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A review by kaetheluise_nckl
Through the White Wood by Jessica Leake
5.0
written on 05/18/2019
I LOVED this book. Jessica Leake is a master of blending history with fantasy and mythology and even though I am not at all familiar with Slavic mythology, I found myself immersed in the way the mythology was incorporated into the storyline.
I was super excited to find out that Leif and Ciara from Beyond A Darkened Shore would make an appearance because I loved that book, it was one of my favorite 2018 reads and I was more than satisfied with seeing how the two of them were incorporated into the story of Katya and Sasha.
Another thing I really like about Jessica's book is how she is able to incorporate animal companions into her story and link them back to the characters in such a special way.
I thought that Katya was more than deserving of Elation because the eagle has never strayed from her side, and upon finding out that Elation is actually her father, I was reminded of the way the raven in BADS got linked back to Ciara - it adds so much to these female characters who discover just how strong they can be on their own.
This is another thing I like about Through the White Wood. Katya and Sasha complemented and balanced each other out so perfectly.
I like that Jessica creates strong female heroines who do not actually need a man's help - Katya has proven she is just fine without Sasha, but I like the fact that there are male characters who develop against the heroine's expectations in her books. By now, we all know that Sasha is not as evil as he seemed to Katya at first, and the times he declared his love for her made me actually wail my heart out. I feel like it is a very feminist element to add that there is a man who respects the heroine for who she is - and Sasha does just that.
As for her male characters, I like the way their development is done. They turn from “bad” to good to loving. And they discover themselves and learn to accept who they are.
So, to sum this up, if you like Slavic mythology, fantasy and characters that are in balance with each other, I recommend you give Through the White Wood a try.
It is a light and entertaining read and it does world-building really well
I LOVED this book. Jessica Leake is a master of blending history with fantasy and mythology and even though I am not at all familiar with Slavic mythology, I found myself immersed in the way the mythology was incorporated into the storyline.
I was super excited to find out that Leif and Ciara from Beyond A Darkened Shore would make an appearance because I loved that book, it was one of my favorite 2018 reads and I was more than satisfied with seeing how the two of them were incorporated into the story of Katya and Sasha.
Another thing I really like about Jessica's book is how she is able to incorporate animal companions into her story and link them back to the characters in such a special way.
I thought that Katya was more than deserving of Elation because the eagle has never strayed from her side, and upon finding out that Elation is actually her father, I was reminded of the way the raven in BADS got linked back to Ciara - it adds so much to these female characters who discover just how strong they can be on their own.
This is another thing I like about Through the White Wood. Katya and Sasha complemented and balanced each other out so perfectly.
I like that Jessica creates strong female heroines who do not actually need a man's help - Katya has proven she is just fine without Sasha, but I like the fact that there are male characters who develop against the heroine's expectations in her books. By now, we all know that Sasha is not as evil as he seemed to Katya at first, and the times he declared his love for her made me actually wail my heart out. I feel like it is a very feminist element to add that there is a man who respects the heroine for who she is - and Sasha does just that.
As for her male characters, I like the way their development is done. They turn from “bad” to good to loving. And they discover themselves and learn to accept who they are.
So, to sum this up, if you like Slavic mythology, fantasy and characters that are in balance with each other, I recommend you give Through the White Wood a try.
It is a light and entertaining read and it does world-building really well