Bitter Winter (Ilyon Chronicles)

Title: Bitter Winter

Series: Ilyon Chronicles (Book #5)

Year: 2018

Author: Jaye L. Knight

Summary: Already struggling with a harsh winter and the threat of food shortage, a catastrophic event leaves those in the Landale camps reeling. Just when things couldn’t get much worse, camp members fall ill with the same devastating sickness that’s sweeping across the country.

Determined to gain the cure, Jace sets off to Valcré. However, there are only two sources—the queen, or a powerful gang of smugglers who have made the dangerous city their home. When Jace gains audience with the gang leader, he finds the price of the cure is steeper than any of them imagined, forcing him to make an impossible choice—betray his conscience or let those he loves die.

Review: Book 2 in this series (The King's Scrolls) just about ripped my heart out and left me in a pile of raw emotions, and this book very nearly did just that again. I mean, c'mon, I was expecting great things from this highly anticipated book, but we're talking a season of winter here -- no huge battles and sieges, right? Time to slow down a little and catch your breath, right?

Ha. Sort of.

The Resistance camp is starving. Food is low, morale is low, and temperatures are even lower. Despite all of that, Jace thinks his biggest dream is about to come true: marrying the love of his life and starting their happily ever after together.

And then a bunch of soldiers burst upon them at the camp, reeking havoc with the sword and bringing along a deadly fever that quickly threatens to wipe out the entire camp and beyond. The remedy isn't easy to come by, as only two people in the realm seem to have access to it: Davira, the evil queen bent on destroying all followers of the true God, and Avery, the man who killed the king and turned smuggler.

There was honestly so much to love about this book. After long marches and battles of the previous books, winter does kinda slow everything down in this book. However, the pace is fast, and every emotion will be wrenched out of your heart as you read. That's a promise. Honestly, I really liked that this book had a different tone from the others so far. Yes, we've got the same cast of characters, the same settings, but different circumstances set it completely apart from the other books. I just don't know how to say all the wonderful things I want to say about this book.

This book was all about character development, WHICH I LOVED. All the little things that Jaye could have stuck in there just because worked so perfectly; each one set up developing characters wonderfully until all you can do is sit there and cheer them on and weep. (Note: Tissues are not included in the purchase of this book.)

Jace is steps away from proposing to Kyrin, but a quest to save the camp throws all of his plans out the window. I'm still so amazed at how Jace has progressed from book one. Part of me wondered if I would tire of him after a while, only because I tend not to like overly moody characters who are deeply pensive and slow at developing. But the baby steps in development are really what make Jace who he is. Every book so far has just pushed him and developed him one layer at a time, and this book exposed the very heart of him. It was amazing.

Daniel. WOW. What can be said? He didn't have a ton of screen time (so to speak) but his development. All the pain and torment was worth it. I love that he's growing and learning and stepping up to do what he needs to do. WOW.

And you gotta have a shout-out to Liam. He tended to be the one of Kyrin's brothers who melted into the background, but here he's got a bit more of center stage. Two thumbs up, and I approve all of the cute scenes. *No spoilers here, though.*

I really liked how Jaye pulled Avery back onto the scene. After his small-but-important appearance in Exiles, it was awesome to see that he didn't end up a hit-and-run character. I still can't decide whether I want to loathe him or love him. ARGH. His character was very realistic, and I can't wait to see what Jaye is going to do with him. Or, rather what he's going to pull Jaye into, since he seems like the type of character who doesn't let the author do what she wants.

ALSO... anyone realizing that we're almost to the end of the Ilyon Chronicles???? THIS IS BOOK FIVE! How did we come to this?? Like, Daican's Heir is the next AND FINAL BOOK IN THIS SERIES?!?! Although I'm looking forward to having the whole series sitting pretty on my shelf to read whenever I please, I don't know that my emotions are ready to surrender to the end yet. AHHH!

Anyway, read this book. Feel the feels. Cry. Cheer. You will not regret it.

Advisory: Fighting/violence/injury/sickness. All in the same tone as the previous books in the series, and appropriate for the books' target audience.

Some kissing and other physical contact between courting/engaged/married couples. One woman briefly mentions to her husband that she suspects pregnancy.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

*Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.*