What I Read This Winter
Winter is, usually, the best time to read, at least in my opinion. If you’re comfortable in your space, can see the snow outside, and everything is quiet, then it’s just the perfect reading atmosphere. You can have entire weeks of being purely snowed in, which is conducive to a great time to spent sitting down to read. I know others enjoy sitting down at the beach in the summer to read, while still more may prefer a pleasant park in autumn. All of this is well and good, I just personally find winter to be a great time to get some reading done… and boy, did I get some reading done this winter. I read more between late November and March than I had in the entirety of 2021—at least, in terms of word count. So, today, I want to reflect on the books I read over the winter months!
Finishing the Red Rising Series
Okay, I guess I’m not finished with it, because we’re not done with the second trilogy yet. There’s a final book that has yet to come out, but I am finished! I wrapped up reading Iron Gold and Dark Age in November and got a review out for each of those. I also read all of the books in sequence, starting with the original Red Rising trilogy and then diving right into the second one. I didn’t particularly enjoy the first trilogy, with Golden Son being the only book in the series that received praise from me. Initially, I didn’t want to keep going with the next trilogy, but I did, and I am so glad that I stuck with it.
Pierce Brown’s writing continues to improve with each book, and his storytelling abilities are becoming masterful. His authorial voice is striking, his characters are fascinating, and he has really learned how to throw truly emotional punches at the reader. Red Rising, as a series, has really set itself apart. I can’t wait for the sixth book to come out so that I can see how the story ends!
The Entire Green Bone Saga
After spending several months in the sci-fi world of Red Rising, I was eager to delve into the urban fantasy world of the Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee. I’d heard so many different things about this series. Some people loved it and called it their favorite thing ever. Others panned it, and still others outright hated it. I was eager to find out which side I would land on, so I got started with Jade City. And…
Well, I wasn’t a huge fan. My critical review of both Jade City and Jade War was just three stars for each of them. I think it’s a great series for people who enjoy slower, more politically-focused stories, but it wasn’t really for me… until I read Jade Legacy, the conclusion to the trilogy. That book was absolutely brilliant and is my favorite read of 2022, so far. It was simply amazing! I am so glad that I stuck with the trilogy because that was one of the best conclusions to a series of books that I have read in a long time.
Beginning The Faithful and the Fallen
In January and through February (and March) I’ve been reading The Faithful and the Fallen series by John Gwynne. At the time of this writing, I haven’t finished the series, so I’ve yet to give a complete verdict, however, I wasn’t really a fan of the first book, which many had told me would be the case. The Faithful and the Fallen is, according to several fans of John Gwynne’s work, the weaker series in his catalog. Once I’ve finished it, I’ll be jumping into the Bloodsworn trilogy, beginning with Shadow of the Gods! My expectations for that book are unrealistically high, given all of the praise it has received.
Conclusion
And that’s what I read this winter! I stuck with three different series, which was a lot of fun, though I’m looking forward to the diversity that I’ll be experiencing through the rest of the year. I have all sorts of different genres and authors in my TBR for the rest of 2022, and I can’t wait to get to them. But, first… I need to get back to my current reading.
Thanks so much for taking the time to check out this post, I really appreciate it! If you’d like to make sure you see more from me, the best way to do so is to subscribe to my YouTube channel! You can also follow me on social media; I’m @TLBainter on most platforms, and I’ll have links for everything down at the bottom of this post.
Until next time, bye!