Shadow and Ice

September 17, 2018
Launching the Gods of War epic fantasy romance series, Showalter (Everlife) beautifully blends seduction and suspense. Vale London and her foster sister, Nola, are on the trip of a lifetime to the Arctic Circle when they become stranded. They have shelter, but no food or guide. When they venture out in a desperate attempt to survive, they come across a strange cave filled with human beings encased in ice—and thanks to global warming, that ice is melting. Knox and his fellow All War combatants have been in deep freeze for the past 1,400 years. All of them, conscripted by the rules of their various worlds, are locked in a fight to the death, and the winner’s liege will claim ownership of Earth. Thawed out, Knox suddenly finds himself in a strange new place, and Vale discovers there’s more to the world than she ever imagined. Despite an excess of exposition, sizzling sexual tension and fantastical action make the story satisfying, if exhausting, to read. Agent: Deirdre Knight, Knight Agency.

While listeners will fall in love with narrator Melissa Moran's smooth vocals for the hero and heroine, they may struggle with narrator Leo Barnabas's over-the-top theatricality in this paranormal romance. When Vale London and her sister stumble into an ice cave, warriors who have been frozen in time inside it escape and unwittingly draw Vale into their war. Separated from her sister, Vale will have to partner with warrior Knox, ignoring their sizzling chemistry to save the only family she has left. Barnabas has difficulty restraining his performance to focus on listener appeal and the brooding intensity of Knox's obsessions, lending a campy feel to his narration. Conversely, Moran delivers so solidly overall that listeners will wish she'd narrated the entire audiobook. A.L. 2019 Audies Finalist � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine