Fox Book Club discussion

We can discuss the book once we're done with it here!
I'll be back once I'm done :D

Noted !!
Bonne lecture Emily et merci encore pour tes avis précis et pertinents :))
Good reading, Emily and thanks again for you spot-on and accurate reviews.

This book was very easy to read and hard to put down. The world building and the magic system was very beautiful. The court's conspirations were absolutely amazing. Everyone is scheming after everyone it was very fun to read. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. I really loved Ophelia, she was such an unlikely, non-action hero protagonist than what we are used to. She is always sickly and clumsy which I find endearing for her. It was a 5/5 stars read for me, I really enjoyed it.

(view spoiler)[ I expected Thorn to pull a full Darcy on me and confess his undying love to Ophelia throughout the entire book but I never trusted him which proved me right at the end, I'm disappointed in him for the matter. I think Archibald is my fave character after Ophelia, I love me some lovable degenerate. The Knight on the other hand absolutely terrified me. (hide spoiler)]

Who’s the author? I found a few with the same title and not sure which one were after here...

Adrian wrote: "Who’s the author? I found a few with the same title and not sure which one were after here..."

Christelle Dabos :)

Awesome. Thank you! For future reference, how do i figure that out on my own?

Adrian wrote: "Awesome. Thank you! For future reference, how do i figure that out on my own?"

If you want to be sure about what book the book club is reading, just click on "Les fiancés de l'hiver" at the top of the page where it says "This topic is about ..." and you should end up on the page of the book in question.

Also I think next time maybe you should post your question in the other topic about the book here. This topic is for spoiler content. :p

First off, I loved the world this took place in. The author did a fabulous job creating a unique world and make it stand up on it's own. However, I was tired of reading for 100 pages how Ophelia was abused and just took it. I felt like a lot of those chapters that drove the point that "this place deals with things differently" and "there's something else going on that no one wants to tell Ophelia" could have been edited a lot. It wasn't until part 2 where I felt like it picked up and the story started and then it ended. I may continue with the series to see if the pacing changes because I liked seeing Ophelia coming to her own at the end, but we'll see once it's translated.

I also really loved the worldbuilding. It was complex and unique. I really found Ophelia to be endearing, too, like Ceyda. Although she's quiet, she is not weak and is willing to stand up for herself. I like that she's not your typical heroine. She doesn't conform to beauty ideals and does not swoon over male attention.

I did have some issues with some parts, but overall I really loved it and rated it a 5/5. It was such an atmospheric read.

So, issues...Anima was meant to be a matriarchal society, right? I really wish we could see more of that because I feel like when she moved to the Pole, it was a very patriarchal society.

I did also find some of the vocabulary to be a strange choice and sometimes repetitive (Berenilde's limpid eyes), but I think that may just be due to the translation? I received the arc for the sequel and there was a lot of improvement in vocabulary choice.

For those on the fence about the sequel, I read it earlier this month and can say much changes in the second installment. No spoilers. First off, Ophelia is tasked with solving a mystery. And even though a lot of the characters were unlikable in A Winter's Promise, most seem to redeem themselves, at least to some extent in the second book. And Ophelia does not undergo the same level of abuse, which I know a lot of people took issue with in A Winter's Promise.

Anna wrote: "I also really loved the worldbuilding. It was complex and unique. I really found Ophelia to be endearing, too, like Ceyda. Although she's quiet, she is not weak and is willing to stand up for herse..."

I'm really relieved to know that Ophelia is gonna be treated well in the second book honestly. The abuse she endured both physically and emotionally was a downer for me. And now that you say it, that vocabulary man. How Thorn is always *rigid* and how Berenilde is very *plump* it was weird. But I enjoyed it very much. Is there any news about when they are gonna translate to English the second book, does anyone know?

Ceyda wrote: "Anna wrote: "I also really loved the worldbuilding. It was complex and unique. I really found Ophelia to be endearing, too, like Ceyda. Although she's quiet, she is not weak and is willing to stand..."

The translation is due to be released May 7th. If you're willing to write a review and read an e-book copy, Edelweiss has e-ARCS available.

I'm not sure she was treated extremely well in the second, but she's not always physically abused and her emotional abusers often either are punished or prove to be redeeming in the second. I did like A Winter's Promise slightly more, but that's because I'm a sucker for worldbuilding. I think a lot of readers will be happy to know that the second does feel more whole than the first and does not end on such an extreme cliffhanger as the first. Vocabulary is still not perfect... Dabos over-uses the words "febrile" and "lugubrious." Still, an improvement on the first in that department as well.

I really don't know how I feel about this book at all.
It feels like nothing really happened, there were weird leaps in logic - Thorn says he worries for ophelia and she's instantly ranting about how he has no business falling in love with her and I was lost as hell like 'how did you get to that conclusion???' It felt repetitive and dragged out, like the first half of an actual book, if that makes sense. It also felt like it didn't know what it wanted to be, middle-grade or YA, the writing felt...very basic(?) at times, very immature.
I felt nothing for the characters. Ophelia was annoying, and for an allegedly matriarchal society on Anima we saw very little of that, as a woman Ophelia appeared to have zero agency or power at all. I think the character I ended up liking most at the end was Rosalind and even that was only because she got a bit amusing towards the end.
I can't believe anyone compared this to Harry Potter, like WTF? Nope.
I liked the concept of the magic system if not necessarily the execution. I liked the potentially subtle representation that perhaps Ophelia is asexual (she mentions several times having had no feelings of sexual or romantic attraction ever and being confused by those that do) but who knows if the author will suddenly have her falling in love with someone and ruining that.
I honestly don't know if I'll continue when book two is translated, I obviously liked it enough to finish and not DNF and I'm mildly curious about The Book but idk. Maybe the books loses something in translation (they often do).

I read the English translation last year and I do remember some parts being kind of off and I wasn't sure if that was due to the fact that it was translated or not. I know a lot of French readers said the writing was beautiful and lyrical and I did not get that at all.

Otherwise I remember being confused for a lot of the book, and I think that's partly because Ophelia is confused for a lot of the book. She has no idea what's going on. But I loved her as a character and I loved the world, the magic, and the court system.

I'm looking forward to the translation of the second book but I'll likely have to reread the first book.

Ceyda wrote: "This book was very easy to read and hard to put down. The world building and the magic system was very beautiful. The court's conspirations were absolutely amazing. Everyone is scheming after every..."
I totally understand what you mean! I was waiting for Thorn to soften up and confess his undying love for Ophelia!:)

I just finished the book yesterday and I was also a little lost on how I felt about it...I really enjoyed Ophelia, but I agree with what some others said that the first half of the book felt really slow. It definitely seemed to end right when it got the most interesting to me. I did end up rating it 4 stars because I liked the characters and the world-building but the pacing wasn't great to me.

Also I kind of wanted more of Ophelia + Thorn? I liked them together and I'm hoping things will soften up between them more, but who knows. I will still be reading the second book when the translation comes out in May.

I just got to he end of the chapter called the sister I read that chapter right 😳😳😳 like what the crap 😳 I am loving this book so far it is so hard to put down and keeps me on the edge of my seat 😊😊

This book was meh for me. I do plan on continuing the series. I'm just hoping that Ophelia doesn't put up with as much crap in the second and that the translation is a little better. There were some sentences I had to reread because they didn't sound right, but maybe that was just my brain because it was also difficult picturing the setting.

I LOVED this book! It was so interesting to read about a “shy” character that didn’t become this super outgoing warrior queen - nothing wrong with those, I love them too but it was really nice to read about a character that I could relate to. And I also liked that the author didn’t try to force a romance where there wasn’t one, at least that’s what I got from reading it. I gave it 5 stars and will definitely be continuing with the series!

Is Thorn the bad guy in the end for planning all this marriage stuff? Is he evil or not? Berenilde says it was all his plan and the author says he's the one pulling all the strings. He wants to be Farouk's protege with the memory, reading and translating the Book, so that's evil right? But then he apologizes for keeping secrets from her and gives her the telegram.

I was wondering the same about Thorn because it’s clear he withholds a lot of truths but is not a known liar (right? If I’m wrong let me know) berenilde is a liar and I don’t trust anything she says, and they are all skilled in manipulation (it’s how their world works, how they survive sadly) so I didn’t take what she said about thorn’s motives as truth or at least, the whole truth. Then I read the synopsis for book 2 and it says he “may be the only one Ophelia can trust,” so that leads me to believe he is not evil

Sarah wrote: "I was wondering the same about Thorn because it’s clear he withholds a lot of truths but is not a known liar (right? If I’m wrong let me know) berenilde is a liar and I don’t trust anything she say..."

okay, yeah I don't really trust Berenilde either since she'll stomp over anyone to get to Farouk, so idk why Thorn says trust only her. Why hasn't Thorn killed her off, she physically hurts Ophelia too...

So I just got to the part where Thorn says, "I got used to you" and Ophelia is like omg he loves me wtf. And I'm sitting here like, I totally did not get that at all... I don't understand their relationship at all. Thorn is just so emotionally constipated.

Haha I did not understand her jumping to that conclusion at all. I took it to mean she can sense people’s intentions and sincerity and also what they are not saying, and she saw something in his eyes or intuitively knows he is starting to have feelings. And because she is naive to love and attraction, she thinks feelings mean love or something like that. But even so, there was nothing in his behavior before or after that signaled love in my opinion. Maybe a translation issue?

Just finished the book and man I'm really disappointed. Ophelia really reminded me of Bella from Twilight because like Bella, Ophelia has no defining personality. She's just there to be used as a pawn. She spends the entire book being a pawn to people who also don't seem to have any solid personalities or really motivating drives. Also, who are these family spirits? What makes them so special? IMO world building sucked too. Hopefully I like whatever is picked next month better.

Well, I binged the whole thing in a day so one would think I loved it. Not the case. I was very intrigued by the world and the magic however we were given so little of it. The story is stretched thin and shouldn't have been 4 books, there simply isn't enough content for it. I wanted more of nihilists and family genocide but instead I got random plot twists at most random times to the point that it made absolutely no sense and was very predictable. Also, I strongly disliked Ophelia. At the beginning she is interesting to some extend but as soon as she arrives to Pole, she kind of forgets her personality and the fact that she has a BRAIN and doesn't use it til the last few pages. Her relationship with Thorn is also very confusing. I am a huge sucker for hate to love relationships but this...I don't know what this was. Again, we got so little of it, I don't know what to think about it. I gave it 2.5 stars and would be willing to try the second book but if it continues this way, no thanks.

Casey wrote: "I really don't know how I feel about this book at all.
It feels like nothing really happened, there were weird leaps in logic - Thorn says he worries for ophelia and she's instantly ranting about h..."

Hahaha, I remember I laughed and had to re-read the page when she said "he's falling in love with me." I was like, Ophelia, you are so naive and clearly do not know how love works, but okay. Even if he was going slightly further from saying he does not mind her presence, but actually kind of likes it- that is still a far cry from love. I actually like that it does not force them together, and think their conversations teeter from amusing to infuriating, mostly due to Ophelia. I feel like Ophelia loses her character very easily and it makes her come off as so weak. I do not mind that she is quiet or reserved, but even in her silent thoughts she rarely offers a strategy or opinion, until the end. This has me hopeful for the second book. I ended up giving this a 3.5 because it was an easy read and I found it enjoyable despite all of its issues. But whoever said this was like Harry Potter was clearly blackout.... lol.

Kaltham wrote: "I fear that a lot was lost in translation. The choice of vocabulary was way off, I feel. I think this book would have been better enjoyed in the original language.

I really liked the world-buildi..."

I understood that the transferring of The Gift would apply to both of them, and that was why Ophelia was so embarrassed when Thorn said he would teach her (how to use claws). It would make Farouk want them both at his side and give them a societal upper-hand as favorites, so Ophelia could then worry less about people trying to kill her because she would be protected in the marriage, but also be able to protect herself. Did I totally misinterpret that? Of course, it is later revealed that the intention is to only have Thorn be Farouk's favorite and read the Book for him, but she would still reap the benefits. I don't know though, since the ending causes them to reveal Ophelia to Farouk sooner than the marriage, so maybe none of these plans even matter? I want to read book 2, I'd be interested to find out.

Amanda wrote: "So I just got to the part where Thorn says, "I got used to you" and Ophelia is like omg he loves me wtf. And I'm sitting here like, I totally did not get that at all... I don't understand their rel..."

that was the part that a book I was meh about became a book I started to really dislike. Sure, Ophelia is naive, but listening to her rant about how he had no right to fall in love with her just because he didn't mind her presence jut really pissed me off. It was so stupid. she sounded about 11 in that moment and beyond irritating and stuck up. It was just such a stupid, stupid scene

I agree with so many of you about the pacing of this book. I really struggled and considered DNFing it and I just don't do that. But I stuck with it and it improved a little. I struggled with the slow character development and it took me awhile to get a handle of the magic system. Once I felt like I kind of knew what was going on we left for Thorn's place and I was kind of confused all over again. Things started to come together when Ophelia had the glamour of being Mime.
I agree with many of you that I didn't like Ophelia much and kind of got frustrated with her attitude toward Thorn. He may have been very closed off and secretive, but she didn't seem to give him much of a chance. You can't help but not like Bernilde and she seemed to switch loyalties at every turn. I plan to continue with the series, especially since so many of you say the second book is much better. I hope now that I understand the world and the family feud, the second one will be more digestible. I gave it a 3 stars, ok read but I only stuck with it to review with the group. Glad I did, but the first part of the book brought the rating down for me.

Casey wrote: "Amanda wrote: "So I just got to the part where Thorn says, "I got used to you" and Ophelia is like omg he loves me wtf. And I'm sitting here like, I totally did not get that at all... I don't under..."

I totally felt the same way. I felt like Ophelia's character was very inconsistent throughout the book and that was one part where it was the most obvious.

I actually enjoyed Ophelia. At first I thought she was just like any other YA character, especially at the beginning but I came to love her as time went on. It was mostly because I felt pity for her though. A lot of the situations she was in, she had no other choice but to comply so with all the abuse she went through I felt sorry sorry for her. If only they told her what was actually going on, she would be well prepared but they kept keeping things from her to keep her in line which made me angry for her towards the end. But from what was happening towards the end, it seems like the second book we’ll see her making her own decisions so I can’t wait for that.
About Thorn though, I don’t think I’ve read about a more emotional repressed character. I can kinda get why he decided to get into the marriage (to get more power and not to be the weak bastard anymore) but I don’t really know what to feel about him. I don’t know if I even want a romance between them.

I gave this book a 3.5 because of how slow the plot was at the beginning.