8 November 2015

Ice Like Fire - Tour, Review & Spotlight

Ice Like Fire - Snow Like Ashes #2
by Sara Raasch





What they say: It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell.



Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. Theron sees this find as an opportunity—with this much magic, the world can finally stand against threats like Angra. But Meira fears the danger the chasm poses—the last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders the two on a mission across the kingdoms of Primoria to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans to use the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe—even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves?

Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Januari—leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, he decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken kingdom and protect them from new threats?

As the web of power and deception weaves tighter, Theron fights for magic, Mather fights for freedom—and Meira starts to wonder if she should be fighting not just for Winter, but for the world. 


I received a copy in exchange for an honest review!


What I say: *Just a heads up, there may be a few little spoilers from book one!* Wowzers! I've just about recovered enough to write my review! Ice Like Fire follows on from Snow Like Ashes which you do need to read first. Meira has a far bigger destiny than she could ever have imagined and a LOT more responsibility! 

The world building is probably even more detailed than the previous instalment, which is awesome. There are a lot of places and names to remember, and I have to admit I did reread book one first because I wanted to make sure I could really visualise everything. There is a helpful map included in the front of the book (or at least in the issue I read) in case you need a reminder of the different kingdoms.

Meira is a very different character from the girl we first met in book one. She's not just a girl wanting to prove herself as a fighter, because now she literally is responsible for rebuilding a kingdom and repaying a debt. 

Meira and Winter owe a huge, big fat debt to Cordellan (the Rhythm kingdom) and so the hunt for the lost Primoria magic is on. Finding it is one thing, but opening the chasm is quite another. Meira and Theron head off on a diplomatic peace mission whilst looking for the keys. 

I wasn't expecting things to be easy for Meira and Theron and the chasm is a big source of conflict for them throughout the novel. Meira has seen the damage the Decay (dark magic) can do and is reluctant to unleash it into the world.  Theron only sees the potential powerful tool the magic could be in achieving peace. The magical chasm begins to form a literal chasm between them. I do really like them together and wasn't sure what to make of their bickering. 

Mather, Mather, Mather! This is where I'm extremely conflicted. I actually like both guys, although I was definitely leaning slightly more towards Theron by the end of Snow Like Ashes, but then Mather won me over in this book. Whilst Meira and Theron head off on their journey, Mather is left behind with Sir. He still feels the responsibly of running the kingdom and has a hard time with his altered position. Mather grows up a lot in Ice Like Fire and I felt like he really starts to find his place. He becomes a true hero by the end of the book and I found myself completely torn between him and Theron.


I wasn't expecting THAT ending - holy cliffy batman! It's twists galore and it really feels as though something HUGE is coming. I cannot wait to discover what happens next!

4.5 Stars in my Sky!





Special Author Spotlight Biography from Sara herself:


My Official Bio: Sara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too. Not much has changed since then — her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. Her debut YA fantasy, SNOW LIKE ASHES is out in the UK in paperback on October 22nd 2015, and the sequel, ICE LIKE FIRE, comes out November 19th 2015. Neither features her hand-drawn pictures.

Unofficial Things About Me: I have a cat named Ezio, and it totally throws off the vet, as I always have to explain “E-Z-I-O. Pronounced like ‘et-zee-oh.’ It’s from a video game. My husband and I are nerds.” I have three tattoos, two of which are literary quotes (“I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night” and “To each his own magic”). I’m allergic to way too many things and this makes me sad. But it forces me to cook a lot of yummy things from scratch, which makes me happy.




Previous book in the series:




Snow Like Ashes - Game of Thrones meets Kristin Cashore’s Graceling meets Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass in this striking fantasy tale of dark magic, dangerous politics, and discovering your true self, from debut author Sara Raasch.

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom.

This title has been making quite a stir in the USA, if you like YA fantasy then this is the book for you! But please only request this title if you are able to make time to review it on your blog, as we have really limited numbers! It will be a case of first come, first served I’m afraid.

See my review here

Buy link.


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