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artemisienne 's review for:
Ice Kissed
by Amanda Hocking
This book is a 3.5 rounded up.
The Kanin Chronicles tells the story of a conspiracy that is taking over the troll kingdoms and a girl that is trying her damnedest to stop it.
(Given that I have read all the books in the series recently, this review will be of the series in general, with a few additional paragraphs relating to each specific book.)
From what I gathered from the reviews of this book, most readers were attracted by the premise (tell me something I don't know, captain obvious). I was given the series by a friend, so I already had high expectations knowing that she was aware of my love for fantasy books. I managed to finish the whole series (3 books) in 6 days, so I guess that says something, but unfortunately it just didn't live up to my expectations. Admittedly, few books do, so I wasn't disappointed.
The settings were one of the parts of the series that I loved most. Hocking really created a beautiful, original alternate universe in which four troll tribes (most of whom surprisingly look just like humans) coexist on Earth alongside humans, without the humans knowing. The uniqueness of each tribes' habitats, abilities, appearances, and dynamics are intriguing, and although we meet each tribe throughout the series I felt like I wanted to know more about each of the tribes and how they lived. Additionally, the author's descriptions of each tribe's palace and kingdoms paint beautiful images in your mind that it makes you feel as if they are on a different planet entirely. I did notice some repetition of location descriptors throughout the books even though the protagonist had been there before and the place had already been described similarly.
I thought the general plot or arc of the series was also well thought out. As facts began to be revealed bit by bit, I found myself thinking back to previous events and seeing how weird behaviour or subtle foreshadowing hinted at the truth since the beginning. I was quite impressed by the scale of the conspiracy that was starting to overtake the Kanin - and later, the other troll kingdoms as well - and how the scope seemed to widen continually from the seemingly minor danger of Konstantin attempting to kidnap a changeling to the threat of complete troll extinction.
Interestingly, I was more interested in the minor characters rather than the major ones. My favourites were Ember and Tilda, Linus Berling, Ulla, and the royal families of the Trylle and Skojare. For the most part, I love Ulla and the royal families because I found their environment and backstories interesting. For this reason, I would love to read Hocking's other series surrounding these tribes. On the other hand, my interest in Ember, Tilda, and Linus mostly derive from their depth as characters. Throughout the series, they exhibit more strength, levelheadedness, and character development than Bryn and Ridley combined, which brings me to my next point.
I liked Ice Kissed more than [b:Frostfire|18105451|Frostfire (Kanin Chronicles, #1)|Amanda Hocking|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1408844832s/18105451.jpg|25425024] mostly because of Konstantin. Previously a minor character, Konstantin is now Bryn's comrade as they both try to find a way to save Kanin before it is destroyed. I was pleasantly surprised by Konstantin's determination at making it up to Bryn and saving her from running blind into a conspiracy bigger than she realised, and I particularly liked the way he was portrayed. Hocking gives the reader a closer look at his backstory and character, and it made me realise just how easy it was for a kingdom (or country, in our case) to brainwash and paint such a different picture of someone to suit their goals. Despite this, I felt like Konstantin was still underappreciated as a character in Ice Kissed and [b:Crystal Kingdom|18132925|Crystal Kingdom (Kanin Chronicles, #3)|Amanda Hocking|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1414606820s/18132925.jpg|25470733] and didn't get enough exposure. Of course, this is reasonable considering that the story is narrated by Bryn and her sole focus is on saving Kanin and hooking up with Ridley, but still. Giving Konstantin some ill-placed, unexplained, and rushed romantic feelings towards Bryn was also a bit of a stretch, in my opinion, because it didn't make sense at all given the age difference and the fact that they'd just known each other, not to mention the lack of recognition from Bryn or Ridley of those feelings, meaning that there was simply no point in giving him those feelings at all.
On another note, I was really intrigued by the Skojare royal family, like I mentioned above. The dynamics between Linnea and Mikko are interesting because it's like watching the story of the girl who changes the cold, closed guy and them falling in love from the outside. Kennet is also a real mystery (although you realise why in [b:Crystal Kingdom|18132925|Crystal Kingdom (Kanin Chronicles, #3)|Amanda Hocking|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1414606820s/18132925.jpg|25470733]), and his character played off Bryn's well.
One of the things I was most annoyed by in the series was Bryn. As the narrator, it felt disconcerting as Bryn tries to explain every single step in her reasoning that led to her (and sometimes other characters') every action, thought, and behaviour. This prevented me from getting lost in the story because it was more like I was reading an essay than watching the scene play out in my head. As a character, Bryn was underwhelmingly two-dimensional and static. She undergoes almost no character development throughout the whole series that you could probably predict her actions halfway through the book. Bryn is the manifestation of the typical female YA protagonist: a beautiful outcast, unaccepted by those around her but ultimately the chosen one, the only person that can save the kingdom. She's determined and hardheaded, and falls in love with the one person she can't fall in love with. She's a stereotype. It would be more believable if the author had said she was 15 rather than 19 because of how immature she was, especially compared to her friends.
Despite my critiques, I'm glad I pushed through my irritation at Bryn, because her world is beautiful and mesmerizing and I found the series a good way to pass the time. While it may not be exactly for me, this series would be perfect for young YA lovers, especially those that lean towards fantasy and romance.
The Kanin Chronicles tells the story of a conspiracy that is taking over the troll kingdoms and a girl that is trying her damnedest to stop it.
(Given that I have read all the books in the series recently, this review will be of the series in general, with a few additional paragraphs relating to each specific book.)
From what I gathered from the reviews of this book, most readers were attracted by the premise (tell me something I don't know, captain obvious). I was given the series by a friend, so I already had high expectations knowing that she was aware of my love for fantasy books. I managed to finish the whole series (3 books) in 6 days, so I guess that says something, but unfortunately it just didn't live up to my expectations. Admittedly, few books do, so I wasn't disappointed.
The settings were one of the parts of the series that I loved most. Hocking really created a beautiful, original alternate universe in which four troll tribes (most of whom surprisingly look just like humans) coexist on Earth alongside humans, without the humans knowing. The uniqueness of each tribes' habitats, abilities, appearances, and dynamics are intriguing, and although we meet each tribe throughout the series I felt like I wanted to know more about each of the tribes and how they lived. Additionally, the author's descriptions of each tribe's palace and kingdoms paint beautiful images in your mind that it makes you feel as if they are on a different planet entirely. I did notice some repetition of location descriptors throughout the books even though the protagonist had been there before and the place had already been described similarly.
I thought the general plot or arc of the series was also well thought out. As facts began to be revealed bit by bit, I found myself thinking back to previous events and seeing how weird behaviour or subtle foreshadowing hinted at the truth since the beginning. I was quite impressed by the scale of the conspiracy that was starting to overtake the Kanin - and later, the other troll kingdoms as well - and how the scope seemed to widen continually from the seemingly minor danger of Konstantin attempting to kidnap a changeling to the threat of complete troll extinction.
Interestingly, I was more interested in the minor characters rather than the major ones. My favourites were Ember and Tilda, Linus Berling, Ulla, and the royal families of the Trylle and Skojare. For the most part, I love Ulla and the royal families because I found their environment and backstories interesting. For this reason, I would love to read Hocking's other series surrounding these tribes. On the other hand, my interest in Ember, Tilda, and Linus mostly derive from their depth as characters. Throughout the series, they exhibit more strength, levelheadedness, and character development than Bryn and Ridley combined, which brings me to my next point.
I liked Ice Kissed more than [b:Frostfire|18105451|Frostfire (Kanin Chronicles, #1)|Amanda Hocking|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1408844832s/18105451.jpg|25425024] mostly because of Konstantin. Previously a minor character, Konstantin is now Bryn's comrade as they both try to find a way to save Kanin before it is destroyed. I was pleasantly surprised by Konstantin's determination at making it up to Bryn and saving her from running blind into a conspiracy bigger than she realised, and I particularly liked the way he was portrayed. Hocking gives the reader a closer look at his backstory and character, and it made me realise just how easy it was for a kingdom (or country, in our case) to brainwash and paint such a different picture of someone to suit their goals. Despite this, I felt like Konstantin was still underappreciated as a character in Ice Kissed and [b:Crystal Kingdom|18132925|Crystal Kingdom (Kanin Chronicles, #3)|Amanda Hocking|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1414606820s/18132925.jpg|25470733] and didn't get enough exposure. Of course, this is reasonable considering that the story is narrated by Bryn and her sole focus is on saving Kanin and hooking up with Ridley, but still. Giving Konstantin some ill-placed, unexplained, and rushed romantic feelings towards Bryn was also a bit of a stretch, in my opinion, because it didn't make sense at all given the age difference and the fact that they'd just known each other, not to mention the lack of recognition from Bryn or Ridley of those feelings, meaning that there was simply no point in giving him those feelings at all.
On another note, I was really intrigued by the Skojare royal family, like I mentioned above. The dynamics between Linnea and Mikko are interesting because it's like watching the story of the girl who changes the cold, closed guy and them falling in love from the outside. Kennet is also a real mystery (although you realise why in [b:Crystal Kingdom|18132925|Crystal Kingdom (Kanin Chronicles, #3)|Amanda Hocking|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1414606820s/18132925.jpg|25470733]), and his character played off Bryn's well.
One of the things I was most annoyed by in the series was Bryn. As the narrator, it felt disconcerting as Bryn tries to explain every single step in her reasoning that led to her (and sometimes other characters') every action, thought, and behaviour. This prevented me from getting lost in the story because it was more like I was reading an essay than watching the scene play out in my head. As a character, Bryn was underwhelmingly two-dimensional and static. She undergoes almost no character development throughout the whole series that you could probably predict her actions halfway through the book. Bryn is the manifestation of the typical female YA protagonist: a beautiful outcast, unaccepted by those around her but ultimately the chosen one, the only person that can save the kingdom. She's determined and hardheaded, and falls in love with the one person she can't fall in love with. She's a stereotype. It would be more believable if the author had said she was 15 rather than 19 because of how immature she was, especially compared to her friends.
Despite my critiques, I'm glad I pushed through my irritation at Bryn, because her world is beautiful and mesmerizing and I found the series a good way to pass the time. While it may not be exactly for me, this series would be perfect for young YA lovers, especially those that lean towards fantasy and romance.