Blog Tour: Ice Like Fire

Ice Like Fire
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy. ASAP if I was you. 
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher 

It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell.

Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. Theron sees this find as an opportunity—with this much magic, the world can finally stand against threats like Angra. But Meira fears the danger the chasm poses—the last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders the two on a mission across the kingdoms of Primoria to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans to use the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe—even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves?

Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Januari—leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, he decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken kingdom and protect them from new threats?

As the web of power and deception weaves tighter, Theron fights for magic, Mather fights for freedom—and Meira starts to wonder if she should be fighting not just for Winter, but for the world.

Couple things, before we get this blog tour review on the road. First off, you get the GoodReads synopsis because I'm still trying to process what I just read and my brain can't get past the WHAAAAAAT of it all to compose a synopsis that's spoiler free. Second, for my stop on the blog tour, you're getting a review yaaaaay! Obvious, I know, but pre-warning to anyone visiting my blog for this blog tour....this review is going to be me, being informal, and fangirly and freaking out about what I just read okay! THIRDLY and finally, word of warning. This book will crush you. It will destroy your feels. It will wreck your ships, and you will love every freaking moment of it. Until the end, because then it's like "WHAT?! NO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME" then you're like, love it but at the same time damn you Sara! So, we all clear on all of that? Good. 

I made the time to re-read Snow Like Ashes before I started to read this because I needed a bit of a refresher and I was just in the mood. I kinda think you should all re-read before you start Ice Like Fire because it lets you appreciate how cleanly the series continues! As well as building the anticipation for the next book, because hey...may as well right?! 

Snow Like Ashes introduced us to a fantastically unique world that we all got completely lost in as we read. It was full of twists and turns and shocking reveals that had us staring at the page trying to process everything. Most of all, it was brimming with emotion and characters you got attached to an unhealthy amount. Ice Like Fire is no exception, it has all of that and more. So much more. 

We're straight back in to the action, catching up with all the characters as the plot kicks in to motion. I love Meira so much it's ridiculous. I will literally fight anyone about her. I connected to her so easily in the first book, and in this book that connection continues and is made stronger. You can relate to Meira, you feel for her. She continues to grow as she tries to be the best Queen she can be, and as she struggles you are right there with her, feeling everything she feels. I love getting to see more and more of Meira and how she reacts to other situations and how she rules Winter and what trouble she gets in, but it has to be said...she makes me feel all the feels. 

Straight away, for instance. I felt some intense rage at Cordell and Noam. I mean, he was kind of a douche in the first book and I wanted to smack him one, but he inspired so much rage in this book. Seriously, he's such a greedy *insert swear word here*. I actually, in my notes, asked Sara a question but the end of the book made it redundant! Anyway,  he truly is a repulsive character, and I think it's a combination of connection to Meira, and therefore kinda being on her side and feeling what she does, and the author just writing Noam so well that makes you really hate him. Or maybe I just get way to emotionally involved in books, either way, I felt some intense rage. That's not even the least of it, this book makes you feel so many emotions as you follow the characters and what's happening, but be prepared to feel a lot of anger towards certain characters. 

So yes. Feels are felt. Anger, betrayal (is that a feel? Oh well), sadness, happiness, you pretty much are going to feel everything because of these characters, and you're gonna love it but it's also kind of emotionally intense and leaves you at the end kind of just sitting there like...woah. 

Moving swiftly on, before I waffle on more....Mather! We get Mather's POV as well this book to keep us up to date with what's occurring in Winter while Meira is away and it was so interesting. Without being spoilery, there's stuff going on and it's very interesting to get Mather's side of things, and it's such a well done POV. The switches are kind of perfect, even the ones that interrupt "OMG" moments for Meira and you're like "Now Mather? You want a POV NOW?". The new POV is something that enhances the book, adding a new level. You don't have to hear about what's been going on second hand and adds another level to the book, and there's no overlapping with the same scene verbatim twice in a row. I think other plans will be very pleased to get inside Mather's head! Not to mention that Mather is dealing with the whole parentage thing!

Now I've mentioned Mather, I feel like I should mention Theron. I really wanted to smack him one for the majority of the book. Like, really badly. In the first book, I found it hard to  pick a ship. I loved Theron but I also loved Mather, and even though Mather hurt her and Theron was seemingly perfect, I still couldn't quite decide on a ship. This book has drastically changed things. As I started I was still "hmmm" and undecided, but as issues where worked through and you got to see Mather's thoughts.....I decided. I am firmly Team Mather! Don't get me wrong, I wanted to smack Theron one, but at times he was still his old self, you'll see what I mean properly when I read, but Mather and Meira, despite all the hassle, are kind of perfect together, I think. But we'll see. Who knows what'll happen in the third book that'll make me change my mind...possibly! So for me, I feel like the love triangle has been resolved. 

I thought the triangle was very well done, and I loved the romance in the first book and even more so in this book, even though it takes a backseat to all the drama playing out. When I started this book, I was curious as to how it would be resolved because I just couldn't see a side, but then ya know....Mather. So problem solved for me, but I don't know what the author has up her sleeve!

While we see a lot of our favourite characters, Mather, Theron and so on. We also get to see lots more of Nessa and her brothers, and I was so excited about that because I was so intrigued by them in the first book and loved them so much and I was happy to see they weren't kind of, forgotten about or something and where rather prominent in this book! I feel we got to know them a lot better and I loved how Meira has this close knit group to help her, even if she is determined to go it alone!

Besides are favourites, we also meet a whole host of other characters in this book, some not so great, some fantastic. The cast of characters in the book are just....insanely rich. There's all kinds of people, all kinds of personalities and each one comes to life as you read, whether you  like them or not, and they're all fun to read about as you try to work out how they tick, and if they're trustworthy or not. 

I've got to say, I freaking love Ceridwen. She is one of my new favourites, I kinda loved her from the beginning to be honest! She's a lot like Meira and is therefore, kind of the perfect friend for her and I spent the book so desperately hoping Meira would trust her and let her in! Aside from being a good friend to Meira, she was also incredibly interesting. There's a lot going on with Ceridwen and a lot of it you don't see until the end, and then your heart kind of aches for her, and after finishing the book I'm actually scared for her! She's a fantastic character, and it would be such a shame to kill her off...wouldn't it Sara? (Please agree!) 

Anyway, enough fingerling over Ceridwen! She has a brother, Simon, the King of Summer. I wanted to like him, but I kind of didn't. It's actually really hard to like him. I think he redeems himself a bit towards the end but still. There's Ceridwen's mate Lekan, definitely interested in his character and how he came to be buddies with Ceridwen. There's Queen Giselle of Yakim, I'm hoping she'll come in to play at some point in the next book! The rather lovely Autumnian royals who I'd like to see more of in the next book, they where a lovely bunch! We have King Jesse of Ventralli, he wasn't really what I was suspecting and I kinda liked him, even if he wasn't really all that...great, shall we say. But then maybe my faith wasn't entirely misplaced! There's seriously loads of new characters and each is created with such care and detail and just makes you want to know more about them and their backstories! I'm incredibly interested in Jesse now, it has to be said! 

The fantastic thing about Ice Like Fire is that it makes you feel so much. You feel the emotions of the characters, yes, but you also feel the atmosphere of the book. It's so incredibly atmospheric that it comes off the page and swamps you. You can feel the tension, the suspense, the slightly threatening presence of the Cordellans, the menace, everything. Each chapter brings you further in to the atmosphere of the book, further in to the atmosphere of a new place, and each place has it's own atmosphere that distinguishes one from the other. It's one of the things that makes it so easy to disappear inside the book and get completely lost. I remember looking up at one point and hours had passed and I had no idea, so enthralled was I!

One thing I loved about the first book was the world. It was unique, it was vivid, it came to life and sucked you in and left you wanting to know more, see more. Ice Like Fire allows you to do that. Like I said, you see Summer, Yakim and Ventralli. Each is different from the other. Summer is like, well Summer. Yakim kind of had some steampunk vibes, I thought. Ventralli, well the masks made me picture Venice a little bit to be honest! But each had it's own vibe, each had it's own very different setting from the other, and each enchanted you just as much as the last. I love how each Season embodies what you think of when you think of it. I love how the Rythms where different from that, but each just as different. Not just in looks, but also in the way they're run and what they value. 

I love how the author has created this hugely expansive world, with so many different kingdoms, all different and unique from the others and all so vividly brought to life by her words. She doesn't get bored, and half ass describing a kingdom, she puts the same amount of detail and effort in to each one, so you can paint a picture of it in your head and be enveloped in it. Not only does she do all this, but she does it in a concise way, without pages and pages of description, it's fantastic. You get completely transported to the different kingdoms. Although I STILL want to see more, and I'm intrigued by the mysterious final Rhythm it has to be said! Raasch really does give your imagination a workout, but I completely love it. 

The plot for this book is complex. It has quest vibes, with Meira and Theron setting out in search of knowledge about the Chasm. But it has an incredibly complex plot. There are SO many threads in the book. A dead slave in Summer, a strange librarian in Yakim, and more. All may seem like a stray thread, but they all come together with the larger plot points to create one giant, expertly woven plot that keeps you hooked. When all the pieces fall in to place and you realise what's really been going on, what's been in the works, you kind of just sit there staring at the book taking a moment to process and think back over the book and all the little clues you missed! 

There's tonnes of political plays, there's betrayal, heartbreak. There are so many plot twists, and each one completely stunned me, and blind sided me. I really, genuinely, did not see any of them coming. Seriously. It reached a point when I actually stopped even trying and just rolled with it, like riding a rollercoaster. The plot has you completely engrossed, and coupled with everything else, it makes a truly immersive read. I mean, some plot twists left me staring at the book in horror, others left me ready to throw the book in anger, and all left me wanting to keep reading. 

A lot goes on in this book, and as we come to the end, everything ramps up. The tension, the sense of something big coming. The final few chapters are heart pounding, nail biting and have you on the edge of your seat. You frantically turn pages as you try to read faster and faster, your heart sinking as you know something really, reaaaallllyyyy bad is going to happen. You can start to feel the third and final(?) book being set up, you know this book is leading in to an epic finale as the overarching plot comes in to play and you see it. The tension is nearly unbearable. And then.....

...............

......that's it?! WHERE IS THE REST OF IT?! *flicks through pages* "No....this can't be the end.....you can't just leave me like this....WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME SARA?!". I am an actor, and I am allowed to be over dramatic, but SERIOUSLY....THAT. FREAKING. ENDING. So not okay. I so can't even. How am I supposed to endure the wait for the next book?! I can't deal with the not knowing and the state of peril we left the book in, really I can't. I mean, the reveals and then the "I'm off to do a Frodo and go up some mountains catch ya later losers" bit. This book is seriously filed under the "throw book against wall in anger/feels induced meltdown" category.  I didn't actually throw it, because you know...I was too busy frantically turning pages in case there was anything else, in case I missed a less perilous, heart stopping ending. There wasn't. I stuffed some candy corn in my mouth to cope. 

So. There you have it. My fangirl and rambly review. I'm still not over it. I'm still processing. If anyone has read it and wants to freak out with me, feel free to let me know. One thing is for sure, Ice Like Fire most certainly does not suffer from second book syndrome. It smashes the first book out of the water, and is the sequel I, and other fans I hope, where hoping for. Please, for my sanity, do not make me wait too long for the next book! 

Don't forget to check out the other fantastic bloggers on the tour! 

The Affinity Bridge

The Affinity Bridge
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher!

Welcome to the bizarre and dangerous world of Victorian London. Airships soar in the skies, whilst ground trains rumble through the streets. But beneath this shiny veneer of progress lurks a sinister side. Queen Victoria is kept alive by a primitive life-support system while her agents Sir Maurice Newbury and his assistant, Miss Veronica Hobbes, do battle with enemies of the crown, both physical and supernatural...

Newbury is currently investigating a series of murders, strangulations of the poor, in Whitechapel, assisting his old friend Charles Bainbridge. But it's not long before he's called away by the Queen herself, an airship has crashed in Finsbury Park in suspicious circumstances and the pilot is missing. A pilot that isn't exactly what it appears to be. 

On top of all that another helper of Newbury's, Miss Coulthard, has a missing brother, and there's revenants roaming in the fog, eager to pass on the zombie like plague to others. Not to mention the malfunctioning automatons, and automaton assassins in general. The question is, could any of these cases be intertwined? 

Halloo new favourite series. Seriously. I can't wait for the next book, and this book is seriously awesome, like read for hours and forget what the time is and forget that food is a thing you need, kind of awesome. I devoured this in a couple of sittings and I would have finished it a lot faster if I hadn't had other work to do! It's definitely a series I'll be re-reading, because it's so much more than the mystery, the writing is fantastic, the characters come alive and I enjoy the relationships between all of the characters and the world itself. 

The books begin in a suitably creepy yet intriguing setting, letting you know straight away that this book is original and has quirks to make it stand out from the crowd. It draws you in and sets up one plot thread straight away, as well as immediately starting up an intrigue. That's seriously just the prologue. The actual first chapter is even better, and gives you a feel for Newbury straight away, entertaining and amusing you before the real action kicks off. 

What I found really interesting, is that as we start the book Newbury and Hobbes have already met and been working together for some weeks. But you don't feel as if you've missed out, you can immediately see their connection and get a feel for their partnership, as well as a feel for them individually. You miss the awkward jut met stage and of straight to the "I kind of know you but I've still got a way to go" stage which is always interesting and over the course of the book they get to know each other better. 

Likewise we join the book as Newbury is helping helping his friend, Chief Inspector Bainbridge, investigate a series of murders and we're up to body number seven as we join. Again, you don't feel like you're missing something as some genius dialogue fills you in on what's going on, and it's not the only instance. You get a concise overview of what's been going on. 

While there's the whole strangling case going on, another one comes to light almost immediately and is of an entirely different nature. So one investigation ends up taking a backseat to the other as well as a third mystery of an associates missing brother. While one or other may take a backseat, it's not for long, and it's not a plot point that's forgotten about until later. It's still mentioned in dialogue of passing characters, and you're still kept up to date, so the intrigue is kept alive. 

There's a lot going on in the book plot wise and action wise, but each plot thread is woven together and there's no confusion. They are threaded together that seamlessly, and with the fast pace, that's literally the perfect kind of fast pace, the plotting and the story are just fantastically on point. 

Veronica is an interesting character, and one of my favourites! I feel she's quite forward thinking for a woman of her time, she's running about trying to help chase down criminals and not overly concerned with what's proper for a woman. She's not insipid, she's a bit of a fighter. There's also plenty more to her but....spoiler alert. 

Newbury is also an interesting character, I actually really liked both of our main characters because they where so well written and had so much depth to them and there's still so much to learn about them. I'm so intrigued by Newbury and his backstory, he dabbles in the occult and is an agent for the Queen, how could I not be?! I loved the fact that while Newbury was a hero/did heroic things, he was not your average type of hero. He's kind of the geeky type being an anthropologist who practically lives at the museum. He's also delightfully flawed, which frankly, made him all the more realistic and believable, especially as his flaw was a very appropriate one of the time. His laudanum addiction is a very well written element to the book, and it's a very interesting struggle to watch and I have a feeling it's going to develop more and be more of a problem in the future. Newbury is such a likeable character that you don't end up disliking him or being pitying of him or anything. 

It's not just the main characters that are well written, there's an entire cast of colourful and lively characters to enjoy. Bainbridge is also incredibly well written, and I'm so intrigued by him and his past, I also really want his lightening cane. Not to mention the Fixer, Miss Coulthard, the Queen herself, Amelia and various other characters that are well written, but you don't see that much of, but you know there's depth to them that you're just waiting to find out about. Amelia is a particular character that I'm desperate to see more of and find out more about, she has visions and due to that and the nature of her visions she's locked up in an asylum, which also offers an interesting insight in to the time, now that you mention it! 

Like I said the book is full of action and there's so many original little quirks. There's zombie like creatures shuffling about in the fog, spreading a plague about. Automatons and airships and steam carriages and ground trains and I could go on and on. I loved the steampunk elements it was very well done. I've just given you an example of a few things, but there where other things as well and it made the book so magical to read. I looked forward to seeing what other things there where in it. The thing I loved most about the steampunk elements was how it wasn't overdone. 

Each steampunk device/invention and so on, was explained in enough detail that you can imagine it and understand how it works but without long, over complicated and stuffy explanations that leave you confused, which I've experienced in a few other books. Seriously fantastically done keeping up the pace of the book and the enjoyment.

You really get an authentic feel for the time despite the fact that it's an alternate London. The way of thinking and so on was so realistic and authentic that it really helped to suck you in to the world of the book so you completely lose track of reality. I also liked Veronica's stance on progress, she doesn't seem to like it much. She dislikes the steam carriages, and with the automatons I found her thoughts so fascinating. She was worried about people's jobs being taken over by the automatons and I found it a concern that echos in the modern day with all this AI stuff that people are getting involved in, despite every bad thing that has ever happened because of AI in films, but there you go. Anyway, she considers the consequences of progress, whereas Newbury is all for it and it was an interesting difference between the two. 

Like I said, it's a very immersive world with incredibly vivid and engaging settings, each different to the last, and each will stick in your mind. Each setting was also incredibly atmospheric, particularly the creepy scene in the fog. The atmosphere in that particular chapter could be cut with a knife the way it was coming off the page and enveloping  you. You felt like you where in the fog with them. Likewise the suspense was another palpable atmosphere/element whenever it made itself known. Towards the end, you could feel the urgency as the pace pounded towards the end of the book. (That was a rubbish sentence but I couldn't think of the word I was looking for!)

I enjoyed the writing a lot, it's slick to go with the fast pace, and each chapter leaves you wanting more. The author has an interesting way of keeping the book streamlined and keeping it pacey and on track. Like I said earlier about the opening, where you're caught up to what's been going by the dialogue. There'a a few other instances of this, like for example, one chapter ends with them discussing finding a person at a party. Then in the next chapter it's an entirely different setting, but a conversation with another character yielded results and answers. I loved whenever the book did this as it kept things fresh and interesting as well. 

The Affinity Bridge is a delightful and enchanting read. The plotting is fantastically done, there's lots of threads that twine together and flow towards a satisfying conclusion, while keeping you intrigued and the book has many unpredictable twists and turns. You end up frantically reading to see what happens next and struggling for a place to put it down. It's fast paced, action packed, and there's lots going on to keep you hooked. There's a nice little twist at the end that made me smile, everything was wrapped up nicely and then right there at the end....another little intrigue. I'm incredibly intrigued for the next book and what adventure our characters will be going on next. 

The Affinity Bridge is entertaining, dramatic, richly created with a fantastic plot and pace. There's never a dull moment and you'll find yourself desperately wishing to go back to the world of the book and the characters. This is a must read book to be honest, and like I said, I'm desperate to get my hands on the next one! 

Rogue

Rogue
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher
Check out my review of Talon....here!

Days after the events of Talon, Ember is free from the organisation and is on the run with Riley and Wes, however, Ember is determined to go after Garrett the boy who turned out to be an enemy soldier of St.George, and who she just can't forget. Lucky for him really, seeing as he's just been sentenced as a traitor to the Order who raised him, and is due to be executed. Ember manages to convince Riley to free Garrett, and once Garrett's all rescued...well....they don't just have Talon after them. The Order don't like it when the enemy come in to their territory and steal from them, so they're even more determined to track down the gang and they're hot in their tails.

Ember and co flee to Vegas and one of Riley's safe houses, officially on the run from pretty much everyone. While in Vegas, Riley is determined to find answers as to why his safe houses are vanishing. It would appear they have a leak in the network. But before Riley can seriously start to question it, two hatchlings in need show up. Meanwhile, Ember's brother Dante is the one leading the hunt for her, while Ember is still determined to save him from the clutches of Talon.

Not everyone is who they seem and Talon and St. George are swarming Vegas to hunt for them. The gang are beginning to realize there might be more to the battle of the two factions than they originally thought. Secrets are everywhere, and some of them are about to come out in to the light, and change everything they thought they knew.

"That's okay. If we are attacked by zombies I don't have to run fast. I just have to run faster than you."

I LOVE THESE BOOKS SO MUCH OKAY! Seriously, I love all of Kagawa's books and I'm yet to be disappointed by one, and this one is very close to becoming my new favourite Kagawa series. This is just as awesome as the first book, it's the kind of sequel that is perfect. Rogue is the perfect continuation of Talon, we pick up where we left off, the stakes get higher, more comes out in to the open, making the series even more intriguing, and it's just literally the perfect sequel. It's equal to, if not superior to the first book and I just need the third book now okay!?

The uniqueness and originality from the first book seeps in to this one as well as we learn more about Talon, and more about the characters and more about what's going down with the over arcing storyline. Which is clearly going to be badass and in the third book I have a feeling the shit is going to hit the fan. I'm still in love with the concept, dragons in a fight with St. George and all of that. It's just awesome, and the whole dragon fire thing, I can't remember if we learned about that in the first book, but it was another unique touch.

Like with Talon, I was drawn in from the beginning and I read this one in one sitting because I knew I would't be able to put it down, especially towards the end, it reached a point when I just knew there was no way I would be able to put it down and walk away, and so I was doubly glad that I'd specifically made time to read it in one go! The pace was fast, the action constant, with points where you where on the edge of your seat and holding your breath. The plot twists and turns where shocking and most of them where a total surprise. I mean I had Mist pegged from the beginning but Faith, she totally had me going.

The world was engaging, and vivid and totally engrossing, it's a huge part of what sucks you in, as well as characters and the plot and so on. The atmosphere of each setting leaks off the page, while the world building throws you straight in, so you feel like you're actually there with the characters. I could picture Vegas so clearly, and it was a different angle and side to Vegas than the side portrayed everywhere, especially with the little twist about who runs Vegas.

We already gained an understanding of the politics of both sides in the first book, this side expands on that. You get an understanding of St. George's politics thanks to Garrett, and how they treat traitors. It's very military, but then we already knew that, this however, drives it home. They're military, they think they're in the right, that they're protecting the people and so on. You understand that, but you don't entirely agree with it because you love Garrett as a character and they want to kill him, and then you love Ember and Riley and they want to kill them.

"I don't feel like playing whack-a-mole with a trained sniper right now."

We also got to know the rich mythology and background to Talon, well in this instalment we learned loads more about Talon and how they work and what they may or may not be up to. You realise there's more going on, there's the whole question of why they care so much about getting Ember back rather than just having her killed like they usually do, and why they want Riley's hatchlings. Thanks to Dante's point of view, you really get to know Talon and the higher ups a little bit better, as well as what they're willing to do, and you really understand that Dante actually doesn't know what they're willing to do. I feel like in Talon we got all about St. George and this time round we got all about Talon and what they're like.

Kagawa is an expert at writing colourful and rich characters with plenty of depth, and in this book we get to know more about our new favourite characters, as well as meeting some new ones that we'll most likely see again in the next book. Mist, she was a total bitch, but she did have me going at one point and I already mentioned Faith, she had me going multiple times, by the time Faith's reveal came I didn't even know what to believe anymore.

We get to know more about Dante thanks to his POV, seeing as he gets a couple of chapters, which are nice and ominous. Dante is a hard character because I kind of want to hate him, because he's doing all this to his sister and so on, but at the same time, reading from his POV, you can see he's just trying to protect Ember, as well as himself, and he really thinks he's right and Riley's corrupted her and he genuinely believes that Talon are right. It's also important to know that while he thought he was in charge, Faith had orders that he did not give, so he still doesn't realise exactly what Talon is about.

This is why Kagawa's multi POV approach is perfect. She does the perfect multi POV. Each POV is a new scene rather than the same scene, with matching dialogue from different views. Each point of view adds something to the story, gives away little clues, and gives doses of intrigue as well as helps you to understand characters even better. I love how when you think something happened to Riley, there's no Riley POV for a while so you can't be entirely sure! Each POV change is perfectly timed, you get the POV you need when you need it, and each narrative, as I mentioned in my Talon review, is engaging. As well as the fact that each character has a distinctive voice, and you can feel the difference in the characters, particularly Riley and Garrett.

The multi POV's where just spot on at the beginning as well when everyone was being reintroduced after everything had gone down, I could picture the scenes in my head like a movie, which isn't hard seeing as this is so cinematically written! The first book was all about discovering what Talon was about and setting up and so on, this one is all about finding answers, things being revealed and building up toward a battle.

Thanks to the multi POV we learned loads about Talon and how they work and what it's potentially up to, as well as St. George to a lesser extent, and they where more about the tactics and so on. But it also means we get to learn more about Riley. There's more Riley POV in this book, with less of Garrett, like waaaaaay more Riley. Why? Because we get Riley's POV and Cobalt's POV. Yes they are the same person, but Cobalt's POV isn't an actual current POV, Cobalt's are all flashbacks.

I'd get excited about that if I was you because Riley's flashbacks where VERY interesting. Very interesting indeed. The flashbacks showed a couple of Riley's missions, how his thinking changed about Talon and what they where doing. We see his final two missions and how he became rogue basically, as well as what his life was like after he went rogue, how he met Wes and how the two of them set up their underground thing. So yeah, we learn loads more about Riley and what happened to happen and how he became who he is, as well as learning more about Wes.

I LOVED Wes in the first book, and I still love Wes in this book. He's so perfectly British. He's one of the things about the book that made me chuckle, as well as Riley, the two of them bring the humour that's for sure. But we finally got to see why Wes was with Talon and how he left and begin to understand him a bit more! I was sad not to see more of Remy and Nettle though! I want to see more of the other hatchlings Riley saved!

"Silly me, here I was thinking we needed big neon signs that said Here We Are, Shoot Us Please on top of the roof."

The romance is still present in this book, and it's a bit less subtle and in the background, but that's okay because it fits with the plot. They have to save Garrett and then flee and then help some hatchlings and so on, but the romance is there, and it's not as subtle, but like I said, it fits. It's what you'd expect at this point now that everything is set up and the story is heading towards battle, high stakes territory. The thing I like is that the romance with both guys is different, and both romances are very realistic and natural and both give you the warm and fuzzies.

The love triangle solidifies in this book, in case you didn't guess. Like I told you in my Talon review, Kagawa writes epically good love triangles, she seriously knows how to write a good love triangle, not to mention her badass fighting scenes, but I digress. Last time we could see the triangle forming and see both sides. This time Garrett admits his feelings for Ember to himself and to her, Ember is struggling with her feelings for both, and then Riley goes and tells Ember how he feels about her and says he's going to fight for both of them this time, which was all kinds of "aaaaawwww!".

Ember doesn't know what her feelings are right now and then Garrett left, so hopefully after all of this Garrett and Ember time, we finally get to see what could happen with Riley and Ember if Garrett hadn't been around all the time. This is going to be a very interesting love triangle to watch play out, I think my wording from my Talon review was something like Garrett being the true love despite the odds option and Riley is the fellow dragon who's older and more badass. In this book we see what odds it is exactly, that Ember and Garrett would face, with the whole dragons living for ages and humans...well...not, and you see how dragons feel about the whole dragons and humans having a relationship thing.

Ember and the reader get an understanding of what the two would be facing, and I think with Ember it really starts to hit home. It's just an interesting love triangle because the human part of Ember wants Garrett because he makes her feel normal, but the dragon part of her, which is the larger part I would think, wants Riley and it's hard to tell which way it's going to go when it's concluded! It's a total toss up as to who it's going to be and I love that it's not blindingly obvious and that it's going to be a bit of a close call! I can't wait to watch it play out!

The thing is, the POV's make it clear that Garrett and Riley are both totally different, well...more different than the obvious. In this book Garrett struck me as more closed off and distance, with the whole soldier veneer on than in the previous book, maybe because he's not as present in the POV's, either way  he seemed a lot more quieter this book. Sure there was the whole romantic reunion and then he kind of tagged along after Ember and defended her and stuff, but it had never been more obvious how different they are and it really hit home that Garrett has killed Ember's kind before and has no problem doing it again to save her.

With Riley, he seems more open with his emotions as much as he tries to fight them, and he's doing all this stuff for Ember, he's saving Garrett, he's doing all this stuff that's a danger to him and everything he's worked for and to the hatchlings he looks after, and he kind of blows Garrett out of the water on that front. Garrett risked his life to save her and nearly got executed. Riley is risking himself and his entire life's work as well as other's to help her save the other guy she likes.

When I reviewed Talon I said that unusually, I hadn't picked a team, normally I pick a team pretty early on, but with Talon, I couldn't choose, both had a spark with her and both brought out a different side with her. However, after reading this book and learning all about him and what he's done and so on, I really loved him more this book, this book was heavy on the Riley whereas Talon was heavy on the Garrett and there's seriously loads of Riley in this book compared to Talon, and I think this was done on purpose. We've learned about both, seen loads of both of them and I have finally picked my side.

So yeah....in case you didn't guess, I'm totally Team Riley now! Like I said, I get Garrett and the whole Garrett thing but from my perspective, Riley totally blew him out of the water, and I'm not entirely sure that if it came down to it, Garrett would pick Ember over saving humans if something bad happened with the dragons. The fact Garrett left as well instead of staying to fight for her, when she couldn't say what he wanted her to say? TEAM RILEY.

I'm so Team Riley that I actually got annoyed at Ember at one point being all over Garrett and upsetting my precious flower (Riley) and being mean to him! Like hello, he's doing all this life endangering stuff for you....and it's still not enough!? I didn't have this problem with Iron Fey, this is so weird for me, because I was Team Ash from the beginning, and as I'm typing this, I'm like so does this make Garrett the Puck in this situation or is that Riley? I have an uncomfortable feeling it's Riley, but we'll see.

Anyway, the great thing about the multi POV is that while I love Ember and I connect with her and fully understand her thoughts, I can still get annoyed with her without it ruining the book, and I can be just as invested in Riley! After this book, I feel like I connected with Riley more than in the first book as well.

"Oh you know, a little burned, a little sore. Nearly died a couple times. The usual."

I'm excited for the third book and intrigued to see what's going to happen with the love triangle, and the plot, and I want to know why Ember is so important to Talon, I can't even begin to guess, and then the epilogue being all "SURPRISE BITCH SHIT JUST GOT REAL" like it wasn't a proper cliffhanger but I feel like I'm hanging you know?

The next book has been perfectly set up, there's questions we want answered, so much intrigue
all over the place, Garrett's off on his little mission to see what's up with the shady order of St. George, and Ember and Riley are about to go off on a hunt to see who's betraying him and his network, and I have no clue who that could even be. Seriously, I don't have any theories, I'm stumped, which is awesome, cos it'll be a surprise and a shock and yeah.

Rogue is the perfect continuation to an excited and original series. Rogue brings the feels, the intrigue, the higher stakes, and really raises the bar. Once you're drawn back in to the world it's hard to leave, and it's like you never left in the first place. I'm excited to see where this series is going, and I couldn't love Kagawa's books anymore. Rogue has everything you could want, badass action scenes, cute romance, an intricate plot, shadiness all over the place, and a plot direction that's impossible to guess, it's full of surprises and thrills and edge of your seat tension.

You guys know I'd never lie to you, and I promise you, this is a series you need to read, Kagawa is an author to look out for because she brings it every single time with her books. (There's also an excerpt from the next Iron Fey book in the back of the UK version and don't even get me started on my longing for that book). Read it, love it, and join me in impatiently waiting for the third book! 

Alice Through The Zombie Glass

Alice Through the Zombie Glass
Rating: 5 out of 5 is not enough!
Buy or Borrow: BUY. You WILL want to read it again.
File Under: Book Hangover material.

"Ali Bell doesn't play hide-and-seek. She plays hide-and-pray-I-don't-find-you"

Alice Bell has lost so much since we first met her in Zombieland. Family, friends, and her home. She thought she had nothing else to give, but she was wrong. She has her soul, and her very self. Not to mention Cole her boyfriend. After a strange new zombie attack, weird things begin to happen to her. Mirrors begin to come to life, she has strange urges, she's not acting quite like herself when her emotions are heightened, and the whispers of the dead begin to assault her ears. But the worst thing is the terrible darkness blooming inside her, urging her to do bad things, trying to take over her. She's never needed her team of slayers, her friends, and her boyfriend Cole, the slayers badass leader and ultimate bad boy, more. But there's two new slayers in town to help out after the losses the slayers endured in the battle. Veronica, Cole's ex girlfriend, who's determined to get her back and he's been getting closer to, and Gavin, a certified he-slut and unashamed of it. When Gavin and Ali lock eyes for the first time, they share a vision, something that's only ever happened with Cole, and what they see, causes Cole to withdraw from her, then dump her entirely because of a future that may never happen. He doesn't trust her  or her feelings for him, and instead trusts the visions, and jumping back in to Veronica's arms. That doesn't stop his jealously from rearing it's head, and both of them from being entirely miserable, but Cole has ulterior motives in his closeness to Veronica, linked to a secret he's not told anyone.

Now Ali only has her  best friend Kat at her side, and her other friend Reeve, who cannot be anywhere near Zombies or know anything about them, and her new boyfriend is certainly strange. Ali must kill the zombies, uncover what's going on with Cole, win back the trust of her slayer friends after an incident, and learn to fight the darkness. It turns out she has an unlikely friend in Gavin, and Cole isn't going to give up easily when he realizes he's been wrong. When Anima's new president steps up a plan Ali also has to keep her friends safe. The clock is ticking, and not in a metaphorical way, if she fails any one of her tasks...they're all doomed, but no-one more than Ali herself.

Zombie Glass picks up mere weeks after the events at the end of Zombieland, with her healing from her wounds. I would recommend doing what I did, and re-reading Zombieland so everything's fresh in your mind as there's an important event in the previous book that's relevant to Zombie Glass.

Zombie Glass is everything you simultaneously love and hate in a book. It's a legit throw-at-the-wall-while-screaming book. Then, ya know, running to pick it up and lovingly cradling it to your chest while murmuring apologies right before you get stuck in to it and read it all over again because you loved it so much.

In Zombie Glass relationships are tested, broken and made, and you want to punch a couple of characters in the face, and bang a few heads together. Truths will come out, some shocking, some you knew all along and you're elated at the confirmation.

All of the characters we came to know and love in Zombieland are just as strong and loveable in Zombie Glass. The fantastic characters created, did what I thought was impossible, and got even better. In Zombie Glass I came to love them more, as much as a certain one frustrated me, and we learn that each of the characters has hidden depths to the depth we saw in them originally. More than one character has more sides that come out in this book, and another one is a lot stronger than anyone was giving her credit for. I love these books because all of the characters are strong,  intelligent and someone to look up to, and Ali proves that again in this book.

The plot was strong, and even more complex than Zombieland. We all get that anxiety when we really love a book, and then the sequel comes out and it's either going to be kind of a crappy let down, or mind blowingly good. Zombie Glass is the latter, and the series continues to be going strong. There's plenty of threads to the plot in Zombie Glass, and they're all woven together expertly, with plenty of plot twists that I promise you, you will never see coming. And I'm the girl  that's had many a book ruined because I'm either too pessimistic or i'm just that good at guessing. I tried, believe me I tried, to guess what was going to happen next, or what a character was doing and why, but I fast realized it was fruitless and just rolled with it, being hand-over-the-mouth, gasping out loud shocked at every turn.

Although, I must admit, I called Ethan out right away. Not in a "I know exactly who you are what you're up to" way, but in a "you are incredibly dodgy, and I know there's something wrong with you" way. My brain started referring to him by his very own title....Shady Ethan.

A large chunk of the book is a huge angst fest, but it's done so that you don't get bored or annoyed at it, you just really want to punch Cole in the face (but it's okay because Ali does it for us), and bang Cole and Ali's heads together. The added bonus of the angst is that you keep reading, glued to the page, waiting for the moment to come when all is right again, and Cole stops being a raging idiot.

I think Gavin may be my new favourite character and I loved Ali's descriptive words of him, and the fact he freely embraces the fact he's a he-slut, but is kind of sweet and adorable at the same time.

"Wait. The he-slut of the great South knew how to cook?"

Now so far, a few of you may be panicking about the romance we know and love between Ali and Cole, but don't worry, there's plenty of the cute romancey bits that melt your heart, and manage to make you fall slightly in love with a fictional character and ruin real life boys for you. There where so many points where I wanted to throw the book and then jump on it, the plot, the writing and the characters are THAT good. You get THAT invested in the characters and that connected to them that you feel a huge intense emotional connection to them. You get so many emotions when reading the book, it's a bit of a roller coaster, your heart soars for Ali and then drops for her the next moment. I cannot crow about how well the characters are created enough!

Zombie Glass is truly hilarious, however, so despite the angst and book throwing, you find yourself laughing until tears are streaming down your face and filing away one liners to use when the situation arises. Ali and Gavin really do have the best one liners, and I found myself re-reading the same sentence and laughing my ass off. You will rage at Cole, not going to lie, and you will feel sad at a few parts. Zombie Glass makes you want to scream at one point, and then gives you the warm and fuzzies the next. The characters become your best friends, and the world created becomes the world you inhabit entirely while reading.

Zombie Glass is fast paced with a fantastic flow, incredibly cinematic (still rooting for a movie!) and atmospheric prose from cute to incredibly creepy in 0.6 seconds flat; and world building that is expanded on from Zombieland, and continues to suck you in from the first page for hours on end. There's plenty of intrigue to keep you engaged, tonnes of action and zombie slaying, and an incredible amount happens in this book. Showalter has this way of having millions of things happen in one book, having characters go through tonnes and loads of events, and it feels like you've been in this world forever, totally absorbed, but in reality it's been no time at all. You never get bored, once you start reading you're hooked until the last page when you want to start reading it all over again because you don't want to leave the world or the characters. That and when you're done you're faced with a book hangover nothing can cure, a sense that no book will be able to match up, and the incredibly long wait for the next book that you know is going to destroy you.

A new development occurred that I was kind of rooting for in Zombieland, and totally loved in Zombie Glass. Kenzie became friends with Ali. No seriously. She did. It happened. And it was awesome. You see a totally different side to her when she's being there for Ali and offering to be her friend. You really see the real Kenzie in the scene after everything goes down at Anima. The scene with Kenzie, Lucas and Trina coming to see Ali, not only do you see Kenzie in a new light which i'm excited to be explored in the next book, but that scene will seriously have you wetting yourself with laughter and struggling to breathe. When reading that scene it was like 1 in the morning (I already told you...once you start you can't stop) and I learned the skill of the silent laugh. I seriously had the book practically glued to my hand and finished it at 4am, wrote the bare bones of this review (aka essayed this) on my phone then promptly fell in to a deep sleep peppered with Zombies.

Zombie Glass has fantastically built the grounds for the next book (I figure if I keep mentioning a next book it will definitely happen!), with Veronica's "ace up her sleeve". I just know she's not done, and she's gonna be devious. Gavin sticking around should be very interesting, and I love Ali's friendship with him. Then we have Kat's condition and her illness, and seeing where that goes in the next book, not to mention the threat of Anima becoming bigger, badder, and an all round pain in the ass.

There's plenty of new things to be explored that I'm really excited about. The whole slayers curing themselves with fire thing, why it works or doesn't, Ali's friendship with her former enemies Jaclyn and Kenzie. The journal and it's many many secrets, and the link we discovered, and the secrets about Ali's family. With each book we are given more questions, more to look forward to, and more to sink our teeth in to in the next book as the plot really does thicken.

I mean, I'm sure you can tell from my rambling, and probable repeating of myself, that I cannot praise this book nor it's previous one enough, let alone the author. I get truly excited at the prospect of reading a new book in the series, and I get over-excited about sharing my love for the books with you all, because I want you all to love it. Zombie Glass and Zombieland are books you truly want to read again and again. There's so many awesome things about it.

All I've got left to say is...Gena. Please please please, for the love of my heart and my feels, leave Ali and Cole alone! And ya know...congrats on ruining real life blokes for me forever more!

A Breath of Frost

A Breath of Frost
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy or forever regret it
Source: Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury
File Under: Book Hangover books!

The year is 1814, the place is bustling London, teeming with activity and witchcraft. Three cousins, Emma, Gretchen and Penelope, the daughters of the three Lovegrove sisters, are in the midst of their first season, after having been presented to the Queen. The young Lady's are attending another tedious ball, when Emma is jostled and drops her mother's bottle necklace, the only thing she has to remember her mad mother locked in her house in Berkshire. When the bottle breaks...a lot more than Emma's feelings are hurt.

With the breaking of the bottle, gates all over London are open, allowing dark and sinister things through. But it also breaks the binding spell put on the girls by Emma's mother to protect her, allowing their powers to manifest. The girls each have their own unique power and familiar, Emma's becomes apparent when it rains inside a carriage, Penelope touches a ring and spends an uncomfortable few minutes being burned at the stake and Gretchen's head starts buzzing when magic is performed wrong.

With the underside of London suddenly revealed to them, Emma also has to deal with the insufferable Cormac, the boy who kissed her then did a standard guy move and acted like she never existed, who turns out to be one of the Keepers, members of the Order, the police of the magical world. The Keepers are after Emma because of her mother's power and what she did, which means Cormac is showing up all over the place. Did I forget to mention that the Order are also after Emma because a couple of girls who happen to be witches, have all been murdered, their magic stolen, and then covered in ice, and Emma is inexplicably drawn to each murdered girl but a magical wind, and her magical trace is all over them? Yeah. Minor problem that.

Emma and her cousins are sent to a fancy Finishing School, which happens to be a school of magic for ladies, to learn to control their magic. Emma has to dodge ghouls, hellhounds, navigate the Goblin Market, and most terrifyingly....her fellow Debutantes. With Cormac confusing Emma's feelings, Emma and her cousin's have to stop the spirits of the Dark Witches known as the Greymalkin Sisters, and seal the gates once and for all , with the help of a Madcap called Moira and a couple of Gargoyles. Will they succeed? Or will they end up with their magic bound, and going mad?

Oh my God. I just...have so much to say about this book. Everyone knows I love Alyxandra Harvey, The Drake Chronicles are one of my ultimate favourite book series, and I read everything buy her. Not since her Drake Chronicles have I felt this energized about a book. I have what I term as a Book Hangover. Since finishing A Breath of Frost, my Book Hangover means I'm still in the world created in the book, and as soon as I finished, I wanted to start reading it all over again!

Alyxandra Harvey is incredible at world building, and A Breath of Frost is no exception, it's like she cast a magical spell herself to suck you through a portal straight in to the mirky streets of Regency London. I could practically smell the rain, and hear the bustling street sounds. The prose is atmospheric, and as always, cinematic, I mean c'mon people, these books are begging to be made in to a movie! Quit holding out on us all!

Harvey uses a few short, but powerful words to create her descriptions, that are so vivid you can see them clearly in your minds eye. As soon as you start reading, you're hooked from page one, unable to put the book down. You find yourself with it seemingly glued to your hand, your eyes unable to leave the page.

A Breath of Frost has such a wealth of beautiful imagery, yet everything is very concise, from descriptions, to backgrounds to lore. The story is told mostly from Emma's point of view, but also Cormac, Gretchen and Penelope, as well as flashbacks from her mother's point of view. This allowed us to get a deep understanding of the world the story is in, and the characters, quickly and concisely without endless and monotonous text. The flashbacks themselves where handled in a unique way, keeping the reader's interest and being concise and keeping with the flow of the book.

The change from point of view to point of view was seamless and effortless, a true indication of how talented a writer Harvey is. The entire pace of the book was hold-on-to-your-hat fast, with a brisk flow unencumbered with pointless dialogue or text.

Emma is my new favourite heroine, she's just so strong and witty. No matter what's thrown at her, she doesn't run away, she faces it head on and refuses to be bullied or intimidated in to backing down or being obedient. I love her snappy retorts and her refusal to be cowed. The relationship between Emma and her cousin's, Gretchen and Penelope, was truly beautifully written, they may as well have been sisters. They're supportive of each other, and would defend each other until their last breath. All three of them are written so fiery and full of life, you can't help but love and admire them and make a mental note of their retorts. Particularly Penelope's Shakespearean cursing, and Gretchen's snarky one liners. I do love a fellow lover of snark.

Cormac...is just....*sigh* so beautiful and so incredibly adorable. Initially I thought he was a bit of prat with how he was treating Emma, but then you see his point of view (gotta love multi points of view for this understanding) and you see he's in love with Emma, and it gradually comes out that he was being how he was to protect her. There's an un-ending stream of cute moments between them as well as flirty that have you going "aaaawww" and feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, a feeling Harvey is an expert at inspiring in her romances. Their relationship progresses so perfectly, as things slide in to place and they finally admit their feelings. Harvey's romances are always aaww worthy, and inspire a certain jealousy, because no real life bloke will ever match up! Cormac and Emma's relationship was the perfect romance, and perfectly sweet, and I can't wait to see how they progress knowing their feelings.

Now, the plot. The original blurb does not do it justice, and is my custom, I got over excited and fleshed it out way more than was probably necessary, but when I get excited about a book my rambling and need to get everyone else to love it as much as me is unstoppable.

The plot for A Breath of Frost is a web of many different and very unpredictable threads. We have the romance, the main one being Emma and Cormac, but I've already seen another potential one, and then there's the brief glimpses of Emma's mother. But more than that, we have the mystery of who the murderer is, I freely admit to following the train of thought given and being convinced it was Daphne, so when the actual murderer was revealed I was genuinely shocked.

A Breath of Frost has many twists and turns, and all of them are unpredictable, from the mystery of the murderer to the deep, dark family secrets revealed. I was kept guessing the whole way through, which added to the enjoyment for me. The threads of romance, mystery, murder and magic are expertly woven in to a truly  fantastical and greatly enjoyable plot. The lore surrounding witches and magic is truly unique, making the book stand out from all other's in the genre, not to mention the added lore of the Gargoyle's and other creatures. I really loved how Harvey wrote the witches familiars in to the story, it was truly unique and never has been done before.

So much happens in the nearly 500 pages, but you never once find yourself bored, or getting easily distracted, the book is truly a page turner and utterly gripping. We go from a ball to a murder to the strange magical happenings, to finding out about being a witch, to a goblin market, to a ship, to a school of magic, to a period of time at the school, to more murders and a house that is straight out of a gothic horror book. I promise you, there's not a moment when you find yourself bored.

A Breath of Frost takes us on a truly magical journey through the streets of Regency London, filled with incredibly unique mythology and lore concerning magic and gargoyles not to mention the romance, mystery and murder. A Breath of Frost is a true  page turner, giving you the warm and fuzzies one moment, making you all emotional the next, to having you laughing so hard your sides hurt, like me, you won't want this book to end!

Do yourself a favour this cold and rainy January, pick up A Breath of Frost and get drawn straight in to the heart of the story, and surround yourself with magic and a beautiful romance. As for me, I will be nursing my Book Hangover, resisting the urge to start reading it again straight away and starting my one woman campaign to get this made in to a movie! Well...I have to do something to fill the void in my life until the second book!