licensetoshelbs's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Kidnapping, Violence, Ableism, Murder, Blood, and Bullying
Minor: Infidelity, Terminal illness, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Religious bigotry
katkinney's review against another edition
5.0
I LOVED this Viking-warrior YA story. Carina has grown up in a society where women rule, where she has trained since she was old enough to wield an axe and a knife to kill a man in multiple ways, and is now old enough to go out on her first raid. One of her hands has been replaced with a steel one. She must prove herself to the woman who raised her—who also took her from her biological parents on a raid much like the ones she now goes out on years ago.
The world building is superb, the descriptions absolutely delightful, and I fell in love with the characters and the harshness of Carina’s world. Things quickly shift gears as she finds herself a captive with Flavian, Nik and Mateo holding her prisoner on a ship. The scenes out at sea were wonderfully described and some of my favorites with a wonderful Viking/pirate feel! But why she’s been captured and where she’s being taken isn’t immediately clear. Not to worry, Carina will likely murder them all before morning. I loved the twists and turns that came as we got further in. I also loved the diversity of the characters—having strong female characters, LGBT characters, and characters with disabilities. The way A wonderful read!
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
The world building is superb, the descriptions absolutely delightful, and I fell in love with the characters and the harshness of Carina’s world. Things quickly shift gears as she finds herself a captive with Flavian, Nik and Mateo holding her prisoner on a ship. The scenes out at sea were wonderfully described and some of my favorites with a wonderful Viking/pirate feel! But why she’s been captured and where she’s being taken isn’t immediately clear. Not to worry, Carina will likely murder them all before morning. I loved the twists and turns that came as we got further in. I also loved the diversity of the characters—having strong female characters, LGBT characters, and characters with disabilities. The way
Spoiler
the stone and the priestess and Mateo’s connection to Carina developed over the course of the story made for a great read. There were lovely hints of romance between her and Nik.Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
faithtrustpixiedust's review against another edition
4.0
I received this eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book in any way. All quotes are taken from the uncorrected proof and are subject to change.
Obligatory Summary
Carina is an outsider wherever she goes: in her homeland, where she escaped Death, and in her new home, where she doles it out as a Daughter of Hel. But when her rival betrays her, she's forced to befriend her kidnappers, a motley crew of three boys. They're taking her to their home, the marvelous city of Fortis. Carina has a plan: kill them and take their ship, bringing the spoils home for glory. But what if it's not that simple? What if these boys mean more to her than she's willing to admit?
Can she kill them, in the end?
My Thoughts
I am actually surprised I liked this so much, and here's why: Carina, the MC, is exactly the kind of female character I usually hate. She's cutthroat and brutal and very, very prideful. She had a bad temper and terrible self-control. I was constantly annoyed with her for messing things up. And yet somehow, despite all this, I liked her. The other characters balanced her out very well, so she was never too ridiculous. She was also pretty relatable and human in her flaws. I understood her, despite not liking her as a person, and saw where she came from. The plot was pretty non-linear, but it honestly focused more on characters than on events, and watching her grow closer to the boys was really great and well done. At the end of things, she really reminded me less of Aelin and more of Manon, which is significantly better in my opinion.
The boys were all fantastic, and I honestly can't pick my favorite. Flavian was hilarious and fairly good bi rep.
Nik was great and added a lot of depth to the story. Mateo was honestly fantastic and his perspective on life contributed to the general theme of life versus death very well.
The world was cool, and I liked the individual set pieces a lot, especially the isle of Death, but I would have liked perhaps a bit more time spent in each location. Likewise, there were some exposition dumps scattered throughout that felt a little retcon-ish, and I would have preferred they were hinted at earlier in the book so their introduction didn't feel so random. That was a fairly minor issue though and it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story.
I really liked this, and I'm hoping there will be more with these characters, but as it is, it works well as an open-ended standalone. I'm excited to read more by Menard in the future!
PS this helped me realize that I am absolute t r a s h for spooky ghost women haunting people. It happened in [b:Bloodleaf|35707080|Bloodleaf (Bloodleaf, #1)|Crystal Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1531328127s/35707080.jpg|57204159] and it happened again in this, and I was all for it both times. More please, YA. Chop chop, I don't have all day.
Gustaf the brave had fought and bled,
Then found himself cold and dead.
He pleaded with the Goddess Hel,
That if She would only make him well,
He would kill ten men that night,
And send them to Her without a fight.
She agreed and took him back,
To his body bent and black.
When his spirit stepped inside,
The pain and rot forced his cries.
He begged Her again to set him free,
Which She did most generously.
Death cannot be fooled or bought.
Best be gone than left to rot.
Obligatory Summary
Carina is an outsider wherever she goes: in her homeland, where she escaped Death, and in her new home, where she doles it out as a Daughter of Hel. But when her rival betrays her, she's forced to befriend her kidnappers, a motley crew of three boys. They're taking her to their home, the marvelous city of Fortis. Carina has a plan: kill them and take their ship, bringing the spoils home for glory. But what if it's not that simple? What if these boys mean more to her than she's willing to admit?
Can she kill them, in the end?
My Thoughts
I am actually surprised I liked this so much, and here's why: Carina, the MC, is exactly the kind of female character I usually hate. She's cutthroat and brutal and very, very prideful. She had a bad temper and terrible self-control. I was constantly annoyed with her for messing things up. And yet somehow, despite all this, I liked her. The other characters balanced her out very well, so she was never too ridiculous. She was also pretty relatable and human in her flaws. I understood her, despite not liking her as a person, and saw where she came from. The plot was pretty non-linear, but it honestly focused more on characters than on events, and watching her grow closer to the boys was really great and well done. At the end of things, she really reminded me less of Aelin and more of Manon, which is significantly better in my opinion.
The boys were all fantastic, and I honestly can't pick my favorite. Flavian was hilarious and fairly good bi rep.
"Land Ahoy!" Flavian shouted.
"It's Land Ho," Nik corrected him.
"Well whatever it is. It's there."
Nik was great and added a lot of depth to the story. Mateo was honestly fantastic and his perspective on life contributed to the general theme of life versus death very well.
The world was cool, and I liked the individual set pieces a lot, especially the isle of Death, but I would have liked perhaps a bit more time spent in each location. Likewise, there were some exposition dumps scattered throughout that felt a little retcon-ish, and I would have preferred they were hinted at earlier in the book so their introduction didn't feel so random. That was a fairly minor issue though and it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story.
I really liked this, and I'm hoping there will be more with these characters, but as it is, it works well as an open-ended standalone. I'm excited to read more by Menard in the future!
"It's our imperfections that make us perfect."
PS this helped me realize that I am absolute t r a s h for spooky ghost women haunting people. It happened in [b:Bloodleaf|35707080|Bloodleaf (Bloodleaf, #1)|Crystal Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1531328127s/35707080.jpg|57204159] and it happened again in this, and I was all for it both times. More please, YA. Chop chop, I don't have all day.
lala_tour's review
5.0
This is a Viking adventure novel with a backbone! Carina is raised on the Island of Helvar where women rule with a literal steel fist. Though not island-born (she was taken as a spoil of war), Carina wholeheartedly wants to be a warrior.
Steel Hand, Cold Heart follows Carina's journey as she struggles with her need to feel like part of the Helvar warrior family and her need to follow her conscience. Readers will enjoy the sassy and unapologetic (anti?)heroine as she leads us on a non-stop adventure filled with death cults, pirates, kidnappers, and brutal violence. A touch of the paranormal and some light romantic elements add to the appeal.
Menard has created a loveable character in Carina and I hope there will be a sequel to Steel Hand, Cold Heart soon!
Steel Hand, Cold Heart follows Carina's journey as she struggles with her need to feel like part of the Helvar warrior family and her need to follow her conscience. Readers will enjoy the sassy and unapologetic (anti?)heroine as she leads us on a non-stop adventure filled with death cults, pirates, kidnappers, and brutal violence. A touch of the paranormal and some light romantic elements add to the appeal.
Menard has created a loveable character in Carina and I hope there will be a sequel to Steel Hand, Cold Heart soon!
jferrell526's review against another edition
5.0
When you really don't belong.
Kidnapped, betrayed by one that was supposed to be a sister. Rachel Menard gives us an adventure that just keeps giving. Just when you think it's smooth sailing, more trouble. Get comfortable and plan to be body with this book. You won't want to put it down.
Kidnapped, betrayed by one that was supposed to be a sister. Rachel Menard gives us an adventure that just keeps giving. Just when you think it's smooth sailing, more trouble. Get comfortable and plan to be body with this book. You won't want to put it down.
rachel_menard's review
5.0
***UPDATE MAY 2020***
I've been sitting on this news for a while, but STEEL HAND, COLD HEART won the GRAND PRIZE in the Writer's Digest Self-Published E-Book Awards!! I am still in total awe that people are enjoying my weird, little Viking book. Thank you!!
___________________________________
I am so excited to share [b:Steel Hand, Cold Heart|44012935|Steel Hand, Cold Heart|Rachel Menard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1588543931l/44012935._SX50_.jpg|68428389] with you!! Carina is a character very near and dear to my heart. She was featured in the third novel I wrote with a slightly different name. I decided to shelve that book for various reasons, but I could never forget my love for the girl with the steel hand.
Six-years-later, enter Carina, out-of-place teenaged Viking warrior. Yes, there’s blood, and sword-fighting, a cross-dressing dance scene, a bi boy, and disability rep, but this story is mostly about finding yourself and your people, which is something that we all struggle to do. We force ourselves into molds to “fit-in,” like Carina, Mateo, Nik and Flavian, and we do things that go against our moral grain because we are so desperate to belong.
Carina’s not perfect. In fact, I often refer to her as an anti-heroine. Please keep in mind that Carina’s views are not mine. Like most people, she is in need of continued self-improvement. I wrote this for myself as a reader, who wants to see more unapologetic tough girls who challenge ideas and world views. Carina is not out to save the day or win the crown. She’s not caught in a love triangle. She’s just trying to find her way.
Please don’t take anything I wrote in here as actual fact about Vikings. There are some truths in here, but I drew from historic data spanning over hundreds of years and embellished *a lot* with my own imagination. If you are looking for real data about Vikings, I encourage you to read [b:The Sea Wolves: A History of the Vikings|23796654|The Sea Wolves A History of the Vikings|Lars Brownworth|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556717186l/23796654._SY75_.jpg|43410943]. I read it as part of my research and found it to be a thorough exploration of Viking culture.
Thank you for reading, and if you have a moment to share your thoughts, I love reviews. Especially those with gifs.
*trigger warning* Discussion of abuse, violence.
I've been sitting on this news for a while, but STEEL HAND, COLD HEART won the GRAND PRIZE in the Writer's Digest Self-Published E-Book Awards!! I am still in total awe that people are enjoying my weird, little Viking book. Thank you!!
___________________________________
I am so excited to share [b:Steel Hand, Cold Heart|44012935|Steel Hand, Cold Heart|Rachel Menard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1588543931l/44012935._SX50_.jpg|68428389] with you!! Carina is a character very near and dear to my heart. She was featured in the third novel I wrote with a slightly different name. I decided to shelve that book for various reasons, but I could never forget my love for the girl with the steel hand.
Six-years-later, enter Carina, out-of-place teenaged Viking warrior. Yes, there’s blood, and sword-fighting, a cross-dressing dance scene, a bi boy, and disability rep, but this story is mostly about finding yourself and your people, which is something that we all struggle to do. We force ourselves into molds to “fit-in,” like Carina, Mateo, Nik and Flavian, and we do things that go against our moral grain because we are so desperate to belong.
Carina’s not perfect. In fact, I often refer to her as an anti-heroine. Please keep in mind that Carina’s views are not mine. Like most people, she is in need of continued self-improvement. I wrote this for myself as a reader, who wants to see more unapologetic tough girls who challenge ideas and world views. Carina is not out to save the day or win the crown. She’s not caught in a love triangle. She’s just trying to find her way.
Please don’t take anything I wrote in here as actual fact about Vikings. There are some truths in here, but I drew from historic data spanning over hundreds of years and embellished *a lot* with my own imagination. If you are looking for real data about Vikings, I encourage you to read [b:The Sea Wolves: A History of the Vikings|23796654|The Sea Wolves A History of the Vikings|Lars Brownworth|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556717186l/23796654._SY75_.jpg|43410943]. I read it as part of my research and found it to be a thorough exploration of Viking culture.
Thank you for reading, and if you have a moment to share your thoughts, I love reviews. Especially those with gifs.
*trigger warning* Discussion of abuse, violence.
thewrittenadventure's review against another edition
4.0
What a wonderful story! I heard Vikings and I had to read this book.
Carina, the Unstoppable, is kidnapped from her place as a Daughter of Hel and tries to find her way back, while also trying to please her goddess.
Along the way, her captors-turn-friends, teach her about true friendship and loyalty.
I LOVE that Rachel Menard made this more than just a love story about Carina and Nik. It added so much more depth to the story.
Carina also never really changed her ways to fit in with others, and the author made sure not to take the easy way out and make her conform to “normal” society’s behaviors. Carina had a temper and it was consistent throughout.
The only thing I had to note was the rules of the stone and that the ending felt a bit rushed, which is why it’s not a 5 star review. I think that the ending could have been expanded upon with Carina’s escape, to make it more suspenseful.
This author is truly a hidden gem and I’m hoping that she continues to write, because I believe she has a talent.
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Carina, the Unstoppable, is kidnapped from her place as a Daughter of Hel and tries to find her way back, while also trying to please her goddess.
Along the way, her captors-turn-friends, teach her about true friendship and loyalty.
I LOVE that Rachel Menard made this more than just a love story about Carina and Nik. It added so much more depth to the story.
Carina also never really changed her ways to fit in with others, and the author made sure not to take the easy way out and make her conform to “normal” society’s behaviors. Carina had a temper and it was consistent throughout.
The only thing I had to note was the rules of the stone and that the ending felt a bit rushed, which is why it’s not a 5 star review. I think that the ending could have been expanded upon with Carina’s escape, to make it more suspenseful.
This author is truly a hidden gem and I’m hoping that she continues to write, because I believe she has a talent.
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
inejghafa's review
4.0
I am here for Viking YA! In this story, we follow Carina the Unstoppable as she is kidnapped by three boys (who I will be talking about later). Carina is a Daughter of Hel and actually has a steel hand. She always had to work harder and do better to fit in with the other Daughters, because she is not from the Island and is discriminated against. She has to prove her worth again and again. Then, on her first raid, she couldn't kill a priestess while she was supposed to. She later gets kidnapped and goes on a long journey full of adventure, murder thoughts, and a mysterious rock.
I liked the plot. It wasn't the most original but it still had elements that surprised me. Now, onto the characters. Carina is our main character. Don't be fooled because she didn't kill the priestess, she is not merciful at all. She is inventive, strong and hard-working. She also challenges your morals with her devotion to Hel, the Goddess of Death. Now, the boys. Flavian was my favorite of the three. He is charming, good with words and not afraid to wear dresses and rouge. I also liked Nik. He has a past and is cunning, brave and craves soapstone figurines. Lastly, Mateo. I couldn't care less about him in the beginning but I started appreciating him more and more. He is strong-willed and has been through a lot.
My only (minor) complaint is that the ending felt a little rushed. It could have been a little longer. Also, when Carina just met the boys, she has a hard time speaking their language but she quickly knows all of the words and it was a little unbelievable? I feel like she could have had a hard time finding a translation for a difficult word.
I liked the plot. It wasn't the most original but it still had elements that surprised me. Now, onto the characters. Carina is our main character. Don't be fooled because she didn't kill the priestess, she is not merciful at all. She is inventive, strong and hard-working.
Spoiler
She also struggles with having to meet her biological mother, as she despises her for not coming for her sooner. I can't relate to this but I feel like this is portrayed pretty well here.Spoiler
He also is the consul's son and like really handsomeSpoiler
He doesn't have a you-know anymore and is insecure about it. At the ending, Carina and him "make love" and Carina doesn't mind him missing it. It's good because nowadays there is a lot of toxic masculinity and Nic, the "manliest" of them all, misses something that is often viewed as something that makes a man a manMy only (minor) complaint is that the ending felt a little rushed. It could have been a little longer. Also, when Carina just met the boys, she has a hard time speaking their language but she quickly knows all of the words and it was a little unbelievable? I feel like she could have had a hard time finding a translation for a difficult word.
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