A Breath of Winter (Araneae Nation, #4)

by Hailey Edwards

I adore this series. I originally picked up the first book, A Hint of Frost back in 2013 when it was free on Amazon. At the time the books were being published by Samhain which had put out a number of winners and had started to become my go to for must buy books. It had a cool cover, the blurb sounded interesting and it was free - it was an all round winner.

And then I read it. And I was very impressed. It was brilliant. The world building in incredible, the romance is adorable and the action is intense. There's an over-arcing mystery throughout the entire series which is riveting and comes to a fantastic conclusion. Each book focuses on a different couple but builds upon the mystery with characters and places slotting altogether.

My favourite book of the series would have to be A Feast of Souls - because I LOVE Vaughn! - but all the books are amazing. Hailey Edwards is a very talented writer who knows how to deliver great fantasy.


A Breath of Winter

The third book saw Deinopidae mercenaries, Zuri and her five brothers (Ghedi, Malik, Tau, Fynn and Kaleb) capture the harbringer Lailah, making a deal with the Mimetidae and Segestriidae clans (specifically Vaugh, Isolde, Mana, Kaidi and Murdoch) to transport Lailah to Araneidae for research. Lourdes and Rhys (who have been funding the search for a cure for the plague) were hoping that Henri (the resident scientist and Lourdes' brother) would be able to discover more with a live specimen. So the fourth book sees Lailah, Zuri and her brothers travelling to Araneidae to fulfil their contract.

I liked Zuri. She was spunky. Her relationship with her brothers was sweet and they clearly adored each other. Although I understood where she was coming from with their vow of silence.

Tau's wife was murdered and the clan blamed him - and when Malik, Fynn and Kaleb defended him they were all banished from the clan - even though there was no proof and in protest? they've taken a vow of silence.

Ghedi and Zuri weren't there at the time so they weren't banished - but they left in support. Because of this Ghedi is the only one that Zuri can speak to. The others communicate using mkono - a sacred sign language only taught to the males of the clan. They refuse to teach Zuri - which I didn't like but I did understand.

But then they taught Henri and the other guards that were there and it drove me mad. I could see why Zuri was so upset and frustrated. I would've been furious.

I've liked Henri on and off through the series - his thing with Mana mostly left me irritated with him - but he was alright in this - even if I didn't love him. The chemistry between them was good though and the banter was funny.

I wouldn't say there was a lot of mystery or intrigue in this one - the plot was limited by the fact they're in quarantine (which COVID - I'm sick to death of quarantines) and stuck separate from the nest and other people, but there were a few reveals (Idra (the Necrita leader) was creeeeeeeeeepy - and Marne?! - a harbringer?! - can't wait to see what that reveals in the next one) which brought up more questions to be explored. And there was a lot of action towards the end when Lailah made her move. Zuri was a total badass with her plan to save her brothers and Henri.

I did miss Isolde (although she made the briefest appearance -

I jumped when hot breath blasted the back of my neck. As I twisted, a frigid nose left an icy trail across my cheek, and I found myself staring into beady, black eyes that reminded me a smidge of our current employer, Paladin Vaughn of the Mimetidae clan. I say he was our employer. His mother had held a dagger to my jugular and folded a few coins into my hand. I suppose that meant she’d hired us. Either way, gold was gold and I couldn’t complain. Much.

Edwards, Hailey. Araneae Nation: The Complete Collection . Kindle Edition.

- in classic Isolde fashion)

and Vaugh and Mana (and Lleu and Murdoch - *shrugs* the Mimetidae rock) but overall it was an enjoyable read that furthered the overarcing plot. Zuri was feisty and the relationship between her and her brothers was entertaining. The romance was good without over the top cheese or ridiculousness and it was funny. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.