MoodReads - Romance Book Discovery
The Stacks
DiscoverMy ShelvesReading Stats
Sign upLog in
MoodReads - Romantasy Book Discovery

because goodreads doesn't
have a spice filter

Discover

  • Discover Page
  • Reading Stacks
  • Tropes
  • Moods
  • Creatures
  • Spicy Books

Get MoodReads

  • so what is it.
  • iOS App
  • Browser Extension
  • MoodReads Premium
  • Gift a Subscription
  • For Creators
  • Share MoodReads

Go Deeper

  • FAQ
  • Roadmap
  • Request a Feature
  • vs Goodreads
  • vs StoryGraph
  • Who Built This?

The Serious Stuff

  • Values
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Support

get emails when something big happens. no spam, just news.

© 2026 MoodReads. Built by a romantasy reader for romantasy readers.

rattle the stars, bitches.

Cover of Red Winter (Red Winter Trilogy, #1)

Red Winter (Red Winter Trilogy, #1)

by Annette Marie

🌶️🌶️mild·Red Winter Trilogy #1·✓ Series Complete
4.3 on Goodreads (13,390)

Rate this book

sign in to add to shelves, track reading status, and see your stats

Available on Kindle Unlimited
find similar →
ReportSpoiler settings

Ending

reveal ending

Why Read This?The one-sentence sell. What do you get for showing up to this book, even when it's hard?

You'll be immersed in a unique mythological world and hooked by a forbidden romance that builds with exquisite tension.

Synopsis

Emi has spent her entire life hiding from the creatures that hunt her. The savage earth spirits are determined to kill her before she can become the living host of a goddess, so she stays hidden—until the day she saves the life of one of her hunters. Shiro isn't the harmless fox spirit she thought he was. He's mysterious, cunning, unpredictable...and now hers to command. He's sworn to pay his debt to her, but he doesn't know who she is. If he finds out, he'll kill her. But she can't send him away—not yet. Her future isn't what she thought. The lies surrounding her fate have begun to unravel, and she needs answers before time runs out—answers that lie in the spirit realm. Shiro can take her there...if she dares to trust him. And only then will she find out how deep the gods' treachery runs.

book details below may contain spoilers. some hidden

At a Glance

Red Winter is one of those hidden gem series that people who find it tend to become borderline evangelical about. Annette Marie builds a world steeped in Japanese Shinto mythology—Emi is a shrine maiden destined to sacrifice her body to host the goddess Amaterasu, and Shiro is a sealed kitsune who needs her help. The slow burn between them is aching because Emi genuinely believes her fate is sealed. The worldbuilding is dense at first with the mythology terminology, but once you settle in, the atmosphere is gorgeous. Essentially YA in heat level—nothing beyond kissing in this first book. Ends on a cliffhanger that makes the next book non-optional.

trope onetrope twotrope threetrope four

Book Details

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.

4.28 ★ (13.4k)

Page CountHow long the commitment is.

346 pages

PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.

2016

Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?

Romantasy

PairingWho's falling in love? The gender makeup of your main romance. Helps you find your specific flavor of love story.

M/F

POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).

Third Person

Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.

Slow Burn

CliffhangerEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.

reveal ending

AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

Yes

FormatHow fancy is the audio? Standard = one narrator. Full cast = theater kids went off. GraphicAudio = a MoViE iN yOuR mInD.

Single Narrator (unspecified)

NarratorThe voice in your ears.

Unknown Narrator

Narrator Count

Single

TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
hidden identitybeauty and the beastforbidden lovefairytale retellingforced proximitysecret power
RomanceMagicActionAngstWorld
Theme Constellation

Mood & Vibe

MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.

mysteriousatmosphericromanticetherealmagicaltenseadventurous

Writing StyleHow the author writes - prose style, dialogue approach, and narrative voice. This is about craft and delivery, not emotional effect.

atmosphericimmersivelyricalearnest

Story PacingDoes the story sprint or saunter? Fast = you'll miss sleep. Slow = you'll savor every word. Medium = balanced chaos.

medium

Emotional WeightHow much are you gonna cry? Light = fun feels. Moderate = real stakes. Heavy = bring tissues. Devastating = call your therapist.

moderate

Energy RequiredCan you read this on a Tuesday after work, or do you need a full Saturday and three cups of coffee? Low/Medium/High.

medium

VibesOne perfect sentence that captures the essence. Like: 'Fae politics meets forbidden romance with zero chill.'

page turner

Characters

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

FMC ArchetypeWho is she? The female main character's core identity/role. Assassin? Healer? General Badass?

reluctant chosen oneinnocent / shelteredsacrifice / chosen to die

MMC ArchetypeWho is he? The male main character's core identity/role. Your exact flavor of book boyfriend.

morally gray MMCmysterious strangersecretly softgod/deityferal/unhinged

Relationship DynamicsThe interpersonal dynamic between the main characters. How do they relate to each other? This is about character energy and connection style, not plot situations.

reluctant allies to loversslow burnforbidden lovemutual pininghe falls firstprotective love interest

Spice Details 🌶️

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
Spice Level 2

Spice StyleNot just how much spice, but what kind. Emotional intimacy? Explicit but vanilla? Plot-driven heat? Know your flavor.

slow / sensual

Getting SteamyGentle kinks. Fun but nothing too crazy. The appetizer, so to speak.

touch starvationlonging glancestensionanticipationpossessive/protective

Bringing the HeatFor those who know exactly what they came for. This is where you find your exact brand of chaos. The good stuff.

None
Browse more books by spice level →
This stuff might hit different. No shame in needing to know what's coming. (8)▼
spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
violencedeathkidnappingreligious traumabloodgriefabandonmentcaptivity
Browse books by content warning →

World & Setting

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

World TypeWhat kind of world are you stepping into? High fantasy = full secondary world. Urban fantasy = magic in modern cities. Portal = starts here, goes there.

urban fantasymythological

Primary SettingWhere does the story physically take place? Court intrigue = palace. Dark academia = campus. Cozy witch vibes = small town. This is about location, not world rules.

temple / church / monasteryforest / wildernesssmall town / village

Fantasy CreaturesWhat supernatural beings populate this world? Fae courts, vampire covens, dragon riders, or just regular humans doing their best.

kitsune / fox spiritsgods/deitiesyokaispiritsshifters

Reading Context

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Emotional PayoffWhat you get for showing up. The catharsis, the growth, the 'I'm a different person now' moment. This is why the hard books are worth it.

tension finally satisfiedaddictive readthe angst deliveredobsessed

Best Time of YearSeasonal mood rings for books. Summer romance reads different than winter gothic.

winter

When & Where to ReadContext matters. Some books are Beach Trip energy, others are 3am Bedtime spiral-reads. Trust.

lazy Sundaycozy eveningvacationrainy weekendwinter night by the fire

this page is just the start

  • import your Goodreads or StoryGraph TBR. we tag every book with spice, tropes, CWs, mood, all of it
  • tell us a vibe (“enemies to lovers fae, high spice”) and BookMatch finds the book
  • 4,000+ romantasy books searchable by 45 fields
  • book clubs, reading challenges, and a community of readers who get it
free account

Quick Facts

Spice LevelThe heat scale. 0=wholesome, 1=kisses, 2=fade-to-black, 3=tasteful spice, 4=explicit, 5=you need a cold shower. Know thyself.🌶️🌶️mild
PagesHow long the commitment is.346
PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.2016
GoodreadsThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.4.28 ★ (13.4k)
EndingEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.reveal ending

SeriesThe series this book belongs to and where it falls in the reading order.

Red Winter Trilogy #1
Similar picks →

My Notes

Loading...

Short Takes

quick 280-character reactions for this book. drop a thought, rate the vibe, keep scrolling.

Sign in to share your take.

Loading...

Book Chat

live reactions, hot takes, screaming into the void about Red Winter (Red Winter Trilogy, #1)

Similar Books

Cover of Darkfever

Darkfever

Fever, #1

Karen Marie Moning

🌶️🌶️·first person·✓
forced proximityhidden identityforbidden love
Cover of Glow of the EverflameKU

Glow of the Everflame

Kindred's Curse, #2

Penn Cole

🌶️·first person
enemies to loversforbidden loveforced proximity
Cover of Belladonna

Belladonna

Belladonna, #1

Adalyn Grace

🌶️🌶️·third person·✓
forced proximityhidden identityforbidden love
Cover of The Book of AzraelKU

The Book of Azrael

Gods & Monsters, #1

Amber V. Nicole

🌶️🌶️·dual POV
enemies to loversforced proximityfated mates
Cover of A Shadow in the Ember

A Shadow in the Ember

Flesh and Fire, #1

Jennifer L. Armentrout

🌶️🌶️·first person
arranged marriageforced proximityhidden identity
Cover of Chain of Gold (The Last Hours, #1)

Chain of Gold (The Last Hours, #1)

The Last Hours, #1

Cassandra Clare

🌶️🌶️·multi-POV·✓
hidden identitysecret relationshipchildhood sweethearts reunited
Cover of Foxglove

Foxglove

Belladonna, #2

Adalyn Grace

🌶️🌶️·dual POV·✓
love trianglefated mateshidden identity
Cover of Clockwork Angel

Clockwork Angel

The Infernal Devices, #1

Cassandra Clare

🌶️🌶️·multi-POV
love trianglehidden identitycaptive romance