Winter Queen

Fairy Queens, Book 2

By: Amber Argyle

Narrated by: Elizabeth Evans

Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

A healer. Her fellow captive. A deadly bargain...

Never bargain with the fae.

When the battle moves to the heart of her village, Ilyenna looks into her enemy’s eyes and sees more than just cunning. There is also lust - lust for power and lust for her. She could escape. If she's willing to take the fae's impossible bargain.

Dark magic in exchange for her soul.

But she risks losing more than her soul. She would also lose Rone, the man she's been in secretly in love with for years. But as things heat up between Rone and Ilyenna, so does her captor's cruelty. Worse, the feud between clans is merely a distraction from something far worse.

With Rone's life in the balance, Ilyenna must decide whether or not to resurrect the power the fairies left behind. But if she embraces that magic, she risks losing herself to its destroying power.

Forever.

Can Ilyenna save Rone and her people from certain death? Will she keep her humanity or fall prey to the fae's wicked bargains? Listen to Winter Queen to find out!

©2013 Amber Argyle (P)2016 Amber Argyle Smith

Gut wrenching read!

This story had so many twists and turns and constantly kept me guessing as to what was coming next. I cried through most of the book. It absolutely broke my heart what Ilyenna suffered at the hands of Darrien, yet she stayed strong for her clan, her family and the man she loved. And she's not even twenty years old! No one should have to endure that much pain much less someone so young. This is a book that will stay with you long after reading it. So make sure you have plenty of Kleenex on hand. Also, be prepared to binge listen because once you start, you won't want to stop for anything!

Captivating!!

What an intense and heartbreaking read. I finished this a week ago and had to take that length of time to gather my thoughts.

First off, let's take a moment to stare at that gorgeous cover!! Isn't it stunning. Even before you read the blurb, you will want to read this. Lol. Anyway, back to the review.

I loved this book, though it did break my heart numerous times.

Character wise, we have a lot of them but I'll focus on the main 2 and the villian.

Ilyenna is a clan mistress for the Shyle Clan. She never wanted the responsibility but has no choice but to step up to the role. I loved that Ilyenna was so willing to do whats needed for her clan, no matter what. Despite being so young and her reservations, she is a worthy mistress. My heart absolutely shattered for her and what she went through at the hands of Darrien, yet no matter what, she stayed strong and wouldn't bend. I loved her strength and tenacity.

Rone is a childhood friend of Ilyennas brother and she always had a crush on him. When they meet again, Rone becomes something of her protector and she relies on him. I also loved Rone. He is so strong, brave and loyal. He is also a captive and does what he can to ease the suffering of his clan and also Ilyennas clan.

The villian of the piece is Darrien. Now I have never hated a character as much as I hated him. Don't get me wrong, I loved the book but loathed him. I wanted to jump into the story and give him a taste of his own medicine. He was a brute and a beast. He treated women as nothing, lower than the low. He beat them, took advantage of them and was just an all round animal. He is pure evil and I hated him!! He is one of the worst, vilest characters I've ever read. It's a testimony to Ambers writing that even though I despised the character, I adored the book. He is there to be hated and she in no way makes him other than what he is.

Plot wise, it was amazing. Absolutely gripping. One clan attacks another and the Shyle go to help. The clan that attacked come to the Shyle village because they say that they attacked first. They take Tiams (slaves) from the village but Ilyenna refuses to let any of her clan suffer. The other clan chief says that if Ilyenna comes in their stead then the village and people will be left alone. She immediately agrees and ends up as a Tiam. Add in the winter faeries wanting Ilyenna as their queen and the summer faeries making an appearance and you have a truly unique tale. I can;t say too much about the plot because I know I will spoil something, but I will say that it was engrossing, enchanting and down right heart breaking at times. It's a book you need to experience rather than hearing about it.

In all, a heart wrenching, tear jerking read. At first you wonder where do the faeries come in and where the story is going, but it all comes together in the end. There is so much going on and so many twists that you will be captivated. It's a wonderfully written book and one that will stay with me. The author has created an amazing world and one I can't wait to jump back into. It's an intense and emotionally engrossing read and one I can't recommend enough.

Elizabeth Evans was really good. She was clear and concise and had distinctive tones, but the problem I had with her was at times she sounded so breathless. She seemed to stop to take a breath after every sentence and it was quite annoying, but easy to overlook in all. I hope she gets better as the series goes on.

*I received a coy of this for review. This in no way affected my thoughts.*

Perfect for a nurse who loves high fantasy

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ilyena. I identify with her very much. She was the perfect iteration of a nurse, but set in a high fantasy world, which is my favorite setting. As a nurse myself, I know that not many authors can get this right.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Ilyena healed the woman and her baby. That woman had been her enemy. She was brutal to Ilyena and even made the decision to starve her for several days, working her to the bone in the meantime. She asked Ilyena why she would heal her after all that, and Ilyena's honest response was that she did it because she was a healer. This is the essence of what a nurse is. We care for all people. We don't care if they are nice or mean or even downright cruel to us. We will help them anyway. Ilyena gave up her only chance at healing herself in the future, putting the woman's health before her own. This is a trait of nurses. We skip meals, breaks, trips to the bathroom, and even the chance for a drink of water in order to help those who need us. Their health is placed above our own. Not many people who aren't nurses understand it so well. Amber Argyle nailed this.

Any additional comments?

The very first thing I have to say about this book is that Ilyena (the main character) is a healer, and since I am a nurse, I immediately identified with her. Argyle did an exquisite job relaying the motivations, emotions, heart, and mind of a nurse. I can't believe someone who is not in the medical field could get it so right. It is very rare to find a believable nurse in fiction.

Now, to the story: Ilyena and her clan are almost immediately drawn into war and none of it makes any sense. They should not be fighting with those they are fighting with, yet their neighboring clan was attacked brutally, and they must offer their support. When things don't go well, and important people die or are close to death, political intrigue begins. To protect those she loves, Ilyena offers herself as a servant in her father's stead. The exchange calls for a fair use of her work by the opposing clan, meant to teach her a lesson. But Darrien, the future clan leader, instead uses her (and many others he has captured) as a slave. He beats them brutally, and she often fears her virtue will be stolen, too. He continually tries to force her into marriage.

What nobody knows is that Ilyena killed Darrien's brother in the original scuffle, and when she was near death, she was saved by winter fairies. There was a bargain struck, and now she is their queen, but she could not go away with them even though winter was ending. This comes up a few times throughout the book, and is woven beautifully into the story. Ilyena is both human and other.

Once back in Darrien's village, she finds friends from the clan they tried to help. Among them is her brother's childhood best friend, Rone, who she has always loved. Their relationship blooms throughout the book, as he protects her fiercely and cares for her tenderly. What a perfect love interest for her!

Throughout most of the book, they are waiting for the clan council to make a ruling on the incidents that lead to Ilyena and the others' enslavement, along with the devastation wreaked on the villages. Circumstances finally lead Ilyena to run away, but she has such integrity that she shows up to the council meeting anyway, and she is prepared for whatever their decision might be. Even if it means she has to marry the evil Darrien to protect those she loves.

The council seems to be leaning her way until Darrien tells a terrible lie. It is a lie that ruins everything she has fought for and now Ilyena, Rone, and all the others she was trying so fiercely to protect are hopeless and helpless. But there is one final line of defense. In desperation, Ilyena finally takes a path she has been fighting to comprehend the whole time.

Fairy Queen is part of a seven book series, but stands perfectly well on its own. I found it to be completely satisfying in the end.

I was gifted this audio book in exchange for my honest review, which I have given.