“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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I was so excited when I saw that Gena Showalter was coming out with a new series and though I had to wait awhile before I could read it, Shadow and Ice was absolutely worth it! The book captured my attention from the get-go and I just fell deeper and deeper into it the more I read on. It was so intriguing from the characters and the plot to this Gods of War world and just everything — I couldn’t get enough. Shadow and Ice was totally amazeballs and while that word might not seem appropriate to describe this book, I can assure you that it is and that Vale would love it and that’s what matters!
Speaking of Vale, I loved, loved, loved her, she is a complete and utter BOSS! She’s fierce, tough, loyal to the people she cares about, and does it all with snark and sass — I could not have asked for a better heroine. I think Vale might have edged out Knox as to who’s my favorite, but I love them both so much and especially together — they were fire and passion and made my heart pound when it wasn’t melting.
Shadow and Ice was highly entertaining to read. It amused me, thrilled me, kept me engaged, and turning the pages to find out what would happen next. It made my heart ache at times, made me tear up, made me yell and laugh and just put a smile on my face. I wholeheartedly loved Shadow and Ice and I can’t wait to read Frost and Flame!
Knox’s life has been spent winning All Wars for his king. He is single minded in his brutality to win the wars at all cost. When his and the other competitors are stopped from competing for 1400 years. Vale has had a tough life. She wants to take her sister on one final adventure before they start their business. What she doesn’t expect to find are a group of frozen warriors. When these warriors break free Vale and her sister are thrust into this war for Earth. Knox is immediately drawn to Vale. Though all his instincts pull him to destroy everything…but Vale. Can Vale and Knox get a happily ever after when their lives are on the line every second of every day?
The Queen of paranormal romance is back. Gena Showalter’s newest series is incredibly exciting. She is one of the most talented world builders around. Knox and Vale are incredibly complex and exciting. Not only are their characters multi-faceted and relatable but they are steeped in the paranormal world. Knox and Vale aren’t the only great characters. The rest of the warriors and their powers and worlds are incredibly detailed and interesting. Gena Showalter has really done a good job of creating this new series. It was a little slow at start but once the story really got going it was hard to put the book down to go to work. If you are looking for a new exciting paranormal romance then pick up this new series by Gena Showalter.
“I am the author of my own story. Today I’m writing myself a happy ending, and maybe possibly killing of the rest of the cast.
I am Vale Fricking London, and I’ve been through hell and back. I can overcome anything.”
Suspenseful, sensual, and a wildly addictive mix of modern and mythical – you won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough!
On an Arctic vacation gone horribly wrong, foster sisters Vale and Nola have unwittingly found themselves swept up in an a war of immortals, and must find a way to survive.
Combatants will stop at nothing to win. With alliances being formed and broken, new adversaries entering the war, and awakening to a world completely changed, it’s hard to tell who is your true enemy and who is your frienemy.
The battle for survival and freedom just got a whole lot more complicated when the fate of the Earth rests in your hands and you find yourself falling for an immortal warrior.
“The warrior was a walking contradiction . . . He was a beast on the inside and a storybook prince on the outside.”
Gena never fails me.
Gosh, Gena Showalter is so amazing. I love what she does with her books because it’s still romance, like I love, but has action and great plots she doesn’t do the same repeative plots like most paranormal romance. When you read so many of this genre you notice that they become so similar and they get boring, so you end up becoming ms. Picky but with gena showalter I love everything she has created. Amazing. I love Vale’s personality in this book she is one of my favorite female characters. In the book I’m never thinking gosh she so annoying, or why would she do that or say that or she such a pansy. She just awesome, and Knox is so sexy in a bad boy, nobody can emotionally win him over, so I love how ms. Vale did the impossible. It’s a great book just like all her other reads. Please do not stop writing I don’t know what I do without your books gena showalter!!!!
3.5 Stars
Review by Lisa
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
If the caption for this book doesn’t grab you as a paranormal fan, then I don’t know what to say. Shadow and Ice by Gena Showalter is book 1 in the Gods of War series. That being said, there is a lot of detail and information in preparation for the rest of the series. As I enjoyed reading this book, I felt that it had a repetitiveness to it-a little to much fighting. BUT being a book of a war, it is expected.
When entering into a war to the death, Knox has his eye on planet Earth. Having been enslaved as a child because of his special abilities has groomed him into the man he is today.
Vale is looking for some fun before settling down to live. During her adventurous getaway, she stumbles upon the ancient Gods and her life is forever altered.
Being enemies isn’t always that easy when lust, maybe even love can get into the way.
One thing I enjoyed about this story is the originality of it. The format is nicely done and it is very detailed in its unfolding.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read this book or not but since it is Gena I figured I would give it a try and I am so thankful I did!!!
What if it you literally stumbled upon a war and was kidnapped by the sexiest warrior alive?! Jump on the crazy train of course! That is exactly what wily, snarky, sexy Vale does. She is a survivor and she just goes with it. What she doesn’t see coming is Foxy Knoxy.
Knox of Iviland is a slave to war. He has never known compassion, truth, companionship or love. He knows violence, death, hurt and anguish. When she kidnaps a mortal he doesn’t expect his life to change forever.
This story is the first in a series and there is a lot of world building. It can get confusing but it slowly clears up as the story progresses. Action packed excitement does not begin to cover this one! There is everything a reader could ask for and more! Gena has created an epic battle of war, sexy hot immortal warriors, and characters that will soon steal all our hearts, just like Knox and Vale! Bring on book 2!!!
I like all of Gena’s books.
Love Gena Showalter!
An interdimensional Hunger Games for adults.
Gena Showalter’s epic new paranormal romance saga, GODS OF WAR, pits warrior against warrior with Earth as the battleground. The Prize? Earth.
The journey begins with book one, Shadow And Ice…
Knox of Iviland has spent his life competing in the All Wars, where vicious warriors with supernatural powers fight to the death to claim new realms. One winner takes everything — and all losers die. Enslaved as a child for his ability to control shadows, the most ruthless champion in history will stop at nothing to kill his king. But first he must win the battle for Earth. When a fearsome weapon imprisons every combatant in ice, centuries pass without progress…until she walks in.
Vale London craves a fun arctic getaway with her foster sister before settling down to open a bakery. Street-tough but vulnerable, she is unprepared to find ancient gods escaping a frozen cave — merciless beings who target her when she inadvertently enters their war.
Though Vale is now his enemy, Knox is consumed with lust and a fierce need to protect her. But only one combatant can prove victorious, and he will have to choose: live for freedom, or die for love.
Want to know a little more about the characters?
Knox of Iviland is a battle-hardened, alpha, warrior – cold, bitter and bloodthirsty – he will do whatever it takes to win. Including, keeping close to a woman, when everything he’s ever known has shown him not to trust or show mercy.
Vale London is a strong, tough, take charge woman who’s been kicked in the teeth and knocked around by life for too many years to count.
Although extremely wary of each other, the two will have to work together if they want to survive.
My thoughts on the book?
This is a book unlike any that I have read before and is a definite must read.
People (adults!) who enjoyed reading The Hunger Games may especially get a kick out of it. I can’t wait to read the next book in this awesome new series.
Highly Recommended.
Terrific supernatural story and start to a new series by a favorite author of mine. Seriously hot Alpha immortals, sassy fierce heroines, supernatural abilities and weapons, and a fight to the end. It’s classic Gena Showalter! Exciting storyline with bloody battles, alien technology and lots of dangerous immortals that invade Earth and endanger its inhabitants. The fiercest of all is badass assassin Knox but is he good or really, really bad? He’s good at war and bad for his opponents. He had a cold heart until he encounters Vale. She’s the spitfire mortal that’s in the wrong place at the right time and otherworldly Knox captures her during battle. Thus begins a battle of wills with tons of heat and surprises for the two. There’s a lot going on in this first story setting up for the continuation of the series with earthlings trying to save their world and immortals from other realms and worlds trying to win Earth by waging war. Loved it! I voluntarily reviewed an ARC and bought the book. 4.5 stars
4.5 STARS!! A Fabulous and Exciting read!!
Enslaved as a child for his ability to control shadows, the most ruthless champion in history will stop at nothing to kill his king, but he must win the battle for Earth in order to achive his goal. However, Knox finds himself imprisoned in ice, just waiting for the day he can be freed and continue his battle; instead he encounters a beautiful girl who stirs something inside him that no one has before.
Vale London craves a fun arctic getaway with her foster sister before settling down to open a bakery. Street-tough but vulnerable, she is unprepared to find ancient gods escaping a frozen cave—merciless beings who target her when she inadvertently enters their war.
I won’t go into detail because I hate to spoil it for you! All in all, Shadow and Ice is exciting, intriguing, intense, action-packed, nail biting, sexy, all-consuming and aggresive. An amazing way to start this series which is taking place in the human realm. (Not for the faint of heart (blood and gore. lots of it))
Can’t wait for the next installment!
Vale and her sister Nola have embarked on an arctic vacation before starting a bakery business together. Some difficult circumstances lead them to a snow cave where warriors and gods of old are encased in ice – but not for long.
How would you react if you were suddenly in the middle of a thousands year old battle to the death and the prize was your planet? Vale is one tough cookie and following her on this adventure was a spectacular ride! We get to meet alphas a plenty and drop into this reality that is fantastic in every sense. If any of these aspects are attractive to you – you need to read this one!
Be prepared to be immersed in a world that is ours… but not. Ms. Showalter excels at completely fabricating a world that feels so similar to ours you can’t help but believe the extraordinary items, happenings and situations. Such fun to read!
Gena Showalter has always been gifted in creating paranormal worlds combined with a modern setting. Her new Gods of War series has a very similar feel to Lords of the Underworld series. The immortals were larger than life and locked in a centuries long battle with the victor claiming Earth. The heroine, Vale, accidentally unlocks the immortal warriors from their frozen cage and gets pulled into the middle of this battle. She and one of the warriors, Knox, are forced to depend on each other as she navigates the War and he learns about the modern world. It took me a while to warm up to Knox and Vale as a couple. Their relationship grew through the trials of the war but it took them a long time to trust each other. I think this book suffered from first book series as Gena tried to set up a new world and introduce new characters. But at the same time, it felt very similar to Lords of the Underworld and I kept expecting William the Ever Randy to show up. I’m still looking forward to the next book and I’m hopefully Gena will sort out the kinks of this new world.
Gena Showalter at her finest INDEED! I didn’t think she could top Lords of the Underworld but I was very very wrong. *sigh* happy happy happy to have this book in my life.
I have loved previous books by this author and true to the writer I know her to be I absolutely loved this story.
We are getting a world that is basically going from one place in time to the future. With Gods of war finding regular everyday average humans. Although a rift and an ice storm nothing gets them out of their contracts.
Knox is one kick butt ask questions later warrior. Nothing and no one stands in his way, and he wants no partners until… Enter Vale, a human woman who frees him from the ice he has been a slave to for centuries.
We get a ton of action in this book, it’s a bloodfest of sorts as each player drops. I hope we see more of these players in future books.
I received an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Review and blog tour can be found on *Milky Way of Books*
Ah, how great is to combine a far deadlier Hunger Games-style war and immortals! And worlds beyond your imagination which are not exactly sci-fi but not completely Paranormal either!
Vale and her sister, N0la are snow-stranded in the wilderness and they find shelter in a cave where they find their way into a long-standing war.
The All-War.
From there both sisters become entangled with battles, immortals who are hell-bent into destroying each other in order to win for their rulers.
And as Vale partners with Knox in order both to fight together, save Vale’s sister and discover what powers Vale has, everything will become even more complicated.
What I loved on this book was the pure action. It felt like a movie you couldn’t stop watching as everyone fought with every imaginable weapon! Knox was an amazing fighter as also Vale despite her need to train.
At the same time, I also enjoyed the refreshing plot and the vast possibilities of how this series can evolve. I kept counting in my mind how many books there might be here and the number even went up to 20.
Also, the heated level of swoon-ness here is scorching. While I still have my qualms into how Knox and Vale came to become a couple, and also how both became idiotic over each other (thus the missing star), I enjoyed their banter and the way they slowly opened up to each other. Knox’s background story was tragic too.
One last part I am anxiously waiting over will surely be the second book where Bane, Zion and Nola will be featured. And while Zion has a brotherly role in the book, he may be hiding more than he shows.
It is no spoiler to anyone who has ever read anything I’ve written about Gena Showalter’s books that I love her writing. I love how she crafts her words to bring to life everything and everyone she wants the reader to feel, see, taste, touch, and hear. Gena is one of those rare Writers that gently ease the reader into the experience of her story. She welcomes the reader to journey along with the characters as they trek their world, and often other worlds, in search of who, what, when, where, and why.
Gena’s newest book is a taste for the senses!
Shadow and Ice beckoned me to read about Knox and the predicament they found themselves in. I followed along with Vale as she and Nola trekked the Arctic and was startled with them at the revelation of their discovery. I fought beside, went through peril, wanted to help those I loved, bled for what I thought had betrayed me, and fell in love. Most of all, I didn’t want the story to end.
Gena did such a great job, enticing me to keep reading despite the distractions around me, I often forgot what I should be doing. As soon as I flipped the last page, I wanted the next book so I could keep reading. This book has it all and I wanted more! I. Needed. More.
Gods of War #2 is sure to be brilliant. Gena will once again, tempt me with her incredible command of words and I will (eagerly) wrap my hands around her new book and devour everything she offers.
I absolutely, wholeheartedly, and completely love and recommend Shadow and Ice.
It’s a royal rumble and the gods have come to play an all out war. Other realms, unknown to mankind, have been fighting for centuries in the All War. A Hunger Games meets Game of Thrones battle that pits the best of the best warriors from each realm against one another for total control of the new world. Reigning four time champion, Knox, is out for blood once more. He’s more than determined to win the world for his tyrannical king; he’s out to win for his freedom one and for all. Ready to battle it all against the fiercest competitors, Knox is prepared for every eventuality. Except for one human female.
Vale is just trying to survive the wintery cold of her current lost state, along with her sister, when fate decides the throw them a bone; more like a cavern out of the elements actually. But its not the cave that saves her, its the contents inside that alter her reality. Encased in ice are warriors from ages past and one in particular, dark and sensual catches her eye. When suddenly the ice breaks and the cavern erupts into a battle for the ages with Vale and her sister caught in the crossfire. Swept away by the dark hero (or villain?), Knox, Vale learns of past wars, other realms, and a fantasy that no one could dream of happening right in front of her. When fate deals a final blow and enters Vale into the war as a contestant and therefor granting her immortality. NOW Vale has to battle the world, Knox, and her destiny written in stone.
As Knox and Vale battle each other and other combatants, they each struggle with an internal battle as well. Fighting attraction and trust issues is no easy feat when your own instincts, and now powers, pull you in every direction. Vale has to battle past memories, a now side effect of her powers mixed with her synesthesia. All while trying to convince Knox to fight by her side as an ally rather than as her captor. A reverse Stockholm Syndrome occurs when Knox’s own internal and immortal instincts tell him the Vale is necessary to his survival, he just doesn’t know how or why. An ally is always a weakness and Knox has never possessed a weakness…since the death of his beloved daughter. But as Vale chips away at his defenses (internally and physically), Knox discovers a new side of himself, that’s stronger than anything he’s ever faced.
Love. This story is about love. And sex and violence and power and control but beyond all that LOVE conquering all. A message conveyed in every caress from Vale. In every sacrifice from Knox. In the lengths Vale and her sister will go to find one another again amidst battle. Not to mention those willing to die in this battle to protect the ones they love not even on the planet. Filled with explicit and entertaining fights scenes to rival and blockbuster, this story will have on the edge of your city dying to know how Vale and Knox can overcome every obstacle that threatens to tear them and the world apart. An amazing 5 star read from the genius fantasy mind of Showalter and I’m dying to hear just what comes next from the Gods of War.
This is the first book in the brand new Gods of War series by one of my all time favorite paranormal authors and I just knew this one was going to be a huge success! I’ve devoured every incredibly addictive story this author has written about vampires and other paranormal creatures and was over the moon when I saw that she was doing a series about immortal Gods and absolutely couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book!
Knox of Iviland is an immortal warrior who believes that caring about others is a great weakness and has been badly hurt before because of letting someone in. He’s upfront about his beliefs and has built impenetrable protective walls all around himself over the centuries to keep everyone out. Fortunately for Knox, Vale is a fiery cannon ball that tears right through his walls, leaving one stunned immortal God in her wake.
Vale is a perfect match for Knox and I loved the two of them together. I hope this series is going to have so many books and I can already see who’s going to be featured next and I can’t wait!
I highly recommend reading this great paranormal story to anyone and I look forward to so much more from this amazing author!
~ Kristen