Winter of Ice and Iron

Starred review from September 25, 2017
In a lush and deliciously imaginative world where the land itself gives rise to powers—powerful but not omnipotent entities that strain to become gods—the human rulers who have magical connections to those powers are critical to ensuring their peoples’ well-being. Kehera is the heir to her country’s throne and has a deep tie to the gentle power of her land. A cruel king demands her hand in marriage; if he doesn’t get it, he’ll destroy her land’s powers and leave them exposed to the dangerous winter dragons. Reluctantly, Kehera accepts his demands and gives up her tie to save her people. This decision takes her on a journey that will put her in the path of strange powers, resilient sorcerers, and the ambitious but dangerously alluring Wolf Duke of Eäneté. The story is tense throughout, with attention focused on its characters and the implications of its worldbuilding. Kehera’s resolute devotion to fighting against the odds even as the world shifts and realigns around her carries through to the cosmically satisfying ultimate battle.

March 1, 2018

This stand-alone epic fantasy from the veteran fantasy writer is packed with extraordinary characters and intricate world-building. Avoiding the dreaded information dump, Neumeier immerses readers in the setting through the thoughts and actions of the characters. The novel centers on a hastily concocted alliance between the Wolf Duke of Pohorir and Kehera, a princess. Both tasked with protecting their nations from the two other rulers in the Four Kingdoms, including the King of Emmer, who blackmails Kehera so that she agrees to marry him. There is a large, well-portrayed cast of characters; readers will love some and love to hate others. The plot is thick with a magnitude of themes, such as love, duty, family, socio-politics, and abuse. Despite some of the darker topics, the tone is overall optimistic. VERDICT A strong additional purchase to expand epic fantasy collection, especially for fans of Jacqueline Carey and George R.R. Martin.-Melanie Leivers, Palm Beach Country Library System, FL

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2017
In Neumeier's fascinating but convoluted epic fantasy, four kingdoms threatened by an insane ruler forge an uneasy alliance, shaped partly by a divisive political union between two charismatic characters: Innisth, the Wolf Duke of Pohorir, and Kehera, Princess of Harivir. In this world, rulers make pacts with Immanent Powers that rise naturally from the land, which then shape and are shaped by those people. Rulers are also charged with keeping their Immanent from apotheosis, a cataclysmic act wherein it becomes either a Fortunate or Unfortunate God. Kehera, heir to her country's gentle power, lands in Pohorir after escaping enslavement. Innisth, who keeps the cruel barbarism of his Immanent in check, sees in her an opportunity to break from Pohorir's king, who is as evil as Innisth struggles not to be. Neumeier gives this familiar romantic trope a magical undercurrent, as Kehera's compassionate Immanent quiets Innisth's, allowing him to master its base nature. Top-notch world building and in-depth character development give this troubling theme dimension, however, and the dramatic conclusion will satisfy both lovers of romance and political fantasy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)