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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
Mixed review It reads a bit like fantasy but it's post-apocalypse. The apocalypse happened when, according to the rulers, the Jadans angered the crier and that ripped cold away. Now cold is a commodity, the land is a desert and the rivers boil and the Jadans are the slaves of petty Nobles who have the power of life and death over the Jadans. The Jadans are raised in communal houses, taken from their parents and given to others to raise. Their lives are nasty, brutish and short and things are grim.
Micah escapes the dorm at night, looking for things to (illegally) tinker with and to try to make his life, and the life of others better. He encounters are more rebellious Jadan and realises that life isn't always obvious.
It's interesting and the characters are well drawn but the world is a mystery. I didn't really get what was going on and why and eventually I just was underwhelmed by it all. I am curious to know what's going on but I don't really feel an urgency to find the next book.
Micah escapes the dorm at night, looking for things to (illegally) tinker with and to try to make his life, and the life of others better. He encounters are more rebellious Jadan and realises that life isn't always obvious.
It's interesting and the characters are well drawn but the world is a mystery. I didn't really get what was going on and why and eventually I just was underwhelmed by it all. I am curious to know what's going on but I don't really feel an urgency to find the next book.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
https://readinglife342128355.wordpress.com/2018/01/27/book-review-coldmaker/
Overall, I LOVED this book, like seriously could not put it down (Book 2 now please!!!). This is my first 5* review this year ❤ It was well written, the characters were written in a way that was rich in personality and you actually related to them. The world was incredible. Not going to lie here, I was a little bit disappointed with the world building to start with BUT that said the further I got into it the richer the world became and by the time we were 80% through the book I could very easily picture it in my head.
The idea of Nobels vs Jadans, Rich vs Poor, is not a new one but this is done in a new way. Money isn’t a commodity and having it replaced with cold is an interesting concept and one I’d like to see expanded on a bit more.
Although this is a fantasy book, I think it very much on the accessible side of fantasy and there are a lot of tie ins to things in our world so I would recommend to even non fantasy fans.
Overall, I LOVED this book, like seriously could not put it down (Book 2 now please!!!). This is my first 5* review this year ❤ It was well written, the characters were written in a way that was rich in personality and you actually related to them. The world was incredible. Not going to lie here, I was a little bit disappointed with the world building to start with BUT that said the further I got into it the richer the world became and by the time we were 80% through the book I could very easily picture it in my head.
The idea of Nobels vs Jadans, Rich vs Poor, is not a new one but this is done in a new way. Money isn’t a commodity and having it replaced with cold is an interesting concept and one I’d like to see expanded on a bit more.
Although this is a fantasy book, I think it very much on the accessible side of fantasy and there are a lot of tie ins to things in our world so I would recommend to even non fantasy fans.
This book took me by surprise. I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did.
What I enjoyed most was that it had a unique concept. That is, the idea that 'Cold' is rare and a commodity that only the rich or worthy can access. Although the plot of rich versus poor, slaves versus their masters has been around forever, the world building sets it apart. The author has really thought about the world and his characters and it shows.
There's no info-dumps to be found here. The reader is thrown into the story and we have to figure it out as we go. I like not being spoon fed all the details and that it challenges us as a reader to pay attention and use our imagination.
There are times the story feels middle grade, but there are also some dark moments here. I liked Micah as a character and found him to be intelligent and thoughtful - traits that aren't always found in the MC of a young adult story!
Overall, recommended for something a little bit different. I'm looking forward to reading the second in the series.
What I enjoyed most was that it had a unique concept. That is, the idea that 'Cold' is rare and a commodity that only the rich or worthy can access. Although the plot of rich versus poor, slaves versus their masters has been around forever, the world building sets it apart. The author has really thought about the world and his characters and it shows.
There's no info-dumps to be found here. The reader is thrown into the story and we have to figure it out as we go. I like not being spoon fed all the details and that it challenges us as a reader to pay attention and use our imagination.
There are times the story feels middle grade, but there are also some dark moments here. I liked Micah as a character and found him to be intelligent and thoughtful - traits that aren't always found in the MC of a young adult story!
Overall, recommended for something a little bit different. I'm looking forward to reading the second in the series.
adventurous
medium-paced
This was a rather interesting read.
It felt like a dystopian novel as the setting was a sort of post apocalyptic world where the world is scorching hot. So much so that the rivers are boiling and water must be cooled down to drink. Cold is the currency in this world. The most valuable and precious thing. There are two types of people, the Jadens who are a slave race, they have to run errands and get the Cold for the Nobles. The nobles are the second type of people. They treat the Jadens like worthless dirt and are horrendous.
I really liked the world and found it to be so different and interesting.
In this story we follow Micah (Spout) a Jaden who scavenges the rubbish heaps for materials he can use to tinker with. He has a gift for inventing things that help to make his and his father’s life a little easier in this terribly harsh world. I won’t describe much more of the plot as it’s only a short book and things don’t really get moving until towards the end. But it moves along like any YA dystopian does.
My main complaints are really about world building. You are dropped into this world straight away and nothing is really explained. I had a hard time imagining the Cold in its various forms and wish we knew more about what actually happened to the world. I also felt that the characters weren’t very well developed. They were good characters, don’t get me wrong. I just didn’t feel their plight or care very much about them. Which is a shame because this world is super interesting and not run of the mill. With more world building and more character development this could be an excellent book. Sadly it fell short of the mark for me.
It felt like a dystopian novel as the setting was a sort of post apocalyptic world where the world is scorching hot. So much so that the rivers are boiling and water must be cooled down to drink. Cold is the currency in this world. The most valuable and precious thing. There are two types of people, the Jadens who are a slave race, they have to run errands and get the Cold for the Nobles. The nobles are the second type of people. They treat the Jadens like worthless dirt and are horrendous.
I really liked the world and found it to be so different and interesting.
In this story we follow Micah (Spout) a Jaden who scavenges the rubbish heaps for materials he can use to tinker with. He has a gift for inventing things that help to make his and his father’s life a little easier in this terribly harsh world. I won’t describe much more of the plot as it’s only a short book and things don’t really get moving until towards the end. But it moves along like any YA dystopian does.
My main complaints are really about world building. You are dropped into this world straight away and nothing is really explained. I had a hard time imagining the Cold in its various forms and wish we knew more about what actually happened to the world. I also felt that the characters weren’t very well developed. They were good characters, don’t get me wrong. I just didn’t feel their plight or care very much about them. Which is a shame because this world is super interesting and not run of the mill. With more world building and more character development this could be an excellent book. Sadly it fell short of the mark for me.
I received an e-arc of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.
I was intrigued by the premise of this book, and I am very glad to say I was not disappointed. Coldmaker delivers an original fantasy with social justice undertones. We're in Paphos, where Sun makes the heat unbearable and Cold falls from the sky, but only for a select category of people. Jadans are enslaved by the Nobles as punishment for their actions many centuries before, which, according to the sacred books, are the whole reason why the world has turned into an immense desert and whole species of animals have vanished entirely.
The world building here was amazing. I could almost feel the heat while reading! The societal structure is explained very clearly, but without ever feeling lecture-y, which is often an issue I have with fantasy books. Jadans are subjected to all sort of abuses at the hands of Nobles and taskmasters, but meekly accept because "it is the Crier's will". When a mysterious Jadan dares rebel, however, the whole system receives a massive shock, initiating a chain reaction that might end with freedom... or massacre. The idea behind this society is absolutely brilliant, and raises so many interesting points on freedom, equality, power dynamics, labour... It's incredibly hard to explore any of these without risking some major spoilers, so I'll stop here!
Word of warning: the author is evil, and had me tearing up more than once. Learn from my mistakes: do not, I repeat DO NOT like the characters. No one is safe!!! Also, on a rather more serious note, be prepared if you are a highly sensitive person, as some of the ill-treatment received by the Jadans is described in quite some detail. It's not graphic at any point and it was necessary within the story and the world-building, but may disturb some people.
Overall, a really solid start to a new, original fantasy series. There is never a boring moment, and the cast of characters is varied and absolutely fabulous. Our narrator and main character, Micah, is funny, caring, brilliant and overall adorable, and I cannot wait to if and how he will manage to free his people from slavery restore Cold to Paphos!
For this and more reviews, visit Book for Thought.
I was intrigued by the premise of this book, and I am very glad to say I was not disappointed. Coldmaker delivers an original fantasy with social justice undertones. We're in Paphos, where Sun makes the heat unbearable and Cold falls from the sky, but only for a select category of people. Jadans are enslaved by the Nobles as punishment for their actions many centuries before, which, according to the sacred books, are the whole reason why the world has turned into an immense desert and whole species of animals have vanished entirely.
The world building here was amazing. I could almost feel the heat while reading! The societal structure is explained very clearly, but without ever feeling lecture-y, which is often an issue I have with fantasy books. Jadans are subjected to all sort of abuses at the hands of Nobles and taskmasters, but meekly accept because "it is the Crier's will". When a mysterious Jadan dares rebel, however, the whole system receives a massive shock, initiating a chain reaction that might end with freedom... or massacre. The idea behind this society is absolutely brilliant, and raises so many interesting points on freedom, equality, power dynamics, labour... It's incredibly hard to explore any of these without risking some major spoilers, so I'll stop here!
Word of warning: the author is evil, and had me tearing up more than once. Learn from my mistakes: do not, I repeat DO NOT like the characters. No one is safe!!! Also, on a rather more serious note, be prepared if you are a highly sensitive person, as some of the ill-treatment received by the Jadans is described in quite some detail. It's not graphic at any point and it was necessary within the story and the world-building, but may disturb some people.
Overall, a really solid start to a new, original fantasy series. There is never a boring moment, and the cast of characters is varied and absolutely fabulous. Our narrator and main character, Micah, is funny, caring, brilliant and overall adorable, and I cannot wait to if and how he will manage to free his people from slavery restore Cold to Paphos!
For this and more reviews, visit Book for Thought.
Full review up on my blog: https://chaininteraction.wordpress.com/2017/12/21/6910/
Let’s start with concept, because I think that’s the most powerful thing in this book. In this setting cold is a physical thing you can find, obtain and own – I’m not explaining it well, but the book does. It is one of the best uses of ‘here’s a weird idea I’ll write a book about it’ I’ve ever found.
The reason I think it works so well is that Daniel A. Cohen writes heat so wonderfully well. Even reading at a freezing bus stop first thing in the morning you can feel the blistering heat of this fantasy world. An extension of this is that Cohen is phenomenal at writing the pain his characters feel. You wince for them when they’re whipped or left to dehydrate. It makes for not only an immersive experience, but also characters that you desperately want to help. I was deep into this world by the end of the book and I think that’s a testament to Cohen’s writing talents.
What I liked is that this didn’t become ‘rich person saviour’-esque. There’s an element of that to it, which could have turned me completely off the book as a whole, but it is in general held in balance with an understanding that it is the Jadan who are the main characters in this story.
The one thing that sent it from being an instant 5 star to a four? The romance. I hate to be that person and for some people I know that romance is an important element to a story but for me this was so tacked on and didn’t serve the story at all. I think if the idea of romance being forbidden had been instilled more in the setting it might have been more effective. In general I think this could have waited for the sequel (please say there is a sequel) because there was barely enough time for the reader to get to know the characters, let alone for the characters to get to know each other. I actually rolled my eyes when the kiss happened because for me it didn’t feel like it was adding anything to the story or to the character. I’m making a bigger deal of it than I perhaps should, plenty of books I love have somewhat pointless romances, particularly in the beginnings to series, but it annoys me that this book, which I otherwise loved, had such a flaw.
If you like strange fantasy settings and rebellions this is definitely a book for you, I’d be interested to see how someone reading it in another season or who lived in a hotter climate might find it!
My rating: 4/5 stars
I received a digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Let’s start with concept, because I think that’s the most powerful thing in this book. In this setting cold is a physical thing you can find, obtain and own – I’m not explaining it well, but the book does. It is one of the best uses of ‘here’s a weird idea I’ll write a book about it’ I’ve ever found.
The reason I think it works so well is that Daniel A. Cohen writes heat so wonderfully well. Even reading at a freezing bus stop first thing in the morning you can feel the blistering heat of this fantasy world. An extension of this is that Cohen is phenomenal at writing the pain his characters feel. You wince for them when they’re whipped or left to dehydrate. It makes for not only an immersive experience, but also characters that you desperately want to help. I was deep into this world by the end of the book and I think that’s a testament to Cohen’s writing talents.
What I liked is that this didn’t become ‘rich person saviour’-esque. There’s an element of that to it, which could have turned me completely off the book as a whole, but it is in general held in balance with an understanding that it is the Jadan who are the main characters in this story.
The one thing that sent it from being an instant 5 star to a four? The romance. I hate to be that person and for some people I know that romance is an important element to a story but for me this was so tacked on and didn’t serve the story at all. I think if the idea of romance being forbidden had been instilled more in the setting it might have been more effective. In general I think this could have waited for the sequel (please say there is a sequel) because there was barely enough time for the reader to get to know the characters, let alone for the characters to get to know each other. I actually rolled my eyes when the kiss happened because for me it didn’t feel like it was adding anything to the story or to the character. I’m making a bigger deal of it than I perhaps should, plenty of books I love have somewhat pointless romances, particularly in the beginnings to series, but it annoys me that this book, which I otherwise loved, had such a flaw.
If you like strange fantasy settings and rebellions this is definitely a book for you, I’d be interested to see how someone reading it in another season or who lived in a hotter climate might find it!
My rating: 4/5 stars
I received a digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed the concept behind this novel, that in a world of overwhelming heat, cold drops from the sky in gradations of various physical forms and who is allowed to possess and utilize this is strictly controlled by a rigid hierarchy that sees one race practically enslaved. This race, the Jaden, are not allowed to possess any fragments of the cold that fall to the earth and their servitude is justified under a mythos that they are responsible for the heat devastation that has destroyed this once green land and that the nobles rule or hold their positions at the top because their Khat saved the Jadens.
This mythos is so pervasive and ingrained that even the majority of the Jadens are believers in their own servitude.
This book had so much potential but unfortunately while I enjoyed the characters to a degree there was always something that remained a bit flat about them. While for the back story. on the world building. the element we got to see was fascinating but at the same time I was left with the feeling that there was so much more that could have been explored.
Will however still read the second book when it comes out to see if there is some more of the parts that I found lacking.
This mythos is so pervasive and ingrained that even the majority of the Jadens are believers in their own servitude.
This book had so much potential but unfortunately while I enjoyed the characters to a degree there was always something that remained a bit flat about them. While for the back story. on the world building. the element we got to see was fascinating but at the same time I was left with the feeling that there was so much more that could have been explored.
Will however still read the second book when it comes out to see if there is some more of the parts that I found lacking.
Loved it! Need the next one!!! Review to follow!