This New York Times bestseller is perfect for fans of Red Queen. An “enchanting and fast-paced debut” that “lights up the page with magic, romance, and action.”Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a Fireblood who has concealed her powers of heat and flame from the cruel Frostblood ruling class her entire life. But when her mother is killed trying to protect her, and rebel Frostbloods demand her help to … Frostbloods demand her help to overthrow their bloodthirsty king, she agrees to come out of hiding, desperate to have her revenge.
Despite her unpredictable abilities, Ruby trains with the rebels and the infuriating–yet irresistible–Arcus, who seems to think of her as nothing more than a weapon. But before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to compete in the king’s tournaments that pit Fireblood prisoners against Frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her–and from the icy young man she has come to love.
Vivid and compelling, Frostblood is the first in an exhilarating series about a world where flame and ice are mortal enemies…but together create a power that could change everything.
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LOVED this choice by uppercase! Although I didn’t fly through it, it was amazing. The premise is interesting and not so common that you are tired of reading them. There isn’t a love triangle (which I LOVE!) but there is that element of romance. The main character, Ruby, goes through so much and the changes you see in her character are amazing. I loved seeing how the frostblood and fireblood people interacted. Cannot wait until the next installment!
Enjoyed this book immensely. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into but was pleasantly surprised as the story unfolded. The characters are complex and as the story unfolds it gains momentum and becomes more complex as well. Some twists and turns were not anticipated which was great.
This book was provided to me as an advance reader copy by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
I am going to jump right into this thing. When one puts oneself out there as a reviewer, there is a certain level of obligation to read all kinds of books, including those one would normally stay away from. Frostblood is the kind of book that I want to read. It has magic, intrigue, competition, a sympathetic villain, and a strong female protagonist. On top of all that, it is well-written and absorbing. If possible, I could have read it in one sitting. The characters are complex and relatable. The main protagonists, Ruby and Arcus, are both carrying around weighty emotional baggage, which creates tangible conflict between the two, and puts the success of their mission in peril. Up to the final conflict, I wasn’t sure which way things were going to go, and even at this point, having finished the book, I’m not sure where things stand. That’s how you draw readers to the sequel. Not with a cheesy cliffhanger or an unresolved romance, but with a shadow of a doubt. I will read the next book in this series, and I will recommend it to friends.
Surprisingly good. First half was a little slow and then I was completely blown away by the second half.
This was my favorite book in the series and I wanted more and more!
I absolutely loved this Book! the world building is beautiful and Ruby is a wonderful character. I can’t wait to see what happens between her and Arcus.
Absolutely loved this book! Saw a post on Instagram where someone had read the saga and decided to give it a go! Well I was not disappointed! Elly Blake does a great job designing a world you can get lost in and not realize you just read a whole book in one sitting! As the story goes on it gets juicier and more intriguing and has you on the edge of your seat turning page after page trying to find out what happens next! I highly recommend this book and Fireblood and Nightblood as well!
This is a book that I passed up reading a bunch of times, but picked it up on a whim because the cover caught my eye and someone agreed to read it with me. I went in blind, only a reputation and cover, without reading a description. I also originally thought that this book was Frostfire by Amanda Hocking, who wrote the Trylle series, which I loved. I am glad that I stumbled across it because I really enjoyed it.
Frostblood moved at a really fast pace, which is an aspect that I really enjoy in novels. The world building was pretty cool. I found the descriptions of a few of the mystical beings to be quite vivid and they felt realistic. The origin story of frostbloods and firebloods was placed well in the beginning of the story, and didn’t feel like information dumping. The prophecy and plot were done very well.
I liked Ruby as a main character. She had quite a temper and wasn’t as innocent as most protagonists are. She flew off the handle when she was angry. While she gained control of her temper and powers throughout the novel and her character arc, she was still quite wild. I found her a bit different than other protagonists that I read about, which is refreshing because I read a lot of young adult fantasy novels.
The rising action and climax of the story weren’t delivered with as much intensity and build up as I preferred, but they were still done well. There was a good plot twist that I didn’t see coming at all. The romance was okay, but more of a secondary element. I didn’t really feel the heat of the relationship, but it was okay. I never had an opportunity to get bored, the action can’t be turning the pages. I would probably be willing to read the sequel, but I won’t be seeking it out. This is the first book that I read by Elly Blake, and it was pretty good.
You can also find my review here: https://devouringbooks2017.wordpress.com/2018/06/06/frostblood-by-elly-blake-review/
I had heard about this book from a few of the WordPress girls and I really wanted to check it out!
Saved by a monk and a warrior, Ruby now has a job to do. ‘To heal the kingdom, we must end King Rasmus’s reign’.
I loved Arcus he was so grumpy and his banter was amusing. And his little nickname for her..Lady Firebrand!
I must admit the romance in this had me on the edge of my seat aww’ing at them! A misunderstood girl having to hide her gift her whole life and a boy battling his own demons. What more of a better pairing could you ask for! I was rooting for them.
The story kept me on the edge of my seat!
I flew through it and am looking forward to the next book!
I liked the concept of this story, with the firebloods and frostbloods, and how this particular world works, and felt the story got better, and more intense and interesting, as it went along.
I also liked how Ruby grew as a character, even with all she had faced. Her abilities definitely improved, but her mental strength did, too.
I bought this trilogy months ago, and I look forward to the day I have time to read the rest of the series!
A storm of vivid emotion and magic.
Audio review
Writing: 5 stars
Narrator: 5 stars
Story: 5 stars
Writing: Her writing style is beautifully colored with small impactful words that can conjure the most vivid scenes and emotions.
Narrator: A wonderful job acting. Her voice is pleasant and lovely, and her accents were fun and delightful.
Story: The best word that comes to mind is “wow”. This world is bold. Wild. Untamed. The power and magic is jolting. Addicting. Strange. And the plot is a tangled web that I found such joy in picking apart.
While the story seemingly has nothing hidden to the reader, it actually does. There were so many twists I didn’t expect, tying everything together so nicely while at the same time, allowing the reader to gasp at conclusions. Right from the beginning, I admit, I was lulled into a sense “I know where this story is going.” In truth, I did, but… I also didn’t. I don’t want to give any spoilers on that however, so I’ll leave it open for curiosity’s sake.
There were times where I wondered if the author struggled with a deep sense of grief while writing this. Her writing is powerfully emotional. The scenes are the same way. I could tell she poured her soul into this book, like truly poured herself into each word. It was an honor to read/listen to such a story and witness such a talent.
Upon writing this review, I gazed at the other reviews. For the life of me, I don’t understand why anyone would one-star this book. It baffles the hell out of me.
I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the publisher/author.
So this book was good. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t bad either. It rests right in the middle of the totem pole. Although, I do have to mention how incredible the cover of this book is. It’s simply gorgeous!
This is a classic case of giving into the hype and letting your expectations run a little too high. I keep asking myself why I didn’t like this book as much as I thought I would. I mean, it has everything that other similar books in this genre have. Other similar books that I love. So why didn’t I love this one? And I come right back to my previous thought – it has everything that other similar books have. And that is where the problem lies. Not in what it has, but what it doesn’t have. It doesn’t have something that sets it apart from all the rest of the genre. At least, not enough of it.
There were so many tropes and clichés, which is usually fine when the writing and the story or plot make up for it or make it interesting. That didn’t happen here. The tropes and clichés were there and they were written well enough, but there wasn’t that extra oomph added in to make it stand out. To make me not think about that tropes.
The writing was okay, but it wasn’t anything special. I liked the dialogue between the main characters. The witty remarks and the banter. The plot was typical but amusing nonetheless. The book was very predictable though, which I didn’t fancy. I like to be surprised and this book sadly didn’t leave much to the imagination or have much shock value.
The characters were rounded and had a purpose. However, I did not feel an overly huge connection to them. I definitely had interest, but I didn’t feel them in my core. I think that there could have been more world building and more character growth. I was initially concerned that the novel was under 400 pages. I like my fantasy to be prevalent with details about the world and characters. This one felt rushed.
I know it seems like I am totally ragging on this book. I know it sounds like I didn’t like it one bit, but that’s not true. I enjoyed it. It just didn’t wow me. It wasn’t a favorite, but I wasn’t disappointed either. The “negative” aspects I mentioned aren’t because the book is bad, but things that could make it better. But that is just what would make it better for me. Some people like a nice breezy read. Something fast-paced and simple. Something that won’t stress them out or involve too much thinking. But not me. There is a difference between a book that glows and one that shines. And there is nothing wrong with glowing. I do expect to read the next books in the series, and I would recommend this read to others. Especially if you are a fan of fast-paced YA fantasy and don’t like a lot of strings attached.
The first half of the book is like a completely different story, set of characters, etc. I didn’t particularly like the second half especially.
It was AMAZING!