Frost Like Night (Snow Like Ashes #3)

                Hello Happy Readers!  So I had been waiting for this book,  Frost Like Night (Snow Like Ashes #3) for a long time.  It is the final book by Sara Raasch is the final book in the series.  I had started reading this series (Snow Like Ashes / Ice Like Fire) and really enjoyed it but more than that I was nervous to see how they were going to wrap it all up.  I finished the series some time back but as I was going through and making my 2018 goals I realized there were several books I read in the last year or so that I never did review and I set to rectify that.  I had the pleasure of receiving an advanced copy of this book through No BS Book Reviews and the original review is posted there but this one was too good not to share on here as well. 

Rating:  5 Stars

                I read the first two books in this series earlier in the year and was blown away.  I could not wait for the final book to see how things would wrap up and if I would be right about a few things I had predicted.  OMG was I stoked to get my hands on this one! 

                So excited to dive in and see how it ends….and also not wanting to all at the same time.  I didn’t want it to end.       I managed to push though that last part clearly and now I know how things end and WOW! 

                We left our gang last time split up.  Angra is alive and the Decay is spreading.  Meira split off to go to Paisly to learn from the Order to use her magic and stop Angra while Mather is to free her people that he can, his Thaw.  Still given the past he is unable to not go after her again.  Half of their world is fighting to save their people while the other half seem to have given into Angra by will or force.  It’s a final battle for everything and no one is safe. 

                I LOVED IT! 

                Everything is happening very quickly in the book.  There is constantly something happening and it really adds the feel of imminent threat to the characters we love.  Even more with the dual POVs when one character is doing something that takes some time another character is handling something pressing.  It also manages to weave in the bits of happiness and romance amongst all the pain and tears we are faced with. The way Raasch manages to combine all the different emotions and make them feel natural is stellar work.  The bits of happiness that made me squeal weren’t out of place in the middle of war but written in such a way they are curtail and not just because I want to know if Meira and Mather will ever have their moment or if Ceridwen will find happiness but because like life there is always bits of everything mixed in.  Hope in the dark.

                Magic takes on a larger role in this one.  Meira really begins to understand.  We begin to see magic for what it truly is and I enjoyed the way it was further explained both good and bad.  The way the Decay worked was really rather fascinating, never knowing 100% if it’s the person's true desires being amplified or simply being weaker willed and easily controlled.  With the Decay it's hard to know who can be trusted, even yourself.  I loved that no one was really truly immune.  Also as Meira learns more about her own magic it really moved things along, not just in giving her a real show against Angra but in how it was centered around her emotions.  It was really empowering seeing her go from shut off and somewhat broken to facing what is on the other side of her mental walls and accepting it good and bad. 

                We also talk a lot about sacrifice.  It's been a theme for sure but now we come to what it will truly take.  I enjoyed how it was huge and important but it also wasn’t beaten into the ground.  It's discussed and thought about often but in small parts, as one might assume it would be.  Sacrifice is also seen in other ways as well and I enjoyed the other aspects of it, how it's about letting yourself be open even if it makes you vulnerable and may hurt you in the end. 

                Now I have to talk a moment about Mather.  So I was always a Mather fan.  I was a bit mad at him at times, like when he went to go marry her off and all that when he was king to name one but while I had moments and enjoyed Theron in parts I always had a bit of me rooting for Mather.  It was so nice to see them spend time together in this book where they spent most of the other book apart.  I enjoyed that reconnecting and seeing the connection they shared from growing up together and knowing one another so well.  He is devoted to her not just as her warrior but as her friend.  I also loved that while he would defend her with his life he also knows she is a warrior herself and wouldn't try to see her as anything less. 

                There is just so much happening in this book. It's the end.  Things wrap up and for me I was happy.  Some things broke my heart and I hated the book for those moments but then after I had a few tissues I had to keep going to know, what next?  It has it all, a real roller coaster of emotion.  We got to know some characters more fully flushed out, Ceridwen for one might be my favorite addition to book two and having so much from her perspective wonderful. 

                I was sad to see it end but I'm so fulfilled it's all good.             

         

~Waiting on Wednesday~ Frost Like Night (Snow Like Ashes #3)

                “Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  Basically books that are not yet out that we are dying to get our hands on.  This week’s pick is:

Frost Like Night (Snow Like Ashes #3) Sara Raasch

Out: 9/20

From Goodreads:

                Angra is alive, his Decay is spreading—and no one is safe.

                Meira will do anything to save her world.  With Angra trying to break through her mnetal defenses, she desperately needs to learn to control her own magic—so when the leader of a mysterious Order from Paisly offers to teach her, she jumps at the chance.  But the true solution to stopping the Decay lies in a labyrinth deep beneath the Season Kingdoms.  To defeat Angra, Meira will have to enter the labyrinth, destroy the very magic she's learning to control—and make the biggest sacrifice of all.

                Mather will do anything to save his queen. He needs to rally the Children of the Thaw, find Meira—and finally tell her how he really feels.  But with a plan of attack that leaves no kingdom unscathed and a major betrayal within their ranks, winning the war—and protecting Meira—slips farther and farther out of reach/

                Ceridwed will do anything to save her people.  Angra had her brother killed, stole her kingdom, and made her a prisoner.  But when she's freed by an unexpected ally who reveals a shocking truth behind Summer's slave trade, Ceridwen must take action to save her true love and her kingdom, even if it costs her what little she has left.

                As Angra unleases the Decay on the world, Meira, Mather, and Ceridwen must bring the kingdoms of Primoria together…or lose everything.    

Why I’m Waiting:

                So I finally caught up with this series this year and OMG I need to know what happens next.  How the last one left off just….NO.  People are dying and everything is just all sorts of out of whack and I need answers!  ****Update**** I had this post ready to go but I just got an ARC of this in the mail the day before and OMG OMG OMG!!!

                What are you waiting on?  Tell me below what you think of this title and leave a link to your WoW as well so I can check it out!

Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes #2)

                Hello happy readers.  Another wonderful Friday!  This is my weekend off and despite the tons of things I need to accomplish to be a productive human being I don’t want to do much more than watch some shows, sleep, and read.  Hopefully, I’ll get some good reading time in because I have a million things to read and never enough time.  Today though I wanted to share my thoughts and feels on Ice Like Fire, book two in the Snow Like Ashes trilogy by Sara Raasch which I reviewed here.  There will be spoilers to the first book in this review.

Rating:  5 Stars

                We last left Meira, soldier turned queen of Winter, as she with the help of Cordell’s army freed her people from Spring and defeated their oppressor.  Or so they hope.  Because having learned things about magic no one else had learned, that she didn’t need a conduit but instead IS the conduit, destroying the Spring conduit might have created the same of Angra, though his disappearance is cause for hope that he was defeated.  Still while Winter might be free of chains from Spring she is not yet free.  Winter owes a debt to Cordell, and continues to incur debt as they start to rebuild their lost land.  Meira isn’t happy with the king of Cordell, Noam, and his constant press for more of her land than she wants to give.  He didn’t help out of the goodness of his heart, or because his son Theron cares for it’s queen, but because he wants access to their mines to try and locate the lost chasm of magic.  When the chasm found but secured sets Meira and Theron on a journey of opposing purposes and force Meira to make some tough decisions.

                We get a dual POV in this one both from Meira and Mather.  This is great because we get to see so much more of Mather and what he feels given that the last story one of his short comings in the romance department is he was too good at hiding his emotions but being in his head you see it all.  This also allowed us to see a different part of the new Winter now that Meira is the queen and expected to handle the political aspects, wheeling and dealing as it were, and Mather is down in the grit of it.  They’ve swapped roles in a way.  Also nice seeing the contrast in how she adapts to being a simple soldier to the queen and him from king to simple lord.  The dynamic was interesting to see.  Meira struggling to hold in her impulsive act first talk later kick ass self at bay and be more queenly was interesting.  She isn't used to thinking in terms of politics and her strategies had always been more of the physical kick butt kind.

                We also got a ton of new characters and traveled to different kingdoms.  We had the chance to see into Summer (not a fan), Yakim, and Ventralli as well as seeing Winter which we only saw in glimpses and at the end of the last book.  Ceridwen was a favorite new addition for sure, she is sassy and determined which I admire.  She reminded me a bit of the old Meira before she had such responsibilities edging in on her.  William in this took a bit of a turn for me, while I wasn't always his biggest fan I always respected his choices or the reasons behind them anyways.  He went a little weak to me in this and it was very sad to see, especially the relationship between him and his son. 

                Another character who lost some points for me in this one is Theron.  Now at the end of book one I was undecided on which ship I wanted to ship.  I liked Mather and their past history for sure but I had some issues with how some things were handled.  Then meeting Theron he seemed too good to be true and I genuinely liked him and was almost shipping for him after he came to rescue her.  In the end I wasn’t sold 100% on picking a ship though I swayed more towards Theron.  This book and having Mathers POV among other things swayed me to declare Team Mather!  Still Theron while I respect his hope and optimism he starts out the back irking me almost reverting on everything I loved about him before.  He's pushy and determined to have things his way and doesn't treat Meira as an equal which now technically she out ranked him.  Some things can be explained but the overall items that got to me seemed more in line with his true nature.

                The story was intriguing and while there wasn't as much action, or at least it didn't feel like there was as much, there was so much happening plot wise that it moved along nicely for me.  Trying to figure out the best options alone with Meira while making a list of characters I wouldn't mind seeing killed.  Hey they list got kind of wrong.  There's one quote which kind of sums up so much.

 

                I finished this book excited and ready to go onto the next one but sadly I have to wait.  I'm itching to get my hands on Frost Like Night ASAP because the end of this one is definitely a cliffhanger and so much new stuff has come to light and others we have yet to scratch the surface of.  I wasn't sure where this book was going to go when the last one ended on freeing Winter but it has surpassed my expectations.  I'd love to hear your thoughts and feels down below.  What guy do you think is best for Meira?  Tell me in the comments below. 

                Until next time…

Snow Like Ashes

                Happy Monday readers.  I hope you all had a good weekend.  I know I had a pretty great one for reading myself.  Last week I finally read Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch.  I’ve had it on my shelf since shortly after it came out and a friend who was in total love with it and my own interest as well and then as book two came out I was still behind and now it’s just sad book three comes out this year, in September, I think and I want to be caught up dang it!  So when the read along came up I knew I had to do it.  Then of course I was excited to share my thoughts with you!

Rating: 5 Stars

                Snow Like Ashes is a high fantasy story about a world divided.  Four kingdoms know as the seasons where they eternally stay in that season, and four kingdoms who have normal seasons but all ruled by magic in the form of a conduit held by their ruler.  Sixteen years ago the Winter was conquered, their queen murdered, conduit broken, and people enslaved by the ruthless leader of Spring.  Few escaped capture and have spent these years trying to find the pieces of their conduit hoping to put it back together and take back their home with their king, Mather who was only a baby when his kingdom fell.  Meira, also raised on stories of her native home having been like Mather, a mere child at the time it was taken, trains alongside the others and tries to find her place and how she can prove herself to her kingdom and helping it rise to power.  With a piece of the conduit's location known Meira goes in search of it and will not stop until she has done so.  The mission doesn't go as expected and Meira soon learns more than she bargained for, thrown into a world of politics and magic.  Beliefs and convictions are tested in many ways. 

                We follow Meira as she is struggling to keep the faith in this quest the only thing she's ever known.  For her and Mather, they never knew the land they are fighting for, the land he is meant to be king of, only stories from the others.  Still even with this, where some might not feel as connected, they and each and every Winterian, are fighting for their people.  There may only be a small group free but they have tons of people in slavery waiting for them to save them.  It's such a cruel idea really to know that while you try and try to fight the odds spending your life doing so, the majority of your people, people you've never met but are connected with ice in your blood (they are from a land of eternal winter after all) have lived this time in much different conditions.  It's a struggle we see throughout and I enjoyed it.  The same for duty and honor, putting aside ones own needs for the good of Winter.  Such powerful themes and they are really brought out in different aspects throughout.

                Now can I take a moment to love that Winter everything is always cold and they are miserable and suffer in hotter climates.  Basically 98% of the year they'd hate where I live as much as I do.  I do prefer the cold to the heat but I don't know if I'd survive winter 24/7 though if I was built to do so maybe.  Judging by seasons only thinking Autumn would be more my speed.  Maybe not, we didn't get to see Autumn mostly just Spring, a non-season kingdom of Cordell, and the forests and plains between.  I really liked the dynamic of how the different kingdoms work and while it did take a little bit for me to fully grasp the concept of the magic in this realm, I was okay with it because the fact is no one is sure of it.  Still while some aspects of the story were predictable I didn't mind as I enjoyed the reveal. 

                While everything in this book comes from Meria's POV we do get to see as she deals with an out of reach crush with her childhood best friend and future king, so basically impossible.  Still as you get to see some sweet moments with Mather that make you want to root for him.  But we also get to meet another leading man, Theron Prince of Cordell.  He is a bit too good to be true, attractive and strong but also on the sweet side preferring art to war.  Still both Mather and Theron have one thing in common neither wished to be future kings with the responsibility and so many choices taken from them but still they will do anything for their people.  They have many similarities to be sure but I love their interactions with Meria.  She was the real star and I enjoyed seeing this world through her eyes. 

                I had a fun time in this world and would recommend it for anyone looking for a good fantasy with a unique world.  I'm ready to continue on in the series but I'm holding off on book two for a little while but will have it read before long and hope to check out the third book close to release!  I'd love to hear your thoughts below in the comments.  Which kingdom would you like to live in?

                Until next time…