A Winter's Promise

By: Christelle Dabos

Narrated by: Emma Fenney

Length: 14 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's Summary

Plain-spoken, headstrong Ophelia cares little about appearances. Her ability to read the past of objects is unmatched in all of Anima, and, what’s more, she possesses the ability to travel through mirrors, a skill passed down to her from previous generations. Her idyllic life is disrupted, however, when she is promised in marriage to Thorn, a taciturn and influential member of a distant clan. 

She must leave all she knows behind and follow her fiancé to Citaceleste, the capital of a cold, icy ark known as the Pole, where danger lurks around every corner and nobody can be trusted. There, in the presence of her inscrutable future husband, she slowly realizes that she is a pawn in a political game that will have far-reaching ramifications not only for her but for her entire world.

©2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC (P)2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Critic Reviews

“Dabos’s darkly enchanting debut, a French bestseller, employs vibrant characters, inventive worldbuilding, and a sophisticated plot that will dazzle readers.” (Publishers Weekly)

Extraordinary

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it to you. It's well written: it's brilliantly provocative; features excellent characterization;, and transports your to a fantastic world.

56 people found this helpful

Memorable

I found the world interesting and the story compelling. Her characters help set this author apart. The "supporting" characters feel a little more complete than in many fantasy novels.

3 people found this helpful

Strange Mistakes

Narration is excellent. I struggle to fall asleep to most female narrators, as those who perform voices tend to screech, but this woman can do myriad voices without resorting to too many excessively-high pitches. That said, her voice does not drone into monotony, so I stayed engaged and focused on the story during the day.

I did, however, notice SEVERAL moments that seem like obvious editing misses, places where the narrator corrects a word or false starts, and it was missed during cleanup of the production. After listening to hundreds of audiobooks over the years without noticing a single mistake, (I am always listening for page turns, which brings me a small joy each time) it seems worth noting that there were multiple in this production.

Another thing that bothers me: certain words don't *belong* in high fantasy. In this story, "champagne" is an example: champagne the beverage comes from Champagne the region in France. It feels out of place in worlds such as these, where there is no Europe, let alone France. I also came across this when the main character has a concern about "breaking the laws of physics"... in a world of magic, elaborate illusion, mind control, etc., surely the laws of physics would be understood--and probably named--differently? Perhaps these are personal peeves and a non-issue for others.

In all, however, I found the relationships to be more realistic (and frankly, less idolizing of the toxic/unhealthy) than the last several fantasy novels I've listened to.

I enjoyed the story and don't regret the credit.

11 people found this helpful

S L O W

You think you know where the book is going and you get impatient for it to get there - and then before any one story is resolved a twist happens. So you think to yourself oh this was unexpected. Then it happens again and again. You just wish that so many seemingly unimportant things didn't occur or that you have to keep track of characters that you may never hear of again. It was very very slow going and I wanted to give up many times. I think the whole book could have been pared down to a few chapters of a good story. If you like stories where the characters don't behave the way you think they will, or lots of detail before any action happens then you will like this book. Commit to the next one in the series though as this one has no real ending.

2 people found this helpful

the narrator was excellent

however, and i realize that she is young, but by god does ophelia complain a lot. it was grating enough to the point that i had to take a break from the book. it got a little better towards the end of the book or at least the last 2 hours of it, but i definitely hope that she grows up a little more by the next book.

2 people found this helpful

a good fantasy read

I wanted it to go on and on... more books with Ophelia I hope! I loved the imagery and imagination mixed with intrigue. I want to visit Ophelia's new life again!

2 people found this helpful

Perfect!!!

This is a new favorite, I will totally be buying the physical copy. Onto book 2 now… also, PLEASE give us books 3 and 4 soon!!!

7 people found this helpful

Walk away

The book is so slow, the lead female character weak, the lead male gruff and stupid.

107 people found this helpful

Worth Reading

A fantastical tale of magic, court and intrigue when a king and queen's talented and darling daughter is promised in marriage to a far away kingdom's strange and notably harsh nobleman. She travels to her new home only to discover she is most unwelcome within the court. There are plots against her, and her betrothed ignores her when not being unkind to her. She must stand on her own and watch her back as she tries to find out the truth. Why, of all the princesses available to wed, was she chosen, when so clearly she appears to be so unsuitable? And then, little by little, she uncovers the truth of her value to the man who would wed her. Here I must state that I'm not inclined to read serial novels as a rule. I like stand alone books. This is clearly the first in a series as the ending is riddled with more questions then answers, yet a good read even if I'm not inclined to follow up with the next installation.

1 person found this helpful

excellent book!

Very interesting story, with evolving characters in a world that never ceases to surprise!. And the narration is simply superb.

1 person found this helpful