Book Review: Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch

Title: Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes #2)
Author: Sara Raasch
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publishing Date: October 13th 2015
Length: 479 pages
Keywords: YA, fantasy, romance, magic, kingdoms, war
Source: Edelweiss

It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell.

Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. Theron sees this find as an opportunity—with this much magic, the world can finally stand against threats like Angra. But Meira fears the danger the chasm poses—the last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders the two on a mission across the kingdoms of Primoria to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans to use the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe—even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves?

Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Januari—leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, he decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken kingdom and protect them from new threats?

As the web of power and deception weaves tighter, Theron fights for magic, Mather fights for freedom—and Meira starts to wonder if she should be fighting not just for Winter, but for the world.

Summary by Goodreads

The sequel to SNOW LIKE ASHES primarily concentrates on the political side of relations between the kingdoms of Primoria. Politics is very important to strengthen Winter's position in Sara Raasch's intriguing game of kingdoms. Every action is followed by a reaction, every small comment by Meira could be interpreted in many unfortunate ways. I really appreciated that Sara Raasch planned some greater variety for ICE LIKE FIRE in so far as that she introduced us to other kingdoms, their leaders and their histories. There is also a new secondary character that I really grew to like. She's so kick-ass! 

   

Winter might not be as strong as it was before, but it is taking new shape again. In ICE LIKE FIRE we visit Winter and see how people are recovering from the years of servitude and fear. We learn what it means to come back home and to slowly rebuild the kingdom.

   Despite being her people's new leader, or especially because of it, Meira goes on a journey. A huge event brings along another quest for Meira and her friends. They are leaving Winter to search for three hidden keys that should either help solve all their problems or destroy their world forever. We are given clues and Meira has to figure them out before anyone else does. Don't you just love these kinds of quests, too? 
  In the second book in the SNOW LIKE ASHES series readers will get the chance to travel even more kingdoms than in the first book. Meira and Theron travel to Summer, Yakim and Ventralli. We are in Winter for some chapters before and learn more about Cordell and Autumn, too. 

So ICE LIKE FIRE is about Meira's politically motivated travels to the other kingdoms, but the story focuses on Meira's inner journey, too. In SNOW LIKE ASHES we got to know Meira as the little orphan girl who wanted to be a warrior. Now we meet Queen Meira, the well-being of an entire kingdom resting on her shoulders. She's often torn between being the person she once was and the person she is supposed to become. So who is she right now, in this moment?

Where SNOW LIKE ASHES was told from Meira's point of view, in ICE LIKE FIRE we've got alternating perspectives between Meira and Mather. Which was a good feature since they aren't together the entire story. And I'm very happy about Sara's choice to let Mather have his own chapters, he's such a great character!

   For me Meira and Mather are a dream couple. Well, at least in theory they are. It feels like there are a hundred obstacles between them and their happiness. They are both very strong and impulsive personalities. And they sure are taking their time to finally acknowledge their true feelings. I can't even tell you now if they will ever find a way to be together or if Meira's heart truly belongs to Theron. Grab a copy of ICE LIKE FIRE as soon as you can and find out yourself!  

If you read the first book in a series and fall in love with it, you want the sequel to be just as good. Unfortunately, there were some parts of ICE LIKE FIRE that were too lengthy. Still, knowing many sequels are a series' weak spot, ICE LIKE FIRE is definitely one of the better sequels I've read.  

 

 

4/5 **** ICE LIKE FIRE - And suddenly the series turns into a game of kingdoms!

Politics, tactics and game play on the one hand. Affairs of the heart and finding your identity on the other hand. ICE LIKE FIRE is a potpourri of epic fighting scenes, solving clever riddles, finding love in times of war and surviving the world of politics in Primoria. Expect a few plot surprises as well!

"He’s afraid of our pasts too. He’s afraid that what happened will happen again, nightmares that keep playing out.“You don’t have to keep me safe,” I whisper." – p.9

 

ICE LIKE FIRE you might want to have a look into these 2016 YA releases. I have a feeling they are going to be epic! They are REIGN OF SHADOWS by Sophie Jordan, BURNING GLASS by Kathryn Purdie and SWORD AND VERSE by Kathy McMillan.

* Have you read ICICLES LIKE KINDLING, the original prologue to the story? You can read it here for free.

* Click here for an excerpt of ICE LIKE FIRE!

* Want to meet Sara Raasch? Check out her event schedule.

* For more information about Sara Raasch and her books visit www.sararaasch.tumblr.com.