Traitor of Redwinter: The Redwinter Chronicles Book Two

Product Information

I ignored Castus and laboured hard enough to roll one of them over. My suspicion was confirmed, and it didn’t sit easy. It’s still a fantastic book and a fantastic series. I still love it. I’m still enjoying the magic and the characters and the world. I just think it needs some tweaking. I've been interested to learn more about the magic and history with the main character. I also really appreciate the title of this book, it isn't clear for a long time who it refers to. I loved the additions to the world-building in Traitor of Redwinter. There was so much cool history exposed. The magic system is still one of my favorites ever, and I enjoyed getting to see it in action again, especially some of the more esoteric powers that came into play. Grandmaster Robilar was a key figure in the story, and it was fascinating to see how her history intertwined with the current conflict in so many ways. There was clan drama, as well, with plenty of political intrigue. I think my one complaint would be that for most of the first half all of the interesting political maneuvering was happening around the characters without actually involving them. In the second book, I feel like we've taken some strange turns. It takes place eight months after the first book. The characters started acting a bit differently, the pacing was a bit halting and overall it's been a weird experience.

The characters are what really makes this book stand out though. Raine is a flawed heroine but she is magnificent. Brave, loyal, impulsive and stubborn – she makes some appalling decisions during the course of the book but also some absolutely heroic ones. Her character arc through the course of this story is amazing and I was rooting for her every bit of the way. Esher, Sanvaunt and Liara are all as brilliant as they were in the previous book and the character of Ovitus just went from bad to worse, but in a completely believable way. The minor characters were all brilliant too. One of my favourite sections was when Raine raised up the grandmaster’s sister, Alianna. I thought it was all going to end really badly and instead it was one of the most light-hearted scenes in the novel. Sanvaunt continued to shine as an exceptional supporting character, just as he did in the first book. The same can be said for Esher and Liara, who added depth and richness to the story. While I had reservations about Ovitus in Daughter of Redwinter, my dislike for him deepened exponentially in Traitor of Redwinter, leaving me with an intense loathing for his character. lol! I am itching to into details but alas spoilers…. The development of the relationship between Esher and Raine was both heartwarming and heart-wrenching, filled with tender moments that touched my soul. Similarly, the dynamic between Sanvaunt and Raine evoked bittersweet emotions, tugging at my heartstrings. In writing TRAITOR OF REDWINTER it felt like author McDonald took DAUGHTER OF REDWINTER and exploded it. The storyline was absolutely thrilling. I am going to highlight two of my favorite aspects of the book.That realization made me reluctantly admire the author for portraying it in a way that made me feel seen but also vulnerable. On the other hand, books are a way to escape the real world for me and I wasn't prepared for the impact of that part.

The two brief sparks that brought a smile to my face were a certain character from the past and Castus. Unexpectedly. These two coming together (literally? tee-hee) was the light entertainment and joy that I didn't know I needed. And the love interest, love triangle thingy that's happening... again, subtle but quite solid and basically, hashtag Team Sanvaunt because he's the kind of steady, level headed calm that everyone could do with in their life! I was a bit nervous that I might not like Traitor of Redwinter as much, but I needn't have worried. I loved it. I literally could not put this book down. The second in Ed McDonald’s Chronicles of Redwinter, full of shady politics, militant monks, ancient powers... and a young woman navigating a world in which no one is quite what they seem. The thing about both of books in this series is that despite the fact they go dark places they feel like a comfy blanket I can wrap around myself because I genuinely get lost in this story and characters without feeling beaten to the ground. There is a nice balance between serious and grave scenes and scenes of just Raine and her friends being young and everything that comes with that: emotional, fun and stupid, moody, self-absorbed and sweet. There is a darkness in this series, a delicious Scottish folklore infused fantasy world and bad things people do to each other, but the author makes an effort to show the good side of humanity and not go to the route of "everyone is actually bad." And yes, there is a drama, a young girl unnecessary drama with heightened emotions mixed in all of that and it just works for me.Overall, I've decided to rate it 4⭐ as honestly there were times I thought it's a 3⭐ read and also some moments I'd give 5⭐.

Second book syndrome Traitor of Redwinter does not suffer from. It does have shady politics and dirty bastards to throw a spanner in the works. I love that Raine is still utterly flawed character. Yes, she's the main character, but being the star of the show hasn't made her 'one that cannot do wrong' .. in fact, she does a lot wrong. Like, everything?! Ha... Had we been able to trance beyond the Second Gate we could have turned the dead flesh to stone, or liquified it with a touch. With the Third, the Gate of Taine, we could have burned them. There was nothing that Fier, the Fourth Gate of the mind, could have done to pry into their thoughts now, and they were long past the point when the Fifth Gate of healing could have helped them. That just left Skal, the Gate of Death. The Sixth Gate. And I didn’t think they needed much help in that arena.First of all, the first book was absolutely amazing, I've loved it with my whole heart and the audiobook for it is the best thing that exists. I've finished reading an arc of Traitor of Redwinter some time ago and I've been struggling to gather my thoughts honestly. It's been a wild read and I'm not sure how I feel about it. This was an engaging and often emotionally moving book 2. McDonald covered a lot of narrative ground here on both a sweeping plot front and character arc front and has me itching to continue the tale to see where things go from here in the finale. Well that’s not good,’ Castus said. ‘I guess Arrowhead didn’t want the townsfolk to know what he was doing? Maybe these were the town’s leaders. You’ll probably find the mayor in there somewhere.’ There’s so many secrets, secrets everywhere mixed with betrayals and more betrayals, it’s hard to know who to trust. Theres also some focus on family and it was interesting to learn more about this relatively unique magic system

Ed’s prowess in world building has consistently impressed me, and Traitor of Redwinter only solidifies his talent in this regard. Returning to the world of Redwinter was an absolute delight, and I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in its intricacies once again. The character development in Traitor of Redwinter was masterfully crafted, and my goodness, the unexpected plot twists and intricate turns were absolutely enthralling. While the initial half of the book may have unfolded at a more leisurely pace compared to the second half, my past experiences with Ed’s writing assured me that he needed the time to build up momentum and deliver something truly awe-inspiring. And indeed, my intuition was spot-on as Ed completely blew me away. The conversations and interactions amongst characters were beautifully done too. The writing was so stunning, by the time I finished the book, it looked like a coloring book, for I had highlighted so many paragraphs and conversations. lol!

Read Traitor of Redwinter by Ed McDonald

It suffered from middle book syndrome a little bit at times due to the pacing of the plot but the ending did take me by surprise leaving it on quite the open ended cliffhanger and I am ready for book 3! Raine can see—and speak—to the dead, a gift that comes with a death sentence. All her life she has hidden, lied, and run to save her skin, and she’s made some spectacularly bad choices along the way.