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A review by wendy327
Kingdom of Ice and Bone by Jill Criswell
5.0
I received a free copy from Blackstone through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Picking up a few days after the first installment, both Lira and Reyker believe the other is dead, Reyker at the hands of mercenaries and Lira with her leap off the cliff in an effort to escape Draki. Both find themselves at a crossroads with threads of their destiny laid before them. However, without their other half, the two fight against these paths, aiming to chart their own way. As events in Glasnith unfold, both Reyker and Lira find themselves headed to Iseneld. But remember, Draki, the Dragon, is never far behind.
Jill Criswell expands on Beasts of the Frozen Sun by continuing the world building established in the first novel by allowing the reader to explore Stalwart Bay and eventually make their way with Reyker and Lira to Iseneld. And the land of Iseneld is not one to be trifled with as it seems to be built with the harsh, but beautiful, landscape of Iceland in mind, featuring everything from fields of flowers to harsh glaciers full of crevasses that can swallow an army whole. The settlements in Iseneld were no less fascinating as Fjullthorp, Dragon’s Lair, and Vaknavangur are explored along with the various peoples that live there. As the novel ends with various characters striking out toward The Haunted Isles, the world continues expanding in meaningful and important ways.
Kingdom of Ice and Bone also introduces several new characters, including Andrithur, Solvei, Brokk, Hilde, and several new Daughters of Aillira, most notably Alane, Keeva, and Bronagh. These characters help flesh out the cast of faces in Iseneld and allow the reader to feel as though they have entered another land. However, most of the focus remains on the main cast of Lira, Reyker, and Draki. As a reader, I particularly appreciated that Draki’s story is provided space in this novel. Draki was certainly a threat in Beasts of the Frozen Sun but a relatively unknown one, at least for the audience. In Kingdom of Ice and Bone, the reader is able to see what Draki means to those who serve him as well as the surrounding settlements in Iseneld. Despite a more in-depth view of Draki, the fact that he is a villain is never far, for the manipulative nature of Draki is front and center as he continues to move people around as if they are pieces on a gameboard.
And it wouldn’t be fair to discuss Kingdom of Ice and Bone without mentioning the bond that Lira and Reyker share. Beasts of the Frozen Sun set up a romantic partnership that was easy to root for. It was clear from the start of Kingdom of Ice and Bone that this would remain true. Criswell uses the plot beautifully to act as an authorial fate who continually puts Lira and Reyker in the same physical space without the characters realizing that their other half is still alive. As a reader, I know this is what kept me flipping pages long into the night since I kept hoping they would see one another or that a character they had both interacted with would drop their names so that they would recognize the truth. And while young adult novels often focus too much on the romance aspect, the love story here feels earned, particularly since Kingdom of Ice and Bone really leans into action and adventure with another hardship right around the corner. This novel was definitely darker, particularly with the choices made by Lira and Reyker at the conclusion of the novel.
As a whole, this was brilliant, heartbreaking, and all around amazing, even with the bleaker turn for both the characters and plot. Will I be tuning in for the final installment in the trilogy? I sure will!
Picking up a few days after the first installment, both Lira and Reyker believe the other is dead, Reyker at the hands of mercenaries and Lira with her leap off the cliff in an effort to escape Draki. Both find themselves at a crossroads with threads of their destiny laid before them. However, without their other half, the two fight against these paths, aiming to chart their own way. As events in Glasnith unfold, both Reyker and Lira find themselves headed to Iseneld. But remember, Draki, the Dragon, is never far behind.
Jill Criswell expands on Beasts of the Frozen Sun by continuing the world building established in the first novel by allowing the reader to explore Stalwart Bay and eventually make their way with Reyker and Lira to Iseneld. And the land of Iseneld is not one to be trifled with as it seems to be built with the harsh, but beautiful, landscape of Iceland in mind, featuring everything from fields of flowers to harsh glaciers full of crevasses that can swallow an army whole. The settlements in Iseneld were no less fascinating as Fjullthorp, Dragon’s Lair, and Vaknavangur are explored along with the various peoples that live there. As the novel ends with various characters striking out toward The Haunted Isles, the world continues expanding in meaningful and important ways.
Kingdom of Ice and Bone also introduces several new characters, including Andrithur, Solvei, Brokk, Hilde, and several new Daughters of Aillira, most notably Alane, Keeva, and Bronagh. These characters help flesh out the cast of faces in Iseneld and allow the reader to feel as though they have entered another land. However, most of the focus remains on the main cast of Lira, Reyker, and Draki. As a reader, I particularly appreciated that Draki’s story is provided space in this novel. Draki was certainly a threat in Beasts of the Frozen Sun but a relatively unknown one, at least for the audience. In Kingdom of Ice and Bone, the reader is able to see what Draki means to those who serve him as well as the surrounding settlements in Iseneld. Despite a more in-depth view of Draki, the fact that he is a villain is never far, for the manipulative nature of Draki is front and center as he continues to move people around as if they are pieces on a gameboard.
And it wouldn’t be fair to discuss Kingdom of Ice and Bone without mentioning the bond that Lira and Reyker share. Beasts of the Frozen Sun set up a romantic partnership that was easy to root for. It was clear from the start of Kingdom of Ice and Bone that this would remain true. Criswell uses the plot beautifully to act as an authorial fate who continually puts Lira and Reyker in the same physical space without the characters realizing that their other half is still alive. As a reader, I know this is what kept me flipping pages long into the night since I kept hoping they would see one another or that a character they had both interacted with would drop their names so that they would recognize the truth. And while young adult novels often focus too much on the romance aspect, the love story here feels earned, particularly since Kingdom of Ice and Bone really leans into action and adventure with another hardship right around the corner. This novel was definitely darker, particularly with the choices made by Lira and Reyker at the conclusion of the novel.
As a whole, this was brilliant, heartbreaking, and all around amazing, even with the bleaker turn for both the characters and plot. Will I be tuning in for the final installment in the trilogy? I sure will!