Roberta Writes – Book reviews for Journeys 12, 13 & 14 of Dead of Winter by Teagan Riordain Geneviene

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Happy New Year! Wishing all my blogging friends all the very best for 2023.

I have done a bit of reading during my blogging break and I’m kicking off this year with reviews for Journeys 12,13 & 14 of Teagan Riordain Geneviene’s fantastic Dead of Winter epic fantasy series.

Journey 12, Goddesses

What Amazon says

So far in previous Journeys of “Dead of Winter,” we’ve encountered villagers and city folk, religions, armies, and societies. We learned of terrifying beasts, nightwalkers, and the enigmatic Listeners. The final battle is at hand. Journey 12, brings us yet another type of extraordinary being – goddesses. Yet are they salvation? Or another complication… or even a threat.

My review

Journey 12 opens with a bang with the entrance of two goddesses who are in a conflict situation. The pair are situated above Pergesca so there is not doubt that they will influence the future of the town. Their power is also clear with descriptions such as “Strangely, the sunlight leapt from one puddle to the next, each one sparkling as the lights connected.”

Emlyn’s town is under siege by nightwalkers which continue to be revealed in all their malicious horror. The grey shadow of the ghostly realm creeps ever closer to Pergesca and the massive army of the dead continues to assemble. Winter has come.

All is not lost though as Deas Matres, the goddess who founded the movement, appears to offer help of some sort. What her help will translate into is unknown, but something is better than nothing. Boabhan’s strength is returned to her unexpectedly and that gives Emlyn courage.

I really loved the reintroduction into the story of Blodwedd as a girl. She is accompanied by her grandmother, Bronwyn, which I thought was a delightful touch.

Another imaginative and engaging episode in this enthralling tale.

Journey 13, The Harbor

What Amazon says

“Journey 13, The Harbor” is the penultimate installment of the epic fantasy series “Dead of Winter.” Action abounds as many threads are drawn together. Arawn has amassed overwhelming legions of the dead. Another unexpected but powerful foe comes into the battle. All of Emlyn’s companions and friends are in grave danger as they face insurmountable odds. Two goddesses, Coventina and Deae Matres herself, could even the odds, but gods and goddesses are known to be unreliable. Yes, Coventina is back — she was first mentioned in Journey 1, and we’ve had occasional glimpses of her throughout the Journeys. Yet her temper makes her a wildcard. Will the goddesses help?
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Meanwhile the goal of the Society of Deae Matres is to re-create the Binding to again trap Arawn and any other nightwalkers in the Realm of the Dead. Yet, what about Boabhan and Lucetius? Boabhan is at least half nightwalker. Lucetius, her son, was conceived when Arawn violated her while attempting to turn her. Will they be trapped in a new Binding along with their worst enemy? This is revealed in Journey 13.

My review

The tension really ramps up in this penultimate journey in the Dead of Winter series. Arawn has amassed an enormous army of dead loyal to him, and they are marching on the city of Pergesca and the Great Library. The goddess Deae Matres also has tricks up her sleeve, but Emlyn is concerned about the numerous lives that will be lost in the battle. She is also aware that goddesses are notoriously unreliable with their assistance to mankind. The Deae Matres are also not as united as they initially appeared and not all of the sisters think that another Binding should be enacted as it is expected to have an unpleasant consequence. Perhaps this time, Arawn should be destroyed.

The advent of another goddess, Coventina, is unexpected and Emlyn is not sure whether her arrival is a good or bad thing. Even more than the goddess Deae Matres, Coventina has her own agenda and a vendetta against Arawn. Things are not always as they appear, however, and Emlyn may be surprised at how these interventions pan out.

I enjoyed the introduction of Coventina very much. She is feisty and quick tempered, but despite these character flaws, Coventina is more genuine and trustworthy than her fellow goddess. The description of Coventina as a tiny firecracker of a woman with long white hair streaked with pastel green and blue also caught my fancy.

Thyrus, the Listener, is also back in this Journey, but he is hamstrung by the rules that govern mystical creatures and is unable to provide the help he desperately wants too. He does manage to find a way around the restrictions and make an important move in the ultimate game plan.

As always, the writing is beautiful and vivid. This is a delightful example:

“As the Listener sat nonchalantly, Emlyn thought it was no wonder he usually chose to take the form of a dragon. He was splendid! She gazed at the sunlight playing upon his amazing skin. It had varied colors and halos, which merged in random spots. At one moment his hide was golden with red and green halos, then bronze and blue, and then silver rippled with purple and orange.”

Journey 14, The Veil

What Amazon says

From the very beginning, a prophecy from a creepy voice threaded throughout this story. “Winter is coming!” it warned. As the Journeys progressed, we became aware of additional related prophesies like one of the “lost white brother” and “the frozen sands.” Both of those are touched on in this concluding novella.
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Other threads from the previous thirteen Journeys also come together in this volume, which concludes Dead of Winter.
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As many readers said they don’t want these Journeys to end, in the final chapter, I added hints about potential future adventures for many of the characters. These are food for the imagination of readers, so that the story can continue in the mind.
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This has been as much of a “journey” for me as it was for Emlyn. I’ve seen truths about myself along the way. Perhaps the same applies to you.
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“Who can say? What is true for us? That with which we are born? Or that which is the manifestation of our heart and soul? I like who and what I am, as well as the way I see the world I see around me, when I am a dragon.”
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Thank you for being an important part of the Journeys of Dead of Winter.
Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

My review

This last journey was an excellent conclusion to the Dead of Winter fantasy epic. Emlyn comes into her own and exhibits great strength of mind and character, however, she makes a few minor judgement errors and demonstrates doubts and anxieties which made her role and character realistic and relatable.

I enjoyed seeing Gethin, the horse whisperer, stepping out of his supporting role and taking a bigger piece of the action, along with long-time favourite characters Lucetius, Hallgeir, and Tajin. It felt fitting that they took centre stage for a part of this final chapter.

I don’t want to say too much about the final plot twisters other than they are exciting, unexpected, and momentous, a truly fitting Grande finale to an incredible story. I am left feeling quite saddened that I have reach the end of the series despite the conclusion being perfect and satisfying which is rare in my experience of fantasy books which often seem to disappoint with their endings.

I cannot resist ending my reviews of this series with a final example of the authors incredibly descriptive writing:

“The rancid odor was heavy in the air. It was a stench similar to rendered port fat that had gone bad. The odor emanated from a dozen puddles of fatty goo that dotted the ground. Nothing else was left of the nest of nightwalkers that attacked the men. Gethin was thankful for the light breeze that carried some of the vile small away.”

Purchase links for the Dead of Winter series of books

Universal Purchase Links for Dead of Winter: Journey 14, The Veil

Journey 14, The Veil

Kindle:  relinks.me/B0B41FF3FX

Paperback:  relinks.me/B0B3RVHG1S

Dead of Winter: Journey 14, The Veil by Teagan Riordain Geneviene
The Final Journey

♦♦♦

Dead of Winter — the Previous Journeys

Universal Purchase Links

Journey 13, The Harbor

Kindle:  relinks.me/B09TN3NDX1

Paperback:  relinks.me/B09TN1F58B

Journey 12, Goddesses

Kindle:  relinks.me/B09P5LJY13

Paperback:  relinks.me/B09NTTZ9J8

Journey 11, the Sumelazon Escarpment

Kindle:  relinks.me/B09M7Q19XT

Paperback:  relinks.me/B09M4QWDYK

Journey 10, Pergesca

Kindle:  relinks.me/B09J6TH8TD

Paperback:  relinks.me/B09J7GFWYV

Journey 9, Doors of Attunement

Kindle:  relinks.me/B09F8Y5DML

Paperback:  relinks.me/B09F1BB9RW

Journey 8, The Lost Library

Kindle:  relinks.me/B09C6MPTYT

Paperback:  relinks.me/B09C34XR7P

Journey 7, Revenant Pass

Kindle:  relinks.me/B098MS8P48

Paperback:  relinks.me/B098GV1G5V

Journey 6, The Fluting Fell

Kindle:  relinks.me/B096CPJNSX

Paperback: relinks.me/B096CPJNSX

Journey 5, Llyn Pistyll Falls

Kindle:  relinks.me/B09431TD6G

Paperback:  relinks.me/B0942KC471

Journey 4, The Old Road

Kindle:  relinks.me/B092G5LB7R

Paperback:  relinks.me/B092M51Y88

Journey 3, the Fever Field

Kindle: elinks.me/B08XTNZ9M8 

Paperback:  relinks.me/B08XXY3JXF

Kobo:  Dead of Winter: Journey 3, the Fever Field eBook by Teagan Riordain Geneviene – 1230004609599 | Rakuten Kobo United States

Journey 2, Penllyn

Kindle:  relinks.me/B08VMNSF97

Paperback:  relinks.me/B08VLMR2KD

Kobo:  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dead-of-winter-journey-2-penllyn

Journey 1, Forlorn Peak

Kindle:  relinks.me/B08RBBVRGX

Paperback:  relinks.me/B08R7RH4F5

Kobo:  Dead of Winter: Journey 1, Forlorn Peak eBook by Teagan Geneviene – 1230004446033 | Rakuten Kobo United States

Read more about Dead of Winter here: https://teagansbooks.com/home/

Published by robertawrites235681907

I am a writer of young adult fiction and poetry

Published

94 thoughts on “Roberta Writes – Book reviews for Journeys 12, 13 & 14 of Dead of Winter by Teagan Riordain Geneviene”

          1. I will have to see if I can fit them into my budget. I’ve read other books by Teagan and loved them. I subscribed to KU last year so I could get a handle on my book spending. LOL! It was out of control. ❤️

            Like

  5. Robbie, you gem! What an amazing way to start my New Year! I’m honored that you were a part of the Journeys. It means a lot to me that you enjoyed the story and particularly the conclusion. I feel like Emlyn did at the very last page. Happy New Year to you and yours. Wishing all of you happiness and good health. Hugs on the wing.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    2. Thanks, Jacqui. Actually I did the largest part of the writing a decade ago, and that took over two years. Then some additional writing to the individual installments when I edited it into a series. The new ending took a few more months. So all things combined, it was not done quickly. Now it feels strange not to be working on it.
      Happy New Year and happy writing.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  12. I couldn’t agree more, Robbie. I loved your reviews as they reminded me of some of the moments I most enjoyed in the final journeys of Dead of Winter. Teagan’s talent knows no bounds, and it has made me fond of fantasy, at least her particular take on fantasy. I hope you and your family have a great 2023. ♥

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  22. Teagan was clearly thrilled with your post, Robbie. I polished off the serial a few months ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. What an accomplishment for Teagan to finally get her epic fantasy out into the world. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and Happy New Year!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  25. This is perfect, Roberta.
    Teagan’s book ends, and the New Year begins.
    I adore Teagan’s writing. She is clever, rich with visual descriptions and full of elan.
    Hugs to both of you!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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