Summary: Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a Fireblood who has concealed her powers of heat and flame from the cruel Frostblood ruling class her entire life. But when her mother is killed trying to protect her, and rebel Frostbloods demand her help to overthrow their bloodthirsty king, she agrees to come out of hiding, desperate to have her revenge.
Despite her unpredictable abilities, Ruby trains with the rebels and the infuriating – yet irresistible – Arcus, who seems to think of her as nothing more than a weapon. But before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to compete in the king’s tournaments that pit Fireblood prisoners against Frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her – and from the icy young man she has come to love.
Review: 3 stars
This is a book that I passed up reading a bunch of times, but picked it up on a whim because the cover caught my eye and someone agreed to read it with me. I went in blind, only a reputation and cover, without reading a description. I also originally thought that this book was Frostfire by Amanda Hocking, who wrote the Trylle series, which I loved. I am glad that I stumbled across it because I really enjoyed it.
Frostblood moved at a really fast pace, which is an aspect that I really enjoy in novels. The world building was pretty cool. I found the descriptions of a few of the mystical beings to be quite vivid and they felt realistic. The origin story of frostbloods and firebloods was placed well in the beginning of the story, and didn’t feel like information dumping. The prophecy and plot were done very well.
I liked Ruby as a main character. She had quite a temper and wasn’t as innocent as most protagonists are. She flew off the handle when she was angry. While she gained control of her temper and powers throughout the novel and her character arc, she was still quite wild. I found her a bit different than other protagonists that I read about, which is refreshing because I read a lot of young adult fantasy novels.
The rising action and climax of the story weren’t delivered with as much intensity and build up as I preferred, but they were still done well. There was a good plot twist that I didn’t see coming at all. The romance was okay, but more of a secondary element. I didn’t really feel the heat of the relationship, but it was okay. I never had an opportunity to get bored, the action can’t be turning the pages. I would probably be willing to read the sequel, but I won’t be seeking it out. This is the first book that I read by Elly Blake, and it was pretty good
This book has been in my TBR for like a year, but lovely review!
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