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The Winter King
by C.L. WilsonSeries: Weathermages of Mystral #1
Published by Avon on July 29, 2014
SubGenres: Fantasy Romance
Format: AudioBook, eBook
Pages: 595
Narrator: Heather Wilds
Length: 21 Hours And 18 Minutes
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Audience: 18+/Adult
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After three long years of war, starkly handsome Wynter Atrialan will have his vengeance on Summerlea's king by taking one of the man's beautiful, beloved daughters as his bride. But though peace is finally at hand, Wynter's battle with the Ice Heart, the dread power he embraced to avenge his brother's death, rages on.
Khamsin Coruscate, Princess of Summerlea and summoner of Storms, has spent her life exiled to the shadows of her father's palace. Reviled by her father, marriage to Wintercraig's icy king was supposed to be a terrible punishment, but instead offers Kham her first taste of freedom—and her first taste of overwhelming passion.
As fierce, indomitable Wynter weathers even Khamsin's wildest storms, surprising her with a tenderness she never expected, Kham wants more than Wynter's passion—she yearns for his love. But the power of the Ice Heart is growing, dangerous forces are gathering, and a devastating betrayal puts Khamsin and Wynter to the ultimate test.
I picked up The Winter King by C.L. Wilson for a Romanceopoly Challenge prompt and am so glad I did. Though it’s over 500 pages, every page was worth it. Having read C.L. Wilson before, I was eager to start her Weathermages of Mystral series, especially because of her descriptive world-building and characters.
Fair warning: if you are not a fan of over-controlling, alpha-like heroes, you may not like the hero, Wynter Atrialan, in this book. Personally, I don’t mind them, especially when I get the hero’s POV in the book. I love getting both characters’ POVs; this way, I can experience both their feelings of what and who is around them.
There is a reason why Wynter is the way he is; it’s because of what Summerlea King’s son did to him. He wants revenge and goes to war with Summerlea until they surrender and a treaty is put in place. To get back at the kingdom that betrayed him, he marries one of the princesses of Summerlea. The problem is that the Summerlea King will not make it easy for Wynter. Wynter thinks he is marrying one of the King’s precious daughters, but after the wedding, he realizes he has married the maid who intrigued him when he first arrived in Summerlea. This maid hides a secret that only a select few know.
The heroine, Khamsin Coruscate, has been hidden for years because her father wanted nothing to do with her after what happened to her mother. He blames her for his wife’s death. Raised as a maid in her own home, even though her brother and sisters knew the truth, now she is arranged to marry the ruthless man her brother betrayed, Wynter Atrialan. She knows that if Wynter finds out she is not one of her sisters, she could be killed, but when he does learn the truth, she is surprised by how he handles it.
The Wintercraig King decides to keep her as his wife, channeling his need for revenge into their relationship. As Kham and Wynter are forced together, the book focuses on themes of trauma, healing, and the tension between vengeance and love. They confront emotional obstacles as much as external ones, and the use of magic underlines how their struggles intertwine with their identities and healing journeys.
I loved everything about this book. C.L. Wilson’s writing is so vivid that it feels like I’m there with the characters through all the trials, tribulations, and happy moments. This story is technically a slow burn, even though Wynter and Kham marry and consummate their relationship at first. It takes time for them to trust one another because they come from different kingdoms with reasons to be wary. Both Wynter and Kham have justifiable trust issues after their experiences and betrayals, and they must work through these together and alone, eventually realizing their compatibility.
One thing I loved most was how strong Kham was as a heroine, especially given her upbringing. Her father was ruthless and horrible to her, and the whole time, I wanted him to get what he deserved after how he treated Kham and what he did to her at the beginning of the book. Her strength helps her not only deal with her new husband, but getting the people of Wintercraig to trust her. It takes time, but she eventually wins them over, especially with how she protects Wynter.
I’ve mentioned this before in my review, but yes, Wynter is that alpha-like male, and not everyone is going to like him. I liked him, especially when I learned his backstory. He was only getting revenge for what happened, but the Weathermage who wields storm qualities will have him find warmth in love and happiness again.
This book has a great cast of secondary characters, each unique and important to the storyline. I loved the ending, even though Kham and Wynter are separated much of the time, because it showed their strengths apart and their desire to be reunited. Their story concludes with a well-deserved HEA.
Overall, such a fantastic read, and I give this book 5-stars. Now, I’m looking forward more than ever to picking up the second book in the series, especially with how C.L. Wilson ended this one to setup the next book. This book also reminded me I need to finish reading C.L. Wilson’s other series, too. She truly is a genius at storytelling.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, definitely. If you enjoy Fantasy/Paranormal Romance and don’t mind a lengthy read, I highly recommend picking up the first book in the Weathermages of Mystral series, The Winter King.
What to Expect:
❄️Fantasy Romance/Romantic Fantasy
⚡️Enemies to Lovers
❄️Arranged Marriage
⚡️Elemental Powers/Weather Magic
❄️Trauma & Healing for Both MCs
Favorite Quotes:
“Idiots and frost brains,” she muttered as she stalked out after finishing. “That’s what men are. I’ve no idea why Freika ever bothered creating you. She should have recognized perfection when she created woman and stopped while she was ahead.”
“His queen, who had been an outcast in her own home all her life, would not be an outcast in his.”
“Your father thought he scored a victory over me when he tricked me into marrying you instead of one of your sisters, but he unwittingly gave me the one daughter I wanted most.”
About C.L. Wilson
C.L. Wilsons unique blend of pulse-pounding action, sweeping epic fantasy, and passionate romance has made her books a favorite read for romance and fantasy readers alike. Praised for exceptional worldbuilding and lyric prose, her critically acclaimed novels have regularly appeared on bestseller lists including the USA Today, the New York Times, and Publishers Weekly.
C.Ls novels have won numerous industry and reader-selected awards including, LifetimeTV.coms Best Paranormal debut of 2007, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, two National Readers Choice awards, the Colorado Award of Excellence, and the Holt Medallion. Ms. Wilson is the honored recipient of the PEARL award from Paranormal Romance as the best new author of 2007, and winner of the 2009 PEARL award for best Romantic Fantasy novel.
When not torturing her characters mercilessly, C.L. enjoys relaxing with her family in sunny Florida and daydreaming of a world where people exercise in their sleep and chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream is a fat burning food.
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