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Book Review-Shadow and Ice by Gena Showalter

by | Dec 5, 2018 | Book Reviews | 0 comments

Book Review-Shadow and Ice by Gena Showalter

Book Review-Shadow and Ice by Gena ShowalterShadow and Ice by Gena Showalter
Also in this series: Frost and Flame
Series: Gods of War #1
Published by HQN on October 23, 2018
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Science Fiction Romance
Pages: 496
Format: Paperback
Source: Self Purchased
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five-stars

Gena Showalter, the New York Times bestselling author who brought you the Lords of the Underworld, introduces a brand-new scorching new paranormal romance series…GODS OF WAR.

Knox of Iviland, the most ruthless warrior in All War history, has spent his life fighting others to the death, winning new realms for his king. Now the stakes are higher than ever. If he prevails in the battle for Earth, his slave bands will be removed. Victory is his sole focus…until he meets her.

On an arctic getaway with her foster sister, street tough but vulnerable Vale London is shocked to stumble upon a cave filled with ancient gods waging epic combat. When she is inadvertently drawn into their war, she is forced to team up with an unlikely ally—the sexy god who makes her burn with desire.

Though Vale is his enemy, Knox is consumed with lust and a fierce need to protect her. But only one combatant can triumph, and he will have to choose: live for freedom, or die for love.

Shadow and Ice was a book I was SUPER stoked to read. After listening to an interview with Gena Showalter about this upcoming series, I just was really eager to grab this up. So I jumped over to B&N and bought this one in print. I did have this on my nightstand for quite a while before actually grabbing it up. I think I was really NERVOUS, because of how many mixed reviews of this book that there is out there and I just was not wanting to hate a book that I bought in print. But seriously….why oh why did I wait so long to read this because I have three words: It KICKED ASS!! I had so much fun with this book, and I honestly knew that I would because this authors writing always works for me no matter how crazy her stories gets, her writing sucks me right into the story and doesn’t let go.

Shadow and Ice isn’t an easy book though and its NOT for the faint of heart, and you have to know that its get really brutal and boy this author knows how to kill off people and not easily either. But from the first chapter, I was addicted to this new world that Showalter has created for us and even though it did take two days to read (it is close to 500 pages) so its not a small book, it was highly engaging and keeps your brain and body on the edge all the way through. I think you need to warned beforehand how intense this book can be because if I hadn’t known beforehand I might have had a different opinion. But I know this author, and love her writing style. I was captivated by this pair and the world building and the teaser that leads us to the second book and man I want it NOW!!

This story begins with our hero, who is a slave to his king and has to do his bidding. But he has been promised his freedom and the freedom of his people if he wins the third all war he has participated in. He has many tough exteriors, but deep down he has vulnerabilties including losing his daughter because of the all war. He is know at the third All War, which takes place on Terra (aka Earth) and is frozen in time and centuries have gone by. He is discovered by our delightful heroine. Vale and her sister Nola, are celebrating finishing college and accomplishing something no one ever thought that they would. Vale grew up on the streets, going from foster homes and surviving as best as she knew. She is tough and resilient but also loves fiercely. When they go exploring caves, and discover a man frozen in ice, she is drawn to this gorgeous male specimen and wants him in a sexual way even if he is frozen in ice. But then before she knows it, she is pulled into the all war and she and Knox join forces to defeat their enemies and even though she unknowingly becomes a participant, she doesn’t know if she can trust Knox not to kill her but what she doesn’t realize is that Knox is falling for her just as hard as she is falling for him and they will have to make a difficult choice and who will win and who will die? or will they have the HEA they deserve?

This book is like Hunger Games but for adults. Now I have never read Hunger Games, but I have watched the movies and yeah you won’t get me to read those books, I would rather have my teeth extracted. However, this book totally worked for me in many ways. It is heartbreaking though to see certain characters being killed though and seeing all these combatants who at the heart are good immortals, but they each have something to fight for and they are all enslaved to the whims of their masters. So it is heartbreaking at times to read this book because of seeing this horrible situation and seeing some of them FIGHT back against those that are enslaving them.

“Yes. Me. I’m an immortal made for war, and killing is what I do. What I’m good at. I do not live by the same rules as other people, those who do not have to fight to retain their liberties, those who let others do the fighting for them, then scoff at the results.”

We see Knox and Vale go through some difficult challenges in this book and seeing them overcome what they face is epic in many ways. Their love story ISNT easy or light hearted and it will rock your core in good ways and bad ways. We see how much they care for each other before they become enemies, and seeing them try to overcome the circumstances to be together is truly what makes this book an incredible experience. There are so many emotional moments that are going to break your heart but you also see the strength these two have together and seeing them fight for each other and for a future full of love and peace is so worth all the pain. Their journey isn’t an easy one but unforgettable in many ways. This book will be sticking with me for a long while and I just can’t wait for book two because I have a feeling that book is going to be kick ass as well!!

Overall I found Shadow and Ice to be packed with adventure, intensity, brutal at times and poignant in all the right moments…..A TREASURE TO DEVOUR!!


 

About Gena Showalter

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty books in paranormal and contemporary romances, as well as young adult novels. Her series include White Rabbit Chronicles, Angels of the Dark, Otherworld Assassins, Lords of the Underworld, Alien Huntress and Intertwined.

Her novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine, and Seventeen Magazine, and have been translated all over the world. The critics have called her books "sizzling page-turners" and "utterly spellbinding stories", while Showalter herself has been called “a star on the rise”.

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