Winter Queen by Amber Argyle Review!

Title : Winter Queen
Author : Amber Argyle
Pages ; 254
Published : June 19th 2013
Publisher : Starling Publishing
Source : From Author
Purchase : Amazon/ Book Depository

Becoming a winter queen will make Ilyenna as cold and cruel and deadly as winter itself, but it might be the only way to save her people from a war they have no hope of winning.~
Mortally wounded during a raid, seventeen-year-old Ilyenna is healed by winter fairies who present her with a seductive offer: become one of them and share their power over winter. But that power comes with a price. If she accepts, she will become a force of nature, lose her humanity, and abandon her family.
Unwilling to pay such a high price, Ilyenna is enslaved by one of the invaders, Darrien. While in captivity, she learns the attack wasn’t just a simple raid but part of a larger plot to overthrow her entire nation. 
With the enemy stealing over the mountains and Darrien coming to take her to his bed, Ilyenna must decide whether to resurrect the power the fairies left behind. Doing so will allow her to defeat Darrien and the other invaders, but if she embraces winter, she will lose herself to that destroying power—forever.

My Thoughts : 

What an intense and heartbreaking read. I finished this a week ago and had to take that length of time to gather my thoughts.

First off, let's take a moment to stare at that gorgeous cover!! Isn't it stunning. Even before you read the blurb, you will want to read this. Lol. Anyway, back to the review. 

I loved this book, though it did break my heart numerous times. 

Character wise, we have a lot of them but I'll focus on the main 2 and the villian.

Ilyenna is a clan mistress for the Shyle Clan. She never wanted the responsibility but has no choice but to step up to the role. I loved that Ilyenna was so willing to do whats needed for her clan, no matter what. Despite being so young and her reservations, she is a worthy mistress. My heart absolutely shattered for her and what she went through at the hands of Darrien, yet no matter what, she stayed strong and wouldn't bend. I loved her strength and tenacity. 

Rone is a childhood friend of Ilyennas brother and she always had a crush on him. When they meet again, Rone becomes something of her protector and she relies on him. I also loved Rone. He is so strong, brave and loyal. He is also a captive and does what he can to ease the suffering of his clan and also Ilyennas clan.

The villian of the piece is Darrien. Now I have never hated a character as much as I hated him. Don't get me wrong, I loved the book but loathed him. I wanted to jump into the story and give him a taste of his own medicine. He was a brute and a beast. He treated women as nothing, lower than the low. He beat them, took advantage of them and was just an all round animal. He is pure evil and I hated him!! He is one of the worst, vilest characters I've ever read. It's a testimony to Ambers writing that even though I despised the character, I adored the book. He is there to be hated and she in no way makes him other than what he is.

Plot wise, it was amazing. Absolutely gripping. One clan attacks another and the Shyle go to help. The clan that attacked come to the Shyle village because they say that they attacked first. They take Tiams (slaves) from the village but Ilyenna refuses to let any of her clan suffer. The other clan chief says that if Ilyenna comes in their stead then the village and people will be left alone. She immediately agrees and ends up as a Tiam. Add in the winter faeries wanting Ilyenna as their queen and the summer faeries making an appearance and you have a truly unique tale. I can;t say too much about the plot because I know I will spoil something, but I will say that it was engrossing, enchanting and down right heart breaking at times. It's a book you need to experience rather than hearing about it.

In all, a heart wrenching, tear jerking read. At first you wonder where do the faeries come in and where the story is going, but it all comes together in the end. There is so much going on and so many twists that you will be captivated. It's a wonderfully written book and one that will stay with me. The author has created an amazing world and one I can't wait to jump back into. It's an intense and emotionally engrossing read and one I can't recommend enough.