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crimsoncor's review against another edition
4.0
I liked it. I really wanted to love it. The world building is amazing; it is so much fun to spend the time in this endless ice age version of Europe where the oceans are all lower and the fall of the Roman empire led to a never-ending struggle of smaller principalities and tribes. The gradual unspooling of the history of this timeline is one of my favorite parts as is seeing how the industrial revolution and the rise of the working class union unfolds here. But the characters remain a bit too one-dimensional to really pop (I can't be the only one who found Rory to be tedious and Bee just too magically amazing) and the romance super juvenile (I know it is YA, but the best YA doesn't feel juvenile). Still a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
ettuladyblue's review against another edition
4.0
More Kate Elliott please! She may lack in some character development (or maybe that's just a bias I have towards first person narratives) but I adored the world building. Finally someone who doesn't write an England surrogate as their setting, but actually takes time to research and plan their AU. The plot moves quickly, and despite a few contrivances, the world building and the underlying plot make up for that.
ptothelo's review against another edition
3.0
It took me a little while to get into the world but once I got going I really enjoyed it. I liked the fact I never quite guessed where it was going. There is a lot of physical action but also a lot of great growth in the characters
karinlib's review against another edition
4.0
I really like Kate Elliot, and I have just discovered this new series, and loving this alternative history/steampunk/fantasy aspect.
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
4.0
This is definitely a book filled with adventure and beautiful prose. It's got an interesting premise in an alternate history, a large cultural aspect, conspiracy, drama, and complex characters. Its pacing was very slow in the first fifty or so pages, but it did pick up after that. The story seemed to drag on a little at times, but I always knew what was going on.
Cat is a hero I could relate to, even if her references to "being" a cat drove me crazy sometimes. Bee was feisty and loveable, and I have a gigantic crush on Rory. The character I struggled most with was Andevai. Yes, he's complicated and has a tragic backstory and all that. I just could not get past his attitude. Even at the end, I was struggling to forgive him for things he said and did to Cat. Hopefully he'll get better in later books, but I'm not holding my breath.
While I do have some nitpicks, all in all this was a sweeping fantasy adventure that I recommend for anyone who wants to read exactly that.
Cat is a hero I could relate to, even if her references to "being" a cat drove me crazy sometimes. Bee was feisty and loveable, and I have a gigantic crush on Rory. The character I struggled most with was Andevai. Yes, he's complicated and has a tragic backstory and all that. I just could not get past his attitude. Even at the end, I was struggling to forgive him for things he said and did to Cat. Hopefully he'll get better in later books, but I'm not holding my breath.
While I do have some nitpicks, all in all this was a sweeping fantasy adventure that I recommend for anyone who wants to read exactly that.
cosmith2015's review against another edition
3.0
Real rating is 2.5.
This is one of those books where the plot is promising and the world is cool, but there needs to be a better editor. I love the idea of giving Mande speakers a prominent role in this alternative Europe. I like the trolls. I like the idea of reading journals of a natural historian.
But.
The writing. Odd word choices/ turn of phrase. Unrealistic reactions. Bad info dumping. What makes the book interesting (for me) isn’t actually in focus most of the time. It felt like a lot happened but at the same time felt shallow.
I’ll be continuing on to the second, only because my dad bought it for me.
This is one of those books where the plot is promising and the world is cool, but there needs to be a better editor. I love the idea of giving Mande speakers a prominent role in this alternative Europe. I like the trolls. I like the idea of reading journals of a natural historian.
But.
The writing. Odd word choices/ turn of phrase. Unrealistic reactions. Bad info dumping. What makes the book interesting (for me) isn’t actually in focus most of the time. It felt like a lot happened but at the same time felt shallow.
I’ll be continuing on to the second, only because my dad bought it for me.
rogoreads's review against another edition
I had high hopes for this one, but it seemed like nothing was happening or going to happen. I made it maybe a third of the way through.
amym84's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted at Vampire Book Club
Catherine Hassi Barahal has grown up in the home of her aunt and uncle since the age of six after her parents tragically drowned, leaving Cat as the only survivor. She has spent a lot of time idolizing a father that she barely remembers by reading his extensive journals. She also attends college with her cousin and best friend Beatrice (Bee), learning about the new technology sweeping through the country. Slowly fading are the old days of magic and tradition. Overall Cat’s life, while not void of tragedy, has been pretty good. That is, until a cold mage turns up at the house and Cat is forced to marry him in order to fulfill a contract her family entered into thirteen years ago.
With no time wasted, and no explanations given, Cat is whisked away in her new husband’s carriage to Four Moons House, one of the existing mage houses. Now, Cat’s past and that of her family’s is being called into question. With unease brewing between revolutionists and the mages, Cat keeps her head down and herself silent. She no longer knows who to trust or what the mage house wants with her, but she’s determined to make it out alive.
Cold Magic starts off slowly as Kate Elliott establishes the history behind the world she’s created. I found it unfolded to me less through the interactions of the characters and more through an internal monologue of Cat’s (the book being told from her point of view). I guess we could say this speaks to Cat’s character. She’s very book smart, is able to recall various maps of different lands and minute details given in class lecture. However, she’s also strong-minded and stubborn. When faced with the perilous journey ahead of her she doesn’t just give up to her situation. She lies in wait for the perfect opportunity to stand up for herself, and when needed, she’s fully capable of defending her life. She’s determined to get back to Bee, and even if everything else is out of her control, she will succeed at least in that one matter.
Cold Magic picks up with the appearance of Andevai, Cat’s now husband. He comes onto the page very mysteriously. We, like Cat, know absolutely nothing about him, and up to this point, we know even less about the cold mages. He’s proud and arrogant, but that same arrogance is well-founded as he’s extremely strong in his magic. Yet it also makes him a little blind to the motives behind his commanded marriage to Cat. We don’t know enough about him to truly know what side he will stand on. All I will say is that I held out hope for him throughout the entire book, and he and Cat’s interactions were the best in the book (second only maybe to the interactions between Cat and Bee).
The world Elliott created in Cold Magic is on the brink of another revolution. Years ago the man who would “unite the lands of Europa” was defeated and imprisoned, but there are those that would see him freed, and unrest is definitely felt throughout the land. Cold Magic ends with some questions answered, but others are given to take their place. At this point I’m fully invested in finishing Cat’s journey, and I’m happy that the entire trilogy is published.
Catherine Hassi Barahal has grown up in the home of her aunt and uncle since the age of six after her parents tragically drowned, leaving Cat as the only survivor. She has spent a lot of time idolizing a father that she barely remembers by reading his extensive journals. She also attends college with her cousin and best friend Beatrice (Bee), learning about the new technology sweeping through the country. Slowly fading are the old days of magic and tradition. Overall Cat’s life, while not void of tragedy, has been pretty good. That is, until a cold mage turns up at the house and Cat is forced to marry him in order to fulfill a contract her family entered into thirteen years ago.
With no time wasted, and no explanations given, Cat is whisked away in her new husband’s carriage to Four Moons House, one of the existing mage houses. Now, Cat’s past and that of her family’s is being called into question. With unease brewing between revolutionists and the mages, Cat keeps her head down and herself silent. She no longer knows who to trust or what the mage house wants with her, but she’s determined to make it out alive.
Cold Magic starts off slowly as Kate Elliott establishes the history behind the world she’s created. I found it unfolded to me less through the interactions of the characters and more through an internal monologue of Cat’s (the book being told from her point of view). I guess we could say this speaks to Cat’s character. She’s very book smart, is able to recall various maps of different lands and minute details given in class lecture. However, she’s also strong-minded and stubborn. When faced with the perilous journey ahead of her she doesn’t just give up to her situation. She lies in wait for the perfect opportunity to stand up for herself, and when needed, she’s fully capable of defending her life. She’s determined to get back to Bee, and even if everything else is out of her control, she will succeed at least in that one matter.
Cold Magic picks up with the appearance of Andevai, Cat’s now husband. He comes onto the page very mysteriously. We, like Cat, know absolutely nothing about him, and up to this point, we know even less about the cold mages. He’s proud and arrogant, but that same arrogance is well-founded as he’s extremely strong in his magic. Yet it also makes him a little blind to the motives behind his commanded marriage to Cat. We don’t know enough about him to truly know what side he will stand on. All I will say is that I held out hope for him throughout the entire book, and he and Cat’s interactions were the best in the book (second only maybe to the interactions between Cat and Bee).
The world Elliott created in Cold Magic is on the brink of another revolution. Years ago the man who would “unite the lands of Europa” was defeated and imprisoned, but there are those that would see him freed, and unrest is definitely felt throughout the land. Cold Magic ends with some questions answered, but others are given to take their place. At this point I’m fully invested in finishing Cat’s journey, and I’m happy that the entire trilogy is published.
janina_reads's review against another edition
Just too bored to care. I mourn the cookies, though ;).
mamap's review against another edition
4.0
gothic romance with a little magic/adventure/danger thrown in.