Chilled to the Bone

 

Near the Bone by Christina Henry

My Rating: Three and 1/2 Stars out of Five Stars.

My Review on Goodreads

Do you need a book that will give you some chills while hiding indoors from the chills? You might like this book. I started out with the audiobook, but I had to return it, so I finished with the ebook. While audiobooks definitely allow for more multi-tasking, I didn't mind that I ended up reading the ebook, because I wasn't overly enamored with the audiobook narrator.

Overall, I liked this book. I really liked the lead character. She was a character I rooted for and felt deeply for. I love how she much she had survived and endured. Even though her husband forbid her reading, she was naturally intelligent, observant, and had some pretty awesome detective skills. Although she thought of herself and meek and weak, she was neither. I will say this book pissed me off because her husband is a piece of shite. There are some big triggers for domestic violence and abuse, so tread carefully.

If I'm being honest, I do feel like this book was a little bit under-developed. For me, it could have been longer and I desired much more development from the story and characters than I got. I appreciate how developed Mattie's characterization was and her evolution, but the other characters were a little thin. I knew enough about Mattie's husband to absolute hate his guts and wish for his doom, but the other characters who were introduced felt somewhat cardboardy. Perhaps CZ less so.

I have a lot of questions about the monster, but maybe that's how it's supposed to be. You don't always get all the answers. This book validates the fact that I am not a hiker and I do most of my exploring through books and tv. I will say that if I was longing for a good cold weather setting book, this would definitely fit the bill.

Henry excels at building up tension, but she short-circuits it towards the end because the payoff is less than desirable. However, I love the resolution for Mattie. I would appreciate a short story about her after this story and how things unfold as she manages to reclaim her life and identity away from her lower-than-pondscum husband.

I'd give this 3.5 stars because of Mattie, the cold weather vibes, and some of the chills and thrills.

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 Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

My Review on Goodreads

For a fan of all things winter, this book was tailor made for me. Also, it's such a clever retelling of "Rumpelstiltskin", but so much more. It's a story about the difficult situations and the impactful decisions that women face for survival of themselves and those they love. The points of view of three different young women are explored: Miryem, the daughter of a Jewish moneylender, Irina, a duke's daughter, and Wanda, a local (the term peasant would be used) girl who becomes the servant for Miryem's family. Each character is a woman who has to make tough decisions due as a result of how her status in a man's world is viewed. They are placed into situations that are restrictive, if not outright harrowing because of their parents and how society deems them incapable of having autonomy or authority. This is the heart of the narrative, but it's intertwined into a familiar fairy tale mixed with folklore.

Everyone knows "Rumplestiltskin", but this novel takes this story to another level by weaving in Faerie and Slavic folklore into a historical fiction narrative, making for a spellbinding read.

The imagery is so gorgeous as a fan of winter. I felt like I was there in the deep cold of winter, and the artist in me was spellbound by the visuals of sparkling ice and shining silver. I see so many shades of blue here, from ice, almost white to deepest blue in my mind as I remember the imagery from this book. Novik develops the atmosphere so flawlessly, and makes winter its own character. Along with the distinctive character of winter, there are other creatures of myth and folklore, such as a dark creature who lives in the skin of a powerful man, and a Faerie king. The three women have to use their intellect and determination to navigate through nearly impossible situations, facing patriarchal societies and traditions, but discovering their own strengths and saving themselves and their people.

Well-plotted and engrossing, I absolutely fell deep into this world and didn't want to emerge. While this is fantasy, it feels as much like historical fiction (Russian setting when the Tsars still ruled, although not explicitly stated), but also has some lovely gothic fairy tale aesthetics. There are also moments that are quite scary. Yes, there is some romance here, and I ate it up. I loved how all the pieces come together for a very satisfying ending.

If you want to read a book with some very luxurious (is that the right word?) winter vibes, pick this one up.

*Writing this review now where we are having a very dry winter in Minnesota, I feel very jealous. I want my snow!

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