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Showing posts with label Sarah Raasch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sarah Raasch. Show all posts

Thursday, 15 September 2016

{Blog Tour} Frost Like Night (Snow Like Ashes #3) by Sara Raasch

28960209Posted by Donna
Release Date: September 20th, 2016 
Finished Date: August 6th, 2016
Publishers: Harper360 UK
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Source: For Review
Format: ARC
Pages: 496
Buy: Amazon UK Amazon US / The Book Depo 
 
Game of Thrones meets Graceling in this shocking and action-packed fantasy—the highly anticipated final book in the New York Times bestselling Snow Like Ashes series.

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, Meira 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.

The Review: This series fast became a favourite of mine when Snow Like Ashes released a few years ago. Since then I’ve been eagerly awaiting the final book in the series because I was just dying to know how it all ends and if my favourite characters got the happy ending they deserved. Frost Like Fire was a great finale and it was much better than Ice Like Fire which I’m definitely glad for. So if you felt a little disappointed with the sequel, don’t worry people Sarah Raasch delivers a worthy ending.

I’m not even going to try and recap this book because there is so much going on that I don’t want to spoil it for you. But as you can already guess the book picks straight up from that major cliffhanger in Ice Like Fire and everything for Meira, Mather and Theron gets worse before it gets better. You’re thrown into their world of danger, magic and politics all so they can try and save their own kingdoms as well as their people.

Meira has come so far in such a short time. She’s always been a strong character, never one to back down but we did see her struggle in the sequel with everything that had happened but now she’s determined to win and save everyone she loves. She forces herself to become better, even stronger and learns how to use her magic conduct correctly and safely so she can defeat Angra – especially when the final outcomes relies on her. With her being the Queen it really can’t fall on anyone else’s shoulders. Mather also has a much stronger presences in the story, not only with his own chapters from his point of view but he starts to realise that he is needed just as much as Meira. Even though I do ship Theron more I do appreciate the bond that Meira and Mather have and it’s one that’s continued to grow over time. I can see how and why she turns to Mather when she needs him after Theron’s betrayal.

Now my only real complaint about the story was I wasn’t overly fussed with the new chapters from Ceridwen’s POV. Was it needed? Yes but maybe just not so much. I understand that all three characters have their own reasons for fighting Angra but I wanted the story to focus more on Meira, Mather and Theron really.

In all, I really enjoyed Frost Like Fire. It was a great conclusion to the series and it left me happy for the characters and while I’m happy I got to see their ending, I’d still be happy to read more from this world and from them. Or even a spin-off series maybe? Who knows! My fingers are crossed!

Thank you to Harper360 UK for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Friday, 6 November 2015

{Blog Tour} Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes #2) by Sarah Raasch

24623385Posted by Donna
Release Date: November 19th, 2015
Finished Date: September 5th, 2015
Publishers: Balzer + Bray
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Source: For Review
Format: ARC
Pages: 432
Buy: Amazon UK Amazon US / The Book Depo

Game of Thrones meets Graceling in this thrilling fantasy filled with shocking twists and heart-pounding action, the highly anticipated sequel to Snow Like Ashes.

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 on using 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 Jannuari—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 is woven 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.

The Review: Snow Like Ashes was easily one of my favourite reads last year and so of course I jumped at the chance to get my hands on the sequel, Ice Like Fire and I simply couldn't wait to start it. 

Meria is looking for a way for her people to be free after Cordell helped her take back her country but, she now has the bargain that she made with them breathing down her neck and so she has no choice but to try and fulfil her debt, even when her own country needs the money more than them. Not only that but, everyone is still searching for Primoria's lost chasm of magic and when it's found, everyone is at lodger heads about what to do with it. However, the King of Cordell has other ideas and is seeking to use Winter for his own purpose, so Meria leaves on a journey to try and gain Winter some new allies within the other Kingdoms.  But her journey isn't just about gaining new allies, Meria is trying to find the keys for lost chasm before anyone else can because releasing all that magic out into the world, when there is already so much danger surely can't be good for her people? Can Meria find them in time to save Winter? 

Ice Like Fire is told from alternative narratives which is slightly different from Snow Like Ashes because we've only ever saw Meria's point of view. This time we get Mathers, so you Mather's fan will definitely be happy with this change. It was nice to get to know him a little better because both Meria and Mather have different ideas for Winter - both on their own journeys, so it was a nice change to see what was happening to both characters and getting their own thoughts on the issues that arise in Ice Like Fire. 

Ice Like Fire is definitely a book that sets everything up for the grand finale and in all honestly, as much as I wanted to love this just as much as Snow Like Ashes it was pretty hard not to because it was so painstakingly slow for the first three quarters of the book. That disappointed me because I wasn't expecting this and I found I kept having to push through. I did this because of how much I loved the first story and I just knew something epic awaited at the end of this story. And I was right - it did. But this was still pretty much a filler book in my opinion and definitely fell into the second-book syndrome category. 

Even though I had issues with the story I still very much enjoyed parts, hence my 3.5 star rating. Meria, Theron & Mather will always be great characters for me. Even though they change a lot through this story and go through a lot of personal struggles, I still root for them to be the people I know they are destined to be. They have so much determination and are full of hope. I just hope that they learn from the mistakes they've made and move on from them. 

Another reason I enjoy this series so much is because of the relationships/romance between the three characters but honestly, Ice Like Fire in my opinion is a turning point. It's clear now who should be with whom now but I'm still a little torn as to whose team I'm on, but like I've said before, I think I would be happy with either guy for Meria. It really just depends on what happens after the events in this book. Nail-biting! 

In all, Ice Like Fire for me wasn't as good it's predecessor but it's still worth a read especially if you're invested in these characters and their story just as much as me. 

3.5 flowers! 

Thank you to Harper 360 UK for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Friday, 29 August 2014

{Review} Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) by Sara Raasch

20799220Posted by Donna
Release Date: October 14th, 2014
Finished Date: August 16th, 2014
Publishers: Balzer + Bray
Genre: YA Fantasy
Source: For Review
Format: eARC
Pages: 432
A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

Sara Raasch’s debut fantasy is a lightning-fast tale of loyalty, love, and finding one’s destiny.

The Review: Remarkably well written, unique and amazing, Snow Like Ashes is a fantastic debut novel and a YA fantasy story that you can’t miss. 

Meira has lived her whole life knowing that the Kingdom she belongs to – Kingdom of Winter was defeated and leaving the remaining survivors enslaved in work camp run by the Kingdom of Spring. Meira and the remaining eight survivors that weren’t captured have been on a mission for the past sixteen years to try and take back what they’ve lost and help their King back into his rightful place. But without their magic – which was lost during the battle, their journey won’t be easy. 

When Meira is finally given the chance to show what she is capable of, she’s finally doing something she loves – helping her cause, but the mission doesn’t go to plan and soon Meira’s life has changed for the worst. Can Meira sacrifice her own happiness in the name of her Kingdom and give up the one boy that means the world to her in the process?

This was just the type of read I was looking for!  It had been a long while since I’d read another fantasy wise and it just reminds me that I really need to read more of it. Snow Like Ashes is simply stunning read. What stood out for me was how original it is. I don’t recall every reading a story quite the same and for that reason I loved it. It was so exciting to unravel this imaginative world. The magic was unique and very interesting. And it had a fantastic plot that kept my attention all the way through. Fantastic characters that was easy to fall in love with. But more so, so many twist and turns that I didn’t expect. And when they were revealed, talk about mind-blown. I finished this story needing more – it’s that good. 

As I mentioned, Snow Like Ashes has a fantastic set of characters. Meira is amazing, she’s strong, determined and she’s more than happy to bend a few rules to get what she wants. She could be quite rash sometimes but I loved that she wasn’t one of these characters that lets herself be walked all over. It’s good to have a strong heroine and Meira was that. I loved Mather, Theron, Sir; all of the secondary characters were second to none.  

Now Meira’s relationship with Mather is very touching, I loved them together and I could see why she liked him so much. I was definitely rooting for them two to start with, but here’s where things get interesting. Yes, there is a tiny and I mean tiny love triangle. It’s not one that consumes that whole story. It’s the right added touch and gives you some fantastic romance moments. Prince Theron was impossible not to love. He and Meira don’t have the best set up but for then it seems to work and they find they have more common than they though. I’ve got to say, I don’t know who I’m rooting for. Apart of me wants to say Mather’s so Meira can have the relationship she’s always wanted. But then I want to say Prince Theron for the fact that it’s something new and surprising and the way she feels about him is something different. Either way, I can’t wait to see how this plays out and I hope I have front row seats to it. 

In all, Snow Like Ashes is a gripping read – one full of magic, suspense and loyalty. I am so pleased with this book – so go read it!  

Favourite Quotes: "Just keep breathing. No matter what happens, no matter who turns on me, no matter what pompous swine thinks he has power over me, I am still me. I will always be me."

Thank you to  Balzer + Bray for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 
 
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