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laniessmith's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
snmosher's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5
booksaremyfavorite's review
2.0
This read like a first draft of the books from her Empyrium series. Really similar main characters, same awkward and cheesy sexuality, like an old romance novel. During the final fight scene I had to go back and re-read because it was so abrupt and anticlimactic I thought I missed something. The whole book is like that, too many details about inconsequential characters and scenery and sparse details during what should be the most compelling parts. The New York setting is weird too because people talk like they're in a hokey 80s tv drama, but it's supposed to be, I don't know, sometime when there were horsedrawn carriages? Didn't work for me. Disappointing given how much I enjoyed some of her other books.
laughlinesandliterature's review against another edition
4.0
* I received this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*
Winterspell is a great book for people to who love urban fantasy. It has a different take on it because it is set in the 1890’s, and it gives the book a very Victorian feel. This book has a very dark tone to it, which was quite refreshing. There were no hero’s or good guys in this story.
Clara was an interesting character, and definitely the only character guided by any kind of moral compass which she inherited from her mother. Clara was very naïve, but it was because she truly wanted to believe the best of people. I loved her interactions with Godfather. He was definitely a murky character who didn’t always have the best moral compass, but he truly loved Clara and that redeemed him.
Nicholas was a different story, and I understand that he had spent years stuck in metal, but his actions towards Clara definitely soured him in my opinion. Even afterwards when he was remorseful, I was glad, but it didn’t change my already bad opinion of him. Nicholas had a lot of redeeming to do, and I don’t feel that he even came close to it. He wasn’t a bad person, but he definitely only had killing on his mind.
The faeries and humans in this story were well matched. In most stories one is the aggressor and perpetrator of wrong doing. Not in Winterspell they both had done horrible things to one another over the centuries. It was probably one of those situations where no one really remembers when things went wrong, and so they’ve been fighting for thousands of years just because it’s what they’ve always done.
This book was very very dark, in both tone and in description. Cane was pictured as a bleak, snowy, terrible place. Even the bits of beauty that were described were shadowed by humans on chains, or faeries who were being deformed by Anise’s magic. Even the scenes that were set in New York were dark and dreary. The whole book was very bleak in description, however it a nice change from everything being stunningly beautiful.
The book was a little hard to get into at first because of the stark writing style, and a few editing errors in my copy from Edelweiss. However, after the first 50-75 pages I didn’t notice it, and I was fully sucked in. I really enjoyed this book, and I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.
*This review was first posted to Moonlight Gleam reviews http://moonlightgleam.com/2014/09/winterspell-by-claire-legrand-review.html*
Winterspell is a great book for people to who love urban fantasy. It has a different take on it because it is set in the 1890’s, and it gives the book a very Victorian feel. This book has a very dark tone to it, which was quite refreshing. There were no hero’s or good guys in this story.
Clara was an interesting character, and definitely the only character guided by any kind of moral compass which she inherited from her mother. Clara was very naïve, but it was because she truly wanted to believe the best of people. I loved her interactions with Godfather. He was definitely a murky character who didn’t always have the best moral compass, but he truly loved Clara and that redeemed him.
Nicholas was a different story, and I understand that he had spent years stuck in metal, but his actions towards Clara definitely soured him in my opinion. Even afterwards when he was remorseful, I was glad, but it didn’t change my already bad opinion of him. Nicholas had a lot of redeeming to do, and I don’t feel that he even came close to it. He wasn’t a bad person, but he definitely only had killing on his mind.
The faeries and humans in this story were well matched. In most stories one is the aggressor and perpetrator of wrong doing. Not in Winterspell they both had done horrible things to one another over the centuries. It was probably one of those situations where no one really remembers when things went wrong, and so they’ve been fighting for thousands of years just because it’s what they’ve always done.
This book was very very dark, in both tone and in description. Cane was pictured as a bleak, snowy, terrible place. Even the bits of beauty that were described were shadowed by humans on chains, or faeries who were being deformed by Anise’s magic. Even the scenes that were set in New York were dark and dreary. The whole book was very bleak in description, however it a nice change from everything being stunningly beautiful.
The book was a little hard to get into at first because of the stark writing style, and a few editing errors in my copy from Edelweiss. However, after the first 50-75 pages I didn’t notice it, and I was fully sucked in. I really enjoyed this book, and I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.
*This review was first posted to Moonlight Gleam reviews http://moonlightgleam.com/2014/09/winterspell-by-claire-legrand-review.html*
bookworm097's review against another edition
4.0
I was under the impression tat this was a retelling of the Nutcracker. It was, though not what I expected. I was hoping for something more magical. While this had magic in it, it was not he kind of whimsical magic I associate with the Nutcracker. That being said, it is still a retelling and I can see where the elements of the Nutcracker influenced this. A good read, though it does take some time to get into it and it takes a while to read it.
lunalibro's review against another edition
1.0
Okay....soooooo I finished this book around 6 a.m. and I have a lot of thoughts and feelings I need to let out before I explode. If it doesn't make sense I'M SORRY T_T!
My friend, Liza, and I read this book as a read-a-long book...and well...Here are my feelings while reading this book expressed through GIFs!
Beginning:
Middle:
End:
So you guys can probably tell that I really really did not enjoy the book. What SUCKS is that I had high high high hopes for this book because it was not only blurbed by one of my favorite authors, Marissa Meyer, but, I was hooked at the beginning! Unfortunately, the more I read the book, pretty much everything just spiraled downhill for me. I will first start off with Clara, the main character. At first I felt really bad for her because of the situation she was in with her family and what not, but, she became so ANOOOOOOYING!!! Her reactions.....
SOOOO FRUSTRATING!
The next issue I had was with how the author handled sexuality. The scenes where Clara describes how her clothes felt good on her body or when she describes how she would rub against the statue in a sexually manner, it became almost too much for me (and I read plenty of romance novels where those kinds of descriptions are common too! >.<) This is literally my face when I read those parts
The third issue was the world building. I had a very difficult time constructing a solid image in my head of the world. For example, while I was reading the confrontation in the ballroom at Clara's house, I was so confused! I couldn't make sense of the action that was going on even though I would read the passage a couple of times.
The fourth issue I have is with Nicholas. I honestly thought Nicholas would have been my favorite character in the book. BUT, he does something INCREDIBLY STUPID! After that, he also became just as annoying to me as Clara. LE SIGH
Out of all my issue with this book, the end kind of made things slightly better. The final battle was action packed and people were actually dying left and right (good way to portray the brutality of war). It was the one part that kept me interested in turning the pages.
I really don't know why I committed to finishing this book even though I had A LOT of issues with it. Maybe I just like torturing myself T_T. I think that's all I have to say about this book (it feels great venting out my feelings about a book XD)
Final thoughts: Read/Pass
My friend, Liza, and I read this book as a read-a-long book...and well...Here are my feelings while reading this book expressed through GIFs!
Beginning:
Middle:
End:
So you guys can probably tell that I really really did not enjoy the book. What SUCKS is that I had high high high hopes for this book because it was not only blurbed by one of my favorite authors, Marissa Meyer, but, I was hooked at the beginning! Unfortunately, the more I read the book, pretty much everything just spiraled downhill for me. I will first start off with Clara, the main character. At first I felt really bad for her because of the situation she was in with her family and what not, but, she became so ANOOOOOOYING!!! Her reactions.....
SOOOO FRUSTRATING! The next issue I had was with how the author handled sexuality. The scenes where Clara describes how her clothes felt good on her body or when she describes how she would rub against the statue in a sexually manner, it became almost too much for me (and I read plenty of romance novels where those kinds of descriptions are common too! >.<) This is literally my face when I read those parts
The third issue was the world building. I had a very difficult time constructing a solid image in my head of the world. For example, while I was reading the confrontation in the ballroom at Clara's house, I was so confused! I couldn't make sense of the action that was going on even though I would read the passage a couple of times.
The fourth issue I have is with Nicholas. I honestly thought Nicholas would have been my favorite character in the book. BUT, he does something INCREDIBLY STUPID!
Spoiler
Once he finds out Clara has mage blood, he decides to try to manipulate her to fight for him out of anger *slams head on desk*Out of all my issue with this book, the end kind of made things slightly better. The final battle was action packed and people were actually dying left and right (good way to portray the brutality of war).
Spoiler
Drosslemeyer died from his injuries and that scene actually broke my heartI really don't know why I committed to finishing this book even though I had A LOT of issues with it. Maybe I just like torturing myself T_T. I think that's all I have to say about this book (it feels great venting out my feelings about a book XD)
Final thoughts: Read/Pass
bibliobrittish's review against another edition
5.0
Now THIS is how you do a Nutcracker retelling! Winterspell has dark sugar plum dreams woven into its very core, from atmosphere to creatures and on down the line. But while it takes certain major plot points and characters from the original, Legrand has written something entirely her own, complete with the fierce female leads she's so adept at writing - the ones who shirk expectation and fight back, the gentle hearts whose greatest power is how deeply they care. Claire's writing is loquacious yet visceral, and full of surprises, even when you feel certain of what's coming. And her characters are bar none, each with a back story that draws you in and toes the line of good vs evil - I still haven't made my mind up about some of them. Winterspell is a story of self-discovery and claiming your power from those who would use it for themselves. A perfect wintry read, but ultimately, worthwhile no matter the weather.
cammmiam's review against another edition
2.0
As a former ballet dancer, Winterspell was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I was incredibly interested to see how Claire Legrand would use her imagination to expand upon the world of the Nutcracker prince’s kingdom with the Sugar Plum Fairy as the villain. It was this imagination, along with the descriptions of the setting and magic that were the components of this book that worked best for me. Otherwise, I have very mixed opinions on the rest of the book.
For example, the pacing traveled from action-packed to long spells of inactivity. The beginning of the story, as Clara goes through the motions of her life at home (and what a weird life she lived, with people doing nothing about the doctor sexually harassing her), was stale enough to require days for me to trudge through the pages. I did not understand Clara’s character due to her way of blaming herself for everything, nor did I understand the world she lived in. Other than that, I also did not comprehend the sexual fascination she held for the statue (who turns out to be the prince) in her godfather’s shop. The sensual tones (and the way they were described) throughout this book did nothing for me.
Rather than have a Rat King be the villain, a faery named Anise is the antagonist of this story, and she surprisingly has what I believe is now considered to be “steampunk” elements to the magic she controls. As someone who has never been able to get into the steampunk thing that has become popular I could only do my best to try to grin and bear it. If you like to read steampunk then I imagine this element of the story will suit you quite fine.
Nevertheless, even with all of the problems I had with the story, I still wanted to know what happened next. It is a weird position to be in: I had wanted to read this book because it was a re-telling of the Nutcracker, yet it was the end of the book and the possibilities it opened to an entirely new adventure that intrigued me the most.
(Note: This book is not one of a series; it is a stand-alone).
For example, the pacing traveled from action-packed to long spells of inactivity. The beginning of the story, as Clara goes through the motions of her life at home (and what a weird life she lived, with people doing nothing about the doctor sexually harassing her), was stale enough to require days for me to trudge through the pages. I did not understand Clara’s character due to her way of blaming herself for everything, nor did I understand the world she lived in. Other than that, I also did not comprehend the sexual fascination she held for the statue (who turns out to be the prince) in her godfather’s shop. The sensual tones (and the way they were described) throughout this book did nothing for me.
Rather than have a Rat King be the villain, a faery named Anise is the antagonist of this story, and she surprisingly has what I believe is now considered to be “steampunk” elements to the magic she controls. As someone who has never been able to get into the steampunk thing that has become popular I could only do my best to try to grin and bear it. If you like to read steampunk then I imagine this element of the story will suit you quite fine.
Nevertheless, even with all of the problems I had with the story, I still wanted to know what happened next. It is a weird position to be in: I had wanted to read this book because it was a re-telling of the Nutcracker, yet it was the end of the book and the possibilities it opened to an entirely new adventure that intrigued me the most.
(Note: This book is not one of a series; it is a stand-alone).