Winter’s Chill by Morgan L. Busse
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Winter’s Chill picks up right where Winter’s Maiden left off. We continue following Brighid and Kaeden, with occasional secondary perspectives thrown in. Busse takes us to the White City in the southlands, and back to Bear Clan territory in the north. I loved learning more about the Eldaran through Kaeden’s perspective. But even more, I loved exploring the lore and power of the Bear Clan alongside Brighid. While not as tense and fast-paced as its predecessor, Winter’s Chill is just as compelling. The expansion of the world and the growth of the characters made for an engaging reading experience.

“The Word loved mankind enough to battle for their souls. Why would He withhold His song from them?”

There’s not much I can say about the plot that wouldn’t spoil the first installment. But what I can discuss are the themes. I like how this series grapples with big questions about God (or the Word), questions regarding His ultimate goodness, why He allows evil when He could stop it in an instant, and why He respects our free will. There was also a lot of grappling with identity and purpose and the weight of leadership, both internally and externally. Family is also of great importance. We see families broken and restored, and characters being either bolstered by their upbringings or undercut by them.

“But they were also not privy to all the times the Word called each person. To every human. Through song and silence. Through the constant voice holding the world together. In the rain and the wind and the sound of laughter. If one was quiet long enough, once could hear the Word.”

As mentioned above, I really loved watching the main characters grow. Brighid and Kaeden are both deep and sympathetic and good. They’re easy characters to root for, and they are both developing beautifully and believably. Just a touch of slowburn romance makes its way into the story, coupled with a light sense of fated soulmates. And then there’s the extended cast. I love Treyvar, the quiet scholar who is more than he appears, and who has become such a faithful friend to Kaeden. I also grew to love the members of the Bear Clan. And then there’s the introduction of Bjornfrost the bear. I love a good animal companion, and Bjornfrost has joined those ranks.

“Every Nordic fights for Nordica. Therefore, every Nordic has a voice. Even the classless. Today, I speak for them.”

Winter’s Chill was a wonderful continuation of the Nordic Wars series. It was very different from its predecessor in some ways; it’s more contemplative, but it was still a lovely complement to that introductory novel. And there is still action, though the scenes are less frequent. While this didn’t necessarily end on a cliffhanger, it did end with a world still at war and a lot left unresolved. I’m sad that I have to wait a year to see how the story ends, but I’m thankful that Busse has a time-proven track record for delivering on her promises.

You can purchase this book directly from the publisher, Enclave, or from Amazon, Audible, Bookshop.org, or Libro.fm.

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