“I love this world…this is Gena Showalter at her best!”—J.R. Ward, #1 New York Times bestselling author“The Gods of War series is my new obsession.”—Christine Feehan, #1 New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter, the New York Times bestselling author who brought you the Lords of the Underworld, introduces a scorching new paranormal romance series…Gods of WarKnox of Iviland, the most … bestselling author who brought you the Lords of the Underworld, introduces a scorching new paranormal romance series…Gods of War
Knox of Iviland, the most ruthless warrior in All War history, has spent his life fighting others to the death, winning new realms for his king. Now the stakes are higher than ever. If he prevails in the battle for Earth, his slave bands will be removed. Victory is his sole focus…until he meets her.
On an arctic getaway with her foster sister, street tough but vulnerable Vale London is shocked to stumble upon a cave filled with ancient gods waging epic combat. When she is inadvertently drawn into their war, she is forced to team up with an unlikely ally—the sexy god who makes her burn with desire.
Though Vale is his enemy, Knox is consumed with lust and a fierce need to protect her. But only one combatant can triumph, and he will have to choose: live for freedom, or die for love.
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The first book in the GODS OF WAR series, S&I is a phenomenal launch with fantastic characters and a pulsepounding plot!
Violence and passion infuse Gena Showalter’s thrilling new world of gods and war. Hold on for a wild ride!
Oh. My. Goodness. Knox! Vale! Loooooved these characters and their hard-won HEA. Super exciting and action-packed. Now I NEED Bane’s story. And Zion’s. Can’t wait!
Gena has a way of grabbing you and ripping you into a story so that you’re living and breathing it. Amazing storyteller! Fantastic book!
Fabulous!!!
At first this book was a little hard to get into, but absolutely don’t give up as your in for a real treat! It’s really quite understandable as this is an all new series with a very different and new concept that i’ve never come across before, it really does need a lot of world building to set the stage for the series to playout on so that you as the reader can understand all that is going on in the background of each of its characters. Shadow and Ice really lived up to my expectations, it’s a Sci-Fi romance with a great plot that really got me excited with it’s action packed fight scenes and cunning plot twists. I was totally spellbound while reading this book.
Knox of Iviland is a warrior who was purposely born into slavery to fight in the All Wars for his evil King Ansel is one amazing hero, he has flaws just like most characters but on the whole he is a man of honour that has been used and has suffered loss that makes him trust no one. He has one goal and that is to win his freedom.
Vale London is just an ordinary woman on vacation with her sister Nola. She is fiercely protective of her as she suffers from fibromyalgia, which as a sufferer of the condition myself helped me sympathise with her character and of the pain that Nola would be going through.
Together Knox and Vale were a explosive mix of fire, passion and stubbornness. They had amazing chemistry on and off the battlefield that turned into a raging inferno between the sheets.
This book was so very well written with much attention to detail, and even though the story at times does become a little dark and grim it only added to the plot and gave it more depth and clarity. So much happens in this book that it will leave you begging for answers, and this is surely to guarantee that you will want to keep reading this series as each new book releases. I know that im am totally hooked already.
To summarise, great plot, wonderful characters and world building that totally flawed me. Gena Showalter I salute you for writing the start of a series book that just totally blew me away and left me wanting the next book already.
5 BREATHTAKING STARS!!!!
A new and stunningly brilliant sexy paranormal romance series by the talented Gena Showalter. I couldn’t put it down!
I really love this new series from gena showalter. In her Gods of War we have both male and female warriors who fight in the All War and it’s a fight to the death. I love the sci-fi feel to this,it’s new compared to gena’s usually paranormal feel. The world building is very good too . Their are many warrior’s with a little backstory to each to get us interested and I like that,I’m all about wanting to know all the players!! I didn’t like Knox at first,but as he told his story I fell in love with this sex god bad boy. Vale is a strong snarky character who was passed around from foster homes were she was abused and more til she went to live in the streets until she finally found a great foster mom . But it’s made her tough and she doesn’t take any shit from anyone not even king Ansel ( asshole)! Can’t stand this prick I hope knox guts him!! The chemistry and steamy hot sex between knox and vale is off the charts and will melt your kindles !!! And I love when a writer puts little things in their books about things that some of us deal with. Nola vales foster sister has the very painful and misunderstood disease fibromyalgia. I’m so thankful to gena for making that apart of this story it might start more conversions on this painful disease. I can’t wait for the next book from this series it is Bane and Nola’s story
This amazing new book from Gena Showalter releases Oct 23rd!!! Get it now!!!
I loved this book, it was fun, and snarky, and a great read.
I couldn’t wait to read this new series by Gena.
It sounded like a really good read. So I eagerly sat and opened my kindle …..
I have to say, I was a little disappointed the world was described in Gena’s usual style (you could easily imagine the ice caves) but the characters lacked their usual luster.
But I persevered and I love the concept, I’m just hoping the next book is an improvement.
Knox is an unbeatable warrior, and knowing he could win his freedom, he is determined that NOTHING will get in his way. He is arrogant, over confident and his kings “greatest asset”, rings and tattoos bind him to his “king” not loyalty and not love, in fact when Knox gets free he is going to kill the king, and we also find out why Knox is the way he is, he hides a vulnerable heart that broke and has never healed.
Vale can only be described as “street wise”but there hides a soft heart, she doesn’t like most people, but she adores her foster sister Nola, who is poorly, so Vale does all she can to makes her sisters life fun and full of adventure.
They find the tourist attraction (a cave full of gorgeous looking statues frozen in ice) and congratulate each other on surviving the cold, and hope to be rescued. But things take a different turn of events …… one of the ice covered statues breaks free…. and he’s not a statue
And after killing an ancient, she is now “defending” earth. And it’s not as easy as you think.
The hate/love relationship between Knox and Vale, certainly kept it interesting. The copious amount of sex, I did think a little O.T.T, and the violence and gore won’t be to everyone’s liking. But the new world we are entering is unlike anything I’ve read so far. And i can’t wait to read more.
The secondary characters (and there are a few) are great, well rounded and most are welcome (but keeping track, I needed pen and paper) I think we already have a clue as to who will feature in the next book
The first meeting between the two main characters is interesting to say the least.
Their interaction does consist of fighting then sex They can’t work together, they both need to kill each other, but as there is a certain attraction between them, it’s going to cause a problem.
So, I’m hoping book 2 will be better, I will continue with the series and hope that it improves, the first book is sometimes the hardest, as you have to set the scene for a new world and new characters, but maybe next time, a few less characters and more world building.
When I first heard about this series I had a mini heart attack from the excitement, a new paranormal romance from GENA SHOWALTER, Heck yeah, gimme, gimme, gimme!
I will say that there is a lot happening in this book but I blame that on it being the first book in an entirely new series and world. There is a lot of information to pass along and characters to meet. It can be confusing if you aren’t paying close attention. I will say that in the back of the book Gena adds a index of all the characters that is particularly helpful because there are a lot and it can be hard to keep up with who is alive or dead and who has what powers.
All in all though I really loved this book. I loved this new world but with the feel we have come to know from Gena, the snark, the depth of the characters, even if it seems like they are nothing more than meat heads, the concept of their being a fine line between good and evil and who gets the right to decide what is and what isn’t.
I quite enjoyed these characters as individuals. Their stories will break you heart and the depth of love that they have for others is a beautiful thing. Together they were a mixed bag, I wanted a stronger connection but can’t deny that they connection in and of it’s self was hot. I feel like due to the amount of information that had to be shared in this first book the relationship of the main characters may have suffered some. When it comes down to it though this is a book about learning to trust and I can say with out reservation that these two characters walk away with complete faith in one another.
Knox’s internal monologue may have been one of my favorite parts. Just ‘watching’ this warrior fight with himself was entertaining. Seeing how he acted like the big bad fierce warrior on the outside but was a man who wanted more than revenge and battle on the inside made me smile. He really is a big old teddy bear when everything else is pushed to the side. Vale, is a kick butt heroine. I want so much more of her. Once she gets on board she doesn’t even wait to take names after kicking tush. The way she announced herself at the first gathering after she comes into the picture is one of the best parts! They are both broken on the inside, both in one way or another having been beaten down, but they are two of the strongest characters out there. They are two people who will overcome their circumstances not become their circumstances.
I am really excited for Nola and Bane’s book, mainly because until a certain moment in the book I had no idea that was even going to be the connection, it was unexpected and super exciting!
This is a great start to a new series. Go in with a lot of time on your hands just so you can sort through everything in your mind, but be ready for an exciting ride.
Sidenote: I partially listened to the narration of this as well and I will say the male narrator was not my favorite, I felt like there was a campiness to the way he read Knox that isn’t there in Gena’s words. I loved the dual POV narration though, it felt really ‘alive’ that way.
~ HAPPY READING ~
Vale and her sister take a trip and end up in a cave. The cave has ancient Gods escaping and targeting her. Knox is one of the Gods and considers Vale his enemy. He still wants to protect her and feels lust. This is the first book in a new series.
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley and am leaving a review.
Great read.
This was so good love these God worrier books. Poor Val gets pulled into it when on vacation. At least he is sexy. What a way to go. Loved this story. Enjoy
Loved Vale and Knox the interaction between them is great
I love Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series so I saw this new series and wanted to see if I would like it as well. The characters are wonderful! I found myself lost in the world and waiting for the next thing to happen. I would definitely recommend this book and the series!!
WOW!!!! The prologue had me worried it was going to be a bit dry but once I hit chapter 1 it was like diving head first into the deep end of the pool! Fast paced story that grabs ya…good thing I started on Saturday because I stayed up all night to finish it! Knox and Vale are a powder keg of emotion and attitude and soooooooooo perfect for each other. I love how the story focuses on Vale and Knox then all of sudden here come a couple more players and then back to just V & K and zoom again with more players. Like the to and fro of the tide that’s how the story read for me. Love how the characters evolve especially Knox and the alliance towards the end. Oh n how cool woud it be to have your own bunker complete with lil pool n waterfall that changed temps as you willed it and cleaned you when got it in! And the clothes… loose going on but it conforms to your size, shape and height… shoes too!!! Sad they have to fight to live but some cool aspects also. Still looking forward to see how Eric set things up over the centuries while everyone else was stuck in ice! Can’t wait to read the next book!
I’ve had the first book Shadow and Icesince it was released last year, but never got a chance to read it until now. I’ve missed Gena Showalter’s worlds that she creates in her books and I’m glad I made some time to read this book. Shadow and Ice is the first book in her new Gods of War series, and it had me hooked from the beginning to end. I loved how Gena came up with a story of Gods/Goddesses battling to win Terra (aka Earth) for the king/queen of their realms.
There are a total of 39 realms at first, and each realm sends a combatant for the All War. The last combatant remaining of the combatants will win the realm for their king/queen, and that realm will have ownership of Terra. This has happened so many times for other realms due to the High Council. Whenever a new realm is found, then an All War occurs there. Terra is the next for an All War.
The All War starts on Terra, but unfortunately, the combatants get captured in ice due to a mortal that kills a warrior in the beginning. Thirteen hundred years later, the ice begins to melt, and the warriors are back to fighting like they were never caught in the ice. Two female humans are caught up in the battle when they come across the cave of the sexy gods/goddesses, and those females are now split from each other due to the combatants finding interest in them.
The male lead character Knox of Iviland spots one of the females and finds an interest in her. Vale London is on vacation with her sister Nola, but never thought she would be caught in between an All War battle with aliens. Knox is a fierce warrior who has won several All Wars and wants to be freed from being a slave to his realm’s King. He will do anything to be released, and he has proved it many times in this All War already by killing off so many other combatants. He never expects for a little female to change his ways, where he becomes very protective of her, even when she becomes apart of the All War.
Shadow and Ice is a promising start to an addicting paranormal romance series by Gena Showalter. It’s full of action and tension between all the characters. The High Council of the All War is the real enemies in this series since they have all these warriors fighting each other to win over realms. I loved getting to know all the characters and not only the main ones. Gena knows how to write Alpha males, and Knox is one of those that can be a pain in the butt. Although, she knows how to write heroines can handle alphas and Vale puts Knox in his place. She even surprises him with how she can fight back not only mentally, but physically too. She can hold her own.
If you are looking for a different paranormal story that involves a lot of bloody battles, but with some humorous moments than this Paranormal Romance is for you. I look forward to where Gena is taking this new series, and I can’t wait to get to know the other characters even more after being introduced to them in this book.
Story Rating: 4.5 stars
Steaminess Rating: 3.5 stars
Standalone or part of series: Part of series.
Do I recommend this book? Yes, most definitely.
Will I read other books from the author? Yes, she’s one of my auto-buy authors.
Tropes/Elements: Strangers-to-Lovers; Paranormal; Gods/Goddesses; Aliens
Hero: God; Combatant; Slave to a King; Protector
Heroine: Human; Kick-Butt; Feisty and Fierce; Protective of her Sister; Orphan
3.5 Stars.
This is the start of an imaginative new series by this author and though this wasn’t my favourite of her books I have read to date I still enjoyed myself and this was an intriguing start that has stacked the deck nicely for future story progression.
So this is the 103 rd All-War, This is a process that is enacted many times on many worlds whenever a new realm is discovered.
To stop the pillaging and fighting over resources worlds get to send a single combatant to fight for there sovereign for ownership of the new world.
Gladiator style fight to the death with an entire planet as the battleground, last man standing wins all or at least the ruler of his world does.
He is Knox of Iviland a stone-cold combatant who controls the shadows and will stop at nothing to win.
Already an All-War four-time winner he now after the death of his daughter else has nothing to lose.
His end game? win the war, gain his freedom and then annihilate his king.
One who he is compelled to obey because of the slave bands on his body and he will allow nothing to stand in his way, not even the lovely Vale London.
As a new player Eric, the Viking unwittingly joins the melee and Knox and his fellow warriors find themselves imprisoned and encased in ice for over a millennium.
Upon his eventual liberation from an icy prison and sensing that this strange female is an integral part of his future survival Knox absconds with her taking her to his hidden bunker.
So character-wise Knox is very rough and ready and a bit of a brute understandable considering his violent background.
He is literally a weapon of war and he doesn’t tolerate any weakness.
Vale herself is such a liability and where usually he would annihilate he finds himself going against his very own nature and protecting her.
Vale is his perfect foil an orphan who has grown up in the system she is all hard edges and prickly attitude.
She has been metaphorically kicked back down so many times she refuses to show her weaknesses hiding behind a gruff and snarky persona to protect her soft underbelly.
These two had instant chemistry though Knox initially did fight it somewhat.
Enemies but also reluctant allies while they both are of use to the other.
So, This did get a tad cheesy at times and the language used could be somewhat juvenile but this was essentially at heart a fun read.
Fast-paced and jumping headfirst into the action this was such a unique and imaginative concept.
and I will definitely be reading the next book in this series.
One final observation because there were so many players here it sometimes did get a trifle confusing and I did get lost in regard to some of the fight scenes other than that this was all grand an enjoyable experience.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
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