Ruby is a fireblood whose kind has basically been killed off by the frostblood ruling class. She must hide her abilities as best as she can. When she is found, she watches her mother get killed right in front of her while trying to protect her. Rebel frostbloods save her from her imprisonment but with the requirement that she helps them defeat the frostblood king. Her powers are unpredictable at best and she's consumed with the want of revenge. Can she learn to control her powers and her contradicting loyalties in order to beat the frostblood while pitted against champions ala Gladiator style?

The first 20-25% of the book had me thinking it would be your typical YA fantasy fodder - snarky young girl protagonist who is the key to saving her people and more, instalove with a touch on a love triangle, fighting, etc. etc... and while it was that, it was a bit more as well. And even if it wasn't, I didn't care. I love these types of stories and this one is written well. While I thought some of the fight scenes could've been expanded a bit more, I felt myself invested in Ruby and Arcus. And although this is the first in a series, I love that there was NO CLIFFHANGER! I still have the want to read the next in the series but without the book leaving me hanging. Plus, I love pretty much anything dealing with the elements. Fire and Ice? Bring it!

I am just like so many times lamenting about how to rate this... I think it's around 2.5Stars.
So not quite good but way better than ok. Hence I am rounding it up.
I wouldn't have wavered in the first half. But the second half sadly highlighted my problems with the book.

Let's first talk about the world building. It's my favorite part of the book. I like the mythology Blake built around the Frostblood Saga. We given little bits as the story unfolds, forming an interesting background to the storyline. The reader gets thrown into the deep end at the beginning of the book, but one gets to discover a world of elemental magic, beasts of different origins, characters driven by power and idealism. While I am not completely wowed by the world building, I did like it. It is your classic high fantasy set up for sure and has loads of potential.

I am a little divided when it comes to character building. I liked Ruby well enough. I get where she was coming from and in the first half of the novel I could relate to her. BUT then she felt just like the rest of the entire cast a little to formulaic. Too thought through and too scripted.

The story line is where my biggest issue lies. It was completely predictable. I mean completely. I knew where this is going from the beginning. I could have told you each twist and turn a mile ahead.
Despite that I rather enjoyed the first half. I found myself caught up in Ruby's struggles, in her growing friendships with the people around her. I even quite enjoyed the romance, however cliche it might be. The second part however, while there was way more action, the whole thing felt even more predictable. I knew exactly where Blake was going next. The big revelations had me yawning. Not only that I found myself rather annoyed with the weird unnecessary love-triangle. I just wondered why Blake had to go there? Couldn't she keep that cliche out?

Now I feel like I should mention that I have read a lot of fantasy books in my life. I've been reading epic fantasy since I was 9 years old after all. Which means, I have a lot to compare to. But also that I have a lot of expectations. I have a feeling that readers who haven't read half as many might enjoy this more than I did.

So while I like the first half and I enjoyed the action scenes, I found myself wondering if I am going to read the next novel. At the end of this one, I didn't feel the urge to read the next. Yet... for the first time since I started the series, I am not sure where Blake is going to take this next.. and it has me wondering.. Guess I'll be reading Fireblood after all.

Frostblood is Elly Blake's debut novel, and it is a solid way to kick off what I'm sure will be a great career. I definitely enjoyed reading Frostblood, and did so for a few of reasons. First, the plot is quite fast-paced and energized. Things to to hell in a hand basket from the start and don't relent as the action keeps churning like a storm. With a quick and engaging plot that doesn't relent, readers definitely won't be bored with the story. I found myself hooked just to see what would happen next, and because I enjoyed the adrenaline rush Blake infuses into her story.

Second, though a bit "tropey" I enjoyed how the book developed the magic in its world, how it works, its history, and the consequences the possession and usage of such power as brought on people and the world in this novel. The power is as much a prison as it is a path to freedom, and I like how that is outlined. Some novels give a heroine or hero a power and there is this "instant superhero--rawr--awesum!" element that gets tiring. Not so here. I like how Ruby and Arcus have to learn to deal with the limitations of their powers and how that power can divide them when they don't want it to. This added a nice bit of raw reality to the characters and the world.

However, Frostblood has some weak points that really hinder this book from its full potential and from being new and fresh. As mentioned above, the book relies too heavily on tried and true tropes common in the YA fantasy genre. The book is clearly plot driven, and this comes at the expense of the world within--the world-building necessary for a fully developed story just isn't there. Names of people, places, and things seem like they were drawn out of a hat--there's no commonalities to link a language there. I can't even remember the names for places in the book; there's no map, no idea of where and from whence characters are coming and going. This is something authors like Sarah J. Maas do masterfully--not only do we get a map with her books, but she crafts a deep sense of direction in her novels--we know what lies east, west, south, and north; each area is developed thoroughly to reflect terrain, races, languages, customs, and so on. This is absent from Frostblood--things to make the world a "living world". I don't even have a sense for where Brother Thistle's abbey is. The only sense I have of the "common folk" is that they live in huts and life sucks. What are their customs? How do they sound when the speak? What do they believe? What drives them to keep fighting? What does the area look like? What clothes do they wear? What do their huts or homes look like? What differentiates northern folk from southern? Eastern from Western? And so on...so many questions.

I also found the characters' dialogue and interactions stilted and dry at times, where I just didn't believe them. I can't explain how or even why I felt this way. There's just something about the dialogue that is "off" to me. A disconnect between characters when they speak. I felt this way a lot when dialogue happened between Arcus and Ruby, Ruby and Brother Thistle, and when the three of them were together. It just felt...unnatural...maybe that's the right word. This also compounded the apparent lack in character development in the book. For similar reasons as in my comments regarding world-building, I didn't get a true sense of who these characters were, why I should care, or that any of it was believable. Ruby=revenge, anger, and obstinance for the sake of it all. She either ran hot or cold with now reasoning or development. Arcus is "cold" all the time except when he and Ruby decide to lock lips. But Arcus was more developed than Ruby, at least from my perspective. I found his mystery and characterization intriguing; he was more real than the rest of the cast and he's not the hero. I also like the moments when Ruby confronts her enemies; I believe her anger and her internal turmoil, but there's still room for development.

Finally, the romance arc is unbelievable. It comes out of nowhere and when Ruby and Arcus finally reach first base, that ball comes so out of left field I got whiplash. They don't develop as allies or even friends first, which should happen before they even think of becoming lovers. None of that development or build-up was there. Most of the time they're too angry and hostile at each other to provide any hint of mutual affinity of any kind. Are we supposed to glean from all of this that it's simply a case of "he pulls my hair because he likes me" BS? Sigh. I didn't really anticipate them being lovers. It didn't make sense.

But overall, Frostblood was fun to read, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable fantasy romp. I understand it is a debut, and there IS a lot of potential here for a fantastic series. I'm hoping that the second volume will develop what I wish this installment would have. There is definitely room for this to grow, and I expect it will. I will definitely read the second book in this series, and I still recommend readers taking a chance on this series--particularly if you love Leigh Bardugo's The Grisha Trilogy, Victoria Aveyard's The Red Queen series, or Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games.

This book is conflicting for me. The book opens with this amazing story about a girl hiding who she is from everyone but her family. When that is taken away, it becomes a story of survival and a story of learning about herself. The first 75% or so of this book I loved. I loved the character development and all the self-discovery that was happening. I also loved the world and the prose Elly Blake used throughout. Up until the 75% mark this was probably going to be a 5 star, if not 4.5 star book for me, it was that good. However, the "climax" ended up ruining my enjoyment. I felt like it was out of place and rushed and I was really enjoying the story up until that point. There was also a twist that I hated. It did not fit in with my thoughts on the story and the characters.

So basically, I loved so much of this story and the characters, but then the reveal at the end happened and I'm annoyed. It could not have been more cliche if it tried. I'm getting a little tired of reading this same thing happen in countless YA books. This book was a fantastic read until that end. If you do not mind repeating YA tropes than I'm sure this book will not leave you feeling the same way I did after finishing. I still highly enjoyed and recommend this book, I just do not like the direction that was taken at the end. I will however continue this trilogy because I connected with the characters and want to see where Elly Blake takes them next.

*eARC provided by publisher via NetGalley for review*

There’s little better than reading the first book in a series and loving it. The feeling of having books cued up for the future can’t be beat! Despite its title, Frostblood left me with all the first-in-a-series warm fuzzies.

There’s nothing 17-year-old Ruby wants more than to practice her skills as a fireblood: learning to direct and control the heat and fire that shoot from her body. But the gift is unpredictable – and dangerous in a country ruled by Frostbloods– and her mother begs her to ignore it for her own safety. When Rose doesn’t, she pays with her mother’s life, her own imprisonment, and the destruction of her village.

Ruby has lost everything. Her mistake informed the king’s forces, to whom she is a threat to be exterminated, but it also informed those who would rise against the king, who see her as a weapon. Soon Ruby is caught up in a world of secrecy and intrigue as she trains and becomes more and more drawn to the mysterious young man who helps ready her to commit treason.

I loved this book! The story is compelling. The world building feels effortless and never gets in the way of the story. The language is beautiful and evocative, beginning with the very first page:

“I offered my hand to the fire.

Sparks leaped from the hearth and settled onto my fingers, heat drawn to heat, and glittered like molten gems against my skin.”

The romance is a lovely alliance between two flawed, but honorable individuals. It’s out in five days! Put this one on your To Read list; add it to your collection.

3.5 stars


Think Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard X Elsa from Frozen

Ruby wields fire in her veins. However, where she lives Firebloods are killed, deemed too dangerous to exist- unlike frostbloods. Living with her mother in a secluded and small village, she must everyday all day:

<img src="https://68.media.tumblr.com/7bc2f5d28e7ff6ef9c21bfa8fe09c247/tumblr_inline_myi9r7mi391r0ep91.gif"/>

((sorry I couldn't resist - but with fire))

Except she <b> sucks </b> at it. She just MUST practice in secret because who the eff knows. This gets her into quite a bit of trouble with the King and his guards because...

<img src="https://godofall.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/now-they-know.gif"/>

((sorry, I couldn't resist...again))

Luckily these cool monks rescue her because <s> there would be no plot</s> Ruby is key to saving her realm from evily evil shadows of darkness she knows nothing about. Arcus, a scared man in every meaning of the word bargains with her: her fire for her freedom. They hate each other, they are nothing alike, yet they somehow grow closer, both wielding dark secrets with an edge as sharp as a new forge made sword.

Okay enough with the gifs, I promise.
I actually did not enjoy this book as much as I hoped. Ruby's voice wasn't particularly intriguing and the world building is sort of shoddy, BUT I can see it has room for improvement. I liked the eccentric monks and Ruby's training scenes which got a little more detail.

I really appreciated that there was no insta-love between Arcus and Ruby, BUT the romance wasn't very believable, not for lack of the author trying, because she really did try hard to make it a progression. The went through the 4 phases: Hate, grudging respect, friends, lovers (ish). The turn to lovers however, was just to quick and the grudging respect and friends phase kind of just meshed together and wasn't very well fleshed out. STILL I RESPECT THAT THERE WAS AN EFFORT.

Overall, not a bad start to a series I will definitely be following up on. I'm excited to see how Arcus and Ruby deal with the challenges ahead!

I've been on a fantasy kick lately and I have to say, FROSTBLOOD was one that surprised me. I was intrigued by Ruby, a Fireblood, who was hidden in a small village and told to keep her gift a secret. As her story unfolded, I wondered how this young girl, who'd lost everything, was going to grow enough to help the brothers and sisters at the monastery in their quest to unseat the king. I should have had more faith in Ruby, because she proved to be the best kind of heroine.

Arcus, the hooded mystery man who rescues Ruby from prison and trains her, kept me guessing. Was he a good guy? Would he be Ruby's downfall. In the end, he was exactly what Ruby needed and someone she had to learn to trust. I'm hoping as we move to book 2, that trust was well placed.

I loved this story and can't wait to see what comes next.

rostblood is the story of Ruby, a Fireblood. The Firebloods and Frostbloods have been at war for as long as anyone can remember, and the Frostbloods are currently in power. The Firebloods have been hunted and killed, and Ruby has to stay hidden to stay alive. When her safety is compromised and her mother is killed, Ruby has to work with rebel Frostbloods to topple the throne.

This is an absolutely stellar debut novel from Elly Blake, with beautiful world-building and compelling characters. I really submersed myself in this world and loved the storytelling. The book definitely has elements of the Throne of Glass series and other YA fantasy novels, but it’s all done so well. I was gripped by the romance and there were so many twists and turns that made the story shocking and exciting.

The romance was done particularly well in that it wasn’t the main focus of the story and was pretty swoony. I really enjoyed the romance and the main characters were fleshed out particularly well.

If you’re looking for a YA fantasy with a fully immersive world, definitely check out this debut by Elly Blake. I can’t wait for the second book, Fireblood, which is due out in September 2017.

This is painful for me to write. I’ll be honest: I didn’t go into this book with particularly high expectations…but I at least expected to be entertained in some way. Unfortunately this book has numerous issues which kept me from liking it.

I’m sure there are many people who will draw parallels to other famous YA novels such as Red Queen and Hunger Games, and while I can’t speak to the former, I can speak to the latter — which is that I don’t enjoy it. If I had known this book would emulate either of these novels, I can guarantee I would not have picked it up. If I had known this book would hew so closely to its formula — fantasy ruler is A, protagonist is B, watch her burn it all down — I would not have picked it up.

That is to say there aren’t some good things. There are, at the very least, two moments that stand out in my mind as actually being a positive reading eperience (of sorts) and allowing this book to get more than a one-star rating.

The first is a lore-dump via a storyteller who lays down the foundation for what is, essentially, the “creation myth” of this world. Normally I’m not a fan of lore-dumps, but when they’re mythological in content, I’m usually a little more interested and, in the case of this book, was desperate for anything within this novel that might, in some way, illuminate what this novel was supposed to be about.

And while I enjoyed seeing the Four Winds as characters, I was admittedly curious as to why the Greek name of Eurus was used for the East Wind, and yet the North is represented by Fors (no mythology), the South by Sud (French word for “south” and similar to Sudri, one of the dwarves of the dvärgar in Norse mythology), and the West by Cirrus (no mythology, but a type of cloud). If I weren’t a student of Classical myth, would I have noticed this? Probably not, but as someone who is overly-familiar with this topic, it’s frustrating to see the names thrown in there like some kind of mythology soup. I think it would have been better if Blake had either (a) stuck completely to one particular mythological naming-scheme and reference base, or (b) just not used Eurus as the name for her East Wind god.

Secondly, there is a moment in which Ruby burns another character, Brother Arcos, and he responds with unreserved anger, and yet control. It was a standout moment, for me, in that revealed a good deal about Brother Arcos as a character: here’s a man who has been (literally) burned by someone of the same talent as the protagonist, and so his hatred towards her is steeped in past trauma and an admittedly kind of clunky parallel to simple prejudice. Yes, this novel — as are many novels with plotlines similar to this — is essentially about prejudice, but this moment higlights it best. Brother Arcos was hurt by a Fireblood, and so he projects the pain, hate, and rage related to the trauma of that incident onto Ruby just because she is a Fireblood.

It’s a good moment, but the potential in that moment is never truly seized upon in a meaningful way.

Outside of those two brief moments, there is nothing else I can say I enjoyed about this novel. It took far too long for its plot to show up, and by the time it did, I was fed up with everything about it. There’s nothing particularly original or unique offered in Frostblood, unless the following books in this series suddenly dive deep into the lore and turn this into some novel about warring wind gods — now there’s a book that would definitely pique my curiosity — but I have a sneaking suspicion this is going to be your average “Let’s topple the system” YA fantastical dystopia.

Overall, I know plenty of people who will likely enjoy this novel, but it wasn’t for me.

2.5 STARS

I am a sucker for YA high fantasy and couldn't resist after seeing this one on NetGalley. Despite containing several overused tropes, I mostly enjoyed the first half of the book. I liked Ruby and Arkus individually but felt indifferent to their relationship throughout the book. Sadly, the second half seemed to take a downward spiral, and it was a struggle to finish. Ruby's actions in the later chapters were completely out of character and unbelievable.

This isn't a bad book, but in the over saturated YA fantasy word, it wasn't memorable or unique. I have little desire to read the next installment.

Ruby and Arcus were the perfect representations of fire and frost. This characterization was the one of the best parts of Frostblood, and while there were only a handful of important characters, they were all unique and interesting. However, I feel that the entire story could have been developed further. The ending was very rushed, and we didn't really get to know Marella and Rasmus that well. Also, details about the brothers' pasts should have been mentioned to give them more depth. The plot itself wasn't very unique, but it was engaging. I was not bored reading this book, maybe because it was a bit rushed. The world building was lacking and the focus was almost entirely on the interactions between Ruby and Arcus-- there could have been more information on how to break the curse/defeat the Throne, or even the nature of the Minax. Overall, this novel focuses mainly on Ruby's fire power/control, as well as the relationship between Ruby and Arcus- while these two aspects where interesting, the book was too simple, leaving many possible areas of interest (such as Marcella and Rasmus, the history of Firebloods and Frostbloods, and Fors) unexplored.

Requested and received an ARC from NetGalley

3-3.5

I liked the fantasy/adventure/coming of age storyline with Ruby but the romantic aspect with Arcus never clicked for me at all. Considering it was literally fire and ice coming together you would think I'd feel some kind of spark between them but nope....nada. Even when we get to the kissing it was *yawn*. I think part of the issue was this book was so focused on Ruby that Arcus was almost one dimensional and they had so few interactions that it was hard to fathom even at 17 they were falling madly in love and would die to protect one another. Hopefully in book 2 and 3 she can flesh out Arcus into a real person who I might actually care about. The book sort of meanders along slowly until Ruby makes her way to the palace where the real excitement and growth begin. I may not have "loved" the book but I found the story and Ruby interesting enough to continue the series.

Overall Assessment:
I was cautiously excited to receive this book from NetGalley for review. Hear me out – I adore the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard, and the blurb sounds very similar to this series. While there are similarities, it is definitely not the same. I enjoyed reading this book from the very first chapter until the last line.

What I liked:
– Ruby is a very likable character. She is strong, witty, multi-dimensional, and shows emotional growth throughout the book. Ruby is not without flaws, which makes her even more endearing to me. Ruby has a temper that gets the best of her, is impulsive, and mouths off without thinking. In short – I loved her, she was a woman after my own heart.
– The chemistry between Arcus and Ruby is superb. Arcus is able to temper the heat from Ruby’s moods and is a perfect intellectual match for her.
– Speaking of Arcus, he is another great character. While his story was somewhat predictable, I didn’t mind. His character was complex and made me want to reach through the tablet to hug him!
– The mystery of who could be trusted once Ruby made it to the court was intriguing.

What I didn’t:
– There wasn’t really anything I didn’t like. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Would I recommend this book to family and/or friends?
Yes! Especially if you like the Red Queen series!

A fun and quick fantasy read, Fireblood entertained me for the brief time it took me from start-to-finish. Orphaned seventeen-year-old Ruby is a Fireblood in a kingdom ruled by the Frostblood King determined to eliminate all Firebloods. Finding herself dying in prison, Ruby accepts to help rebels overthrow and hopefully cure the King yet she’s drawn to the King and his power and finds herself torn between the decision she must make to free the kingdom and the power that calls to her. Ruby’s an uncomplicated and straightforward character that is easy to follow yet as a reader, I couldn’t help be drawn into the choices she needed to make. Arcus, the rebel leader who breaks her out of prison is equally straightforward but has secrets of his own that were a bit predictable, but still an intriguing character to root for. I'm not sure how the story can continue if it's a series?

LOVED THIS!!! What a surprise! I grabbed an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review and I loved the story. It fits right into the genre of books I love and had so many things that reminded me of Throne of Glass and the Red Queen. Well written and enjoyable, the second half twist was a good one. There were moments that may have been a little predictable but in a good way. I found myself rooting for the relationships and friendships. The ending was well done and I am THRILLED to see there will be another one!

Fans of The Red Queen and Ember in the Ashes will love this YA fantasy novel. With great writing, believable characters, and fast-paced action, this book will keep readers deeply engaged until the last page. I will definitely be sharing this with the teen (and adult!) readers I know!

I absolutely loved this book! I loved the premise and the world building that was involved. There was an air or mystery and intrigue throughout the entire story. I loved how Ruby was able to learn to not be afraid of her power and how it could be seen as a gift. I can't wait for the next installment in this series!

Frostblood was such an awesome book to end the year with!! I really liked this book. It was kind of annoying because I was reading it during the holidays and couldn't read it in one go like I was wanting. So instead I sat up at night until my eyelids needed to be held open with toothpicks.

So this book is about fire vs ice, or hot vs cold if you will. It has the whole Frozen style thing happening. This girl Ruby is a Fireblood (she has powers of heat) that must stay hidden because the Frostbloods want to destroy the rest of the Firebloods. She's not a terribly flawed character, but she has a temper and has a hard time controlling her powers/heat. Her mother gets killed trying her best to protect her, and Ruby ends up in prison. After being helped to escape prison, she is forced to work with Frostbloods on controlling her powers so they can get revenge on the king. And she's got one chance. At this point an addicting plot ensues.

Ruby is just the best. I love her sassy attitude, and how she stood her own. Sure she has quite a bit of a temper and lacks focus in the beginning but she ends up being selfless as her character develops throughout the book. Ruby is my favorite type of main character, she's slightly flawed but overcomes it, and ends up being strong, sassy, and independent. Even though there are ton of "unreal things" she just seems I don't know....human.

And Guess what? NO LOVE TRIANGLE!!

Let's talk about Arcus, the mysterious love interest. These two have my favorite type of relationship. Seriously. At first they do not get along well, and Arcus seems like a cold jerk sometimes. They are both strong willed and it is just great haha. However, once you finally learn more about him you understand more of why he's like he is. And so the ship sails.

It is true that things start a little on the slow side, but it totally made up for it when things pick up. I think that is why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5. It took me a bit to get into it, but once I did I was completely hooked and obsessed. If you are looking for a ya fantasy that will make you forgo your sleep then this one is it!

I think, for Frostblood, depending on the scope of perspective I use to look at it, the amount of stars would change, but I am going give it a pretty solid 4 stars overall, even though I could give it just 3, and I’ll explain why.

I did quite like Frostblood. This type of fantasy novel is right up my alley and contained all the elements I love in fantasy novels. But this, unfortunately, is a double edged sword in this book’s case. A lot of the material in this book is very familiar to your average YA fantasy reader, the same sorts of plot devices, tropes, ideas, etc. most of us have seen used elsewhere in form or another and it leaves the story without any feelings of freshness or originality, which might make this book less appealing to someone who reads a lot of the mainstream YA fantasy novels on the market today. Though all the familiarity helped me read this book pretty quickly (I polished it off in about 2 ½ hours) and have no trouble understanding what was happening, it also took away from the experience a bit. I don’t think it’s like some blatant rip off of another novel, you understand, but it’s just that it ended up pairing together a lot of things that have already been done by other authors in recent years. As some other reviewers have said, there are easy parallels to draw between Frostblood and books such as Red Queen (though there are a lot of differences that distinguish them). I think for someone who’s not as well-versed in current YA fantasy trends, this book will be spectacular, but for someone who tends to read the genre extensively, this book will feel a lot like “been there, done that.”

Now, that said, I found no other real fault in Frostblood, and any other criticisms I have are more preference than inherent flaw. The writing was sound, the plot developed, the world nicely built, the characters nicely done, and overall it has the makings of a very nice YA fantasy that can be enjoyed by a wide scope of age ranges.

As for my preferences on what I’d have changed… I would have made it more emotionally charged, for one. It took me a while to care about the characters this time around, though in generally I prefer stories that are very character driven and have you in tears over their pain and love and all that junk and I’m not as easily moved at 22 as I was at 15, so for the target audience this probably is written emotionally enough. I also would have liked to see more interaction between Arcus and Ruby, just because romance is my thing and the more intimate scenes of communication and love the better in my opinion. I also would have liked for the climax to have taken longer and been a bit more nail-biting. While this wasn’t the worst climax I’ve ever seen (that probably goes to The Source of Magic wherein the climax happened in the last like 7% and was done and over with in like 2 total pages) I would have liked for it to have seemed more of a struggle and for it to have really made me wonder “will they succeed????”
But for what this was, it was a decent enough YA fantasy and in the end while I’m not super impressed by it or going to be raving about it, for the few hours I was reading it was I engaged and entertained and I leave it with good feelings. I’m glad I picked it up as a quick little read to start off my 2017 reading challenge! Someday I’ll probably read the sequel (I believe this is a duology, but I’m not 100%) though I’m not like shaking in anticipation for it to be released, especially considering that this book finished its major arc and had a good ending and the next book will properly explore another arc dealing with the stuff that comes after the victory.

*I received a copy of this title for free from Net Galley, but in no way does this affect my opinion for better or worse! I had planned on purchasing this title myself upon release well before it was offered and I just so happened to get a copy for free to review*