Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy. I really loved the book and its characters. I can see that the author spent a long time on worldbuilding and forming 3 dimensional characters. This was already on my wish-list for the year, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy. I loved the read and can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next!

I did not have much time to read in June but I started this at the beginning of the month and I couldn’t stop thinking about it between one chapter and when I got the chance to read another. I finally had a quiet afternoon to finish off the last half of this book and I had a fabulous time.

I loved the world and learning about how things are for Kaia & her community. I enjoyed how the tension was built and how we were not given all the answers. I absolutely adored Fluff I would like more of Fluff in my life. I did struggle being inside Kaia’s head now and again and may have lectured her once or twice in my head but I am eager to see where her journey takes her.

I struggled a bit with pacing, I found Biorki adorable but predictable and the rest of the side characters a bit flat overall. I still found the story to be gripping and enjoyable … well I was sad or anxious nearly the whole time but … I will be continuing this series.

Note, This bad boy does end on a pretty gnarly cliffhanger - be warned.

** thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the ARC. My opinions are my own**

A big thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review,

A deadly ice boarding contest? Strange, but sign me up.

Shattered Ice by Rebekka Strand is a science fiction novel where genetics are EVERYTHING. An illness is spreading across the stars. A girl's blood reveals a secret—a genetic code sought for centuries. Eighteen-year-old Kaia is not like her father, a hard-working miner – she’s an adrenaline junkie. A trait that has gotten her in a fair share of trouble in the glacier town. When a company of healers arrives in her town after a horrible mining accident, Kaia is forced to flee the only place she has ever known. Hunted, Kaia must enter a deadly ice boarding contest to escape. But as the contest grows closer, Kaia discovers that nothing is what it seems—her dad, her best friend, her home, and worst of all, herself.

I loved the action, the imperfections of Kaia, and the general vibes of this book. It's fun and unique, and I can't wait to see what else Rebekka Strand has in store.

Publishing date: 10.05.2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

The book as a meal: My coffe cup keeps cooling down my coffee, and when I fill it up again it gets immediately cold or too bitter
The book left me: Torn between continuing or not

Negatives:
A little too much filler, could have been shorter and still held the story fine
Not enough show
Didn't grip me as much as I wanted it to

Positives:
Would fit very well as a tv series
Solid start to a YA series
Main character has believable flaws

Features:
Fluff (bless him), Norwegian words, ice boarding, class systems, discovering an entierly different part of your world, constant distrust, feeling chased, leaving everything behind, anxiety rep

Why did I choose this one?
25% because of a stunning cover, 25% because the author is Norwegian, and a final 50% becasue the blurb seemed really interesting

Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
Sadly, put-down-able. I was not into this as I should have been. The final 50% was violently skimmed. I stand by my point a bit up here, but a lot of the writing could have been cut and the story would have been just as good. I ended up reading the first two sentences in a paragraph, then the final, and then moving on to the next. It allowed me to at least feel like I was making progress and also get what was going on. It is sad I ended up doing it, but it is what worked for me in the end.

What was the vibe and mood?
I am cold, I am in danger, now I am angry, now I am sad, oh we are moving now? And repeat for the rest of the book

Final ranking and star rating?
D tier, 3 stars. Rounded up because I skimmed, and that is entirely on me. This is a good story, it is only the filler that left a bad taste in my mouth. I also felt a lot at home with the references to scandinavian culture and words (go Norway).
This will be a fantastic read to a younger age group than me, and maybe also to someone less desensitized to YA books. A very solid start to a series, but I will have to sit on it before deciding to continue or not.

Reviews can also be found on:
Storygraph - https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/c685ac32-12a7-490f-8697-00f7a5460eef
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6564505482

Thanks to Rebekka Strand, Netgalley, and Victory Editing for giving me the opportunity to read and review “Shattered Ice”!

“Shattered Ice” is a YA sci-fi fantasy novel that tells the story of Kaia, an adrenaline junkie young girl with blood that is revealed to have a genetic code that was sought for centuries. With was thought to be impossible makes the mystery illness curable— and now, she’s being hunted. In a series of incredible twists and turns, Kaia makes friends along the way to help her cause: defeat the mysterious healer company, Solon. In order to escape, she must enter a deadly ice boarding contest. As the contest gets closer, Kaia realizes everything she knew is not as it seems and her reality shatters.

I could not put the book down from the moment I started it. It’s fast-paced and full of action from the get-go, but not overwhelming whatsoever. The characters are relatable and one is able to empathize with Kaia as she makes her way through the story, searching for answers and fighting for her life. Kaia is a great heroine; she’s strong-willed and imperfect, smart and stubborn, all at the same time. The anxiety representation is done with finesse and allows the reader to really feel for Kaia and what she is enduring. Additionally, the characters each have their own voice and it’s easy to picture the details of the story, the setting, and events in your head.

“Shattered Ice” is an incredible beginning to a riveting series. I give it a thumbs up and 5/5 stars!

Teenage aged and up fantasy. There’s a lot more to this story than the title and first chapters suggest. The exciting action and secrets soon ramp up. Nice story, good characters. This seems to be the first book in at least a duology. Looking forward to finding out more. Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. Shattered Ice was a fun read, and a great debut for a YA series. Kaia is not without her flaws, but it was entertaining to read, and I think as the series progresses the story and characters could polish themselves more. I liked the world building and the unique environment, and would certainly recommend this to someone looking for a fun sci-fi read. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

Review: Another YA novel set in a narcissistic reality.

Everything and I mean EVERYTHING is about Kaia. Yeah, someone actually went and put a twist on the often used name KAI. Yep, she did that.

Kaia likes to HIYAH! down the glacial slopes in her glacier board because it is so cool and stuff and if she could just save enough money to get in a race while buying her dad a new helmet that would be so rad. But there is evilly peeps around and she is just so mad and stuff. Like when everyone got blown up and she was so in grief and shock but people died cause of her and she will never be good enough so I cried for a long time then got better with sick friends. Not the real sick kind but cool sick.

Rating: 1.2/5

This story is adventurous and the world is really cool. The writing and characters didn't grip me so I struggled to keep going but I think it's a solid start to a YA sci Fi series.

Kaia has lived her entire life in the ice caves deep in the glacial underground of the planet Eirlys. Her future seems set in stone: continue to work in the mines and try not to die of an unfortunate accident. But when the mysteriously advanced Solon medical team arrives at her village a web of secrets starts to unravel around her. Kaia is forced to run from everything she has ever known, fighting for her life, and battling with unending guilt and shame. She must learn the uncomfortable truths about herself and the people she loves the most to survive.

Shattered Ice is full of action packed chase scenes, fights and the ever popular deadly sports competition, but it really shines in it's realistic portrayal of a young girl suddenly confronted with the knowledge that secrets have been hidden from her for her entire life. Kaia's is a realistic character with flaws and hang-ups and it is heart wrenching to watch her battle herself and the world around her.

There were parts of this book where the pacing dipped and my progress with the story slowed down, but thankfully this was a temporary issue that disappeared in the last portion of the story. Kaia's characterization is the best part about this book. The plot is still great and fun, but I am glad that a lot of focus went towards a realistic portrayal of how a young person would deal with the number of traumatic events that Kaia has to experience. I know that the entire premise for this book is that she has to participate in the iceboarding competition to survive, but it was honestly my least favorite part of the entire story. I massively preferred Kaia's escape sequences and the story surrounding the iceboarding competition. It felt a little out of place in the overall story. Which is a shame since that was a major pull in the description of the book.

Overall, this is a really strong debut novel and the ending made me genuinely upset that I have no idea when the next book in the series will come out.