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.
- Books
- YA Fiction & Indies
- Young Adult Fiction
- Kingdom of Ice and Bone (The Frozen Sun Saga, #2)
Kingdom of Ice and Bone (The Frozen Sun Saga, #2)
Author(s)
Publisher
Genre(s)
Age Range
14+
Release Date
September 22, 2020
ISBN
978-1982556280
Buy This Book
Editor reviews
4 reviews
Overall rating
4.3
Plot
4.5(2)
Characters
4.5(2)
Writing Style
4.0(2)
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A(0)
Heart-pounding follow up to BEASTS OF THE FROZEN SUN
Overall rating
4.7
Plot
5.0
Characters
5.0
Writing Style
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
**This review contains spoilers for book 1, BEASTS OF THE FROZEN SUN**
*********************************************
Lira and Reyker are adrift, both believing the other to be dead. Neither has time to properly grieve as Draki continues his quest to build an empire and have both Lira and Reyker as weapons. Lira's journey is guided by the Fallen Ones, whom she's now a vessel for, and they instruct her to go to Reyker's homeland. Meanwhile, Reyker is trying to take Draki down from the inside, but his choices are limited and none are easy. Just when it seems the two of them will be reunited, they are torn apart once more. Reyker and Lira will have to make the toughest choices of their lives so far if they have any hope of saving the world from Draki.
While I definitely enjoyed the first book in this series, this sequel went darker and got more intense than I ever imagined, and I found myself even more invested than I was in book 1. Normally, I tend to dislike the trope of the lovers from book 1 being separated in book 2, but Criswell did a phenomenal job teasing the reader with a reunion and giving them time together in their dreams (though neither thought the dreams were real). The emotional angst was cranked way up, and I often wanted to read ahead just to make sure they did reunite at some point because I was so on edge.
What stood out to me the most was Lira's arc. She's been through so much trauma in a short amount of time, and that's driving her to a dark place inside herself. Her morality lines get more blurred the more she loses those she loves. This is a great example of how hard it is to fight for mental health and well-being when you're in a situation of continual and building trauma, left with no time to process or find healing. I can't wait to see how she grows and changes in the final book of the series.
KINGDOM OF ICE AND BONE brings more emotion, angst, drama, and battles of will to Lira and Reyker's story. This is a sequel you won't be able to put down once you start reading.
*********************************************
Lira and Reyker are adrift, both believing the other to be dead. Neither has time to properly grieve as Draki continues his quest to build an empire and have both Lira and Reyker as weapons. Lira's journey is guided by the Fallen Ones, whom she's now a vessel for, and they instruct her to go to Reyker's homeland. Meanwhile, Reyker is trying to take Draki down from the inside, but his choices are limited and none are easy. Just when it seems the two of them will be reunited, they are torn apart once more. Reyker and Lira will have to make the toughest choices of their lives so far if they have any hope of saving the world from Draki.
While I definitely enjoyed the first book in this series, this sequel went darker and got more intense than I ever imagined, and I found myself even more invested than I was in book 1. Normally, I tend to dislike the trope of the lovers from book 1 being separated in book 2, but Criswell did a phenomenal job teasing the reader with a reunion and giving them time together in their dreams (though neither thought the dreams were real). The emotional angst was cranked way up, and I often wanted to read ahead just to make sure they did reunite at some point because I was so on edge.
What stood out to me the most was Lira's arc. She's been through so much trauma in a short amount of time, and that's driving her to a dark place inside herself. Her morality lines get more blurred the more she loses those she loves. This is a great example of how hard it is to fight for mental health and well-being when you're in a situation of continual and building trauma, left with no time to process or find healing. I can't wait to see how she grows and changes in the final book of the series.
KINGDOM OF ICE AND BONE brings more emotion, angst, drama, and battles of will to Lira and Reyker's story. This is a sequel you won't be able to put down once you start reading.
engaging, dark YA fantasy
Overall rating
4.0
Plot
4.0
Characters
4.0
Writing Style
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
KINGDOM OF ICE AND BONE picks up where the first book left off. Lira and Reyker are separated and each believes the other to be dead. Their grief is palpable as they fight the monstrous gods in their lives. Lira was saved by the Fallen Ones, and she is beholden to their desires to be free- a task that seems impossible. Her powers have become unpredictable and she is unsure of so many things in her life, except her desire for freedom and to see Reyker again.
Reyker is back with his brother, Draki, the Dragon, who is a conqueror with magic that he uses for evil. Reyker is disgusted with him, but he recognizes him as family, resulting in an internal struggle as he watched Draki torture others and play with their minds.
This book is ultimately a book of battles and gets pretty dark sometimes. I really enjoyed getting deeper into some of the characters, the mythology of this interesting world, and the conflicts and internal struggles that appear throughout. The pacing is a bit slower at first but definitely picks up throughout the book as we get into the groove of the characters and this world, becoming quite engaging until the shocking conclusion.
I would definitely recommend this series for people who enjoy darker YA fantasies, such as FIND ME THEIR BONES and WICKED SAINTS.
Reyker is back with his brother, Draki, the Dragon, who is a conqueror with magic that he uses for evil. Reyker is disgusted with him, but he recognizes him as family, resulting in an internal struggle as he watched Draki torture others and play with their minds.
This book is ultimately a book of battles and gets pretty dark sometimes. I really enjoyed getting deeper into some of the characters, the mythology of this interesting world, and the conflicts and internal struggles that appear throughout. The pacing is a bit slower at first but definitely picks up throughout the book as we get into the groove of the characters and this world, becoming quite engaging until the shocking conclusion.
I would definitely recommend this series for people who enjoy darker YA fantasies, such as FIND ME THEIR BONES and WICKED SAINTS.
User reviews
There are no user reviews for this listing.
Already have an account? Log in now or Create an account
Latest Additions
GET A YABC BUTTON!
We have all sorts of YABC buttons for your website. Grab one here and link to YABC!