Ice Kissed ♥ by Amanda Hocking | Review

Ice Kissed

• Amanda Hocking

• Series: The Kanin Chronicles (Book 2)
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (May 5, 2015)
• ISBN-13: 978-1250049872
• Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Nobles
• Source: Review Copy was sent free of charge via St. Martin's Griffin. Thank you John.
• Synopsis: In the majestic halls of a crystal palace lies a secret that could destroy an entire kingdom… Bryn Aven refuses to give up on her dream of serving the kingdom she loves. It's a dream that brings her to a whole new realm…the glittering palace of the Skojare. The Skojare people need protection from the same brutal enemy that's been threatening the Kanin, and Bryn is there to help. Being half Skojare herself, it's also a chance for her to learn more about her lost heritage. Her boss Ridley Dresden is overseeing the mission, but as their undeniable attraction heats up, their relationship is about to reach a whole new level--one neither of them is prepared for. As they delve deeper into the Skojare world, they begin to unravel a long-hidden secret. The dark truth about her own beloved Kanin kingdom is about to come to light, and it'll change her place in it forever…and threaten everyone she loves.

• Ice Kissed is the second installment in The Kanin Chronicles, we follow Bryn Aven on her journey to serve the kingdom she loves. She still wants to prove herself to her people and her kingdom, now there are two common enemies Konstantin Black and Viktor Dalig threatening both the people of Kanin and Skojare. Bryn is mixed race with Kanin and Skojare so she does want to protect both sides. She takes off in a mission with her boss and her crush Ridley Dresden, but their attraction develops into something deeper. Now secrets are exposed and the dark truth about the Kanin Kingdom are soon coming out which can change their lives forever.

•  The covers of this series are beyond beautiful though, I have shown them to almost all of my family members. The model is pretty as well, kudos to the cover designer and the model! Previously, I had reviewed the first installment Frostfire, it was a good attempt to build up the actual plot but it wasn't as strong as I would have wanted it to be. Ice Kissed is the better book of the series, it changed my mind about it. I felt this novel was engaging, and of course, I had to finish it in one setting. I didn't find some parts force fed or boring. Frostfire was more slow for me, although Ice Kissed is more on the moderate side. It's still a tad slow though, I wish the plot could have come more sooner. One thing that disappointed is that it didn't have much of the character Konstantin Black, our anti-hero. The love triangle that I predicted would have come up doesn't exist at all which I'm glad about. I just wish the author never said Bryn once had a crush on Konstantin, people can jump to assumptions *cough me cough*.

• You can either love Bryn or you can hate her character - she can be careless and arrogant at times, but then again she can be caring and kind. Her character is pretty realistic though, almost everyone tends to get defensive even if they're wrong. Most people don't like being wrong, so I'll let it slide, but it's not a huge deal if you make a small mistake you know! Own it, learn from it and move on with your life. The character growth in Bryn was interesting though, she does mature from a careless girl to a determined woman. Her internal battle was wonderful to read about, she is second guessing herself on whether she can actually serve the kingdom her superiors want her to. She is not the type to take orders without usually questioning, which can be great because it's better to know ahead of time what are the consequences, but it does lead her into trouble. Sometimes, her morals can conflict with the orders she is given by her superiors. The love interest Ridley.. You are one cute male lead sir, I so ship their boat. Their connection is swoon worthy, I can just picture their children already and I am done with gushing. I'm glad the romance doesn't overtake the plot.

•  The one aspect that is quite frustrating about this series is that many questions are left unanswered. I haven't gotten any to answers to what the actual enemies even want? That will come in the final installment of this series hopefully, but it would have been better if the plot was better developed in the first books as well. The lack of a better plot does bring the book down for me a bit, but I don't mind that much because it's more of a character driven series. There is a minor flaw in the series though, the actual titles of the book don't really appear in the actual content.. I don't understand how it relates to the book. Even though, the book has it's flaws I would rate Ice Kissed four butterflies, I did enjoy this novel as a whole and I do think it was wonderful. I hope Crystal Kingdom is the best of The Kanin Chronicles.

Recommended for fans of Frostfire, and Stolen Songbird.

Here's the model of the books, she is gorgeous!

The beautiful book covers of the Kanin Chronicles, kudos to the designers! Frostfire is my personal favorite cover, there's something about a badass girl in a red dress holding a sword. The color usage of all the covers are very vibrant and catchy.

Shukran for reading this! Leave your blog links in the comments & I'll be sure to check them out & follow :) Stay in tuned pretty creatures..

“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” —Nora Ephron 

Personal Instagram | Beauty Instagram | Tumblr | Bloglovin | Goodreads

femmmefatalee@gmail.com