Winterkeep

By: Kristin Cashore

Narrated by: Xanthe Elbrick

The highly anticipated next book in the New York Times best-selling, award-winning Graceling Realm series, which has sold 1.3 million copies.

For the past five years, Bitterblue has reigned as queen of Monsea, heroically rebuilding her nation after her father's horrific rule. After learning about the land of Torla in the east, she sends envoys to the closest nation there: Winterkeep - a place where telepathic foxes bond with humans and people fly across the sky in wondrous airships. But when the envoys never return, having drowned under suspicious circumstances, Bitterblue sets off for Winterkeep herself, along with her spy Hava and her trusted colleague Giddon. On the way, tragedy strikes again - a tragedy with devastating political and personal ramifications.

Meanwhile, in Winterkeep, Lovisa Cavenda waits and watches, a fire inside her that is always hungry. The teenage daughter of two powerful politicians, she is the key to unlocking everything - but only if she's willing to transcend the person she's been all her life.

This audiobook includes a PDF containing a cast of characters.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Kristin Cashore (P)2021 Listening Library

Critic reviews

A New York Times best seller

"Cashore's fourth Graceling novel features two strong, but very different, female protagonists...this gripping tale of spies, romantic tension and moral dilemmas.... [A] magnificent addition to the series. (Shelf Awareness, starred review)

"Delicately, inexorably plotted, this is a captivating novel of action and ideas...an accomplishment all the more admirable in that Cashore achieves it largely through characterization." (Horn Book, starred review)

"This long-awaited addition to the series exceeds expectations - with the action of Graceling, the political theater of Fire, and characters from Bitterblue, this title has something to offer all Cashore fans." (School Library Journal, starred review)

Not sure, but then it grabbed me!

I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this story. While I appreciated Bitterblue, I didn't enjoy the book very much-- it was pretty dark, and I had a hard time keeping track of the characters. However, Winterkeep grabbed me from pretty early on. I was much more invested in all of the characters (including Bitterblue), and especially enjoyed the insight into Giddon and the chapters he narrated! I thought that all the different narrators would be too much, but it was beautifully done. I would highly recommend this book.

darker and more adult in nature

I enjoyed that this book was more dark, more traumatic and more sexual than the prior books. Bitterblue is a matured (maturing) young adult and dealing with the problems of the world not only her own country makes sense. Her country connected to other countries and they all don't always play nice. On a personal level sex would be a natural thing she would be dealing with. So I didn't mind the rather great sex scenes. Not the cheap unrealistic trash from romance novel, but good old fashion sex.

The telepathic foxes at the beginning of the book just weirded me out. Like the newest creepy evil thing. As the story evolves they become less evil and more about how the humans use them. The foxes are not resolved of their wrong doing but mostly this wrong doing is because of the human they are bonded with.

The political/ecological/equality babble most authors seem to think they need to include in their books, I guess to be cool an a good standing citizen of Earth, kind of disappoints me. The story doesn't need this added layer.

A Welcome Addition

Every new addition to the world is a gem. Each new character is a fascination, and the familiar ones grow in wonderful ways. Forever looking out for any expansion of this universe that Cashore has created.

a good story all on it's own

I couldn't remember much of the previous books, just a vague memory. No matter. This book was enjoyable all on it's own.

fabulous Read, Loved it

I was waiting for this in a joyful child like glee, not a moment of my time was wasted listening to the not stop thriller. To meet new characters and revisit with old ones was a time of old friends mixing with new friends. The listener is touched with feelings of joy, happiness ( lots of smiling and laughing with the characters), sadness, shock, suspense, love and the triumph of doing what is right and just. Truly a remarkable story and skillfully involving the first 3 books and reintroducing moments from the first 3 books that help to carry the story alone that the listener never feels lost.

delightful story

an excellent sequel with beautiful storytelling in a rich fantasy world. every point of view was interesting, and in the case of animals, absolutely charming.

Emotional

I’ve always loved the Graceling universe and this is a great addition. The first three books felt really cosy and intimate as they were essentially confined to their own worlds. The main characters fought through challenges with a straight moral compass for the most part. Winterkeep brings us a protagonist who is uncertain of herself and has questionable morals. But it becomes clearer along the way why she is that way. The amount of times I teared up is ridiculous.

another great story

another great story. it was fun to see what happened to bitterblue and meet new characters.

Good overall

Not my favorite of the series but good enough to make me want to keep reading the series. Sometimes the characters were too confusing and their motivation seemed thin.

Amazing as Expected

Loved this just as much as the other books. Definitely darker and more mature content than previous books, but I loved it.