Began reading: 24.11.2016
Completed reading: 28.11.2016
Overall rating: 5 stars
Will she give up her dream to follow her heart?
Bryn Aven is determined to gain status amongst the Kanin, the most powerful of the hidden tribes. But as a half-blood, winning respect is a huge challenge. Bryn's almost-human community distrusts people, and those from other tribes are almost as suspect.
She has just one goal to get ahead: to join the elite guard protecting the Kanin royal family. And Bryn's vowed that nothing will stand in her way, not even a forbidden romance with her boss, Ridley Dresden.
But her plans are put on hold when fallen hero Konstantin starts acting dangerously. Bryn loved him once, but now he's kidnapping Kanin children - stealing them from hidden placements within human families. She's sent to help stop him, but will she lose her heart in the process?
Frostfire by Amanda Hocking is a fictional young adult novel that contains fantasy and romance. I put this trilogy off for so long (almost a year!) and I regret it. This book was incredible and I can’t wait to continue the series!
The book was well-written, with no errors and good use of literary techniques. The plot was also well-structured, with the exception of the conclusion (I’ll get to that later). There were also a couple of great quotes throughout the book, including:
‘I love it when you talk clean to me, quoting training manuals like sonnets’ (p. 144).
‘Nothing good ever comes from falling in love’ (p. 240).
‘Before when we were talking, were you asking why her?’ The aurora above us reflected on his face, and his dark eyes were filled with heat. ‘Or were you asking why not you?’ (p. 256).
‘Run,’ he whispered. ‘Run, white rabbit, as fast and far as you can’ (p. 316).
More quotes from the book can be found here.
The plot was really interesting, especially with all of the situations and missions that Bryn had to experience. These different activities kept me interested, as each presented their own set of obstacles for Bryn to overcome. Many books that I have read focus on only one mission or task for the protagonist to conquer, which made the plot a little dull. This wasn’t the case with Frostfire, and I’m really pleased with the different missions that appeared in the book.
I really enjoyed Bryn’s interactions with the different secondary characters. At first, I thought that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with all of the characters that were introduced, but it got easier as the story progressed. I liked how Bryn interacted in different ways, depending on who she was talking to. It demonstrated that she was more than a two-dimensional character, and showed that she could be relatable.
On a related note, I loved reading about the romantic (sexual?) tension between Bryn and Ridley. Because of this low-key obsession, I internally squealed whenever they were together or when something adorable happened between the two of them. I’ve mentioned this in previous reviews, but I’m not a fan of too much fluff. Luckily, this book contained a decent amount of romance, and it was mature. I was expecting a lot more romance between these two, especially after what was mentioned in the blurb, but I didn’t think it was disappointing. I think Hocking did an awesome job on keeping romance as a minor theme in the book. I can’t wait to see how their relationship progresses in the next book!
Now, let’s get on with what confused me about the book. Firstly, I thought that the title didn’t link with the story – ‘frostfire’ wasn’t even mentioned in the book, nor did anything resemble it. While I was reading, I was wondering if a character would develop a superpower called frostfire, but nothing happened. I didn’t really like that it left me confused.
As I mentioned in the beginning of the review, the plot was well-structured, except for the conclusion. I could see that the book was reaching its end, but I couldn’t believe that the end was really the end. I thought it was an abrupt ending, which left me a little puzzled.
Don’t get me wrong, I thought it was a pretty good ending but I wasn’t expecting it to be so abrupt, leaving a few plot holes. I have a feeling that it will pick up pretty much where this book left off in Ice Kissed, so I’m not complaining too much.
My favourite character is Bryn Aven, as she’s loyal, protective, hard-working and honest. She’s also quite the badass:
His grip tightened on my arm as realisation dawned on him, and his eyes widened in surprise. ‘You’re the Chancellor’s daughter’.
‘Bryn Aven,’ I told him, still whispering in his ear. ‘Remember my name. Because I’m going to be the one that kills you.’ Then I kneed him in the crotch (p. 22).
Ridley is a notable character, because who wouldn’t like to be working alongside a really attractive, flirty man like him? He is fiercely protective of Bryn which is a bonus, so I’m really excited to see these two together in the next book!
I’m really unsure about Kenneth, Mikko and Konstantin. If I didn’t know any better, I’d suspect that these three are all in on what’s going on together. Maybe it was because the abrupt ending of the book left plot holes, but I honestly don’t know how I feel about them.
My favourite parts of the book included the prologue, the tracker missions, and anything with Bryn and Ridley. I really liked the prologue because it set the tone of the book, and provided a well-paced introduction into what to expect between Bryn and Konstantin. As I mentioned previously, the tracker missions varied and provided different challenges for Bryn to overcome, keeping the plot going. Bryn and Ridley are adorable, but their forbidden romance keeps it all in suspense, which is why I loved them together.
Recommendation time! If you like the Spellcaster trilogy by Claudia Gray, Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas, and the Untamed City series by Melissa Marr, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes The Family tv series, Shadowhunters, Vampire Academy, Divergent, and The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.
Happy reading!
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