![]() Of the Citaceleste, the floating capital city, and the rest of the provinces of the Pole. Nonetheless, his relentless ambition has resulted in a rise to power as the steward Ostracism as much from the illegitimate status of his birth as his misanthropicĭemeanor, if not more. He also has an astoundingly expansive memory. The Dragon clan he has the power to telepathically attack the nervous systemĪnd draw bodily wounds with invisible “claws”. Range of useful abilities, the classist society of the Pole is segregated into clans,Įach clan distinguished by a singular ability. Unlike Anima, where there is no apparent class system and everyone is united as one enormous family with a myriad Like Anima, the residents of the Pole have magical abilities. He is never described as handsome and has a heavily scarred, unsmiling visage. Taciturn, brutal, and grave, he isĪlso repeatedly described as thin and uncommonly tall, standing two full headsĪbove Ophelia. Thorn is part of the aristocratic class from the northern ark, the Pole. It’s mentioned that both her mother and older sister married at the ages of 15 and 17 respectively, which appears to be the normal age range for Animist women to marry since they give Ophelia a hard time for failing to have been married by either age. Their family through marriage, if nothing else. Although Anima is matriarchal, there does exist a societalĮxpectation for women to marry sooner rather than later and to be a credit to Is a museum curator, though it’s not a paid position. She has been raised with a certain amount of independence, abhors idleness, and Is a striped animate scarf that exhibits the endearing traits of a protective pet. Wears spectacles that change tint and color depending on her moods the other Two objects that are always on her person: on the verge of blindness, Ophelia Travel through mirrors, which is a rare gift among Animists. She wears special gloves to prevent her from Reading at random and, thus, tarnishing the object’s historical value and integrity. Raw materials), she can absorb its memories and the emotions of the people who previously owned or handled it. Known as a Reader-in making contact with any object (excluding organic matter and ![]() All Animists have the ability to influence objects that are normally inanimate in addition to having a separate magical ability unique to them. She is never described as beautiful, nor even pretty, and often suffers sneezing attacks, nose bleeds, and a perpetual runny nose. Petite, bushy-haired archivist/historian from the southern ark, Anima. Therefore, I’ve used chapter titles for reference.] Character Sketch: Ophelia Pages, I found them to be two of the strongest, most compelling points of thisĪ plethora of quotes and block quotes, but my ebook edition was not formatted with Although they can’t boast of having a connection that leaps off the To the central characters and their absorbing slow-burnĬhemistry. Invested in the captivating world-building, I was most drawn Storytelling and in the rarer “showing vs. Think that Christelle Dabos is extremely skilled in the art of layered ![]() Reserve final judgment until I’ve finished her series, but at this point I Smart, effective move: it’s never a good idea to overexpose an imaginary world. I think that’s intentional and I think it’s a It is so heavy on this theme, some readers might actuallyĭeem the novel tedious, slow, or even cyclical. It offers intrigues galore: in plot and setting in magic and myth in charactersĪnd relationships. [All fanart images used credited to IntroĪ Winter’s Promise is a helluva introduction If I’m at all difficult to follow in regards to the source material, then I guess you’d best get out there and get a copy! Until then, here’s a super-long essay of my impressions. I have so many thoughts! So, I’m hoping/waiting for there to be more of an English fanbase for this book. I loved the whole thing, but the biggest takeaways for me were the protagonists, Ophelia and Thorn, both as individuals and as a pairing. Rowling, a dash of Philip Pullman, and a generous splash of Hayao Miyazaki. How smug was I when I read an old interview with Dabos wherein she cited all three as inspirations? Super smug. I praise it as a delightful concoction of originality, sprinkled with some J.K. Although it was originally published in France in 2013, with the next two volumes having since been published, the English translation was only just released in September, with the second book due for a May release here in the States. ![]() A Winter’s Promise is the first novel in The Mirror Visitor quartet by French author Christelle Dabos.
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