Tag Archives: Sara Raasch

Review: Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch

Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

Ice Like Fire by Sara RaaschIce Like Fire
Sara Raasch
Balzer + Bray

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After Angra’s defeat, Meira’s people find themselves deep in debt to Cordell. The king commands payment in the form of jewels from Winter’s mines, so Meira sends her weary citizens to work. What they unearth is far more dangerous. In a dangerous cavern miners discover the lost chasm of magic. While Meira believes opening the chasm will unleash the decay on all of Primoria, Theron, her betrothed sees it as the world’s only hope. When Meira leaves on a mission to gather allies for Winter, those closest to her choose their own courses rather than her commands. She must sort friend from traitor before her enemy destroys her.

This was a tough read for me. Some of the things that really drew me to the first book actually kind of repelled me from this one. I don’t want to give away the plot, but there are some shifts in allegiance that felt… I don’t know. Forced? I can see why Raasch chose to take the story there, because it really sets up a huge conflict for the next book. I think I really liked Meira in the first book for her verve and her commitment to what she believed was right. This time, I don’t know… she seemed lost at certain moments when I really needed her to lead. It definitely didn’t hook me the way the first book did.

There were two things I liked, though. I really liked the team of soldiers Mather trains up and especially the girl among them. I think she hit that note for me that I lacked in Meira. Also Ceridwen, the rebel from the kingdom of Summer. I was definitely a huge fan of hers.

Overall, I feel really torn about this book. I wish I liked the major characters more. I like that the plot has sort of opened up into this world-wide stage of politics and alliances. Will I read book three? I’m not sure yet. I might listen to the audiobook version because I can do that at work.

Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Sexual Content
Brief kissing. In one kingdom, casual sex is a high value of the culture. The king is found holed up with several partners and offers to provide partners to the envoy from Winter as well. We know what they’ve been up to, but we don’t get a scene showing any of it. Meira’s pretty disgusted, refuses to have anything to do with the Summer king as much as possible.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Battle scenes. In one, a woman is killed, pierced through the chest by a sword. In another, a woman uses powerful magic to destroy enemies. A man is decapitated. Some people are sold into slavery in the kingdom of Summer.

Drug Content
None.

Review: Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

Snow Like Ashes
Sara Raasch
Balzer + Bray

Meira has spent her entire life under the shadow of the Spring kingdom’s oppression. Her own kingdom, Winter, has been decimated by Spring armies and most of her people enslaved. Only a handful of refugees live free, protecting the future king, waiting to execute the plan that will restore Winter’s magic. Only then can the other Winterians be set free and the kingdom restored.

All Meira wants is to fight for her people. Yet every time she tries, it seems someone stands in her way. When she finally finds her own way to fight, she learns a truth that shatters everything she thought she knew about her life, her people, and how to free them.

Readers looking for a strong heroine will definitely find that in Meira. I liked that finding her strength wasn’t as simple as learning to handle a sword or having a chance to go into battle. Though she holds her own in more than one conflict, she learns that there’s more to serving her people than killing some bad guys for them.

I loved the way the romance developed. I kind of thought I knew what was going to happen, and Raasch switched things up, and I found I liked that even better. In other series’ I sometimes feel like the two boys that the heroine has to choose from are not very equally matched. One is really passive or weak and the other is really the strong one. In Snow Like Ashes I felt like Raasch did a great job bringing two strong lads to the table. I’m excited to see how the series progresses and if there are some more unexpected twists and turns in the romance waiting for Meira.

Fans of The Red Queen or the Graceling books will enjoy this one.

Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
In one scene, Meira’s enemy forces her down on a bed. It’s unclear whether he intends to rape her, but it’s definitely intense. There are a couple of brief kisses.

Spiritual Content
Each ruler has an item which serves as a source of magic for the kingdom. Some rulers use their magic to help promote success among all their people while others use magic to control the people. Magic used to harm increases the power of an evil magic Meira calls the Decay.

Violence
Most of Meira’s countrymen are imprisoned in work camps and terribly mistreated. There’s not a lot of description of this, though. She recalls a memory about a man who escaped from Spring soldiers only to die of his wounds. There are a few battle scenes with some brief but vivid descriptions of war wounds.

Drug Content
None.