Winter’s Fury by A.E. Rayne | Review

IN A WORLD RULED BY MEN, ONE WOMAN WILL RISE

She was their greatest warrior; the daughter of the king. But her uncle stole the throne and sent her away to marry Eadmund, the drunken son of their worst enemy. Now she must pick up her sword again to restore her family’s honour and return to the home she loves.

Despite her skill with a sword, her prowess in battle, and her reputation as the greatest warrior in Brekka, without her father to protect her, Jael was merely a pawn, a woman to be married off so her uncle could forge an alliance to fulfil his own desperate ambitions.

Eadmund is broken hearted, tortured by the murder of his first wife, but his father had lost patience with him. He wanted heirs for his kingdom. He wanted his son back, restored to the fierce warrior he had once been. And when his daughter has a dream about Jael, the woman who would save him, he eagerly jumps at the opportunity to make an alliance with his worst enemy.

Jael and Eadmund will fight against their union, but the dreamers know that this marriage is meant to be; it must happen for the sake of all Osterland. For without them... without Jael and her sword, without Eadmund by her side, the five kingdoms will not survive the darkness that is coming to claim them all.

Winter’s Fury…yet another Norse inspired novel that has indeed broken me.  An ending that only has you downloading book two and screaming into the void!  An ending that will only have you yelling the authors name, but without A.E. Rayne’s dastardly writing skills, there would be no Winter’s Fury.  It’s taken me a few days to write this review because I have been on a book hungover, adrenaline intoxicated state.  This is the second Norse -inspired book that I’ve read in under a week and I seriously think I’ve found my fantasy sub-genre niche. 

Let’s take a small walk and allow me to show you just why I ended up in such a tangle of threads.

Winter’s Fury.  Never has a fantasy novel held such promise and such truth.  The story takes place on what seems like the coldest place on earth.  The atmosphere is chilling alongside our protagonist’s mindframe after being forced into a marriage she doesn’t want or need.  Whilst reading this book I had serious Viking TV show vibes, the same display of strong women, evil deeds and a running thread of Norse mythology and traditions being played throughout.  It’s a slow burn but you get to learn fascinating back stories that either get you on board with characters or turn you straight off. 

The author is highly skilled and receptive to how the plot should unfold.  I particularly enjoyed how we have an extremely strong female character, but instead of suffering due to her past traumas, she has become stronger because of them.  Her strengths and limitations are not unrealistic.  She is quick to anger and react, but it is certainly not out of place due to her situation.  It was especially pleasing when Jael Furyck became friends with her husband’s best friend.  The relationship was spunky and fun…best of all no sign of a love triangle anywhere!

Winter’s Fury is a long ass book.  It’s a long book but it was perfect for what the story needed to be.  We had multiple plot lines interweaving and I’m glad that the author took the time to not only develop the characters but to give the reader perspective.  The magical systems look to give a big pay-out in book two and I can’t wait to see how characters will play and favour in the final dance.  I have my definite favourites and not just our MC. 

Winter’s Fury leaves a lot to look forward to.  We had twists and turns, highs and lows.  The storyline with the main villain was thrilling and I was totally invested in the final fight.  Everything that this story promised, it fully delivered on. 

ABOUT A.E. RAYNE

Hello, I’m Amy!

I live in Auckland, New Zealand, and have done for three-quarters of my life. The other quarter was spent in England, where my kids were born. I have three of those, and they’re very cool. I’m a bit demented and thought it would be a good idea to have them a year or so apart. I’m still recovering from that misguided notion, but am convinced that a month in Bora Bora would set me right!

Speaking of travelling, as much as I crave a tropical island escape, you’re far more inclined to find me hankering after snow. We don’t have any of that in Auckland – not a drop! And, although it did snow occasionally in dear old England, I’m still looking for the up-to-your-window sort of snow experience. I come from Viking stock (my grandmother was Swedish), so maybe that’s why I have always craved the cold, white stuff. In fact, my husband and I bonded over our love of scarves.

‘Twas love at first discussion about the pleasure of a good scarf!

A.E. RAYNE