This is a much-removed 4th installment of the world of Darwath, followed soon after by its 5th brother, Icefalcon's Quest. At this time in my life, I wasn't able to browse in bookstores anymore. When I saw these sitting on a shelf, I gasped and exclaimed in joy audibly, which was pretty embarrassing. The world and people Barbara Hambly created in her original Darwath trilogy were so realistic and lovely, that there were no words to express my delight to see a bonus set of two more novels. This book was great. It had a great main storyline, great 'villains-who-aren't-really-villains', and the characters of the original trilogy were perfectly true to form in exact calibration. I did feel however, that some characterization was missing. Original side characters such as Minalde, Tir, and even Maia of Penumbra were short-shrifted in this novel. I think that there could have been more expansion on those older friends, and perhaps on some newer ones that hadn't been touched too seriously on, perhaps a friend for Rudy in the keep besides Ingold and Gil? Perhaps a friend for Gil? It would have been nice for instance to get close to one of the lady guards to expand our Darwath family. In addition, we met new people that simply weren't explored too much beyond what was barely necessary in order to establish their motives. This is truly the only book I've ever read by Barbara Hambly where I felt her character cast was not getting the full attention I know she can give it. Regardless of that impression, the book is not boring. And it does not in any way lose the typical Barbara Hambly sharpness of thought and philosophy. We are asked a second time around are the villains really evil creatures, or something to be pitied and empathized with? We are asked even more.... how do we know we are human and sane? And again, how can religion be a good thing when it hurts people so much?There's a lot of deeper aspects of Gil's transformation in this book which I feel weren't gone into for fear it would make the final plot twist too transparent. However, I have to stand and applaud what an amazing plot twist it is. It's one of those doozies that makes you read the book a second and third time just to re-read the nuances of Gil's changes with the knowledge of why they happen. The Mother of Winter is very much up to standards of all the other Darwath novels for storytelling and technique. It has the same sword-edge balance between action and calm exposition, the same depth of thought and introspection. Even better, she ramps up her imagination neurons with this one even more than her descriptions of the dark. The variety and sharp depictions of the invading otherworldly creatures in this book are a delight. As is the concept of using a silly child's term for a horrifying monstrosity.
