Winter Spell

The Faeries of Myrnius #3

by Claire M. Banschbach

A half-breed faery. A war-weary princess. A quest to free three kingdoms from the deadly winter spell.

Constantly doubted by her ocean faery kindred, Tonya Freyr-dottir only wants to untangle the dormant ice and water magic within her. Then a strange attack makes her unleash a fierce winter on the land and sea. And she has no idea how to stop it.

Princess Diane serves faithfully at her brother’s side, trying to restore their kingdom of Myrnius after the devastating Dark War. Now with brutal winter wreaking havoc, everything they have worked for might be lost to famine and destruction.

Desperate to help, Tonya travels to the far north to unlock her magic, aided by Diane, as well as two land faeries: Dorian, a reckless healer and August, a mischievous warrior. But the north brings fresh dangers, unearths old wounds, and offers more questions than answers.

With doom threatening human and faery alike, Tonya must find a way to trust her new friends and release her magic before all fall to the fury of winter’s spell.

Genres: Fantasy, Christian, Young Adult

367 pages, Paperback

Published April 23, 2020

About the author

Claire M. Banschbach also writes as C.M. Banschbach.

Claire M. Banschbach is a native West Texan. She discovered a deep and abiding love for fantasy and science fiction at a young age, prompting her to begin exploring worlds armed only with an overactive imagination and a pen. She's an overall dork, pizza addict, and fangirl. She enjoys meshing stories of family and faith with healthy doses of action and adventure. She talks to fictional characters more than she should while trying to find time for all their stories.
She currently resides in Arlington, TX where she works as a Pediatric Physical Therapist.

Reviews

[deborah o'carroll (offline during 2026) · Rating 5 out of 5]

12 Things I Love About Winter Spell (originally posted on my book blog here)

1. Just imagine the most epic, fun, adventuresome wintry story, full of magic and faery awesomeness and FABULOUS characters. Then throw in a dash of a buddy story, an adorable romance, some humor and twists and feels (of course!). Then imagine that it's super well-written and absolutely captivating and fun too. THAT is what this book is!

2. THIS BOOK, GUYS! IT'S SO GOOD, HALP. One of my favorites I've read this year -- one of my favorites, period! I've read it three times and loved it more each time. (Disclaimer: I copyedited it, but my unbiased opinion simply as a reader is that I love it and I just ordered a paperback so I can read it againnn.) I had the most incredible time living in this book and this world with these characters! *hugs Winter Spell forever* I don't even know how to explain how good it is in a review but let me give it a shot. *deep breath*

3. The characters are MY FAVORITE and one of the best things about this book. They're all so broken but help each other and I just -- ! *squishes them all in a huge hug* Tonya is a pretty epic main character, a faery warring with her ocean and ice natures. It's mostly her journey and I love it! Princess Diane is the other point of view, who is also fabulous! (Her journaling and no-nonsense self!) They were both so relatable and also epic, in their own ways, and I loved their stories. I found a lot of me in them. Then we have August and Dorian! August is a fun-loving warrior faery related to CERTAIN PEOPLE from a previous Myrnius book, which was SO cool. :D August is one of my favorites! And every side character was well-written and unique and I loved so many of them! Edmund, though! And Ralf! And Lilja and spoiler people and just ALL OF THEM. They are all SO EPIC.

4. DORIAN. Dorian gets his own point in this list because he's THE ABSOLUTE BEST AND I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. I CAN'T. The strong, quiet faery healer who's actually unexpectedly stabby and doesn't put up with August's shenanigans. XD He's just -- I can't describe how cool he is. :D MY FAVORITE. Dorian is just absolutely amazing. And so is August! They are both precious and epic and fabulous, especially when they are antagonizing each other but having to work together. THE BEST.

5. Relationships. Okay, but for real, I love how this book has nearly every awesome relationship that I love reading about! A buddy story (you know those are my favorite!), but also other characters with an ADORABLE romance (I ship them so hard!). Two of my favorites right there, but ALSO siblings, besties, families, found-family, platonic relationships . . . and all written in a fresh, relatable way. I love all of iiiit! I remember thinking while I read that it was all of my favorite things/relationships and that they worked together SO WELL and made it so balanced and layered!

6. The banter and the humor just make my day. You've got to have snarky dialog on a quest adventure, especially with a buddy story on the side. ;) I want to quote all of it! These characters! *hugs them all again*

7. The winter and the north, though! Guys! It just felt so deliciously cold and atmospheric. I absolutely loved all the details, especially in the North in the third part of the book or so, with the caribou and the pines and polar bear (!), and even more ice and snow, and the fantasy-world version of the Northern Lights! *screaming* I. LOVED. IT. SO. MUCH. It was just so cool! (No pun intended. Okay. Pun totally intended but no less true. XD)

8. Speaking of the north, can we talk about the worldbuilding/cultures and how detailed and awesome they were? Aahh! I loved being back in Myrnius, and the nods to the previous books made me happy (though you can read this one even if you haven't read Adela's Curse or The Wolf Prince). I LOVED seeing the different faery cultures, especially. The ice faeries and ocean faeries and plains faeries. All the details that were such a part of the story and totally pulled me into the world. SO DELICIOUS. The faery magic was also SO COOL. I loved how it actually served a purpose and MADE SENSE. So, so good. Also! I need to go live in Csorna Hold or Konungburg or even Chelm. RIGHT NOW. Like. Take me theeeere. (And let me eat some of the delicious food that kept making me hungry while I read the book. XD)

9. TWISTS, Y'ALL. I can't share them, clearly, because spoilers. But aaahh, there were delightful plot twists, both vaguely expected and totally WHOA WHAT that kept me on the edge of my seat. It's a wild ride and a thrilling adventure!

10. MY FEEEELSSS. Yes, this gets a whole point too. XD Again, spoilers, so I won't go into it, but I have SO MANY FEELINGS about my precious character friends and their stories. *muffled screaming* I got so emotional and worried and aaahh! I love them so much and got so invested! And I love that while it's a fun story, it also showed me things about life and enriched me just by following along in these characters' boots. The best books do that. <3

11. The writing is also -- gaahh, I love it! It's just right for the story. Also, Tonya's ocean-based descriptions of everything when we're in her POV is absolutely BRILLIANT. I love it so much. I also love how the world and its history and the characters' backstories all have this DEPTH that made me feel like we were just barely scratching the surface of the ice and that there's so much more lurking just out of view.

12. In conclusion: I loved everything about this booook! It is entirely made of fabulousness. There's not a single thing I disliked. I ADORE IT. JUST READ WINTER SPELL RIGHT NOW. You need Dorian and Tonya and Diane and August and this fun, wintry, faery, magical epicness in your life! YOU JUST DO.

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Original mini-review: So some might call me lowkey biased since I copyedited this book, but as a nonbiased reader it's honestly one of my favorite books I've read this year. I read it three times and would gladly read it again. It's SO fabulous and I adore the winter vibes and the relationships and adventure. The characters are my precious frens and their snark/banter is LIFE. (DORIAN! And also August!) Faeries and ice, y'all. What is not to love? 💚

[Claire Banschbach]

I don't review my books, but you might like this if you love
-found family
-cross country adventures
-enemies to friends
-snow queen vibes

[Stargazer R. L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me during the first chapter: This book is gorgeous!! Breathtakingly beautiful ocean waves and dancing light. So amazingly written!

Me at the start of the Quest: This is such a fun cast! One spunky+happy+smart+funloving princess Diane, one shy+uncertain+sweet Ocean/Ice Faery Tonya, one quiet+gruff+cinnamonroll+healer-warrior Earth Faery Dorian, and last but certainly not least: one nice+smirky+heartofgold+funloving Animal Faery August. Bonus Features: Dorian and August don't get along. At all.

Me further on in the Quest: This is so much Fuuuuuuuuuuuun.

Me in the middle of the Quest: Wait? Why isn't it like, almost over yet?
Me a few pages later: Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. O.O That's why. *squeak*

Me at the start of the Climax: THEY'RE ALL COOKED. Or frozen. o.o
Me: AUGUST.
Me: DORIEN.
Me: TONYA.
Me: DIANE.
Me: NOOOOOO.
Me in the middle of the Climax: WAIT WHAT NOW?

Me: THEY DOOOOOOMED.

Me a little later: *smile smile smile smile smile smile smile smile smile [whydoesn'tgoodreadshaveemojis?] smile smile smile hearteyes smile smile smile smile smile. .... SMILE.*

Me: I.
Am.
So.
H a p p y .


Literally me turning on to page 350: WAIT IT'S ALMOST OVER. I DON'T WANT IT TO BE ALMOST OVER. I MIGHT CRY.

me after the last sentence: <3

Me to all my friends on goodreads: plez read this. It's wonderful. <3

/fin/

[Faith Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book <3

[E.B. Dawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Thinking about her parents always woke a yearning inside her. A desire to see ice floes, narwhals, and leopard seals. Tundra, and glaciers, and wolves. Even if she had no idea where she'd heard those words before."

This is a sweet story with an extremely satisfying ending. The last quarter of the book was by far my favorite! The North was beautifully depicted and fun to explore.

The characters were harder for me to connect with than usual, compared to other books by this author. But I liked Dorian best.

Overall, this wasn't my favorite book by this author, but it was a pretty fun read and definitely worth it for the ending!!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winter Spell by Claire M. Banschbach is a fairytale-like story reminiscent of the Snow Queen. An orphaned half-breed faerie who didn’t seem to have any powers is attacked and accidentally freezes the entire ocean and the nearest continent. But whatever her powers are, she can’t control them enough to undo the winter spell. And so she, a human princess, and two male faeries travel north to see if the winter fairies can help.

I really enjoyed this story. I thought the it was creative, between the plot and the different types of faeries and powers. Friendship was a big part of the story, and there was a little bit of romance as well.

One of the biggest messages of the story was about identity and worth; the main character had been treated badly her entire life for being part ocean faerie and part winter faerie, and she had to learn to accept herself and the fact that she has worth in the Creator’s eyes.

I definitely enjoyed this book and recommend it to others as well. It is clean, Christian, and is appropriate for people as young as pre-teens (though be aware that there is a little violence).

[Erin Dydek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a very enjoyable story with a feel-good ending. I felt like the pacing was a little slow in the beginning but, once it got going, I loved the relationship development between the characters. The light-hearted banter was endearing and made me smile.

(Light spoilers) There was some heavy foreshadowing towards the end, and three out of four of the main characters showed at least an inkling of suspicion at some point before the villain was revealed. I found it a bit frustrating that when the villain struck the characters were surprised at who it was. I guess I was expecting a “we were prepared but overpowered” scene instead of “wow! I can’t believe we didn’t see that coming at all and were overpowered” scene.

After I got over my frustration about this part of the book, I did enjoy the final scenes leading up to the conclusion. I still think the book was well written and I plan on reading more of Banschbach’s work in the future.

[Liz Koetsier · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like Frozen + adventure + enemies-to-friends tales, you will love this. First off, I loved the world that's created here and the blend of ocean life and a wintry, northern culture. There's some really fun imagery, and super cool (haha, punny) worldbuilding here. I didn't realize there were so many types of fairies in the Myrnius world, so it was neat to see so many kinds represented together. My favorite characters were August and Dorian. I'm afraid of giving away spoilers here because I loved these two together so much, so I'll just say that it's an excellent enemies-to-friends story. Also, Tonya is the sweetest. The ending was surprising, and I loved that it finishes off on a happily ever after for everyone. Do read this, you will love it.

[Rachael Ritchey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winter Spell!!! It is about a faery girl named Tonya Freyr-dottir who is the daughter of a water faery and an ice faery, something uncommon in Myrnius or any other part of the world. Because of Tonya’s parentage, she’s shunned by her water faery peers, but what makes it worse is that her magic is tangled up inside her, and she can’t use it…not like the others.

When a mysterious attack on her temporarily wakes her magic–in the worst possible way–winter snow and ice covers everything, far beyond what the eye can see. Of course, Tonya is blamed, and she knows it’s her fault, but there’s nothing she can do to fix it. Winter in summer is detrimental to everyone across the kingdoms of land and sea, so an agreement is made to send Tonya and a small group of contentious humans and faeries to find a way to melt the snow before lives are lost and winter sets in forever.

Their adventure ensues, and probably my favorite thing in this book is the dynamics between the travelers who all come from different kingdoms. There is immediate tension due to past wars and misunderstandings that the author does a beautiful job of melting throughout the book in a picture of how distrust and hatred can be diffused through common struggle and when we put others before ourselves. It’s really good, and I love the characters, each with their own struggle and need.

There is danger, amazing and strange creatures, deceit, battles, and a little romance too! Everything you could want in a fantasy book!

I would recommend the first two books in the Faeries of Myrnius series to readers as young as ten, and Winter Spell for those probably twelve and older. Of course, they’re all enjoyable for any age and would be great to read together between parents and kids!

I received an ARC copy of Winter Spell from the publisher, but the review is my own with no requirement to do so. This a such a sweet, adventurous, full-of-heart series!

[Michelle Bruhn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eee! I love this latest installment of Faeries of Myrnius! Adventure, magic, humor, mystery, friendship, and a sweet romance that didn't take over the plot. I loved all our MCs and the focus on friendship despite differences. August was probably my favorite, with his fun, carefree spirit (but watch out if you endanger his friends!), but Diane is a close second and probably the closest to me in her would-rather-stay-home-but-will-step-out-when-it's-time-ness. Also, I now have a strange new desire to ride a caribou...or a polar bear!

[V. Romas Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book! My heart immediately reached out to poor Tonya and her inability to wield magic. She was so relatable with her feelings regarding the prejudice of the ocean faeries. I loved loved LOVED the quest gang! Dorian, August, and Diane were a perfect trio to accompany Tonya on her adventure. Banschbach did an excellent job at weaving through the toils and turmoils of war, prejudice, and finding who you really are. I also enjoyed the slow-burn romance between Tonya and Dorian and felt myself looking forward to their conversations!

[A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was a lovely little faerie tale. I greatly enjoyed the friendship dynamics of our cast. That was probably my favorite part of the story (that and the romance!) I felt like the message of the story was a bit heavy-handed but other than that, I have no complaints! The Wolf Prince is still my favorite of this series, but this is a very cute story, will definitely give it a re-read!

I received a complimentary e-book copy in exchange for an honest review.

[PottWab Regional Library]

SM

[Yakira Goldsberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading a series out of order is never a good idea. But I just couldn’t help it. After winning a copy of Winter Spell during a Facebook giveaway party thing, I grew curious. I wanted to read the entire series, but I only had the third book when it came in the mail. So, instead of buying the first two and reading them in order, I couldn’t wait and just read the third book.
Needless to say, I was a tad confused in places. But overall, it was actually pretty easy to get what in the world was going on. Winter Spell is an adorable story about a half-breed faery who accidentally freezes three kingdoms and her quest to unfreeze them. Tonya is such a lovable character and I loved how Diane, the only human of the party, never doubted Tonya for a second. Also the fact that she and August were constantly bickering like an old married couple, and yet had no interest in each other.