoihn, powerful magic users and the forces of darkness bent on destroying the world. It is clear that Raine has a part to play in a much bigger game.

From the beginning of the book 2, I felt that the author’s choice to do a small time jump didn’t work as Raine, underwent a lot of changes during the period we don’t see and the author is forced to tell us about them rather than show us how she has changed. I always feel that showing is better than just telling in a story.

Furthermore, the pacing of book 2 was not as good as book 1. Whereas in book 1 there was a constant sense of tension and suspense which made it hard to put the book down, in book 2 there were moments of high intensity followed by plot lines that just dragged on. It took me a while to finish this book, because every time I put it down I didn’t really want to pick it back up. Lastly, I felt that the world building was poorly done. We don’t really get a good understanding of who the major villains of the story are so to speak. The author refers to personages that the characters are clearly familiar with from the world’s history, but they are never well explained to the readers.

Overall, I was very disappointed with Traitor of Redwinter. Middle books in trilogies are always hard to execute well, but there were too many things in this book that needed to be improved on. Unfortunately, I think I have completely lost interest in this series and will not be picking up book 3.

What is a sequel that you are waiting for? I have many but "Traitor of Redwinter" by Ed McDonald was up there.

Sooo things are sort of good for Raine (at the start) of this book. She is an apprentice, got a sweet bow, and is learning to control her abilities. Cept some of those abilities are called Soul Reaper, come from a book of questionable origins, and are encouraged by a person only she can see, but that's not a big deal right? Meanwhile a conflict is brewing from the north, Ulovar's health is failing, and the Grandmaster has taken an interest in Raine for her own ends. Oh and the worst person comes back to town with a bit of a glow up.

Thank you Tor, NetGalley, and Ed McDonald for the arc.

Reasons to read:
-Find out more about some people's backstories
-Ugggh having to choose between two hot people who treat you well
-Enjoy a nice 'cut loose' moment
-It definitely escalated
-Really cool use of magic to get some vengeance

Cons:
-Ed you made me distrust a (spoilers)
-HE CAN'T KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH THIS

This is my first book I have read in this series and McDonald does a good job providing an overview in the beginning of the story. This was an entertaining story with well-developed characters and packed with action.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While I enjoyed the book overall and plan to read the next book in the series, there was a whole lot of self-loathing and angst over relationships in this book. That really wasn't what I was expecting of hoping for in the story. There was some more story development, new characters, and new areas of the world brought to light, but overall it was kind of teenage angst-y.

A sequel I never knew I needed! Gave me closure on some of the lingering questions I had but more importantly, gave the story a full circle. Could've worked better on transitions though, I felt dizzy on some of the plot dumps

«Traitor of Redwinter» de Ed McDonald es una notable secuela con bastante más ritmo que su primera entrega.

Una aventura en sí misma que no da sensacion de ser un segundo libro. Para el tercero queda explotar de manera definitiva el aspecto mágico que ya deja detalles super chulos en esta.

Me siguen sobrando las partes más estándar de las aventuras juveniles "joven encerrado/a en lugar del que no puede salir" pero las tramas de esta segunda novela son mucho mas interesantes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for the ARC of this book!

This is the second book in The Redwinter Chronicles and is filled with even more necromancy and bi-panic than book one.

I love that this book focuses as much on the characters as it does on the overall plot. The interpersonal relationships we see with Raine and others at Redwinter is so relatable and honestly helped heal a younger version of me. Of course the politics and magic are ramp up in this book as well. I don't want to say much more because of spoilers but I loved where this book took us and I can't wait for the third. I was teary-eyed and screaming at the book for the last 100 pages.

This book is amazing! I loved the first one, and this was just as good. So many shocking moments and reveals. And I loved the character growth. I can't decide if I want Raine to end up with Sanvaunt, or Esher. I love both of them! I might just have to reread both before the next one. They are that good!