chllybrd's review against another edition
3.0
I can't lie, the cover for FROZEN IN AMBER did not draw me in and make me want to read the story, thankfully the blurb did a better job of that. It took me a little bit to get into the story as it started with a lot of legal drama that wasn't a huge interest to me, but the characters grew on me and the storyline picked up and kept me reading.
I liked Amber as a main character, she's a shifter, but doesn't want to be one. I enjoyed the way she thought and was happy with her growth throughout the story. There is a lot of soul searching for her and in the end she is finally happy with herself. There is some romance, but it was very much in the background with the storyline and world taking the front spot in the readers mind.
I enjoyed the world building. Ames provided a lot of information on how the wers come to be and how the world works. There are a lot of different characters to get to know and it was fun finding out about the creatures they turned into. The mystery wasn't as mysterious as I wanted it to be. There were a lot of dead giveaways to who the bad guys were and although one managed to evade my suspicion for a while, I still figured it out before it was revealed.
So in the end I did end up enjoying FROZEN IN AMBER, however I am glad that it was a standalone novel with an ending storyline because I am not sure that I would have been interested enough to come back for more. Have some extra time on your hands? FROZEN IN AMBER is worth the read.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I liked Amber as a main character, she's a shifter, but doesn't want to be one. I enjoyed the way she thought and was happy with her growth throughout the story. There is a lot of soul searching for her and in the end she is finally happy with herself. There is some romance, but it was very much in the background with the storyline and world taking the front spot in the readers mind.
I enjoyed the world building. Ames provided a lot of information on how the wers come to be and how the world works. There are a lot of different characters to get to know and it was fun finding out about the creatures they turned into. The mystery wasn't as mysterious as I wanted it to be. There were a lot of dead giveaways to who the bad guys were and although one managed to evade my suspicion for a while, I still figured it out before it was revealed.
So in the end I did end up enjoying FROZEN IN AMBER, however I am glad that it was a standalone novel with an ending storyline because I am not sure that I would have been interested enough to come back for more. Have some extra time on your hands? FROZEN IN AMBER is worth the read.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
aphelia88's review against another edition
2.0
It is not clear if this UF is the 1st in a series or a standalone. Either way, despite some unusual ideas, this book did not work for me. It's one of those that seems to be going towards a grand conclusion but just fizzles out.
The writing is not well done; there are major pacing problems, the world-building is vague and confusing, and the obvious history between the major characters is not explored. The villains are easily identified, even if their motives are not. Minor events of no import are over-described in painstaking detail while major events are sketchy at best.
Amber Treganis is a WerCougar shifter. Here, "Wer" is pronounced "Ver", with Germanic roots. All Shifters - of various types: wolves, rats, eagles - are from Old Europe. There are Born and Bitten Wer. Both can use the adrenaline boost from an Epi-Pen to force a Change between moon cycles. This was an interesting idea, and it's too bad it wasn't better developed.
Belonging to an illustrious clan headed by one of the very first Bitten Wer, Amber denies her inner cat as much as she can. A traumatic event in her past (which the community views as collateral damage from interacting with humans but which she thinks makes her a monster) has resulted in her keeping an ironclad control on her cat instincts - or so she constantly says. She hunts only when she has to - two or three times a year - and refuses to eat any meat, especially red meat.
Outside of a small coffee klatch group of acquaintances, she lives only to work. A lawyer in her Grandfather's prestigious law company, she is a walking contradiction. Overly concerned about outward appearances - especially designer clothes - she is terribly unprofessional, especially since she persists in calling her Grandfather "Grumpy" - a childhood mispronunciation that might have been a cute in-joke between less reserved characters - even in front of his employees.
On one of her rare hunts, she's shot in the flank with a dark. As the lump on her hip gets infected, Amber becomes ill but refuses to Change to get rid of the infection. Relying on the obviously unreliable advice of a suspiciously-acting physician she's known since childhood, she does not remove the implant despite her own reservations.
As she gets sicker, it's harder for her to fight her Cat instincts. The major obstacle to solving the "mystery" is her own stubborn refusal to pull her head out the sand. Amber may think she's big on self-control, but she's really the master of self-denial.
Other Wer are getting sick, but don't tell each other because they don't want to show weakness (?!). A cult of new Wer bucking the establishment rules brings secrets about the Wer to light.
Thrown on top of all this is a very strange Insta-love relationship. Amber has admired a hunky blonde bike messenger who runs documents for the law firm for a few years. When she gets sick, suddenly this guy - who is a WerEagle - is all up in her business, following her home, insisting she eat salmon. And the salmon? We learn later that his catching and cooking a salmon for her is basically marriage among his people. Which Amber did not know when she ate it. His behaviour borders on creepy stalker and he's really possessive, speaking for her when she's too ill to speak for herself - without really knowing her at all.
All because WerEagles mate for life, and know their mate at first sight. But here's the thing - if Amber has seen him around for years, he's seen her. She's the hotshot grand-daughter of the law firm's founder. But he's never acted on it until now? When she's in a vulnerable position? Also, WerEagles usually only mate with other WerEagles. Amber is a Cougar. This little quibble is magically resolved by the absurd ending
This one would be unintentionally funny if it wasn't for the dragging pace and weirdness. Points to Ames for trying to do something different with the origin and nature of were-creatures, but nothing here works and I won't be reading her writing again.
The writing is not well done; there are major pacing problems, the world-building is vague and confusing, and the obvious history between the major characters is not explored. The villains are easily identified, even if their motives are not. Minor events of no import are over-described in painstaking detail while major events are sketchy at best.
Amber Treganis is a WerCougar shifter. Here, "Wer" is pronounced "Ver", with Germanic roots. All Shifters - of various types: wolves, rats, eagles - are from Old Europe. There are Born and Bitten Wer. Both can use the adrenaline boost from an Epi-Pen to force a Change between moon cycles. This was an interesting idea, and it's too bad it wasn't better developed.
Belonging to an illustrious clan headed by one of the very first Bitten Wer, Amber denies her inner cat as much as she can. A traumatic event in her past (which the community views as collateral damage from interacting with humans but which she thinks makes her a monster) has resulted in her keeping an ironclad control on her cat instincts - or so she constantly says. She hunts only when she has to - two or three times a year - and refuses to eat any meat, especially red meat.
Outside of a small coffee klatch group of acquaintances, she lives only to work. A lawyer in her Grandfather's prestigious law company, she is a walking contradiction. Overly concerned about outward appearances - especially designer clothes - she is terribly unprofessional, especially since she persists in calling her Grandfather "Grumpy" - a childhood mispronunciation that might have been a cute in-joke between less reserved characters - even in front of his employees.
On one of her rare hunts, she's shot in the flank with a dark. As the lump on her hip gets infected, Amber becomes ill but refuses to Change to get rid of the infection. Relying on the obviously unreliable advice of a suspiciously-acting physician she's known since childhood, she does not remove the implant despite her own reservations.
As she gets sicker, it's harder for her to fight her Cat instincts. The major obstacle to solving the "mystery" is her own stubborn refusal to pull her head out the sand. Amber may think she's big on self-control, but she's really the master of self-denial.
Other Wer are getting sick, but don't tell each other because they don't want to show weakness (?!). A cult of new Wer bucking the establishment rules brings secrets about the Wer to light.
Thrown on top of all this is a very strange Insta-love relationship. Amber has admired a hunky blonde bike messenger who runs documents for the law firm for a few years. When she gets sick, suddenly this guy - who is a WerEagle - is all up in her business, following her home, insisting she eat salmon. And the salmon? We learn later that his catching and cooking a salmon for her is basically marriage among his people. Which Amber did not know when she ate it. His behaviour borders on creepy stalker and he's really possessive, speaking for her when she's too ill to speak for herself - without really knowing her at all.
All because WerEagles mate for life, and know their mate at first sight. But here's the thing - if Amber has seen him around for years, he's seen her. She's the hotshot grand-daughter of the law firm's founder. But he's never acted on it until now? When she's in a vulnerable position? Also, WerEagles usually only mate with other WerEagles. Amber is a Cougar. This little quibble is magically resolved by the absurd ending
Spoiler
where Amber's magic decides she should be a WerEagle instead of a cat and she and Alder fly off into the future together. And presumably eat salmon for life.This one would be unintentionally funny if it wasn't for the dragging pace and weirdness. Points to Ames for trying to do something different with the origin and nature of were-creatures, but nothing here works and I won't be reading her writing again.
book_hoarding_dragon's review against another edition
1.0
After reading the blurb and a couple of the pages in the intro. I thought this book would be my jam as I love urban fantasy and I've recently gotten into lawyer procedural tv shows. This book did not live up to being my jam.
I could not relate to Amber at all. She actually grated on my nerves quite a lot. Also, she refers to her grandfather as "Grumpy," which I did not find endearing at all. Most of the time, I found her to be a bit immature and couldn't believe that this was a woman in her 30s. I found myself completely bored by the plot and reading the book was a complete chore.
I could not relate to Amber at all. She actually grated on my nerves quite a lot. Also, she refers to her grandfather as "Grumpy," which I did not find endearing at all. Most of the time, I found her to be a bit immature and couldn't believe that this was a woman in her 30s. I found myself completely bored by the plot and reading the book was a complete chore.
buuboobaby's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars
After a rough start, I started to enjoy Frozen in Amber. Lots of intrigue, corporate politics, and a sweet romance. Loved the ending.
After a rough start, I started to enjoy Frozen in Amber. Lots of intrigue, corporate politics, and a sweet romance. Loved the ending.
erinngillespie's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
https://youtu.be/5iFIZzoPMqg
mrsjenniferwheeler's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. This could have been a lot better than it was. As it is, the author tried to fit too much storyline into too few pages, resulting in gaps that could have been better explained or expanded upon. The plot line is slightly erratic as well, jumping around without clear connection. At the same time, it seems the author tries to compensate for this lack of cohesion, by inserting redundantly long-winded descriptions of surroundings such as buildings/rooms.
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