I would like to thank Titan for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review

Publisher – Titan

Published – Out Now

Price – £8.99 paperback £5.99 Kindle eBook

Thray is the Last Daughter of Winter, half immortal and haunted by the legacy of her blood. When offered a chance to visit the northern land of Duamel, where her father once ruled, she can't refuse – even if it means lying to the priesthood she serves and the man she loves.

In Duamel, Thray’s demi-god siblings rule under the northern lights, worshipped by arcane cults. An endless winter night cloaks the land, giving rise to strange beasts, terrible storms and a growing, desperate hunger. The people of Duamel teeter on the edge of violence, and Thray’s siblings, powerful and deathless, stand with them on the brink.

To earn her siblings’ trust and find the answers she seeks, Thray will have to weather assassinations, conspiracies and icy wastelands. And as her siblings turn their gaze towards the warmer, brighter land she calls home, she must harness her own feral power and decide where her loyalties lie.

Because when the spring winds blow and the ice breaks up, the sons and daughters of Winter will bring her homeland to its knees.

In Fantasy and Science Fiction we can go beyond human via magic or very powerful Technology. We can enhance ourselves and give us more power but there may be a price to pay. When can you step away from being human? In H M Long’s Barrow of Winter their latest entry into their Hall of Smoke series we get an interesting story centred on a new main character exploring a land that offers not just a new frontier, a potential family she never knew but also the possibility of immortality itself.

Thray is a priestess for her coastal Eangen village; a land getting used tot eh aftermath of a war with Gods and new allies within the old Arpa Empire. However Thray isn’t quite human she is the child of Ogam one of the old Gods themselves; she is Grandchild of Winter one of the very old Gods nd so she may be immortal but she would need to die first to find out. One day she spots seven ships arriving on the coast and finds that they are being led by Siru – a woman who looks an awful lot like Thray and indeed is t be revealed to be another of Ogam’s children. Thray gets tempted to join Siru who tells her there is a whole community of Ogam’s children to meet and a land in the North the Eangen may wish to trade with. Thray lies to her people about answering their God’s call but she also soon finds a land wrapped in eternal night; her new ‘family’ view her as a tool and the next battle is never too far behind her.

After two novels focused on Hessa the High Priest it’s a bold and refreshing step to refresh the series setting and main character. We have a story placed 25 years after the last episode and with Thray while also a priestess with a warrior’s instinct when fighting she comes across as a younger more unsure character than Hessa. Thray as our narrator feels a little in search of answers – who is she; does she have a family; could she be immortal and have all the powers that come with that ability. She clearly loves the Eangens and indeed travelling with her is her betrothed, but she never comes across as entirely comfortable there. As with many younger characters she wants a little more and this offers an adventure but also forces Thray to finally decide where she stands on a host of issues. She is sympathetic but also we are not entirely sure where she will end up as the story ends – will she put people ahead of her own answers.

The main storyline is more of a quest tale. Previously crossing into worlds that mirror Norse and Roman life we now move to an icy land that is forever winter. This feels like we are entering a more fantastical land than we have seen so far; here the white-haired magical children of Ogam reign as gods. The Duamel are humans who worship Ogam’s children. This raises a dilemma for Thray who comes from a country where they overthrew the gods who took delight and power from people; the children of Ogam are not actually deities despite many having unusual powers and that sets up a tension with Thray and her travellers but also starts to open up the tale leading to a climactic battle for power across the world. My one reservation is the first half of the book is a lot of people travelling to places then having to travel a little bit more without too much reward and that leads only a little room for the bigger storyline to unfold which felt a little rushed this time. However it does also suggest what is to come in the fourth and final book in the series.

Barrow of Winter is a very enjoyable adventure tale offering a fresh take on the series and another compelling main character. Filled with action; revelations and magic it’s a good addition to a very interesting fantasy series that is not afraid to take risks and avoid the repetition so many can fall into. Fans of the series will definitely enjoy it!