http://onceuponabookishtime.blogspot.co.nz/2017/04/mini-reviews-frostblood-black-key.html

Elly Blake has created an interesting world within Frostblood with plenty of room for the story to build beyond this book. It is probably for me closer to four and half stars as I felt the story improved as it went along so that I reached a stage where I couldn't put it down as I really had to find out how it was all going to end.

Ruby is known as a Fireblood because of her ability to conjure fire and use it for all kinds of purposes. She is the very essence of heat but her gift for the last seventeen years has been kept secret as she lives in a land ruled over by Frostbloods who will do anything to annihilate anyone with the ability of fire. This hidden existence comes to an end the day the Frostblood soldiers come to her village destroying everything in their path, including Ruby's beloved mother. They take Ruby into captivity to be eventually brought before the Frostblood king.

Just when it appears all hope is lost, Ruby is freed from the prison she has been kept in for months and is brought to an abbey where a mysterious hooded man reveals she is to be part of a plot to take down the Frostblood king; a plot devised by Frostbloods who no longer believe the king is fit to rule as he is being manipulated by a curse. To do this she will have to take control of her powers and wield them with purpose. The mysterious hooded man, who becomes known to her as Arcus and appears to both despise and respect her, helps to train her.

In no time the action quickens and Ruby finds her heart is at risk of becoming broken by Arcus. (Yes, the chemistry between them works well) Does he care about her except as a way to bring down the king? Before all can be revealed Ruby is being brought before the king and the plot to bring him down is set in motion.

There was a nice development of background to the feud between the Frostbloods and Firebloods . I had not trouble believing in the characters and cheering on the good guys. I am looking forward to reading the next book to see where the story will lead to for Ruby and Arcus.

FAST PACED AND EASY TO READ
Guess who read 50% of this book in one sitting? Yepppp it’s that addictive. Right from the first chapter the plot gets moving and it’s hard pull yourself away. Everything moves forward so fast, you keep turning the pages to read more. No lengthy descriptions weigh this fantasy down. Personally, I would have liked a bit more description when it came to the settings and world’s culture (that’s part of what I live for in fantasy novels) but I can’t complain seeing as I did complete it in two sittings.

SOME OF MY FAVOURITE FANTASY ELEMENTS
There was no girl-disguised-as-boy trope in FROSTBLOOD but there were a tonne of my other favourite fantasy things. Elemental magic, for a start, is always a massive draw. A struggle between darkness and light, good and a massive evil (which will come more in the sequels I believe). And then there’s a prophecy!

Gif: http://readerswonderland.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/give-it-to-me.gif

STARCROSSED LOVERS
If you’re writing a book about fire and ice magic, you need characters with the opposite powers to start being attracted to each other. Also make sure they don’t like each other at first, then have them slowly develop feelings and let the tensions build. IT IS LAW!! I promise it will work well, FROSTBLOOD is the perfect example of it working well. I loved the romance so much! Most of it develops in the first half, which felt fast but made sense considering it takes place over two months and there were more important plot things to develop in the second half of the book. It even managed to develop alongside the plot! If it had been all sappy romance for the entire first half of the novel this book would have a very different rating.

GLADIATOR-ESQUE FIGHTING ARENAS
One of my favourite plot points in FROSTBLOOD were the arena fights. I love a good elemental magic battle, and these scenes were awesome to read. With the skilled champions and occasional creature fighting against little challenger Ruby to the death, it was real suspenseful stuff! I love the way it added to the imagery and atmosphere of the magic battles.

Gif: http://gifrific.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Are-You-Not-Entertained-Gladiator.gif

I JUST HAD SO MUCH FUN
Everything in FROSTBLOOD just seemed to work for me. The characters are great, it was so easy to keep turning the pages and it moved along so quickly. It was the perfect formula for a fun fantasy. Exactly what I needed on a day where I felt like crap and just wanted to curl up with something light and easy to read.

IN SUMMARY:
FROSTBLOOD was such a pleasant surprise of a book. It hit me at the perfect time and I had so much fun reading it. I cannot wait to see where the plot takes us in the sequel, FIREBLOOD.

FROSTBLOOD is a book I’d recommend to people looking for a lighter, fast paced fantasy.

{ WRITING }

While I didn’t feel the writing of Frostblood really stuck out for me, it was still well written and had a good, solid flow. Blake wrote action really well, without overdoing or overcomplicating the scenarios.
Blake really hooked me in, getting to the action right away without wasting time on background and world building, getting to that later. While that might have not worked in all scenarios, it worked really well for this book because from page one we are thrust into this super fast paced and addicting novel that is incredibly hard to put down!


{ IDEA + PLOT }

So originally, not gonna lie, I wasn’t that excited for the book because I felt the fire vs ice trope was quite overdone and already existed a lot in YA lit so I thought this was just going to be one of those books and while I was right, it was in the best way possible!


The idea manages to be both classic and unique, blending these two together to form an amazing and rich story. The world-building is simple and effective, even if it could be slightly more intricate, but honestly, I’m not complaining because sometimes simple is better than pages and pages of background.

There was the perfect blend of fantasy and magic and suspense and romance. While I feel a few cliff hangers would have made this book THE PERFECT READ it still managed to have twists and turns and unexpected happenings.

I can’t give away too much of the plot without huge spoiler alerts but it was incredibly enjoyable. I could NOT put this book down because of how engaging the whole world was. The plot was not what I expected it to be and I really liked that about this book.


{ CHARACTERS }

I didn’t feel that much for the characters but I did love the romance!

But firstly, the characters. I could admire Ruby as she had lost a lot in her life and continued to plod through life, with minimal complaining. She was an enjoyable protagonist to read from the perspective of and I liked how driven she was for justice. But, I didn’t find I connected with her.

There was always a sort of distance between Ruby and the reader and it was hard to really get into her head and even harder for her to get into my heart.

While I adored Arcus, I also found I didn’t connect with him that much either, which is a little disappointing because he is such huge book boyfriend material!

But the romance! I felt the chemistry between these two was really palpable and the whole hate-to-love relationship is giving me all the feels! Basically they are my new OTP!!


{ FINALLY… }

What made me really enjoy this book I think is not going in with any expectations. I always hear things about books before going into them but I hadn’t heard much about this book as it was a debut novel and while there were ARCs of it, I wasn’t caught up in the chatter and hype so I went into this not knowing what to expect which is why I enjoyed it so much!

I didn’t know I what I was expecting but I know for sure I was not expecting it to be this good! And the best thing is, the next book Fireblood also comes out this year *cue squeals* I believe in September so I cannot wait to pick that up when it comes out!

My review: That beautiful cover was the first thing that made me want to read this book, and coupled with the blurb I knew it would be right up my alley. I wasn’t disappointed, and couldn’t put it down once I started reading. Ruby is a wonderful heroine, the only Fireblood left in a world of ice manipulators. She is imprisoned more than once, but fights on until it almost appears all is lost.

Her initial rescuers, an elderly monk and a mysterious soldier with a covered face, train her to fight and use her powers to destroy the evil Frostblood throne, and although they start out full of animosity for each other, I loved the way Arcus and Ruby came to love each other. His secret was fairly obvious for me early on, but that never detracted from the story or the big reveal at the end. I only wish we had seen Brother Thistle again to make sure he was okay. The second book can’t some soon enough for me.

This is a fantastic debut and I look forward to reading more from Elly Blake.

***Disclaimer: This e-ARC was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Huge thanks to them. ***

My rating: 5/5

Rating: 3/5 stars

Oh myyyyyy what a problematic book. Let me first just say that I REALLY liked the concept- the world building was so interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed that aspect. A++ good quality fantasy, well done.

But.

The romance was so bloody lame I had to stop and roll my eyes multiple times. It was like every YA fantasy trope was spewed onto the page in a horrible mess. No, that’s a bit harsh. It wasn’t that bad. But it certainly didn’t need to be there. Now I’m the first to admit I love a bit of soppy YA romance- I’m trash, I’ve made my peace with it. But very rarely *cough* Harry Potter *cough* I come across a book where no romance is necessary. This is one of those times. The stereotype was strong in this one.

Oh. And the plot twist at the end?

Called it. Bloody called it straight away since day one it was the most obvious plot line in the world and I’m almost mad it was a thing because if I can see the “twist” coming from a MILE AWAY and the main characters can’t seem to figure it out at the same time then it all leads to some very frustrating catch up. Gah.

And the ending was wrapped up in about 4 pages which was also extremely problematic.

Idk I’ll probably read the next in the series because I’m curious about the magical aspects of this story, but the characters are dumb, especially re: romantic plot.

I gave this novel 2.5 stars. I adored the writing style and pacing from page one, but the plot took about a third of the novel to pick up. The beginning, whilst slow, did give great background info about Ruby and the world she lives in.

The plot twists throughout really didn't surprise me, and the entire story felt familiar (think Red Queen). Ruby felt bland as a character to me, and I really struggled to connect with her.

Overall, whilst I didn't love this novel, it was still a solid fantasy story involving powers, royalty and fighting, so if that's your 'thing' then this might be a worthwhile read for you.

frostblood is such a generic fantasy ice-vs-fire book. i felt like there wasn't much originality to it. i'm so over fantasy books and these elemental powered individuals. not to mention the typical hero/heroine is wronged by royals/some form of government and sets out to get revenge. it's so overdone. please stop.

one of my biggest issues in this book is that time isn't written properly. like, weeks and months pass, but it feels like the book is set over the course of a week. it's really frustrating. it makes ruby seem like a mary sue for picking up her powers so quickly, and the romance felt like instalove.
i actually hated the romance in this book. granted, i dislike most romance in any book, but i particularly disliked this one. it was just so generic and obvious that it'd happen.

ruby is such a bland and boring character. i didn't feel any connection to her nor did i care. she came off as sort of boring. arcus wasn't much better. he was the same love interest from every other YA book that we've all come to hate. please stop with the dark past storyline. it's so overdone and boring. i don't even feel sorry for arcus.

i think rating this book 2 stars is being generous but oh well. there were some points i enjoyed (like brother thistle). overall, this is not the sort of book i'd recommend, unless it were someone young and only just getting into the YA fantasy genre.

A new year off to a great start. Frostblood was the first book that I read this year and I am so glad that I did because I loved it. It was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I was hooked from the very first page.

Frostblood follows protagonist Ruby a Fireblood who has spent most of her life hiding her powers, but when soldiers raid her village and kill her mother she reveals her powers and is captured. But she doesn’t stay there for too long. With the help of some ‘friends’ Ruby might just get her revenge.

This world captivated me, the magic, the characters, and the plot. It was like everything that I loved wrapped all into one. It was perfect, but it was sure damn close. One thing that I am upset about, is that I have to wait so long for book 2. Why can’t I have it already?

I really enjoyed Ruby as a protagonist. She has this strength about her that I admired. Ruby had been imprisoned, but it still never really got her down. She was there fighting with all her strength. People treat her like crap because she is a fireblood, but she stayed strong. But then what gave her power, was always her weakness.

Because she never trained, she can’t always control her fire and people could get hurt. So when she has to harness these powers and use them – it breaks her. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone, even though people have tormented her. I also like how innocent she was at times. It was sweet actually.


When Ruby is first rescued, she is taken to heal and then learn to fight. And to her knowledge kill the Frost King. She meets some pretty amazing people, mostly importantly Arcus.

Holy crap. I will ship this romance forever. They made my heart melt. It slow, burning and just so good. Arcus is the typical mysterious guy that hides behind a hood. He projects a not so nice attitude, but as the novel goes on you begin to find out why.

The second after of the book was intense. And I’m not spoiler much here and it’s in the synopsis, but she is captured by the Frost King’s soldiers – again. But, this time she is taken right into the Kingdom and meets the King himself. And then all hell breaks loose.

The world of Frostblood is the basic fantasy world with magic. Where one power is seen as superior to another. But, there were so many other layers to this world. That fitted perfectly on top of one another. Everything wasn’t thrown at the reader at the one time but was slowly revealed to both the reader and Ruby.

Overall, I can see that Frostblood might be one of my favourite books of the year. With a mix of everything I love. Frostblood explores the notion of family, finding out who you are, where you belong and to fight for what you believe. I loved the romance and the world. This debut author has done an excellent job and I cannot wait to see what comes from her next.

Review:

The cover caught my eye immediately. I love the frost covered rose, as I always loved the beauty of a cold winter. Frost is something really beautiful with it's delicate appearance and the glittering views.

The author's writing style is absolutely addicting and amazingly thrilling. The wording has been easy to understand, Ella Blake is writing very fluid and I couldn't find any dull scenes at all. Therefore I haven't been able to put this book aside until I was finished. I've been spellbound from the first words and have finished reading 'Frostblood' on just one evening.

There have also been so many emotions while reading this story: Hate, fear, sorrow, loneliness, determination, regret, guilt and helplessness but also great love and friendship. Especially the latter have brought light and hope into the dark moments of this story.

Ruby is the female protagonist of this story. She is a Fireblood in the kingdom of the Frost King. She had to hide her gift all her life but even if she got warned about the dangers of using it, she couldn't resist anymore to train her abilities. Ruby is very stubborn but also kind, loving, courageous and sticks to her plans. I loved her from the very beginning.

Arcus is the male protagonist in 'Frostblood'. He most definitely has his well hidden secrects and you couldn't begin to imagine most of them. He has had a very hard past because of which he definitely needs to stay hidden until he can carry out his plans. Arcus is mysterious and impatient but he is also strong, courageous, loving, kind, protective and has a very strong gift.

Rasmus is the Frost King. His heart and his very soul are covered in darkness. He is one of the worst enemies you could think of. Rasmus is absolutely unscrupulous and power-hungry and his methods are more cruel than I could have thought.

The monks, who are following the Order of Fors, are very welcoming and kind. They are a light in all the darkness for Ruby. I can't tell you too much about them, as I would spoiler you unwillingly. But I can tell you, that not just Ruby found allies and a safe haven in the monks abbey.

You want to know more about Ruby's huge and dangerous adventure, Arcus's secrects, the Frost King's cruel actions and the amazing monks? Then you should most definitely join all the stunning characters on their journey.

I absolutely love 'Frostblood' and can't wait until book #2 in the 'Frostblood Saga' will be published. I can recommend this amazing book to everyone, who enjoys to read a fantasy book. It is for sure already one of my highlights in 2017.

Oh dear.
I seem to be a bit of a black sheep with Frostblood, because all I can see on Goodreads is a string of 4 or 5 star ratings from my Goodreads friends and an average rating of 4.05. I so very much wanted to enjoy the novel- despite the blurb sounding a bit generic (for once I actually read the blurb before reading the novel haha), I had high hopes. Hopes that were unfortunately crushed basically within the first few chapters.

The book overall is extremely generic. There were maybe one or two original threads in a story that seemed like basically every other poorly written YA fantasy. From the death of the protagonist's mother to being captured in a prison to being rescued to being captured by the King (all of these things are in the blurb so I won't consider them spoilers), you could basically predict every twist and turn in the narrative.

The romance felt stale and forced, and I personally couldn't feel the chemistry between Ruby and Arcus. Actually Arcus just as a separate character felt quite one dimensional, which could have contributed to my lack of interest in the romance. On the flipside, Ruby wasn't the most likeable of protagonists and seemed to be constantly complaining, which also didn't help boost my interest in both the romance and the book overall.

It was a bit strange that Ruby was The Chosen One to destroy the Ice Throne and stop the corruption of the Frost King considering that she didn't seem particularly powerful or at least in control of her powers at all, especially at first. I mean, seriously, I for one certainly wouldn't have chosen her considering only her powers while she was captured in the jail, unless she was the only Fireblood left in the world (and therefore the most powerful). She does get more power later in the novel, but I don't feel like the monks could have predicted that.

Overall, Frostblood was quite the disappointment. However, I actually think it's probably not that bad for people who don't read a lot of fantasy. My standards for high fantasies are pretty high, so while this book might not have quite hit the mark for me, it may still be good for others.

Ratings
Overall: 3/10
Plot: 1.5/5
Romance: 1/5
Writing: 2.5/5
World Building: 1/5
Characters: 1.5/5
Cover: 3/5

When Ruby is captured and sent to prison for being a Fireblood in a land ruled by Frostbloods, she is unexpectedly rescued by a group of monks who want to use her to challenge the rule of the current Frostblood king. But Ruby will first have to master her uncontrollable pyromancy if she’s to stand a chance against the might of the king.

I thought Ruby was a really cool character. I liked riding around in her head for the most part – there was a few situations near the beginning of the book and right near the end where I seriously questioned her judgement, but overall she was a hard worker and as a teenager she’s allowed to be confused about what she wants in life. I’m kind of obsessed with elemental magic so I loved the dichotomy between Firebloods and Frostbloods: their appearance, their personalities, their cultures and customs. It was bleedingly obvious from the start that Arcus would turn into a love interest (because two young people + lots of time together to get to know each other = love), but it certainly wasn’t insta-love between the two. The author really put a lot of effort into moving the relationship forward into mutual admiration, respect, like, affection and then love. I totally bought it, and I love relationships where the couple don’t get along at first.

I really didn’t expect the plot to go where it went, but I did like the build up during Ruby’s training and I knew it had to go somewhere eventually. I think the addition of the arena scenes was a flash of inspiration and I enjoyed how long Ruby took to heal from her wounds. The only issue I had was near the end when her relationship with the king started getting icky and reminiscent of Warner from Shatter Me – and yes, I do realise that heaps of female readers think Warner is hot and desirable even though he sexually assaults Juliette. I think I am firmly on Team Arcus, if the author was trying to create ‘team’s, and the whole issue with the king just really made me feel very uncomfortable. I don’t like it when girls think being assaulted is sexy.

I found the pacing to be fine thoughout the novel. Even the part that I guess you could call boring or slow, which was Ruby’s training at the abbey, was enjoyable to read because of the sexual tension between her and Arcus, and Ruby learning to call the other monks family. What I didn’t really get the point of was the sequence where Ruby escaped, healed a sick little girl, and returned to the abbey. It had no relation to the rest of the plot except to show that she’d changed her mind about being used as a weapon to murder the king, which she already wanted to do in the first place.

I thoroughly enjoyed Frostblood. It really combined a lot of elements (ba-dump-ching!) that appeal to me. Elemental magic, strong teen girls, hot warrior love interests, royal scandals, and well-written action scenes that don’t leave our characters unscarred.

The writing in this is really good but because it is the first in a series, it does feel like there is a little bit of info dumping happening to allow for the setup of the world and the characters. Thankfully, the amount of information isn't too overwhelming and I didn't feel like it detracted from the overall arc of the story.

Ruby is a great character and I am definitely interested in seeing where Blake takes her in the next few books. This sassy lead has the potential to become a really strong warrior-esque heroine if she is given a little more meat in book 2.

If you find this a bit slow in the beginning, definitely stick with it because you'll be drawn in to the adventure before you know. I will definitely be picking up book 2 when it is out.