Escape into a cold Nordic world... Winter's Chill by Morgan L. Busse (Review & #Giveaway) #newbooks #bookx #winterschill #thenordicewars #morganlbusse #fantasy #fiction #romancebooks #christfic

Welcome to my tour stop! Check out my review and the giveaway below...

Winter's Chill

(The Nordic Wars #2)

By Morgan L. Busse

Adult Fantasy, Christian

Audiobook, Hardcover & eBook, 304 Pages

August 5, 2025 by Enclave Publishing

Summary

Fighter. Emissary. Long-Lost Daughter.

Brighid has one mission as she returns to the north: to warn her people of the oath that binds them. But the mountains are treacherous, and snow comes early, leaving her on death’s doorstep—until she has an unexpected encounter that not only reveals a secret about her past, but also brings new allies into her life.

Meanwhile, the healer Kaeden must come to terms with the awakening of his Eldaran power. With winter approaching and the war on hold, he ventures to the White City to uncover his heritage. As he walks the ancient halls of his people’s birthplace, he discovers not all adversaries are across the battle line. He must navigate political opponents while searching for a way to stop those of his kind who have turned to the darkness. Yet even the bitterness of winter cannot keep Brighid and Kaeden apart. A connection has been forged between them, and their bond might be the one thing that could save the Nordic people and end the war.

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My Review

WINTER'S CHILL picks right up after the first book in this series, WINTER'S MAIDEN. The main characters continue to face challenges as they try to discovery more about themselves and follow the paths set before them. There is injury, study, friendship, family, war, heartbreak and a blooming romance. Fans of the series and genre will enjoy escaping back into this fantasy world!

Sometimes the second book in a series can be just a place holder and not lend much development to the overall plot. That isn't the case here. The story did slow, but there is quite a bit of character development and a few key points that move the plot forward. I also enjoyed getting to see more of this fantasy world unfold with its different political and social systems.

I liked both the main characters from reading the first book, but I liked them even more in this second book. They both are trying to navigate quite a lot and have continual choices in how they will do so. I loved the whole storyline about Brighid and the bear who comes to her rescue along with the clan that takes her in. I liked how Kaeden's and Brighid's connection to each other also developed and how that came into play towards the end. They are both vulnerable and imperfect, making them easy to relate to and cheer on. The villains are nicely drawn with a few secrets revealed leading into book three. There is also some romance, but it's light and not the center of the story. There is also a bit of action, less than in book one, but I'm sure there will be quite a bit more in the third book. The author excels in her battle scenes, so this was an exciting part of this book.

In the end, was it what I wished for? This was an enjoyable second book in this series and I'm looking forward to seeing how everything ties up in book three. Definitely a series to grab if you like Nordic or Viking stories with some fantasy that are on the lighter side.

Content: Clean
Source: I received a complimentary copy through Celebrate Lit, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Other Books in the Series

(Linked to my review.)

About the Author

Morgan L. Busse is a writer by day and a mother by night. She is the author of multiple series including The Ravenwood Saga and Skyworld series. She is a three-time Christy Award finalist and won the INSPY, Selah, and Carol Award for best in Christian speculative fiction. During her spare time she enjoys playing games, taking long walks, and dreaming about her next novel.

Find the author here.

More from Morgan

How I Created My Viking-Inspired World

World building. One of the foundational parts of writing a fantasy novel. When I began writing the Nordic Wars series, I wanted a setting that felt like the Viking era but fit the context of the story, to recreate the feel but not copy everything exactly. For example, there are no longboats, sailing, or pillaging. But there are warriors, an emphasis on honor, and the country is in the far north. When I build a world for my books, I use the history and culture of our own world and weave it together with my imagination to create a new realm in which my novel takes place.

Here are some examples of how I built this world.

Places. The country of Nordica is set in the cold north. For inspiration, I used my own home in the Pacific Northwest and my childhood in Montana. From towering mountains to deep snow, to massive forests to valleys of green, Nordica feels like a real place because I used real places to create it.

Words. I studied Nordic words and phrases, then created my own that “sounded” like them. Some examples are the leaders of the clans are called Hjars (after the jarls of Scandinavia), Til Val (a victory shout and chant that I borrowed from the phrase “Til Valhalla” from Norse mythology), and places like Folkvar and Udenhalla (both my own creations). I also found a fantasy name-generating site that helped me craft the names of places and people.

Lastly, I studied the Viking culture itself, including food, furniture, homes, occupations, hairstyles, clothing, etc… Then I used that knowledge for my own creations or drew directly from the source. Even the smallest details were either inspired by my research or a real part of the Viking life.

In the end, when readers step into the Nordic Wars series, I want them to feel like they’ve entered a time from the past, and yet wholly different. I want them to smell the smoke from a firepit, feel the furs across a bed of hay, see the mountains, and feel the bitter cold of winter. And when they finish the book, it feels like they’ve visited a real place.

Tour Schedule

The Lofty Pages, August 9

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 10

For Him and My Family, August 11

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 12 (Spotlight)

Blogging with Carol, August 13

Texas Book-aholic, August 14

By the Book, August 15

Labor Not in Vain, August 16

To Everything There Is A Season, August 17

Wishful Endings, August 18

Simple Harvest Reads, August 19 (Guest Review from Mindy)