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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
Thank you Kay L. Moody and Booksprout for a complementary copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
I really enjoyed this sweet short first book in the series. I like the characters....even grumpy Aaden. I want to know what happened to Marmie. I want to find out how the competition ends. Soooo many questions!!! There was one thing in this first book that didn't make sense - don't they know the other students' last name at the academy? - but that didn't make me like the book less.
Great book!
I really enjoyed this sweet short first book in the series. I like the characters....even grumpy Aaden. I want to know what happened to Marmie. I want to find out how the competition ends. Soooo many questions!!! There was one thing in this first book that didn't make sense - don't they know the other students' last name at the academy? - but that didn't make me like the book less.
Great book!
EBook provided by the author in exchange of an honest review.
Let’s start saying that this book had potential, it would have been an amazing book had it been a bit longer and with more descriptions. I found it to be a little essential in descriptions. The thing that kept me reading and actually made me like the book overall was the plot and the world building. I wish I‘d seen more interactions between characters.
I loved the 7 year old Talise, I loved Aaden and I liked their relationship.
Final vote: 3.5/5
Let’s start saying that this book had potential, it would have been an amazing book had it been a bit longer and with more descriptions. I found it to be a little essential in descriptions. The thing that kept me reading and actually made me like the book overall was the plot and the world building. I wish I‘d seen more interactions between characters.
I loved the 7 year old Talise, I loved Aaden and I liked their relationship.
Final vote: 3.5/5
adventurous
fast-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I finished this yesterday. It's a quick read and a good one. Taliese is a Storm child, banished to an area of the Kingdome because of past family transgressions. The first few chapters are a subtle commentary of the politics of poverty and the aftereffects. Taliese and her mother are malnourished because they are poor, they are ill-educated because they are poor, people commit other crimes which resentences them to remain in the Storm. And the cycle of poverty not only continues but the victims are blamed for their inability to change.
Until Taliese. She is a seven-year-old girl who can shape the elements. She enters the prestigious academy, a twin to another in the city, where she trains and over the next ten years becomes the head of her class. She is excited to try for the Master Shaper title which she thinks will end all of her problems.
Meet Aaden. He is the top of the class at the OTHER academy. He has his own past to overcome and everyone who hears his family name "SATO" seems to know all about his family and to have an opinion on them.
In classic fantasy fiction, there can be only one winner. Ever more dangerous feats of magic are performed in trying to win.
For fans of The Night Circus, classic fantasy, dark academia, and twisty plots.
Until Taliese. She is a seven-year-old girl who can shape the elements. She enters the prestigious academy, a twin to another in the city, where she trains and over the next ten years becomes the head of her class. She is excited to try for the Master Shaper title which she thinks will end all of her problems.
Meet Aaden. He is the top of the class at the OTHER academy. He has his own past to overcome and everyone who hears his family name "SATO" seems to know all about his family and to have an opinion on them.
In classic fantasy fiction, there can be only one winner. Ever more dangerous feats of magic are performed in trying to win.
For fans of The Night Circus, classic fantasy, dark academia, and twisty plots.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
I hate leaving lukewarm reviews. And this book had some cool things going for it! The universe including The Storm was fairly cool, the shaping magic was interesting (although not particularly fleshed out), and Talise was an interesting character. But honestly, the entire thing was just so... flat. The internal conflict regarding Marmie was initially easy to empathize with, but after it occupied the entire last half of the book, it got deeply frustrating. And the story lacked depth, in the sense that there is literally one focal point: the entire thing is about Talise's shaping and the competition. There are no subplots, no sidebars, no external characters with a purpose other than helping her compete... nada. It was okay, but I don't think I'll be picking up any sequels.
I received an ARC from BookSirens in exchange for honest feedback.
I received an ARC from BookSirens in exchange for honest feedback.
Ice Crown is not long enough to allow for an appropriate amount of character development. I think we're supposed to sympathize with the main character's loss but we don't even know her or have a real understanding of her relationship with this person.
This seems like a really cool world and magic system, it just needs more fleshing out.
This seems like a really cool world and magic system, it just needs more fleshing out.
Title Ice Crown (The Elements of Kamdaria I)
Author Kay L. Moody
Description from Amazon
THE COMPETITION COULD SAVE HER LIFE…
BUT ONLY IF SHE WINS.
Talise can manipulate the elements with ease; water, air, earth, and fire all bend to her will. As a citizen of the Storm—a crime-laden land where death is the only constant—her only chance for a better life is to become Master Shaper.
A competition for the position takes place at the end of her training years. If she wins, she would live in the palace, work for the emperor, and escape her inevitable death in the Storm. But she’s not the only one with a chance to win.
Aaden is another talented student. As a citizen of the Crown, he was born with unlimited privilege and resources. When someone from the Crown wants to win, they do. End of story. And his shaping is unlike anything Talise has ever seen.
Complicating matters, Talise’s loved one in the Storm gives her reason to abandon the competition altogether, forcing her to make an impossible choice.
Torn between duty and freedom, she must learn that clinging to the past, might destroy her future.
Initial Thoughts
I saw this book was released yesterday in an Instagram post and it immediately caught my eye. I downloaded it right away and had it almost finished by the time I left work
Author Kay L. Moody
Description from Amazon
THE COMPETITION COULD SAVE HER LIFE…
BUT ONLY IF SHE WINS.
Talise can manipulate the elements with ease; water, air, earth, and fire all bend to her will. As a citizen of the Storm—a crime-laden land where death is the only constant—her only chance for a better life is to become Master Shaper.
A competition for the position takes place at the end of her training years. If she wins, she would live in the palace, work for the emperor, and escape her inevitable death in the Storm. But she’s not the only one with a chance to win.
Aaden is another talented student. As a citizen of the Crown, he was born with unlimited privilege and resources. When someone from the Crown wants to win, they do. End of story. And his shaping is unlike anything Talise has ever seen.
Complicating matters, Talise’s loved one in the Storm gives her reason to abandon the competition altogether, forcing her to make an impossible choice.
Torn between duty and freedom, she must learn that clinging to the past, might destroy her future.
Initial Thoughts
I saw this book was released yesterday in an Instagram post and it immediately caught my eye. I downloaded it right away and had it almost finished by the time I left work
Ice Crown is a fantastic beginning to what promises to be an intriguing series. Talise was born in the Storm, the poorest and most dangerous place in the world, populated by criminals and families of criminals. The only way out is to train at the academy, a life reserved for the most talented with the elemental magics. And the only way to stay out of the Storm and bring one's family out of poverty is to win the academy's greatest honor, being chosen by the emperor as the Master Shaper. Talise is talented, but a new student quickly joins the academy with as great or greater a gift. As a result, Talise has to attempt a type of magic that has never been successfully executed before. Will that be enough or will she die trying?
I loved the characters. I loved the setting. And I loved the intrigue. Talise has so much to gain and so much to lose, but her reasons for both are compelling. She is also likable, making me cheer for her even when it seems like the odds are stacked against her. I wish we knew more about her mother or what caused her family to be in the Storm in the first place. Is the emperor cruel or just strict? And what will happen if Talise wins the competition? What will happen if she loses? I suppose we'll all have to keep reading to find out.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I loved the characters. I loved the setting. And I loved the intrigue. Talise has so much to gain and so much to lose, but her reasons for both are compelling. She is also likable, making me cheer for her even when it seems like the odds are stacked against her. I wish we knew more about her mother or what caused her family to be in the Storm in the first place. Is the emperor cruel or just strict? And what will happen if Talise wins the competition? What will happen if she loses? I suppose we'll all have to keep reading to find out.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.