Review of "Kingdom of Ice & Bone"

Synopsis

Lira and Reyker have lost everything. Including each other.

Lira of Stone watched her home burn and her clan fall beneath the sword of the warlord known as the Dragon. She believes the man she loves, a warrior who defected from the Dragon's army, is dead. Alongside her exiled brother and his band of refugees, she will fight the forces that conquered her island. But the greatest danger may come from Lira herself--with the blood of banished gods running through her veins, she's become a weapon, and no one is safe from the power of her wrath.

Reyker Lagorsson thought he was done being a Dragonman. That was before he saw Lira leap from a cliff and vanish into the sea. Determined to honor her memory by protecting her people, Reyker must feign loyalty to the warlord, undermine him at every turn, and seek alliances with renegade soldiers--without succumbing to the battle-madness that threatens to possess him once more.

When the Fallen Ones offer Lira a chance to defeat the Dragon, her quest leads her to a place she never expected--Iseneld, the warlord's homeland. Her journey into the heart of the Frozen Sun will put her on a collision course with Reyker, costing both of them more than they ever imagined, and leaving her with a terrible choice: to save their countries, she must forsake everything she loves.

Review

An incredible sequel, Kingdom of Ice and Bone, keeps up the energy of Beasts of the Frozen Sun.

Kingdom of Ice and Bone was such an excellent novel. Criswell has done such an excellent job of continuing her series and expanding on the magic and history of this world she has built. In the previous novel, readers only understood the gods of her homeland and the gods of the northern realm as the enemies, but there is more to it.

“Ah!”-mazing Writing

That is part of the charm of the novel, the rising tension surrounding the Fallen Ones and their vendetta against the eater of souls, Draki’s mother. However, their time in darkness has corrupted them, making them just as evil as Draki’s mother.

However, with the gifts of the Gods running through her blood, Lira has to come to terms with the gods' wrath, with choosing the lesser of two evils in order to have her revenge and save her country.

It is such a compelling story, and the momentum continues to rise. Lira is on the edge of falling into darkness. She is on a downward spiral almost, her grief and anger drowning whom she was, changing her. It makes for a great show of characterization and character growth, and as Lira enters Draki’s home, new challenges face her daily.

There is such fantastic tension in these character dynamics and it is interesting to see Draki as more than just a villain.

Yes, Draki is a villain, but there is more to his character than that, something that makes him worth reading. He has the love of some of his people and the respect of others and as twisted as he is, he is a darker shade of gray. He may be evil, but there is such a sharp contrast to who he was in the previous novel that gives the reader pause.

This gives him more depth; it allows him to be a multidimensional character instead of a generic villain.

This play on dynamics, this new development between Lira and Draki, makes the story so addicting.

Criswell executes her story amazingly. She pushes the reader at the edge of their seat with all the moment's Lira and Reyker almost reunite only to be torn by fate yet again. Their relationship changes drastically in this novel, twisted by fate and tension, putting the reader on an emotional roller coaster.

Final Thoughts

Kingdom of Ice and Bone is the second novel in Criswell’s Frozen Sun Saga, and it is emotional, action-packed, and tension driven. Coupled with terrific characterization, this is one novel one will not be able to put down.

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About the Author

Cynthia Bujnicki graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. She has always loved to read since she was a child. A contributing writer for YA Fantasy Addicts, she is also the Editor-in-Chief for Cyn's Workshop. She lives in sunny South Florida with her husband and son and their two cats, Mr. J the Kitten and Nyx.