Waiting on Wednesday (95): Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



Title: Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes #2)
Author: Sara Raasch
Publisher: Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins)
Release Date: October 13, 2015
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 to use 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 Januari—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 weaves 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.


Kayla and I both loved Snow Like Ashes so I did a little happy dance when I saw the cover revel for Ice Like Fire. I cannot wait to read more about Meira and Primoria. Also, aren't these some of the most awesome covers?? You can read my review of Snow Like Ashes here and Kayla's review here.

What are you waiting on this week?

Bibliophilia, Please Blogoversary 3: Day 5

Once again, and quite surprisingly, we are passing another annual benchmark here at Bibliophilia, Please. From what started as a one (wo)man lovefest for Kevin Hearne and the great YA Kayla stumbled upon in 2011 has evolved into two well-educated, eloquent, and magnificent women sharing and reviewing the books they love. And then, of course, there is Kayla. (Will is, unfortunately, still missing.)

Be sure to check out the previous days to see how 2014 was for Janelle, Amber, and Kayla; enter the giveaways on Tuesday and Thursday; and maybe see a special guest post from an up-and-coming author.

Amber

This has been a really busy year for me, personally and professionally, so sometimes my reading has really fallen by the wayside. This is my first full year as a reviewer, and I have really learned a lot, including a lot about my reading tastes, in that year.

I applied for the reviewer position with Bibliophilia, Please, because I had been playing with the idea of starting my own blog for about a year to six month prior. I was just scared to start it on my own. I wanted to talk about all the books I loved with people (my friends either don't read as much as I do, or give me crazy looks when I am pushing the next book YOU HAVE TO READ RIGHT NOW). In my head, blogging was this big space where everyone was always discussing all the great books, and by discussing I mean, leaving back and forth comments. In reality, not so much. I guess I should have realized this earlier, because no one really comments on my Amazon, Goodreads or Shelfari reviews either. And those comments aren't ever really conducive to conversation. (Side note: I need to comment on other reviews that help me find books). So, my favorite reviews are generally when Kayla and I read the same book, then email each other in exclamation points about how great it is, then Kayla somehow manages to make them look like a review.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Read in 2014

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Books I Read in 2014


1. Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas
Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy.

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?


Sarah Maas really stepped up the game in this third installment. I really liked Throne of Glass, but Heir of Fire completely surpassed my every expectation.



2. Magic Breaks (Kate Daniels #7) by Ilona Andrews
No matter how much the paranormal politics of Atlanta change, one thing always remains the same: if there’s trouble, Kate Daniels will be in the middle of it...

As the mate of the Beast Lord, Curran, former mercenary Kate Daniels has more responsibilities than it seems possible to juggle. Not only is she still struggling to keep her investigative business afloat, she must now deal with the affairs of the pack, including preparing her people for attack from Roland, a cruel ancient being with god-like powers. Since Kate’s connection to Roland has come out into the open, no one is safe—especially those closest to Kate.

As Roland’s long shadow looms ever nearer, Kate is called to attend the Conclave, a gathering of the leaders from the various supernatural factions in Atlanta. When one of the Masters of the Dead is found murdered there, apparently at the hands of a shapeshifter, Kate is given only twenty-four hours to hunt down the killer. And this time, if she fails, she’ll find herself embroiled in a war which could destroy everything she holds dear....


There hasn't been an Ilona Andrews book I haven't liked, and the latest Kate Daniels book is no exception.

Debut Author Giveaway Hop #2 (INT)

Hello again, giveaway hoppers! Thank you to the lovely ladies, Mary at Book Hounds and Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer, for hosting this hop. I mean, what could be more fun that featuring newly published authors and their books that we loved?

What You Can Win

Earlier this week (because I'm a procrastinator), I asked the other ladies of Bibliophilia, Please which books were their favorite debut reads of 2014. Amber is my reading twin the majority of the time, so her picks were the same as mine. Janelle's choice was one that I enjoyed as well. And here they are:

Amber's Picks



Red Rising (Red Rising Trilogy #1) by Pierce Brown
January 28, 2014
Pierce Brown’s relentlessly entertaining debut channels the excitement of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card.

“I live for the dream that my children will be born free,” she says. “That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them.”

“I live for you,” I say sadly.

Eo kisses my cheek. “Then you must live for more.”

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.

But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and lush wilds spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies . . . even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.



My Review

Review: Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Title: Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1)
Author: Sara Raasch
Publisher: Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins)
Release Date: October 14, 2014
Acquired Via: Edelweiss
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 Winter rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore their magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she's scaling towers and fighting enemy soldiers 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.

My Review

You can read Kayla's review HERE.

Snow Like Ashes is one of my favorite reads of the year. Besides Meira being one of my favorite heroines, the world was stunning, imaginative and bleak.

I'll admit that I was a little confused in the first chapter or so with the world and kingdoms. I'm glad that Sara Raasch posted a map of Primoria on her Tumblr, because I did not have the setup of the kingdoms right at all (my e-ARC had a small map in the front, but it was impossible to see on my Kindle). I liked the setup of the kingdoms - four Season kingdoms that each have only one season, and four rhythm kingdoms that cycle normally through all four seasons. It did take a little bit of suspension of disbelief, but it's fantasy, so that's par for the course. My main confusion was regarding where the magic was actually "located" and that was helped by the map.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Fall To-Be-Read List

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Books on My Fall To-Be-Read List


1. The Perilous Sea (The Elemental Trilogy #2) by Sherry Thomas
I'm actually reading this one right now. I loved the first in the series, The Burning Sky. The series has some of my favorite tropes: mages, court politics and a tyrant to be overthrown.



2. Burn for Me (Hidden Legacy #1) by Ilona Andrews
October 28, 2014
A new series by Ilona Andrews! That's really all I need to know. I have an e-ARC, but I haven't brought myself to read it yet, because I'll be so sad when I finish it that I have to wait until next year for a new Ilona Andrews book.

Stuck In A Good Book #Giveaway Hop #3

Welcome to my stop on the Stuck In A Good Book Giveaway Hop hosted by the wonderful Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Valerie at Stuck in Books. There are three new books coming out next month that I'm really excited about that I'm featuring today

What You Can Win

You can enter to win your choice of one of the following books. To read my review and find out more about them, all you need to do is click on the cover.


I rated each of these either a 4 or 4.5 out of 5 stars, so they come with my seal of approval.

Giveaway

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Kayla Reviewed That I Need to Read

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Ten Books That Kayla Reviewed That I Need to Read

I'm going to do something a little different this week. If someone I know and trust recommends a book to me, I'll normally read it almost immediately if I can get my hands on it. So I don't really have a lot of book recommendations sitting around that I need to read. However, Kayla has been reviewing for quite a while and has an abundant amount of books that she rated highly. I've made my way through some of them, and this is a list of some of the books I need to read sooner rather than later.



1. Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis
October 14, 2014
I am loving this science fiction fairy tale retellings trend. Snow White and a frozen planet - I'm sold. You can read Kayla's review HERE.



2. Magic Marks the Spot (The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates #1) by Caroline Carlson and Dave Phillips
Cute adventure fantasy with a girl and a talking gargoyle wanting to become pirates. Of course I want to read this. Kayla recommended the audio version, so I jumped on the chance when Audible had a children's family sale. You can read Kayla's review HERE.

Early Review: Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Title: Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1)
Author: Sara Raasch
Publisher: Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins)
Acquired Via: Around the World ARC Tours
Release Date: October 14, 2014
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 Winter rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore their magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she's scaling towers and fighting enemy soldiers 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.

My Review

I didn't pay too much attention to the synopsis of Sara Raasch's debut, Snow Like Ashes, when I was given the opportunity to review it. If you tell me something is epic fantasy, I'll pretty much take it sight-unseen. Lately, though, a lot of newly released epic fantasy novels are burdened with the promise of "blah blah...A Game of Thrones...blah blah", and this is one of them. For once, the villainous promisemakers got it right because it IS just like A Song of Ice and Fire... in that they're both epic fantasy with a land covered in snow. Congratulations.