The Winter Duke, Claire Eliza Bartlett
The Winter Duke, Claire Eliza Bartlett
List: $31.99 | Sale: $22.40
Club: $15.99

The Winter Duke

Author: Claire Eliza Bartlett

Narrator: Chloe Cannon

Unabridged: 11 hr 54 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/03/2020


Synopsis

Ekata’s family is in trouble and since she survived the curse, she must survive the throne–but first she needs to find out how to save the people she loves.

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 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.

About Claire Eliza Bartlett

Claire Eliza Bartlett is a writer and tour guide in Copenhagen, Denmark. She was born in the US but left when she was eighteen to travel through Europe, where she found a home with a husband and too few cats. She can be found on social media as @bartlebett or at www.authorclaire.com.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Riley

3.5 pros: - the world was really unique: it was divided between the Above (an ice palace in an almost uninhabitable frozen world) and the Below (an underwater kingdom with mermaids and monsters) - there was zero heteronormativity: all the titles were gender neutral and being queer was never questioned......more

Goodreads review by anna

rep: lesbian mc, sapphic li, nonbinary side characters 2.5 ☆ pretty cool worldbuilding, great concept for a girl mc, good romance, mediocre plot......more

Goodreads review by Dannii

Ekata is one of thirteen siblings and distant heir to the throne. She does not long for this powerful seat like the rest of her family and dreams of dissections, anatomy, and laboratory experiments instead. Her dreams are to escape the icy confines of their castle home and attend university to furth......more


Quotes

Praise for The Winter Duke:

"The intrigue begins unfolding immediately and draws readers through to the last page.... Fresh and filled with magic and personality. An enchanting queer fairy tale."
Kirkus Reviews

"The twist-filled mystery and compelling characters will keep readers guessing and the unexpected but satisfying conclusion will delight those who long for emotional realism within a fantastical story. Refreshing and unique story elements abound in this magic-filled political mystery"—SLJ

"[A] glittering portrait of a cursed kingdom and a girl searching for strength.Fans of dark, queer fairy tales will be eager for this."—Booklist

Praise for We Rule the Night:

* "The richly textured world, painted in snow and fire, filled with disparate, diverse people who all want to win the war, is background to a powerful, slow burning story that develops Linné and Revna's reluctant friendship, their growing understanding of the world, and their emerging identities as soldiers who may not entirely trust the country they are willing to die for. Undercurrents of religion, hypocrisy, betrayal, and honor roil beneath the alternating third-person perspectives.... A fierce and compelling breakout debut that should not be missed." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "Bartlett's electrifying feminist fantasy debut uses keenly wrought characters, harrowing action sequences, and creative yet economical worldbuilding to explore misogynistic military culture and the human cost of war." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "Full of sharply realized characterizations, intriguing magical elements, and twisty plots." --School Library Journal, starred review

* "Rich characterizations and an enemy that, while it looms in the background, never feels quite as threatening as the country the girls are fighting for complete a story set against the bright, brutal backdrop of war. A breathless series starter from a new voice to watch." --Booklist, starred review