She survived the curse. Now she must survive the throne. All Ekata wants is to stay alive–and the chance to prove herself as a scholar. Once Ekata’s brother is finally named heir to the dukedom of Kylma Above, there will be nothing to keep her at home with her murderous family. Not her books or her experiments, not her family’s icy castle atop a frozen lake, not even the tantalizingly close … the tantalizingly close Kylma Below, a mesmerizing underwater kingdom that provides her family with magic. But just as escape is within reach, her parents and twelve siblings fall under a strange sleeping sickness, and no one can find a cure.
In the space of a single night, Ekata inherits the title of duke, her brother’s captivating warrior bride, and ever-encroaching challengers from without–and within–her ministry. Nothing has prepared Ekata for diplomacy, for war, for love . . . or for a crown she has never wanted. If Kylma Above is to survive, Ekata must seize her family’s magic and power. And if Ekata is to survive, she must quickly decide how she will wield them both.
The Winter Duke is an enchanted tale of intrigue by Claire Eliza Bartlett, author of the acclaimed young adult fantasy novel We Rule the Night.
more
That cover really conveys a sense of the broody, cold beauty of the story. Bartlett’s worldbuilding is trenchantly magnificent (oh those frozen roses!), and strong characterization contrasts the complexity of the world.
Teenage Ekata is the only one awake after a mysterious, clearly magical, illness strikes down the rest of her huge, obnoxiously (and lethally) competitive family. Her father, the grand duke, is also laid low, and Ekata must step up. But nobody, including her, thinks she’s strong enough to hold the government. She tries her best to be her father: hard, heartless, brutal when necessary, uttering threats as her own life is threatened. Carrying them out to prove she’s not all bark and no bite. But the emotional cost is exponential.
Meanwhile events must go on as scheduled to convey a semblance of normalcy, including a bride viewing, which had initially been scheduled for Ekata’s older brother, the putative heir. I was interested in this choice of words, bride, as both males and females can be considered. Turns out that word choice isn’t examined, but the story is so involving I never really noticed that once events began to accelerate.
Ekata chooses Inkar, a woman from another land whose personality is a contrast to Ekata’s mood-swinging desperation. Watching these two slowly get to know one another, and to trust, is one of the many pleasures of this book.
Politics abound, as do assassination attempts, and don’t forget the magic. Kylma Above is the land Ekata is trying to rule. Kylma Below is in a sense a mirror land undersea, where the magic Ekata’s family depends on originates. Ekata has to discover the source of the magic, along with holding onto her throne. And her life.
Bartlett does a terrific job with a teenager who is smart, but knows she’s way out of her depth. Meanwhile there is the Gaston-like handsome suitor who is after her (and her kingdom) and politicians who want to do away with royalty entirely, and . . . and . . . and!
The pacing rips along until the end, leaving me wondering what magic Bartlett will create next. Brava!
Really enjoyed this! It’s rare that we get a MC who’s so clearly brilliant but also so out of her depth as to be almost useless. And the love interest was AWESOME, the worldbuilding was fascinating, and the political machinations were excellent.
This was the first book by Claire Eliza Bartlett I’ve read, so I had no idea what to expect concerning her writing style, her world-building, or her characters. Truthfully, I was pleased with this one. Her world-building of Kylma Above and Kylma Below were absolutely described so beautifully, I felt like I had taken a tour and could picture them in my mind. The slow-burn romance that builds between Ekata and Inkar, this is an F/F fantasy novel, was so full of chemistry it was almost palpable. And then there was her writing style. She made the story so enchanting, exciting, dramatic, mesmerizing and thrilling with her words, it was hard to put the book down even to refill the coffee cup. The was a book well worth reading and I would gladly recommend it.