Thank you to netgalley and Little, Brown BFYR for the early ecopy!
This review will also appear on swoonyboyspodcast.com
and is also posted to my goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1830432751

Frostblood by Elly Blake
Published by Little, Brown BFYR on January 10, 2017
YA, fantasy
376 pages
Tags: girls who kick ass, swoony boy alert, fave, crushworthy, magic
Cover: 4
Characters: 5
Writing: 4
Plot: 5
Swoon: 4
Overall: 4.4
The 411:
Ruby Otrera is a fireblood living a modest life with her mother when she is discovered and taken captive by frostblood soldiers that work for the Frost King; A king that wishes to rid the land of all firebloods. She is rescued from prison by frostbloods that want her help in destoying the evil Frost King. Ruby must learn to wield her powers and fight the evil king along with those of his men that helped destroy her home and all she held dear.
What We Loved:
Frostblood is the perfect debut novel. Full of action and intrigue, magic and steam, it will leave you longing for the next instalment in the Frostblood Saga.
I really liked the history behind the frostbloods and firebloods. I enjoyed the way Ruby developed throughout the story. And Arcus, cold and brutish melting into a warm kindhearted character was nice too.
The story was smoothly paced and didn’t hover too long on unnecessary filling. Though I must admit this is one of the rare instances where I saw everything that was coming from a mile away. You would think that would make the story less exciting but I was surprised to find my interest in the story unfaltering.
All in all I kind of loved this book. I would definitely buy this for a friend or recommend it. And I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Um…Not So Much:
I guess all I can really say here is that I predicted the conclusion at only about 1/3 into the book. For some that would be a big turn off but I was only more excited to watch it all play out so it didn’t bother me.

DNF'ed this one. Just didn't spark my interest enough.

Ruby is a Fireblood in a country of Frostbloods. When her secret is discovered, and her mother killed, Ruby finds herself working with the rebels to overthrow the king. But her untrained fire talent is a liability and first she must train with Arcus and his powerful Frostblood skills before they can enact their plan. With Ruby’s hot temper, training with the frustrating Arcus and his obvious disinterest proves to be a harder challenge than originally thought.

I started to see some mediocre reviews on this one come in and I got a little worried, but then I received a digital ARC, it came in the January Uppercase Box and then the author Elly Blake popped up for not one, but two signings in Michigan, so it felt like fate that I was meant to read this one. I’m so glad that I did. While people with fire/frost abilities is nothing new, I thought this book was still really enjoyable. There was never a moment where I felt bored or wanted to put the book down.

Ruby is very fiery (pardon the pun there) and so easily angered which provided a lot of tension with Arcus’ cold demeanor. While the book starts off at a typical YA pace, halfway through the story switches pace and Ruby is thrown into a new situation, keeping things fresh and providing some much needed action, as well as some interesting new characters to explore.

I’d say the biggest pull I felt with this book is how well the characters worked together and the growth of their relationship. The fantasy world isn’t anything ground-breaking for YA fantasy bit it’s a really fun read and I strongly recommend it for anyone who likes light fantasy or is looking to give fantasy a try.

I did not finish this book as I did not engage with this story at all.

It’s been a little over a day and a half since I reached the 100% mark on my Kindle, and for the last 36 or so hours, through BOTH OF MY EXAMS, IT IS ALL I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT.
I dove into this book after I had the LOVELY Elly Blake come onto the blog, and I FELL IN LOVE.

“Before I could protest, he swung me into his arms with ease. “I’m growing accustomed to carrying this bundle of cackling firewood.”

Ruby Otera is a Fireblood. She lives a life hiding her very essence in a country ruled by Frostbloods; Frostbloods who make it their soul mission to hunt down and kill Firebloods.

Her mother is killed in an attack against her and she’s transferred to a prison for five months. Weak after being dumped with cold water every day and almost starved, she’s pretty much living day to day until one night two men with extraordinary frost powers break in and offer her a choice – leave this prison with them and be a part of a plot to assassinate the king, or wait for the executioner to kill her in this frosty cell.

Soon, Ruby finds herself in a monastery, surrounded by monks who worship the God of the North Wind, and being trained to master her Fire Power.

In the middle of it all is Arcus. Arrogant, and exceedingly annoying, his powers are unlike anyone’s Ruby has seen, as is his ability to get on her nerves.

“Burn me then, my raging inferno.”

Things I LOVED about this book:
1. THE CHARACTERS: Ruby, Arcus, Rasmus, Brother Thistle and all the characters were SO REAL and SO VUNERABLE that I fell in love with them. For the first time, it wasn’t the world I fell in love with, but the people in them. They were so different from each other in personality that Elly Blake never let you forgot!

2. THAT SIZZLING CHEMISTRY: I. LOVED. THIS. PART. Arcus and Ruby had such UNDENABLE chemistry, it felt like all their emotions – both hate and love – jumped out of the page at me. They were the PERFECT COMBINATION of an icy withdrawn man and a hot tempered woman – Frostblood and Fireblood and it was AMAZING. I pretty much spent the book highlighting their banter because it was SO WELL DONE.

Things I wish get better in Book Two:

1. RUBY’S POWERS: Quite honestly, I didn’t FEEL HER POWER. I didn’t feel it’s supposed greatness, or ANYTHING. Every challenger she defeated, I felt like it was only because of the Minax and nothing to do with her.

2. THE SPECIAL ONE MENTALITY: I usually don’t mind that ÓNE SPECIAL HUMAN IN THE WORLD part of fantasy but this struck me as OVERDONE. She had almost nobody in her corner in the second part of the book and yet I NEVER believed she was in any danger. The King was in love with her, the Darkness wanted her and it was pretty obvious that none of her opponents were going to kill her because HOW?

WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK? Hell YES! If you’re a fan of power, of a hate to love relationships and some AMAZING Chemistry, I could NOT RECOMMENT IT MORE.

Also, you should pick this book up just for the cover (don’t deny it, we ALL do it) because it is GORGEOUS.

A chemistry filled power battle you DON’T want to miss! 4 stars.

I'm not sharing this review publicly, because I hope to give this book another chance sometime in the future. As it stands now, I DNFed early on. I still am not sure if it's just me not being in the mood for the story. The idea of it intrigued me.

I appreciate the chance to read an early copy!

Ruby is a teen girl unsure how to manage the demands of her Fireblood heritage in a land where being a Fireblood is a death sentence in itself. Born with the ability to wield fire from her hands, she must release some of this power now and then or she feels pent-up and unstable. She always hides deep in the woods outside their remote village to test and release her fire magic, but the day comes when the Frostblood King’s soldiers find her and burn their village for daring to “harbor” a Fireblood. They also kill her mother right before Ruby’s eyes.

She’s imprisoned, kept in a state of complete damp and cold to douse her flames, and starved nearly to death, only to be rescued by a Frostblood master, Brother Thistle, and his protector, Arcus. They vow to save her if she will help them kill the king–and that’s a bargain Ruby’s all too eager to make.

Safely ensconced in an abbey to Fors, the god of Frost, Ruby is trained by Brother Thistle in the safe wielding of her flames, and by Arcus in hand-to-hand combat and swordsmanship. Not all the monks are in favor of keeping a Fireblood nearby, however, and view Ruby’s training as traitorous to the throne. Over time, Ruby and Arcus develop a camaraderie that slides into attraction. She’s there for several months, as the attack on the king is planned for the summer solstice, the time when Ruby’s fire magic will be naturally at it’s zenith. But, she’s frustrated when she learns that the total plan isn’t necessarily to kill the king. It turns out that his ice throne, fashioned by Fors a thousand years before, has been corrupted by dark magic, and Thistle and Arcus believe that darkness has inflicted a madness on the king. Perhaps if Ruby melts the throne, she can restore sanity to the king, who can then call off the hunt for Firebloods.

Ruby isn’t in love with this plan, and feels vengeance is hers to claim–but she’s captured by the king’s soldiers before she and Arcus can mount their siege. Being a Fireblood, Ruby is pressed into the King’s gladiatorial entertainment, fully expected to be killed in her first event. When she wins–aided by magic that isn’t hers–Ruby knows she’s living on borrowed time. If only she can get her flames on the King’s throne before her life is snuffed.

For a fantasy, I really found the realistic development of Ruby as a heroine to be excellent. She’s not a quick study. She gets frustrated. She makes mistakes that harm her, and those around her, but she’s valiant and determined. Ruby wants to be useful, wants to help herself and all the Firebloods, and Brother Thistle is a patient teacher she wants to please. Arcus is moody and mean-spirited at times, pushing and prodding Ruby to get her off-center. He knows the kind of battles she’ll face if they can get her into the King’s court, and his tough-love approach felt realistic, as well. Her experiences in the King’s court are filled with intrigues, humiliation, and brutality. She’s forced to meet her mother’s killer many times, even in battle, and Ruby has to keep her wits clear to keep herself alive. The magic that afflicts the King is in play throughout the court–and Ruby’s not immune. She has the opportunity to embrace this power, and change her place in the world dramatically, but her deep rapport with Thistle and Arcus keep her grounded in a way she hadn’t expected. The worldbuilding is really good, with scenes that are fleshed out and a menacing tone imbued throughout the prose. The juxtaposition of ice and fire was a constant theme, and related not just their powers but also the emotional landscape of the players: hot-headed Ruby has burning passions, while Thistle and Arcus are cool, collected and calculating.

The love story that develops between Ruby and Arcus is quiet, with only a few moments of acknowledgment before the climax. It seemed a natural progression of their time spent together–from wariness to acknowledgement, to friendship, esteem and eventually attraction. Arcus has a dark history, and his desire to destroy the throne is tied to his intimate knowledge of the king and the monarchy. I was happy that my suspicions regarding his heritage were accurate. I liked the rawness of the experiences that Ruby endures, and how her personal tragedies help forge her into a warrior ready to save herself and those she loves. This book is slated as the first in a series, and ends in a way that completes the initial story arc. There is no cliffhanger, and I expect the next book will have a whole new set of troubles for Ruby to solve–with Arcus at her side.

Loved this! The characters, the stories, the romance! Everything I want in a great novel!

Frostblood is a fast paced fantasy novel that has some very cliché aspects to it. A snarky and powerful heroin with the weight of the world on her shoulders. A wounded and handsome hero who has built walls around his big heart. An ancient prophecy and a vicious ruler who must be defeated. Even with the stereotypical aspects of a young adult fantasy novel, Elly Blake's writing brings to life an adventurous and entertaining story that I thouroughly enjoyed enough to read the next book in the series. I really like that she left the story open to continue, but not with a massive cliffhanger that is going to drive me crazy.

Ruby Otrera is a Fireblood. From the time when she was a young girl, she knows that she has the ability to control fire. Together with her mother, she lives in a mountain village in the Frostblood kingdom, in hiding. Firebloods are either killed or made to fight gladiator-style for the king’s entertainment, and no Fireblood has ever emerged from the arena victoriously. When the king’s soldiers come to apprehend Ruby one fateful day, her mother tries to intervene and the Captain kills her before Ruby’s eyes. They take Ruby to Blackcreek prison where the prison guards torment her daily. Five months later, Brother Thistle and a tall, young man with facial scars appear to offer Ruby a deal. They will break her out of prison if she will help them dethrone the king. She agrees to their offer in order to seek revenge on the evil king responsible for her mother’s death. They hide out at Forwind Abby, a sanctuary where those who have been wrongly persecuted can take refuge. There, Brother Thistle, a Frostblood master, and Arcus, a man of mystery, teach her to hone her Fireblood skills. Just before they have a chance to put their plan into action, one of the monks who is loyal to the king, alerts the king’s men that Ruby is there. Once again, the soldiers seize Ruby and this time they take her directly to the king who sentences her to fight in the arena. If Ruby can win, she will become one of the king’s favored competitors. Getting closer to the king, in turn, will bring Ruby closer to completing her mission. In the meantime, Arcus has his own agenda. Will it coincide with Ruby’s, or will they clash when it comes down to the end?


This adventure story is fast-moving and very enjoyable to read. Add in an evil king, a dark entity, a little mystery, and light romance and you have the first book of the Frostblood saga. Readers will be anxiously awaiting Fireblood, book 2.

Ruby is seventeen years old and she is a Fireblood. What is a Fireblood? Fireblood is a person who has a power of heat and flame and in her world, Firebloods are illegals, so Ruby has spent her entire life concealing her power and hiding from the Frostblood ruling class. But when her mother is killed trying to protect her, and rebel Frostbloods demand her help to overthrow their king, she agrees to help them in order to have her revenge.

Ruby starts training with the rebels even with the annoying and infuriating Arcus, she doesn't know what his problem is, and he is just as cold as his powers. Before the rebels and Ruby can go through with their plan, Ruby is capture and brought to the king, where he makes her compete in his tournaments where Firebloods prisoners fight against Frostblood champions. With each win, Ruby gets closer to destroy the crazy ruler who has taken everything from her, but will she be able to do it?
Ruby is stubborn and her desperation for revenge makes you cheer for her throughout the whole book. But what really makes this book different is how this book is written and it makes the characters real and you feel what they feel and you just connect with them. Yes, Ruby is courageous and a freaking weapon with her powers, but when she is about to fight or even when she is fighting, she tells you what she is feeling and many times she says that she doesn't think she is going to be able to survive and she feels weak and that's make this character and book more amazing.

I totally, totally recommend this book, once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. 5 out 5 stars

I'm going to start by saying that I'm really looking forward to the day when YA authors move on from the "girl discovers she has special abilities and then falls in love with brooding outsider who treats her like crap for 200 pages" plot device. That being said, I enjoyed the main character's growth throughout this novel, especially the scenes detailing just how difficult it is for her to fight the darkness within herself. I'll definitely read the next book in the series to see where the story goes from here.

Ruby is a Fireblood in a world where frost and cold mean power and Firebloods are feared. Ruby is forced to hide what she can do but unfortunately she cannot control her power. Eventually she is found and her village is destroyed. Thrown in prison, she is rescued by a group of Frostbloods wh not only wish to help her learn about her power but also want her help to destroy the Frostblood ruler and bring peace to the kingdom. Ruby is initially reluctant but eventually becomes fond of (and a little in love) with one of them - Arcus. When Ruby is betrayed, she is forced to fight in the Arena - ala Roman gladiator style as she waits for her chance to go after the Frostblood king.

An interesting beginning... Ruby is the angry young teenage girl with power she doesn't understand and a fear of it as well. Told she must hide what she can do, Ruby also has the curiosity to know that she needs to control it better for fear of discovery. Unfortunately, that leads to tragedy. Forced to do what she does not want to do in order to survive she learns that all is not what it seems. Some of the secrets I saw coming (the romance for one) but all in all the story was interesting enough that I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

A Ya fantasy that hits all the tropes. Not groundbreaking but entertaining enough. A valient attempt at breathing life into a trending genre the author has a wide ranging imagination and very good technical writing skills. Great for fans of Ya fantasy.

Loved it! Great start to a new series! Fans of Red Queen will love this one!

This book was AMAZING. I can't wait for it to come out to print so I can make all my friends buy it and read it too. I'm even going to suggest it for our girls-only book club!

This was an interesting read. The main character is extremely likable. The descriptions were beautiful and the plot was engaging. The pacing lagged a bit, but the tory was worth it.

i loved this book from the start to the finish. it's an amazing world and the battles and characters just leapt off the page into my brain. can't wait for FIREBLOOD!

As above, as I marked this book DNF I won't be featuring it on my blog.

Ruby is a Fireblood. She has the power to create and control fire, but people like her are feared and captured by the Frostbloods. One tragic day, Ruby's power is discovered and she is captured for the king. She is held prisoner for months, until she is saved by the mysterious Arcus and Brother Thistle and taken to an abbey for reasons she doesn't yet understand.

I really enjoyed Frostblood, but I feel like it had a lot of untapped potential and could have been so much more interesting. Every time I thought something really exciting was about to happen, it just kind of fizzled out and nothing really came to pass. Perhaps some of the things I wanted to happen in Frostblood will pop up later in the series. I was still entertained by the plot, but I kept thinking something amazing was about to happen, and it never did.

The pacing and development of the plot was a little off in my opinion as well. I can offer one little example of a plot point that I wish had been developed more. Towards the beginning of the book, Brother Thistle gave Ruby a word in an ancient language that she could use to focus her mind during her training. But we never learned what that word was. The characters just kept saying "the word." It's a simple thing, but I feel like I could have connected to the book a bit more if that point hadn't been glossed over. There were many opportunities to deepen the world building, but it always just stayed somewhat superficial. There was also a very distinct change in the plot about halfway through. I was just starting to really get into the storyline with Arcus, and suddenly he was gone for over 100 pages. I understand why this change had to happen to tell the story, but the change was a bit jarring and I ended up losing interest in the book for a little while until I got used to the new setting.

I enjoyed the characters in Frostblood, but I felt like I never really got a chance to connect with them. Perhaps this is because Ruby was our narrator and we only got to know the other characters through her eyes. I think I could have really adored Arcus as a character, but I was stuck seeing him through Ruby's eyes. I've never really had a problem with narrators or different points of view in novels before. This is the first time I've ever noticed the point of view affecting my enjoyment of the novel and my connection with the characters. I found myself constantly wishing that I could read from another viewpoint because I wasn't getting enough out of Ruby's.

I will most likely pick up the next book in this series, especially since it is set to release just nine months after Frostblood, but I am not sure how I will enjoy it. In reading the synopsis for book two, Fireblood, it seems as though Arcus might not be a prominent character. He was the most intriguing part of the book for me, so I will be disappointed if he is missing from Fireblood. Honestly, I would love to see a story told just about Arcus, or told from his point of view. I definitely enjoyed Frostblood and thought it was a fun read, but I felt like it was missing that wow factor that would have given it a higher rating.