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The Conquest of Kelemir #1
Winter's Fallen
Grace has survived all of her life by simply doing her duty and not standing out, like all the people of her village, until the day their ruling warlord decides to claim her as the season's tax. In a moment of blind panic, she flees straight into the first storm of winter...and into the life of a mysterious recluse. Now stranded in his tower until the spring thaw, she finds more than her mere freedom in peril as no one and nothing is as it seems...
Unknown Binding
First published January 16, 2015
30 people are currently reading
191 people want to read
About the author
A.F. Dery
11 books34 followersA. F. Dery has loved the fantasy romance genre for many years. A voracious reader, when she had trouble finding the kind of stories she was craving- non-explicit but emotionally engaging romances, in interesting fantasy settings and featuring adult main characters with adult problems and responsibilities- she decided to write her own. She lives in the U.S. and enjoys reading, writing, music, and spending quality time with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 22, 2015
I admit I like the Broken Mirrors duology better. Winter's Fallen had less humor and a love triangle. I do not like love triangles, especially when I like both possible love interests. I liked that Grace grew and learned to stand up for herself, although her self esteem still needed some work. I am not thrilled with the ending, and I hope there will be a second book. I cannot say more without a spoiler, but Winter's Fallen does not end with a cliffhanger.
August 24, 2017
.
I found this adventure extremely monontonous and dreary. There were some interesting spots, but not enough for sure. There were some intriquing twists and turns.
Characters did not develop enough for the length of the story and the plot was indecipherable.
The grammatical errors were distracting.
However, it was a clean read and that makes it worth more!
I found this adventure extremely monontonous and dreary. There were some interesting spots, but not enough for sure. There were some intriquing twists and turns.
Characters did not develop enough for the length of the story and the plot was indecipherable.
The grammatical errors were distracting.
However, it was a clean read and that makes it worth more!
January 29, 2015
5 with a caveat...This author badly needs an editor. While the problems were not enough to completely pull me from the story they did make me want to grab a red pen. The same goes for all of her other books. I read them in a short readathon last weekend and the same problems occur in all of her books. The characterizations are enough to make me keep reading though! Her characters are flawed, human and eminently interesting.
March 3, 2016
3.5 ish
Interesting but...something i cant put my finger on now bugs me
Interesting but...something i cant put my finger on now bugs me
February 11, 2020
This a story where I wished she picked both men instead of the recluse mass murderer for a love interest. At least she was fair. She did run away and sentenced her village and family to servitude, rape, pillage and the rest.
February 7, 2015
Summary of my needlessly long review: Overall, no surprises, and seemed like the book did not take long to write. I think the author had some good ideas and if she expanded on some of those original ideas and avoided the rewrite of Twilight, this could have been a great story. Note: I did not end up finishing the book, but I read the vast majority of it, and although towards the end it diverged from the Twilight rewrite, I had already lost interest in the characters.
Review:
Everyone must have brain damage by the end of this book. Head trauma is common in this magical world. Actually, there was barely any other description of the world except that it seems medieval and magical, that’s it. I think I liked the story more before the third point in the love triangle officially announced himself. Let’s call him Jacob, and he just buds into Edward and Bella’s blossoming romance. What?? I mixed up the characters with another series? No… no, unfortunately I haven’t. Okay, so the story is not original, but at least Edward’s stand-in, Hadrian, was a mage and the story was in a magical land which I thought was easier to swallow than our world swarming with secret, yet extremely obvious and destructive magical creatures that human society is too stupid to officially notice.
Hadrian, of course, is a killer and has suicidal tendencies, but no worries, no one except the reader and wolf-man want him to actually die. Bella, or Grace, is pretty much a virgin maid (no, I don’t mean maiden) that everyone loves even though she is, as she explains over and over again, so extraordinarily plain. Her self-esteem issues become a real drag. At least she is compassionate, but that’s about it; she seemed like a lame main character and was just a supporting role for the men. It might have been a good idea for the author to provide more of a story in the beginning with Grace in her village so we would not have to constantly hear about how she normally doesn’t speak up or argue or perform any social act, until now; and of course she does it constantly now, making her seem like she had some serious delusions about how she behaved pre-tower. Wolf-man should remain a fluffy pet wolf forever and do everyone a favor and kill Hadrian. I also wanted Edward to die in the Twilight series so I may be biased. We defend the people we associate with because we tend to surround ourselves with people who, in some ways, we perceive as reflections of ourselves, so I get why Grace wants Hadrian to live, but again he’s a drag most of the time and he seems to take a backseat when wolf-man makes his debut. There’s a bit too much self-reflection that I wish was limited. Actions speak louder than words, even in books.
Best scene was when wolf-man transformed into a man the 2nd time and Grace witnessed it. I always imagined werewolf transformations as being painful and I believe Grace’s feelings and observations were the most realistic feelings expressed in the entire book. There was disgust, fear, guilt because she wanted to run away, but compassion because she knew this man and knew she had to suck it up and be a good friend. I thought the scene was well done.
Review:
Everyone must have brain damage by the end of this book. Head trauma is common in this magical world. Actually, there was barely any other description of the world except that it seems medieval and magical, that’s it. I think I liked the story more before the third point in the love triangle officially announced himself. Let’s call him Jacob, and he just buds into Edward and Bella’s blossoming romance. What?? I mixed up the characters with another series? No… no, unfortunately I haven’t. Okay, so the story is not original, but at least Edward’s stand-in, Hadrian, was a mage and the story was in a magical land which I thought was easier to swallow than our world swarming with secret, yet extremely obvious and destructive magical creatures that human society is too stupid to officially notice.
Hadrian, of course, is a killer and has suicidal tendencies, but no worries, no one except the reader and wolf-man want him to actually die. Bella, or Grace, is pretty much a virgin maid (no, I don’t mean maiden) that everyone loves even though she is, as she explains over and over again, so extraordinarily plain. Her self-esteem issues become a real drag. At least she is compassionate, but that’s about it; she seemed like a lame main character and was just a supporting role for the men. It might have been a good idea for the author to provide more of a story in the beginning with Grace in her village so we would not have to constantly hear about how she normally doesn’t speak up or argue or perform any social act, until now; and of course she does it constantly now, making her seem like she had some serious delusions about how she behaved pre-tower. Wolf-man should remain a fluffy pet wolf forever and do everyone a favor and kill Hadrian. I also wanted Edward to die in the Twilight series so I may be biased. We defend the people we associate with because we tend to surround ourselves with people who, in some ways, we perceive as reflections of ourselves, so I get why Grace wants Hadrian to live, but again he’s a drag most of the time and he seems to take a backseat when wolf-man makes his debut. There’s a bit too much self-reflection that I wish was limited. Actions speak louder than words, even in books.
Best scene was when wolf-man transformed into a man the 2nd time and Grace witnessed it. I always imagined werewolf transformations as being painful and I believe Grace’s feelings and observations were the most realistic feelings expressed in the entire book. There was disgust, fear, guilt because she wanted to run away, but compassion because she knew this man and knew she had to suck it up and be a good friend. I thought the scene was well done.
November 19, 2015
It started off well!
We have Grace who runs off after being selected as this year's tax/piece of ass for the warlord. She gets lost in a snowstorm and dragged by a wolf to a tower where a depressed blind mage is wallowing.
The mage holds off on committing suicide to take care of Grace while she's ill, and thus begins a decent relationship. I don't mean relationship in a romantic sense (in the beginning), but a mutually satisfactory friendship. And once that turns into a more romantic arena I was okay with it.
Then poof...in walks our unnecessary, forced-in-for-dramaz, third wheel love triangle. Really the whole situation could have worked out just fine (and better), if Rupert hadn't been thrust in as some kind of transparent love interest. If he had been a true friend to our main couple the plot twist at the end would have been more heart-wrenching.
About that plot twist. Talk about lame and making an easy out for our mage. We drag through the whoooollllleeeee book with him carrying this weight on his shoulders for nearly a decade, and then OH BTW LOL . Again if Rupert had actually been someone the readers and even Grace cared about as a friend his big moment would have been more emotional...instead no one really cared about him, so he was a throw-away character to begin with.
Having Rupert around also turned our mage into a bit of a whiny, pathetic, mess and I lost my interest in him. He was being built up as a man finding himself again, even with his blindness, with Grace's help...and then he becomes this blob that you just pity, which made him lose any of his romantic lustre.
Shocking of course is that the ending was all OMG DUR nice and neatly tied up in a really eye-roll worthy way.
Now after all that's said, I did like this book (until the last 30/40%). Dery knows how to build up the emotions and have people interact in a non-insta-lust way. She can gently guide a relationship (unlike some authors who basically take a Barbie and Ken doll and smash them together like a 6 year old saying "NOW KISSSSS"). This book is well written and I would recommend it to some people.
We have Grace who runs off after being selected as this year's tax/piece of ass for the warlord. She gets lost in a snowstorm and dragged by a wolf to a tower where a depressed blind mage is wallowing.
The mage holds off on committing suicide to take care of Grace while she's ill, and thus begins a decent relationship. I don't mean relationship in a romantic sense (in the beginning), but a mutually satisfactory friendship. And once that turns into a more romantic arena I was okay with it.
Then poof...in walks our unnecessary, forced-in-for-dramaz, third wheel love triangle. Really the whole situation could have worked out just fine (and better), if Rupert hadn't been thrust in as some kind of transparent love interest. If he had been a true friend to our main couple the plot twist at the end would have been more heart-wrenching.
About that plot twist. Talk about lame and making an easy out for our mage. We drag through the whoooollllleeeee book with him carrying this weight on his shoulders for nearly a decade, and then OH BTW LOL . Again if Rupert had actually been someone the readers and even Grace cared about as a friend his big moment would have been more emotional...instead no one really cared about him, so he was a throw-away character to begin with.
Having Rupert around also turned our mage into a bit of a whiny, pathetic, mess and I lost my interest in him. He was being built up as a man finding himself again, even with his blindness, with Grace's help...and then he becomes this blob that you just pity, which made him lose any of his romantic lustre.
Shocking of course is that the ending was all OMG DUR nice and neatly tied up in a really eye-roll worthy way.
Now after all that's said, I did like this book (until the last 30/40%). Dery knows how to build up the emotions and have people interact in a non-insta-lust way. She can gently guide a relationship (unlike some authors who basically take a Barbie and Ken doll and smash them together like a 6 year old saying "NOW KISSSSS"). This book is well written and I would recommend it to some people.
June 6, 2015
really different
This was such a different take on a werewolf that I was really surprised. I was expecting a werewolf story in the usual vein, but this is not at all. It starts as a story about times when overlords were in charge of everyone's lives. The overlord has come to claim his yearly virgin as payment for his men not torching the village. Grace is chosen after being in the lineup 5 years without being chosen. She panics and runs. She gets lost in the woods and it is snowing a blizzard when she cannot go any further and she hears a growl. She sees a wolf and passes out. The wolf is thinking he likes her and doesn't want her to die in the storm, so he drags her to a castle tower where a Mage is contemplating killing himself. The Mage is blind and obviously depressed although it is a while before we find out why. He answers the door and the wolf drags Grace in. The Mage (Hadrian) eventually figures out it is a young woman and he manages to carry her up the stairs and proceeds to take care of her. He has very limited supplies and has many struggles in his quest to save her. The wolf starts going out and killing for them to have food. An elk, deer, whatever he can find. Meanwhile the storm is so bad they are snowed in. Now the story takes a good while to get Grace back to health but have patience and you will be rewarded for the story develops the plot really well from that point on. Suffice it to say that the wolf eventually transforms into a human, they both seem to care for her and the reasons for Hadrian's depression emerge with gusto. Believe me when I say you will not believe how the story develops and OMG the ending is a surprise. I was totally shocked at how it ended. Don't worry it has a good ending just not what you would expect. Other than it drags a little through Grace's recovery, this was well written. Definitely worth reading. It has the first chapter of the next book which is quite helpful and I am going to purchase it, as I think it will be just as good and I can't wait to see what happens.
This was such a different take on a werewolf that I was really surprised. I was expecting a werewolf story in the usual vein, but this is not at all. It starts as a story about times when overlords were in charge of everyone's lives. The overlord has come to claim his yearly virgin as payment for his men not torching the village. Grace is chosen after being in the lineup 5 years without being chosen. She panics and runs. She gets lost in the woods and it is snowing a blizzard when she cannot go any further and she hears a growl. She sees a wolf and passes out. The wolf is thinking he likes her and doesn't want her to die in the storm, so he drags her to a castle tower where a Mage is contemplating killing himself. The Mage is blind and obviously depressed although it is a while before we find out why. He answers the door and the wolf drags Grace in. The Mage (Hadrian) eventually figures out it is a young woman and he manages to carry her up the stairs and proceeds to take care of her. He has very limited supplies and has many struggles in his quest to save her. The wolf starts going out and killing for them to have food. An elk, deer, whatever he can find. Meanwhile the storm is so bad they are snowed in. Now the story takes a good while to get Grace back to health but have patience and you will be rewarded for the story develops the plot really well from that point on. Suffice it to say that the wolf eventually transforms into a human, they both seem to care for her and the reasons for Hadrian's depression emerge with gusto. Believe me when I say you will not believe how the story develops and OMG the ending is a surprise. I was totally shocked at how it ended. Don't worry it has a good ending just not what you would expect. Other than it drags a little through Grace's recovery, this was well written. Definitely worth reading. It has the first chapter of the next book which is quite helpful and I am going to purchase it, as I think it will be just as good and I can't wait to see what happens.
August 4, 2015
This was a free book I got off Barnes and Noble. The cover seemed kind of hokey, and then....I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN. I didn't see that coming!
The cover makes it look like there might be some bodice ripping happening, you know, because no-one seems to be wearing clothes? But apparently the author stays away from explicit content, therefore she had time to work the chemistry up to a nice fine fire.
There were a few parts that seemed a little stiff. The intro, where
I did like the character of Hadrian, he had a lot of conflict in his life, and had done a lot of harm to himself just by keeping himself isolated. Even though he was more higher born and educated, he did need someone who had her feet planted a little more firmly on the ground, or else, eating, bathing, cleaning, all those practical things weren't likely to get done. So I felt they made a good pair, their friendship seemed natural.
The cover makes it look like there might be some bodice ripping happening, you know, because no-one seems to be wearing clothes? But apparently the author stays away from explicit content, therefore she had time to work the chemistry up to a nice fine fire.
There were a few parts that seemed a little stiff. The intro, where
I did like the character of Hadrian, he had a lot of conflict in his life, and had done a lot of harm to himself just by keeping himself isolated. Even though he was more higher born and educated, he did need someone who had her feet planted a little more firmly on the ground, or else, eating, bathing, cleaning, all those practical things weren't likely to get done. So I felt they made a good pair, their friendship seemed natural.
April 21, 2016
Grace is a simple shepherdess who always did what she was told. She was happy- just being in the background until one winter day, the lord of the land demand Grace as a "tax" and Grace rebel by running into the forest. Realizing what could happen to her village because of her little stunt ,Grace tries to go back but finds herself lost. Rupert the werewolf finds her and drags her to the home of his enemy Hadrian a blind mage who takes care of Grace. Rupert who is also a mage blames Hadrian for the death of his brother and vows to keep Grace safe from Hadrian. Hadrian who has fallen in love with Grace is also keeping an eye out on Rupert. The two men joined forces to figure out a cure to the "plague" that Hadrian created when Hadrian realized Rupert who could not control his magic was there when the first outbreak began. Grief stricken, Rupert is turned into stone. Grace and Hadrian returned to her village where she is greeted by her father. She is stunned to hear that not only did the village not burned down, the other girls who inspired by Grace's act of rebellion turned against the lord of the land and beats him senseless. No other girls were used as a "tax" ever again. I was actually pleased with the character of Grace. It was refreshing to see her grow from a "doormat"into an independent woman. Both Hadrian and Rupert were getting on my nerves with their childish antics but Grace handled them like a pro. I can't wait to read more about Grace.
May 13, 2015
Wolf shifter fantasy set in the past English-like countryside with a young lady trying to escape a captive overlord situation and gets saved by a wolf and a blind mage.
I generally avoid any books with heroines named after virtues (i.e. Grace, Prudence, Charity, etc...) but I'm glad that I gave this little story a try because it was well written and enough twists to keep my interested with out any sexy time because this is a clean romance.
Grace has lived a nothing life trying to avoid notice from anyone, until she makes everyone notice her. She is probably just a normal girl next door like shepherdess when she gets fought over by the wolf that saved her from a snow storm and blind old guy (although he might by 30ish and not too old so that the story avoids getting into pervy territory). There is a second series for the guy that loses Grace so everyone will eventually get a HEA. The only foggy wield part of the story was whenever there was magic because it is never really explained how magic works in this world.
203 pages and kindle freebie
3 stars
I generally avoid any books with heroines named after virtues (i.e. Grace, Prudence, Charity, etc...) but I'm glad that I gave this little story a try because it was well written and enough twists to keep my interested with out any sexy time because this is a clean romance.
Grace has lived a nothing life trying to avoid notice from anyone, until she makes everyone notice her. She is probably just a normal girl next door like shepherdess when she gets fought over by the wolf that saved her from a snow storm and blind old guy (although he might by 30ish and not too old so that the story avoids getting into pervy territory). There is a second series for the guy that loses Grace so everyone will eventually get a HEA. The only foggy wield part of the story was whenever there was magic because it is never really explained how magic works in this world.
203 pages and kindle freebie
3 stars
June 26, 2015
3 1/2 stars
I enjoyed this book. It was a concept I hadn't read before, three people trapped together in a tower due to harsh winter weather. It was great to see a female character come into herself, grow and learn how to stand up for herself and speak her mind whereas before she was a wallflower, content to be ignored by everyone.
I wasn't a fan of the 'love' issues the author wrote in. It felt a little strange in some places and very cliched. Some of my biggest problems were just that - that the book felt a little cliched despite it's different setting and great ideas. This book also did not have any sex scenes in it, witch is just fine. In some ways it was refreshing to read a romance novel that didn't have the steamy scenes.
I liked it enough to pick up the second book in the series. I really want to see how it turns out.
I enjoyed this book. It was a concept I hadn't read before, three people trapped together in a tower due to harsh winter weather. It was great to see a female character come into herself, grow and learn how to stand up for herself and speak her mind whereas before she was a wallflower, content to be ignored by everyone.
I wasn't a fan of the 'love' issues the author wrote in. It felt a little strange in some places and very cliched. Some of my biggest problems were just that - that the book felt a little cliched despite it's different setting and great ideas. This book also did not have any sex scenes in it, witch is just fine. In some ways it was refreshing to read a romance novel that didn't have the steamy scenes.
I liked it enough to pick up the second book in the series. I really want to see how it turns out.
February 10, 2015
Totally awesome tale of three characters locked in a tower during what is turning out to be an unnaturally long winter and their change in attitudes from total, and untrusting strangers, through to intimacy of the heart. Their is a shape-changer who favors a wolf-form, but anyone who thinks this is just a rip-off of Twilight clearly hasn't read it. The fact that one of the main characters happens to be a mage driven blind by his own regret over his mistakes of the past just make the story all that more engaging. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to read engaging, multi-dimensional characters and how difficult circumstances can drive people to the greatest acts of kindness and selflessness.
April 15, 2015
Entertaining and Enjoyable
Grace is from Haevor. Haevor is governed by a war lord that demands virgin girls every year as his tax instead of coin or wool. The year he claims Grace, she runs into a storm and becomes lost. A wolf drags her to Hadrian's door, and Hadrian nurses her back to health.
The plot isn't really predictable, and it's not a simple light read. The ending was lacking, and there really wasn't a villain.
I really never liked Rupert, and I am skeptical Grace could have developed much, if any, emotion for him.
It's a good story for teens, though it is a little graphic, but not horribly so.
Grace is from Haevor. Haevor is governed by a war lord that demands virgin girls every year as his tax instead of coin or wool. The year he claims Grace, she runs into a storm and becomes lost. A wolf drags her to Hadrian's door, and Hadrian nurses her back to health.
The plot isn't really predictable, and it's not a simple light read. The ending was lacking, and there really wasn't a villain.
I really never liked Rupert, and I am skeptical Grace could have developed much, if any, emotion for him.
It's a good story for teens, though it is a little graphic, but not horribly so.
June 7, 2015
I did not finish this book at 72%.
It was just so awfully boring. Nothing and I mean nothing, could make me pick this book back up again.
The characters are whiny and just so weak in every aspect. It was so chasing to see the author try to portray the female lead character as one with a quiet but fierce strength because all that happened was we got a pathetic, weak character with multiple personality disorder.
And I'm still pretty unsure what the Greek this book was supposed to be about.
Ugh. I feel as whiny as these characters. Rant over now.
It was just so awfully boring. Nothing and I mean nothing, could make me pick this book back up again.
The characters are whiny and just so weak in every aspect. It was so chasing to see the author try to portray the female lead character as one with a quiet but fierce strength because all that happened was we got a pathetic, weak character with multiple personality disorder.
And I'm still pretty unsure what the Greek this book was supposed to be about.
Ugh. I feel as whiny as these characters. Rant over now.
April 13, 2015
A very enjoyable read. Grace steadily becomes someone you can really appreciate and loses the whiney nature that she has at the beginning. A little slow in places but overall a lovely book.
Another reviewer suggested an editor and I would agree. I can honestly say a good editor is worth their weight in gold.
Another reviewer suggested an editor and I would agree. I can honestly say a good editor is worth their weight in gold.
August 19, 2016
Clean! And engaging
I love fantasy/romance. Don't want the porn that seems to have taken over the genre. It takes an imaginative author to keep a story moving without reverting to smut. Once you get to know the characters (stay with it) this book becomes emotionally charged and magical. I'm about to start book 2.
I love fantasy/romance. Don't want the porn that seems to have taken over the genre. It takes an imaginative author to keep a story moving without reverting to smut. Once you get to know the characters (stay with it) this book becomes emotionally charged and magical. I'm about to start book 2.
January 26, 2015
Good story
The magic strode through the story helping the tale turn each character to bring a terrible wrong to right and the love between them made the story worth reading I enjoyed it
The magic strode through the story helping the tale turn each character to bring a terrible wrong to right and the love between them made the story worth reading I enjoyed it
June 4, 2015
Unexpected ending
I enjoyed this book. It flirts with high fantasy, yet isn't ridiculous with caricatures. Characters have profound conversations and relationships build, no instalove here.
I enjoyed this book. It flirts with high fantasy, yet isn't ridiculous with caricatures. Characters have profound conversations and relationships build, no instalove here.
May 19, 2015
different and not in a good way. couldn't get into it but had to finish it to find out what happened.
June 18, 2015
DNF at 24%. It was so, so boring. It may improve further in but I was so bored I couldn't force myself to read any further, especially as I have so many others waiting in my TBR pile.
June 3, 2015
A low-key, yet surprisingly lovely book that drew me in through its atmosphere and the quiet tenderness of its characters. Definitely recommend.
February 4, 2016
Great follow-up to Broken Mirrors, and Broken Lords.
January 26, 2016
There was a love triangle and it made me sad. And I felt really bad for the guy who did not get the girl. He did not get a happy ending.
Overall, the book just gave me a sad feeling.
Overall, the book just gave me a sad feeling.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews