Publisher: Brown Books for Young Readers

Frostblood- Netgalley Review

10 Jan, 2017 by in Frostblood Leave a comment

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

Frostblood- Netgalley Review

Frostblood

Series: Frostblood #1
Published by Brown Books for Young Readers on January 10, 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
three-half-stars
Source: Netgalley
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Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a fireblood who must hide her powers of heat and flame from the cruel frostblood ruling class that wants to destroy all that are left of her kind. So when her mother is killed for protecting her and rebel frostbloods demand her help to kill their rampaging king, she agrees. But Ruby's powers are unpredictable, and she's not sure she's willing to let the rebels and an infuriating (yet irresistible) young man called Arcus use her as their weapon.

All she wants is revenge, but before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to take part in the king's tournaments that pit fireblood prisoners against frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her and from the icy young man she has come to love.

Fast-paced and compelling, Frostblood is the first in a page-turning new young adult three-book series about a world where flame and ice are mortal enemies—but together create a power that could change everything.

A story of an empire of frost and another of fire with mythological and fantasy elements, I read Frostblood over winter break and it didn’t leave a lasting impression. I am a fan of YA Fantasy, especially book with a Fire and Ice theme (for obvious reasons). I was hoping for a male hero similar to Julie Kagawa’s Ash in Arcus, but it wasn’t quite there for me. He remained aloof and grumpy throughout most of the book which made the romance off putting. Main character Ruby seemed heavily scarred by her past and completely uneducated and unsure of her abilities.

So as not to spoil, I enjoyed the last few chapters where she grows into her role a bit more fully but am disappointed that the force is largely extrinsic, I’m hoping both main characters grow into who they are by the second book of the series. As a reader, I got a bit lost by the storyline as it jumped between two settings and the history was complicated. I will read book two of the series, and enjoyed Frostblood, but it was not enough to wow me. I’m looking for something unique. There is so much potential in this series. I’m excited to see what the future holds for this author.

Content: moderate violence, sensuality and kissing.
about_ the_authorElly Blake loves fairy tales, old houses, and owls. After earning a BA in English literature, she held a series of seemingly random jobs, including project manager, customs clerk, graphic designer, reporter for a local business magazine, and library assistant. She lives in Southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and a Siberian Husky mix who definitely shows Frostblood tendencies.

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