13.5.10

Book Review: Wintercraft by Jenna Burtenshaw


Ten years ago Kate Winters' parents were taken by the High Council's wardens to help with their country's war efforts.
Now the wardens are back...and prisoners including Kate's uncle Artemis, are taken south on the terrifying Night Train. Kate and her friend Edgar are hunted by a far more dangerous enemy. Silas Dane- the High Council's most feared man- recognises Kate as one of the Skilled; a rare group of people able to see the veil between the living and the dead. His spirit was damaged by the High Council's experiments into the veil, and he's convinced that Kate can undo the damage and allow him to find peace.
The knowledge Kate needs lies within Wintercraft- a book thought to be hidden deep beneath the graveyard city of Fume. But the Night of Souls, when the veil between life and death is at it's thinnest, is just days away and the High Council have their own sinister plan for Kate and Wintercraft.
Wintercraft is Jenna Burtenshaw's first novel and I think that it is brilliant. It is a young adult fantasy book and jam-packed full of magic and adventure. The author offers wonderful descriptions of the city of Fume and it's inhabitants. Kate is dragged into this Gothic world full of danger and does not even know if she will be able to do what Silas Dane is asking of her. I loved the idea of the Night Train which took the prisoners and Kate to Fume. The idea that it was barely a skeleton is quite sinister but also showed the destruction that the High Council have been able to cause.
I felt that Kate Winters was an interesting creation. So much responsibility and pressure is places upon her young shoulders. Throughout the book she strives to do what she thinks is best even when her uncle Artemis won't accept that this niece is one of the Skilled.
Silas Dane completely stole the book for me, I'm not sure if I should of but I found myself really liking him. This is quite strange as he is pretty terrifying and ruthless but Jenna Burtenshaw manages to show his vulnerability too. Although he kidnaps Kate and threatens her, she is determined to secure him whatever sense of peace that she can.
I apologise as I do not think that my review has done Wintercraft justice. It deserves all of the hype that it is receiving and I think that it will be a huge hit once it hits the shops today. Jenna Burtenshaw gives her readers a wonderful story set in the mysterious graveyard city of Fume and carried by brilliant characters that I think you will love.

Many thanks to the lovely people at Headline who were kind enough to send me an early review copy!

5 comments:

SusanKMann said...

I understand why you said your review doesn't do it justice. It's a really difficult to explain how good this book really is and so well written. It's like nothing I have read and I just love Silas and his crow. Hope to see them both back in future books. Great review xx

Dot said...

SusanKMann- I know, even more so becuase it is the author's first book!

Bee said...

Another book to add to me ever increasing TBR pile then! :-)

Hugs xxxx

Nicole (Linus's Blanket) said...

I haven't read a lot of YA fantasy from this segment, but this sound great. I have been inching my way into reading more books like this with some middle grade book that I have been reading with my cousin.

Dot said...

Scattie- It's ever so good, hope that you enjoy it!

Nicole- I have only just really started exploring this genre again but I am so pleased that I have as there are some excellent books to be read!

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