Beasts of the Frozen Sun

June 1, 2019
A girl falls in love with a warrior from a rival clan. Lira of clan Stone is the granddaughter of the ruler of Glasnith and god-gifted with the ability to read souls. Soon she must choose between marrying a highborn man from another clan or entering Aillira's Temple to study under the priestesses. Neither appeals to her--she yearns instead to travel. Sneaking out to wander the shore, she's confronted with a shipwreck; men torn to bits by the Brine Beast dot the harbor, all dead save one. Lira recognizes him, recalling that he saved her once, long ago, from being kidnapped by his people. Now she returns the favor. Reyker, the warrior, is a Westlander--what Lira's people call a beast of the Frozen Sun--and his people came to take her island. They were thwarted this time, but he warns her they'll keep trying. As romance blooms between Lira and Reyker, in-fighting broils between Lira's father and uncle, the god of death gains new power, and the powerful warlord who once controlled Reyker inches closer. Though tightly plotted, clichés abound, there is too much telling rather than showing, and the romance feels too prophetically forced to hold any tension. A hinted-at sequel will hopefully focus on the gods and magic, the strongest elements of the story. Characters seem to default to white. A sprawling epic too reliant on clichés and stilted romance. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)

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July 1, 2019

Gr 7 Up-Lira is the granddaughter of the chief of the Sons of Stone. She is a gods-gifted soul reader, one of the women on the island blessed by the gods with magic, and her gift is the ability to read people's souls. But Lira is plunged into a feud between the gods, who have no love or compassion for mortals. As her world unravels around her, Lira must decide if loyalty to her clan is enough to bind her to the life she has always known. Reyker is a warrior from Iseneld, the frozen island to the west. Despite the atrocities he has committed in service of the warlord known as "the dragon," Reyker still longs to be a man of peace and honor. When he meets Lira, she reads his soul and sets out to help him reclaim his path from darkness. Together, the two attempt to face their warring clans and the warring gods, but their growing relationship could be deadly for each of them. This intense, action-packed start to a series offers star-crossed lovers against a brutal backdrop and violent tests of loyalty. Criswell's world-building is particularly noteworthy, and the mythology and reality of Lira and Reyker's world are captivating. VERDICT Purchase for fans of Game of Thrones-inspired fantasy.-Jen McConnel, Queen's University, Ont.

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Narrators Alana Kerr Collins and Tim Campbell work hand in hand to weave an intricate tale of forbidden love and undying bravery. Primarily voiced by Collins, Lira, a soul reader from the island of Glasnith, speaks with an enchanting cadence that often gives way to notes of defiance. Reyker, who is regarded as a beast, is introduced by Campbell with a low timbre that sounds ferocious in the midst of battle but steady and calm in his conversations with Lira. While the majority of the pair's quest for peace and freedom is told from Lira's perspective and narrated by Collins, chapters revealing painful memories from Reyker's past are frequently inserted by Campbell as the story progresses. While somewhat lengthy, this expertly narrated audiobook, filled with toying gods and courageous humans, is a worthwhile listen. V.T. 2020 Audies Finalist � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine