True Winter

Five hundred years ago, a deadly artifact called the Chains of Peter was stolen. Now, the chains have resurfaced in Mobile, Alabama, and the House of David, a secret organization that specializes in securing dangerous artifacts, has sent its most lethal operative to find them.

Judge Eden Dowler is all but certain the wealthy Bachman family is hiding the chains, and he has a win/win plan for securing them. As it happens, the Bachmans’ youngest son, Orion, is Eden’s estranged half-brother. All Eden has to do is convince his brother to join the House of David, and the chains are as good as his. Orion Bachman is the perfect candidate—loyal, intelligent, fit, and eager—and Eden is certain his brother’s healthy upbringing will benefit the House, which usually only recruits broken children.

There’s just one problem. A mysterious counter organization known as Seditio will stop at nothing to keep the House from securing the chains. When Seditio sets its sights on the Bachman family, Eden realizes the stakes have become personal. But what’s the best way to protect Orion? Should Eden train him to fight and kill, or guard Orion’s innocence so he doesn’t become one more broken soul in the House of David?

As the House continues its bloody search for artifacts, Eden begins to question its integrity and the role he plays within it. Unfortunately, Orion is beginning to question everything else, including whether he should have ever put his faith in someone like Eden Dowler.

A really solid debut. Had a historical fiction feel to it with some really good mystery elements. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for book two")

Lovely read. Love how the author created the character's personalities. The plot is amazing. Loved every second of it.

This was such a fun rollercoaster - secret societies and holy relic hunters? Yes, please!!!

In a world where holy relics have supernatural powers, Eden Dowler means to make sure the Chains of St. Peter do not fall into the wrong hands. He works for the House of David, and he believes the Chains are kept by a family that happens to include Eden's half-brother Orion.

The House of David is not the only group looking for the Chains. The more ominously named Seditio, is also full of lethal soldiers ready to kill , torture, and die to get their hands on these artifacts. The blend of supernatural, mystery, and familial trauma never lets up, and I am thrilled that I was able to figure out one of the mysteries pretty early on.

4 stars!

Oh this is what Iv been craving (are book cravings a thing? Well they are now!). Anyhow, this has the action and adventure I want out of my Sci-fi/fantasy reads. I’m tired of all the “romance” I keep buying under false pretenses. This is what I want. Artifacts, treasure, action, obviously a smidge of romance. I want it all! And it is within these pages! What an incredibly fun book. I’m off to read the next one now to see where this story takes us.

This is a once in a blue moon sort of book. Sure, there may have been minor things which I could pick at and criticise but to be honest, I enjoyed it far too much to care!

The storyline follows an organisation known as the House of David consisting of an elite squad trained in how to efficiently retrieve powerful ancient religious artifacts and stop them falling into the wrong hands. The plot follows a member of the House of David, Ethen Dowler, as he battles Sedito, the organisation which oppose them.

I loved the concepts of the mysterious and powerful relics as well as the highly trained House of David operatives. It appealed to me and I found the imagination behind it brilliant!

It was a very fast paced book which was great at gripping the reader (I certainly found it page turning!) as it jumped from one action scene to the next. To be honest, I enjoyed this, it was entertainment at its finest however I could see why some people may believe it takes away from the complexity of the book and might make it less interesting. Having said that, it was refreshing to read a book that was pure entertainment without feeling the need to be more complex with sacrifices to the enjoyability of the read.

Overall I found this book to be highly enjoyable and I loved the imaginative ideas behind it combined with its fast paced nature. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to read an entertaining book that grips you without all the fluff of trying to be complex and intellectual for the sake of it. I got this book as a Netgalley review copy and I see that the second one in the series will be released soon, I very much look forward to reading it!

I was transported into a new world, it is not very often that I find such an immersive world that hooks me in and this one has done it extremely well. This story is an adventure and it has left me wanting more from this author. There are areas of the tale that are a little disturbing, but not in an off putting way, it adds to the world and the tale.
There is a clean crossing of genres that is done perfectly.

True Winter is one of the best books I've read recently, from the diverse great characters to the religious artefacts and plot twist.

The story is fast paced, Q.K. Petty's writing style pulled me in quickly with the intense action and amazing interactions between friends, enemies and family.
Not shying away from disturbing scenes and writing a villain who stays a villain through it all, it's the found family bonds between broken people that shine.

I adored the broken and quirky characters most of all, my favorite being the main character, Eden.

Overall I will certainly continue this series, it's a refreshing take on religious politics, artefacts, organizations and cults, set in a kind of urban fantasy.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.
#TrueWinter #QKPetty #NetGalley

I did not know what to except with this book. and I'm stoked to start reading the next. The writer did a wonderful job of telling this story. I’m not usually a fantasy reader, but the excellent way in which this story was told

Thank You NetGalley, Victory Editing, and Q.K. Petty, This book was available as a previously on NetGalley-read now and it sounded so good and Indigo Spring was due out soon. I requested the book and I am so glad I did. I was sucked in from the very start and would have read in one sitting if I could have. This is a darker fantasy about religious houses searching for items that are too dangerous for just anyone to have access to. The book started so good, I felt the Audio had to make it a lot better. I must admit the Audio is not my favorite but the story and plot was so good, I could look past that and happy to contribute to this author as the writing is superb and I am excited to read the next book as of course we leave on a cliffhanger. Now available on KU.

True Winter is book one in A Series of Four Seasons by Q.K. Petty.
This story was evenly-paced, well-crafted, and kept me invested and engaged throughout.
Through a twisted plot line and brilliant characterizations, this story keeps readers guessing until the end.

Thank You NetGalley and Victory Editing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I love the premise … a secret organization (The House of David) that travels the world to collect powerful artifacts in order to sequester them away in some “warehouse” in order to protect us all from the people that would abuse them (yes … I know it has been done before but I still love the concept). The twist here is that there is a counter organization that works toward free access to these same artifacts despite the danger (aka caveat emptor). The House is organized with an absolute head of house that priorities and assigns tasks and goals for the org. Four (4) Tennins armed with weapons of Archangels. Twelve (12) Judges imbued with splinters of the cross (aka Fingers of God) that grants them superhuman abilities … with each Judge training an Acolyte. And various support elements such as clean up crews in the background. Seditio, the opposing organization, is more nebulous and apparently run by a mysterious Mary with a psycho-terrorist second known as Whiteface.

The book opens with a mission to retrieve the “Chains of Peter” in Mobile AL; after which we see a flash back to the MC’s (Eden Dowler aka The Grim Reaper) first mission to retrieve the “Blood of Mary,” both of which are deadly to the unworthy/impure. This pretty much sets the [fast] pace for the first half of the book as the House attempts to retrieve the Aegis of Zeus and the Sword of Joan of Arc before the story turns extremely (and somewhat unexpectedly) dark for the last half of the book. By the end you see something of a personality switch between Eden and his acolyte Orion (which quite frankly was not done that well). There are a few twists and turns, much of which is signaled ahead of time if you are paying attention, until we get to the tragic end with a hint of things to come (it is a series after all).

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#TrueWinter #FourSeasons #NetGalley

True Winter is book one in A Series of Four Seasons by Q.K. Petty.

What made me request this ARC was the premise: a secret organization (The House of David) that travels the world to collect powerful artifacts in order to protect us all from the people that would abuse them.

The story centers around the House of David, a covert organization dedicated to collecting powerful artifacts and sequestering them to protect humanity. Eden, a member of the House of David, sets on a mission to recover the lost Chains of Peter, only to discover his half-brother Orion along the way.

Orion is swiftly recruited into the cause, and together they battle against Seditio, a sinister group racing to find the artifacts first. Eden begins to question his loyalty to the House of David and what their mission is really about as they go further on their quest. He also grapples with whether he made the right choice in involving his brother.

What I Loved
The fast-paced nature of the plot kept me engaged. Petty’s writing style is gripping, drawing readers in with intense action sequences and complex interactions between friends, enemies, and family members. The villains are menacing, and the narrative doesn’t shy away from dark and disturbing moments, which raises the stakes of the tale. One of the standout elements of “True Winter” is the theme of found family among broken individuals.

What Didn’t Resonate with Me
While the story itself is compelling, I found the pacing challenging at times due to the lengthy chapters. The book occasionally felt like a slow read, which made it harder to get through in one sitting. However, these pacing issues were offset by the overall intensity and intrigue of the narrative.

Themes
The concept of a secret organization working to protect humanity from powerful artifacts introduces a fresh take on religious politics, artifacts, organizations, and cults within an urban fantasy setting.

The theme of found family is particularly poignant, showcasing the bonds that form between broken individuals as they face together a dangerous and uncertain world.

Additionally, Eden’s internal struggle with loyalty and the true motives of the House of David adds depth to his character and the story as a whole.

Conclusion
Overall, “True Winter” is a captivating read. Petty’s fresh take on religious politics, artifacts, organizations, and cults within an urban fantasy setting is refreshing and engaging. I recommend this book to anyone looking for an entertaining and thought-provoking read that keeps you hooked from start to finish.

I love it when I find a book that sucks me in and the world around me disappears. This book was amazing, from start to finish. Eden belongs to the House of David, an organization that searches for ancient artifacts with mystical powers. When he is sent on a mission to recover the lost Chains of Peter, he discovers his half-brother Orion. He soon recruits Orion to the cause...
There are definitely some dark areas of this book which I kind of anticipated based on the cover and description. Fresh find for sure!

This was such a wild ride!! I got hooked from page one, to be honest, and got transported to a different world.
The writer did a wonderful job of telling this story, the characters were so well developed, the secret societies and holy relic hunters were just spot on. But mostly, he did a fantastic job writing about family, faith, and what grief can do to you.
The plot was very fast paced, intense and, at times, dark and very disturbing (which in the end you totally get it).
I loved it, and I absolutely will continue this series!