Traitor of Redwinter

You probably remember that I liked Ed McDonald's The Raven's Mark trilogy a few years ago. So much so that in my review of the third installment, I claimed that he had the potential to be the next Joe Abercrombie. Before starting Daughter of Redwinter, I was wondering if having written a compelling series would give him the confidence to push the envelope a little further and elevate his game to another level.

Unfortunately, the Redwinter Chronicles are a totally different beast. The YA style and tone, in particular, which feel quite discordant with the tale the author is trying to tell. Still, despite its flaws, I felt that Daughter of Redwinter marked the beginning of a promising new series. There were enough interesting aspects to this story that made me want to read the sequel. I was hoping that McDonald could step up to the plate and deliver like he did in the past.

Alas, it wasn't meant to be. I don't know if it's a case of the middle book syndrome, or if there simply wasn't enough material here to warrant a full novel, but not much happens during a rather big chunk of this book. As a result, Traitor of Redwinter, though it moves some of the plotlines forward somewhat, often feels like a step backward. Inevitably, it turned out to be a slog to finish.

Here's the blurb:

Traitor of Redwinter is the second in Ed McDonald’s Redwinter Chronicles, full of shady politics, militant monks, ancient powers... and a young woman navigating a world in which no one is quite what they seem.

The power of the Sixth Gate grows stronger within Raine each day―to control it, she needs lessons no living Draoihn can teach her. Her fledgling friendships are tested to a breaking point as she tries to face what she has become, and her master Ulovar is struck by a mysterious sickness that slowly saps the vitality from his body, leaving Raine to face her growing darkness alone. There’s only one chance to turn the tide of power surging within her―to learn the secrets the Draoihn themselves purged from the world.

The book can teach her. She doesn’t know where she found it, or when exactly, but its ever changing pages whisper power that has lain untouched for centuries.

As the king’s health fails and the north suffers in the grip of famine, rebellious lords hunger for the power of the Crown, backed by powers that would see the Crowns undone. Amidst this growing threat, Raine’s former friend Ovitus brings a powerful new alliance, raising his status and power of his own. He professes support for the heir to the throne even as others would see him take it for himself, and desperately craves Raine’s forgiveness―or her submission.

But the grandmaster has her own plans for Raine, and the deadly training she has been given has not been conducted carelessly. In Raine she seeks to craft a weapon to launch right into her enemy’s heart, as Redwinter seeks to hold onto power.

Amidst threats old and new, Raine must learn the secrets promised by the book, magic promised by a queen with a crown of feathers. A queen to whom Raine has promised more than she can afford to give…

In my review of Daughter of Redwinter, I bemoaned the fact that McDonald came up with lots of fascinating concepts and ideas, yet à la Mark Lawrence he played his cards way too close to his chest and did not elaborate much on them. Hence, I was hoping that he'd be more forthcoming in Traitor of Redwinter. And to a certain extent he is. Not much, mind you, which was a major disappointment for me. But there are enough revelations to keep one interested. Which, if I'm completely honest, is likely the only reason why I managed to reach the end of this book. We do learn a bit more about Raine's grave sight and its repercussions, and we also discover that she's not the first person the Queen of Feathers has groomed for some nebulous objective. Revelations about Sanvaunt were pretty cool and open the door for some interesting possibilities. Having said that, beyond these discoveries, very few answers are provided to our ever-growing list of questions. Two volumes into this new trilogy, too little is revealed about the Draoihn themselves and what they truly stand for. Are they really a force of good standing in the way of a great evil, or is there more to them than that? What about the Sarathi, former Draoihn who wreaked havoc upon the world in a distant past? Another facet which sinks this story is the incredibly weak political intrigue that has to do with the return of Ovitus. All in all, I feel that McDonald failed to deliver on the worldbuilding front. Which is sad given the promise shown by the previous volume.

First-person narratives are always tricky things and can easily make or break a novel/series. That's just the way love goes. And sadly, I now feel that Raine's perspective could well be the most detrimental facet of this series. Indeed, she has become hard to root/care for. There is only so much self-loathing monologues one can take and I've reached my breaking point in that regard. There is such a thing as character development, and then there's flogging a dead horse. To say that McDonald overdid it would be a gross understatement. Instead of making you feel for the girl and her plight, it makes you want to bitch-slap her and throw the book across the room. The budding lesbianism/bi-sexuality aspect may not be as half-assed as it was in the first installment, yet it doesn't really serve any purpose in the greater scheme of things. It feels like it was included just to please certain social justice warriors and is not truly relevant to the tale itself. And once more, the relationships between Raine and the other Draoihn apprentices are full of the teenage angst that so characterize most SFF YA works. As was the case with its predecessor, I can't help but feel that multiple POVs would have given more depth to Traitor of Redwinter. Then again, if they are as vapid and immature as Raine can be from time to time, it would be no improvement. . .

Given that not much takes place for nearly half of this novel, is comes as no surprise that Traitor of Redwinter suffers from pacing issues. And yet, even though he failed to do so in the first volume, Ed McDonald is known for closing the show with style and aplomb. Both Ravencry and Crowfall featured exciting endgames that led to thrilling finales which packed a surprisingly powerful emotional punch. Alas, once again it wasn't the case with this one. True, the endgame is gripping enough, yet the ending itself is a bit lackluster. Still, it does save this sequel from being a total loss and that's something. But it's a case of too little, too late after hundreds of pages of uninspired plot. Time will tell, but it looks as though this should have a been a duology and not a trilogy.

Will I read the final volume, Witch Queen of Redwinter? I've invested a lot of my time reading the first two installments, so a part of me wants to discover how it will end. However, another part of me can't even think of spending another minute reading Raine's POV. So we'll have to wait and see. . .

The final verdict: 6/10

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