Bookwhit

Title: Frostblood (Frostblood Saga #1)

Author: Elly Blake

Published: January 10, 2017 by Little Brown Books

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Stars: 4           Content Rating: 4

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a Fireblood who has concealed her powers of heat and flame from the cruel Frostblood ruling class her entire life. But when her mother is killed trying to protect her, and rebel Frostbloods demand her help to overthrow their bloodthirsty king, she agrees to come out of hiding, desperate to have her revenge.

Despite her unpredictable abilities, Ruby trains with the rebels and the infuriating—yet irresistible—Arcus, who seems to think of her as nothing more than a weapon. But before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to compete in the king’s tournaments that pit Fireblood prisoners against Frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her—and from the icy young man she has come to love.

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This is one that I listened to on Audible and the narrator was amazing. I haven’t had a narrator that wasn’t yet and so far I would recommend Audible to everyone. I have only started recently listening to books because I have found it to work out well for me. While my hands are busy doing other things around the house or while I’m doing other hobbies I can listen to my books! Multi-Tasker over here!

Frost blood starts out with our girl Ruby. She lives in a small village with her Mother who is the village healer. Ruby looks up to her mother and her kind and patient ways.  The Frostblood King has hunted down all Firebloods he can find. Now they are scarce, either leaving to another land to hide or dead by the kings men. Ruby’s grandmother had told her the old stories and tired to help her control her gift but Ruby has a temper and is no closer to controlling her fire when the King’s men storm through her village and find her. Her mother tries to save her but the Captain of the guard kill her and Ruby can not control her fire. Her uncontrollable rage and fire destroy the village.

She wakes up in a cell. She spends months in the King’s Prison, starving to death and being picked on by the guards. One night an old man and his guard come find her. They offer her a deal, in exchange for them breaking her out she will help them kill the King. They take her to the Abbey and introduce themselves as Brother Thistle and Arcus. Brother Thistle is the most powerful Frostblood Ruby has ever seen. He has so much control over his ice. Her lessons to learn how to control her own fire start every day with Brother Thistle. Arcus is also a very strong Frostblood but his icy demeanor always throws her off. This understanding between Ruby and all at the Abbey is very precarious. There is so much bad blood between the two peoples that it is hard to trust them and they certainly do not trust her. Ruby questions everything Brother Thistle tries to teach her and Arcus is always there pushing her buttons.

Arcus can’t let Ruby in too close. He has a goal to help his people and that is to get to the King. He can’t let some hot headed little girl get in is way. He has never seen anyone with so much fire… and so little control. He was burned badly when we was younger. So badly that he never takes his hood off. The scars scare people. The only way to keep Ruby on her task and to stop asking questions is to act indifferent but the longer they train together the harder it is and the more he doesn’t want to to send her to the King.

Though out all this in the book you get the little looks and touches from these two. It’s a little different. Neither one of them want to like each other. He is ice and a she is fire. The build up is quite amazing actually. I like books where there is lots of build up. Stories of when they meet and then all of a sudden they can’t keep their hands off each other, I’m always thinking “really?” ” you just met” “you don’t even know each other” and it gets old really fast. For different reasons they push each other away only missing each other when they do.

As Ruby learns more control and learns more history of their peoples they trust her enough to let her in on their full plans. Not to kill the King but to save him. According to the old stories the throne the king sits on is cursed. It seeps into the king and makes him powerful and blood thirsty. Destroy the throne and save Frostbloods and Firebloods alike.  Ruby is NOT okay with this plan. She does not get her much needed revenge. She needs her revenge, doesn’t she?

The kings men find her before they can set their plan into action and Ruby decides to fight. Fight in the arena as the Kings champion to live another day and hopefully find away to exact her revenge. Can she do it or is the King and his throne too powerful? Will she have to do it alone or will her icy Arcus come and help her?

I really loved this story. The characters were fun and interesting. The story was different and new. The pace was good and the build up to the plot and the love story was perfect. The sequel Fireblood comes out this fall and it is definitely on my radar.