anastasia's Review of Beasts of the Frozen Sun (The Frozen Sun Saga, #1)

by Jill Criswell

Burn brightly. Love fiercely. For all else is dust.

Every child of Glasnith learns the last words of Aillira, the god-gifted mortal whose doomed love affair sparked a war of gods and men, and Lira of clan Stone knows the story better than most. As a descendant of Aillira and god-gifted in her own right, she has the power to read people’s souls, to see someone’s true essence with only a touch of her hand.

When a golden-haired warrior washes up on the shores of her homeland—one of the fearful marauders from the land of the Frozen Sun—Lira helps the wounded man instead of turning him in. After reading his soul, she realizes Reyker is different than his brethren who attack the coasts of Glasnith. He confides in her that he’s been cursed with what his people call battle-madness, forced to fight for the warlord known as the Dragon, a powerful tyrant determined to reignite the ancient war that Aillira started.

As Lira and Reyker form a bond forbidden by both their clans, the wrath of the Dragon falls upon them and all of Glasnith, and Lira finds herself facing the same tragic fate as her ancestor. The battle for Lira’s life, for Reyker’s soul, and for their peoples’ freedom has only just begun …

Full Review on my blog!

Let me just say, the cover is what drew me in! Yes, I totally judged this book by its cover, and what a beautiful cover it is!

Beasts of the Frozen Sun is Jill's debut novel and the first in a new fantasy trilogy that I'm really exited about! I really don't want to give anything away because it's such a beautifully written novel, clearly inspired by Celtic and Viking mythology and you need to experience it firsthand.

We follow the journey of two enemies: Aillira or Lira for short, the daughter of a Chieftain and Reyker, a warrior from a far distant, cold land from a clan known as Beasts of the Frozen Sun. Although, they meet in unfortunate circumstances, they create a bond that develops from hate to trust and then finally attraction and love. It wasn't just about them though, there was just about everything you could possibly want in a YA fantasy; action, suspense, monstrous men, powerful women and meddling gods. It was well-rounded, imo. It felt very raw, and was unique. I love the world building and especially the character development, It was slow burning and swoon-worthy. Also, let me just say how flawless the transition was between first and third person point of views; between the two characters.

But anyways!

I loved this so much, and I'm really, REALLY looking forward to where the author takes us in the rest of the series!

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Beasts of the Frozen Sun (The Frozen Sun Saga, #1)

by Jill Criswell

Reviewed by anastasia on Sep 15, 2019

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