Frostblood: The Frostblood Saga Book One

Compelling characters, a fascinating world and an exhilarating story beautifully wrought in this must-read debut - Eve Silver, author of the GAME series

With a fierce and vibrant world, richly drawn characters, a steamy romance,

and page-turning twists, Frostblood has all the elements of a great fantasy - Morgan Rhodes, New York Times bestselling author of the FALLEN KINGDOMS series

Fast-paced and brimming with magic and intrigue, Frostblood will keep you

frozen in place until the last page and then leave you burning for more. - Lori M. Lee, author of the GATES OF THREAD AND STONE series

This enchanting and fast-paced debut lights up the page with magic, romance, and action. Readers will be eagerly anticipating the next book in the series - Booklist

Oh my God, this book is phenomenal. I couldn't put it down. In true epic fantasy fashion this book is filled to the brim with magic, intrigue and politics. You will fall head over heels and be unable to read fast enough.' - K-Books

Plenty of action and fiery frosty mayhem.... If Red Queen and Frozen had a lovechild it would look very much like Frostblood'

'OK! Did NOT WANT FROSTBLOOD TO END! Can I PLEASE HAVE THE NEXT BOOK RIGHT NOW'

'Now this is a YA fantasy! Fantastic world building, ancient blood feuds, romance, humor, nail-biting battles... yes please! I can't wait to see where the rest of this series goes'

This debut novel by Elly Blake is about a girl born a Fireblood; her people are gifted with the magic to manipulate fire. In her world fire and ice are mortal enemies, and with the lands ruled by the Frostbloods, people like her are hunted for they are seen as dangerous. That’s the only insight I’m going to give for this story. But believe me, there is a lot packed inside this first book. The magic race division in this story was a strong force throughout this book. And the history of how this world and the feud between the two races began was quite imaginative. I felt the hatred and prejudice people had towards our main character, Ruby, because of her Fireblood heritage. The fear and cruelty of this part of the world was apparent, and the longer time had passed that fear and cruelty turned more brutal. Even the mythology of the gods and their history was bitter and twisted. Of course, no story about a world divided by an epic feud would be complete without a fated love story thrown in. And when the hesitant hero, Arcus, walks on to the page he’s not quite what I had imagined. He was mean, pig-headed, secretive and judgmental. Ruby and Arcus instantly despise each other, but eventually learn to tolerate one another’s presence. This made for some hilarious moments during their interactions. It also made for some sweet moments when they got to know each other better. Once everything about each other’s history and their feelings for one another where laid out there, I completely fell in love with these two. The slow burn of their relationship was a refreshing break from all the ‘instalove’ I usually see in young adult books as of late. Ruby, our female protagonist, developed so much throughout this first book. When we first see her she is determined and curious to learn more about her Fireblood abilities, but then her life gets flipped upside down and she realizes she should have heeded her mother’s warnings and the true danger her uncontrolled magic can do. She learns the hard way and is forged into her fire, coming out as this powerful determined woman. Viewing everything from her perspective and not knowing who she could trust really put me on edge while reading, causing me to have doubts and be suspicious about certain characters. I really admired Ruby’s strength, both mentally and physically. She didn’t give up, even during the times when she felt like she should, she never did. Arcus was a wild card to me, I didn’t know if he was trustworthy. But as more of his personality developed and he warmed up more to Ruby, I saw how caring and protective he was. Even if he was a bit stand-offish and didn’t know how to show it, it was still there, underlying everything. He knew how to challenge Ruby enough to get her to focus on how to control her fire magic. It became a relationship of mutuality for both of them, as she was the spark he needed to melt his fears and learn to live again. One of the best things I loved throughout Frostblood was the well-paced action. And when I say there was action, I mean of the brutal kind with blood, broken bones and graphic details. It’s probably horrible of me to state, but I loved it! It gave me strong Throne of Glass and Hunger Games vibes. The action was the metaphorical ‘cherry on top’ for me! I think this Frostblood series could be a serious candidate in the new books being added to the young adult fantasy genre. I can’t wait to see what else Elly has installed for us after reading this captivating first installment. It gets five stars from me! Come on Elly Blake, what else do you have up your sleeve?

A gripping fantasy in a world where fire and ice are sworn enemies, and only one girl could have the power to bring down the Frost King. When her village is raided and her mother killed, Fireblood Ruby is filled with vengence, hoping to bring down the King who ordered her capture. When she is rescued from prison by Frostblood rebels, she is introduced to freedom and a chance to seek the revenge she has craved for months. Living with Monks, she is trained to harness her fire power by the wise Brother Thistle and mysterious Arcus. But as the Summer Solstice draws nearer, Ruby fears her strength won't be able to stand up to the powerful king. Just when she puts her heart on the line, she comes face to face with the man she has despised for so long. In the presence of the Frost King, she must stay alive while she figures out how the bring him down. But the King has other plans for Ruby, ones that could see the world plunge into darkness. Elly Blake had me hooked from the first page, and I didn't want to bring myself to leave the world when I reached the final one. The characters, their story and the world had me so intrigued that I struggled to put the book down to sleep. The world building in this book is beautiful. The world of Temepsia is so vast and has such an interesting history and mythology that Elly weaves throughout the story. It's such a richly imagined world, filled with magic, secrets and curses, that I loved hearing about the myths and history that shaped the world Ruby was living in. Our heroine Ruby is such a strong and independent character, even when she was weak and broken. She fought to prove her strength and her power when those around her said she wouldn't amount to anything. Surrounded by Frostbloods, the enemies of her people, she learned to trust and see the good in people, even when they didn't want her to see it. And of course, there's a swoon-worthy romance that you just can't help but love. There were twists, turns and revelations that pulled me further into the story, and on several occasions I stuggled to keep my eyes on the lines I was reading, wanting to skip ahead to see what was happening. What surprised me was the ending of this book, not because it was shocking and a cliffhanger, but because it was the opposite. If it hadn't been for some loose ends, the book could nearly be a standalone. I am both excited and nervous about the second book, because I have no idea where the story could go from this point. The possibilities are endless and I'm sure Elly has some twists and turns planned for our characters in the next two books. This book was a fantastic start to 2017. If you love fantasy and rebellion, you'll definitely enjoy Frostblood. I'm excited to see where this series goes, and what else Elly Blake has in store for these characters. A fantastic debut that is a must-read this year - if you only plan on reading one new release this year, make it this one!

Victoria Kennedy

Frostblood was enchanting and delightful, reminiscent of wondrous fairytales and captivating fables. Seventeen year old Ruby is a Fireblood in a kingdom under the tyrannical command of the Frost King, where villages are tormented and burnt to the ground in the search for Firebloods. Ruby can create fire in a kingdom of ice and frost, making her a commodity. Ruby's narrative was compelling. Although she's aware of her ability to create fire, Ruby defies her mother's wishes and practices perfecting her craft each day under the guise of the forest canopy. She's feisty and blinded by revenge as the Frost King's guard burns her village to the ground and takes her captive only to be freed. Arcus is a character veiled in secrecy, hostile and detached as he begins to assist Ruby in cultivating her abilities. The tentative friendship was charming and incredibly entertaining as the two used thinly veiled insults to conceal their growing attraction. The romance was absolutely lovely, gentle and gathers a gradual momentum. Both Arcus and Ruby are tenacious and I loved their enchanting courtship amidst the insults and mockery. You don’t know the effect your words have on me, Lady Firebrand. It took years to build up this ice. You will melt it and then I will be broken. Blinded by revenge, both Ruby and Arcus share a common ambition, to abolish the Frost King and protect the monastery but the King has plans for the liberated Fireblood. I was enamored by the world Elly Blake envisioned, beautiful and captivating. I was pleasantly delighted by Frostfire. An admirable an enthralling debut that held me captive until the final page.