Cold Magic (Spiritwalker, #1)

by Kate Elliott

As they approach adulthood, Cat Barahal and her cousin Bee think they understand the society they live in and their place within it. At a select academy they study new airship technologies and the dawning Industrial Revolution, but magical forces still rule. And the cousins are about to discover the full ruthlessness of this rule. Drawn into a labyrinth of politics involving blood and old feuds, Cat is betrayed by her family and forced to marry a powerful Cold Mage. As she is carried away to live a new life, fresh dangers threaten her every move and secrets form a language she cannot read. At least, not yet. But both cousins carry their own hidden gifts and these will shape great changes to come. For in the depths of this treacherous world, the Wild Hunt stirs in darkness and dragons are waking from their sleep.

• ISBN10: 1841498815
• ISBN13: 9781841498812
• Publish Date: 2 September 2010 (first published 1 January 2010)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 12 May 2011
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Orbit
• Format: Paperback (UK Trade)
• Pages: 528
• Language: English

Reviews

[wyvernfriend]

Probably closer to 3.5 stars, this is all worldbuilding, creating the story and the background for what sounds like an interesting adventure, it's a world a lot like our own, but with some subtle differences. Rome didn't really fall, much of the north of Europe is under Ice and there's a land-bridge between England and Europe. Switzerland is under ice as well and there are cold-mages. Cat Barahal and her cousin Bee think they understand their world but things are turned on their head when family politics force Cat into a marriage that will complicate her life.

It's an interesting beginning to a story if a bit convoluted.

[ladygrey]

I can't say this isn't a good book, I just didn't like it much. Not necessarily because it isn't well written, it just isn't written in a way that captured me or intrigued me. I felt more like I was trudging through the story, curious but not engrossed or intrigued or captivated or anything. I liked the world she built well enough but I didn't love any of the characters. I almost loved Anduvai at the end, almost. I liked Rory a lot also, but he's such a fun character you can't help but like him. and I didn't dislike any of them, but I think they suffered from the overall problem of the story, which is that it is dense with description and the details of this world that don't seem relevant to the story. The language is overwrought when it's not straight forward which served more to keep me at a distance from the story rather than fascinate. And it's largely removed from the characters emotions. All of this just kept me removed from an interesting world and characters I wanted to understand more.

I cant even seem to write a succinct and focused sentence after reading it.