Burn brightly. Love fiercely. For all else is dust.Every child of Glasnith learns the last words of Aillira, the god-gifted mortal whose doomed love affair sparked a war of gods and men, and Lira of clan Stone knows the story better than most. As a descendant of Aillira and god-gifted in her own right, she has the power to read people’s souls, to see someone’s true essence with only a touch of … only a touch of her hand.
When a golden-haired warrior washes up on the shores of her homeland—one of the fearful marauders from the land of the Frozen Sun—Lira helps the wounded man instead of turning him in. After reading his soul, she realizes Reyker is different than his brethren who attack the coasts of Glasnith. He confides in her that he’s been cursed with what his people call battle-madness, forced to fight for the warlord known as the Dragon, a powerful tyrant determined to reignite the ancient war that Aillira started.
As Lira and Reyker form a bond forbidden by both their clans, the wrath of the Dragon falls upon them and all of Glasnith, and Lira finds herself facing the same tragic fate as her ancestor. The battle for Lira’s life, for Reyker’s soul, and for their peoples’ freedom has only just begun …
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Thanks so much to Netgalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book! I kept putting off starting it for some reason. I assumed it was going to be kind of cheezy but that was not the case. The mythology aspect was very interesting as well as the forms of magic.
I liked Lira and Reyker’s characters immensely and while the change in POV is a little jarring at first because of the change in narrative style, I quickly got used it. I got Celtic and Viking vibes from the setting (which I loved) and it had my favorite trope-enemies to lovers.
I will definitely be reading a sequel and rate this as more of a 4.25 star read!
I didn’t know how to explain my deep love for this book! This book was brilliant in so many ways. I didn’t expect it to be so good, I didn’t had a high expectation of it, but I was glad it didn’t disappoint me at all. Even though I already read it, I would definitely buy the physical copy of this book.
It was an incredibly well-plotted story. I loved the plot and the twists that comes with it. The twists made this book so unpredictable, there are so many things that I didn’t see coming. The twists mainly plays a part on certain characters; their motives, their true identities etc. I was left speechless when I found out the truth about some characters. It was truly the most shocking moments learning about the things they hide the whole time. Just when I thought things are slowing down, another twist came up!
There was also twists with the whole gods and the war and conflict that happened ages ago with the gods, it was another thing that surprised me when reading this book. Not that I’m tired of it, I truly enjoyed it but my mind needed a break to process what just happened. I think it was a clever move on the author’s part for making this book so unpredictable and putting a lot of huge surprises for the readers. The plot was fine and so does the storyline. It was a very well-written and well-crafted story with no bumpy roads in it. I did find some parts to be hard to understand, but once I repeat back those parts that I wasn’t clear about, I finally understood it. Also, the whole thing make a lot of sense, especially the one with Reyker and Lira and the people who tried to get in their way. Trust issues also play a major part in the story, you can’t trust anyone in this book, I was so wary of trusting new or old characters, I can only trust Reyker and Lira since these two are like the only ones who doesn’t have any involvement with the villain.
The magic system was unique in its own way even though this wasn’t the first book where the magical abilities/special gifts came from the gods and goddesses. I really dig the whole gods and goddesses and the god-gifted abilities concept that the author used in the story. For example, Lira is a young woman with a god-gifted ability and it came from the goddess Aillira. There are other old and young women like her and they were called as Aillira’s daughter because all of their abilities came from Aillira, but all of them possessed a different abilities from one another. Their abilities aren’t like in most books where someone who can wield magic can shoot things from their hands using their magical powers, the one that was shown in this book is very different but still unique. I liked how the author explain everything in detail without leaving out anything, so trying to understand the whole concept won’t be as hard and complicated as I thought at first.
This story had a very non-stop actions. I was so satisfied by the amount of battles in this book. There are so many fights everywhere, huge battle left and right and it literally made me nervous the whole time. The feeling was intense, I was glued to my sit reading the whole battle parts. It gave me lots of mixed emotions, I was scared and afraid, but also nervous. I didn’t know how to calm down because the whole thing happened so fast and the battle was very deadly. It wasn’t a magic battle or anything, it was basically a battle to kidnapped all the god-gifted women and the battle is started by the ruthless dragon-lord with the help of the evil god and goddess. The non-stop actions was the most intense thing to ever happened in the story, making the pacing of this book to be so fast.
The world-building was so breathtaking! It was very well-developed and I didn’t find anything lacking with it. Majority of the story took place in Glasnith and mostly it was in Stony Harbor which is part of Glasnith. There was also a mention of other places like Iseneld and the Ghost Village etc., and even when I really want the story to show what Iseneld looks like I know it won’t have the time to do so due to the whole battle going around, so maybe the sequel will show more of Iseneld. What I really loved the most is the Ghost Village, the setting of that place was so mesmerizing and I pictured it as the magical place full of bright colors and sparkling lights. It was described as the most peaceful and beautiful place so for now the Ghost Village is the safest place and maybe Iseneld will be the second safest place. There wasn’t much description about what Iseneld looks like so I can’t picture anything about that place yet.
There was also a mention about the different culture and tradition the people from both Stony Harbor and Ghost Village follows. There are so many differences coming from these two clans. The people of Stony Harbor has different lifestyle compared to the people of Ghost Village. Stony Harbor has become a dangerous place afterward hence the reason why I said Ghost Village is the safest place due to it has so many rules and the people there follows it without complaining. The way these two clans celebrating some festivals was also different from one another. In so many ways, Ghost Village is a lot special. Also, the prince of the village…after learning about who the prince was, I’m not sure how to feel about it. I was happy that he’s alive but also, I don’t see how it make sense for him to be the prince.
Lira is a young woman with a god-gifted ability and is one of Aillira’s Daughter. Her ability is to read people’s souls hence the reason why her people called her “soul-reader.” Her being one of Aillira’s Daughter is the reason why she become the main target of the villain. There was a little flashback scene that showed how Lira and Reyker met years ago and how the dragon-lord knew about her. She went through a lot in this book, and even though Reyker has been protecting her, she also can defend herself against any threats but of course she’s nowhere near Reyker’s level. She wasn’t a damsel in distress, she always have a weapon with her wherever she go. She helps Reyker a lot in the beginning of the story, and cares about his well-being. She did a lot of sacrifices in order to help Reyker stay alive. She’s not easily scared of anything because she has always been so brave. Her bravery always help her but it also landed her on the wrong path making it easy for the villain to track her down. She always make good decisions, but those decisions always put her in a great danger and Reyker got dragged along with it.
Reyker is a young man who protected Lira and vowed to always make sure she was safe all the time. He is a human just like Lira, but in the book people called him “the beast” and “the Westlander” due to where he came from. He is a very complex character, he wasn’t good but he wasn’t evil either. He has a great character development in the story and he has a lot of potential too. So I hope it won’t go to waste in the next book. He might look scary from the outside, but on the inside he just want to have peace and stay away from all the nightmarish things the dragon-lord did to him in the past. He had to bury all the happy memories he had of his mother because he doesn’t want others to know that he is actually a good person deep inside, but Lira and her ability had a way to uncover all of it hence the reason why she’s not afraid of him, and accepted him for who he is. All the pain he had to endure his whole life only make him stronger and make him focused on one thing: to defeat the dragon-lord. He is a great character, he doesn’t break and doesn’t show his weakness so easily. He’d been through a lot of hell in this book but he still survived and he will fight even harder after that ending.
The main villain in this book is totally the most ruthless villain. There are other side villains too, but they doesn’t do much damage as the main villain did. The main villain which is the dragon-lord named Draki is the most dangerous, ruthless, and disgusting person. He basically sacrificed his soul to become a god. No wonder he can’t be redeem, but then again he doesn’t deserve to get a redemption arc after all the things he did to the poor innocent souls; whether they are children, men or women. What he did to all those poor women, especially the one with a god-gifted ability was very disgusting. I was afraid of what he might do to Lira if he caught her. I was nervous and afraid the whole time, because I don’t want the book to end where Draki caught Lira and I am left with my own thoughts thinking about Lira’s fate. I was just glad the author didn’t go for that route.
There wasn’t too much romance but not too less either, the amount was just perfect for this kind of story. It doesn’t overshadow the plot and the story at all, the romance is like a side thing in this book. The slow-burn to make Lira and Reyker get together was a very long process, these two doesn’t hate one another, both of them just had a hard time trying to trust one another due to the situation they’re in. These two, even though they are both from different place, both are the opposite of each other in so many ways, they still fit together. They fought harder to protect each other’s lives, and they are the definition of “power couple.” The hell they had to go through the whole time make me scared for their fate, I don’t even know whether they will survive everything that stands in their way.
This book was very intense and it glued me to my seat. I enjoyed the non-stop actions, the whole story, the romance between Lira and Reyker, but the plot twists was the best shocking and jaw-dropping moments that truly make this story more interesting because it keeps me going. It was a great, amazing and gripping page-turner story full of great surprises. Also, if you love the Viking culture then you will love this book for sure. I’m looking forward to see the next journey of Lira and Reyker.
The beginning was a little tough for me. I found the dialogue a bit choppy, the characters a bit 2D, plot a little slow, and the story a bit like ‘telling’ instead of ‘showing’ (don’t just have a character say “I love you,” I want to believe it through actions!). However, I know that setting up worlds in fantasy books can typically be tough and at the same time, it did grab my attention early on.
Once past these first couple chapters, I became completely enthralled. I loved the world building, character development, enemies to lovers romance, fierce and fearless female lead, and all the twists and turns the plot takes. The overall pacing felt perfect for me, and as I got deeper into the book I didn’t want to put it down. The mythology in this world is exciting, and I really loved the mixed Viking/Scottish vibes. This book can be quite dark and gory at times; not usually my thing, but I liked it in this book as it made certain parts feel more “real.”
The only think I didn’t like is that it felt a bit repetitive at times with regard to what felt like an endless escape, get captured cycle. I just don’t enjoy when it feels like the bad guy(s) manage to be everywhere all the time (apparently able to travel the same distance as our protagonists much more rapidly) or when characters repeat the same foolish mistakes getting them caught. Towards the end I actually had thought to myself, “Really, again?” and how many injuries can these guys endure?
At the end, there had been so many layers of complexity added to this story and I’m glad to be able to pick up the second book right away! I need answers and to know what happens next! Overall I really enjoyed this read and highly recommend to anyone who loves fantasy, mythology, chosen one and enemies to lovers tropes, action, battles, betrayal.
Oo such a pretty cover, there’s no wonder it caught my attention. This is set on an island not too dissimilar in many ways to ancient Britain and has what I can only describe as Vikings attacking with the usual murder, rape and pillaging going on but actually there’s far more to it than that. We have Draki, a truly nasty villain who appears to be a demigod of some type and he’s pitted against Lira who is also God touched in that she can quite literally read souls. Her ability is both a blessing and a curse and it’s quite intriguing the way the author leads her readers to second guess just what truly is Liras purpose and destiny.
Now every story needs a hero so step forward Reyker. He is an enemy and yet he is also this truly sweet man who battles to do the right thing. The romance between them might not read as torrid but it does feel genuine and well timed.
There’s a wealth of supporting characters too from old friends to family members who just might break Liras heart and as events unfolded at times this was anything but a pedantic run of the mill fantasy. Atrocities occur, characters the reader could like die and through it all Lira and Reyker battle on. Not perfect as I didn’t really care for the made up language although I did think the author did a good job of showing how females were sadly undervalued as well as underrated. These Gods are not kind though but selfish and pernicious and as this ends our couple are far from safe and happy but that’s only going to make readers want to read more.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from NetGalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair.
Beast of the Frozen sun opens with a very dark and creepy scene of war and bloodshed. This opening gives the readers a glimpse of what is to come in the story. It also has a richness to it in the detail, luring the reader into the story before taking the reader on a fast-paced journey. It does not give a hint as to this male character but alludes to this internal battle within him. It is unknown what is going to happen to him, especially when the story shifts to Lira.
This shift is where the story begins. Criswell does an excellent job world building, giving the reader just enough detail and history to familiarize the reader with Lira’s world. The atmosphere in the storytelling is very telling as well. Lira has love in her world, but there is also this cold bleakness to it as well. She is a conflicted character who uses her power as her people see fit rather than as she would want to. It brings rise to conflict within her narrative that makes for magnificent tension building. Her power is a core element in the novel, and the place where her gift came from is as well.
There are times when this novel feels very much like the tale of Tristan and Isolde because of how the story brings Reyker and Lira together and how they seek to battle Gods and monsters together against all the odds. It has that medieval feel to it as it tells the story which makes is invigorating.
As for the story after the initial opening, the pace of the novel does slow down. It is hard to say where exactly the story is going to take the reader because there are multiple antagonists. The central antagonist is off screen manipulating the events of the story. It is interesting to read the events unfold, but the pace for part one of the novel is slow as it introduces these many villains and sets up the direction for the characters.
As for the characters, the flip back and forth between POVs allows for a better understanding of the world, the characters and the challenges they face. Lira is a strong character and is very reminiscent of a shield maiden. She has the strength and will to fight this battle and keep her head high through it all. Yes, there are times where she falters, but this only makes her human and more relatable. As for Reykey his internal battle between darkness and light, while cliché, it works here and does not come off as cliché. His past and pain he feels mirrors the conflict very well and allows the reader to connect to him.
Together these two characters make a dynamic team. How they interact, how they evolve through the course of this novel is compelling, and the way the story evolves around them, bring to light twists and turns is exceptionally well done. Overall it is an exciting start to a new series.