Summerfall (A Winterspell Novella) by Claire Legrand

Read Dates: March 7, 2019 – March 8, 2019
Publication date: August 26, 2014
Source: Purchased ebook from Amazon

In this prequel to Legrand’s Winterspell series, we’re told the story of two souls that would come together and change the course of their world as they know it.

Rinka is a faery and she hates the way her people think ill of humans. When the human King, Alban, calls for 7 representatives from the Faery land to come and discuss peace between their people, Rinka thinks it is her chance to prove that she is educated and brave enough to sit on the council once her dad steps down. She also believes this is her chance to prove her people wrong about human intentions. However, when she arrives at Erastadt and finally meets the King, she is distracted by the electricity bouncing between them. Rinka has studied the humans tirelessly and knows all there is to know about their way of living, their customs, and their habits… but she was never prepared for what was to come.

I have to admit, this book was enjoyable. While it’s not really my cup of tea, I also didn’t have trouble sitting and reading it without putting it down. I read 20 pages out of curiosity the night I decided I was going to start it and the rest of it in one sitting the next day. While the romance in the book was a little over the top, I was able to enjoy the book for the other aspects it brought to the table.

There is evil everywhere. It goes without saying that in all races, there are always those who hope for war just as there were in this novella. I liked that this wasn’t soap opera drama but real issues that happen no matter where you go. The treacherous politics at work. You can study a people and learn all there is to know about them but you’ll never be able to learn the reasons why some of them lie, cheat, betray, and stab others in the back. It’s not a learned thing, it’s an experience. And, boy, does the main character sure experience it! The evil in this book was not romanticized. It was brutal. It was unwavering. It tended to sneak into play when you least expected it. I appreciated that.

Actions bear consequences. This wasn’t one of those books where actions are done and by the end of the book, those characters who performed those actions have found some impossible solution that allows them to go on with their lives in ecstasy. No. The characters made mistakes. Those characters had to pay the price. The author showed no mercy in this aspect of the novella.

Sometimes things don’t go the way you want them to. I bet a lot of people who didn’t like this book didn’t like it for the ending. I find it refreshing, however, to find a book like this where characters can do what is necessary for the greater good. I wish I could say more about this as there’s so much I want to say, but I’ll almost certainly spoil it.
It’s, like, 130 pages. Just go read it.

There’s a badass in every woman alive. I LOVE a good female lead and this one only disappointed a couple of times. (But I understood her struggle.) Rinka is strong, smart, capable, and she doesn’t take ANYONE’S shit. I loved her. She was so amazing. She knew her true feelings and she followed them. She never once followed any of her uncertainties. She never once convinced herself that she may want something that she really didn’t want. She knew herself. She held her head high. She spoke her truths. She was a true warrior.

Again, the romance wasn’t my favorite but I definitely understood the premise of it. Not a bad book at all. This was a nice break from the mystery/thriller spree I’ve been on lately.

Thanks for reading!!