Skimming through the the other reviews posted, you are either on team "I LOVE THIS BOOK", or team "I DID NOT LIKE IT". Me, I am with the first. This was such a refreshing change from the fantasy books I have read recently.

It was a bit difficult to catch on to the story . There was one reviewer who said "Neumier slowly builds her world without giving anything away..." and I think that is spot on.

If you are not a fan of high fantasy, this book is not for you.

There are only a few in this world who have a connection to the magic. That magic comes from the earth itself-you can master it, or it can master you. Letting the later happen can bring on events that may destroy everything.

The story revolves around Innisth tere' Maer Eanetai , who lives and rules the province of Ensete' and the Princess Kerha irine' Elin Raehema, the daughter and heir of the King of Harivir. Innisth carries the fierce power of Eaneten, while Kerha has mastered the gentler,but still powerful Raehemaieth. Was it the Fortunate Gods, or the Unfortunate Gods that brought these two together?
Whichever it was, the facts are clear: They must work together or all is lost.

I hated for this book to end. Research on Ms. Neumeier(who I have never read before) shows she had never done a series. I can always hope she makes an exception. There is so much more I want to know about this world. The other books on my night stand were quite neglected the last few weeks.


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Loved it. While there is a hint of Jacquline Carey, Neumeier's voice is very much her own. The story telling reminded me of N.K. Jemisin for some reason? ( )

A tense, atmospheric and utterly gripping story of power and sacrifice. I was planning to finish a couple of other books before I read this one, but I looked at the opening chapters - and then I couldn’t put it down.

When the Wolf Duke of Eäneté dies his son, Innisth terè Maèr Eänetaì, does not only inherit a title and land. He also inherits a duke’s deep tie to the Immanent Power of Eäneté, a power shaped by the savagery of the land and generations of cruel dukes. Innisth is determined to protect his people and avoid attracting the notice of the King of Pohorir. This becomes particularly challenging when the king’s emissary threatens members of Innisth’s household.

Across the mountains, Kehera irinè Elin Raёhema, daughter and heir of the King of Harivir, has had a very different, kinder, experience of Immanent Powers. But in the midst of war, the Mad King of Emmer delivers an ultimatum to Harivir - and in a bid to buy her people time, Kehera rides north to become his bride.

By the time Kehera and Innisth’s paths cross, I was completely invested - and conflicted, because they each have the ability to help each other but their goals are different.

The most unusual aspects of Winter of Ice and Iron is how the Immanent Powers influence the Four Kingdoms. They are at the centre of politics, for they dictate rulership and alliances. They can be destroyed, cause destruction and offer protection from dragons. And, on a personal level, they influence the character of those who hold deep ties to them.

But although Immanents - and politics - are central to this complex and compelling plot, the characters were the reason I cared. Neumeier writes her characters beautifully. (Neumeier writes beautifully, full stop.) Kehera is kind-hearted and courageous. Innisth is more reserved and complicated, but the people he surrounds himself with reveal much about what his values. The supporting cast, such as Innisth’s senschal Gereth, are memorable. And I like the way Innisth and Kehera develop respect for one another. (... this would be a much easier book to review if I weren’t trying to avoid spoilers.)

The story is almost too dark for me to enjoy it - almost, because there’s thoughtful restraint to how the darkness is handled. Things like the atrocities committed by Innisth’s late father are alluded to obliquely and rarely confirmed. Other moments of abuse occur off stage, or else only take centre stage at the point where they are stopped. And when see characters get killed, gratuitous details of violence are not dwelled on. This approach doesn’t understate of the horror of these acts, nor the threat characters face - and it keeps the focus on the characters who have endured or feared horrors, rather than on exactly what they’ve endured on feared. I really appreciated this.

The ending left me feeling a little bit bereft, because I wanted more, but really, that’s a good thing. This is amongst Neumeier’s strongest books, and one I will want to reread.

Set off by that dark frame, the painting stood out as vividly as though it were a window rather than paint and canvas. It showed the city as a bird, winging high above, might see it. The sky had been shown as a broken scape of leaden clouds, with brilliant beams of sunlight lancing through; in the painting, the play of light caught out the duke’s house while leaving the city below in shadow. The arrogant power of the house had been caught exactly. To one side of the painting, slanting in swift flight, went a lark. The little bird had been rendered in beautiful detail, darting across the heavy sky on a course that would, in the next instant, carry it out of view entirely.
“What do you think of it?” Gereth asked at last.
The young woman answered quietly, “I think the artist was more in sympathy with the bird than the walls.... I don’t think he loved this city. Or was it this house he did not love?”

A note about the ebook: I kept referring to the map as I read, but found place names on map were almost illegible - impossible to decipher if I hadn’t yet encountered that name in the story. It wasn’t until after I finished that I thought to check the Amazon preview for the hardcover edition - yep, a beautifully clear map... ( )