Game of Thrones meets Graceling in this thrilling fantasy, the heart-pounding sequel to New York Times bestseller Snow Like Ashes. This action-packed series is perfect for fans of An Ember in the Ashes and A Court of Thorns and Roses.It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell.Meira just wants her people to be … disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell.
Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. The last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders Meira and Theron on a mission to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans on using the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe—even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves?
Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Jannuari—leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, Mather decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken Kingdom and protect his people from new threats?
As the web of power and deception is woven tighter, Theron fights for magic, Mather fights for freedom—and Meira starts to wonder if she should be fighting not just for Winter but for the world.
more
This series really caught my attention even though I’m not a huge fantasy fan. There were a lot of twists and turns in this installment of the story. I enjoyed following Meira through the different kingdoms and getting a glimpse at how everything worked. I found Meira herself to be quite daft at times, unfortunately. She just kept making rash decisions and not learning from her mistakes. I would have thought that by this point, she would have grown a little more. But it looks like the story wants to go in the “she must die to save them all” direction, so I’m not sure how much more time she’ll have to grow? Hard to say. Regardless, there was a lot of action and adventure here to make any reader happy, including me. And I do want to see how far Meira can go in this story. I’ll probably take a break from the series and finish it up in the summer! I definitely want to know how it all ends.
I’m reviewing the whole SNOW LIKE ASHES trilogy because you’re not going to stop at book one and all of them are out so let’s not play around, okay?
WHAT IT’S ABOUT:
(Book 1, SNOW LIKE ASHES)
16yo Miera is one of 8 survivors of her Winterian kingdom who escaped when it was overthrown, its people enslaved. She lives on the run as a refugee, training to be a soldier and fighting her love for the future king (16yo Mather) who has been raised as her constant companion. When she learns the location of a locket that could help get their people their power back, she leaps at the chance to prove she’s more valuable than she’s been made to feel, and discovers in the process that her role in their world of magical rules and slippery politics is bigger than she ever imagined.
(Book 2, ICE LIKE FIRE)
In her new role, Miera decides to keep certain information close to her chest in the hopes that it will be best for her people. Mather struggles with the decisions he made in book one, and what his next move should be. A third party has deep faith in their lofty goals, and wants Miera to help make them happen. Their story lines weave and pull in a way that exposes deceptions that none could expect.
(Book 3, FROST LIKE NIGHT)
All the proverbial you-know-what hits the fan. You will not breathe for about 350 of the 480 pages.
WHAT I THOUGHT:
It is rare that a series has equally strong books throughout, but this is one is a star. The first book hooked me, the second committed me, and the third lit me on fire. I WAS NOT OKAY FOR A LOT OF BOOK THREE. [breathes into paper bag]
I’m a fan of solid storytelling with realistic character development (for the better and worse), vibrant visuals, and emotional tethers. This hit all those notes, plus had great love stories, from romantic to familial to friendship.
Sometimes I find fantasy books with the word “politics” in the descriptions to be too complex, have way too many characters or locations to keep track of, but this is so, so well done. Everything felt concise and purposeful. The author did not hold back, did not take the easy road when it came to following through on her characters’ decisions or whether they survived the battles. Keeping a reader who has read quite a bit within a certain genre on their toes isn’t an easy task, but she did it in spades. My toes. Are. Exhausted.
If you’re a fan of books like THRONE OF GLASS, DEFY, EMBER IN THE ASHES, SHADOW AND BONE, and the like, then grab this, immediately.
Narrator is amazing (listened to instead of read). Such an enchanting second story. This second installment is slower than the first, but only because it was full of politics, Meira learning more about herself, and her trying to understand this new dynamic. Despite this, there was plenty of action and drama to keep me rooted to the book. It left me feeling nostalgic for my teenage years when listening to the romantic parts, but also thrilled at this new and magical world that is intricate and wonderful! Raasch has created an INCREDIBLE world, and I can’t wait to see more of it in the third book.