I'm sure I'll keep reading McKillip, waiting to fall in love with characters like I fall in love with her imagery, but this book did (like others) leave me wanting more in a not entirely good way, much as I enjoyed swimming through the world itself. I suppose it's a matter of feeling like the plot and language are prioritized over character, to the point that all of the depth falls there rather than in either the protagonists or antagonists, and that alone keeps me from truly falling in love with the books vs. Much as I love the language and the worlds, the characters don't always feel quite real-it's as if they stepped out of fairy tales as they are, unchanging, and without quite the depth that normally makes me feel for and love a character. At the same time, there's a part of me that things that that element exactly, wonderous as it is, is what holds back her books from being five-star reads for (or has so far, anyway). I'd agree 100% with the reviewers and readers who compare her work to fairy tales in scope and tone-from beginning to end, that what Winter Rose feels like. She paints worlds and scenes which a reader can fall into and breathe in fully, and the effect is wonderful. The ending of the book was pretty good to me, but it seemes like there is a sequel called “Solstice Wood” that I will have to check in the future. I also found the characters neat and I can tell that because I remember most of their names. At this point I just should have more faith in the author to not follow the terrible conclusions that others do in this kind of stories. As always, the story had some turns I did not expected and I really liked what it had to say about love and family. I really liked the magical comforting and sometimes scary atmosphere and imagery. There is mystery, a love story that doesn’t go as expected and a lot of confusing scenes. There are rumours about his family being cursed and everyone in the small village is curious about him and his story.

In this story we follow Rois and her family as they get to know a newcomer called Corbet Lynn and get involved in something not quite of this world. I do not recommended it for people that have no patience to wait for the reveals though or that mind being left with some questions that only might be found on rereads. Even though I was so confused, I really enjoyed this book. The writing is beautiful as always, but the story is so confusing most of the time since it goes between dream, reality and the fae world and there is room to doubt what is happening and why. I thought “Fire and Hemlock” by Diana Wynne Jones was confusing already, but this one takes the cake. This is a Tam Lin inspired story and it’s so so very weird.

Winter rose mckillip