Frost and Flame is the second book to Gena Showalter’s Gods of War series, and readers are taken back to the All War battle on Terra, but this time with different characters. Gena starts the book introducing Bane and what happened to him in the past and how he became one of the combatants to battle in the All War. Bane is all about revenge in his story for his evil Queen killing his wife. His Queen is my new enemy in the series because of not only what she did to Bane, but what she order him to do on Earth. He is supposed to do his Queen’s bidding on Terra, but refuses to and instead searches out another princess like his Queen that was born on Earth. (This is something that is against the rules.) If you read Shadow and Ice, you would’ve found out that all the warriors were caught in ice due to a mortal named Erik that killed one of the warriors and became an immortal. Bane is trapped in the ice, but he recognizes one of the females that stumbles upon the ice cave, and he will do anything to get to her. Nola Lee is on vacation with her sister, but they end up on their own due to their guide leaving them. Nola has had dreams about a Golden God for several years now and finally finds him in an ice cavern. She thinks it’s still a dream, though, until the warriors are out of the ice and battling each other. She’s whisked away not by the Golden God, but another warrior named Zion. He’s all about protecting her. Bane though wants to find her and protect her too, especially since she’ll be the next royal. He needs to get her through the Blood Rite first and convince her to kill his Queen.

Enough of explaining the book because I don’t want to give anything away for readers who are still wanting to read the second book in the series. This book brings me back to the battle of All War, and I loved getting to read Bane’s and Nola’s POV now. Gena has the same timeline from the first book in the second book, but instead of being with Knox and Vale, readers are following Bane and Nola. You’ll also have Zion in this book, but not his POV. I loved getting their POVs of the same battles that were in the first book, but it was predictable at specific parts of the book. There was also the swift ending at the end of the book, which left me wanting more because someone should’ve had a slower death than what happened at the end.

The characters kept me interested in the story, though, even though I felt like I had read a similar story in the first book because of where the characters were in their book. Nola is a sassy, feisty young woman who may be suffering from lupus and fibromyalgia, but she won’t let her illnesses affect her strength to fight back when she needs to fight back. There’s also Bane who is all about revenge in this story, and we will get to have moments with his beast inside of him that is strong and protective. His dragon in the book was named Drago thanks to Nola in the story. I loved these two characters that were opposites of each other. Nola put Bane in his place, and Bane would put Nola in her place. There was a little bit more steaminess in this book compared to the first book too. One scene involved an RV and some rocking of the RV.

If you are a fan of Game of Thrones, then you will get some of that show mentioned in this book. I loved it. (Even though the ending of GoT still has me mad.) This book ends up better than GoT’s ending though. 🙂

Now I’m anxiously waiting for the next book because I want to know which warrior gets his/her book in the series. I’m hoping it’s Zion because readers will get to know him better in this book.

Story Rating: 4 stars
Steaminess Rating: 3.5 stars
Standalone or part of series: Part of series. I would recommend reading in order since the 2nd book is with different characters, but at the same time as the first book.
Do I recommend this book? Yes.
Will I read other books from the author? Yes.
Tropes/Elements: Aliens/Gods and Goddesses; Revenge
Hero: Immortal/Warrior; Possessed with a Beast (Dragon Shifter); Alpha; Protector
Heroine: Sick with Lupus/Fibromyalgia, but cured when she is around Bane; Strong-Willed; Sassy; Insecure at First; Has a Fighter in her

Frost and Flame is the 2nd book in the Gods of War series, this book is Bane and Nola's story.
Frost and Flame has the same timeline as Shadow and Ice, but we are experiencing Bane and Nola's side rather then Knox and Vale.

I think I enjoyed this story a lot more the Shadow and Ice, while a I loved Knox and Vale, but there's just something about Bane and Nola. They made me fall in love with them more.

Nola is a really relatable character, she suffers with some different conditions and finds everyday life hard. But being with Bane makes life easier for her. She's strong, loyal and stands up for what she believes in/wants.

Bane is a Adwaeweth fierce warrior, that can shift into a dragon. He is strong, protective and wants revenge on his evil Queen that rules his world back home. But feelings start to develop between them, something Bane doesn't know how to handle.

I can't wait for more books in this series. While I enjoyed seeing Bane and Nola's relationship develop, I want to see how this story will progress and how they will handle the All War of Terra.

Sometimes I can't wrap my mind around the fact that I'm read a different series by Showalter's. I'm so use to the other series, Lords of the Underworld that I have to pause and think for a second. Ha! don't you love when that happens? I'm sure as time goes on I'll start seeing this series as it's own.

If you read the first book in the series then you've been waiting on this one. Frost and Flame happen at the same time as Shadow and Ice. So at times, you have an overlap of the two stories. Love when that happens in a series.

Frost and Flame for me is slightly darker of a paranormal romance than Shadow and Ice was. I think you need to know that going in. Sure, it is just as good and Shadow and Ice, just heavier. You'll understand when you read it.

Even though at times I felt that Bane is heavy-handed and closed off, I liked him. Weird, I know. I don't know why but he isn't that bad. It's mostly on the outside, inside he has a softer more caring side that I enjoyed. He just needed someone to remind him of that softness.

I also enjoy Nola. She has so many health issues but carries on like a champ even when she's not treated very well. There are layers to her that took Bane a while to pick up on. I liked the idea of him being in her dreams before they meet. It's like their story was written in the stars. Their story was well worth the wait. I really enjoyed it!

I enjoyed very much the sequel to the new series. The first book had introduced us to the All War, a contest (which kinds of reminded me of Hunger Games) where elite warriors chosen by their kings and queens have to fight in the planet their rulers have discovered until one contestant wins…and the others are dead.



As Vale and Nola were the ones who reawoke the warriors in the first book, this one focuses on Nola and Bane of Adwaeweth as they try to escape their enemies and maybe fight their growing attraction to one another.

I loved Nola as a character; despite her illness, she never gave up and always tried to see the positive, despite the circumstances around her. She is brave, snarky and sweet. And Bane was sometimes...a jerk but his chemistry with Nola was off the charts!

The most feared immortal warrior in all War history, Bane of Adwaeweth is possessed by a bloodthirsty beast and he will stop at nothing to win and while he hates the power Nola Lee has over him, she can rain vengeance upon his wife’s killer. Nola is battling illness and addiction, but with Bane, she experiences pleasure for the first time and wants more but being with him comes with a terrible price. Their romance will either save them both or destroy everything they’ve come to love.

The second book in the ‘Gods of War’ series is an exhilarating experience that readers don’t want to miss. The author has a gift for making her worlds completely captivating and full of unique elements that makes every story a very enjoyable experience and this one is no different. The world itself it complex with lots of hidden facets, potential for backstabbing and utter violence but the story is about good fighting back against the tyranny and violence of their worlds. The fast paced plot is full thrilling suspense that has readers biting their nails and adrenaline pumping excitement that has gasping in surprise and expectation along with all of kinds of twists and turns that ensures that readers better not blink or they may miss something important.

The characters themselves are strong, bold and easily grab readers’ attentions and the relationship between Bane and Nola is as complex as the war taking place. There is nothing typical in this story and every time readers think they know what will happen next…BAM, something unexpected happens. Beware, this story can be read as a standalone but takes place consecutively with the first one and of course the overall plot of the series isn’t one hundred percent complete.

Frost and Flame by Gena Showalter is book 2 in the Gods of War Series. This is the story of Bane of Adwaeweth and Nola Lee. I have read the previous book and it did help me enjoy this one as they seem to run parallel.
Nora struggles with a crippling condition that seems to be better when around Bane. Bane is a feared warrior who is out destroy which leads him to Nora but he finds her to be more than he thought.
This story is graphic, steamy and just a page turned as I have always found to be with Ms. Showalter books. Enjoyed it!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ out of 5
Gena is one of my favourite authors for a reason and she has BROUGHT IT yet again with this one! I was eagerly awaiting this book as soon as I read book 1 (as the 2 stories happen in tandem) and yet she still somehow managed to surprise me with just how good it was. Paranormal world building was 👌🏻, the romance was 🔥, the bloodthirstiness was ⚔️, and the humour was 😅.

Our heroine hears a voice in her head that for some reason she can’t share with anyone... as in physically can’t. When the voice tells her to go to a remote location in the middle of Russia... she does and finds aliens (all completely humanoid) frozen in ice. When the ice cracks she comes face to face with these aliens battling it out for control of Earth as well as coming face to face with the voice in her head.

This book does not overwhelm with world building and it flows really well. It is jam packed with action and a lot of blood that is somehow still mixed with humour into the perfect combination? I loved the heroine who is still kickass like all of Gena’s heroines, but her badassery was her strength of mind as she has debilitating illnesses. The hero was alpha yet never stepped on her toes or ordered her around. Cannot wait for the next book!

I really enjoyed Nola and Bane's story, because as a woman that suffers from Fibromyalgia myself I could totally understand the pain and suffering that Nola goes through everyday, she is a brilliant character that no matter what she will never give up or give in. Bane as the hero of this story was a little hard to love at first but once he started to show his softer side I totally fell in love with his character and personality, he is a true and loyal soldier that follows every order he is given by his queen to a fault but he soon starts to realise who his true queen really is.
There was plenty of action in this book to keep myself as a reader interested in where the story would take Nola and Bane, they had great chemistry going on between them and great personalities that only made me like them more. The writing was very good, it flowed well and was easy to understand. Gods of War is turning out to a wonderful series with a very different twist on the paranormal theme. I can't wait for the next book as i'm already hooked, addicted even and I need my next fix soon!

This is the second book in this complex and intriguing series. Nola and Bane's story had a lot of hate you-want you-hate you going on, which did become monotonous after awhile. Like many heroes, Bane started off as a bit of a jerk. He was filled with anger, fueled by his quest for vengence and racked by occasional feelings of guilt. He did grow and get better and I really liked that he admitted to his sins and tried to make up for them. Nola I thought was a pretty awesome character. This woman had a core of steel in spite of how things appeared from the outside. I felt the chemistry was good between these two and I enjoyed their steamy scenes. The storyline and world these characters inhabit is very complicated and I do admit that sometimes things could get a bit confusing. Still, I found this to be a very entertaining read and I look forward to more from this series.

An excellent paranormal romance, gripping and entertaining.
There're some elements of dark fantasy and an amazing world building.
The cast of characters is fleshed out, I liked both Bane and Nora and rooted for them.
The plot is well crafted, Ms Showalter can surely write a page turner that will keep you hooked till the end.
I didn't read the first instalment in this series but I had no issue with the plot or the characters.
I look forward to reading the next novel in this series, highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Everyone, I mean everyone needs to stop what they are doing and go get a copy of Frost and Flame. Cause it's fire! I freaking love it so much! Like I could not stop reading it once I pick it up. And you won't either. Now, let's get started with Bane and Nora.
Nora
She is such a cutie that I just want to keep her for myself. She has worked so hard in her life that she definitely needs break. Like a big one, not going into the winter and discover another dimension like she did. It definitely blew her mind away but she rolled with it especially discovering her true identify. I won't spoil that for you but your going to love it. And you are going to love her strength as you read through the book. And you know that Bane is going to love it even more.

Bane
He has gone through so much that I feel sorry for him. I completely understand why he wants revenge that he is determine to get it at all cost. But sometime you do not get what you want. It's something that Bane will learn through the book. But in the meantime, we get to enjoy Bane funny self as he enjoy more and more time with Nora

Relationship?
Bane and Nora are definitely together but they are facing some huge challenges along the way. I will not go too much detail but it will blow your mind for sure. They have intense chemistry with each other that you want them together even when they are fight with each other. But what couple does not fight.

Frost and Flame will deliver Bane and Nora into another world that will be explosive for everyone.

Five stars

Frost and flame is Nola and Banes book. You might remember Nola from Shadow and Ice because she’s Vale’s sister. This book starts out giving us some background into Bane and what makes him tick and what brought him into The All War. It then goes into familiar territory and gives us Nola’s point of view on how Vale and her ended up in the ice cave and what her thought processes were.


The majority of Frost and Flame takes place at the same time as Shadow and Ice does. Although the time frame is the same Gena does an excellent job in not making the reader realize it. though there’s familiar parts, it’s an all new perspective making it seem new to the reader and not a repeat of what they’ve already read.


What I feel like we’re going to get with each book in this series and what we definitely got in this book is more background into each combatants world. Not only do you learn why or how they got into this All War you actually learn about these other planets. Which in turn makes me more interested in the world OUTSIDE of the All War. Maybe possibly a spin off series down the line?? Hopefully!

Frost and Flame let us see banes quest to put aside vengeance and come to terms with what he’s lost and being able to move on. In doing so he opened himself to love. It also let us see Nola’s strength. Most would assume a person with Nola’s condition would just give up and accept the limits that have been thrust upon them. Not so with Nola(and like we’d really expect Gena to write a weak female heroine). We not only see Nola reject those limits but pushes through them with sheer determination and what she lacks in strength she makes up in her wit.

Gena did an amazing with building Frost and Flame onto the Stellar job that Shadow and Ice did, starting this new series. I have a feeling who might be next in the series and While I’m excited for his book I also wish we get a surprise from gena and get someone we haven’t gotten a ton of interaction with.

This book did leave me questions though. Like if Nola becomes queen then does she become queen of all of the adewathians or just the ones on earth? And if she does then does she need to go back to home base so to speak for fear of trying to tip the All War in her favor?? Those are just some of my questions.

Honestly can’t wait to see where Gena takes us with this series. It sorta loosely has the vibe of Kresley Coles IAD series. In terms of I already can’t wait for like book 7 or 8 and see how far the world has expanded. Speaking of Kresley Cole it’s been a while since there’s been any type of cameo...... so maybe we’re due for another one??? Pleeeease Gena!

Grab Frost and Flame where ever books and E books are sold!!

Book two of this series sees Bane watching his Queen murder his wife!!!! Vowing revenge he sets about the task his queen has set him, but with a twist all of his own....
He has been tasked in finding and killing the next Queen of Adwaeweth (a realm outside Earth)but after watching his wife being killed (Bane refused to leave his home world, he didn’t want to leave his wife so she was slaughtered in front of him.) he has sworn to find and protect the princess, so that she can kill the queen and Bane will be free.
Coming to Earth (or Terra) was easy, joining in the war of all wars was easy, being caught in ice by a human Viking ..... that stung!!! But Bane and the rest of the immortals battling were all frozen. And there they stay ......
Nola is adopted sister of Vale (remember her? She was the heroine In book one) she has Lupus, and is in constant pain, and when she doesn’t have lupus, she has Fibromyalgia, fighting these diseases takes its toll on Nola, but she’s not a quitter, she’s not a moaner either.
Nola and Vale have booked a holiday together, Scandinavia and then onto Russia (Nola has been having dreams for years about travelling to Russia to free a Golden God)
Oh I might have forgotten to mention ..... The queen can still the beast that lives inside Bane (he carries a dragon like creature inside him) and command him (so although he tried to fight to save his wife, he was commanded not to move) so pledging himself to another Queen of Adwaeweth isn’t what Bane wants, but the queen and princess will have to fight, and he’s hoping with enough training, the new princess will be able to defeat the Queen.
Getting to Russia, Vale and Nola are forced to seek shelter in a cabin, lack of food forces them out two weeks later, they need to find help, they need to be rescued. What they get is a whole lot of muscle and trouble......
Oh ...... and if the princess becomes the Queen.... apparently she becomes a really spiteful and horrid person !!! (Bane knows first hand, he was betrothed to the Princess before she became the Queen, The Blood Rite they have to endure, changes them as a person, they become evil and twisted) !!!
Bane has to rescue Nola from one of the other immortals (Zion) as Zion teleports her away to his lair.....
In between the fighting, the combat training (there is sex) and the storytelling, Bane realises what he had for his dead wife doesn’t compare to his feelings for Nola, but a vow is a vow, he will kill the reigning Queen, or die trying, but now he doesn’t really want to die, he eats a life and family with Nola.
But will he get it? By all accounts Nola could turn as the last Queen did, becoming spiteful and vindictive..... Has he traded one bad Queen for another? And this one will tear out his heart if he loses Nola!!
The story is a fast paced action packed read. Very descriptive (and a little gory in places) but the author has written another good book to the series. (In fact I like this better than the first book)
Hoping Zion gets a book, as he played a major role in this book.

Nola finds out that it is her destiny to rule as Queen of Beasts.
Bane is an immortal warrior of all time. He is possessed by a beast and controlled by an evil Queen.
Bane is supposed to find Nola and kill her before she can be Queen. But when he finds her things change and Nola can finally be with a man without being sick. She has dealt with health issues her whole life and they seemed to be getting worse. So with her best friend they end up fighting to get Nola where she needs to be and to perform the rite for her to be Queen because Bane wants the Queen they have now,dead.
This book had me in all kinds of emotions as we read how sick Nola has been and when she is near Bane the pain is gone. She can finally be with a man for the first time.
All the descriptions of the men in this book makes you think of Vikings.
I received this from Inkslinger and NetGalley for review.

Highlander meets Hunger Games. The All War continues in book two of Gena Showalter’s God of War series, Frost and Flame. This is Bane of Adwaeweth’s and Nola Lee’s story. The All War Alliance was formed by alien races to limit the casualties of war when fighting for recently discovered territories. When a new realm is discovered each race can enter one warrior to compete to win the realm for their race. It is a battle to the death. Only one survivor is allowed. This time they are fighting for Terra (aka Earth).

I enjoyed Bane’s and Nola’s story. They both have interesting histories. Both characters have suffered in different ways. They are good for each other. They grow. They make the other stronger and have amazing chemistry. I appreciated how Knox of Iviland and Vale London (book #1) played a role in this story.

Gena Showalter does a nice job with this novel. Frost and Flame is skillfully written. There are politics, deceit, adventure, and romance. There are interesting twists that kept me engaged throughout. I suggest reading book one, Shadow and Ice, first. I recommend this novel to people who enjoy paranormal fantasies like Highlander and the Hunger Games. This series would make an excellent television or movie series. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

So this is the second book in this imaginative new series and this time around we are experiencing foster sister Nora's story.
I actually connected with this story much more than its predecessor and rated this one much higher.
I think that maybe for a multitude of reasons. one biggee being that Nora herself is a lupus and fibromyalgia sufferer.
I myself have fibro so I really felt able to identify with her on a huge level.
I could feel her struggles and easily walk a day in her shoes this really helped me to understand her mindset.
So brief recap Earth is a gladiator arena where representatives from each realm get to battle to the death for planetary ownership.
We are smack amid the 103rd All-war and only one victor can emerge triumphant for there king or queen all else will die.
So Bane of Adwaeweth is the champion from his world.
Sent here by an unscrupulous Queen who murdered his wife in cold blood he lives for his vengeance.
This is where Nora comes in a princess with the ability to become a Queen Bane needs her to despose and annihilate his hated ruler taking her place at the helm.
The males of Bane's world all carry an inner beast, a fearsome and murderous dragon that only a Queen can keep reined in and shackled.
Bane originally and wrongly pegs Nora as weak and treats her initially quite abysmally.
He also feels drawn to her which he battles at every turn, feeling disloyal to his dead spouse.
His inner dragon also seems to have a beef with her so her obstacles to overcome seem just so immense.
He does eventually come to realise that strength of character and spirit can be just as formidable as the brute force he has previously admired and that might comes in many forms.
I liked that Bane tries to compensate for his previous contempt and that he was able to admit when he was in the wrong.
I adored the dynamic between Nora and Bane and also the friendship with Zion who for his own personal reasons seemed to just want to help her.
We also get to see all the bits we wondered at from the previous book which was fab.
this really was a really great addition to the series and I enjoyed myself here very much.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of Frost and Flame (Gods of War, #2)

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was suspenseful and full of action and angst. I loved the world building and the alpha hero in this story. I will admit I was a little confused at times following the story, but overall I am so excited to read more in this series.

The bestselling author and master at her craft of writing epic fantasy romance novels, Gena Showalter, returns with the second book in the Gods of War series. I have been waiting for this book for almost a year and Gena did not disappoint.

We are brought back to the beginning of the All War on Earth, back to before it even begins and this time we will see the war through Bane of Adwaeweth's eyes. We meet him briefly last time and know that he is a feared warrior like the others, but also he is one not to mess with. He doesn't fight with weapons like the others, we discover why that is in this book. The only thing he has in possession that someone may want, if they were to actually kill him, are goggles that allow him to see the tricks or illusions that the other combatants may play to their advantage, but for Bane, who is sensitive to the light, they allow him to actually not be blinded by the harsh earth sunlight. We learn that his race is sensitive to light, but not much else, for Bane is a dragon shifter. No wonder he doesn't need weapons.

You see, when the combatants fight, they fight to the death and when they make a kill they are allowed at that moment to take the others special weapon of choice. Each combatant arrived to the All War with a unique weapon, some are sought out specially because of this, others are sought out because they are an easy kill, each combatant has their own reason for what they do. We also learn that Bane is there purely for revenge.

Many combatants are there as a place of honor for their home and to win another realm for their kingdom, Bane has been sent by his queen commanding it. A queen he cannot disobey under the spell she wields that rules his people and even when he still would have rather suffered death than come to another war under her command, she killed his wife right before him to make sure he won so he could seek vengeance. Yes, everyone is there to win, but Bane can taste that vengeance everyday and with every kill.

During his time on earth, Bane is also tasked with seeking out any Adwaewethian heirs and killing them. His queen does not want to be challenged for the throne. Bane sees this as his one chance to find that heir and actually have get his revenge on the person who killed his wife. If a new queen could take the throne than his people would be free of this evil queen. His quest brings him to Nola Lee.

Nola Lee has been sick for as long as she can remember. The only relief she finds are in the pills the doctors prescribe, but the side effects come with a huge side of suck. Getting a break from being the sick sister, she and her sister, Vale (from book 1), plan a trip of a lifetime and prepare for almost everything. But when things go sideways and they both end up kidnapped by immortal beings, that isn't something Nola ever planned for especially when she gets separated from her medication and the withdrawal symptoms begin to set in.

Whoever thinks to plan for that? Nola should have, if she was honest.

She has been having dreams of a golden god for years. A man who refers to her as his princess. Now that's a wonderful dream, especially with the things he likes to do to her. Never once did Nola ever believe that this dream god would become a reality, but she was poorly mistaken. She also finds that her god has a jealous streak a mile wide and her withdrawal symptoms seem to get better when he's near her. There is a whole host of weird things that Bane has to answer for, but he's not exactly the talkative type. She has a lot of unanswered questions for her mysterious man and things only seem to get weirder the more time they spend together, not that she's complaining. Keep him close, she feels better, but life doesn't always work in her best interest.

Bane and Nola each try to fight the irresistible attraction they have towards one another. It's one that seems to pull them together like magnets whenever they are in close proximity. As Nola discovers more secrets to her ancestry she wants to help Bane, but he has to trust her not to turn on him. Bane isn't the easiest man to open up and let people in, he hasn't exactly had the best history with that, but getting closer to Nola is allowing the man, and beast inside him, a chance to see that things don't always appear as they seem. If they do work together they will have a better chance of achieving their goal and getting what they both desire then if they work separately which could ultimately lead to their death.

I think what I like about Frost and Flame, is that it can be read as a complete standalone if you haven't read Shadow and Ice. Gena wrote it where you can pick it up and still understand the history of the All Wars, along with a little background of what happened before without giving too much away. The timelines of both books are exactly the same, but (and this is a huge but) the first book I feel was a bigger-broader look at the war and getting to know the overall characters, but it had to be for that storyline. Frost and Flame is a more intimate look at how the war affects a home, a kingdom, their people, and that was important for this overall storyline. So while both stories have points of intersection, they are not alike.

Okay, I know this has been a long review, but...I don't get to review big, epic books like this very often and I really do love reading them!!

Bane is a character to fall for right out of the gates. The typical big and burly warrior type, yes, but from the very first chapter you meet a very different guy than if you read book one or will meet for most of this book until he really lets his guard down. Bane is a husband and someone with feelings which we don't see because he has to bury those emotions deep. I really felt for Bane right from the very beginning and even though he's always made out to be this huge, larger than life character, he seems very fragile through Nola's eyes. I love that about this book. The two of them even each other out perfectly.

So, if you love reading other-worldly, battle-warrior, fantasy/paranormal bada** male and female characters, pheromones through the roof, not the mention epic fight scenes then this book is for you!

I have been looking forward to The Frost and the Flame for the longest time as I loved Knox and Vale in the first book immensely. Nola Lee and Bane were delicious. I loved how their relationship almost seemed kismet and how their story ran parallel to the first book. 

While this story was great, I will admit that I was not as connected to them right away. I was mildly frustrated that neither Bane nor Nola Lee were ever really together for long periods of time for almost half the book. The constant teleporting minutes after they were reunited was a bit frustrating as I was hoping to see so much of the banter I loved in book one. I wanted to see and feel their connection earlier. Overall, though, I enjoyed this story and another story in the Gods of War series. I look forward to more books in this series. 4 stars! ~Ratula 

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

FROST AND FLAME was everything I hoped for after getting into this series through the first book last year. While the events take place at roughly the same time as the first book, we get a whole different set of people and things going on. And the romance takes the cake.

Nola and her foster-sister Vale were traveling when they find a cave with many frozen and very attractive people in it. As they manage to escape their ice prisons, they begin to learn that they are in the middle of an All War, where aliens/creatures from other planets compete to decide who will rule the new realm. Nola finds herself with Zion, a man from a planet of men, who saves her in part because she is female.

However, Nola felt herself drawn to another man who she had been dreaming of and communicating with for a long time. Bane is from Adwaeweth, which is a planet of essentially shapeshifters (dragons). Each generation has princesses that could be queens. His queen, Aveline, killed his wife and sent him to the All War. Bane is determined to get revenge. Aveline had sent breeders to Earth, and so, Bane knows there is a princess/queen whom he can use in his quest.

As the action begins, there is plenty to keep the reader completely sucked in to this story. The characters were fantastic- I loved getting to know Nola and Bane. A major theme of the book is strength that comes from within, rather than that on the battlefield. Nola suffers from some debilitating conditions, and her strength on these is praised and obvious in the book. She's also got the typical sarcastic and brave attitude as other Showalter characrers, and I adore it all. Bane was an interesting character with his own world/culture that we learn about in the book, and it was easy to devour his side of things.

Overall, this was a fantastic sequel that is everything I would have hoped for and more, with great world-building, super-steamy romance, and engaging characters. Highly recommend for fans of paranormal romance- this is a series you'll need to pick up!

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.