Winterveil

by Ava Reid

The Secret History meets The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in #1 bestselling author Ava Reid’s brand new, thrilling, dystopian YA novel.

There is no application process for Valeran Academy, but it boasts the brightest – and precociously criminal – students in the nation.

A disgraced politician from a powerful American dynasty.

A coldly brilliant strategist who will sacrifice anything to win.

A former pageant queen with a talent that could change the world.

A prodigious female soldier with an enigmatic past – and a dangerous secret.

With eerie war simulations, cutthroat competitions and foreboding new technology, Valeran trains its students to be elite assets in a Cold War that has dragged on for nearly a century. But as a sinister conspiracy takes shape and these four are drawn together for a mysterious mission, their loyalties are tested, their convictions shaken and they all begin to are they ushering in a new era of freedom, or tyranny?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Fiction, Alternate History, Ebooks

480 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication September 24, 2026

About the author

Ava Reid is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of gothic fantasies, including A Study in Drowning, Juniper & Thorn, and Lady Macbeth. She lives in California.

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

ava reid making me have faith in dystopian books again bless!!

klaudia and julian having the most intense stare downs and academic rivalry meanwhile giselle and nadiya off in the corner like: omg did we dream of each other (but actually all four of them are equally traumatized)

thank you to edelweiss for providing me an advance review copy. full review to come!

Bookstagram | Blog

[Livvy ⋆˚࿔ {Boys of Tommen era}]

‎♡‧₊˚ Pre Release: 🎀

I don’t even have a cover, genre, or description yet… BUT IM STILL SO EXCITED 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 SHES feeding me omg her books are AMAZING 🤭

[tiana ♡]

pre-read notes:

I JUST LET OUT THE BIGGEST SCREAM!! 😭 Thank you HarperCollins and Ava Reid for the ARC of this book!! You guys have NO idea how insufferable I'm about to be 😮‍💨❤️
I'm so excited to read this!!

🗓️: Releasing on September 15, 2026

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the gifted eARC!

I’ve read several books by Ava Reid and enjoyed them all, but I think this one may be my favorite to date. I thought the concept of a future United States in another Cold War was super interesting, and the political components were very well executed and grounded in both historic and current affairs. The element that kept giving me pause as I was reading, however, was that this is being marketed as YA and the content of the story didn’t really align with what I was expecting based on how it was presented. Don’t get me wrong - I really enjoyed this story and in many ways it exceeded my original expectations, but I’m also in my 30s, and I know I would not have got as much out of this as a teen (unless I was one of the “precocious” teens in this book). My question of “what is YA, exactly” continues to remain unanswered, but I’m looking forward to book 2 nonetheless!

[Nenia Campbell]

If someone in charge of distributing ARCs sees this, pleaaaaaaase consider me :p

[klaudia. · Rating 4 out of 5]

୨୧ 一 3.75 stars

→ thank you netgalley and HarperCollins for the arc

The beginning of the book sounded promising. A dystopian world where the Cold War is not over and the four students suddenly become weapons in this war. Well, only in theory. Not everything was bad, I just feel like the pacing is bad. We spend half of the book in the academy, which was not very interesting to me.

This is my first book by an author and I still plan to read more because I liked the writing. The characters were well created, layered, complex. They were not two-dimensional, each with it had its own flaws and problems. I liked Klaudia the most, I feel very attached to her because we share the same name. I really liked her relationship with Julian, I LOVE RIVALS TO LOVERS and they served it just right. The opposite was Giselle and Nadiya's relationship, which was pure and so cute, they were adorable together. The relationships were well developed, but I didn't feel the same when it came to their friendship, I expected a deep found family, but I didn't feel it completely 🤷‍♀️ overall I don't think this book is really bad, it just lacks details, I liked the last 100 pages.

[Kristina]

"An alternate future where the Cold War still rages" with four teenage criminals.

I'm sold.

[Lauren Kamran · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5⭐️ rounded up.

Unfortunately Winterveil was a huge disappointment for me. While the premise was incredibly unique and had great potential it fell completely flat. The lack of world building and actual plot for the first 50% of this book left me with a lot to desire and then we are just dropped in a whole new setting with even less explanation.

Trigger warnings below.

Every character (except julian actually) had redeeming qualities which is the only thing that kept me going. Klaudia was especially my favorite but the way the author described her was just horrible. I am so over constantly harping on how ugly and unattractive a female character is but “despite that” she’s still a main love interest. So overdone and distasteful. Also it seemed she was just “unattractive” because she was Russian? So so odd to me…..

Julian was horrendous as a character and my absolute main gripe with this entire book was the fact that MULTIPLE times he is fantasizing about this girl “on her knees” right after she was assaulted. Both in a “I feel bad for her” and “I wanted to be the one to put her there (sexually and rivalry wise)” the entire concept of the SA was just unnecessary and for shock value which is disgusting in and of itself. There were also way too many instances of adult content in this YA book surrounding Julian. There was ZERO reason for him to have so many borderline explicit scenes with multiple people. Also another gripe was him giving away his precious watch at the end for no reason. This bothered me an insane amount and should be taken out.

There was also zero reason for the teacher/student dynamics being so incredibly creepy and predatory (Blanchard with Giselle AND Iver with Nadiya) Again just another example of trying to add shock value in the most distasteful way.

The relationships in the story genuinely felt so forced and made very little sense. These were children being forced to train/fight in the ongoing Cold War I’m not sure how they all had so much time to be falling in love with each other but with zero chemistry at all. The only actual relationship of any substance was between Mikhail and Jane and they weren’t even main characters….

The structure of this story was also a mess and left so much to be desired. I will take more time to formulate real thoughts on this but I’m just so stuck on all the other issues mentioned above.

Overall this book was honestly really hard to read. While I loved Klaudia and occasionally Nadiya, I just wanted so much more. The Thymos game could’ve been way better explained (this was actually cool), we could have eliminated so many disgusting plot lines, and instead spent more time explaining the story, war, academy as a whole, purpose of the mission, and so on. Instead we got 400+ pages of teachers assaulting students, students assaulting each other, and zero resolution to any of our problems. This was a huge disappointment for such a promising story.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[ᯓ★ emely ⋆˚✿˖°]

screaming, crying, throwing up… what do you mean i got the arc for one of my most anticipated releases?? 😭

thank you so much to harpercollins and netgalley for the opportunity. i genuinely can’t put my excitement into words ❤️

[Beenish]

I mean, the Ava Reid book covers are just!!! 😍🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼


my ratings/reviews of
A Study in Drowning (A Study in Drowning #1) — 3★
Juniper and Thorn ☆☆☆☆☆

[Azhar · Rating 3 out of 5]

plays in the dystopian YA sandbox but doesn’t really bring anything super exciting or new to it. there’s threads of good ideas here but they don’t really go anywhere. the characters however really shine (loved klaudia & giselle), more so than the world which feels quite flat for parts of it. wish it ended with more of a bigger bang. guess we’ll see what happens in the second book but i won’t be holding my breath for vast improvements.

thanks to edelweiss for the advanced reading copy!!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ava Reid has done it again! This is very different from her other books in a good way! I really liked the dystopian setting of if we were still in the cold war and the red scare. All of the AI and technology was really cool too! I do think that the pacing was a little slow in the beginning and it was hard to get into the book. But once the pacing picked up, I couldn’t put this down!

I loved that all the characters were complex and not always the best people. It was so fascinating to learn about their pasts and I really liked how they had a lot of depth. I’m so excited for the sequel!

Thank you to Netgalley, Ava Reid, and Harpercollins for the free e-arc in exchange for a honest review!

[Trista Woelfle]

I am freaking out!!! I just got approved for this ARC on NetGalley today and I cannot wait to read it!

The description sounds so intriguing, and I’ve been wanting to read something by Ava Reid for a while now. The premise feels right up my alley, so I’ll be starting this ASAP. I’m so grateful I was approved! Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this story!

AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

[Jinny]

No synopsis, no problem. Still buckled in and eagerly waiting!

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know that feeling when one of your auto-buy authors announces a new book and you’re already emotionally invested, spiritually committed, and mentally preparing to scream about it for days?

Yes. That was me with this one.

Because let’s be real—Ava Reid has owned my heart with her previous works. The atmosphere, the haunting prose, the deeply layered characters that crawl under your skin and refuse to leave? I’ve adored it all. So obviously I went into this expecting to be completely swept away.

And while I liked it… I wasn’t levitating like I usually do.

The premise? Delicious. A dystopian world where the Cold War never ended, morally questionable teens thrown into a secret military academy, secrets, betrayal, political tension, a sprinkle of romance—honestly, on paper, this should have been my personality for a week.

And there are definitely things this book does well. The tone is dark, unsettling, and ambitious. The characters are messy, flawed, sometimes frustrating (okay, very frustrating at times), but undeniably interesting. I appreciated the attempt to explore power, control, and the cost of survival in a broken system. There’s also that signature Ava Reid atmosphere—brooding, tense, a little eerie—that keeps you turning the pages even when you’re slightly confused and emotionally side-eyeing everyone.

But here’s the thing… I never fully landed in the story.

The multiple POVs, while promising in theory, made it harder for me to connect deeply with any one character. Just as I started getting invested, we’d shift again, and I felt like I was constantly trying to catch up instead of sinking in. The world-building also felt a bit distant—I wanted more texture, more grounding, more reasons to feel the weight of this alternate reality.

And pacing… oh, the pacing and I had a complicated relationship. It’s one of those books where things are happening, but somehow it still feels like you’re waiting for the real story to begin. I kept thinking, “Okay THIS is where I get obsessed,” and then… not quite.

Emotionally, it didn’t hit me the way her previous books did. Usually her stories grab me by the soul and refuse to let go. This one kept me at arm’s length. I was interested, I was curious, but I wasn’t consumed—and that’s what I missed the most.

That said, I still think there’s an audience who will absolutely devour this. If you love morally gray characters, political intrigue, secret academies, and a darker dystopian vibe, this might totally work for you.

For me, it’s a solid 3 stars—I liked it, I respected what it tried to do, but I didn’t fall head over heels the way I usually do with this author. And honestly? That won’t stop me from immediately picking up her next book, because I know what she’s capable of.

A very huge thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperCollins for sharing this dystopian romance/gothic fantasy from one of my auto-approved favorite authors in exchange for my honest thoughts—I truly appreciate the opportunity.

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[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: Winterveil 4 stars ***Spoilers ahead***
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for a chance to read and review Winterveil by Ava Reid. While I loved the concept of this story; a dystopian world set in an alternate timeline where the Cold War still exists and a spy academy with convicted teens, it sort of felt like the was pacing and the plot were off at times. This is definitely a book heavy with political intrigue and uses lots of different theories and elements that can be confusing, I like those things in books but I understand it might not be for everyone.
The school was an interesting backdrop and we spent a big chuck of the book there but we still didn’t get to learn as much about the outside world and why these teen are needed for this mission. They then get taken to a new location to be further tested and still no real answers are given until about 80% in the book. Toward the end the group goes on a side quest which I was confused about and then some characters make choices that I didn’t think they would make which didn’t seem to follow their current character development, it did surprise me and I wonder how the relationships will be after the betrayal, and I hope It will be further explained why in book 2.
I really loved and am invested in the four main characters; Klaudia, Julian, Giselle, Nydia are a strange group but throughout the book they start to find some common ground. There is still have so much to be explored with them and I am excited to see how their arcs develop.
Also, I loved how the book had little gaps between chapters in which classified documents were shared as it gave the spy feel and provided foreshadowing and information for upcoming chapters.
Lastly, this book is being marketed as YA but I think it should have been adult, even though there is no descriptive language mature themes occur throughout and trigger warnings should be provided in the beginning of the book. Some of those scenes were uncomfortable to read (such as the kiss between the professor and Giselle which seemed to come out of nowhere)
Overall, this book was had a great concept and group of characters but was a little slow in its pacing and has room for more world building.
This is the first book in a duology and I plan buy a physical copy in September and read the sequel as I am very curious to see what will happen next. Thank you again for the chance to read and review!

[Abbie Riddle · Rating 2 out of 5]

No! Absolutely not in any realm or any time frame would I ever pick this book back up for a re-read!! And I actually love this author's books, that's why I was excited to see this one and was even more excited to get an advanced copy of the book. But what I was left with was a sick disappointment that left me over thinking the absolute darkness and wrongness of this book in its entirety.

First off - IF you don't read the blurb on this book and just go in blind you will be lost - like as in lost in a dark cave with no light type of lost!! The world building is lacking and so you are thrown in with multiple POV's that don't seem to have anything to do with one another. And truly they don't until they all meet up at the academy. But, honestly, I would not have known what the world was about or what was going on had I not read the blurb before signing up for a copy of the book. To me this was a supreme disappointment. Eventually it reminded me of Ayn Rand's worlds but also lacking.

Second - I'm just going to be straight. This book is filled with so many adult themes that are noxious - especially in light of todays times and the news. The teachers are predatory and dangerous. The relationship between teacher and students is awful: teachers using their power and positions and the children's trauma as well as their situations (prisoners basically) and their isolation from their families to take advantage of them sexually and emotionally. Just WRONG on so many levels. I felt dirty, disgusted and really, honestly a bit angry!!
Then there is Julien with his fantasies, his semi-explicit situations, his entitlement! I could not have hated a character more - and I am sure that is the aim here.

Over all this book was confusing!! The Multiple POV did not add to the book, instead it just convoluted the entire story. The lack of world building left me groping for understanding. Over all I hated the experience which left me conflicted because I normally love this author's works. However, full disclosure, this book will not be added to my shelves next to her other work. And, honestly I will pretend I never entered the world of Winterveil at all.

[bells · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.75⭐️


This book is giving Shatter Me x Divergent x The Naturals x Inception energy and I physically could not stop turning the pages. I really love how all four main characters each come with their own baggage and unique skills, and the way their backstories slowly unfold had me locked in.

The futuristic dystopian atmosphere was so immersive. The game simulations. The training sessions. The secret missions. The next-gen tech. Everything felt so vivid I could literally see it playing out in my head like a film. And don’t even get me started on the corrupt government system, the underlying Cold War tension, and that secret military academy setting. It scratched something in my brain. It gave me that nostalgic 2010s dystopian era that I will NEVER shut up about.

Klaudia and Julian did NOT come to play. That rivalry was sharp and borderline unhinged. The tension was tensioning at maximum capacity and I was served with the best meal of my life.

Meanwhile, Giselle and Nadiya’s dynamic was so soft and natural, and the slow build-up of their relationship felt so genuine. Watching them warm up to each other was so delightful.

And the group dynamic overall was chef’s kiss. They’re all so different, but somehow they fit together perfectly like chaotic little puzzle pieces. I LOVE THEM.

Also, the side characters are actually well-written and relevant instead of just existing for decoration. Everyone had a purpose and I appreciated that so much.

AND THAT CLIFFHANGER!!! You can’t just do that and expect me to be okay. This better NOT be a standalone because I need the sequel immediately or I will actually riot. This is officially my favorite Ava Reid book. Maybe it’s not as poetic and lyrical as her other works, but the flow and sheer addictiveness were life-changing. Thank you for the buffet!


════════════════════════

Thank you to HarperCollins and Edelweiss+ for the ARC!

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperTeen for the e-Arc! I should note that this was very nearly a five star read for me, but the pacing felt a little off and parts of the book were a little too familiar for me to fully commit. That being said, the characters make this story really shine - the way each of them holds tension compensates for the slower parts of the story. Klaudia was, of course, my favorite - Ava Reid has a knack for writing female characters constantly at war with themselves and their bodies, and it would have meant a lot to me to read her characters when I was a teenager. I loved the rural Appalachian representation (I can confirm being a queer girl in the Blue Ridge mountains does, indeed, suck), and the familiar setting. I don't quite agree with the comps in the description; this feels more like Ender's Game meets The Mysterious Benedict Society, but what do I know?
Winterveil is certainly for an older YA crowd, but I've read much more explicit and graphic scenes in books heavily marketed to teenagers. There are a lot of more advanced political/economic terms and concepts presented, but I think high schoolers are perfectly capable of comprehending them, and researching the things they don't understand (I certainly learned a lot while reading the book). My biggest issue is that the second half of the book still does not make complete sense to me; Do the Soviets also have a Dreamscape? Is it separate? Is there only one Dreamscape? If not, how in the world would they kill Satow from their Dreamscape? Maybe this will be answered in the sequel, but I still don't like being unsure of how the book's world works when I end a novel. Overall Winterveil is a compelling novel with a pretty even balance of uniqueness and ya-dystopian-familiarity, and I will be reading the next book.

[Brittney · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚 Winterveil
🖋️ Ava Reid
✨ Book 1 in a duology

❄️ Winterveil is a dystopian YA story set in an alternate timeline where the Cold War never ended, centered around Valeran Academy, a brutal school training the nation’s most brilliant and morally complicated teens to become elite assets. What makes this book stand out is the eerie spy academy atmosphere, the political intrigue, the war simulations, and the classified documents sprinkled throughout the story that make everything feel secretive and ominous. My favorite part was definitely the four main characters. Klaudia, Julian, Giselle, and Nydia made such a strange and fascinating group, and watching them slowly find common ground kept me invested even when the pacing dragged.

🖤 While I really loved the concept, the atmosphere, and the core cast, this one felt uneven for me. The plot moved slower than I wanted, and it took a long time to get real answers about the world, the mission, and the stakes. I also felt like some character choices near the end did not fully line up with the development we had seen so far. That said, I am still very curious about where this story is going next because the setup, betrayal, and unanswered questions definitely hooked me enough to want book two.

✨ Tropes & Vibes
🕵️ Spy academy
❄️ Alternate history dystopia
🧠 Political intrigue
⚔️ Cutthroat competition
📁 Classified documents and secret files
🖤 Morally complicated characters
👑 Former pageant queen energy
🔥 Betrayal and shifting loyalties
🌫️ Dark academic adjacent atmosphere
🚨 High stakes secrets

📖 Read this if you like...
🩶 dark, politically layered dystopias
🩶 elite school settings with dangerous competitions
🩶 ensemble casts with messy loyalties
🩶 stories that feel cold, eerie, and secretive
🩶 YA that reads more mature because of its themes

#Winterveil #AvaReid #YABooks #DystopianFiction #BookReview

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much for an ARC of this book! I am a huge fan of Ava Reid’s YA Books.

This one was somewhere between a 3 and a 4 of me. I think it has one of the strongest dystopian/AU concepts I’ve read in a while. The year is 2037 and we live in an America where we never won the Cold War. America is desperate to make advances against the Soviet Union and has turned to taking the brightest and most criminal youth and enrolling them in a special school as an alternative to prison to train them to be CIA and war agents. The school is basically a prison itself and these young adults are faced to compete against each other to try to bring out the best in each other. There is a lot of manipulation happening from the “teachers” at the school and where the story actually goes with the war was very interesting.

Our story follows 4 young adults all with extremely different backgrounds that got them to where they are. I think for me the hardest part was I thought that individually the group of four had really great stories but I was having a hard time feeling an emotional connection between them all. They kind of coupled off and I wanted more interconnected to keep me engaged. I loved Nadia and Giselle though. And I also just thought everyone of the four had unique and badass personalities but will also tender and vulnerable moments. I also felt like despite the length, I was missing some keep background of America that could have been helpful with the war.

What I did love was if you think the technology isn’t there because of the war, you are wrong! The science and tech were some of my fav twists

Overall though I enjoyed this and I found it extremely fascinating. I will definitely be recommending it to people and I am excited to see how it resolves in book 2 (set to be a duology!!)

[Dayvn Kai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an early copy of this book!

Wanna start by saying this book was probably one of the most interesting concepts I’ve ever read. I love a good dystopian book, but I realized I don’t actually read them often. I've also heard such good things about Ava Reid’s writing, and this was my first book by her, so I definitely need to check out some of her other work! This book was not only so well thought out and just so interesting, but the characters and the relationships were so well written. I loved each character individually. I think they were not only all complex and just so well throughout, but I am very interested to see where the relationships go from this ending. I also think both couples were so cute. Academic rivals-to-lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and the same goes for very opposite characters who are a couple.

I think where this book fell short was the pacing. It was very strange for me. The beginning felt like a lot of information in the first few chapters, while still being very slow to pick up. Then it did pick up around the 30% mark, and I loved it. The academy setting was so good, and I really loved getting to really know each of the characters individually while also getting to see how they interact with eachother. Then, around the 50% mark it was a change in setting and also a change in pace. It just slowed down a lot again, and then at the 70% mark, it picked back up. I also think I would have really liked to see more of them all together instead of just in duos. I think the found family could be so good with these 4, and I hope we get to really see that in the next book! Overall, I’m still so excited to see what happens next because I have so many questions!

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ava Reid never lets me down!

This was such a cool read, and for a few different reasons. First, it’s worth noting that this is one of Ava Reid’s YA novels, so it feels pretty different from something like Inamorata or her more horror-leaning work. It’s still dystopian, but less thematically heavy and honestly, it really worked for me.

What I loved:
-This book takes place in a very unique, cool version of our world that's unlike anything I've seen before. It's sci-fi-ish, but only lightly so. A lot of it is very recognizable, down to versions of Elon Musk and JD Vance popping into the narrative.
-This book takes a lot of inspiration from the field of international relations. I have a M.A. in International Relations so I really enjoyed a lot of the references/in-jokes. Nothing too complicated though - it's all pretty basic stuff that's here. If you've taken an intro to IR class, you'll probably get a lot of it. Still, it was fun to see it in the book.
-The plot. It's a dystopian spy school thriller. It's like the Americans, but sci-fi, and also at a SCHOOL, training SPIES. How cool is THAT.

What didn't land:
-It's one-half of a duology so there are a lot of questions left unanswered at the end - I know this complaint will disappear after I read the second book but I didn't realize it was a duology at first so I kept being like "how is this going to be wrapped up??"
-The romances aren't as fully realized as some of Ava Reid's other books - not bad, just didn't knock my socks off. Hopefully book two will deepen. them.

Overall: I had a great time with this. It’s smart, creative, and genuinely fun, and I’m very curious to see where the story goes next.

[Colleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Huge thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for the eARC of Winterveil. This will be publishing on September 15, 2026 for all to enjoy.

I was very interested in the premise of this book. It is set in the not so distant future but the events of the past are very much still active. The Cold War rages on and the United States is falling behind in their attempts to remain the reining super power.
In come the four main characters of this novel, they are all criminals sent to a top secret school hidden in the Virginia countryside- their main objective is to become the next superpowers of national intelligence and security.
For me, this book started off so cool and interested- but it quickly fell flat and became confusing. I usually enjoy Ava Reid's writing but I did notice that the language used in this books was almost too adult. As a 30 year old person, I was confused by some of the terms being used regularly and found myself googling what things meant and even how to pronounce things. Some of the subjects in this were also very adult, making me feel like some chapters were written for a YA book, and others as an adult urban fantasy book- those two things never meshed well for me.
I also felt as though we were dropped into this with little to no world building, which quickly became worse with the introduction of a VR game in the first portion of the book. I felt confused, irritated and it took me away from the minor connections I had previously felt to the characters. The strange VR situations continued in different aspects throughout.
Overall, this book left me confused more than it did satisfied.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was overwhelming to read, but in a good way I loved reading it the prose was beautiful, and mesmerizing I really liked Ava Reid’s writing it transport you to another world and you feel entranced by it. This story follows four teenagers who get recruited to go to valeran academy a military school of some sort, but it felt more for spies than for the military each character had done a sort of crime that got them accepted into the school. You get into the world pretty quickly the writing is very immersive you get a sense of the world, the characters and the conflict the book ties it all together beautifully it all connected together great the book is slow paced, but the conflicts and the engaging characters got me hooked to the very last line. It gets a bit quicker towards the end there’s two scenes alluding to sex I don’t know if readers would be comfortable with that. The story is good, but it might not be for everyone the worldbuilding is very vast and detailed plus the lyrical writing some might find it a bit too much or outright boring. The characters were good I liked them, but Julian’s character irked me a little especially at the end the character downgraded a little which made me dislike him. Every character felt integral to the story none of them felt needless or solely there to fit a plot point. It ended in a good note hinting at a sequel, and I can’t wait for it reading this story got me out of a small reading slump, and it really helped me through it.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher for the arc.

[Chelsea Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ava Reid’s Winterveil is a curious, frost-bitten creature. Set in a reimagined Cold War where the world is strangled by both ice and industry, it follows four young outcasts summoned to the grim Valeran Academy.

The Virtues:
Reid’s prose is, as always, her sharpest blade. She captures the dystopian atmosphere with a bleak, haunting beauty that makes the setting feel like a character in its own right. The tension between the four leads—particularly the "predator and prey" dance between Jada and her professor—is thick enough to cut with a knife. For those who enjoy dark academia with a side of sharp social commentary on capitalism, there is much to chew on here.

The Vices:
However, the story often stumbles under its own weight. At over 400 pages, the pacing drags in the middle, lost in dense thickets of internal monologue. While the themes of feminism and power are vital, they are at times delivered with a heavy hand that favors telling over showing. Furthermore, seasoned readers of the genre may find the "deadly school" tropes a bit too familiar, echoing works like The Secret History without quite carving out a unique enough path.

The Verdict:
A moody, atmospheric start to a new duology. It is a fine meal for those who crave aesthetic and "vibes," but those seeking a lean, propulsive plot may find themselves left out in the cold.

[Rayann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firstly,I want to thank HarperCollins Children’s Books and Netgalley for this Arc.

As a start,this book is 3/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️’s for me!
Valeran is a somewhat military school that gathers students secretly from all over that have one thing in common— a criminal record.
It follows 4 characters, Julien, Giselle, Klaudia, and Nadya
Winterveil is set during 2037,during the still ongoing Cold War.

The idea of this book is great—Military, Criminals, War, and so on.
But it unfortunately didn’t go the way I wanted to go.
The military aspect wasn’t mentioned so much, for an example, having different sessions, and training.I would’ve LOVED it if we were to read about their training and stuff.
The book was slow, and it felt like it was going nowhere.

Another thing is that I didn’t like the main characters😭
We have four,and I only liked two.
Giselle for instance, I feel like she lacks personality.
And Nadya.. I just didn’t like her.
Though I did like Julien and Klaudia, and I feel like their light rivalry was fun.

I had high hopes for this, but unfortunately it isn’t for me.

~ “But wasn’t all hope,to some degree,foolish?”

~ “It would have been a privilege to believe that her appearance did not matter.”

~ “Sometimes there’s no such thing as perfect play.Only inelegant solutions.”

[Cass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early.

Winterveil is a dystopian book following four students at the prestigious but secretive Valeran Academy as they learn to work together and understand what their continued Cold War society wants from them.

I really enjoyed this book! I’m a huge Ava Reid fan and I was excited to read another book set in an academic setting from them. I loved all of the main characters, Klaudia and Nadiya in particular. I also found the story and the world super interesting and was eager to find out what happened next the entire book.

I was a little uncomfortable with the way the book handled the assault scenes and I also wished there was a little more development for Giselle and Nadiya's relationship as it felt like they went from barely friends to kissing in just a few chapters.

But overall, I really enjoyed the dynamics between the characters and how they interacted as a group. I’m excited to see where the story goes in the next book!

Thank you again to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this early.

4.5 stars rounded down to 4 stars.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Blue Ridge, No(rthern) VA, and DC settings made the local in me extra excited to read this, but you wouldn't really know where this book took place. There are almost no descriptions of the different landscapes, how they look, or cultural differences.

A group of rich teens join a prison/spy school about ten years in the future, in a world where the Cold War never ended. Parts hint at dark themes like on-page SA, references to childhood abuse, and invasive medical testing, but they are brief and feel superficial. The idea that teens at the school have no bodily autonomy is interesting, as is Reid's familiar exploration of how the most powerful person owns the narrative, but it unfortunately never goes deep enough to be memorable.

There is a lot of gay teenage yearning (ok yes) and political intrigue in the most YA way possible (no thanks). There are more characters than in A Study in Drowning, but I found the perspectives of Winterveil less interesting and the pacing slower. The twist didn't do much for me.

Thank you to the author and publisher HarperCollins for sharing an ARC with me through NetGalley.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3*** Dystopian academy with trials set in a moody historical setting? Sign me up! This is my first Ava Reid so I was excited and cautiously optimistic. The characters are layered with their own distinct stories and voices. But the voices and characters were unlikable and loathsome. While I can sometimes excuse immaturity in YA characters, Julian and some other character lines of thinking just reveal them to be entitled, unsympathetic jerks. At the same time, some issues and themes in the book are also very adult. The tone is jarring. The world building was minimal and confusing. The academy setting was ok, but the teacher-student relationships were predatory and deeply problematic. Just as I thought it was starting to get better, there’s a POV shift or something red flag happens again. The premise was so unique. I wished this worked.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC for my honest thoughts.