Frost Like Night

by Sara Raasch

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $9.99

Hardcover: $17.99

Kindle: $9.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $27.95 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Before Reading Facts:

Frost Like Night by Sara Raasch was published in 2016 by Balzer + Bray.

Page Count: 512 pages (paperback) 496 (hardcover) 491 (Kindle)

Audiobook length: 12 hrs 23 mins

Chapters: 39

Languages: English (also available in the follow translation: German)

Summary of Book:

“Meira will do anything to save her world from the threat of Angra’s Decay. So when the leader of a mysterious order from Paisly offers to teach her how to master her magic, Meira jumps at the chance. But the true solution to stopping the Decay lies in a labyrinth deep beneath the Season Kingdoms. To defeat Angra, Meira will have to enter the labyrinth, destroy the magic she’s learning to control–and make the biggest sacrifice of all.

Mather will do anything to save his queen. But with a plan of attack that leaves no kingdom unscathed and betrayal within his team’s ranks, winning the war–and protecting Meira–slips farther and farther out of reach.

Ceridwen will do anything to save her people. Angra had her brother killed, stole her kingdom, and made her a prisoner. But when she’s freed by an unexpected ally, Ceridwen must take action to save her true love and her kingdom, even if it costs her what little she has left.

As Angra unleashes the Decay on the world, Meira, Mather, and Ceridwen must bring the kingdoms of Primoria together . . . or lose everything” -Balzer + Bray

Author Biography:

“Sara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too. Not much has changed since then: her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things, and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. She is also the New York Times bestselling author of Snow Like Ashes and Ice Like Fire. You can visit her online at http://www.sararaasch.tumblr.com and on Twitter at @seesarawrite” -Balzer + Bray

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Frost Like Night did not fail in finalizing the fate of the Winterians. This novel brought the Snow Like Ashes series to an end in a satisfying way. I let out a long sight of relief at the finale. There was a heart-breaking moment in the novel that moved me to near-tears, but I had to hold myself together.

I was nervous throughout the entire time. Like many times I read, I could not help but wonder, “who will the author kill off?” That constant anxiety kept me reading more. I will not reveal any details about whether Raasch did so or not. I will let you figure that out on your own. Just note, that like the previous two novels, the author does an amazing job!

In all, this entire series was amazing, and I cannot wait to read more of Raasch future works. I know she has another novel out, The Rebel Waves, so I will have to check that one out as well. I extremely enjoyed Raasch writing and the way she captivated my attention with her Snow Like Ashes series.

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Kate Rudd, Nick Podehl, and Eileen Stevens

Rudd and Podehl returns to narrate the final part of this series and does an excellent job. They are joined by a third narrator, Eileen Stevens, and this change in narration from the first and second novels  gives the listening experience a fresh flavor each time. I extremely enjoyed listening to the entire series. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.5 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found 2.0 and 2.5 speed to be the best speeds. 3.0 was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator’s reading speed.

Other works by this Author:

Novels:

• These Rebel Waves

Snow Like Ashes Series

• Snow Like Ashes
• Ice Like Fire
• Frost Like Night

Ice Like Fire

by Sara Raasch

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $9.99

Hardcover: $17.99

Kindle: $9.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $30.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Before Reading Facts:

Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch was published in 2015 by Balzer + Bray.

Page Count: 512 pages (paperback) 496 (hardcover) 494 (Kindle)

Audiobook length: 12 hrs 48 mins

Chapters: 32

Languages: English (also available in the follow translation: German)

Summary of Book:

“It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared–thanks largely to the help of Cordell.

Miera just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debut forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. The last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders Meira and Theron on a mission to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans to use the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe–even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves?

Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Jannuari–leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. So when Meira leaves to search for allies, Mather decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken kingdom and protect his people from new threats?

As the web of power and deception is woven tighter, Theron fights for magic, Mather fights for freedom–and Meira starts to wonder if she should be fighting not just for Winter but for the world” -Balzer + Bray

Author Biography:

“Sara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too. Not much has changed since then: her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things, and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. She is also the author of Snow Like Ashes and Frost Like Night. Sara lives in Manassas, Virginia. She can be found on the web at http://www.sararaasch.tumblr.com and on Twitter at @seesarawrite” -Balzer + Bray

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

I had so many emotions brewing within me while reading this novel. It is an excellent continuation to Snow Like Ashes. In this novel, I was genuinely angered. I could not handle the injustice the Winterians were under. I wanted justice for Meira and her people. Those emotions and concern caused me to continue and learn more of Miera and the fate of her people.

I had concerns and felt that something was not going to go in Meira’s favor in the beginning of the novel. Meira wants her people to be safe. However, I knew that something was not going to go her way and she was going to run into some really bad obstacles. Raasch takes the reader on Meira’s journey for justice. I was fascinated with the journey and the descriptions of the kingdoms Meira visits.

By the end of this novel, I knew something big is coming in the third and final part in this series. The ending is satisfying enough but did not give me closer. The finale of Ice Like Fire left me wanting more, so I, of course, had to get the final part in this series, Frost Like Night. I am anxious to see what Raasch has in store for these characters!

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Kate Rudd and Nick Podehl

Rudd returns to narrate the second part of this series and does an excellent job. However in this novel, she is joined by Podehl, and the change from the first novel to this one gives the listening experience a new flavor. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.5 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found 2.0 and 2.5 speed to be the best speeds. 3.0 was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator’s reading speed. 

Other works by this Author:

Novels:

• These Rebel Waves

Snow Like Ashes Series

• Snow Like Ashes
• Ice Like Fire
• Frost Like Night

Snow Like Ashes

by Sara Raasch

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $9.99

Hardcover: $17.99

Kindle: $9.99 (Available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $27.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Before Reading Facts:

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch was published in 2014 by Balzer + Bray.

Page Count: 448 pages (paperback) 432 (hardcover) 448 (Kindle)

Audiobook length: 10 hrs 56 mins

Chapters: 31

Languages: English (also available in the follow translation: German)

Summary of Book:

“Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been searching for the chance to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee. Training to be a warrior–and desperately in love with her best friend and future king, Mather–she would do anything to help Winter rise to power again. So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore their magic, Meira decides to go after it, only to find herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics–and to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own” -Balzer + Bray

Author Biography:

“Sara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too. Not much has changed since then: her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things, and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. Snow Like Ashes is her debut book. It does not feature her hand-drawn pictures. She can be found on the web at http://www.sararaasch.tumblr.com and on Twitter at @seesarawrite” -Balzer + Bray

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

I was very intrigued with this read. I admit that the cover of the book was the first thing to peek my attention. Once I read the summary of the book, my interest was further peaked. I wanted to know more about what what this story had in store for the reader. I was not disappointed! The very use of the seasons and how the author incorporates that into the story fascinated me, and I wanted to know more about the author’s use of the elements in her writing.

I was very interested in the characters and their journey. Raasch’s story telling draws the reader in with her interesting characters and story-telling technique. Snow Like Ash is an excellent beginning to the series. Her world was one I wanted to know more about and was excited to read more in the second novel in the series.

In all, this was the first book I read by this author, and I am very interested to read more works by this author. Her following two books in the series were a great start and I was looking forward to continuing my journey with Meira and Mather. My only regret is not reading this series when it first published and hope more are able to get a chance to read it!

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Kate Rudd

Rudd does a good job in her narration. However, I did not find it to be extremely well done. It was good enough to captivate the story and provide the listener with a good listen. I do admit that I had to listen at a higher than a 1.5 speed in order to enjoy the narration. I recommend listening at a 1.5  speed to really enjoy this narration. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found 2.0 and 2.5 speed to be the best speeds. 3.0 was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator’s reading speed.

Other works by this Author:

Novels:

• These Rebel Waves

Snow Like Ashes Series

• Snow Like Ashes
• Ice Like Fire
• Frost Like Night