Grandmaster Robilar was an interesting character in the first book. McDonald gave a good teaser about her, and in this book, readers get to know more about her. I loved it. She is, of course, powerful, knowledgeable, and cunning. When reading, I did the feeling that she was so much more capable than Raine. There is definitely a reason she’s the grandmaster. Her addition to the book was great. Well that’s not good,’ Castus said. ‘I guess Arrowhead didn’t want the townsfolk to know what he was doing? Maybe these were the town’s leaders. You’ll probably find the mayor in there somewhere.’ Again, I don’t know if McDonald intended that or not. I could be reading way too deeply and putting my own thing on the text. Now don’t get me wrong. This is not a bad book. Ed McDonald is a fantastic writer, and I have seen that others have loved this book, and there were aspects of the book that I enjoyed. His world building is great and the addition of more of the mythology surrounding the magic users of the world was enjoyable. I loved all the fantastical aspects of the book and how the final act played out, but I am not sure it was worth all the constant diversions of the first two acts. I am a series lover. I enjoy spending time in an author’s creation. I love it when author’s explore their worlds and show their imagination. While this is usually something I find in horror, fantasy, and science fiction, it’s not limited to those genres. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry was the first book that I wanted to never end. Traitor of Redwinter by Ed McDonald is the latest book that brought that feeling out in me. I didn’t want to leave Redwinter. Though it’s a brutal world filled with danger, I’ve enjoyed all the time I’ve been there as a reader. I want to learn more about the world, its history, and its peoples. McDonald has done an amazing job building a world and filling it with interesting stories.

Raine, Sanvaunt, Liara, and Castus all return from the failed diplomatic mission. All are traumatized by the loss of their fellow apprentice. Raine and Castus deal with the deaths they’ve caused by self-medicating. Raine likes her rose-thistle, and Castus prefers wine. On the other hand, Sanvaunt and Liara are rehearsing a play. And we know from the first book that Sanvaunt writes as well. I can’t help but see the contrast between the four returning characters as commentary. Sanvaunt and Liara’s art helps them cope as much as Raine and Castus’s self-medication. I know that I am in the minority here and loads of people have lapped up this book, but it wasn’t for me, and this may be the point where I tap out of the series. Sorry! But there you go, not every book is for everyone!

The first half of Traitor of Redwinter largely focused on character development and a bit of world-building. The narrative explored Raine's response to the horrors she experienced in the first book, and the impact of PTSD on her relationships. She understandably regressed as a character now that she felt the emotional weight of everything for the first time. She had nightmares and became addicted to drugs to numb herself, while also engaging in rash behavior. All of her new friendships fell apart, as she isolated herself from those she loved the most to avoid them seeing the parts of her that she considered rotten.

Damn, is this book GOOD. The first book in the series was good, and so I expected more of the same in book 2 - but I walked away much more impressed than I thought I would be with this one. It is GOOD. If you’re thinking of taking up looting, I disapprove,’ Castus said from behind his bunched handkerchief. ‘They don’t look to have had very good taste.’ I half-slid down the bank and into the ditch. It was dry, everything was dry, the grass was baked yellow and the leaves were turning crisp on the trees. It was a summer for dying things. I reached out to touch the face of one of the dead, but despite the day’s savage heat, he was cold. He’d been in his twenties. Not so old. Not old enough to die. His throat was a ruin, the blood that had cascaded down the front of his shirt was brown, and dry as the land around it. The dead man had been wearing a night shirt. The flies hummed loud, clogging the air, clogging nostrils and mouths. Poor bastards. The people, not the flies. It suffered from middle book syndrome a little bit at times due to the pacing of the plot but the ending did take me by surprise leaving it on quite the open ended cliffhanger and I am ready for book 3! The thing about both of books in this series is that despite the fact they go dark places they feel like a comfy blanket I can wrap around myself because I genuinely get lost in this story and characters without feeling beaten to the ground. There is a nice balance between serious and grave scenes and scenes of just Raine and her friends being young and everything that comes with that: emotional, fun and stupid, moody, self-absorbed and sweet.

Amidst threats old and new, Raine must learn the secrets promised by the book, magic promised by a queen with a crown of feathers. A queen to whom Raine has promised more than she can afford to give. Whilst this does a fantastic job at exploring love and romantic interests, it did, occasionally, feel over the top. They’re about to be killed, be devoured by a demon, go to war; and they somehow have time to have deeply profound conversations and self-loathing monologues about their emotions? The first thing I will say is a massive THANKYOU to the author who added a ‘previously on’ style recap that refreshed book one in my mind when it came to reading book 2. Such a great idea and I wish more authors did it.

Had we been able to trance beyond the Second Gate we could have turned the dead flesh to stone, or liquified it with a touch. With the Third, the Gate of Taine, we could have burned them. There was nothing that Fier, the Fourth Gate of the mind, could have done to pry into their thoughts now, and they were long past the point when the Fifth Gate of healing could have helped them. That just left Skal, the Gate of Death. The Sixth Gate. And I didn’t think they needed much help in that arena.

Meanwhile, Uvotis has been gone for months to the capitol, Ulovar has fallen gravely ill, rose thistle has become a little too good of a friend, and Raine can’t seem to decide whether to push or pull when it comes to Esher and Sanvaunt.