Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Review: Cold Fire by Kate Elliott

Cold Fire
Author:Kate Elliott
Release Date: September 26, 2011
Publisher: Orbit
Spiritwalker Book #2
ISBN:   1841498831
ISBN13: 9781841498836
Genre: Fantasy/Steampunk
Review Copy Source: netgalley

Only one thing is certain: when Hallows' Night comes, the Wild Hunt will ride - and it feeds on mortal blood.

Cat and her cousin Bee are caught in a maze of intrigue, treachery, and magic. Everyone seems to want something from them: the Cold Mages are trying to take them prisoner, and the warlord who wants to conquer all of Europa seems sure they have a special destiny to aid him whether they want to or not. Worse, hidden powers deep in the spirit world are rising, and they are the most dangerous of all. Cat must seek allies and figure out who she can trust in order to save the ones she loves. For if she doesn't, everything will be lost.  
I have some mixed thoughts about COLD FIRE. On one hand I love the imagination and the overall storyline, on the other hand although tons of things take place there tends to be many points in the book that go by too slow and I end up being a bit bored at times. The book also jumped around a lot which left me a little bit confused trying to figure out what situation I was reading about and when it was happening. There were points were I was shocked, frustrated, ecstatic and lost but the story has a way of keeping you wanting to read even during the times where you wish something would just happen already.

Cat's character is so complex and full of mystery. She has her faults but she is great with fighting for what she wants and learning from her mistakes. I really fell in love with Vai in COLD FIRE. We get to see a different side of him away from the cold mage's and it really made me understand him more. He really showed himself to Cat and fought for their marriage instead of giving in. I did not care much for Bee in this installment. She frustrated me with her loyalties to what I see as the wrong people. Rory is Rory, he wasn't in a lot of the book but I have nothing bad to say about him. Their are some great shocking revelations, new characters and allies introduced and a heck of a cliffhanger at the end. If you read COLD MAGIC you will definitely want to read COLD FIRE but be prepared for a long ride.

I gave it 3/5 stars