Kantolope reviewed Winter Herald by Jordan Heeren
Excellent Fantasy
5 stars
I always love reading indie fiction because there's always the chance that I could stumble onto something amazing that could never be published in today's publishing industry. Winter Herald, and the earlier book in the series, Shadow Herald, are one such occasion. These books really have everything that I'm looking for in a fantasy novel. Relatable characters, compelling plot, a conlang, revolution against the oppresive social order, and a great queer romance. Also, regarding that, the romance is excellent. As a caveat, I'm ace, so I don't really go in for romance, but the dynamic between Navaeli and Chrislie is so wholesome and supportive that I really can't find a single thing wrong with it. There's no contrived drama that makes me think that the characters would be better off on their own, just two ladies genuinely loving and supporting each other. I reccommend these books to just about everyone …
I always love reading indie fiction because there's always the chance that I could stumble onto something amazing that could never be published in today's publishing industry. Winter Herald, and the earlier book in the series, Shadow Herald, are one such occasion. These books really have everything that I'm looking for in a fantasy novel. Relatable characters, compelling plot, a conlang, revolution against the oppresive social order, and a great queer romance. Also, regarding that, the romance is excellent. As a caveat, I'm ace, so I don't really go in for romance, but the dynamic between Navaeli and Chrislie is so wholesome and supportive that I really can't find a single thing wrong with it. There's no contrived drama that makes me think that the characters would be better off on their own, just two ladies genuinely loving and supporting each other. I reccommend these books to just about everyone and I am eagerly anticipating the next book in the series. Plus, the books are just $5 on the author's itch.io page (gailywriting.itch.io). It's hard to beat that price!