My March Page 1 Book Subscription introduced me to Christelle Dabos’ A Winter’s Promise. As Book 1 of a quartet, I began reading it with a series mindset.

What’s a series mindset? Great question – glad you asked. A series mindset starts with choosing to read a book that’s the first of a series which means you may not get a tidy ending when you finish the book. There are two kinds of first-in-a-series:

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – a great book with a complete story and wraps up nicely but leaves the door open for more.

• The City of Brass – tons of world-building, tension, and ends on a cliffhanger.

A Winter’s Promise is the latter. The book begins with subtle world-building, and arks, Anima, reading objects, and our main character Ophelia transfix you. It’s a slow start, but there are little exciting incidents that build tension and keep you turning the page. I was delighted to have another female protagonist in the novel. Ophelia is a small, quiet, unassuming young lady of sixteen who is suddenly thrust into a betrothal to an unknown man from an unknown land. With only her aunt as a guardian, Ophelia must figure out how to manage a distant fiance, learn how to exist in high society, and find someone she can trust.

A Winter’s Promise is full of intrigue, twists, magic, and a fantastical world. I highly recommend it and can’t wait to read the next one!

Links: A Winter’s Promise - Amazon | A Winter’s Promise - Bookshop.org