Pulling from the Scottish folklore of the Celtic winter goddess, Cailleach Bheur, Daughter of Winter by Corina Douglas is a book that reshapes the myth for the modern day. Keeping a strong foundation in the original myth with magic, selkies, the fae, handfuls of all sorts of mythical creatures, and other gods, you get a great feel of the original myth and lore from Scotland.
Daughter of Winter Synopsis
Daughter of Winter
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Author:
Corina Douglas
Published:
04/13/2023
Genre:
Publisher:
Burning Legacies Publishing
Number of pages:
266
ISBN:
9781991151681
The book is set in modern times with our main character Brydie. She was raised by her grandmother who ended up abandoning her as soon as she could. Growing up missing her mother and father, and now her grandmother, Brydie is doing her best. Her world is controlled and organized and she likes her job. But when a stranger walks into her life and introduces himself as Gage and then proceeds to tell her of her grandmother’s death, well her life is about to change in a way she never expected.
Wanting nothing to do with the woman who left her behind, she refuses the will and refuses to go with Gage. Not knowing how to handle the situation, Gage will not take no for an answer. He needs Brydie to come back to Scotland and to the estate, no matter the cost.
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So when Brydie does not entertain the idea of going back to her grandmother’s home, he takes her against her will. Her kidnapping starts to show Brydie a side of her grandmother she never knew. All her life Brydie knew nothing of Scottish folklore or myths, or her grandmother’s background. Turns out, her grandmother was up to her shoulders in the world of myths and legends and Brydie was the center of it all.
Daughter of Winter Review
This book blends the plot of the novel with Scottish folklore extremely well. Bringing the myth into today’s world and reshaping the story to continue on and influence people through time was a really fun and unique twist. Celtic mythology and religion are so intriguing, and something that I’d love to read more of. Blending a modern-day setting with a tale of the past provides a captivating new lore. I truly enjoyed the myth unfolding and evolving as we learned about it along with Brydie.
Scottish folklore is one of my favorite genres to find retellings of. I love the dark undertones of the Fae and the other creatures that this folklore introduces us to.
However, the setting and vibes aside, I thought the characters had a lot of promise but in all honesty, I did not enjoy the main players of this tale. Brydie encounters many struggles, but as a reader I found myself struggling to find things to like about her.
She was constantly taken advantage of and did not really learn from her mistakes. She only stands up for herself in dire situations, and her choices are often misguided. Her character traits were a bit rushed and not fully developed. Her abilities also felt a little glossed over. It’s possible that Douglas continues to develop Brydie’s various traits over the course of the next books in the series (Daughter of Winter currently has 6 installments).
Resident kidnapper/guard Gage was too standoffish for my taste. He had very little charm to him and, even though they hint at his past and a future connection between Byrdie and himself, it’s not believable and is more distracting than anything else. Hopefully, the sequels help to flesh out his character more and develop their relationship in a more natural way.
Daughter of Winter: Final Thoughts
While Daughter of Winter was a fairly enjoyable read, I just wanted more out of it. I was a bit annoyed with Brydie throughout the story and disagreed with the majority of the decisions made by the characters. However, I’m willing to reserve a full and final judgment until I read the sequel novel, Winter’s Mantle.
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Here’s hoping that Corina Douglas (and other dark fantasy authors) continue to bring us these tales of Celtic folklore and fables. They’re rich stories that are the perfect inspiration for the fantastical world of book lovers everywhere.
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The Review
Daughter of Winter
Blending Scottish folklore and modern day, this story creates a new spin on an old myth.
PROS
- Mythology background
- Blending of old myths with today's society
CONS
- Main characters need more in depth character development
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