The Winter King encompassed much of the elements from all five books of Tairen Soul into this slightly longer but compact storytelling. The romance elements is just as exciting as the mythology in the book around the weathermages, the Ice King, Roland, the politics of the Wintercraig and Summerlea, the war and action packed, complex side characters that made the book something more than just Romance but a genuine solid Fantasy. If you're the kind who judge the book by its cover, the cover seems lacking. There should be more lightning and cyclones and ice zombies and a flaming sword and loads of fire and ice apocalypse. Hell, there are more songs of fire and ice in this book than all GRR Martin's books combined. 
 To be honest, the story began much like "The Mark of the Tala" except I totally abhor the characters and the storytelling and it began fairly predictable. The story was set around the surrender of a Summer kingdom which was besieged by this Winter King because three years ago, the Summer King's prince started a war with the Winter kingdom who killed the Winter King's brother and kidnapped his fiancee. On top of that, The Winter King possessed this awesome ice power after he took this god-like substance, The Ice Heart, and he was able to defeat the Summer Kingdom but at the cost of his humanity. But the Summer King also have this elemental ability and so does his children. There was this youngest hidden princess with an ability to control the storm but was hated by her crazy father because she accidentally killed her mother when she was three and found herself being manipulated to wed the Winter King instead. The Winter King on the other hand never really care about who he might married to but wanted to humiliate the Summer King but found himself dangerously attracted to this servant girl who sneak into his room which was formerly the dead queen's room and later grew ballistic when he found out that he married the wrong girl but reconciled about it quickly when he found out exactly how she was being treated by her father for her consent. But everything doesn't always go right between the Storm and the Winter king. Yes, its Khamsin and Wynter. I know. 
 But the story was very layered and very very intricately well-crafted and thought over that somehow it was harder to think about any plot holes in it. In fact, it was harder to find a good Fantasy with this kind of tight plot. The story was still about the romance between the two very unlikely characters but it is about acceptance, betrayal, family, trust, relationship, war, violence, magic, loads of blood.. yeah, you get my drift.