Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a fireblood who must hide her powers of heat and flame from the cruel frostblood ruling class that wants to destroy all that are left of her kind. So when her mother is killed for protecting her and rebel frostbloods demand her help to kill their rampaging king, she agrees. But Ruby’s powers are unpredictable, and she’s not sure she’s willing to let the rebels and an infuriating (yet irresistible) young man called Arcus use her as their weapon.
All she wants is revenge, but before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to take part in the king’s tournaments that pit fireblood prisoners against frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her and from the icy young man she has come to love.
Fast-paced and compelling, Frostblood is the first in a page-turning new young adult three-book series about a world where flame and ice are mortal enemies—but together create a power that could change everything.
Fire and ice truly combine in this novel to make one enjoyable steaming ride. I had such high hopes for this book after all of the raving, and I have to admit I was not let down in the slightest. When stories combine romance, magic, and dystopian almost with a medieval feel, I cannot help but love every step of the journey.
When I first started reading Frostblood, I almost felt the beginning was slightly rushed. It was as if we were watching a movie and your friend tells you, “you have to watch the first five minutes, it’s important!” The beginning is a crucial moment in Ruby’s life and backstory though, so I appreciated it and the harshness that sets the mood for the rest of the book.
There are two parts to this book, each delicately intertwined. There are so many characters you meet along the way, ones you instantly fall for you, others you hate, and a few you grow to care for. Ruby, our protagonist, is a Fireblood hiding among lands ruled by Frostbloods. Not by choice, she soon finds her self fighting for her life and learning about a world she wasn’t sure existed. I really enjoyed Ruby as a character, she was strong but in a more gentle way. Usually you get a character that is a kick-butt sass attack, however Ruby doesn’t always believe in her self but she does stand for what is right. It’s a really amazing quality to have in our protagonist and watch her grow.
One thing about a good book is when I’m happy I love the villains. Having multi-dimensional villains, make me love-hate them which is always intriguing when you’re sitting there like “I should really not like you, but I do.” There’s more than one character like that in Frostblood, too.
Then of course there’s our heroes and love interest. There are a lot of characters you grow to love in different ways, which is just yet another aspect I adore about Frostblood. Honestly, one common theme between them all is the secrets and mysteries that surround our “heroes” that make you wonder and slowly fall for them. I really appreciated Marella, Brother Thistle, and especially Arcus.
Overall, I truly enjoyed Frostblood. I have to say even reading it through completely, I’m still surprised it’s not called “Fireblood” instead. Maybe it’ll be the sequel, who knows! Speaking of a sequel, I cannot wait to see what Elly Blake has in store for us next. It’s that nervous-I’m-scared-of-what-you’ll-do but still so excited! If you haven’t, definitely grab yourself a copy of Frostblood, hunker down on that couch and read the heck out of it!
Jotted by Jena 