Waiting on Wednesday: The Red Winter - Henry H. Neff

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on The Red Winter by Henry H. Neff!

The Red Winter
Henry H. Neff
Series: The Tapestry, #5
Release Date: November 25, 2014
Publisher: Random House
Waited on by: Marlon
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An inventive and action-packed mix of fantasy, science fiction, and mythology, all in a realistic contemporary setting.

Rowan has won a battle, but not the war. With proper allies, Rowan’s armies could storm the demon stronghold, capture its ruler, and end the reign of demonkind. But while nations clash, a greater struggle lies elsewhere. In his desperate pursuit of Astaroth, Elias Bram scours the world for clues to the fiend’s true origins, identity, and purpose. His horrifying discoveries hint that not only is humanity at risk, but the earth itself. Its fate may depend upon three children. With their unmatchable skills, it’s up to Max McDaniels, David Menlo, and little Mina to tip the balance!In the Tapestry’s final volume, Henry H. Neff concludes an unforgettable series in which magic can live, gods can die, and the highest stakes require the greatest sacrifice.

I don't like waiting for things. I really absolutely hate it. But I've been waiting on these books, year after year (in this case two years) ever since I began reading YA. The Hound of Rowan - the first book in this series - was one of the first I ever picked up. I read it all the way through, and then waited a couple of months for the second one, and devoured it. It was a new feeling for me. Reading for pleasure really started somewhere around these books. I even wrote sort-of fan fiction for this wonderful world.

I don't know many people who know of The Tapestry, so basically it's these wonderfully penned fantasy books about a boy named Max McDaniels, who finds himself in a magical world, changed by it over and over as he learns the secrets of his origin. Max's story, which I absolutely love, is not unlike others -- Percy, Harry -- in that it's a young boy growing into the fantasy around him and accepting his duties. So you'll feel at home in the first two books. But it diverges thematically with strong emphasis on the darker side of being a hero. Max does some pretty messed up things later on, and he's painted as a detached hero, saving the world and forgetting totally about his identity. Anyway, I could talk for hours about how long I've spent thinking about the deep, exceptionally realistic mythology Neff paints, or the mad amounts of feels I get at around chapter five of the fourth book. You know?

I'm getting really sentimental and tearing up so like I'ma just end it here. I'm still waiting godamnit.

- Marlon

What are YOU waiting on?

Let us know in the comments!