There’s Real Magic in Rachel Neumeier’s Winter of Ice and Iron

This standalone (unrelated to the author’s rewarding The Mountain of Kept Memory, which came out last year) is set in a fascinating world of deadly dragons, mad kings, and cruel winter storms. There is a depth and gravity to this world, with a magic system deeply grounded in a sense of place. Each land’s leader serves a dominating spirit that grants strength and prosperity to their subjects. In exchange, the powerful beings sap the life force of those who serve. It is a delicate balance each leader must maintain with the spirits of their land.
Princess Kehera is a young woman poised to inherit the throne of her people seeks to maintain her connection to the earth while fighting off the advances of the Mad King of Emmer, a land to the north, who seeks to marry her to consolidate his power. If Kehera refuses the king’s proposal, he’s sworn to sever her magical connection to the power of her land, leaving her people exposed to the harsh winter storms that blow in accompanied by deadly ice dragons. To safeguard her homeland, Kehera sets off on a quest that leads her to the domain of the rebellious Innisth, known as the Wolf Duke, who believes he can use her as a tool in his efforts to usurp his own king.
Meanwhile, Innisth, the Wolf Duke of Pohorir, has been secretly building strength—both that of his people, and his own connection to the spirit of his land—in the hopes of one day creating his own kingdom. The protection of his people has always been at the forefront for the Duke, something his father and his father’s father never deeply considered. Through circumstance, Kehera finds herself in Innisth’s hands, and each must determine how much they are each willing to sacrifice to achieve their goals. As evil grows and the deepest, and most dangerous, period of winter rapidly approaches, they are forced to find a way to work together before all hope is lost.

I love the way Rachel Neumeier builds her worlds, revealing just enough to keep you intrigued, but keeping the focus is is squarely on the characters. The two protagonists in particular feel fully developed and perfectly cast in their respective roles, but there are also many memorable bit players: Tageiny, the man who becomes Kehera’s bodyguard, who brings levity and refreshing perspective to the narrative through frank and open honesty with the princess, or Gereth Murrel, the Wolf Duke’s seneschal, whose warmth and openness contrasts with Innisth’s pragmatic standoffishness. The history and lore of the world, and the ways that the gods and spirits operate within it, are fascinating, yet important only as they relate to the characters’ journeys. (Tirovay, Kehera’s younger brother and an in-world history buff, provides just enough context for us to follow along; otherwise, exposition is kept to a minimum.)
I often gravitate to fantasy novels that favor character over incident, but Winter of Ice and Iron offers the best of everything: it is a meaty, plot-y tome with political machinations aplenty, filled with people you’ll love or hate, all of whom you’ll come to know intimately. Recommended.
Winter of Ice and Iron is available now.