The Winter Spirits

The Foxfires Trilogy #1

by E.C. Hibbs

If you sing to the Spirits, be prepared for their answer... The Long Dark has come and the Northlands will not see daylight for two months. Silence falls with the snow, and Spirits roam the three Worlds. It is a time of beauty, magic, and danger. When the Spirit of the Northern Lights steals his best friend’s soul, apprentice mage Tuomas is determined to find help. However, his own fledgling power gets the better of him, and he accidentally rips the Spirit out of the sky, trapping her in human form. Alongside his feared icy companion and the mysterious wandering mage Lilja, Tuomas begins a quest across frozen tundra and into ethereal Spirit realms. But a terrible shadow lingers just out of sight, its gaze fixed on him. And behind her composed façade, the Spirit holds secrets of her own...

321 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 31, 2020

About the author

E. C. Hibbs is an award-winning author and artist, often found lost in the woods or in her own imagination. Her writing has been featured in the British Fantasy Society Journal, and she has provided artworks in various mediums for clients across the world. She is also a calligrapher and live storyteller, with a penchant for fairytales and legends. She adores nature, fantasy, history, and anything to do with winter. ​She lives with her family in Cheshire, England.

Reviews

[K.S. Marsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tuomas has to work with spirits and mages. Meanwhile his mission to save his best friend transforms into much more.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

At 15 years old, Tuomas is a mage-in-training in the Northlands. During a festival to celebrate the encroaching winter, his best friend foolishly insults the Spirit of Lights, and is punished by it, ending in a magical coma.
Tuomas has to set out further north to find a way to wake his friend.
Powerful, but untrained, he lashes out at the Spirit for her meanness, and accidentally rips her from the sky, trapping her in a human form.

I really enjoyed this book. The story has the feeling of fairytales and myths. I know the author has pulled influence from various Arctic cultures, but she's created something new that also feels real and familiar.

I loved the setting - it played as much a part as any of the characters.
Seeing the Northlands through Tuomas' eyes, it's drilled into you how important it is to respect the cold, and how harsh the repercussions are.
The villages aren't fixed points, as the communities migrate together, alongside their reindeer herd. There's a constant sense of togetherness, that if you're in a position to help others (strangers or not), you do; because it's so easy to fall prey to the harsh world.

The supporting cast are great, and all hold their own, from Lilja and Lumi to those that appear only briefly.
Lilja is also a mage, but instead of serving one village, she chooses to wander the country, pausing where she wishes. She used to have her brother for company, but he has forsaken all the rules and has invoked dark magic (I don't think this is a spoiler, as it happens in the opening chapter).
I really liked Lilja, and could definitely relate to the quiet mage who is clearly not a people-person.

I'm not going to say anything about the plot. There are some twists, but I wouldn't call them great surprises, because the story has hints woven throughout it.
It never mattered for me, as I got carried along by the story, loving every minute, without always being able to put my finger on why.
Hibbs is an excellent story-teller, and I can't wait to read more.

[Romeo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great start of a winter trilogy that I'm already on the second book. Narration flow so well.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Winter Spirits by E. C. Hibbs

The prolog introduces a pair of traveling mage’s, Kari and Lilja. For many years they have wandered, ever since the Great Bear Spirit had brought Lilja back from the edge of death. She found she could not live peacefully in a village, too many people wanted too much from her, so began the wandering life. Kari, her older brother, joined Lilja so she wouldn’t be alone in her travels. They are both powerful mages.

Tuomas has come of age to be an apprentice mage in the village Akerfjorden, just south of the stark, brutal, but beautiful in its own right Northlands. When his best friend, Mihka, insults the Spirit of the Northern Lights she attacks and takes the boy’s life-soul, but leaves his body-soul intact which leaves Mihka in a coma like state. Tuomas vows to get his life-soul back. Henrik, the village mage, suggests seeking out the traveling mages. He thinks they may have enough power to retrieve his friend’s life-soul. So begins Tuomas’s quest during the season of the Long Dark.

At the beginning of his quest Tuomas rages at the night sky at the injustice that has befallen his friend, his emotions are raw and strong enough to pull the Spirit of the Lights down to earth and in human form. Now he has an angry Spirit to deal with. Try as he might, he can’t figure out how to get her back up to the World Above where she belongs.

Ms. Hibbs weaves an enchanting tale with several story arcs. Her characters are believable and well rounded. The scenic landscapes are beautifully described, as are the villages Tuomas travels through. Ms. Hibbs has not only invented a new land for her tales, but also a mythology for its inhabitants. The danger is palatable and intense. Misunderstandings are life changing.

If you enjoy unique epic fantasy stories, you should give “The Winter Spirits” a try. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

FYI: “The Winter Spirits” is book 1 of E. C. Hibbs’s series, The Foxfires Trilogy. Ms. Hibbs uses British spelling. **Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy.** November 2, 2020.
Format/Typo Issues: A few small proofing misses as in missing words or letters that change the word, and extra words.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The Winter Spirits' was in impulse buy for me when I met the author at a con' and discovered it wasn't just me who wanted a library so big you needed ladders on runners, or who preferred winter over summer.

Aside from the blurb, which promised magic and polar lights, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. The winter setting, to use an entirely inappropriate metaphor, was like a comforting, snuggly blanket. We're entering spring in lockdown and so for me, a wintry relic of my last adventure was perfect.

I'll not spoil anything, but I will say I found 'The Winter Spirits' to be a showcase of strong female characters - most notably the Spirit of the Northern Lights that our hero Tuomas accidentally pulls out of the sky, and Lilja, a mage he meets on his journey.

I have to be honest and say there were more than a few moments where I found Tuomas himself to be quite the boneheaded, mardy teenager. If anything though, this adds to my enjoyment of the book. For all the magic and folklore, it really does feel like a tale of growing up. Having to, even.

I've enjoyed my time in The Northlands, and I look forward to going back.

[Verity · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the first few pages, which dragged and that many a reader might find cozy, but i persoanlly find "telling" and exposition - well, swiftly you're taken into the world with nice descriptive lines. This is solid writing ability. I just wish the author continued her youtube channel for us poor folk who can't afford expensive patreon tiers- she really seems a lovely person.

[Matthew Ashman · Rating 4 out of 5]

From its rather eerie beginning, to its inevitable conclusion, the Winter Spirits is by far the best EC Hibbs book I have read thus far and, in my opinion, brilliantly showcases her development as an author. Although there were some grammatical errors - whether by the author's oversight, or simply the way it came out in printing - the story was too well crafted for these to be significant detractors; the characters - including the eponymous Winter Spirit - were easily brought to life in the reader's mind, while the twists and turns of its development added layer upon layer, drawing you further into, especially when that character development initially led you to believe you had misjudged a friend you might have grown to trust. If I had only one criticism of the story itself - and truly, I can only give one - it is the fact that saying goodbye to the eponymous character seemed as if it were happening way too soon, as if you had lost a friend just as you were getting to know her. Yes, I realise that final statement may feel as if it has spoiled the ending for those of you who haven't yet read the book, by my advice is to read it anyway, because you'll not find cause to regret it.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magic and adventure

First time read by this author but won't be the last. The book was beautifully written and an enjoyable read. Toumas is training to be a Mage, when his best friend makes the mistake of insult ing the Spirit of the Northern Lights and she takes his soul. Setting him on the journey of a life time and uncovering truths he never knew. Will he be able to complete all his tasks and survive it in the process. Can't wait to read the next book in the series

[Silentcitylibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful read. Fans of Michelle Pavers Wolf Brother series will absolutely adore this.