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_moonbread's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
xeni's review against another edition
5.0
Well, this was an amazing book. Well written, great cast of characters and a world set up not quite like our own.
Elliot created a very interesting world here: essentially the Roman empire reined control a lot longer than in our history, and the major conflict is science vs magic (not the science vs religion that we have in our history books). Aside from that, there are a lot of similar events that take place in this world in comparison to ours: discovery of another continent called Amerike; new discovery of combustion engines and steam engines; etc etc. One of the greatest differences is that the ice shelf extends all the way down past the Baltic Sea, and that even in October it is bitterly cold in middle Europe.
Set in this world there is a very wide cast of characters. I loved how the focus wasn't on Cat's (the main character) love life but rather on her quest to find out the truth about herself and her world. She was, what I consider more and more to be a "perfect main character", in that she had all the necessary skills and resources in order to meet every problem she encountered with a solution. It got a little annoying, since most of us in our everyday lives manage to cope, scrape by or even just endure, and here is Cat who just happens to know how to ride, happens to be educated in sword fighting, happens to have maps of Europe memorized in great detail... all the 'happens to' started bothering me after a bit, since there is no one that perfect at the bare age of 19!
What pleased me most about Cat, though, was her resilience. She wasn't beaten down by much; she could face up to the scariest cold mage and to the most fearsome creatures from the spirit world with the same courage. Some people are just like that, I suppose! (Although, don't get me wrong, she did feel fear, and was clumsy and sometimes made stupid choices, but none of them were overly lasting.)
Other than Cat, the other main character is a cold mage, Andevai. He is one of the most powerful ones around, and yet he acts like a spoiled brat. Understandable, seeing what environment he grew up in, but still annoying as hell. I loved seeing him grow throughout the book. And by the time the novel came to a close I didn't hate him so much anymore.
Most of the other characters were very interesting. The trolls and the humans (or "rats") make an intriguing mix of races, as the mages vs nobles make an interesting mix as well.
The plot was very very active. Things were happening constantly. There wasn't any time where I was bored or was waiting for action to happen or felt that Elliot was taking too much time out to explain things. There was just enough explanations between the plot to make me understand what was going on. I was a little incredulous at times (for instance, how hospitable some of the people could be... it just doesn't seem realistic to me) but in general it was a great plot. It moved forward at a fast pace, definitely.
Elliot did have some recurring themes throughout the story that she would refer back to often; sometimes too often. The theme of cold and freezing weather was hit home more than once; and each time harder than the last. I am not sure if this was her way to deal with the current issue of global warming, or if she just decided that writing about how freezing people are and how the cold makes them feel immobile and their lips turn blue was a fun idea. But it was well written (if a bit over the top).
There is a lot of emphasis put on respect and customs in this book. Like, a lot. Arrogant young mages will listen to an elder even if they are of lower birth, lower income and lower power. Just because they are old. It was rather odd to see how that worked, but I was charmed by it. We could use more respect like that (though, two ways please) in our societies. On the other hand, the arrogant nobles and mages demanded respect in a way that just left a bad taste in my mouth. Honestly, they deserve to be overthrown, just so they can finally realize how rude they are/were.
Another theme would be the historical aspects... a lot of political situations were reminiscent of our own history (at least, that which is told to us in school). It was fascinating to see how our world history could be rewoven to make sense in a very different world view. It didn't detract from the story for me, but it also didn't add much. (Well, the ghoul's with the salt mines in Africa were a bit distracting, but it wasn't only addressed a few times.)
As to the ending, which a few of my friends have already reported as having hated, I did't mind it too much. It was set up for the second in the series, obviously, but I didn't feel like there was no conclusion. The adventures were over (for the moment), the girls were safe (for the moment) and had found help. They still have a way to go if they want to 'live long and prosper' but somehow I feel that they'll make it! The girls were having adventures up until the very end of the book, so I can see why some people would not think that the ending was conclusive enough. But for this 'part' it worked for me.
I enjoyed the book immensely. It was a fun story to read and something new. Not too much focus put on love lives and paranormal creatures and science fiction battles but rather just an innocent young woman trying to figure out her life. It really resonated with him, which is why I gave this book 5 stars.
Elliot created a very interesting world here: essentially the Roman empire reined control a lot longer than in our history, and the major conflict is science vs magic (not the science vs religion that we have in our history books). Aside from that, there are a lot of similar events that take place in this world in comparison to ours: discovery of another continent called Amerike; new discovery of combustion engines and steam engines; etc etc. One of the greatest differences is that the ice shelf extends all the way down past the Baltic Sea, and that even in October it is bitterly cold in middle Europe.
Set in this world there is a very wide cast of characters. I loved how the focus wasn't on Cat's (the main character) love life but rather on her quest to find out the truth about herself and her world. She was, what I consider more and more to be a "perfect main character", in that she had all the necessary skills and resources in order to meet every problem she encountered with a solution. It got a little annoying, since most of us in our everyday lives manage to cope, scrape by or even just endure, and here is Cat who just happens to know how to ride, happens to be educated in sword fighting, happens to have maps of Europe memorized in great detail... all the 'happens to' started bothering me after a bit, since there is no one that perfect at the bare age of 19!
What pleased me most about Cat, though, was her resilience. She wasn't beaten down by much; she could face up to the scariest cold mage and to the most fearsome creatures from the spirit world with the same courage. Some people are just like that, I suppose! (Although, don't get me wrong, she did feel fear, and was clumsy and sometimes made stupid choices, but none of them were overly lasting.)
Other than Cat, the other main character is a cold mage, Andevai. He is one of the most powerful ones around, and yet he acts like a spoiled brat. Understandable, seeing what environment he grew up in, but still annoying as hell. I loved seeing him grow throughout the book. And by the time the novel came to a close I didn't hate him so much anymore.
Most of the other characters were very interesting. The trolls and the humans (or "rats") make an intriguing mix of races, as the mages vs nobles make an interesting mix as well.
The plot was very very active. Things were happening constantly. There wasn't any time where I was bored or was waiting for action to happen or felt that Elliot was taking too much time out to explain things. There was just enough explanations between the plot to make me understand what was going on. I was a little incredulous at times (for instance, how hospitable some of the people could be... it just doesn't seem realistic to me) but in general it was a great plot. It moved forward at a fast pace, definitely.
Elliot did have some recurring themes throughout the story that she would refer back to often; sometimes too often. The theme of cold and freezing weather was hit home more than once; and each time harder than the last. I am not sure if this was her way to deal with the current issue of global warming, or if she just decided that writing about how freezing people are and how the cold makes them feel immobile and their lips turn blue was a fun idea. But it was well written (if a bit over the top).
There is a lot of emphasis put on respect and customs in this book. Like, a lot. Arrogant young mages will listen to an elder even if they are of lower birth, lower income and lower power. Just because they are old. It was rather odd to see how that worked, but I was charmed by it. We could use more respect like that (though, two ways please) in our societies. On the other hand, the arrogant nobles and mages demanded respect in a way that just left a bad taste in my mouth. Honestly, they deserve to be overthrown, just so they can finally realize how rude they are/were.
Another theme would be the historical aspects... a lot of political situations were reminiscent of our own history (at least, that which is told to us in school). It was fascinating to see how our world history could be rewoven to make sense in a very different world view. It didn't detract from the story for me, but it also didn't add much. (Well, the ghoul's with the salt mines in Africa were a bit distracting, but it wasn't only addressed a few times.)
As to the ending, which a few of my friends have already reported as having hated, I did't mind it too much. It was set up for the second in the series, obviously, but I didn't feel like there was no conclusion. The adventures were over (for the moment), the girls were safe (for the moment) and had found help. They still have a way to go if they want to 'live long and prosper' but somehow I feel that they'll make it! The girls were having adventures up until the very end of the book, so I can see why some people would not think that the ending was conclusive enough. But for this 'part' it worked for me.
I enjoyed the book immensely. It was a fun story to read and something new. Not too much focus put on love lives and paranormal creatures and science fiction battles but rather just an innocent young woman trying to figure out her life. It really resonated with him, which is why I gave this book 5 stars.
emmascc's review against another edition
5.0
I really need to write a proper review for these books because they are so good!!!! Honestly, you need to put these on your to-read list
jwels's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a bit to pick up this book and start reading. I had read some reviews regarding the book and was scared that it wouldn't hold me interest but it did and I'm glad that I finally got it read! I'm looking forward to the rest of the story.
itabar's review against another edition
3.0
Liked it mildly.
Didn't care for the "hero" and thought his transformation from total unsympathetic jerk to less-of-a-jerk was only mildly believable.
The ending was unsatisfactory. Yes, I know it's a trilogy, but still. It was a stopping point, but this is *not* a book you'd read by itself.
The world building was complex, and frankly, a bit confusing and i suspect a lot of the info we're given is unnecessary (i.e we're given us a lot of historical information that I'm not sure we need for the story.)
Didn't care for the "hero" and thought his transformation from total unsympathetic jerk to less-of-a-jerk was only mildly believable.
The ending was unsatisfactory. Yes, I know it's a trilogy, but still. It was a stopping point, but this is *not* a book you'd read by itself.
The world building was complex, and frankly, a bit confusing and i suspect a lot of the info we're given is unnecessary (i.e we're given us a lot of historical information that I'm not sure we need for the story.)
paintedgiraffe's review against another edition
4.0
Started off way weird. Didn't like the characters, world was too convoluted (how can you have encroaching ice shelves, AND steampunk AND a Napoleon figure coming back until power AND magic AND alternate history of multiple cultures in one setting?). I thought the main female characters were whiny and immature, far more like middle schoolers than college freshmen. But thanks to other reviews on here, I did not put it down, and it really picked up and started to cohere past the halfway point. I appreciate how the main relationship was handled, despite her finding him stunningly attractive at odd moments.
I will definitely be reading the second book.
Spoiler
It's good that they didn't forcibly fall in love and get together at the end. They truly do NOT know each other well enough, and the circumstances were hideous. Best to try to be amicable friends first.I will definitely be reading the second book.
piperhudsburn's review against another edition
3.0
“I will either find a way, or make one.”
Cold Magic was an enjoyable read. As far as "historical fantasy" goes, it is a series debut sure to entice and interest readers long after it ends. The cast and world are diverse, and the story fast-paced. Our love interest is well written and our main character is no Mary-Sue. Now, I'm pretty sure you're wondering why the book is three stars after those kind words.
Well, ladies and gentleman of Goodreads, if there ever was an example how not to "world-build" it was this. Seriously, it was so much worse than Sarah J Maas's Court series. There are moments in Cold Magic that are excellent and fast paced and so, so interesting- yet they are eventually bogged down by useless detail and description of a fantasy world. And not just magic descriptions, but historical background, as well as random factoids on language and other aspects of culture that have NOTHING to do with the plot or scene at hand. It was so frustrating I had to knock two FULL stars off.
And I find myself quite sad about this because I actually loved the setting of the world and the magic that courses through it. But Elliot seemed to forget that her readers have imagination, an ability that allows them to "fill in the blanks." She never gives the reader a chance, and the work suffers for it.
siria's review against another edition
3.0
This felt like a lot of set-up for a second and much more interesting book. I was intrigued by Cold Magic's world-building—an alternate, magic-wielding England during the Industrial Revolution, on the edge of a Europe where the Romans never defeated the Carthaginians and where Mandé peoples from West Africa have long intermarried with Celtic peoples of northern England to create a hybrid culture, one which is just recovering from the effects of its own Napoleonic Wars—just enough to want to continue on with the trilogy. There are an awful lot of possibilities opened up by the historical changes which Elliott has set up here—though I have to admit that I'm uneasy about her decision to have North America be inhabited by trolls rather than humans before the arrival of a Welsh explorer called ap Meuric.
However, the pacing and the characterisation don't seem to have received the same care as did the world-building, and I'm very rarely a fan of the "You've tried to kill me but gosh your jawline is pretty so I guess we must be in love" school of romance. (Yes, I love Pride and Prejudice, but much of the action of that book revolves around the interaction between Lizzy and Darcy and a mutual reassessment of their interactions with one another and of themselves—the development of Catherine and Andevai's relationship is given much shorter shrift and would have needed a lot more breathing space for me to buy it, let alone root for it.) It wasn't Jane Eyre bad, but I'm not at all invested in their relationship right now. We'll see what Volume 2 brings, I suppose.
However, the pacing and the characterisation don't seem to have received the same care as did the world-building, and I'm very rarely a fan of the "You've tried to kill me but gosh your jawline is pretty so I guess we must be in love" school of romance. (Yes, I love Pride and Prejudice, but much of the action of that book revolves around the interaction between Lizzy and Darcy and a mutual reassessment of their interactions with one another and of themselves—the development of Catherine and Andevai's relationship is given much shorter shrift and would have needed a lot more breathing space for me to buy it, let alone root for it.) It wasn't Jane Eyre bad, but I'm not at all invested in their relationship right now. We'll see what Volume 2 brings, I suppose.
hrjones's review against another edition
5.0
This is a rich and delightful fantasy with an extremely alternate historical setting and several different layers of magical presence. The geography is recognizable as a Europe distorted by lower sea levels (due to plot-relevant extensive ice caps); the setting of the story has the look-and-feel of an analog to the early 19th century; and the defining feature of the historical background (other than the presence of magic and some sentient non-human species) is silently shaped by the absence of post-Roman Germanic migrations. (This is not something the story ever points out explicitly, but it was interesting to note that the gaping holes in the parallels to our history tended to revolve around this point--although the presence of a few Germanic personal names either point to some trace presence or authorial slip-up.) The major cultural threads are the remnants of the Roman Empire, extensive Celtic cultures, and various cultures from the northern Africa--all interwoven while remaining distinct--though hints and mentions of many others are scattered about. The world-building is deep and detailed and is best appreciated by a reader who has at least a passing familiarity with European history and geography.
The story revolves around two young women--cousins--who each has a rather unexpected magical talent that makes them unwitting players in a larger political game. One of the most delightful aspects of the book is that their friendship and loyalty is the primary personal bond that drives the story. There are men; there are hints of potential romantic entanglements (to be explored further later in the series). But these never push the primacy of that friendship aside. We follow Cat (Catherine) as she finds herself a pawn in a bargain made when she was a child and abruptly becomes married to a Cold Mage, a member of one of the powerful magical clans, and is dragged off amid a confusion of sabotage and rioting to an unknown fate. Cat is not exactly a passive victim and the story becomes a cat-and-mouse game through this world and the otherworld as Cat--in proper questing hero mode--picks up friends and allies and tries to solve the riddle of both her unexpected abilities and why her new husband is trying to kill her. We get enough bits and snippets of the immediate political history of the world that when Cat and her cousin end up in the midst of the intrigues (in a not-quite-cliffhanger of an ending) it seems the only natural thing to have happened.
Overall I found this a very enjoyable book. I loved the woman-centered story and the detailed world-building. The writing is flawless and the characters engaging (even the villains). If I were still in the period of my life when I was reading a couple books a week, I’d probably vacuum up every book Elliott has written (of which there are quite a few).
The story revolves around two young women--cousins--who each has a rather unexpected magical talent that makes them unwitting players in a larger political game. One of the most delightful aspects of the book is that their friendship and loyalty is the primary personal bond that drives the story. There are men; there are hints of potential romantic entanglements (to be explored further later in the series). But these never push the primacy of that friendship aside. We follow Cat (Catherine) as she finds herself a pawn in a bargain made when she was a child and abruptly becomes married to a Cold Mage, a member of one of the powerful magical clans, and is dragged off amid a confusion of sabotage and rioting to an unknown fate. Cat is not exactly a passive victim and the story becomes a cat-and-mouse game through this world and the otherworld as Cat--in proper questing hero mode--picks up friends and allies and tries to solve the riddle of both her unexpected abilities and why her new husband is trying to kill her. We get enough bits and snippets of the immediate political history of the world that when Cat and her cousin end up in the midst of the intrigues (in a not-quite-cliffhanger of an ending) it seems the only natural thing to have happened.
Overall I found this a very enjoyable book. I loved the woman-centered story and the detailed world-building. The writing is flawless and the characters engaging (even the villains). If I were still in the period of my life when I was reading a couple books a week, I’d probably vacuum up every book Elliott has written (of which there are quite a few).
emmiem89's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5