Format: Hardcover, 400 pages
Release Date: January 10, 2023
Publisher: Amulet Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Epic
The gripping sequel to Winter, White and Wicked that boasts the thrills of Mad Max: Fury Road and the icy magic of Frozen
Sylvi
Quine, the best rig driver on Layce, has braved the dangers of the Shiv
Road to save her friend and learned the truth of her power over Winter.
Now, she's joined the rebels working to take down the Majority. Her
magic could change the course of their fight, and she agrees to meet the
king of Paradyia to offer an exchange: the healing powers of the Pool
of Begynd for his army.
The journey won't be easy. To get there,
Sylvi will have to navigate the Kol Sea, crossing through Winter's
storms and swarms of her Abaki––all while outrunning the Majority, who
have sent their best Kol Master to track her down and bring her in, dead
or alive.
But she isn't traveling alone. Mars Dresden knows
Sylvi is the key to freeing Layce, and demands she train like it. Kyn,
the boy with stone flesh and a soft heart, is bound to Sylvi in more
ways than one, a connection that both hurts and heals. And Lenore,
Sylvi's best friend, insists the Majority pay for what they’ve done to
her parents. Even though her crew believes in her, Sylvi's still
learning to use her power, and Winter’s whispers are constant . . .
Will she be able to control Winter when it matters most? Or will this be the end of the rebellion?
Rebel, Brave and Brutal is the second and final installment in author Shannon Dittemore's Winter, While and Wicked duology. It has been two months since the unfortunate death of of a character thanks to Winter's monsters as well as Mars Dresden's actions. This series is an Ice Road Fantasy set in the icy world of Layce or Shiv Island, an island cursed to an eternal winter. Ice road trucker Sylvi Quine has braved the dangers of the Shiv Road to save her friend, Lenore, and learned the truth of her power over Winter from Mars Dresden.
Winter is an icy spirit who has protected her since she was a child, but there's always a cost. Now, she's joined the rebels working to take down the Majority who we still have not yet been introduced to. Sylvi has discovered some secrets of her own. Winter made a deal with a shipwrecked exiled Queen from Kerce, Maree Vale, who already had a prince in her arms, and another in her belly. They survived the islands monsters, but Kol slipped into their minds and brought madness and they could not survive Winters wrath which buried Shiv Island in snow.
We know now who that prince was, and we also now know who the baby in the womb was who spent 300 years under the ice, called the Desolation, before being found. Twice orphaned Sylvi is different from almost everyone, including Mars, from the color of her hair, to the color of her bright gray irises, to how she is able to handle the dangerous Kol which amplifies everything from cosmetics, to medicine. But it’s also dangerous to the point of needing to chew on Twyl gum that combats the negative effects.
Her magic could change the course of their fight if she can learn the 10 Revelations, and not allow Winter to mess with her psyche. She has agreed to meet with the king of Paradyia, Hawken Valthor, to offer an exchange: the healing powers of the Pool of Begynd for his army as well as his wife Queen Fyeeri. The journey is far from easy. Sylvi, Mars, Kyndel, and Lenore will have to navigate the Kol Sea, crossing through Winter's storms and swarms of her Abaki––all while outrunning the Majority, who have sent their best Kol Master to track her down and bring her in, dead or alive.
Mars knows Sylvi is the key to freeing Layce, and demands she train like it. He may not be the most likable character, especially thanks to his antics in the previous installments, but he means well. Kyn, the boy with stone flesh and a soft heart, is bound to Sylvi in more ways than one, a connection that both hurts and heals. Lenore, Sylvi's best friend, insists the Majority pay for what they’ve done to her parents and hopes that Sylvi can save her father who has been confused by Kol. Even though her crew believes in her, Sylvi's still learning to use her power, and Winter’s whispers are constant.
In my review of the first installment, I was puzzled by the ending, and said so and even dropped my review rating. This book starts off with so much action, and it really doesn't drop off much until the final chapters. That is why this book was more enjoyable to me. Sylvi grows in her abilities and compassion, and her bravery in trying to save those she has come to call family. She even comes to accept that she must find a way to fix Maree Vale's mistakes so that the Shiv people and rebels can live in peace without the Majority. He relationship with Kyn is steadfast, while her relationship with Mars turns into a positive aspect to the story.
