Don’t worry — I was a little wary at first of this book’s mention of a ‘god’,’ but trust me, there is a fantastic, Christian conclusion to this fantasy novel with themes of magic, family, and challenging deception and despotism.
A village trapped in winter, a tyrannical god, and a girl who will do anything to keep her family alive…
FINALIST FOR THE 2020 CHRISTY AWARD in the Young Adult category
Ever since Cora’s father disappeared through the ice, whispers about her family’s “curse” have grown increasingly louder. Desperate to help her mother and siblings survive another bleak season in the Winter King’s frozen grasp, Cora begins to bend (and even break) the rules she has kept since she was a little girl. But when she discovers a secret that’s much bigger than herself, she realizes too late that she has put herself–and those she loves–in even greater peril.
Wintry and dangerous but hauntingly lovely, The Winter King is the debut novel from author Christine Cohen.
Amazon Blurb
This book does such an excellent job of painting the scenes in your head and making you deeply care for the main character. She suffers a lot, but never backs down and fights back with admirable grit.
In terms of content, there is light romance (a love triangle-ish between the childhood sweetheart and a rich boy she manipulates for food) and a few words in their original, descriptive sense (the d-word and the one that means an illegitimate son.) Torture and hanging are mentioned but not described. Cora is beaten on a few occasions and a boy is bitten by a wolf. There’s mild description of burn wounds and animal sacrifice, and one character is killed by a wolf while several are involved in a scuffle resulting in injuries. No descriptions go any further than blood, in terms of gore. I’d put this somewhere between middle grade and YA, but of course, it depends on your child.
N.D. Wilson compared The Winter King to Lewis’s Till We Have Faces, and I think that is an excellent comp title, though The Winter King is suitable for a younger audience. Thoughout the novel, Cora wrestles with spiritual themes, and this novel proves to be deeply thoughtful in its handling of idols, the doubts that come with suffering, and our desire for more than an impersonal, cruel god. The ending is hopeful and the allegory is nicely woven in to the world and its mythology. Additionally, the prose is well-crafted and evocative, coming from the same author as one of my all-time favorites, The Sinking City. Hope breaks through with spring in the end and carries the story up to its final creschendo on a joyful, restored note.
If you’re looking to give your kids, and your girls especially, a story of hope, the discovery of truth, and the realization of how wonderful it is that we have a Living God, with a female protagonist who isn’t just her love life and emotions but actually displays admirable qualities, then check out this fantastic standalone.
Has anyone read The Winter King? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments!
Have a lovely week, guys!
Cheers!
BONUS:
A good article recently from The Gospel Coalition. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/reading-rebellion/
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