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A review by weezle
Frostblood by Elly Blake
1.0
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“You don’t know the effect your words have on me, Lady Firebrand. It took years to build up this ice. You will melt it and then I will be broken.”
Frostblood was a constant struggle with Déjà vu. At every turn, I was called back to a different YA Fantasy. The pacing reminded me of Stealing Snow, the powers smacked of Red Queen, and the “twist” called back to Snow Like Ashes. There is nothing about this fast-paced Fantasy that hasn’t been explored before. I know that is not an uncommon occurrence in the genre. However, I do expect these ideas to be reinterpreted into something original. Blake fails to do that in Frostblood. If you have been keeping up with recent releases, it is safe to say that you have read this book before. More than once.
The tale follows Ruby, a fire mage of sorts, who is hunted for her powers. She is fierce, stubborn, and possesses quite the temper. As the book develops she remains largely the same. I was hoping to see some development from inept chosen one to powerful warrior. The author does assert this change; however, Ruby’s actions and dialogue fail to reflect it.
Brooding and secretive love interest, Arcus, suffers a similar fate. Had the author been a bit more delicate with her foreshadowing, I might have been interested in his past. Sadly, I had figured out his entire life story by chapter four. This, of course, also meant that I had figured out the “twist” as well. That left me very little motivation to finish the book, except to see if I was right. Spoiler alert: I was.
I found the world to be less developed than the characters. The author mentions countries and conflicts, but glosses over them. Leaving the reader to fill in the blanks with the setting. The religions were given a bit more attention, through childhood stories and prophecy, making the cultures feel more realistic than the environment.
The story in Frostblood is straightforward and wraps up neatly at the end of the book. With this being the first in a trilogy, I am curious to know what the author will explore in the sequels. Though, probably not curious enough to pick up the sequel in September.
If you are looking for a fast Fantasy read and are not picky this book might be for you, but do not expect to find vivid settings of well-developed characters here. Frostblood is an easy and predictable YA romp that focuses more on the romance than the details.
“You don’t know the effect your words have on me, Lady Firebrand. It took years to build up this ice. You will melt it and then I will be broken.”
Frostblood was a constant struggle with Déjà vu. At every turn, I was called back to a different YA Fantasy. The pacing reminded me of Stealing Snow, the powers smacked of Red Queen, and the “twist” called back to Snow Like Ashes. There is nothing about this fast-paced Fantasy that hasn’t been explored before. I know that is not an uncommon occurrence in the genre. However, I do expect these ideas to be reinterpreted into something original. Blake fails to do that in Frostblood. If you have been keeping up with recent releases, it is safe to say that you have read this book before. More than once.
The tale follows Ruby, a fire mage of sorts, who is hunted for her powers. She is fierce, stubborn, and possesses quite the temper. As the book develops she remains largely the same. I was hoping to see some development from inept chosen one to powerful warrior. The author does assert this change; however, Ruby’s actions and dialogue fail to reflect it.
Brooding and secretive love interest, Arcus, suffers a similar fate. Had the author been a bit more delicate with her foreshadowing, I might have been interested in his past. Sadly, I had figured out his entire life story by chapter four. This, of course, also meant that I had figured out the “twist” as well. That left me very little motivation to finish the book, except to see if I was right. Spoiler alert: I was.
I found the world to be less developed than the characters. The author mentions countries and conflicts, but glosses over them. Leaving the reader to fill in the blanks with the setting. The religions were given a bit more attention, through childhood stories and prophecy, making the cultures feel more realistic than the environment.
The story in Frostblood is straightforward and wraps up neatly at the end of the book. With this being the first in a trilogy, I am curious to know what the author will explore in the sequels. Though, probably not curious enough to pick up the sequel in September.
If you are looking for a fast Fantasy read and are not picky this book might be for you, but do not expect to find vivid settings of well-developed characters here. Frostblood is an easy and predictable YA romp that focuses more on the romance than the details.