Frost Like Night by Sara Raasch

Series: Snow Like Ashes (bk. 3) Final Book

Genera(s): High Fantasy

Subjects: magic, seasons, winter, royalty, kingdoms, adventure, war, princes and princesses, king and queens, warriors, rebellions, slavery, orphans

Setting: The Kingdoms of Primoria

POV/Tense: 1st person POV, present tense: Meira, and 3rd person: Mather and Ceridwen

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 483 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen: Balzer & Bray

Summary/ product description: “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 mental 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.

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

My Review:  Frost Like Night is the final book in the Snow Like Ashes trilogy. If you have not read Snow Like Ashes, I recommend it to those who enjoyed Frozen, Game of Thrones and books like: Incarnate and The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, Crewel by Gennifer Albin, The Jewel by Amy Ewing, Defiance by C.J. Redwine, The Young Elites by Marie Lu and the Red Queen by Victoria Avyard.

Meira is the queen and conduit of the Winter kingdom. She’s trying to find away to stop Angra, the evil ruler of Spring who use the magic of the Decay. Meira is brought to Paisley, the kingdom hidden in the mountains of the north. Rares and his wife offer to train Meira in using her magic. Meira soon discovers that the only way to defeat Angra might not end in a happy ending for. She might have to sacrifice everything to save her kingdom and the rest of Primoria from Angra and this war. With Mather by her side, she feels she can do anything.

Mather would do anything to save Meira from the fate she plans to accept. He really does want to spend his life with her and can’t imagine living without her. Ceridwen is now the monarch of Summer, but cannot use her kingdom conduit because it is male-blooded. She’s trying to save her own people and create new allies. She also wants a relationship with Jesse, but he must first break his relationship with Raelyn, his current wife who’s now under Angra’s influence.

This epic finale is filled with magic and adventure and even all the romance we were hoping for. I will say that I did not enjoy this book as much as the previous book. I’m not a fan of 3^rd person POV and I would have preferred only to have Meira 1^st person POV or have 1^st person perspective of Mather and Ceridwen. Also I was so busy with school, that it takes a long time to finish a book. I did enjoy this series overall and hope to find more unique fantasy series like this one. I’m very happen to see how this series has come so far and to a satisfying ending. I can’t wait to see what other stories Sara Raasch cooks up.

Cover Art Review: I love these cover so much! They are consistent and beautiful. The chakram with the seasons in it is so cool.

The Crown by Kiera Cass

Series: The Selection (bk. 4)

Genera(s): Dystopian sci-fi/Romance

Subjects: contests, love, royalty, politics, princes and princesses, kings and queens

Setting: Los Angeles, California (Angeles now)

POV/Tense: 1st person POV, past tense: Eadlyn Schreave

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 278 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $19.99

Publisher: HarperTeen

Summary/ product description: “When Eadlyn became the first princess of Illéa to hold her own Selection, she didn’t think she would fall in love with any of her thirty-five suitors. She spent the first few weeks of the competition counting down the days until she could send them all home. But as events at the palace force Eadlyn even further into the spotlight, she realizes that she might not be content remaining alone.

Eadlyn still isn’t sure she’ll find the fairytale ending her parents did twenty years ago. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and soon Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more impossible—and more important—than she ever imagined.

My Review:  The Crown is the 5^th and final book in the Selection series, or the 2^nd and final book of this Selection spinoff duology, depending on how you look at it. If you don’t recall, in The Heir, Maxon decides that holding the Selection would be a way to distract the people from other troubles. Getting rid of the caste system did not solve all the problem in Ilea. People are having trouble finding jobs because of post-caste discrimination, or skill level. The 35 suitors are anonymously picked and Eadlyn was making history being in the first female-ran selection. Eadlyn was highly against the Selection and tried to sabotage it from the start, sending boys home as quick as she could, but some were charming enough that she kept them for a while, dating some, doing things as a group sometimes.

Now in The Crown, Eadlyn has narrowed her Selection down to 6 Elites. The ones staying are Ean, Henri, Fox, Hale, Gunner, and Kile. Under the circumstances of her mother’s condition, she thought it was best to let everyone else go. Her mother’s heart attack is hard on her, but America is still alive and the doctors are doing what they can. Out of all the Elite boys, Kile’s the only one she truly loved, but he dreams of being an architect and she’s not sure if she want to put him in a royal position. She grew up with him, and they used to not like each other.

There’s also Henri’s translator, Erik, who Eadlyn starting to fall for, although he’s not part of the Selection. Erik’s family was from Swendway, like Henri is. Erik’s real first name is Eikko. He has dark hair and blue eye and is camera shy. Eadlyn really does love him, but she feels obligated to go though with the rules of the Selection. Also there’s Marid Illéa who want her to marry him to secure the royal blood line.

This was a really great finale. It was cute and enjoyable. I’m happy how it ended and kind of don’t want to spoil it for everyone else. I enjoyed all the romance, humor and drama in these books. If you looking for action, this is not that kind of book. It’s full of romance. It’s like a soap opera. I would not suggest reading this without having read all three of The Selection books before it.

Cover Art Review: I love this cover more than any other Selection covers. That dress is the most gorgeous cover dress yet. Those sparkles look like stars. I just love everything and wish it were metallic or glittery.

Cover Art Review: So gorgeous. I love the purple! The lavender dress is so pretty!

Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch

Series: Snow Like Ashes (bk. 2)

Genera(s): High Fantasy

Subjects: magic, seasons, winter, royalty, kingdoms, adventure, war, princes and princesses, king and queens, warriors, rebellions, slavery, orphans

Setting: The Kingdoms of Primoria

POV/Tense: 1st person POV, present tense: Meira, and 3^rd person: Mather

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 478 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen: Balzer & Bray

Summary/ product description: “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.”

My Review:  Ice Like Fire is the awesome sequel to Snow Like Ashes. Winter is now free from Spring’s rule, but new troubles are on the rise. Cordell’s king may be giving Winter aid, but Meira still feel like her kingdom is under their oppression. The Cordellian king wants to find the magic chasm, and when Meira’s Winterians do, she intends to prevent the magic from being released. Theron want everyone to have magic, and Meira disagrees. Theron and Meira’s relationship becomes strained and they set off on a quest throughout the kingdoms of Primoria to find the three keys that will open the chasm.

We finally get a glimpse at three other kingdoms in this book: Summer, Yakim and Ventralli. Each are unique and different. Summer is about pleasure and they have slavery and brothels. Yakim is about knowledge and they have universities and advanced technology. Ventralli loves art and beauty and is like Venice with its masks. I love that the world building of Primoria is so intricate and different from other fantasy novels I’ve read. I love the kingdoms based off the seasons and the rhythms. Sara has a Pinterest board for her series that really gives you the look and feel of the different kingdoms.

Meira is such a great character. She’s pretty down-to-Earth for a queen. She’d prefer pants to dresses. She’s like to use her Chakram to protect her kingdom. I feel sorry for Mather. Theron has Meira’s love, but I feel like Mather is meant for her. When I think of Meira and Mather I picture the Elsa-Jack Frost pairing. There’s not much romance in the story. It’s more about the adventure and the kingdoms, but I’m okay with that. I just want Mather and Meira to get together and kiss in the final book.

The ending was somewhat surprising. I kind of expected some of it, but I didn’t know where it was going. I just hope the finale if awesome. I wonder what the title will be. Frost Like (Flame? Sparks? Not sure). I really would love to read more fantasy like this. I recommend it to those who enjoyed Frozen, Game of Thrones and books like: Incarnate and The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, Crewel by Gennifer Albin, The Jewel by Amy Ewing, Defiance by C.J. Redwine, The Young Elites by Marie Lu and the Red Queen by Victoria Avyard.

Cover Art Review: I love this cover so much! The Chakram and the seasons. It’s just so amazing.