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jellifysh's review
3.0
Kingdom of Ice & Bone is the follow-up to [b:Beasts of the Frozen Sun|42118210|Beasts of the Frozen Sun (Frozen Sun Saga, #1)|Jill Criswell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546977167l/42118210._SY75_.jpg|65709446], which I liked way more than anticipated. Lira was a headstrong character, the worldbuilding was fascinating and the historical influence was one not used too often.
Unfortunately, Kingdom of Ice & Bone didn't work for me.
I don't usually need much to be happy about a book. The first one had a lot of it: gods being dicks, people getting murdered, magic, all that good stuff! And I really liked Lira and Reyker, even when I usually can't see the appeal in the "romances" that get forced in YA and NA novels. It's just a whole ass genre I do not care about.
The romance was still as strong in this one as it was in the first book, even when Lira and Reyker think the other's dead for a big part of the book.
Lira's powers get stronger and she turns into a very morally-grey character and I was here! for! it!
We also got to meet new characters (Alane, for example, who I adore and really hope gets to become the bamf I know she can be!)
What killed my joy was the politics.
I don't have the patience to deal with political intrigue and subtlety.
Action? Absolutely.
A few pages taking place in a royal court? Sure.
A book that's 80% of political intrigue? Absolutely not.
But, if you enjoy, say, [b:And I Darken|27190613|And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga, #1)|Kiersten White|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1449153532l/27190613._SY75_.jpg|41682914] for example, this book might be the thing for you! Morally grey-ish characters, trauma, murdering, political intrigue, this book has it all! It just really didn't work for me!
@Blackstone and Netgalley: Thank you guys for this ARC!
Unfortunately, Kingdom of Ice & Bone didn't work for me.
I don't usually need much to be happy about a book. The first one had a lot of it: gods being dicks, people getting murdered, magic, all that good stuff! And I really liked Lira and Reyker, even when I usually can't see the appeal in the "romances" that get forced in YA and NA novels. It's just a whole ass genre I do not care about.
The romance was still as strong in this one as it was in the first book, even when Lira and Reyker think the other's dead for a big part of the book.
Lira's powers get stronger and she turns into a very morally-grey character and I was here! for! it!
We also got to meet new characters (Alane, for example, who I adore and really hope gets to become the bamf I know she can be!)
What killed my joy was the politics.
I don't have the patience to deal with political intrigue and subtlety.
Action? Absolutely.
A few pages taking place in a royal court? Sure.
A book that's 80% of political intrigue? Absolutely not.
But, if you enjoy, say, [b:And I Darken|27190613|And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga, #1)|Kiersten White|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1449153532l/27190613._SY75_.jpg|41682914] for example, this book might be the thing for you! Morally grey-ish characters, trauma, murdering, political intrigue, this book has it all! It just really didn't work for me!
@Blackstone and Netgalley: Thank you guys for this ARC!
tweetatweet1's review
4.0
I’m really pissed at this book right now. FOR REAL!?
Yes his book just killed my soul. I’m mad I even picked it up. To be honest. I’m really pissed at this book. A CLIFFHANGER! This book just made me mad. It was full of gut wrenching heartache. I wish I had never read it. It just felt like the whole of all the Game Of Thrones series in a book. Draki is the Night King basically. There were too many similarities. It kept me in its thrall but I wish I had never read it.
Yes his book just killed my soul. I’m mad I even picked it up. To be honest. I’m really pissed at this book. A CLIFFHANGER! This book just made me mad. It was full of gut wrenching heartache. I wish I had never read it. It just felt like the whole of all the Game Of Thrones series in a book. Draki is the Night King basically. There were too many similarities. It kept me in its thrall but I wish I had never read it.
jubileee's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
cynsworkshop's review
4.0
Originally reviewed on Cyn's Workshop
An incredible sequel, Kingdom of Ice and Bone, keeps up the energy of Beasts of the Frozen Sun.
Kingdom of Ice and Bone was such an excellent novel. Criswell has done such an excellent job of continuing her series. By expanding the magic nad history, Criswell submerged reader in the history and lore. In the previous novel, readers only learned the gods of her homeland. There were good gods and bad gods. But now Criswell has expanded on the lore, expanding upon who is bad and who is good. There is just so much more mythology in the novel making it even more engaging.
“Ah!”-mazing Writing
That is part of the charm of the novel, the rising tension surrounding the Fallen Ones and their vendetta against the eater of souls, Draki’s mother. However, their time in darkness has corrupted them, making them just as evil as Draki’s mother.
However, with the gifts of the Gods running through her blood, Lira has to come to terms with the gods’ wrath, with choosing the lesser of two evils in order to have her revenge and save her country.
It is such a compelling story, and the momentum continues to rise. Lira is on the edge of falling into darkness. She is on a downward spiral almost, her grief and anger drowning whom she was, changing her. It makes for a great show of characterization and character growth, and as Lira enters Draki’s home, new challenges face her daily.
Twisted Delightful Dynamics
There is such fantastic tension in these character dynamics and it is interesting to see Draki as more than just a villain
Yes, Draki is a villain, but there is more to his character than that, something that makes him worth reading. He has the love of some of his people and the respect of others and as twisted as he is, he is a darker shade of gray. He may be evil, but there is such a sharp contrast to who he was in the previous novel that gives the reader pause
This gives him more depth; it allows him to be a multidimensional character instead of a generic villain.
This play on dynamics, this new development between Lira and Draki, makes the story so addicting.
Final Thoughts
Criswell executes her story amazingly. She pushes the reader at the edge of their seat with all the moment’s Lira and Reyker almost reunite only to be torn by fate yet again. Their relationship changes drastically in this novel, twisted by fate and tension, putting the reader on an emotional roller coaster.
Kingdom of Ice and Bone is the second novel in Criswell’s Frozen Sun Saga, and it is emotional, action-packed, and tension driven. Coupled with terrific characterization, this is one novel one will not be able to put down.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
An incredible sequel, Kingdom of Ice and Bone, keeps up the energy of Beasts of the Frozen Sun.
Kingdom of Ice and Bone was such an excellent novel. Criswell has done such an excellent job of continuing her series. By expanding the magic nad history, Criswell submerged reader in the history and lore. In the previous novel, readers only learned the gods of her homeland. There were good gods and bad gods. But now Criswell has expanded on the lore, expanding upon who is bad and who is good. There is just so much more mythology in the novel making it even more engaging.
“Ah!”-mazing Writing
That is part of the charm of the novel, the rising tension surrounding the Fallen Ones and their vendetta against the eater of souls, Draki’s mother. However, their time in darkness has corrupted them, making them just as evil as Draki’s mother.
However, with the gifts of the Gods running through her blood, Lira has to come to terms with the gods’ wrath, with choosing the lesser of two evils in order to have her revenge and save her country.
It is such a compelling story, and the momentum continues to rise. Lira is on the edge of falling into darkness. She is on a downward spiral almost, her grief and anger drowning whom she was, changing her. It makes for a great show of characterization and character growth, and as Lira enters Draki’s home, new challenges face her daily.
Twisted Delightful Dynamics
There is such fantastic tension in these character dynamics and it is interesting to see Draki as more than just a villain
Yes, Draki is a villain, but there is more to his character than that, something that makes him worth reading. He has the love of some of his people and the respect of others and as twisted as he is, he is a darker shade of gray. He may be evil, but there is such a sharp contrast to who he was in the previous novel that gives the reader pause
This gives him more depth; it allows him to be a multidimensional character instead of a generic villain.
This play on dynamics, this new development between Lira and Draki, makes the story so addicting.
Final Thoughts
Criswell executes her story amazingly. She pushes the reader at the edge of their seat with all the moment’s Lira and Reyker almost reunite only to be torn by fate yet again. Their relationship changes drastically in this novel, twisted by fate and tension, putting the reader on an emotional roller coaster.
Kingdom of Ice and Bone is the second novel in Criswell’s Frozen Sun Saga, and it is emotional, action-packed, and tension driven. Coupled with terrific characterization, this is one novel one will not be able to put down.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
forest_reader's review
4.0
I was so excited to dive back into the Viking world with Lira and Reyker again. This book was one of my top-anticipated sequels this year! Before I go on, I have to warn you that this review may contain spoilers for the first book, Beasts of the Frozen Sun. Read at your own risk!
This book picks up where BOTFS left off: Lira and Reyker are separated, and they each think the other is dead. But they both have the same goal to defeat Draki and restore peace to their lands. Lira grows a lot in this book, especially with her magic, and I loved learning about a new land with new gods. There weren't as many fight scenes in this book; it was more of an exploration of Iseneld, magic from the gods, and the characters' goals. However, it still remained tense and entertaining throughout! There were a few things that bothered melike how Lira and Reyker are almost NEVER together throughout the whole book, and I was kind of bugged with the ending of them forgetting their love for each other , but Jill Criswell is a fantastic writer. I can't wait for the third and final book.
Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 4
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4
Thank you, Jill Criswell, for the review copy!
This book picks up where BOTFS left off: Lira and Reyker are separated, and they each think the other is dead. But they both have the same goal to defeat Draki and restore peace to their lands. Lira grows a lot in this book, especially with her magic, and I loved learning about a new land with new gods. There weren't as many fight scenes in this book; it was more of an exploration of Iseneld, magic from the gods, and the characters' goals. However, it still remained tense and entertaining throughout! There were a few things that bothered me
Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 4
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4
Thank you, Jill Criswell, for the review copy!
sassyowlreads's review
adventurous
slow-paced
3.75
I didn't love this book quite as much as the first book but it was still great! The romance was heart-wrenching and the battles were brutal! My main complaint is not having enough of Reyker. I will definitely be reading the 3rd book when it comes out!
Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc!
Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc!
taintedtea's review
3.0
***I received an uncorrected proof of this ebook from netgalley in exchange for an honest review***
⭐⭐⭐
I did not enjoy this volume as much as the first. It felt like a book-length interlude that could have easily been cut to a novella. The action-packed plot from book one was lacking here. There were action scenes, but there were SO many dream-sequence scenes cutting them up.
The main characters spent the majority of the book apart, only to have a momentary reunion that felt so pointless. I wanted to see more of their relationship development in this book, and there was almost none.
The interactions between Lira and the character she spent most of the book with made me feel extremely uncomfortable. That was the point of them, but I honestly just wanted to shower off the yuck. I did not like certain decisions Lira made towards the end of the book. I hate memory-erasure as a plot point, just as I hate rape as a plot point. Both violations of different types and, frankly, I am sick to death of reading about them.
I do plan on reading book 3, and I'm really hoping it will turn around my opinions of this trilogy as a whole.
⭐⭐⭐
I did not enjoy this volume as much as the first. It felt like a book-length interlude that could have easily been cut to a novella. The action-packed plot from book one was lacking here. There were action scenes, but there were SO many dream-sequence scenes cutting them up.
The main characters spent the majority of the book apart, only to have a momentary reunion that felt so pointless. I wanted to see more of their relationship development in this book, and there was almost none.
The interactions between Lira and the character she spent most of the book with made me feel extremely uncomfortable. That was the point of them, but I honestly just wanted to shower off the yuck. I did not like certain decisions Lira made towards the end of the book. I hate memory-erasure as a plot point, just as I hate rape as a plot point. Both violations of different types and, frankly, I am sick to death of reading about them.
I do plan on reading book 3, and I'm really hoping it will turn around my opinions of this trilogy as a whole.
nmeeyorelvr's review
3.0
I went back and forth a lot about what to rate it. Ultimately, the fact that Lira does what she does at the end to Reyker which entirely alters his character, the constant showing of Draki always knowing/anticipating what Lira does isn't that realistic to me, Draki is not a villain I can sympathies with at all even though I think that's what the author tried to do, and that it's constant back and forth for Lira and Reyker's relationship between angst and love started to drive me crazy by the end. I feel like the author, Lira, and Reykey didn't evolve or.frow.mich in the book at all. Parts of the story even reminded me of other YA books, as if the author borrowed plot ideas haphazard7from other books. What did I like? Reyker. And I have hope for what the next book will bring for Reyker and Lira. I loved seeing Iseneld. I found the characterizing and fleshing out of the Daughters of Aillira very interesting too. The Gods and the magic system intrigue me. I recommend this book, but mostly because it's most likely necessary to understand the third book.
bewarethebookwyrm's review
5.0
OH! MY! GOSH!!! If anyone has followed me for a while, you know that I absolutely fell in love with Beasts of the Frozen Sun. I was so excited when NetGalley approved me to receive an ARC copy of it's sequel, Kingdom of Ice & Bone. YAY!!! It absolutely did not disappoint, either.
There is so much back story, so I'm not going to go into that, but it was so well done. The story moved quickly from the beginning, starting right where Beasts of the Frozen Sun left off. There was no point in this book where I felt the plot slowed down too much. I was engaged the entire time!
The characters were superbly written. I really love the characters I'm supposed to love and hate the characters I'm supposed to hate. The bad guy isn't one dimensional either, which I love. He has depth and I feel like I understand him and why he does the things he does. It doesn't make them right, but I can empathize with him.
The writing was great, too. This was an ARC digital copy and the formatting was rough, but I'm sure when it's actually published it'll be fine.
Overall, I loved, loved, loved this book! Just know, then ending leaves you wanting more. Be prepared. LOL!
bookishlynerdy's review
5.0
It was just as amazing as the first book for a completely different reason! Check out my IGTV video for my full review!
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CFfmU53g3Uw/?igshid=dun571jmmm6r
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CFfmU53g3Uw/?igshid=dun571jmmm6r
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