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A review by naomilane
Shadow and Ice by Gena Showalter
5.0
Being a long time reader of Gena and a big fan of her Lords of the Underworld series, I was looking forward to read Shadow and Ice, the first book in Showalter's brand new paranormal series, Gods of War.
Gena ventured into something a little different and she rocked it. While still being a paranormal book, Shadow and Ice is not like her other series at all. Think hardcore Hunger Games with blood thirsty immortals from different planets, killing each other to conquer Earth. This book was freaking awesome! Bloody, violent, funny, sexy, Showalter went all in, nothing held back and wrote a one of a kind, not-so-typical, love story.
Knox is a powerhouse of an immortal, able to control shadows with his mind, he has already won four All Wars for his king and wants to win his fifth and finally gain his freedom. Nothing will get in his way, until him and his fellow combatants get imprisoned in ice for centuries. Vale is a city girl traveling with her sister in the Arctic before going home and opening their bakery. The girls get lost one day and end up in a cave full of frozen immortals, inadvertently freeing them and starting the war again.
It's simply impossible to get bored while reading this book. First of all, you can't be immune to all the blood and gory details, which I loved because, as I've said, Gena went there. The witty heroine and clueless hero made this for me. Knox knows absolutely nothing about this new Earth, left in ice for centuries, none of the immortals have any idea about the new technology and even their translators are outdated. New technology + bad translators = hilarious moments.
Knox is her total opposite. Already in the war and a veteran at that, he is not ready to lose no matter how many centuries passed since his imprisonment. He finds himself in a new situation though, being attracted by his enemy. Knox is definitely right up Gena's alley, powerful, not afraid to die, determined to win, tattooed, well hung, arrogant, protective yet supportive. You'll love him. Like Vale, he adapted to his new circumstances fast and he was ready to kill in no time.
Gena ventured into something a little different and she rocked it. While still being a paranormal book, Shadow and Ice is not like her other series at all. Think hardcore Hunger Games with blood thirsty immortals from different planets, killing each other to conquer Earth. This book was freaking awesome! Bloody, violent, funny, sexy, Showalter went all in, nothing held back and wrote a one of a kind, not-so-typical, love story.
Knox is a powerhouse of an immortal, able to control shadows with his mind, he has already won four All Wars for his king and wants to win his fifth and finally gain his freedom. Nothing will get in his way, until him and his fellow combatants get imprisoned in ice for centuries. Vale is a city girl traveling with her sister in the Arctic before going home and opening their bakery. The girls get lost one day and end up in a cave full of frozen immortals, inadvertently freeing them and starting the war again.
It's simply impossible to get bored while reading this book. First of all, you can't be immune to all the blood and gory details, which I loved because, as I've said, Gena went there. The witty heroine and clueless hero made this for me. Knox knows absolutely nothing about this new Earth, left in ice for centuries, none of the immortals have any idea about the new technology and even their translators are outdated. New technology + bad translators = hilarious moments.
"She’d also insisted he “buckle up,” willingly restricting his movements. When he’d flat-out refused, she’d said, “I’m going to give you a hands-on demonstration about car safety, and when I’m done, you’ll want to curse me, but you’re going to thank me instead.” She’d then sped up only to slam on the brakes. After his forehead had introduced itself to the dashboard, he’d decided the seat belt buckle wasn’t so bad, after all. And yes, he had thanked her."Vale is a funny, tough but insecure heroine who gets sucked into a crazy, scary and bloody war full of massive immortals who want her dead. I liked how she panicked but still took it all in stride and went with it because she didn't have a choice and chose to fight for her life and her planet. Her love for her sister is a fierce thing and I think Gena did a wonderful job with that, it's not the whole focus of the book but it does play a significant part in the story and it promises more to come. Vale is far from stupid, she adapted to her new life quickly and never back down. I loved that about her, finally a heroine who thought about things before doing something completely stupid and irrational.
Knox is her total opposite. Already in the war and a veteran at that, he is not ready to lose no matter how many centuries passed since his imprisonment. He finds himself in a new situation though, being attracted by his enemy. Knox is definitely right up Gena's alley, powerful, not afraid to die, determined to win, tattooed, well hung, arrogant, protective yet supportive. You'll love him. Like Vale, he adapted to his new circumstances fast and he was ready to kill in no time.
"He was a beast on the inside and a storybook prince on the outside, hot enough to send her hormones into overdrive."Their relationship was explosive. In and out of bed. I think this might be one of Gena's hottest book to date. She went gory but she also went steamy, like a lot. Far from complaining because I loved it, the sex scenes were everything. Close your door when you read it, make yourself comfortable and enjoy the ride. Vale sure did.
"What do you want to be when you're free?"It was sexy but not only. Vale and Knox made it work, it wasn't easy because in this war betrayal is easier than love and love is dangerous but Gena wrote a great romance. I absolutely loved seeing their feelings develop, especially with Knox because being who he is, he never got to have someone for himself and seeing him realize that he could, that love always finds a way no matter your circumstances, was amazing and so satisfying.
"I...don't know. Do it. Tell her. "I only know I want every inch of my shaft buried inside you."
"He'd lost the war the second they'd met."But you don't just get romance and great main characters in Shadow and Ice. As I may have mentioned, you get blood, lot of blood, heads too and some body parts but also some very intriguing secondary characters, I can already imagine all the new stories we're going to get. Don't get too attached though, it is a war after all, you never know who might get killed. In addition, Gena pulled some twists that made the story ten times more interesting and promise to make for a kickass book two. I already cannot wait.