There are two giveaway winners that have been drawn. I’ve sent the book out for the Select a Book Giveaway already and Touch of Power should be going out soon too if it hasn’t already.
The winner of the Select a Book Giveaway is:
Rochelle from Indiana
The winner of Touch of Power is:
Mary from Texas
Congratulations, and I hope you both enjoy the books!
Now I am going to try to make progress on a review of The Whitefire Crossing while I have the chance since this looks like another busy week!
Cold Fire is the second book in the Spiritwalker trilogy by Kate Elliott, following Cold Magic. The next book in the series will be Cold Steel. As far as I know, it does not yet have an official release date.
Since this is the second book in a series, there will be spoilers for the first book. If you’re interested in reading about the series starting from the beginning, here’s my Cold Magic review. While I did find that one rather enjoyable, I actually found the second volume better and it ended up being one of my very favorite books in 2011, mainly because of its characters and the dialogue. There is nothing I didn’t love about Cold Fire.
Not knowing where else to turn when pursued by cold mages, Cat and Bee went to the radicals at the law offices of Godwik and Clutch. Unfortunately for them, their visit coincided with one from the infamous General Camjiata, who just escaped from prison and is also being pursued. However, Camjiata is rather happy to see both Bee and Cat for his wife had prophesied that he would need Bee, who also walks the dreams of dragons, and that she would also lead him to Tara Bell’s daughter, Cat – who will make a choice that will affect the course of the war. Camjiata is once again determined to reunite all the different factions of Europa into an empire ruled by himself and thinks both Cat and Bee would be valuable assets for his cause.
The two cousins are reluctant to join the cause of the man known as the Iberian Monster and are unsure of what to do next or who to trust. They are also warned that the attention of the mage houses and General Camjiata may be the least of Bee’s concerns since women who walk the dreams of dragons tend to die gruesome deaths at the hands of the Wild Hunt. Will the two be able to save Bee and resist capture or being used as pawns by the powerful?
Cold Fire took me completely by surprise when it ended up being one of my absolute favorite books read in 2011. While I rather enjoyed the first book in the Spiritwalker series, it did take a little while to get going. By the second half, it had completely hooked me and I’m happy to say that this trend continued throughout the entirety of Cold Fire, which was riveting from start to finish. It was a fantastic middle volume, and I found it better both because there was a lot of emphasis on the characters and dialogue and because the first volume had already done much of the setup (and gotten the infodumping out of the way). Since I was already familiar with the setting and characters, I was just able to immerse myself in this wonderful book with so many memorable elements – the main characters, the writing and Cat’s narrative voice, the often humorous dialogue and situations, the revelations about mysterious subjects, more of the world and various cultures, the depiction of the revolution, the romance, everything.
While there was a lot that was done well in this book, what really made it excellent was the characters, their relationships, and the dialogue. Cat as a narrator has a lively and unique narrative voice brimming with personality and a vibrant sense of humor. The way she words her thoughts and presents events around her to us is particularly striking. For example, here’s how she describes the confrontation between a cold mage and a fire mage:
The history of the world begins in ice, and it will end in ice. So sing the Celtic bards and the Mande djeliw of the north. The Roman historians, on the other hand, claimed that fire will consume us in the end.
Ice, or fire? As the two men faced down, I had a sudden and terrible premonition I was about to find out. [pp. 33]
As in the first book, both Cat’s voice and character remain a major strength of the novel. She is a realistically done character who strikes a great balance between being tough and being human. She can wield a sword and she has some special abilities, but she’s not invincible or the type to jump into a fight when it’s not necessary. She has hopes, dreams, a good and loyal heart, and devotion to those around her, but she also can and does make mistakes. Also, Cat can be quite funny (especially when drunk).
Likewise, the people surrounding Cat and their relationships with her are amazing, particularly as so much personality shines through their conversations with each other. Bee and her cousin Cat are best friends and they have this wonderfully close relationship. They tease each other mercilessly, but they are also always there for each other and each would do anything for the other. It’s refreshing to read about such a close friendship, and Bee comes alive with her bubbly personality that she often uses to cover up a hidden motive. She has a greater awareness of her surroundings and a much more devious mind than it would appear on the surface!
Although I did love the friendship and the little bits with Cat’s brother Rory, whose naivete about the human world can be quite charming, Cat’s relationship with Vai was the highlight. In the previous book, Cat and Vai were forced into a magically binding marriage where Cat had to deal with his vain and arrogant ways. At the end of the first book, it’s revealed that despite his actions and the fact that he tried to kill her when commanded to, Vai has been crazy about Cat from the moment he saw her. In spite of that, it’s not a love-at-first-sight relationship since Cat certainly finds Vai handsome but also thinks he invented his feelings for her to deal with being forced to marry her. After all, he doesn’t even know her. Cat doesn’t like being bound by a relationship in a way that’s not on her own terms, and as more is revealed, it turns out there is even more that binds her.
There is a heavy emphasis on the two of them and Vai’s attempts to win Cat in this book, and every conversation between the two is just phenomenal. They bicker and banter and it is at times quite hilarious.
At the end of the previous book, it’s obvious Vai is a more complex character than he initially appeared and in this one he becomes much more likable. He’s still vain and arrogant, but he’s also redeemed himself from his previous actions. Now he’s got a great balance of respectable qualities and roguishness since he respects Cat but he’s also not perfect or so good he is dull. I just loved his response when he was asked about whether or not he’d tamed Cat yet:
“Tamed her? Why would you want to tame a woman who defied the mansa with only her wits and her determination to live?” [pp. 438]
Both Cat and Vai’s characters are given more complexity in this book since they both have reasons and coping mechanisms they learned that make them act the way they do.
The characterization and dialogue was what shone in this book for me, and I think some who want to see more forward momentum with the storyline might not be quite as taken with it as I was. It does reveal more about some of the central mysteries, like Cat’s father, General Camjiata, the Spirit World, and more about Cat’s parents. However, it is in some ways different since the focus is outside of Europa with most of it taking place in the Caribbean. It expanded the world and continues to have a wonderful blend of cultural diversity, but those who wanted to spend more time with the cold mages and the Romans may be disappointed. However, it does tie in with General Camjiata’s attempts at expansion and some glimpses at the revolution many of the common people are joining in order to remove the chains that bind them to others who are considered “superior.” Freedom and choosing for oneself are major themes in this book.
It does end on a cliffhanger, which may not be unexpected considering the end of the previous book.
Cold Fire exceeded my expectations in every way and is a new favorite book, mainly because of its characters with strong personalities, well-written dialogue, and an exciting romance. All of the major characters came alive, especially Cat who has a wonderful narrative voice. Those who want to see more of the same parts of the world as the first book may feel differently, but Cold Fire was a rarity for me – not only did I love it, but I can’t imagine changing a single word of it because it worked completely.
My Rating: 10/10
Where I got my reading copy: I bought it.
Bonus Content (Chapter 31.5 of Cold Fire and a short story about Rory that coincides with part of Cold Magic)
Other Reviews of Cold Fire:
The winner of the nine books has been drawn and they are all boxed up and ready to mail! The winner is:
Misty from Texas
Congratulations, and I hope you enjoy all the books!
If you checked in here anytime between Friday afternoon and Sunday night, you would have seen a post where Maria V. Snyder talked about how she develops fantasy maps for her books. I have decided to remove this post; if you’d like to read it, you can see it at Seeing Night Book Reviews. In fact, I chose to remove it specifically because you can read it elsewhere.
As I explained to the publicist who contacted me about the book tour and initially offered to give me an “interview” with Maria where I could choose from a list of pre-written questions and answers, I prefer to only run original content on my blog. I have this policy for many reasons, including that I do not want to feel that I am stealing content from another blog and that I hope when people visit Fantasy Cafe they will do so with the expectation of finding something they haven’t seen before. Despite my expressing this preference to the publicist, they chose to send me the post you saw without informing me that it had already been published elsewhere. I apologize to both you my readers and Seeing Night Book Reviews for using that content.
Since I have already been receiving entries for it, I am leaving the contest to win a free copy of Touch of Power up and only removing the duplicate content.
I don’t mean to make a big deal out of it, but I felt like I should explain why the post disappeared. I’ll be back to regular reviews and updates soon, including (I hope) a review of Cold Fire!
It shouldn’t lean too much this week as there is only one new book to add to the pile! (For now. I am going to the bookstore to have coffee with a friend later today so that could change.) One unsolicited review copy showed up this week.
This is a debut novel and the first volume in a new series, Books of the Shaper. Seven Princes was just released earlier this month, and the second book Seven Kings will be coming out in early 2013. The prologue from Seven Princes is available online.
This is a book I had thought sounded interesting when I first started hearing about it, but I read this review at Staffer’s Musings recently and it made me wonder if I did actually want to read it. Maybe I’ll give it a try at some point since ages of legends can be fun, but it’s not a huge priority since I like more character-building in my novels than it sounds like this has.
It is an Age of Legends.
Under the watchful eye of the Giants, the kingdoms of Men rose to power. Now, the Giant-King has slain the last of the Serpents and ushered in an era of untold peace and prosperity. Where a fire-blackened desert once stood, golden cities flourish in verdant fields.
It is an Age of Heroes.
But the realms of Man face a new threat– an ancient sorcerer slaughters the rightful King of Yaskatha before the unbelieving eyes of his son, young Prince D’zan. With the Giant-King lost to a mysterious doom, it seems that no one has the power to stop the coming storm.
It is an Age of War.
The fugitive Prince seeks allies across the realms of Men and Giants to liberate his father’s stolen kingdom. Six foreign Princes are tied to his fate. Only one thing is certain: War is coming.
SEVEN PRINCES.
Some will seek glory.
Some will seek vengeance.
All will be legends.
[Note: if you were here earlier and thought this post was longer, you’re not insane; see this post for an explanation.]
Today I am pleased to be a part of the blog tour for Maria V. Snyder’s newest book and the first book in the Healer series, Touch of Power. As part of the tour, you’ll have a chance to win a copy of Touch of Power here and there’s a contest for a $100 spa certificate on Maria V. Snyder’s contest page. The complete list of the sites participating in the blog tour is here if you want to see if any others still have contests open for winning the book.
Maria V. Snyder is the author of several books, including Poison Study, an engrossing page-turner about a woman faced with the choice of being sentenced to death or becoming a food-taster for the Commander. She, of course, chooses the latter or it would have been a rather short book. I really enjoyed that book so I’m happy to have the opportunity to give someone a copy of her new book!
AUTHOR BIO:
Maria V. Snyder switched careers from meteorologist to novelist when she began writing the New York Times best-selling Study Series (POISON STUDY, MAGIC STUDY and FIRE STUDY) about a young woman who becomes a poison taster. When she’s not traveling, Maria lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, son, and daughter.
LINKS:
ABOUT TOUCH OF POWER:
Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos. Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life….
GIVEAWAY:
Courtesy of Harlequin, I have one copy of Touch of Power to give away!
Giveaway Rules: To be entered in the giveaway for a copy of Touch of Power, fill out the form below. One entry per person. This giveaway is open in North America only. The giveaway will be open until the end of the day on Saturday, January 21. A winner will be randomly selected and contacted by email. This winner then has 24 hours to respond once contacted, and if I don’t hear from them by then a new winner will be chosen (who will also have 24 hours to respond until someone gets back to me with a North American address to send the book to).
Please note email addresses will only be used for the purpose of contacting the winner. Once the giveaway is over all the emails will be deleted.
Good luck!
Update: Now that the giveaway is over, the form has been removed.
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