The Claws of Winter by Nazri Noor

Narrated by Zachary Johnson

The Claws of Winter is the seventh book (of eight) in Nazri Noor’s continually entertaining and imaginative Arcane Hearts series, and with its overarching plotlines, ongoing romance and recurring characters, is absolutely not a standalone. If you’re intrigued, I suggest you go back to book one, A Touch of Fever,and start there – and be aware that there are spoilers for previous events in this review.

After the climactic battle in A Clap of Thunder that saw the defeat of the fae’s plan to invade the human world through the Black Market and the return of the Heart of Oberon to its rightful owner, newly engaged couple Jackson Pryde and Xander Wright can finally turn their full attention to the completion of the Halls of Making and the revival of the Guild of Artificers. There’s still much to be done, but things are progressing well, thanks to the bonds Jackson has forged with the other guilds and their masters, and he’s slowly getting used to the idea of being a Guild Master himself.  But life is never quiet for these two love-birds; Xander’s parents are back in the picture and clearly haven’t abandoned their dreams of Incandescence for their son (despite Xander’s insistence that he’s done with it); Lore is about to achieve his dream of becoming a member of Mother Dough, the Guild of Bakers, Whitby, the second AI, comes back online and delivers some game-changing schematics devised by Jackson’s parents – and the boys are invited to meet with King Oberon at the Palace of Briars in the Summer Court, where he asks for their help in locating his missing Queen. He has found no trace of Titania since his awakening, and a tiny magical snowflake, discovered in her chambers, indicates she may have been taken by agents of the Queen of Winter. But first, Jackson has to survive a party at the Wright House – and a dual with an Incandescent.

There’s plenty going on and the story moves at a fast pace as we get to catch up with old friends and make some new ones. As usual, there’s plenty of humour – one of the funniest moments was being introduced to the weaponised desserts (yes, really – Killer Custard!) favoured by the Baker’s Guild – action, as Jackson, Xander, Reza and Niko seek Titania at the Winter Court, and sweet, tender (and steamy!) moments between Jackson and Xander. Jackson does let his insecurities get the better of him when the prospect of Incandescence rears its ugly head again – even though Xander promised he wasn’t ever going back to it – but the author doesn’t allow this to create any misunderstandings between them; Xander knows his man and doesn’t leave Jackson in any doubt about where – and with whom – his future lies. They’re such a great couple and theirs is such a healthy relationship!

Jackson and Xander – together with Reza, Niko and Sparrowheart, King Oberon’s most trusted warrior – prepare to return to the Verdance and for what could prove to be a deadly confrontation in the Winter Court, but just as they are about to leave, Hecate appears once again with more of her unsettling, cryptic messages. They’re almost certain that the Winter Court is the source of the chysanthemists and the fractures, and are determined to find out exactly who was responsible for unleashing them into the human world, but before that, they must survive their encounter with the Queen of Winter – which leads to some jaw-dropping revelations I absolutely did NOT see coming, and to a vividly written battle between our boys and [no spoilers!]

I enjoyed the listen, although in some ways, the story is a lot more settled than what has gone before and, until we reach the final section, feels as though the stakes have been lowered somewhat. But I wonder if that’s because Mr. Noor is gearing up for a barnstorming finale; looking back at Hand of Glory (book five), I now realise it was a kind of ‘lull before the storm’ book before all hell broke loose in A Clap of Thunder, so perhaps that’s going on here, as well. That’s not to say that the story drags, because it doesn’t – the focus is just more on ‘domestic’ events (Lore’s baking aspirations, Xander’s parents trying to manipulate him, the resurgence of the Halls of Making) – than on trying to predict and defeat the machinations of the fae.

Zachary Johnson has been going great guns in this series, and he once again delivers a superb performance, voicing a large secondary cast effectively and consistently throughout all the instalments so far, and infusing his narration with a great deal of personality and vivacity. His portrayal of Jackson is pitch-perfect – every aspect of his character – his warmth, his humour, and his vulnerability – comes through strongly, and Xander’s slightly softer tones are a nice contrast. Mr. Johnson opts to use an English accent for some of the recurring characters – Lore, Oberon, Sparrowheart – and it’s very good and consistent throughout, especially Lore, who sounds like the Quintessential English Gentleman :) It’s a beautifully-judged performance all-round – expressive, superbly characterised and energetic – and is a fabulous enhancement to the story.

The Claws of Winter is another thoroughly enjoyable instalment in the Arcane Hearts series and I’m pleased to recommend it.

Caz