Frozen

 

 Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Series: The Heart of Dread, #1
Pages: 336
Challenge: Goodreads Challenge 2014, 2014 Book Bingo Challenge
Genre: Paranormal/ Fantasy
Acquired: Library
Rating: ★★★★

*****

Goodreads Summary:

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.

  *****

 My Thoughts:

Frozen follows Nat, a blackjack dealer, with a very interesting past and a couple of dangerous secrets. When she hears of the "the Blue", a place of freedom and safe haven where she won't be persecuted by her secrets when and if they come to light. She soon sets off on a journey with a boy named Wes and his band of misfits who promise to get her to "the Blue".

I really liked Nat's character and her secrets even more. She was easy to connect to with her strong demeanor and determined nature. I also thought the supporting characters were interesting and enjoyable as well. The problems the characters faced were believable for their specific storyline, and I loved the fantasy aspects throughout the novel and the mix of magical elements, pirates, "the Blue", and the other intriguing people and creatures we met along the way.

I enjoyed reading the book and seeing Nat's transformation and evolution from a scared yet determined girl with a huge secret into a key figure with extreme importance to the storyline as the book progressed. Was the book different from what I expect? Yes actually! I was pleasantly surprised with the plot and its originality. I haven't read a book like it and it was refreshing. Really liked the fantasy and magical elements and how they balanced each other out in the novel.

My favorite scene was the ending scene as well as the pirate showdown. I liked learning more about the characters and finding out more about their stories. I least liked the romance between Nat and Wes. I felt that it seemed a little forced and wasn't needed or necessary to the story. I feel that more and more recently authors are including romances in their stories possibly because they feel that there should be one.... they are not always necessary and as a reader I don't mind reading a novel without a romance especially if it isn't needed.

I found the plot to be new and interesting and different from what I've read recently and I think that's why I liked it and really enjoyed reading it. For the most I was kept guessing but some events I could easily pinpoint what was coming before it happened, but otherwise the story didn't bother me much. The ending was pretty good and was a nice wrap to this installment and I will check out the next book when it comes out.

I rate the cover 7/10 and give the story a 4/5 stars. I would recommend this to those looking for a action-packed and different story in the fantasy genre.

*****