“Don’t dwell in the in-between.”

“A Burden of Ice and Bone,” by Kyra Whitton

In the village of ice, the people depend on their skill of shooting the dangerous polar bears. Dira has never wanted to ever shoot or kill a polar bear. She has always felt that there was more to them than everyone else sees. There is a legend of the ursine King’s enchantment that has been intertwined with the polar bear lore and Dira is determined to find him and break it.

I absolutely loved this book. It is a great stand alone and the whole polar bear aspect was very unique. The post-apocalyptic frozen land was so interesting and was fun to read about. The romance is slow burn and light but that made the book feel like an old school Disney story. I loved every second. 5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

3/5 ⭐
0/5 🌶️

Thank you to NetGalley and Kyra Whitton for the ARC of A Burden of Ice and Bone.

This book I feel can best be described as a fleshed out folktale. A man is cursed, a woman flees from her society as an outcast, and it is meant to teach a lesson about how humans can live with the top predator in their environment.

The FMC was somewhat unlikeable. She seemed to vacillate between self-pity and entitlement, with a side of no sense of self-preservation. The MMC felt a little flat at times, which I think was mostly due to him attempting not to reveal too much or form a bond with the FMC.

Despite these flaws, I enjoyed the story itself and the world the author built. Instead of a "Mad Max"-like desert wasteland, this environmental apocalypse led to a frozen tundra. The romance was sweet. I think this could be read as YA, though I don't believe it is marketed as such.

If you enjoy folktales and a slow burn, closed-door romance, this may be for you.

I don't know where to begin, this book has so many exciting parts that I can't possibly be expected to cram them all into words. Though I shall certainly try.

This book was beautifully written, I felt like I had been targeted when I was reading it. I adore anything with bears in. I adore fantasy fiction. When those two worlds collided for me, it opened up a whole new chapter and I now require this to be made into a film for me to binge watch repeatedly, so I can swoon.
All the hearts for Val. 🤍
The rich world Whitton has developed is the very same idea of what I imagined polar bear environments to be like. I watched this show once where this village shares its border with polar bears, they just wander amongst the snow, not coming to close.
I swear I could imagine the very setting Whitton describes thanks to this prior glimpse. Frosty mornings, polar bears keeping their distance but being inquisitive due to sounds and smells, but not meaning harm. Just like the FMC thought of them. It was so vivid, I want to observe and visit their secret relaxation spots, but obviously I know better than to not get close to a wild animal. But one can dream...
The story in this tale revolves around the fear of bears, seeking power, a curse, being true to yourself, acceptance, and overcoming ones fear to find the balance in the fight against the wild.
The understanding I had for the FMC feeling out of place, outcast, always responsible for whatever goes wrong, always failing. Those who have been there, can feel that disappointed feeling coming towards you in waves. It's hard to ignore and really does build up to the point you want to escape and try to prove you were right. Whenever I read these parts my heart squeezed just a little, because I can feel it with her, I feel even for imaginary characters who suffer.

I absolutely ADORE this book, the fantastic characters through to the witty dialogue.
I will recommend this to all, it's got a slow burn romance with some lukewarm intimacy. PG 15?
But it is just such a cute book! Just remember, bears and fantasy. What else do you need??

This book has a beauty and the beast style vibe. With a strong, gripping journey with bears and a happy ending. I love those. I'm giving this a totally well deserved 5* snowy stars!
'Don't dwell in the in between' because this book deserves to be read!

This book is adorable! And I absolutely love that it’s a stand alone. It said what it needed to concisely while still captivating me in the storyline.

Dira is a good female lead. While she is brave and stubborn, she is also reckless and impulsive. Her character development throughout the book is realistic and relatable to anyone who has had major changes occur in their life.

This was an intriguing and quick read. By the time I started this, I didn’t remember much from the blurb, so it was enjoyable to discover the story as I went.

We get fantasy, sprinkled with an ancient curse, survival, post apocalyptic events, and even a hint of Beauty and the Beast. All wrapped up in one novel.

There isn’t much character growth, and I did feel the pacing of the last 10% was a bit rushed, especially after the unexpected twist. I think it could have benefited from being a duology and actually taking the time the story needs at the end, but I still enjoyed the story.

Thank you to Silk and Swords Books and NetGalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Full Review on NetGalley & Storygraph.
A Burden of Ice and Bone is a unique combination of a Beauty and the Beast retelling (ala Disney’s 1991 film) and environmental conservation propaganda set in a dystopian future Earth. The story follows Dira, a woman determined to bring about a time of peace between her small town and the polar bears that share the land and resources. Romance and magic intermingle in the plot, but the driving theme is resoundingly caring for the Earth and its creatures. No CWs.
Unfortunately, the most positive thing I can say about this book is that it was daring to have the entire book revolve around polar bear conservation. This is a 1 star book, for me, for the following reasons.
The FMC, Dira, was deeply unlikable. Not in the morally gray way, but because she never once used her head in the face of trouble or employed empathy when interacting with others. Dira came off as a spoiled child (despite her being 20 years old) and her inner dialogue revolved solely around her playing the victim. Dira was meant to be different from the other townsfolk, but she just came off as a bad person who constantly put herself and her town in danger for no reason.
The worldbuilding was as barren as the northern tundra setting. By about 40% into the book, I realized this was meant to be taking place on Earth, but the distant future. This was never expounded on in any meaningful ways and this was a disservice to the concept. The only worldbuilding we receive is in huge blocks of exposition, either in Dira’s internal monologues or via dialogue from someone else. This left the world feeling hollow and overly simplistic. There was huge telling and not showing problems, with almost all of the important information being told instead of the readers getting a chance to see relationships, culture, or events in action. The magical system is far too thin and doesn't feel connected to the otherwise realistic environment.
The side characters were all the same, with no personalities shining through. Even our FMC was devoid of much personality, aside from her penchant to whine and play the victim. This led to soulless conversations that should have elicited an emotional reaction from the reader. Her twin, her childhood friend, or anyone really, all treat Dira the same, regardless of if she views them as being one her side or not. The romance was just as hollow as the rest of the book. The main love interest gets very little in the way of a personality, aside from being stoic and protective. He is never given much reason to put up with Dira, and frankly, just tolerates her. He functions more like a chiding fatherly figure than a romantic partner. The FMC and love interest had no chemistry and at points the consent felt dubious.
The overall pacing was uneven. On a small scale, excessive use of passive voice hindered action scenes and tension. Dira lacked autonomy over the plot and was just a reactive bystander to much of it. Without spoiling anything, even the ending was handed to her by the actions of others and not her own decisions. The middle of the story dragged, with very little happening. The biggest plot point of the book was solved between 90% and 95% of the book and the pay off was not there. Despite spending the majority of the book searching for a way to change her town’s mind about polar bears, the conclusion fell incredibly flat and was too rushed.
One concept that was successful was the fact that the love interest’s face was not fully revealed until the end of the book. I thought that was a clever concept to have for a romance. I can’t say that I would recommend this, even though I am a big fan of Beauty and the Beast retellings.

For the lovers of beauty and beast comes a rendition that makes your heart skip a beat. This one is an epic combo of fairy tale romance married with standing up for a cause.

I love books that have female protagonists and especially the ones where the princess saves the prince and they both live happily ever after.

I can’t write anymore without giving away the plot, but if you love novels that have tons of world-building and the heroine saves the day, you got to get your hands on this book.

And yes, there’s a lot about polar bears in this book. If you found them fascinating before, you’re probably to end up learning a thing or two about them. Beautiful read.

Rating - 4.7/5

Different concept from I have read before with the polar bears. Very slow progress for almost the entirety of the book. The last chapters resolve the story too rapidly and they feel rushed.

A captivating tale of love and treachery, myths and legends. I enjoyed the story and characters and would recommend.

I didn't connect with the characters as much as I wanted to in this one, but I really liked the unique premise and the world-building!

"Kyra Whitton's 'A Burden of Ice and Bone' delivers a spellbinding tale of courage, love, and self-discovery set in a frozen kingdom. Dira Cloon, whose life revolves around the necessity of wielding a gun, finds herself facing a pivotal moment when she encounters a majestic white bear. The bear's presence awakens something deep within Dira, challenging her beliefs and her loyalty to her family's traditions.

As Dira embarks on a journey into the mysterious realm of snow, she discovers a world filled with legends of a lost civilization, whispered tales of magic, and the enchantment of the ursine king. The choice she faces - to either continue her life as it is or follow the bear into the unknown - holds the power to transform not just her own destiny, but that of her people.

Whitton weaves a mesmerizing narrative that captivates from the first page to the last. 'A Burden of Ice and Bone' is a breathtaking adventure of self-discovery and redemption, as Dira confronts her past and embraces the possibilities of the future. Fans of Naomi Novik's 'Spinning Silver' will find themselves drawn into this enchanting world of magic and frozen landscapes.

I like the evocative storytelling and richly imagined world of 'A Burden of Ice and Bone,' where the beauty of the frozen kingdom is matched only by the depth of Dira's journey. The themes of courage, love, and the search for one's true self resonate throughout the novel, making it a truly unforgettable read.

I thought the premise of this story was really interesting. I liked the mix of post apocalypse/dystopian elements with the fantasy aspects and the message of conservation and living in harmony with nature and animals. I wish there had been more on page about the polar bears or Dora observing them.

I ended up caring a lot more about Dora’s goals of protecting the polar bears than I did about the romance at all. For me, Beauty and the Beast retellings can be really hit or miss, and I think what made this a miss for me was the lack of character development. I really didn’t get to know any of the characters well enough to be invested in their relationships.

Overall I thought this was a cute story but the characters were a bit lacking for me. The romance is very slow burn, which some people prefer, but I didn’t feel like the romance made much sense.

Thank you NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this early.

This is not my typical type of book to read but I really enjoyed the story. Great characters, lgbt rep, found family and a slight twist of beauty and the beast vibes.

A fresh story that I have truly never come across anything like it before. Such a compelling read, it only took me a few hours to consume!

Dira is such a headstrong main character and completely understand all of the decisions she makes, it’s fun and exciting to follow her on her journey to discover where she belongs.

I would read any sequel for this, it could have easily been a duology.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a copy in exchange for my honest review :)

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rounded up to 5.

Wow. Just wow. This was such a unique story. There were times it made me think of beauty and the beast and that’s one of my favorite Disney movies/stories so I loved that connection I made in my head.

There was one thing that I just found very confusing though while reading this. The way things were explained, I.e. specific phrases used, is where I thought some things just needed to be reworked. A specific example would be “a panicked tattoo”. Every time I read a sentence that included that phrasing I just did not know what was actually trying to be conveyed as the reader because it just completely disrupted the flow of what was being said and I think if you’re gonna use phrases that are very niche to specific cultures that needs to be better explained either at the beginning of the book before it starts or within the text itself.

Outside of that, I truly loved this story. I do also wish the ending didn’t feel as rushed since it was like the very last couple chapters we had so much action happening.

Although I found the writing really good and I enjoyed the fairytale aspects really good. I didn’t appreciate the political agenda in this book. I found it overshadowed what was a cute story

Firstly, I loved the Artic world of this book. All I wanted to do was cosy up in blanket with a hot coffee and read a bunch of chapters. It is the ultimate world for winter vibes. I could picture the whole village in my mind perfectly. The world was built easily without overwhelming the reader with tons of information.

However, this book was a little slow at the start. It took me till around 25% of the way through to feel fully submerged in the story.

I did root for the FMC Dira, who I think is around 16. She felt a little young for me to personally connect too. (Im 26) So keep that in mind if you’re an older reader. But I did love that she chose to go against her peoples views to follow her own path. It did have romantic touches as it’s a loose retelling of Beauty & the Beast.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sword & Silk books & Kyra Whitton for allowing me to read the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the plot of the book, it was a bit hard to get into so it took me about a week to finish it reading a few chapters per day.

I feel like it's not something I would reread, but it's still a book I'd recommend to people looking for this type of book

I found this book a struggle to get into. While not a bad story i did have to wait till i was almost half way before it picked up the pace.

Upon finishing the book I felt really good about it and gave it 4 stars. When came the time to gather my thoughts I actually realized how frustrated I truly felt about the story.
The pros? The premise. I really enjoyed the environmentalist back bone of the story. The reader assumes the usually setting and time period of most fantasy
/folkloric tales, but this one is actually set in a post second ice age distance future. Quite clever along with the concept of human relearning a way to peacefully cohabit with animals.
The cons? The plot, the MMC, and the rushed ending. There’s a pretty good - not do much of a twist- but more of a confirmation I’d say for the reader, in the middle of the story. After that nothing but redecorating and barely observing polar bears happens, until the end when there’s a twist and everything is resolved wishing 1 or 2 chapters.
It’s not a bad story, I’m pretty I’ll keep on thinking about it but the pace unbalanced and the relationship/romance between a very dull man and an immature young woman isn’t enough to make us forget that.