Frostblood was the perfect book to start the year with. I know that is has received its fair share of negativity already and I do understand why - its use a few familiar tropes will rub some readers the wrong way - but I am not those readers. Whether my enjoyment stems purely from my disappointment at the last fantasy I read, Ever the Hunted ( which was a truly terrible trope-ridden fantasy) I cannot say but whatever way you want to twist it, it does not change the fact that I completely fell in love with Frostblood.

What made this such an addictive and unputdownable read for me was my attachment to the characters. Ruby - our protagonist - is temperamental and aggressive at times but at her core, she had so many traits I love in a protagonist: she was strong, brave and unflinching but also willing to learn and aware of her weaknesses. Yes, she did suffer from a quick temper and a snappy attitude which led to some bad choices but what I really appreciated about her character was that as time progressed - and as she was exposed to more and more of the world outside of her village - she matured and developed, without ever losing that spunk that made her Ruby. I also really loved that she had difficulty controlling her powers. Instead of being natural adept like most Special Snowflake protagonists, she struggled to learn to control the raw power she possessed. Instead, Ruby had to learn to use it to her wildness to her advantage and I loved that this involved her coming to terms with the type of person she was. I think that in general there was just something about Ruby that was easy to root for. I wanted to see her succeed, and I really came to appreciate her development across the story.

Arcus, though, was my true favourite. He was just so… *swoon*! There is something about the serious, quiet characters that are masking their pain and just trying to quietly go on with their lives that just get to me. Maybe that’s my hardcore Bucky Barnes fangirl coming through but I from the second Arcus was introduced, I wanted to know everything about him. I loved how he was loyal to the monks and a little bit rough around the edges. He had no time for Ruby’s antics because he understood what was at stake and it should not have been left in the hands of an untrained teenage girl like Ruby. I loved that he was passionate about helping the people without it seeming too cliched. I loved that he understood when he crossed a line, and even though he was not the protagonist of the story, his development was nonetheless prominent. We saw him learn to let others love him, despite his scars and despite his history. I loved that he didn’t let his feelings dictate his actions, and he thought through things before doing them (impulsive characters will be the death of me, honestly). Mostly, I just wanted to reach through the pages and give him a hug.

Because of my love for both Ruby and Arcus, I was completely invested in their developing relationship and my little shipping heart shipped them a lot. The romance was handled so well in my opinion, and it was just the perfect balance of swoon-worthy and realistic. The chemistry between the characters was on point. Their banter was witty and whip-smart, and I really appreciated that their hate-to-love relationship was well-paced. I will admit that the romance did direct the plotline at times but I do not think it was too domineering.

The world-building was another aspect of the story which was very well done. I liked that it was fairly easy to understand and pick up. The history of the world was complex enough to make the world seem rich in my mind but not too complex for a non-epic fantasy. I liked that it wove a religion throughout the politics which also tied in with the Frostblood/Fireblood lore. It made the two cultures seem much more realistic and believable. However, I will admit - again - that this world draws on a lot of familiar elements from other similar fantasy stories, like warring magical races, prophecies, and corrupt rulers. At the same time, there is a reason these tropes are used so often. Instead of making the world seem overly cliched, I think it drew on elements that people enjoy reading about and did as much as it could to set itself apart.

I think the weakest part of this story was its plot. While I personally found it addictive, if you are not a fan of the characters, I fear you might struggle to make it through the first part. It is a little slow at first as it centres around Ruby’s recovery and training but I did think this was the best way to organically allow us to learn more about the Frostblood/Firebloods’ powers and their history. The second part was action-packed and thrilling. We are thrown lots of twists and turns to keep us on our toes, and the ending was jam-packed full of feels and emotions and intrigue. It was satisfying but still left me desperate for more.

Overall?

I unashamedly enjoyed Frostblood more than I would have expected. The plotline was engaging and addictive. I fell in love with Ruby and Arcus, and their relationship hit all the shipping check points. The story was twisty at times and kept me eagerly flipping the pages. The world-building was organically incorporated into the story. All in all, I can see this one being quite the success, especially amongst [b:Red Queen|22328546|Red Queen (Red Queen, #1)|Victoria Aveyard|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1449778912s/22328546.jpg|25037051] fans.

Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review.