Friday, October 24, 2014

Frozen: Heart of Dread by Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston


Frozen
Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston comes this remarkable first book in a spellbinding new series about the dawn of a new kind of magic.

Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature—freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows.

At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she's heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light.

But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson to take her there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? Fiery hearts collide in this fantastic tale of the evil men do and the awesome power within us all. (From Goodreads)


THE FAERYS VIEW

Frozen: Heart of Dread by Melissa De La Cruz is a mixture of futuristic dystopian, fantasy and romance. I really liked it. It was entertaining enough to keep me turning pages and that’s all I ask for in a good book.

Set in New Vegas, an icy frost covered wasteland where resources are scarce, life is hard and everything is … you guessed it, FROZEN! Not only is the land frozen but the world is polluted and almost all once living things are now dead. There are two types of humans, those with grey eyes and brown hair and those with colored eyes. Those with colored eyes are to be feared. Why you ask? Because they are descended from the magical Sylph and have magical powers like telepathy. Those with colored eyes are sought by the government for confinement which leads to the main character, Natasha Kestal or Nat. Nat is living in fear of discovery but she lives right out in the open in New Vegas as a blackjack dealer. She has disguised herself to look normal until she can find the right moment to leave New Vegas and escape to ‘The Blue’, a legendary place where the sky is blue and the sun still shines warm. This is where Ryan Wesson comes in, he is a runner and runners take people where they need to go as long as they can pay the price. What comes next is a journey full of peril, adventure and romance!

I really liked the characters that Ms. De La Cruz and her husband created, Nat is full of life, despite all that she’s endured. She’s witty and snarky and doesn’t take any guff, I respect that! She’s someone that is both likeable and badass! Wes is a charmer, he’s cocky yet honorable and not without his own sad story. I think this is part of what draws them together and makes them such a believable couple. Their chemistry is palpable yet not instantaneous … I like it!

The story is told in Nat and Wes’s alternating point of views, as a rule, I generally don’t like this but in Frozen, it works. It actually helped me get to know Wes on a different level and in a weird way, Nat, too. So, in this case I have no complaints. The plot is fast moving and descriptive, adventurous and fun. It left me wanting more of the series and that’s a great thing. I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

I would definitely recommend Frozen: Heart of Dread to friends!

This title was given to be in exchange for an honest review.




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8 comments:

  1. I've seen this one around, but for some reason I had thought that it was more of a fantasy novel. I must devour all things dystopian so I'll surely pick this one up!

    I'm happy you also liked the alternative POVs. I usually like it if each character has a distinct voice, there have been times where I've read a dual perspective book and had to go back to the chapter start to find out whose POV I was reading from.

    Great review Kristi!

    Amber Elise @ Du Livre

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    1. It has some fantasy elements, some magical aspects but it's a romance, too, LOL! It's sort of a mash-up of them all, including a dystopia/sci-fi element, as well.
      I'd say that it's pretty much equal parts, there is a strong dystopian element to it, which I loved.
      I did like the alternating POV in this! Sometimes, just like you mentioned, I find it hard to figure out just who's speaking and that drives me mad! Not so in Frozen, it's very clear who is who and it really gives a clear perspective on the two characters and also on the secondary characters. It's very well done!

      I hope you get a chance to read it, Amber!

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  2. Oh nice. I haven't been burned out on the dystopian genre yet and this one has a interesting premise. I'm guessing colored contacts can be had for a price? :) I'm also curious about the magical element here. Yea, you put this one on my wishlist!

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    1. It's got quite the spunky heroine, too, Melissa! I think you'd like her!
      The magical element is great, I really like how it was all tied in with the different genres.
      I hope you get the chance to read it!

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  3. I always like a good dystopia. And a nice ice world sounds pretty good to me

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  4. I didn't know about this one but I heard about the author and I know I need to try her one day. Frozen sounds like different from the dystopia I read, mainlya bout the world but I confess that it makes me curious.

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    1. It is different, Melliane. It incorporates so many different elements and it really does have a different feel about it!
      I enjoyed it and will definitely read the next in the series!
      I think you'd like it!

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