The Heart of Winter by Shona Kinsella
Brigit is a young woman living in a Scotland still ruled by tribes and largely Pagan.
As Christianity is beginning to find a foothold, Brigit pays lip service to the church, but truly venerates the old gods. She does not support the changing position of women through the teachings of the church.
A cool, damp summer and an early winter threaten the harvest. A harsh winter means starvation, so the elders of Brigit’s village panic. They petition Aengus, the god of summer, to protect them. He agrees on the condition that they provide him with a bride. He chooses Brigit and the deal is made without her knowledge or consent.
When Brigit learns of this arrangement, she flees into the Highlands to seek out the Cailleach, the goddess of winter. The Cailleach is uninterested in Brigit’s plight; humans have hated and feared her for generations, and she is tired of their complaining.
Brigit is not discouraged. She sets up camp outside the Cailleach’s cave and makes offerings to the Winter Queen every day. Aengus comes looking for his bride but cannot approach the cave because he and the Cailleach are opposites.
Caught between two gods and finding an unlikely ally in the Fae witch, Nicnevin, Brigit will be tested to her limits and beyond
About the author
Scottish fantasy author Shona Kinsella is the author of The Heart of Winter, The Vessel of KalaDene series, dark Scottish fantasy novella Petra MacDonald and the Queen of the Fae, British Fantasy Award shortlisted industrial novella The Flame and the Flood, and non-fiction Outlander and the Real Jacobites: Scotland’s Fight for the Stuarts. Her short fiction can be found in various magazines and anthologies. She served as editor of the British Fantasy Society’s fiction publication, BFS Horizons for four years and is now the Chair of the British Fantasy Society.
Shona lives near the picturesque banks of Loch Lomond with her husband and three children. She enjoys reading, nature walks, and spending time with her family. When she is not writing, doing laundry, or wrangling children, she can usually be found with her nose in a book.
www.shonakinsella.com / X: @shona_kinsella / Instagram: shona.kinsella
Review
‘The Heart of Winter’ is a lovely fantasy book based on Scottish mythology. It is set at the time of early Christianity when there was a blurring between the old beliefs and this new religion. I was very excited to pick this book up and it did not disappoint with its beautiful storytelling and world-building. For a fantasy book, it's a short read and I flew through it in a couple of settings as it was very engaging.
Brigit is contented with her life, living with her parents and helping around the croft and village. But she is determined that she doesn't want to get married and if so does only if she is in love. When the weather foretells of a wet summer and early winter the local elders appeal to the old gods for help. The Lord of Summer Aengus agrees to help on one condition, the hand of Brigit in marriage. They agree without consulting Brigit and in defiance she travels to the Queen of Winter, Cailleach for help.
It's books like these that I adore as they teach me about part of my heritage of which I have no idea. This was part of Scottish mythology that had passed me by and I loved getting to know about them and it led to much googling and rabbit holes! I liked Brigit as she was a strong character who was determined to go her own way, even if she was slightly too modern for the time of history this book was set in. She had a lot of empathy for people and that was her grounding in life and her greatest strength. As someone who loves the landscape of Scotland in winter, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Cailleach and the ‘human’ embodiment of it.
This is a beautifully written and highly descriptive book and I wish it had been even longer! Thoroughly recommend it.
