A review by kayshiddenshelf
Cold from the North by D.W. Ross

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

 4/5 Stars

A chilling start to the Onyxborn Chronicle! Cold from the North by D.W. Ross is a self-published epic fantasy with Viking influences. 

An old prophecy returns, an army swarms the North to return their dark god to the world, and one hope to stop them. Olgulf, son of the cheiftan in the Northern village of Keltbran, learns of the army destroying all who stand in their way. Olgulf and his people must make the treacherous journey South to seek refuge and warn of the impending army. Along his travels, he is tasked with finding the one person who can stop the onslaught and prevent the Onyxborn’s return. 

Cold From the North pulls you into a bleak and hopeless land. The North has been cast into perpetual winter for years. While the people of the North are hardy, survival in a barren land becomes increasingly difficult for Olgulf and his people. With the setting of the land and characters established quickly, it was easy to become immersed in the world and its people. 

Similarly, I found myself quickly invested in the characters and their circumstances. Throughout this multi-POV story, the characters each had distinct voices and while there were likeable and unlikable characters, D.W. Ross made it easy to fall into the nuances of the characters relationships vs their responsibilities. 

While there is magic, it is not widely accepted among all those in the world. This creates tension and intriguing developments throughout the story.  

There was also a great balance of suspense and pacing within the story. While the pacing was medium to fast, the added layer of suspense or tension made this hard to put down. Typically, when emotional scenes occur in a book, I put it down to process the scene before continuing. I couldn’t do that with Cold from the North because it was such a compelling read, and easy to get lost in. 

This is a harsh world that will draw you in from the start and leave you theorizing. 

I read this via eBook and listening to the audiobook, narrated by Matt Coles. Matt did a great job at setting the tone and bringing the characters to life. 

Featuring great characters, action, emotional scenes, magic, foreshadowing, mystery, lore, a prophecy, and quest. 

A great start to the series and one I’d recommend for any Fantasy reader out there. 

I look forward to continuing the series and seeing how the authors writing grows.