“I will be there, always. To keep you whole”.

I really really loved this book. First of all Lira is a very strong character, she knows what she wants and even if she has lost so much she is not afraid to give her heart to a “Beast”. Because it is what her people think Reyker is. At the beginning they are enemies, but they are linked by something stronger that they really cannot understand!
This story is full of love, betrayals, gods and magic and I really couldn’t put it down. I’m already waiting for the sequel!

First I have to mention that I love the cover. I liked the world building, it was a good beginning to a fantasy series. There's political intrigue and betrayal, and plot twists all good ingredients for a great fantasy. Although everything about this book was impressive, I have to say I was a bit disappointed. It was not as epic as I thought it would be, I feel like there was something missing for me. It's a middle of the road fantasy read for me but I think many fantasy readers would enjoy it and book two is promising. I am looking forward to book 2. This is debut novel and in no way does this seem like it, the author seemed like a seasoned writer who transported readers to an interesting world with complex characters and promises of an even better book 2.


Lira has a cool gift, she can touch people and see their souls and through that she can see their memories. I did fee like Lira and Reyker had chemistry and it was clear that they cared for each other. Other characters were also written very well. Their world was brutal and the main characters were put through a lot in this story. At first with the actions of Draki the villain, I got The Darkling feelings but they're not the same. I was so excited for that but he wasn't the charming Darkling, Draki didn't have the same plans, but he is just as evil though. The characters were strong and the plot was good except for everything the characters did something would go wrong and there were always consequences. The story was fast paced and that is something I enjoyed very much.

**My review is scheduled to be up on my blog on August 1 but I will be posting it on my goodreads and mentioning it on my facebook and instagram. I will also post on Amazon.

Jill Criswell undoubtedly nailed how and Gods and Goddesses play with mortals on Beasts of the Frozen Sun! This is a fantasy based off of Celtic mythology and if you're a fan of the Vikings show.

This is a wonderful love story of Lira and Reyker who were doomed from the very beginning, as each belong in a different clan.

"You will chase what you cannot catch. You will love what you cannot keep, You will kill what cannot die."

Characters:

💫Lira - a god-gifted soul-reader and daughter of Torin

💫 Reyker - a Westlander, Giants with hair like straw, eyes like water. The beasts of the Frozen Sun.

💫Torin - a chosen clan Chieftain by God of Death, Gwylor

💫Madoc - Torin's brother and Sons of Stone Commander

💫Draki - a Westlander demigod, daughter of Idja

However, it missed some mark and the author failed to create a more complex world for the characters. I just want the characters to get away from the Island and go to Iseneld already! There's definitely highs and lows in this book and I'm hoping that some of my questions will be answered in the sequel.

And I cannot wait for Lira's character to develop like Lagertha's and be as fiercesome as she should be.

Thank you Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with this e-arc to review.

Book one in a new trilogy, the main character is Lira a daughter of Allira and Reyker, a Dragonman. Lira and Reyker are at odds initially as they are enemies from rival clans. Criswell does a great job of creating a world centered around Gods and their mythology. The description and back story of the Fallen Ones is well done. Looking forward to book 2.

This was a brilliant book that had me captivated from start to finish. Full of magic and mythology this book would be perfect for any reader of YA fantasy and I would recommend it to fans of Sarah J Maas' Throne of Glass series.

It was...ok...it had an interesting story concept. I think I just need more action nowafays
I feel like something was missing though.
I will probably read the second book.

This sounded like a great book, but it just really fell flat for me. Lira is a soul-reader and the princess of her clan, and encounters a warrior one night while her village is being attacked. Lira saves the warrior instead of turning him over to her family, and realizes she has a connection to him that goes back many years. She learns while trying to heal his wounds that his name is Reyker, and he does not want to follow the Beasts of the Frozen Sun, but has no choice. As various forces conspire to hurt Lira and Reyker, Lira must decide who to trust and how to save her home.
I think my biggest problem with the book was the plot. It just felt very aimless. I kept thinking something big was about to happen to kick-start the action, and that Lira and Reyker would be forced to work together to find a way to defeat their enemies. But it just seemed like they were stuck in an endless cycle of "Reyker is hurt/captured/imprisoned and Lira must save him and then Lira feels trapped by her culture/clan/family/religion and must find a way to escape, maybe with Reyker's help." It felt like one-step-forward-two-steps-back without any progress in action or character development.
I also felt very fuzzy on the backstory/world-building of the book. I was confused about they mythology of their home and needed more clarification. Were Lira's powers good? Was her religion good? I don't know.
The secondary characters were also not well-fleshed out. Lira's friends were one-dimensional and I kept getting members of her family confused.
This book just wasn't for me.

I was given a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Title Beasts of the Frozen Sun

Author Jill Criswell

Release Date August 6, 2019

Description from Amazon

Every child of Glasnith learns the last words of Aillira, the god-gifted mortal whose doomed love affair sparked a war of gods and men, and Lira of clan Stone knows the story better than most. As a descendant of Aillira and god-gifted in her own right, she has the power to read people’s souls, to see someone’s true essence with only a touch of her hand.

When a golden-haired warrior washes up on the shores of her homeland—one of the fearful marauders from the land of the Frozen Sun—Lira helps the wounded man instead of turning him in. After reading his soul, she realizes Reyker is different than his brethren who attack the coasts of Glasnith. He confides in her that he’s been cursed with what his people call battle-madness, forced to fight for the warlord known as the Dragon, a powerful tyrant determined to reignite the ancient war that Aillira started.

As Lira and Reyker form a bond forbidden by both their clans, the wrath of the Dragon falls upon them and all of Glasnith, and Lira finds herself facing the same tragic fate as her ancestor. The battle for Lira’s life, for Reyker’s soul, and for their peoples’ freedom has only just begun …

Initial Thoughts

This book immediately caught my attention when I saw the cover. The title is interesting and the cover art really draws you in. The description also sounded different than anything else I was currently reading. It reminded me of the TV show Vikings.

Favorite Quote

“Burn brightly. Love fiercely. For all else is dust.”

I normally don’t highlight when I read on my phone (unless it’s by accident when I’m trying to turn the page). But this quote really stood out. So much so that I finally utilized that highlighter in the Kindle App to capture it so I wouldn’t forget. In my opinion, the above quote summarizes the whole story. Lira and Reykar live in a world where they don’t know if they will live from one moment to the next so they live by those words. Be the best version of yourself, because that’s all that matters.

Themes

A lot of the story is about redemption and finding yourself (as well as quite a bit of family drama, politics, and romance). I liked that the main characters made mistakes and freely admitted they were not perfect. They worked together to become better.

Final Thoughts

I loved the semi-alternating POVs in this book. It was mostly Lira telling the story, but I liked the Reykar chapters sprinkled throughout.

The ending left me wanting so much more. This book isn’t even released yet and I want to read the sequel, RIGHT NOW.

As always, I enjoyed the historical element to it. It reminded me of a Vikings or even Game of Thrones type of atmosphere.

Overall, highly recommended.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recommendations for Further Reading

Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson – I’m all about enemies to lovers and both of these books fit that mold.
The Traitor’s Game by Jennifer Nielsen – once again, enemies to lovers. There is also a magical/prophecy element to this story that is similar to Beast of the Frozen Sun.
Daughter of the Pirate King – not super similar but both main characters have red hair and that’s right, you guessed it, more enemies to lovers! (Do I sense a theme here 😉)

Although, I would classify beasts of the Frozen Sun as a fantasy romance, I'd say that it has many other underlying themes. The one that stood out the most to me was Reyker's redemption arc. I loved that questions it brought about about morals and hard choices and what someone could do when they're pushed too far. I liked that I could genuinely understand how Lira could love him. He had a lot of baggage and was far from perfect but his redeeming qualities outweighed that. He was a well-intentioned young man who grew up in the wrong place, and didn't want to let that define him. That's admirable. I loved all the characters though, not just Reyker. Lira was brave and impulsive, and kind and fierce, but still flawed like any normal human being, and her fierceness wasn't hyped up to make her seem like an invincible cookie-cutter heroine. I also loved her friendships with Ishleen and Quinlan. Even when things got complicated, I feel like Ishleen's loyalty won over. I also liked the way Quinlan's love for Lira was handled. I can't stand love triangle and I was glad it wasn't one of those books where Quinlan was pushed on the reader just to keep us on our toes about who she picks. I also love that her rejecting him didn't change anything about their friendship. He wasn't just a plot device to be used and thrown away after Lira decided she didn't want him romantically. He was a good character and his loyalty was unfailing. This book will definitely now be one of the first that comes to mind when someone asks for a recommendation.

Oh Gods, what a glorious book!

I love everything Beasts of the Frozen Sun has to offer: the characters, the story, the pacing, the world building, the mythology, the magic system.
Even the brutal battle scenes and frightening aftermaths because even if most is just hinted at the scenery is real enough to read between the lines.

Jill Criswell's writing is beautiful, she brings unique characters to life and she knows how to create great chemistry between them.
Of course, I love Lira and Reyker the most, but can we just appreciate the wonderfully written Quinlan? He is a true hero, noble, generous, lovely.
And then there is Draki, one of the best villains I ever came across in a book. He is cold, cruel and terrifying, even more so because of his icey beauty.

Beasts of the Frozen Sun is a great start to an epic story and I hope there's at least a second book coming soon. That ending nearly killed me.
I need to see where the fates take Reyker and Lira next. Burn bright. Love fiercely.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read this great book!

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this but I knew it was fantasy and the cover was beautiful... well... so was the story! I loved watching Lira fall for her "beast". What a tale full of adventure, magic and legends! There truly wasn't a dull moment. So many things happened in this book- things that made my heart shudder, break and swoon. This was a great fantasy book and I am so upset I have to wait for the next book! Loved this one!

*** A huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review ***

I love books inspired by mythology and playing with gods, and I loved the narrative in this book around the two different stories about what happened so many years ago. Which god is the hero, and which is the villain? Which one of them is the traitor? And how does the mortal woman the gods love play into all of this? With solid, intricate world-building, mesmerizing writing, a complex cast of characters and heart-melting us against the world romance, Beasts of the Frozen Sun is sure to ensnare you from start to finish. You'd wish it didn't have to end.

Beasts of the Frozen Sun is a Viking mythology type of story centered around Lira and Ryker. It's obvious from the start, these two are destined for each other and great heroics and/or doom. Two young people who are essentially forced into situations and ideologies that are well beyond the scope of their lifetime and part of a much larger picture. The characters are excellent in their complexity, development and humanity. Interactions are engaging and entertaining. The story is mythical and dynamic with vivid details and surprising twists. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next to Lira and Ryker because they seemed so real to me. I enjoyed every aspect of the story, and I'm eager to read more from Jill Criswell. Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

First off, I'm so in love with the cover of this book I can't hardly stand myself!

I'm going to leave the book review at 3 stars for now, but will probably read it again when the book is released. I loved the story line. I loved Lira and Reyker as well as a few more side characters in the book. I just felt like there was something missing or too much of one thing.

There is a bit of grimdark in this book and some things are graphic more so than others. I loved the mythology and the feeling I was watching an episode of Vikings at times. The thing is, the story felt like it was going in a loop. I wanted Lira, Reyker and a few others to get off the island and continue on with what they need to do. They just continued to get into trouble, get caught, get away, sneak around, get caught, get into trouble.....

Now even though people wandered around and things and people were killed here and there; there is still a great story there, in my opinion. Lira and Reyker are linked together for reasons and I'm hoping there is going to be a big ole otherworldly romance at some point. I mean as well as all of the killing and revenge and stuff =)

Overall, I liked it good enough for 3 stars and will continue on with the series and see what happens with all of his chaos that is going on with everyone!

*Thank you to Netgalley and the Pub for a digital copy of this book for review.*

Mel ♥

An ARC was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited about this book when I saw the cover! I wanted so badly for it to live up to that gorgeous cover and it does!

I loved basically every moment of this book. The plot was well thought out and it was not boring at any point. The world building in this book is fantastic and so incredibly imaginative.

The characters personalities and their development were perfect! They all had such incredible, distinct personalities and were written so well.

Overall, the book was amazing and Criswell is definitely someone to look out for!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, I was thoroughly blown away by this book. Within the first 10 pages I already knew I was hooked, and by the time I was ten chapters in I knew this was going to become one of my new favourite stories and worlds of all time. Criswell somehow effortlessly builds Lira and Reyker's world into something so vivid you almost forget that you're not a part of it, and the drama and stakes don't apply to you. The characters and their relationships were beautifully developed, nothing felt forced or rushed, and each of the character arcs felt organic, including the more surprising ones. While the pacing is intense, and the book is hard to put down, there are calmer moments woven in between to help balance out the more dramatic moments, and make them even more poignant. Lira is a strong, stubborn, and brave character, and makes you want to root for her from the get go. Reyker is also strong, stubborn, and brave, but also compassionate, gentle, and misunderstood, and together they make for a heart melting team. Would strongly recommend this read for fans of Sarah J Maas, Sabaa Tahir, and Laini Taylor!

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for the arc of this book.
This book grips you from the get go,
A strong female character, gods and vikings,
A great story, from beginning to end.

Beast of the Frozen Sun
A new debut in ya high fantasy saga that transports you to a world of God and Goddess .
A captivating tale with a strong heroine , rich and vivid world of magic and adventure. Slow burn romance and political Intrigues . Complex world building centered around old world Viking themes.
Fast paced . Imaginative writing from Jill Criswell . I can’t wait for another book in this magical saga.

This book was received as an ARC from Blackstone Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was so enticing and it immediately takes you away into their world and the love story that unfolded between two unlikely heroes that come from two different worlds. This book reminded me a lot of Wonder Woman in the beginning when Diana and Steve Trevor meet for the first time on Thiemyscira. All the suspense, action, drama and climax were really exciting and addicting and I know our young readers are sure to love this book. Maybe this could be a nominee for our next Battle of the Books competition.

We will consider adding this title to our YFantasy collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

This novel was a great read and I could not put it down! There are constant plot twists and the author weaves a compelling tale. The story is mostly told from Lira of clan Stone 's point of view, but there is also some of Reyker's view as well. Lira can read souls as a descendant of Aillira, whom she was named after. Her father uses her to determine the truth from a person's soul to protect the clan. Lira is stubborn and strong in her own way, yet shows compassion to Reyker, a westlander, who is coming with his brethren to attack. Reyker has his own troubles from his childhood, forced to see and do things no child should as well as being forced to serve the Dragon. Reyker is a warrior, and Lira is the only one who can reopen his soul to the light, for he needs to defeat the Dragon and avenge his people. There is much character development between Lira and Reyker, who go from enemies to friends to lovers. Their relationship progresses throughout the novel, slowing developing, each having to work out their own fears and prejudgments about the other. Lira and Reyker have a powerful connection, but there are those who want to destroy that for their own evil purposes. There is much betrayal and the gods have their own agenda, which stared with Lira's ancestors. Lira and Reyker will sacrifice themselves for the other, but will it be enough to stop the destruction around them? I cannot wait to read the next novel in the series!