I have given this one star and that is only because I managed to finish the entire story.

I have long heard so many wonderful things about Gena Showalter that when it was announced she was starting a new series, I knew I just had to read it.

It has a rather interesting blurb that pulls you in but for me, the story never actually delivered.

I had such high hopes for this story and there was so much potential but it just never seemed to get off the ground. There were too many characters with too much going on that I was often left a bit
confused and couldn't seem to connect with the story. The story itself seemed to be all over the place and the world building left much to be desired. The characters were all a bit too much and I had a hard time believing Knox and Vale's relationship, their chemistry was forced and I found myself eventually skimming much of their interactions, in particular their sexy scenes.

I really wanted to love it, I really did but it just didn't float my boat.

I couldn’t wait to read this new series by Gena.

It sounded like a really good read. So I eagerly sat and opened my kindle …..

I have to say, I was a little disappointed ☹️ the world was described in Gena’s usual style (you could easily imagine the ice caves) but the characters lacked their usual luster.

But I persevered and I love the concept, I’m just hoping the next book is an improvement.

Knox is an unbeatable warrior, and knowing he could win his freedom, he is determined that NOTHING will get in his way. He is arrogant, over confident and his kings “greatest asset”, rings and tattoos bind him to his “king” not loyalty and not love, in fact when Knox gets free he is going to kill the king, and we also find out why Knox is the way he is, he hides a vulnerable heart that broke and has never healed.

Vale can only be described as “street wise”but there hides a soft heart, she doesn’t like most people, but she adores her foster sister Nola, who is poorly, so Vale does all she can to makes her sisters life fun and full of adventure.

They find the tourist attraction (a cave full of gorgeous looking statues frozen in ice) and congratulate each other on surviving the cold, and hope to be rescued. But things take a different turn of events …… one of the ice covered statues breaks free…. and he’s not a statue 😉

And after killing an ancient, she is now “defending” earth. And it’s not as easy as you think.

The hate/love relationship between Knox and Vale, certainly kept it interesting. The copious amount of sex, I did think a little O.T.T, and the violence and gore won’t be to everyone’s liking. But the new world we are entering is unlike anything I’ve read so far. And i can’t wait to read more.

The secondary characters (and there are a few) are great, well rounded and most are welcome (but keeping track, I needed pen and paper) 🤨 I think we already have a clue as to who will feature in the next book 😉

The first meeting between the two main characters is interesting to say the least.

Their interaction does consist of fighting then sex 🙄 They can’t work together, they both need to kill each other, but as there is a certain attraction between them, it’s going to cause a problem.

So, I’m hoping book 2 will be better, I will continue with the series and hope that it improves, the first book is sometimes the hardest, as you have to set the scene for a new world and new characters, but maybe next time, a few less characters and more world building.

Shadow & Ice opens at the start of an epic All War, a sort of multiplayer killing spree held among the gods with unsuspecting worlds the eventual reward. Amid the mayhem, Knox, four-time All War victor, kidnaps Vale and spends the rest of the book alternating between wanting to kill her or having her in his bed. Vale is all sassy heroine, while Knox fills the alpha male anti-hero role to bursting.

The story offers an interesting take on the enemies-to-lovers trope, but there’s a lot of info-dumping to support the immense world building. It’s easy to get lost in the numerous cast of characters who seem to meet their demise shortly after they’re introduced. The uneven pace shifts from either blood-soaked action scenes with violent dismemberment to slow-moving sexy time with not much happening in-between. All combined, it asks a lot of the reader’s patience to hang in there with not much reward at the end. Fans of Showalter’s books may want to give it a go (or a pass), but this is a tough entry for anyone.

So I don't tend to do very many paranormal reviews on my blog anymore. I used to read a ton of paranormal books and than became very picky with them and just couldn't find any good ones. A few years ago I started asking around about good paranormal books. There was one particular name that kept coming up. And that name was Mrs. Showalter's. I decided to check out her books and became hooked. Now I'm kind of rambling so on with my review.

This book is the beginning of a brand new series for Mrs. Showalter. As with all of her books, Mrs. Showalter is very descriptive with the first few chapters. If your not familiar with Mrs. Showalter's books it can almost come as an overload of information. But I promise if you keep reading it does get to the good stuff and more understandable.

I found that I both enjoyed Knox and Vale's character's, though at times they drove me a bit crazy.

Vale is a young woman who wants to get away with her foster sister one last time before opening her bakery. Only to find the place they vacation to is where God's are escaping. She was definitely tough enough with a bit a sass.

I will say this I found Knox to be swoon-worthy right off the bat. Knox is a man who has been enslaved since he was a child for his abilities and is one of the fiercist champions in the war.

I really don't want to give a lot away. I will say that Mrs. Showalter brings this new world alive in this series and I can't wait to read more from it.

I'm giving this book 4 Stars out of 5!!!

I tried hard to like this book but unfortunately it never happened.For some reason I couldn't connect to the story even though I liked the characters.Hope everyone love it more than me.I'm sure the next book will be much better !

Gena Showalter does it again, guys! This time with a brand new series that I am so excited about!

When I first read about Shadow and Ice I was excited about the premise. A new take on ancient gods, how they came to be, who were they really, what were they doing on Earth, is always going to grab my attention. Pair that with the Showalter name and I was ready to read this book as fast as possible. The book starts with a formal document detailing the rules of an All War, the competition that decides which realm will rule the new planet discovered, Earth. I love the idea of multiple realms searching for new planets, and the idea of them competing for it is really interesting.

The story moves to present times shortly after that, and we get to meet Vale. Vale is an intriguing character. She has a condition I've never heard of before, called synesthesia, which in her case it means she can taste sounds. Once she enters the war, this particular ability proves to be an asset for her. Vale is very stubborn. Even though Knox does everything in his power to teach her how to be a good combatant, therefore not trust anyone, Vale wants to believe there's a chance for them all if only they can find trustworthy allies. Vale and Knox had a very interesting dynamic. Beyond the sexual attraction between the two, I could feel the way Knox really wanted to trust her, even though his brain was telling him to kill her and be done with it. Vale, on the other hand, has had a rough life, but she was willing to trust Knox to be a real team player and not come at her when she was at her most vulnerable. Which, when you hear about her childhood, is really amazing and inspiring. She's also a fighter. She might not like the fact that she has unwittingly entered this war and she might have doubts and moments in which she hates what she has to do in order to stay alive, but she's willing to fight and she's not going to give up living. I liked that about her.

Knox is kind of a morally ambiguous character and I loved that about him. He's not a team player, he's not the kind of guy you can or should trust, and he is willing to do anything in order to win. He is driven by his need for revenge, and the reader finds out why later on in the story, so I found it easy to accept why he does what he does, why he betrays alliances, why he tries to distance himself from everyone. I couldn't help but root for him, even when he did some pretty shady things, things I probably wouldn't have been okay with from some other character, but his reasons, his pain really, makes it all almost acceptable. I really felt sorry for him, and at times he managed to break my heart. I also loved the fact that even though he could have betrayed Vale when she was at her most vulnerable, he didn't, in fact he went above and beyond to keep her safe and make sure she wouldn't die.

I have to say that, unlike the previous Gena Showalter books I've read, I had a little bit of a hard time following the entire mythology of this new series. It's a big world, there were a lot of names and realms to discover and remember, so at times I found it difficult to follow the story because of that. I also found the ending a bit too abrupt. I guess it matches the story, in a way, and I'm hoping the repercussions of what Knox had to do at the end of the book will be explored in the sequel.

That aside, I had a lot of fun reading this book. I'm impatiently waiting for the next book in the series, especially since towards the end of this book some things were revealed to the main characters that might change the course of the All War. I can't wait for more!

This is my first book by Gena Showalter and OMFG WHY HAVE I WAITED! Her attention to detail, let alone the concept she has come up with this book has my mind blown and dying for more! Her words are pure gold. While the book is a little slow out of the gates, the build up is worth it as you have an interesting take on a battle royale with winner take all. I love the banter between Vale and Knox and how things played out for these two. While there is a lot of information thrown at you in this book, please wait it out. I found it overwhelming at times but it made sense in the long run. I love chemistry as well as the lore that created this book. If you want something unique, snag up this one!

I adore Gena Showalter and her paranormal stories. I would give this one 3.5 stars. I was so excited that she was starting a new series. I could not wait to dig in. I really enjoyed the start to this new series. I liked the ideas behind the world these characters live in and I am curious to learn more. The world building was very well done. The only trouble I had with this story, is it just felt a convoluted at times and I was a little lost in places, but I am definitely interested in continuing on with this story and learning more. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

This is a super compelling start to a new series. Knox is a warrior from another realm, sent to Earth during Viking Times as part of an all-war. This is basically a thunderdome type situation where only one warrior will be left standing. However, an enemy traps them all into ice.....fast forward to modern day, and the ice is cracking. Knox frees himself in time to save a human woman named Vale who happens to be nearby.

I love stories about super cold, calculating men brought low by love, and this book totally delivers. I am very much looking forward to upcoming books in the series. Especially because Vale's sister Nola has been taken by another warrior. Delicious.

It had been a long time since I had read fantastic romance, especially Gena Showalter and it was frankly a pure pleasure to find her sensual and sexy pen.

Knox is a warrior from another world, he’s immortal and is sent to Earth with other immortal warriors from other worlds like him. They wage a war, at the end of which the king of the victor’s world becomes the owner of the planet in question.

I won’t tell you anymore and let you discover the story for yourself.

Knox is a very intelligent warrior, this is his fifth war and he intends to win it in order to gain his freedom, to no longer be a slave and to be able to take revenge. All this was before meeting Vale, a young and beautiful human being, who suffered as much as he did and who doesn’t let anyone walk on his feet. Knox wants to win at all costs, that’s what he’s always done, he doesn’t trust anyone, he’s a bully. However, he also has a good side, he is sexy, protective of Vale, he also suffered a lot at the hands of his king.

Vale is a charming young girl who has gone on a road trip with her sister, during this trip their guide abandons them and they will discover warriors in a cave. Vale will be kidnapped by Knox while her sister will be kidnapped by Zion. Knox and Vale will get to know each other, she will especially teach him about the land and he will explain to her everything there is to know about war.

I loved Knox and Vale, they’re both too cute together, they keep looking for each other and it provides some pretty nice moments.

Gena Showalter knew how to create a romantic and downright sexy love story, I was hot, very hot and it’s really nice to find this kind of story again. I look forward to reading on and finding out what will happen to Knox, Vale, Nola, Zion and Bane.

Quick word: A great story to read imperatively.

Shadow and Ice by Gena Showalter is book one in her Gods of War series.
Meet Knox. He's forced to fight for his king, his realm, his freedom. He's like a machine, emotions are useless to him, a powerful alpha male. ´til he meets Vale London. Vale is on vacation with her sister Nola and the women stumble over the warriors from a distant planet. She gets sucked inmto the intrigues and fights of this ancient world and their war.
Vale is the enemy who has to be beaten at all costs, but at the same time he can't get her out of his head.
Shadow and Ice is a slow burn, enemies to lovers story, well written, left me a bit confused in the end, but all in all a good read. Fands of the author will love this new world she crafted, a world of violence, original and breathtaking beautiful, dark and more. I give 4 dark pnr stars.

An interdimensional Hunger Games for adults.
Gena Showalter's epic new paranormal romance saga, GODS OF WAR, pits warrior against warrior with Earth as the battleground. The Prize? Earth.

The journey begins with book one, Shadow And Ice...

Knox of Iviland has spent his life competing in the All Wars, where vicious warriors with supernatural powers fight to the death to claim new realms. One winner takes everything — and all losers die. Enslaved as a child for his ability to control shadows, the most ruthless champion in history will stop at nothing to kill his king. But first he must win the battle for Earth. When a fearsome weapon imprisons every combatant in ice, centuries pass without progress…until she walks in.

Vale London craves a fun arctic getaway with her foster sister before settling down to open a bakery. Street-tough but vulnerable, she is unprepared to find ancient gods escaping a frozen cave — merciless beings who target her when she inadvertently enters their war.

Though Vale is now his enemy, Knox is consumed with lust and a fierce need to protect her. But only one combatant can prove victorious, and he will have to choose: live for freedom, or die for love.

Want to know a little more about the characters?

Knox of Iviland is a battle-hardened, alpha, warrior - cold, bitter and bloodthirsty - he will do whatever it takes to win. Including, keeping close to a woman, when everything he's ever known has shown him not to trust or show mercy.
Vale London is a strong, tough, take charge woman who's been kicked in the teeth and knocked around by life for too many years to count.

Although extremely wary of each other, the two will have to work together if they want to survive.

My thoughts on the book?
This is a book unlike any that I have read before and is a definite must read.
People (adults!) who enjoyed reading The Hunger Games may especially get a kick out of it. I can't wait to read the next book in this awesome new series.
Highly Recommended.

When I first heard about this series I had a mini heart attack from the excitement, a new paranormal romance from GENA SHOWALTER, Heck yeah, gimme, gimme, gimme!
I will say that there is a lot happening in this book but I blame that on it being the first book in an entirely new series and world. There is a lot of information to pass along and characters to meet. It can be confusing if you aren't paying close attention. I will say that in the back of the book Gena adds a index of all the characters that is particularly helpful because there are a lot and it can be hard to keep up with who is alive or dead and who has what powers.

All in all though I really loved this book. I loved this new world but with the feel we have come to know from Gena, the snark, the depth of the characters, even if it seems like they are nothing more than meat heads, the concept of their being a fine line between good and evil and who gets the right to decide what is and what isn't.

I quite enjoyed these characters as individuals. Their stories will break you heart and the depth of love that they have for others is a beautiful thing. Together they were a mixed bag, I wanted a stronger connection but can't deny that they connection in and of it's self was hot. I feel like due to the amount of information that had to be shared in this first book the relationship of the main characters may have suffered some. When it comes down to it though this is a book about learning to trust and I can say with out reservation that these two characters walk away with complete faith in one another.

Knox's internal monologue may have been one of my favorite parts. Just 'watching' this warrior fight with himself was entertaining. Seeing how he acted like the big bad fierce warrior on the outside but was a man who wanted more than revenge and battle on the inside made me smile. He really is a big old teddy bear when everything else is pushed to the side. Vale, is a kick butt heroine. I want so much more of her. Once she gets on board she doesn't even wait to take names after kicking tush. The way she announced herself at the first gathering after she comes into the picture is one of the best parts! They are both broken on the inside, both in one way or another having been beaten down, but they are two of the strongest characters out there. They are two people who will overcome their circumstances not become their circumstances.

I am really excited for Nola and Bane's book, mainly because until a certain moment in the book I had no idea that was even going to be the connection, it was unexpected and super exciting!

This is a great start to a new series. Go in with a lot of time on your hands just so you can sort through everything in your mind, but be ready for an exciting ride.

Sidenote: I partially listened to the narration of this as well and I will say the male narrator was not my favorite, I felt like there was a campiness to the way he read Knox that isn't there in Gena's words. I loved the dual POV narration though, it felt really 'alive' that way.

~ HAPPY READING ~

I totally love Gena Showalter's writing so when I saw that she was starting a new series I knew I had to jump on it. How could I not try a book where the men and women from different worlds fighting a war in our world!

Doesn't it sound like a great idea? I thought so which is why I had to read it.

The story starts out very well. You find yourself wanting to know more and more. Who are these people and why are they doing what they are doing? So many questions. I just couldn't wait to get into it and find out the answers to my questions.

Right away I liked the characters. Showalter has a talent for writing great guys. Ones you want to know more about. Knox is so battle hardened that you have trouble at first thinking of him as a hero. Yes, you know right away that he loved his daughter but that's all you get from him. It's as he gets to know Vale that you see who he really is.

I really liked these two together. The one liners they gave each other cracked me up at times. They worked even when they didn't know it.

As a whole the story isn't a bad one. It does suffer a bit from first book in a new series syndrome. At times you feel information is coming at you from everywhere and you can become slightly confused. Not that we know all the players the next in the series should be much easier to read.

Terrific supernatural story and start to a new series by a favorite author of mine. Seriously hot Alpha immortals, sassy fierce heroines, supernatural abilities and weapons, and a fight to the end. It's classic Gena Showalter! Exciting storyline with bloody battles, alien technology and lots of dangerous immortals that invade Earth and endanger its inhabitants. The fiercest of all is badass assassin Knox but is he good or really, really bad? He's good at war and bad for his opponents. He had a cold heart until he encounters Vale. She's the spitfire mortal that's in the wrong place at the right time and otherworldly Knox captures her during battle. Thus begins a battle of wills with tons of heat and surprises for the two. There's a lot going on in this first story setting up for the continuation of the series with earthlings trying to save their world and immortals from other realms and worlds trying to win Earth by waging war. Loved it! I voluntarily reviewed an ARC and bought the book. 4.5 stars

4.5 STARS!! A Fabulous and Exciting read!!

Enslaved as a child for his ability to control shadows, the most ruthless champion in history will stop at nothing to kill his king, but he must win the battle for Earth in order to achive his goal. However, Knox finds himself imprisoned in ice, just waiting for the day he can be freed and continue his battle; instead he encounters a beautiful girl who stirs something inside him that no one has before.

Vale London craves a fun arctic getaway with her foster sister before settling down to open a bakery. Street-tough but vulnerable, she is unprepared to find ancient gods escaping a frozen cave—merciless beings who target her when she inadvertently enters their war.

I won't go into detail because I hate to spoil it for you! All in all, Shadow and Ice is exciting, intriguing, intense, action-packed, nail biting, sexy, all-consuming and aggresive. An amazing way to start this series which is taking place in the human realm. (Not for the faint of heart (blood and gore. lots of it))


Can’t wait for the next installment!

Verdict: If the TV show Highlander and Marvel’s Ragnarok had a baby, it might read something like this. Book one of a brand new series by Gena Showalter, set up some pretty awesome world-building filled with tons of potential for an outstanding series. If you’ve read Showalter’s work before, the characters are pretty typical with a big strong alpha male, and a feisty snarky female who get into tons of trouble. If you like these character tropes set in a paranormal world, pick this one up for a good time. You won’t be disappointed.

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Like I said before when I shared an excerpt for Shadow & Ice, this is my first paranormal romance by this author! I have only read one of the books in a young adult series that she also wrote.

While I really enjoyed Shadow & Ice, I have to be honest and say it took me a few chapters to really get this story and understand the world. The prologue starts out a bit cryptic for me and I didn't quite understand everything in the beginning. As I went along, I definitely started understanding everything more.

I have read a few people describing this as Hunger Games. I can definitely see that link, but a paranormal version. In All Wars, the winner is the last one standing. I also have to warn you that this book is bloody! Gena isn't afraid to describe bodyparts flying around and what it looks like.

Our two main characters are really interesting though. Knox has never known freedom. He was enslaved as a child for his abilities with shadows. Knox needs to win the All Wars to be free. After losing so much, he's ready to be on his own. Gena's description of him is impressing and I wouldn't mind seeing him walking down the street, haha.

Vale hasn't had the easiest life, but has come out of it stronger. Her foster sister is important to her and she can't wait to open up a bakery together. Things get interesting when there fun getaway becomes less fun. While trying to find food and a way back to society, finding a cave with frozen warriors wasn't on her wishlist.

Shadows & Ice is filled with some steamy scenes, but also a lot of humor. Gena even used a Harry Potter reference, I was sold after that! I loved seeing the relationship between Vale and Knox grow. I'm all for the dominant caveman idea, but sometimes he was a bit too much. Being frozen for quite awhile, he still doesn't trust easily, which is understandable.

Vale is sassy and maybe a tad bit insecure, but she is stronger than she thinks. Instead of going into complete panic mode when everything started to happen she took things as they happened. I don't know if I would've been able to say the same if the roles were reversed.

I haven't read many paranormal romances, so I don't have much to compare this to. All in all, a definitely exciting and sexy read. I do think I will keep an eye on the next release to this series!

I wanted to love this, I really did. But after 2 weeks of trying to choke this book down like an extra serving of Brussel sprouts, I’m throwing in the towel: DNF @ 33%

I’m sorry. Normally I love Showalter’s paranormal romances, but I just couldn’t get into this weird Viking hunger games nonsense. I couldn’t see or get a feel for the world cause there was just. so. much.

I’m giving it 3 stars cause the blurb sounds interesting and Showalter is an amazing author. Maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood. Idk. I’ll try it again I’m sure but for now....pass.

This is the first novel by Gena Showalter that I have read in the romance adult section. I have read one of her YA novels before and really enjoyed it. And I thoroughly enjoyed this one as well! It was awesome and I loved the vibe from this book! She just brought this intense and well rounded world to life and really liked what it brought to the table. Her world building is just fantastic, nothing was too complicated and you could really get an idea of where you were at during this story. She also really made me interested in getting back into paranormal romance because I haven't been reading much of it in the past few months. It was one of my favorite genres and I miss it after reading this book. Thank you Gena! I highly recommend this novel, it's a fun read! You won't want to put it down, and you'll find yourself falling for Knox and Vale and wanting the best for me during this novel. I'm excited for the next novel! I enjoyed the other characters and I want to read more about them and have them get their stories told! I need it! Badly!