Black Ice

June 30, 2014
Krinard’s able sequel to Mist expands upon the story of the god Loki’s plan to end the world by capturing the lethal weapons the Valkyries hold in safekeeping. In his way are the goddess Freya, her daughter Mist, and an ever-growing army. Dainn, an elf who is struggling to contain his feral side, knows that Mist doesn’t just need to be protected from Loki—whose lust for Dainn is menacing—but also from Freya, who is playing a game that may result in Mist’s demise. The introduction of Loki’s son Danny adds an intriguing dimension. His abilities are vast but unknown, as are his loyalties. The only snag is Dainn’s inexplicable reluctance to tell Mist about her mother’s plans, but readers who are more interested in supernatural action won’t mind the plot holes. Agent: Lucienne Diver, Knight Agency.

August 1, 2014

Valkyrie Mist once thought she was the last of the survivors of the wars that tore apart Midgard, but trickster god Loki has been spotted in San Francisco, and it is up to Mist to stop him. This is the second in Krinard's new urban fantasy series (after Mist) dealing with beings out of Norse mythology.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2014
Mist and her ragtag band of allies are still holed up in an old factory complex, while Loki and his Jotunar continue to tighten their holds on the mortal world. The bridges are closed, and Loki's game with Freya has been, if not ended, at least put on hold. Loki has many plans, many weapons, and a boy, Danny, who is his son. Mist is struggling to organize, keep her people safe, and find as many of her sisters as she can before Loki does. When Loki sends a distraction, a Jotun whom Mist is forced to injure, they get a warning from him before he dies: beware betrayal, and protect the child. There are many pieces being set up in a complicated pattern that one looks forward to seeing more clearly in the next book. Mist's continuing struggle to protect Midgard and the band of allies she gathers to her make for an entertaining story with a good dose of divine interference. It ends on a well set-up cliffhanger, and nothing is quite as it seems, which is only to be expected when trickster gods are involved.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)