Heart of Dread: Frozen

Book #1 in the Heart of Dread series by Melissa de la Cruz & Michael Johnson

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What they say: A major new fantasy series from the New York Times bestselling author of Blue Bloods and The Witches of East End.

Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature - freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows.

At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she's heard of a mythical land simply called "the Blue." They say it's a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it's a place where Nat won't be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light.

But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies?

Fiery hearts collide in this fantastic tale of the evil men do and the awesome power within us all. This is a remarkable first book in a spellbinding new series about the dawn of a new kind of magic.

• Hachett Children's Book/Orchard Books
• ISBN: 9781408334669

I received a copy from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review!

What I say: I love the concept of Frozen because it puts a new spin on the dystopian theme. It's actually a YA dystopia, sci-fi and fantasy crossover. The world has been through an ice age and is covered in ice. The planet is very different from our time and people are struggling to survive in a world where the different are persecuted and feared. The citizens are controlled by crime and a sinister military. 

Main character Nat is fierce, kick ass and mysterious. I liked her determination and found her likeable and intriguing. Wes is a fighter and a survivor with a troubled past. I found his story really sad and heartwarming. He always seemed older to me than his actual young age. He's been through a lot and has done some horrible things to survive.

I don't want to spoil the plot by giving anything away, so in brief: they're both on a mission and have to work together. They fight against betrayal, danger and powerful secrets. I really liked Shakes and wouldn't mind reading a story from his POV.

I'm not sure if it was just my copy but the text itself was scrambled and the dialogue jumped around a lot and didn't always seem to flow. There were several occasions where I wasn't entirely sure which POV I was reading; it did become a little muddled and confusing at times. Perhaps this is because it was written by two authors. Or maybe it was purposefully done to set a more frantic pace, I'm not really sure. But I did enjoy the story.

There were several twists and turns, some of which were really surprising. After that particular ending would love to know what happens next.
3 - 3.5 Stars in my Sky!