I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

It’s a game—until it’s war.

A disgraced politician from a powerful American dynasty.
A coldly brilliant strategist who will sacrifice anything to win.
A former pageant queen with a talent that could change the world.
An expert female soldier with an enigmatic past—and a dangerous secret.
In an alternate future where the Cold War still rages, four precocious teenage criminals with dark skills and darker secrets are offered a fresh start at a secret military academy. But instead of training to end the war, they find themselves on a mysterious mission that will test loyalties, forge romances, and maybe end the world as they know it.

Short and Sweet Review

In an alternate future where the Cold War never ended, four teenage criminals are given a chance to avoid traditional prison and instead attend Valeran Academy, a secretive military school that trains young people to become intelligence assets. Julian, Klaudia, Giselle, and Nadiya all have different skills, secrets, and reasons for wanting their freedom, but the academy is much more than just a school. Between combat training, dangerous simulations, rivalries, and a mysterious mission, the four quickly realize that winning might require them to sacrifice more than they expected.

I really enjoyed the concept of this book. The idea of an alternate future where the Cold War is still happening gave the story a really interesting political backdrop, and I liked how the history, politics, and threat of AI were woven into the plot. Valeran Academy was also such a fun setting because it had that dark academia feel while still feeling like a military training ground. I especially liked that we didn’t spend the entire book in one location, and the short chapters made the story really easy to fly through. The pacing was another strong point for me because the four characters aren’t immediately thrown together, which gave their individual stories time to develop before their paths really started to connect. The characters were a mixed bag for me, though. Klaudia and Nadiya were definitely my favorites. They’re both smart, independent, and capable, and I loved watching them navigate the academy and everything thrown at them. I also really enjoyed the dynamics between the four main characters once they started working together, especially the friendships and romance that developed along the way. Julian and Giselle didn’t stand out to me quite as much, and I sometimes felt like they were there more to move the story forward than because I was particularly invested in them. I also think the third-person POV made it a little harder to immediately remember whose perspective I was reading, especially with the four different storylines. The story does lean darker than I expected from something marketed as YA. There are some heavier themes and situations throughout, so I would definitely consider this more upper YA. I also went into it expecting one type of story and was surprised by how much of the political and military side was incorporated. While I enjoyed that, I can understand why it might not work for everyone. There were also a few moments where the plot felt a little uneven, and the timeline jumps at the beginning required some attention, but neither issue kept me from wanting to see what happened next.

Overall, Winterveil was a really fun and unique read for me. I loved the alternate Cold War setting, the dark academy atmosphere, the short chapters, and the complicated dynamics between the characters. While I connected with some characters more than others and occasionally had to remind myself whose POV I was reading, I was still invested in the story and definitely want to see where it goes next. If you enjoy dystopian thrillers, dark academia, military academies, political intrigue, dangerous competitions, and morally complicated characters, this is one I’d recommend checking out.