MINI REVIEWS: The Frost Chronicles by Kate Avery Ellison

As you probably know from some of my previous reviews here, I enjoy reading self-published books by indie authors, though they can be very hit-or-miss. A friend of mine recommended the Frost Chronicles to me, since we share similar tastes in books. Kate Avery Ellison, the author of the Frost Chronicles, lives in Atlanta, Georgia, so I thought I would take the opportunity to support a local author. Lucky for me, the Frost Chronicles has turned out to be one of the best indie series I have come across so far! Every book is a relatively quick read -- the first is right around 200 pages, and each book is a little longer than the last. (Side note: I’m reading the eBook versions.) I devoured these books in just a few days and thought that rather than post four consecutive reviews (one for each book), it might make more sense to share four mini reviews here in one post. Then, when the fifth book is published later this year, I will devote one review to it as a finale of sorts. :-)

NOTE: If you haven’t read this series, you might want to stop reading my reviews after Frost, because eventually it will get a bit spoiler-y, given that I’m reviewing four books…

MINI REVIEW #1: Frost 

SYNOPSIS: In the icy, monster-plagued world of the Frost, one wrong move and a person could end up dead—and Lia Weaver knows this better than anyone. After monsters kill her parents, she must keep the family farm running despite the freezing cold and threat of monster attacks or risk losing her siblings to reassignment by the village Elders. With dangers on all sides and failure just one wrong step away, she can’t afford to let her emotions lead her astray. So when her sister finds a fugitive bleeding to death in the forest—a young stranger named Gabe—Lia surprises herself and does the unthinkable.

She saves his life.

Giving shelter to the fugitive could get her in trouble. The Elders have always described the advanced society of people beyond the Frost, the “Farthers,” as ruthless and cruel. But Lia is startled to find that Gabe is empathetic and intelligent…and handsome. She might even be falling in love with him.

But time is running out. The monsters from the forest circle the farm at night. The village leader is starting to ask questions. Farther soldiers are searching for Gabe. Lia must locate a secret organization called the Thorns to help Gabe escape to safety, but every move she makes puts her in more danger.

Is compassion—and love—worth the risk?

Frost sucked me right in -- you might recall my Teaser Tuesday post earlier in the week… Those first few sentences had me hooked from the start! Ellison has managed to bring something fresh to the YA Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Dystopian genre with this series. Part of me was sorry that Frost wasn’t a little longer, but at the same time, Ellison’s ability to so thoroughly paint the picture and fully tell the story in less than 200 pages was impressive! Admittedly, some of the writing and phrasing (and eBook formatting) could have been tightened up with just a bit more editing, but honestly, I really enjoyed Ellison’s storytelling and writing style -- it is very descriptive with vivid imagery. The only part of the story I had a small issue with was Lia’s and Gabe’s (admittedly brief) relationship -- it was just a little hard to believe Lia could have developed such strong feelings so quickly, but I like a little romance in my stories, so I could overlook this, mostly… As it was, immediately upon finishing Frost, I purchased and downloaded the next three books in the series (the fifth is yet to come), so that should tell you something! This book was THAT good.

MINI REVIEW #2: Thorns

SYNOPSIS: Lia Weaver went against everything she’d ever known when she risked her life to help a Farther fugitive named Gabe escape from the Aeralian soldiers, and her life changed forever. And the Frost changed, too—the Farthers have taken over her village, a new group of vigilantes calling themselves the Blackcoats are making plans to overthrow the Farther occupiers, and the Thorns are seeking for her to join them.

Lia seeks to fight back against the evil and injustice that has swallowed up her home, but danger lurks at every turn. The monsters that dwell in the deepest regions of the Frost are growing bolder and more dangerous every day, a Farther noble takes up residence in the village on a mysterious mission, and Lia discovers that her parents were harboring even more secrets.

As the frozen world of the Frost grows even more perilous, can Lia survive?

Perhaps the best part about having an eReader is being able to immediately download the next book in a series… (Well, assuming it’s been published, haha.) I loved that I didn’t have to wait after finishing Frost to begin Thorns. For me, Thorns and the third book, Weavers, are my favorites in the series so far. Thorns was fast-paced and I liked the direction Ellison decided to take Lia’s affections this time (despite the invetible love triangle). To me, this attraction was much more believable than Lia’s fast tumble for Gabe in the first book. I had actually wondered if this particular romance might develop when I was reading Frost, but that’s all I’m going to say on that subject. J Trying to keep things as spoiler-free as I can here… Ellison does much to advance the story in this book, developing the conflict caused by the Farther occupation of Iceliss, and still further building the world of the Frost (and beyond!) -- I could not put this book down. Once again, Ellison’s writing is beautifully descriptive and this time I really felt like it was spot on and very well-edited. With the way events were left in the Frost and the fact that Lia’s new romance was not quite fulfilled, needless to say, I had to jump right in to Weavers…

MINI REVIEW #3: Weavers

SYNOPSIS: Every day, life in the Frost grows increasingly perilous for its inhabitants. The Farther occupation continues, and food is becoming scarce. And Lia Weaver’s family is facing increasing perils, too—Jonn pushes his health to the brink as he works to uncover the secrets of Echlos, and Ivy risks everything to get food for the family. And for the second time, the Weaver family is harboring a fugitive, but Lia doesn’t trust her.

Lia has personally braved many struggles—a Farther occupation, family secrets, a heart torn between two men, and Watcher attacks—as she struggles to keep her family safe. But now she will face her greatest challenge and uncover the Frost’s deepest secrets as she completes her most dangerous mission yet for the Thorns.

Wow, Weavers almost left me breathless by the end of the book, as once again Ellison packs quite a punch in her stories! As much as I enjoyed her writing in Frost (despite some minor flaws) and then again in Thorns, it just keeps getting better and better. As the conflict increases in the Frost, I really like that we are beginning to see the more vulnerable side of Lia, who has struggled for so long to provide for her siblings in the harsh climate (both weather-wise and politically-speaking) of the Frost, while trying to complete missions for the Thorns and subsequently doing what she can to help end the Farther occupation of the Frost and the village of Iceliss. Isn’t that enough to wear anyone down? And then there’s her whole struggle with her feelings for two boys, poor girl, though really, that frustrates me to no end because at this point I just don’t think Gabe should be a factor. Admittedly, I’ve pretty much been “Team Adam” from the start of this series, when he wasn’t even on the radar, yet! And oh, the end of this story and the cliffhanger! I was fortunate that Ellison just released Bluewing because I didn’t have to wait long to find out what happened next.

MINI REVIEW #4: Bluewing

SYNOPSIS: Lia Weaver is a fugitive. Her family's farm has been confiscated by Farther soldiers, her sister has been reassigned to a new family in the village, and her official status is "missing." Now, she and a band of fugitive followers must make their home in the harsh wilderness of the Frost. Food is scarce, and hope is scarcer still as Lia tries to find information about the whereabouts of her missing friends. She is determined to rescue them, but when a surprising ally steps forth with an offer that will both return her friends and expel the Farthers from the Frost in exchange for something very precious, Lia must make a choice.

While I enjoyed Bluewing, I thought it started off a little slower compared to the other books in the series and it took me longer to really immerse myself in the story. I can’t quite pinpoint what it was, because the writing continues to be outstanding and a lot does happen in this book to further the plot, but for some reason Bluewing just didn’t grab me early on the way the first three books did. Perhaps it's simply that most of the action was in the latter half of the book. Ivy, Lia’s younger sister, continues to play a larger role in this story, and we also see a lot more of Gabe’s brother, Korr, who first came into the picture in Weavers. The Blackcoats and Thorns join forces against the Farthers, and that alliance brings with it a few surprises. Interestingly, a rather significant portion of the storyline wraps up by the end of the book, though we are definitely left with several questions and a pretty big cliffhanger, so there is plenty of the story left for Ellison to tell in the final book. As for that cliffhanger, I have my suspicions, so I am anxious to see if they are confirmed in the final book. And this time, darn it, I have to wait, haha…

If you stuck with me through all of that, suffice it to say that I LOVED these books and would recommend them to anyone who is a fan of YA Dystopians. And I'd also like to extend props to whoever designed the covers for this series -- I love them all!

Read this series…

• If you like YA Fantasy/Dystopian/Sci-Fi (this story is a great blend of all of those genres)
• If you enjoyed the Under The Never Sky series by Veronica Rossi
• If you liked The Girl of Fire and Thorns series by Rae Carson

Series Review: Inside Out/Outside In

Titles: (1) Inside Out (2) Outside In
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Pub Date: April 2010 and February 2011, Harlequin
Format: eBook (two novels in one)
Source: Purchased from BN.com

Synopsis

The world of Inside is simple. Do your job, stay out of the way and don't dream of anything better. Because as every Scrub knows, there are no other options.

Until Trella—the Queen of the Pipes, as some call her—gets involved with a revolution that will rock her world….

Trella was just doing a favor for a friend—her only friend. Hiding an injured man from the Pop Cops seemed easy enough—though dangerous. But then she discovered that the myths of Outside might be real….

Being Inside's hero only left Trella with more work. Ducking those responsibilities, she continued to explore her stark world—and found something she never expected. Strangers. From Outside….

My Thoughts

I am a huge fan of Snyder's Study series and Glass series, and since I have come to love YA dystopian novels, I was excited to give the Inside Out series a try. In the end, I did enjoy these books (as a total package), but not to the same extent that I loved Study and Glass.

In my opinion, Inside Out got off to a tediously slow start. I had a very difficult time getting into this book until probably close to halfway into it. I'll admit that if I hadn't paid for it, I might not have chosen to keep reading, but the second half of the book and indeed, the second book in the series, make up for the rather lackluster start. The premise of the story was intriguing, but I think part of what hurt these books was that the characters didn't resonate with me and the story just wasn't particularly visually stimulating to my imagination. The synopsis above gives away next to nothing in terms of what the world is like in these books and I don't want to spoil it for any of you who haven't yet read these, but in a nutshell, it was difficult for me to visualize/accept what Snyder was describing.

As with most any YA book these days, there's a bit of romance, but compared to Snyder's other books, this one is barely believable -- at least that is how I felt with Inside Out. Perhaps if that first book hadn't existed, I could have accepted it a little more readily with Outside In. It's funny, despite the fact that Trella is not really a particularly likable female lead, I couldn't help but root for her both in her role as Inside's hero and her budding romance. By the time the first book ended, the story had really just gotten to the "good part," and so I felt more inclined to continue on with Outside In.

The pace of the second book is much faster and this time I found I couldn't put the story down. We get a deeper look at Trella in this book and I think it is really this story that made me more inclined to root for her and actually start to care. She simply seemed more human and relatable. As far as dystopian novels go, as a package deal, these books are certainly worth the read if you are into this genre. If you loved Snyder's Study and Glass series, be prepared for a completely different world, characters, and story. I think I should have approached these books as if I was reading an entirely new author, as opposed to going into it focused on my prior experiences with Snyder's books.

Individually, I would probably rate Inside Out as a 3-star book and Outside In as a high-4-star book. In the end, as I no longer add half-stars to my ratings, I'll be generous let the weight of my enjoyment of Outside In determine my overall rating:

Series Review: The Hollow by Jessica Verday

Title: The Hollow
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Pub Date: September 2009, Simon Pulse (HC)
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased from Amazon.com
Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis (from BN.com)

When Abbey's best friend, Kristen, vanishes at the bridge near Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, everyone else is all too quick to accept that Kristen is dead?and rumors fly that her death was no accident. Abbey goes through the motions of mourning her best friend, but privately, she refuses to believe that Kristen is really gone. Then she meets Caspian, the gorgeous and mysterious boy who shows up out of nowhere at Kristen's funeral, and keeps reappearing in Abbey's life. Caspian clearly has secrets of his own, but he's the only person who makes Abbey feel normal again...but also special.

Just when Abbey starts to feel that she might survive all this, she learns a secret that makes her question everything she thought she knew about her best friend. How could Kristen have kept silent about so much? And could this secret have led to her death? As Abbey struggles to understand Kristen's betrayal, she uncovers a frightening truth that nearly unravels her—one that will challenge her emerging love for Caspian, as well as her own sanity.

Title: The Haunted
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Pub Date: August 2010, Simon Pulse
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased from Amazon.com
Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis (from BN.com)

An impossible truth. An impossible love.

After a summer spent reclaiming her sanity and trying to forget the boy she fell in love with—the boy who must not exist, cannot exist, because she knows that he is dead—Abbey returns to Sleepy Hollow, ready to leave the ghosts of her past behind. She throws herself into her schoolwork, her perfume-making, and her friendship with Ben, her cute and funny lab partner, who just might be her ticket to getting over Caspian once and for all.

But Abbey can never get over Caspian, and Caspian has no choice but to return to her side, for Caspian is a Shade, and Abbey is his destiny. They are tied not only to each other, but also to the town of Sleepy Hollow, and to the famous legend that binds their fates—a legend whose dark truths they are only beginning to guess....

Title: The Hidden
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Pub Date: August 2011, Simon Pulse
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased from BN.com
Rating: 2 stars

Synopsis (from BN.com)

Abbey knows that Caspian is her destiny. Theirs is a bond that transcends even death. But as Abbey finally learns the full truth about the dark fate that links her to Caspian and ties them both to the town of Sleepy Hollow, she suddenly has some very hard choices to make. Caspian may be the love of her life, but is that love worth dying for? 

My Thoughts

I opted to lump my reviews for Jessica Verday's The Hollow series into one review, since I decided to re-read the first two books before finally finishing the series while on vacation last week. And, quite honestly, I'm not sure I could bring myself to write three individual reviews for these books. I think I might be in the minority when I say that for me, the series started out much stronger than it concluded.

While it seems to rate lower among other readers, I actually really enjoyed Verday's debut, The Hollow. In my opinion, basing the story off of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was a refreshing premise in the vast offering of YA Paranormal books. Verday opens each chapter with quotations from Irving's book, which really made me want to pick it up again. While I admit that Abbey and Caspian might be a little annoying, I did find myself completely wrapped up in their story. Something else that I found interesting and different: Abbey's hobby as a perfumer. I thought that added to her overall character, not to mention showing how smells really become a part of our lives and memories -- I could certainly identify with that. The side plot pertaining to Kristen's secret was a little contrived, but none of these flaws curbed my enjoyment of The Hollow.

The fast-paced ride continues in the second book in the series, The Haunted. Just when Abbey has nearly convinced herself that she imagined her ghosts and shades, when she returns home it is almost as if her summer away never even happened. It was nice to have some more focus on Ben this time and a little less Caspian, even though we all know how it's ultimately going to end. We also see more of Katy and Nikolas (minor spoiler - they're from the original story of Sleep Hollow) this time and start to get a glimmer of just what is going on with Abbey, why she can see these people no one else can, and just what part she is supposed to play in it all. With that, the story gets a little darker this time, as well.

And then we get to the third book, The Hidden. Sadly, this book diminished my overall opinion of the series, though again it seems I'm in the minority as the ratings are generally higher for this book. In a way, it was almost too short -- tying up the various loose ends actually deserved at least another couple of chapters. I was very disappointed with how suddenly Verday wrapped up the story, but it is difficult to explain what was wrong without completely giving it all away. Suffice it to say that while perhaps the resolution wasn't totally out of left field, it was introduced so suddenly and put to bed so quickly that it left me wondering what the heck happened. I almost felt cheated, if that makes sense. And frankly, it was all too neat and tidy to fit in with the rest of the story. I'm a sucker for happily ever after, but this time happily ever after seemed like the easy way out somehow, it's difficult to explain.

Based on individual ratings of 4 stars for both of the first two books and 2 stars for The Hidden, my ultimate rating is:

Series Review: The Inheritance Cycle

Title: The Inheritance Cycle (Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, Inheritance)
Author: Christopher Paolini
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Hardcover, Random House Children's Books
Book Source: I purchased all of these books from either Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.

Synopsis (from Paolini's website)

Fifteen-year-old Eragon believes that he is merely a poor farm boy- until his destiny as a Dragon Rider is revealed. Gifted with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous tapestry of magic, glory, and power. Now his choices could save - or destroy- the Empire. 

My Thoughts


I have been keeping up with Paolini's Inheritance cycle ever since Eragon was published.  I elected not to review the individual books here, but waited until the cycle was complete to write a series review.  Over the years I have become a huge fan of fantasy works and have enjoyed reading Paolini's tale of Eragon and his quest to overthrow Galbatorix.  No, it is not highly original fantasy, but many of Paolini's ideas and approaches to dragons are intriguing, particularly given that he started writing these books at the young age of fifteen.  His Inheritance Cycle can be appreciated on that fact alone.

In the end, it is my honest opinion that this series was one book too long.  If I recall correctly, it had originally been billed as a trilogy, and I rather wish it had stayed that way.  It was almost as if Paolini bit off more than he could chew -- there were just too many plot lines and too many loose ends that I believe caused him to get bogged down in parts that didn't really advance the plot.  And while I thought the character development was pretty good in the first two books, by the third and fourth, it was really as if they stopped growing altogether.

Because of the dangling loose ends and tendency to get caught up in the less important plot lines of the story, the ending ultimately was not as satisfying as it should have been, either.  It made the whole build to the finale and climax anti-climatic, which was a bit disappointing.  Some aspects I did enjoy and appreciate, but on the whole it didn't really do the entire series justice.  Again, I am still impressed by what Paolini was able to accomplish for someone so young and there certainly is much to like and appreciate about these books.  But if you sit down and read them straight through, as I did again when the last book was released, you shouldn't be surprised if you find yourself feeling a little let down by the end.

I don't make these comments so much to discourage anyone from reading these books, but more as a fair warning.  I know there are many of you out there who adore these books, hands down, no questions asked.  I, myself, expect that I will re-read these books again down the road and if my daughter becomes the reader I hope she will be, I would encourage her to read the Inheritance Cycle as well.  I am anxious to see Paolini grow as a writer -- I think that by simply getting to experience life more and grow as a person, his writing and storytelling will be better for that.  I truly do think there is a TON of potential for him to have a very prolific career as a fantasy writer.

My rating:

If you have reviewed any of these books, as well, please feel free to leave the link to your review(s) in the comments section!  And feel free to join the discussion... do you have another opinion to share? I'd love to hear it!