Thank you NewSouth Publishing for this book in exchange for an honest review
Synopsis:
An enchanted tale of intrigue where a duke’s daughter is the only survivor of a magical curse.
When Ekata’s brother is finally named heir, there will be nothing to keep her at home in Kylma Above with her murderous family. Not her books or science experiments, not her family’s icy castle atop a frozen lake, not even the tantalizingly close Kylma Below, a mesmerizing underwater kingdom that provides her family with magic. But just as escape is within reach, her parents and twelve siblings fall under a strange sleeping sickness.
In the space of a single night, Ekata inherits the title of duke, her brother’s warrior bride, and ever-encroaching challengers from without—and within—her own ministry. Nothing has prepared Ekata for diplomacy, for war, for love…or for a crown she has never wanted. If Kylma Above is to survive, Ekata must seize her family’s power. And if Ekata is to survive, she must quickly decide how she will wield it
Review:
The Winter Duke is one of those epic YA fantasy that doesn’t stick to a PG bland story line and captures the ruthless, stab you in the back vibes that we all crave but never get!
Ekata dreams about escaping the brutal royal life that she is currently held in, she dreams of far off places and studying and having a good night sleep without having to worry that one of her siblings would kill her to get a step closer to the thrown. And frankly I love that Ekata could not give a crap about the thrown!
However in the evening of her brother’s ‘brideshow’ (a ball where he picks his future wife) Ekata’s whole family is stuck by a mysterious sleeping sickness, with nothing that seems to wake them. Thrust into the role of Duke – Ekata must play the game of politics to not only keep herself alive, but figure out who is behind the deceit in the court and whom she can trust.
This was awesome, fast passed and I loved the sass and humour that Ekata had, whilst she tried to reign supreme! She was a complex character that had the basic need for freedom and to protect her family, though they would never protect her.
There was a great deal of depth to this world that the author continuously and subtly built on, from their frozen ice gardens, to the food that they have and even the subtle weather remarks, which continuous build this fantastic and frosty world in your mind.
Overall, this was a brilliant book from start to finish and it is a book that I highly recommend!!!
Rating: 5/5
Publisher: Little Brown Books
ISBN: 978031647341