Red Winter is a science fiction book by author Annette Marie.
Emi is a kamigakari. In a few short months, her mortal life will end and her new existence as the host of a human goddess will begin. Carefully hidden from those who wanted to destroy her, she prepared her mind, body, and soul to merge with the goddess – and not once did she doubt her chosen fate.

Shiro is a yokai, a spirit of the earth, the enemy of the goddess Emi will soon receive. Mystery enveloped his every move, and his ruby ​​eyes shone with a cunning she could not match and dare not trust. But she saved his life, and until his debt was paid off, he was hers – whether she wanted him or not. On the day they met, everything that came to Emi was like smoke, snow carried by the east wind. For the first time, she wants to change her fate – but how can she undo a destiny made of stone? Against the power of the gods, Shiro is her only hope… and hope is all she has left.

Red Winter is a beautifully written novel that completely embraces its origins. It’s set in modern-day Japan, but it’s easy to forget this sometimes as much of the story is set at traditional shrines and deep in oni-infested forests. The novel is very accessible, despite having a lot of Japanese words and concepts. However, even if you are unfamiliar with Japanese culture and mythology, the novel contains a rich glossary. It also includes a pronunciation guide to help readers know the character names, which I think is especially helpful.

The novel is told in first person from the perspective of Emi, a young girl groomed from a young age and living a very sheltered life when she is chosen as the vessel for a kami reincarnated on earth . Although Emi’s story becomes more engaging as it progresses and she learns more about what this fate entails, the early chapters are a bit slow. While Emi’s world is fascinating, she is extremely sheltered and can’t go anywhere unaccompanied. This means it takes almost 100 pages for the book to really feel like it’s really starting to move.

I’ve been a huge fan of this author since the Steel & Stone series, so I jumped right into this book the second I saw it. first of all, the most amazing thing that I love about this book is the character art throughout, I’m a bit old for a picture book but this is definitely not the case! They add to the story and oh what a story! Emi is instantly loved, aloof and sheltered, you can easily associate her with her character. You want her to break out and fight against the mundane that is her life and who better to lead her in her adventure than the wonderfully mysterious Shiro. I loved him from the first moment, he has so much personality, I’m excited to know where the next chapters will take them.

• Red Winter

• Red Winter, Book 1
• By: Annette Marie

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