*I received a free copy of Cursed by Ice from Ballantine Books via Netgalley. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *
Warning: This book includes mature content such as: sexual content, and/or drug and/or alcohol use, and/or violence.
Series: Immortal Brothers #2
Published by Ballantine Books on 31 March 2015
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Pages: 288
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley
As punishment for plotting with his brothers to steal immortality, Garreth is suffering a freezing torment until the end of time. Again and again, his fierce fighter’s physique is frozen into a chiseled ice sculpture, his heart hardening like a diamond in his chest—only to thaw and resume the chilling torture. Until, like his older brother Dethan, he is offered a reprieve from a goddess—in exchange for his allegiance in a celestial civil war.
Garreth lives to fight and fights to live. But while laying siege to an embattled city, he finds another reason to go on—a beautiful warrior woman named Sarielle, who commands a mythic beast through a mysterious and powerful bond. Terrified of her strength, the city rulers have kept her captive, and now she refuses to submit to a new master. As Garreth seeks to unleash her passion and melt the icy resistance of her heart, will he become her ultimate salvation—or lead them both to greater destruction?
Cursed by Ice is better than Cursed by Fire, but it still didn’t totally make me weak in the knees.
My Cursed by Ice review:
In Cursed by Ice, I got to know the second of the immortal brothers, Garreth, who still freezes every evening at dusk until the beginning of dawn. With his brother Deathan, he is fighting to overtake a new city, and turn all the inhabitants into worshippers of Weysa. There are some pretty good fights, a dragon, and a strong woman who is soulbound to a dragon that helps her fight to save her city. It turns out she’s a slave, though, and that her sisters are kept away from her to make sure she will do the bidding of those governing the city.
Between the fighting, the political intrigue, the romance and the amazing dragon, I thought I would be more into the story of Cursed by Ice than I was. Again, I didn’t really feel like I got to know the characters all that well, nor the universe they lived in. Between the virgin Sarielle and Garreth, it was quite evident that there was a lot of chemistry – but I’m all virgined out, I think, and while Sarielle had been forbidden from leaving her rooms, it was obvious why she was still a virgin – however, I don’t think it actually made the story, the intrigue or the romance any more exciting that she was.
Written in third person point of view, from both Garreth’s and Sarielle’s perspective, and in past tense, I should have gotten to know the characters in Cursed by Ice better. It might just be me, though… and I think my next Frank novel will be from a different series just so I can see what many of my fellow bloggers are all raving about.
Some of my favorite Cursed by Ice quotes:
What would Garreth say to him? Would he hold him responsible? He should, Dethan deserved nothing less than be held responsible for the entire folly.
He had no right, no right at all, to be laying a claim for her in any way. He was simply complicating the matter, making things more difficult than they had to be.
Security was key. She had come from nothing, had been raised with nothing. If not for her looks and having caught the bennesah’s eye, she would still be wallowing in poverty and nothingness. She would not go back to that. She must play her cards as sharply as possible.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
I’ve not read JFrank yet, Lexxie, but I too have heard good things. It really sounds as though this series needs some serious work on the world building and character development. I’m sorry you’re not ‘feeling it’ and perhaps a different series will work better. I think I’d have the same issues as you so if/when I decide to read JFrank, I may skip this series and try another. 🙂
I hope you’re having a terrific Tuesday, my friend. 28 more days!! I feel rather like a teenager in my excitement. *ha* **BIG HUGS**
Yeah, I’m definitely going to read her other series. I have another book by her.
LOL I’m the same way, Brandee, I can’t believe there’s only a few weeks left. And time is just flying these days, it’s amazing. *BIG HUGS*
I think I’ll pass – phew, you’re not increasing my to-read list this time 😉
For once, Iza…
Oh! An amazing dragon! My attention is piqued
I know, right? Dragons are awesome, Brandi.
Twitter: talksupeblog
Freezes from dusk til dawn? Wow that’s quite the curse. And there’s a dragon too?? Well, well, well…
Yup, like a block of ice, actually… The dragon is really cool, Braine 😉