Name: A Winter's Promise
Author: Christelle Dabos (translated from French to English by Hildegard Serle)
Publisher: Europa Editions
Date published: 2019
Genre: Fiction, young adult, fantasy, romance, steampunk
Pages: 492
Rating: 5/5
Long ago, following a cataclysm called “The Rupture,” the world was shattered into many floating celestial islands. Known now as Arks, each has developed in distinct ways; each seems to possess its own unique relationship to time, such that nowadays vastly different worlds exist, together but apart. And over all of the Arks the spirit of an omnipotent ancestor abides.
Ophelia lives on Anima, an ark where objects have souls. Beneath her worn scarf and thick glasses, the young girl hides the ability to read and communicate with the souls of objects, and the power to travel through mirrors. Her peaceful existence on the Ark of Anima is disrupted when she is promised in marriage to Thorn, from the powerful Dragon clan. Ophelia must leave her family and follow her fiancée to the floating capital on the distant Ark of the Pole. Why has she been chosen? Why must she hide her true identity? Though she doesn’t know it yet, she has become a pawn in a deadly plot.
- From Goodreads.
A Winter's Promise was a wonderfully unique story with so much to be intrigued and delighted by. The world was so expansive and well developed and I am already excited to discover more about it in the next books in the series. The arks were so interesting to learn about and the cultural differences between them were fascinating.
The characters were also wonderful, each of them distinct in their personalities, some of them absolutely awful people while still being thrilling to read about, some of them immediately loveable and I adored every moment with them on the page.
The dynamic between Ophelia and Thorn was so interesting and I am really curious to see how their relationship develops over the series. I had no idea what to expect from each interaction between them but I enjoyed every one and enjoyed seeing them learn more about each other. Ophelia was such an endearing character who I really adored, even when she was making mistakes or doing something I would not do. Thorn was unpredictable and mysterious, and while a lot of characters hated him, and Ophelia was confused by her feelings towards him, I liked him a lot and I am excited to see more of him in the rest of the series.
Overall, this was a really delightful book. Very funny at some moments, very emotional at others, with an exciting plot and intriguing characters. If you like the Studio Ghibli movies, you will definitely like this as it has the same beautiful worldbuilding and immersive atmosphere. It is also a great book for anyone who enjoys political drama and court intrigues.
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