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The Winter Prince
His heart stolen by a powerful pari’s magic, a young prince’s veins slowly fill with ice. That is what the stories say. Three years have passed since, and all efforts to save Kişin have failed. He won’t survive another winter. To save the prince’s life, Razin, the court wizard and Kişin’s childhood friend, plans to seek out the pari. But unbeknownst to Razin, Kişin’s heart was never stolen; he gave it freely to escape the pain of impossible love—his love for Razin.
Razin won’t accept Kişin’s fate, for reasons obvious to anyone who knows anything of love. Kişin agrees to the desperate quest, out of duty and a need to protect Razin. They are soon joined by Kişin’s once-bethrothed, Lana, the daughter of the khan, who seeks to break the curse that has turned her into a beast. But it isn’t long before Razin realizes saving his prince will require more than simply retrieving his heart. Razin will have to convince him to want it.
Razin won’t accept Kişin’s fate, for reasons obvious to anyone who knows anything of love. Kişin agrees to the desperate quest, out of duty and a need to protect Razin. They are soon joined by Kişin’s once-bethrothed, Lana, the daughter of the khan, who seeks to break the curse that has turned her into a beast. But it isn’t long before Razin realizes saving his prince will require more than simply retrieving his heart. Razin will have to convince him to want it.
147 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 24, 2016
25 people are currently reading
379 people want to read
About the author
R. Cooper
81 books999 followersI'm R. Cooper, a somewhat absentminded, often distracted, writer of queer romance. I'm probably most known for the Being(s) in Love series and The Suitable 'Verse stories. Also the occasional story about witches or firefighters in love.
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You can visit my website for updates or sign up for my newsletter . My newsletter is free! And comes out once a month or once every two months or so.
Otherwise... have some social media links if you want updates and whatever the hell else I am talking about.
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BlueSky
**With Meta's current policies, I do not use FB or Insta or Threads for anything but the bare minimum.**
Instagram and Threads
You can also support me on Patreon if you like
If you just want book release updates, I have a BookBub profile.
Also, I now have a Storygraph where I will try to track my reading in an organized fashion.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
February 1, 2016
~2.5~
I love fantasy, but while I enjoyed the symbolism in this story, I found it overly descriptive and somewhat frustrating.
The Winter Prince is an allegory of sorts. A prince, yearning for his best friend, the wizard’s apprentice, gives away his heart so he doesn’t have to feel the pain of longing and loving someone who will never love him back.
After three years of isolation, three years of freezing literally and metaphorically, Kisin, who was called Prince Arrow as a boy, and Razin, the powerful magician (an apprentice in name only), set off on a quest to free the prince’s heart. On the way they meet a lioness—a woman in a beast’s body—who also happens to be the prince’s betrothed.
There are so many IDEAS in this book, so many Deep Meanings. Kisin and Razin talk and fight and claw at each other. Razin is snarky and bitchy, but fiercely protective and loyal. He warms Kisin, but the heat burns; it hurts to thaw, to LIVE again, to FEEL. (Isn’t that a Bon Jovi song?)
There is absolutely no steam until the last few pages, and even then it’s so abstract, I had to go back and make sure I was actually reading a sex scene.
Plus, the ending well and truly sucked. It was a poor attempt at philosophy and compromise, but I don't consider it a HEA.
This book is just over 2,000 Kindle locations, but it felt much longer than that. I loved the premise of the story, but R. Cooper’s writing style just doesn’t work for me. The big picture always seems to get lost in the details. It’s words and more words, but no focus, no tangible moments. I can’t connect with her characters, and they never seem to connect with each other.
If you’re a fan of this author and like magic & fantasy, you will likely enjoy this story more than I did.
I love fantasy, but while I enjoyed the symbolism in this story, I found it overly descriptive and somewhat frustrating.
The Winter Prince is an allegory of sorts. A prince, yearning for his best friend, the wizard’s apprentice, gives away his heart so he doesn’t have to feel the pain of longing and loving someone who will never love him back.
After three years of isolation, three years of freezing literally and metaphorically, Kisin, who was called Prince Arrow as a boy, and Razin, the powerful magician (an apprentice in name only), set off on a quest to free the prince’s heart. On the way they meet a lioness—a woman in a beast’s body—who also happens to be the prince’s betrothed.
There are so many IDEAS in this book, so many Deep Meanings. Kisin and Razin talk and fight and claw at each other. Razin is snarky and bitchy, but fiercely protective and loyal. He warms Kisin, but the heat burns; it hurts to thaw, to LIVE again, to FEEL. (Isn’t that a Bon Jovi song?)
There is absolutely no steam until the last few pages, and even then it’s so abstract, I had to go back and make sure I was actually reading a sex scene.
Plus, the ending well and truly sucked. It was a poor attempt at philosophy and compromise, but I don't consider it a HEA.
This book is just over 2,000 Kindle locations, but it felt much longer than that. I loved the premise of the story, but R. Cooper’s writing style just doesn’t work for me. The big picture always seems to get lost in the details. It’s words and more words, but no focus, no tangible moments. I can’t connect with her characters, and they never seem to connect with each other.
If you’re a fan of this author and like magic & fantasy, you will likely enjoy this story more than I did.
February 26, 2016
I’m a big fan of fairy tales and especially the ones that have a little extra grit to keep them interesting. I’m also a big fan of R. Cooper’s writes, if you haven’t read Dancing Lessons yet, you really need to. So, I was really looking forward to reading this one. The premise sounded unique and in that way the book did not disappoint. The language the author used was beautiful and there was symbolism aplenty.
The Winter Prince himself goes by a few names, see, in his culture their names change as they age. It sounds like it would have been hard to follow, but it really wasn’t. I still don’t really get/remember what every incarnation meant so some of that was lost on me, but for the majority of the book he was Kisin. I He was also known, from his younger days, as Arrow and I liked that name best. It suited him.
The rumor is Kisin gave his heart away to a pari, a kind of angelic fairy dude. (I had to GTS – google that shit) but I could figure it out from the context. It was generally assumed that his heart had been seduced away from him and he was left without any means to keep him warm not just physically, but emotionally. The author did a really good job with the descriptions here. I was cold just reading it and my heart really hurt for Kisin. You know how, when you’re REALLY cold and how much it hurts when you’re exposed to too much heat too fast? It’s almost like the cold is better because you’ve gotten used to it? That’s how Kisin feels ALL the time. He’s incredibly loyal and noble, he is a prince and the leader of the immortal guards after all, so he tries not to let anyone in on how bad his condition has become. Everyone knows though and before long the conclusion is reached that Kisin will likely not survive another winter without his heart and he and the wizard’s apprentice head out on their quest to retrieve his heart.
Now, the wizard’s apprentice, Razin, is everything warm to Kisin’s cold. All words to describe him ring of warmth. He’s described as “slight, and brown as rosewood . . . “ with “eyes the color of cassia”. Rosewood being found in tropical climates and cassia being the bark of the “true” cinnamon tree, both things that brought warmth to my mind. He dresses in robes the color of pomegranate and it’s pretty obvious that Kisin is a smitten kitten for Razin. And vice versa. This is where I had my troubles with the story. I had the complete setup for an epic adventure of a fairy tale.
The only thing that left me wanting by the end of this book, was actually less. I wanted less.
Let me try to explain. The first 60-ish% of the book is the setup and conversations between the two MC’s, lots of conversations that didn’t move the story forward. Neither of them opened up to share their feelings beyond reminiscence of their childhood friendship, and they were both obviously a little fussy about being together. Being near the one they wanted most but didn’t think they could ever have for all kinds of royalty rules reasons made for snippy traveling companions. They had all manner of slightly cryptic conversations that said lots of words without saying much and then just when the conversation miiiiight move forward and enlighten the other MC (and me) as to why they’re in the situation they’re in . . . .BAM! Interruption! And then they continued questing without a new hint to keep me hooked on the WHY??? I would be OK with it if I learned a little something new each time, but it was not to be. It felt much longer than it actually was and that was frustrating.
Once the book went past the 60% mark, things really got rolling and my interest was all in. A couple new characters had been introduced that made everything more interesting and the two MC’s finally, FINALLY, started talking. The beautiful language continued, it had some meaning to it, and the story moved forward. There was some pretty good heroic action that was fun to read and a factor that every good fairy tale should have.
The ending came pretty quickly and I wished I could have had a little more of them together to get my brain wrapped up in an HEA for Kisin and Razin. I liked them together a lot, Razin’s snarky endearments for Kisin, when he would call him his “dull Arrow” or his “sharp Arrow” depending on the conversation were really cute. Just when I got my reading reward of the two of them finally together the book was over. It’s hard for me to get completely invested in a relationship when it took most of the book for them to even admit their feelings. In the end I just needed less conversation in the beginning and more at the end to balance out the story.
One last note about the cover, not something I would mention and I digress from the story here, but I’m not sure which of these guys is supposed to be Razin but neither is how he was depicted in the book. Or even Kisin for that matter. Neither of those guys is him either. That’s a bummer, because I loved how they were described and even slightly more representative pictures of them would have been a real plus. Kind of an opportunity for an amazing cover wasted considering how visually descriptive and visceral the writing was. This book deserved better representation on its cover.
a copy of this story was provided for an honest review
The Winter Prince himself goes by a few names, see, in his culture their names change as they age. It sounds like it would have been hard to follow, but it really wasn’t. I still don’t really get/remember what every incarnation meant so some of that was lost on me, but for the majority of the book he was Kisin. I He was also known, from his younger days, as Arrow and I liked that name best. It suited him.
The rumor is Kisin gave his heart away to a pari, a kind of angelic fairy dude. (I had to GTS – google that shit) but I could figure it out from the context. It was generally assumed that his heart had been seduced away from him and he was left without any means to keep him warm not just physically, but emotionally. The author did a really good job with the descriptions here. I was cold just reading it and my heart really hurt for Kisin. You know how, when you’re REALLY cold and how much it hurts when you’re exposed to too much heat too fast? It’s almost like the cold is better because you’ve gotten used to it? That’s how Kisin feels ALL the time. He’s incredibly loyal and noble, he is a prince and the leader of the immortal guards after all, so he tries not to let anyone in on how bad his condition has become. Everyone knows though and before long the conclusion is reached that Kisin will likely not survive another winter without his heart and he and the wizard’s apprentice head out on their quest to retrieve his heart.
Now, the wizard’s apprentice, Razin, is everything warm to Kisin’s cold. All words to describe him ring of warmth. He’s described as “slight, and brown as rosewood . . . “ with “eyes the color of cassia”. Rosewood being found in tropical climates and cassia being the bark of the “true” cinnamon tree, both things that brought warmth to my mind. He dresses in robes the color of pomegranate and it’s pretty obvious that Kisin is a smitten kitten for Razin. And vice versa. This is where I had my troubles with the story. I had the complete setup for an epic adventure of a fairy tale.
The only thing that left me wanting by the end of this book, was actually less. I wanted less.
Let me try to explain. The first 60-ish% of the book is the setup and conversations between the two MC’s, lots of conversations that didn’t move the story forward. Neither of them opened up to share their feelings beyond reminiscence of their childhood friendship, and they were both obviously a little fussy about being together. Being near the one they wanted most but didn’t think they could ever have for all kinds of royalty rules reasons made for snippy traveling companions. They had all manner of slightly cryptic conversations that said lots of words without saying much and then just when the conversation miiiiight move forward and enlighten the other MC (and me) as to why they’re in the situation they’re in . . . .BAM! Interruption! And then they continued questing without a new hint to keep me hooked on the WHY??? I would be OK with it if I learned a little something new each time, but it was not to be. It felt much longer than it actually was and that was frustrating.
Once the book went past the 60% mark, things really got rolling and my interest was all in. A couple new characters had been introduced that made everything more interesting and the two MC’s finally, FINALLY, started talking. The beautiful language continued, it had some meaning to it, and the story moved forward. There was some pretty good heroic action that was fun to read and a factor that every good fairy tale should have.
The ending came pretty quickly and I wished I could have had a little more of them together to get my brain wrapped up in an HEA for Kisin and Razin. I liked them together a lot, Razin’s snarky endearments for Kisin, when he would call him his “dull Arrow” or his “sharp Arrow” depending on the conversation were really cute. Just when I got my reading reward of the two of them finally together the book was over. It’s hard for me to get completely invested in a relationship when it took most of the book for them to even admit their feelings. In the end I just needed less conversation in the beginning and more at the end to balance out the story.
One last note about the cover, not something I would mention and I digress from the story here, but I’m not sure which of these guys is supposed to be Razin but neither is how he was depicted in the book. Or even Kisin for that matter. Neither of those guys is him either. That’s a bummer, because I loved how they were described and even slightly more representative pictures of them would have been a real plus. Kind of an opportunity for an amazing cover wasted considering how visually descriptive and visceral the writing was. This book deserved better representation on its cover.
a copy of this story was provided for an honest review
February 28, 2016
2.5 stars
If you can help it, don’t read the blurb. It actually contains a few spoilers that I could have done without.
This is a story about prince Kisin who gave his heart away because he couldn’t handle the pain of loving someone else and assuming that his love wouldn’t be reciprocated. Razin, a powerful wizard who grew up with Kisin, is the love interest that could. Razin loved Kisin but never realized Kisin felt the same way. You see how a classic story of misunderstandings and miscommunication is set to go? Kisin started literally freezing to death without his heart and Razin decided they would embark on a mission to claim the heart back.
There is a lot of adventure in this story –battles with mythical creatures, a lioness who joins their group and protects them fiercely, life lessons, all things fairy tale, and amazing nature descriptions. But it got tiresome. Almost every chapter began with a temperature/weather update because of the harsh climate the group was travelling in, and a lot of page time was devoted on conversations between the secondary characters and the main characters. I longed to see more private interaction between Razin and Kisin because their characters were full of unexplored potential. Razin was fearless, especially when it came to Kisin, very sarcastic, but full of compassion and wit. Kisin was a very self-deprecating character who could have used a boost in my opinion, but what with his arc being that he’s slowly freezing and feeling less and less, I could accept that his contributions were brief and superficial.
When Razin and Kisin finally admitted their feelings toward one another,– a moment I had been waiting for for the majority of the book by the way- I was very underwhelmed. It was just so anticlimactic, not even a private conversation, and I couldn’t get into the scene because I was left wondering “so everyone else is watching them right now?! What?”
Similarly, the resolution to the prince’s salvation was somewhat what I was expecting but very subdued. I wanted explosions and passion. There were a couple of sex scenes that failed to impress or convey the depth of emotion the two main characters harbored for one another, based on what they did for each other, anyway.
The writing was good but I wondered a few times whether the focus of the story was the romance or the fairy tale adventures of those antiheroes grouped together by fate. The ending disappointed me because there wasn’t a clear cut HEA in my opinion.
If you enjoy fantasy novels with a strong fairy tale flair without being too fussed about the romance, you’ll probably enjoy this more than I did, so give it a go.
ARC of Winter Prince was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. See this review at Gay Book Reviews.
If you can help it, don’t read the blurb. It actually contains a few spoilers that I could have done without.
This is a story about prince Kisin who gave his heart away because he couldn’t handle the pain of loving someone else and assuming that his love wouldn’t be reciprocated. Razin, a powerful wizard who grew up with Kisin, is the love interest that could. Razin loved Kisin but never realized Kisin felt the same way. You see how a classic story of misunderstandings and miscommunication is set to go? Kisin started literally freezing to death without his heart and Razin decided they would embark on a mission to claim the heart back.
There is a lot of adventure in this story –battles with mythical creatures, a lioness who joins their group and protects them fiercely, life lessons, all things fairy tale, and amazing nature descriptions. But it got tiresome. Almost every chapter began with a temperature/weather update because of the harsh climate the group was travelling in, and a lot of page time was devoted on conversations between the secondary characters and the main characters. I longed to see more private interaction between Razin and Kisin because their characters were full of unexplored potential. Razin was fearless, especially when it came to Kisin, very sarcastic, but full of compassion and wit. Kisin was a very self-deprecating character who could have used a boost in my opinion, but what with his arc being that he’s slowly freezing and feeling less and less, I could accept that his contributions were brief and superficial.
When Razin and Kisin finally admitted their feelings toward one another,– a moment I had been waiting for for the majority of the book by the way- I was very underwhelmed. It was just so anticlimactic, not even a private conversation, and I couldn’t get into the scene because I was left wondering “so everyone else is watching them right now?! What?”
Similarly, the resolution to the prince’s salvation was somewhat what I was expecting but very subdued. I wanted explosions and passion. There were a couple of sex scenes that failed to impress or convey the depth of emotion the two main characters harbored for one another, based on what they did for each other, anyway.
The writing was good but I wondered a few times whether the focus of the story was the romance or the fairy tale adventures of those antiheroes grouped together by fate. The ending disappointed me because there wasn’t a clear cut HEA in my opinion.
If you enjoy fantasy novels with a strong fairy tale flair without being too fussed about the romance, you’ll probably enjoy this more than I did, so give it a go.
ARC of Winter Prince was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. See this review at Gay Book Reviews.
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February 24, 2016This would be his third winter without a heart. He hoped it might be his last.
I am a sucker for a friends to lovers story but when you toss in a double unrequited love... *swoon* We have a ginger down! I repeat, we have a ginger down.
We meet Kişin as he is waiting to meet his newest suitor, the latest to come and attempt to win the hand, but never the heart, of the Winter Prince. But Kişin, he is beyond apathetic about the whole deal, unsure of why they find him so attractive when he lacks the ability to love them. Sure, he’ll do his duty as the prince, if he survives the next winter or if he is forced to move to a warmer climate, further away from the love he wants.
From the blurb, we know Kişin has given his heart away freely to the pari of The Black Mountains because he is not allowed to love whom he wants, his best friend Razin. But when Razin finds out that his “dull Arrow” had given his heart away and it wasn’t stolen and that his friend is dying as the ice slowly fills his veins, he suggests that Kişin and he journey together to find the pari and get his heart back.
Ugh.
The fact that Kişin is in love with Razin and Razin has no clue killed me. It’s always that way for me with unrequited love and I held my breath throughout their journey.
I loved being with the men as they traveled together. As Razin tried to figure out WTF was up with Kişin and why he would do something like willingly give his heart away. All the things Kişin did as Kasan to save himself from not being able to love his friend, it just hurt my heart and when they encounter a winged creature in the wild, thing became even more involved. The addition of Lana and Dorrie to the fold was lovely and good lord, my heart hurts but is so happy with this story.
I have said this before, I am a pretty lazy reader when it comes to books with world building but for me, this was so easily laid out and effortless to fall into. I got this world where suitors to a prince could be of any gender and where magic is the norm. I enjoyed this world the author created with its rich metaphors and layered meanings that I never wanted it to end. But, I needed Kişin to stop being the Winter Prince and tell Razin his true feelings.
He was always my friend, and to my shame I forgot that. I should have trusted him with my heart, not a pari.
It was blissful torture to have this slowly unfold and I swear I held my breath numerous times they laid together to keep Kişin warm or the times Razin asks questions and comes so close to figuring out the real reason his prince gave his heart away. I wanted and I needed right along with Kişin and Razin and… *sigh* Have I mentioned that I really love this story. R. Cooper has this way of turning me into a big puddle of ginger goo regardless of the genre and goo, I am. I am goo and goo, it's so damn good.
The Winter Prince was an amazing fairy tale sort of story that shows you hiding your heart isn't always the best thing for your health. That trusting your friends will bring you wealth and immeasurable love and that love, really is the best thing... ever.
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March 6, 2016I'm already sure this will be one of favourite books this year. It walks that fairytale line between sympathetic characters and metaphorical force perfectly. and all the aching longing that R. Cooper always does so well. Loved it.
March 3, 2019
This is a charming fairy tale, told in the old-fashioned fairy-tale way. It's lovely and teaches an important lesson. There's great characters, a wily sorcerer to best, monsters to fight, that pining that R. Cooper does so well, and a satisfying resolution.
April 27, 2016
If you believe everything you read on the internet, Albert Einstein has been quoted as having once said, “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” I have no clue whether or not that’s true, but I can say one thing for sure—I think he was right because I’m totally biased.
R. Cooper’s The Winter Prince might be called a fairy tale romance by some, and that wouldn’t be wrong, but that’s not all this story is. As with all fairy tales, this story has a lesson to it too. The Winter Prince is a tale of love and loyalty, of friendship and courage, but perhaps most importantly, it’s a story of redemption for a prince who gave away his heart because it was easier to live without any heart at all than to live with the ache of a love that could never be. The Winter Prince is a story about learning how to give without losing, how not to take a priceless gift without giving something of oneself in return, and to accept that a broken heart means that sometimes love is an imperfect gift that just keeps on giving.
Kişin Bey goes by several titles in this story—he is the Prince-in-Winter but was born Kaman Bey, Prince Arrow. He is Highness. He is Captain of the Immortal Guard. But only Razin, a powerful wizard who serves Kişin’s family—and who was once Kişin’s dearest friend—is bold enough to use the prince’s name as both compliment and insult, depending on his mood. As Razin and the royal court watch Kişin grow weaker as the ice in his veins threatens to consume him, as Kişin turns away suitor after suitor because without a heart he knows he cannot love, Razin makes it his mission to accompany Kişin on a quest to find the pari to whom Kişin gave his heart, and more. It’s a quest that, at its end, Kişin will either succeed in and regain what has been gone those long three years. Or, will die trying. Something Razin is determined will not happen. Razin’s dual quest in this tale is to convince his Arrow to live.
A dangerous journey into the unknown brings unexpected alliances, reunites a prince with his once-betrothed—but now cursed—princess, a dragon to slay, the slaying of personal demons, an awakening and a resurrection. Is the heart the seat of the soul and the vessel of all our emotions? It’s a question that arises while reading this story—fairy tales would allow us to think so. Or maybe it’s the heart of the one who loves Kişin that holds his lost soul instead. The alchemy of Kişin’s story is one that burns of ice not of fire. Unless, of course, you count a desire that burns hot enough to resurrect a lost love. And what could be more romantic than that?
I love fairy tales for their darkness and their light—The Winter Prince is both. R. Cooper leads her characters on a journey through trials and, ultimately, on to triumph and a sweet ending in a magical realm where the deepest and darkest mystery is love and the human heart.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
R. Cooper’s The Winter Prince might be called a fairy tale romance by some, and that wouldn’t be wrong, but that’s not all this story is. As with all fairy tales, this story has a lesson to it too. The Winter Prince is a tale of love and loyalty, of friendship and courage, but perhaps most importantly, it’s a story of redemption for a prince who gave away his heart because it was easier to live without any heart at all than to live with the ache of a love that could never be. The Winter Prince is a story about learning how to give without losing, how not to take a priceless gift without giving something of oneself in return, and to accept that a broken heart means that sometimes love is an imperfect gift that just keeps on giving.
Kişin Bey goes by several titles in this story—he is the Prince-in-Winter but was born Kaman Bey, Prince Arrow. He is Highness. He is Captain of the Immortal Guard. But only Razin, a powerful wizard who serves Kişin’s family—and who was once Kişin’s dearest friend—is bold enough to use the prince’s name as both compliment and insult, depending on his mood. As Razin and the royal court watch Kişin grow weaker as the ice in his veins threatens to consume him, as Kişin turns away suitor after suitor because without a heart he knows he cannot love, Razin makes it his mission to accompany Kişin on a quest to find the pari to whom Kişin gave his heart, and more. It’s a quest that, at its end, Kişin will either succeed in and regain what has been gone those long three years. Or, will die trying. Something Razin is determined will not happen. Razin’s dual quest in this tale is to convince his Arrow to live.
A dangerous journey into the unknown brings unexpected alliances, reunites a prince with his once-betrothed—but now cursed—princess, a dragon to slay, the slaying of personal demons, an awakening and a resurrection. Is the heart the seat of the soul and the vessel of all our emotions? It’s a question that arises while reading this story—fairy tales would allow us to think so. Or maybe it’s the heart of the one who loves Kişin that holds his lost soul instead. The alchemy of Kişin’s story is one that burns of ice not of fire. Unless, of course, you count a desire that burns hot enough to resurrect a lost love. And what could be more romantic than that?
I love fairy tales for their darkness and their light—The Winter Prince is both. R. Cooper leads her characters on a journey through trials and, ultimately, on to triumph and a sweet ending in a magical realm where the deepest and darkest mystery is love and the human heart.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
March 30, 2016
Beautiful friends to lovers fairytale fueled by presumed unrequited love...
I absolutely adore R. Cooper’s writing. One of my favorite tropes is friends to lovers and the few I’ve read by Cooper, have been told beautifully. The Winter Prince, is no exception. The Winter Prince is a fairytale fantasy that tells the story of Prince Kisin. In an effort to escape his yearning for what he presumed was unrequited love of his best friend Razin, Prince Kisin gives away his heart to a pari. The absence of his heart leaves the Prince freezing, both physically and emotionally. After 3 years of frozen isolation, the Prince and Razin set off on an adventurous journey to free the prince’s heart.
As I’ve stated before, the writing is so beautiful and descriptive but the pacing was painfully slow, The story really doesn’t really hit its stride until other characters are finally introduced (around 50% into the book). These two took the slow boat out of the land of miscommunication and misunderstanding. Here they are on this epic journey and the bulk of their long conversations centered around their childhood which would have been fine if it helped to move the story along. Their conversations were pointless, yet not, because it gave us glimpses of Kisin's varying stages of life but too much time was spent reading of their past. This was a torturous slow burn (in a good way), however; by the time I finally struck pay dirt the story sadly came to an abrupt end which oddly made me upset since it was “just getting really good”.
Should you read it?
Yes! Especially if you love Friends to Lovers, Fantasy and Fairytales.
My Favorite R. Cooper picks:
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*ARC provided by publisher for an honest review*
Alpha Book Club
February 25, 2016
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.75 stars
As someone who makes a living working in two languages, I got a kick out of the foreign language bits, even if it was mostly just names. For example, our main character’s name is “Kaman,” which the narrator tells us means “arrow” and the MC’s moral rectitude is a pretty driving force in the book. When he loses his heart, everyone (save Razin) takes to calling him “ki?in” which means “winter.” It’s not a big detail, but I think it helps the reader conjure up a better metal picture. On a deeper level, you can ponder whether or not the author intended any allusion to the power of language and cultural/personal identity. Does the Winter Prince succumb to his plight all the more so because everyone including himself has started to refer to him as Ki?in instead of Kaman? My only “errrr” moment with the name game is this: I can’t figure out why Razin’s dialogue at least would have him referring to Ki?in/Kamen as “Arrow” since that’s the English translation and apparently, Razin and Kamen are NOT English speakers. If the narrator wants to refer to him in translation, I don’t think that’s an issue, but I can’t understand why the Kamen/Arrow dichotomy exists after the narrator explains they’re translations. The other confusing moment was the name Razin. Ultimately, I decided that it was probably pronounced more like “Rah-ZEEN” rather than “raisin,” but there was nothing to clarify (ditto on the hook diacritic on ki?in). Nevertheless, foreign language employed sparingly as it is in this book is a win to me.
Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.
3.75 stars
As someone who makes a living working in two languages, I got a kick out of the foreign language bits, even if it was mostly just names. For example, our main character’s name is “Kaman,” which the narrator tells us means “arrow” and the MC’s moral rectitude is a pretty driving force in the book. When he loses his heart, everyone (save Razin) takes to calling him “ki?in” which means “winter.” It’s not a big detail, but I think it helps the reader conjure up a better metal picture. On a deeper level, you can ponder whether or not the author intended any allusion to the power of language and cultural/personal identity. Does the Winter Prince succumb to his plight all the more so because everyone including himself has started to refer to him as Ki?in instead of Kaman? My only “errrr” moment with the name game is this: I can’t figure out why Razin’s dialogue at least would have him referring to Ki?in/Kamen as “Arrow” since that’s the English translation and apparently, Razin and Kamen are NOT English speakers. If the narrator wants to refer to him in translation, I don’t think that’s an issue, but I can’t understand why the Kamen/Arrow dichotomy exists after the narrator explains they’re translations. The other confusing moment was the name Razin. Ultimately, I decided that it was probably pronounced more like “Rah-ZEEN” rather than “raisin,” but there was nothing to clarify (ditto on the hook diacritic on ki?in). Nevertheless, foreign language employed sparingly as it is in this book is a win to me.
Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.
May 13, 2016
3.5Have to admit I'm a sucker for fairytales and enjoy reading R. Cooper, so I had to read this one and what can I say: it doesn't really disappoint. It's just that the first half was more fairytale than R. Cooper maybe even a bit too sincere, too strictly following the rules of that genre. Only in the 2nd half she breaks free of those rules, now at last it's a R. Cooper fairytale and the characters behave like only she can make them behave. I'm still undecided how I feel about the solution but it's a logical one - which might not be a necessary part of a fairytale ;)
September 30, 2024
4⭐
This is your guaranteed R. Cooper with the pining, the pining. If you want to feel all the pangs in your heart, you'll get them (and I do want to!) Pretty interesting fantasy setting too.
This is your guaranteed R. Cooper with the pining, the pining. If you want to feel all the pangs in your heart, you'll get them (and I do want to!) Pretty interesting fantasy setting too.
June 30, 2019
Enjoyable
3.75 ⭐️
I enjoyed Kisin’s and Razin’s dance around and towards each other. I liked that the answer due to their stations in life was not simple, and that at the same time these stations were not simply thrown aside to move the story the way we wanted it to go. Both guys tried to protect each other throughout and that worked for me.
3.75 ⭐️
I enjoyed Kisin’s and Razin’s dance around and towards each other. I liked that the answer due to their stations in life was not simple, and that at the same time these stations were not simply thrown aside to move the story the way we wanted it to go. Both guys tried to protect each other throughout and that worked for me.
July 21, 2016
3.5 stars
December 3, 2017
Reviewed on The Blogger Girls
Years ago, Kisin gave his heart to a pari to get rid of his love for Razin without realizing what it would mean. Now known as the Winter Prince, he’s slowly turning into ice and won’t survive another winter. Razin and Kisin have been friends since they were kids and has been secretly in love with Kisin so when he finds Kisin sneaking off to die in peace, he’s livid. He won’t let Kisin just give up so he forces himself to accompany Kisin on his journey back to the pari to regain his heart. Along the way, their feelings for each other intensify but Kisin is still without his heart. Will they be able to convince the pari to give his heart back and even if they do, Kisin still has responsibilities as a prince so will their future be over even before it can begin?
I’m a huge fan of fantasy stories, especially when it deals with arranged marriages and royalty. So when I saw this one, I was so excited to read it! And I’m so glad I did because I ADORED this story. It wasn’t just the journey that Kisin and Razin go on but their relationship. Kisin is so clueless on love and oblivious to really anything so he never realized that Razin loved him. Razin was more hostile and sarcastic. He tried to hide his love behind his mean remarks because he knows nothing can ever happen between them but that doesn’t mean he’s going to let Kisin just give up. I loved that push/pull between them and I loved how intense their relationship got towards the end. Add to that, I’m not usually a fan of females in stories but I really liked Lana and I loved how fiercely she felt for her friends.
I absolutely LOVED this book but the beginning was soooo rocky. I almost didn’t continue reading it because I didn’t really understand what was going on. There were all these descriptions and info dump in the beginning that it was hard to follow along. On top of that, it’s never explained WHAT a pari is so I was always left wondering what exactly he was. He’s not a wizard, he’s not a sorcerer, he’s way more than all of that so he’s almost like a God… but not.
In the end, this was an phenomenal story. Once I got past the beginning, I couldn’t get enough of the story. I loved Kisin and I ADORED Razin. I loved their journey and I loved seeing them get closer during it. I hope this isn’t the last we see of Razin and Kisin because I’d love to see more of them!
Years ago, Kisin gave his heart to a pari to get rid of his love for Razin without realizing what it would mean. Now known as the Winter Prince, he’s slowly turning into ice and won’t survive another winter. Razin and Kisin have been friends since they were kids and has been secretly in love with Kisin so when he finds Kisin sneaking off to die in peace, he’s livid. He won’t let Kisin just give up so he forces himself to accompany Kisin on his journey back to the pari to regain his heart. Along the way, their feelings for each other intensify but Kisin is still without his heart. Will they be able to convince the pari to give his heart back and even if they do, Kisin still has responsibilities as a prince so will their future be over even before it can begin?
I’m a huge fan of fantasy stories, especially when it deals with arranged marriages and royalty. So when I saw this one, I was so excited to read it! And I’m so glad I did because I ADORED this story. It wasn’t just the journey that Kisin and Razin go on but their relationship. Kisin is so clueless on love and oblivious to really anything so he never realized that Razin loved him. Razin was more hostile and sarcastic. He tried to hide his love behind his mean remarks because he knows nothing can ever happen between them but that doesn’t mean he’s going to let Kisin just give up. I loved that push/pull between them and I loved how intense their relationship got towards the end. Add to that, I’m not usually a fan of females in stories but I really liked Lana and I loved how fiercely she felt for her friends.
I absolutely LOVED this book but the beginning was soooo rocky. I almost didn’t continue reading it because I didn’t really understand what was going on. There were all these descriptions and info dump in the beginning that it was hard to follow along. On top of that, it’s never explained WHAT a pari is so I was always left wondering what exactly he was. He’s not a wizard, he’s not a sorcerer, he’s way more than all of that so he’s almost like a God… but not.
In the end, this was an phenomenal story. Once I got past the beginning, I couldn’t get enough of the story. I loved Kisin and I ADORED Razin. I loved their journey and I loved seeing them get closer during it. I hope this isn’t the last we see of Razin and Kisin because I’d love to see more of them!
July 23, 2020
This was an interesting fantasy that really could have been more than it was. There was a lot of philosophical meaning woven into this story and the characters themselves, but I still felt that the characters were a bit flat and one dimensional. I also had trouble distinguishing when something was real or metaphorical. For example, the whole business of giving one’s heart away. Kisin giving his heart to the pari Sarir, real?, Lana cursed for taking so many hearts, metaphor?, Kisin and Razin exhanging hearts, huh?, and so on.
This was a romance, with Kisin’s and Razin’s relationship the heart of the story (pun intended), yet there wasn’t a whole lot of romance. It wasn’t until the very late in the story that things started to heat up. But their first time together, really? Just getting it on in front of Lana and Dorri!
But what bothered me the most was the cop-out ending. Here you have a story where society seems devoid of the intolerance and prejudices we live with. There are apparently many different races exisiting without issue and gay relationships are fully accepted. So why then, was it such a problem for Razin to be considered a suitor for Kisin? The queen and queen-to-be liked him and he was a trusted member of the royal council. Why did they have to come up with that whole ridiculous arrangement, which, by the way, I saw coming a mile away. Kisin and Razin may have been happy, but it was not what I think is their HEA.
This was a romance, with Kisin’s and Razin’s relationship the heart of the story (pun intended), yet there wasn’t a whole lot of romance. It wasn’t until the very late in the story that things started to heat up. But their first time together, really? Just getting it on in front of Lana and Dorri!
But what bothered me the most was the cop-out ending. Here you have a story where society seems devoid of the intolerance and prejudices we live with. There are apparently many different races exisiting without issue and gay relationships are fully accepted. So why then, was it such a problem for Razin to be considered a suitor for Kisin? The queen and queen-to-be liked him and he was a trusted member of the royal council. Why did they have to come up with that whole ridiculous arrangement, which, by the way, I saw coming a mile away. Kisin and Razin may have been happy, but it was not what I think is their HEA.
November 19, 2018
I really enjoyed this read, very romantic. A sorcerer, a prince, a destination and lots of misunderstandings that threaten to pull two people apart that, in the end, brings them together, or doesn’t... you have to read to find out.
R. Cooper has become one of my top five favorite authors; and I started with her Beings in Love series - which drew me in and finalized my obsession - and i’m now devouring her other stand alone, as well as series books. Her unique voice captures gay culture and romance as the best of the best. If you could imagine Margaret Cho writing a romance book, it would be her work. This selection, like her other books, are sensual, witty, romantic and conducive to the expression of love in its struggle to live and let live... forever!
I don’t like giving too much away, but I highly recommend this book.
R. Cooper has become one of my top five favorite authors; and I started with her Beings in Love series - which drew me in and finalized my obsession - and i’m now devouring her other stand alone, as well as series books. Her unique voice captures gay culture and romance as the best of the best. If you could imagine Margaret Cho writing a romance book, it would be her work. This selection, like her other books, are sensual, witty, romantic and conducive to the expression of love in its struggle to live and let live... forever!
I don’t like giving too much away, but I highly recommend this book.
February 12, 2020
Painfully lovely, enjoyed watching the story unfold with the people who joined them. I felt more comfortable with the style of this one after having read "How To (Not) Train A Firecat" - if it's not set in that world it's similar (and very different from her other works). So a bit of a fairytale feel to it and perhaps less immediately satisfying than her contemporary or Being(s) stories, but rich in a different way. Made me think more of RB Lemberg.
February 21, 2020
Be still my beating heart (tee hee) – I loved this novel by R.Cooper! The Winter Prince was a beautiful blend of bittersweet angst, storytelling, and a slow burn romance to melt even the coldest heart. This book had me slowly leaking tears as the two main characters Prince Arrow and Razin work through their issues, come to terms with their past, and try to restore the missing heart.
R. Cooper has such an amazing ability to tug on your heart strings with their characters who have so much self doubt and beautiful but hidden feelings. So much of the true hurt is hidden in subtext and small actions, that I often find myself having such an instinctual knowledge of these characters.
The Winter Prince is a perfect example of emotional and expansive queer fantasy romances novels and storytelling can be done. R. Cooper has created an epic romance that hits all of my favourite fantastical elements.
R. Cooper has such an amazing ability to tug on your heart strings with their characters who have so much self doubt and beautiful but hidden feelings. So much of the true hurt is hidden in subtext and small actions, that I often find myself having such an instinctual knowledge of these characters.
The Winter Prince is a perfect example of emotional and expansive queer fantasy romances novels and storytelling can be done. R. Cooper has created an epic romance that hits all of my favourite fantastical elements.
October 27, 2024
This was lovely! It has a fairy tale feeling, but the characters still feel real and close. It's short, but manages to fit in an admirable amount of character development, action, and world building. And even a secondary character romance! I can definitely see myself rereading this. Of course I wish it was longer and I could spend more time in this world with these characters, but it's the right length for the story it tells.
June 10, 2017
Don't let the cover art fool you, this story is about a historic (mythical) kingdom somewhere near Turkey.
The fairy tale in question is not really a favorite of mine, but I enjoyed the interactions between all of the characters.
Cooper's writing, as always, is beautiful and engaging, but this story, while enjoyable, is not a favorite.
The fairy tale in question is not really a favorite of mine, but I enjoyed the interactions between all of the characters.
Cooper's writing, as always, is beautiful and engaging, but this story, while enjoyable, is not a favorite.
August 23, 2021
Excellent Book
I didn’t read the other reviews before I read this book and I am glad that I did not. I noticed others noted that there was no happy ending but I thought there was a happy ending but maybe just not quite as traditional as other happy endings. I thoroughly enjoyed it. And it didn’t make me cry.
I didn’t read the other reviews before I read this book and I am glad that I did not. I noticed others noted that there was no happy ending but I thought there was a happy ending but maybe just not quite as traditional as other happy endings. I thoroughly enjoyed it. And it didn’t make me cry.
October 8, 2018
3 1/2 stars. This is a beautifully written story that reminds you of a fairy tale. It is also filled with symbolic and obvious messages. The only problem I had was that it was a little slow to get started.
March 3, 2019
I was always a fan of fairy tales. This one actually contained elements of at least three famous stories and they were nicely put together. I wasn't a fan of the wizard but I really liked the lioness.
May 7, 2020
Ah, this story reminds me of brave Gerda and Kai in the Snowqueen tale by H. C. Andersen. Here, our lovely but flawed heroes travel together. I like that. And they’re in a world with glimpses of Persian folklore/ mythology, I think? It fit really well, and I enjoyed this story a lot.
Read
May 9, 2020This story has such compelling world building, and the way the story unfolds is so entertaining. I love everything about it - the longing, the backstory, the tropes, the secondary characters. It's such a sweet allegory and I love it.
October 18, 2016
Lots of fairytale elements combined with lots of folklore elements from many different traditions. Very intriguing.
Some Favorite Quotes:
"Courage requires a heart. It takes bravery to face the world with its many tribulations."
"You aren't ice yet." He had such faith. "If you can hurt, you still have a heart."
"And you need your heart, Arrow. It will hurt you, but it will bring other things with it. Wisdom, if you can manage it." His tone softened. "Joy, for brief moments. Joy so vast it's too much for your body and still you feel more."
"This is friendship, and I get to rage at my friends being denied their happiness."
Some Favorite Quotes:
"Courage requires a heart. It takes bravery to face the world with its many tribulations."
"You aren't ice yet." He had such faith. "If you can hurt, you still have a heart."
"And you need your heart, Arrow. It will hurt you, but it will bring other things with it. Wisdom, if you can manage it." His tone softened. "Joy, for brief moments. Joy so vast it's too much for your body and still you feel more."
"This is friendship, and I get to rage at my friends being denied their happiness."
July 17, 2019
Another rather endearing love story by R Cooper. Captivating characters, good story. Really enjoyed it.
September 5, 2020
Magic, epic quests, communication struggles, social issues, and a well written tale that unpacks depression in a beautifully metaphoric way. What’s not to love?
February 23, 2021
I'm so glad I read this wonderful, perfectly told story.
March 9, 2023
This story was epic. True love, quest, powerful beings and vulnerable hearts. Plus a dragon!
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