Fifty pages in, I ordered the sequel, knowing I was reading a winner and didn't want to wait long to find out what would come next. This has a solid plot, well built world, good magical structure, friendship that may be more, Gods of the trickster variety and plenty of deceit/deception. What more could one ask for? ( )

3.5 stars.
This story didn’t blow me out of the water but I still enjoyed it. I really only had two main issues: The romance seemed unnecessary. I think I would have preferred if the characters had more of a brother/sister relationship rather than a romance. Second, I didn’t care about the characters quite as much as I thought I would. The ending seemed like it was supposed to be quite emotional but I just didn’t feel that. With that being said, I did like the world and the wintery vibes. There were also some creepy elements to the story that I thought were done well. This is a book I would recommend to someone who is wanting to break in to reading the fantasy genre or if you’re looking for a break in between some big epic fantasies. It was very easy and quick to read. I am interested to find out more about this world and what happens next in the story so I do plan to pick up the continuation. ( )

Series Info/Source: This is the 1st book in The Bright & Pale duology. I got a copy of this through Edelweiss to review.

Story (5/5): This was an absolutely fantastic adventure fantasy. I have been loving reading adventure fantasies right now since I can’t have many adventures of my own! I loved the idea of a magical freeze, dueling god champions, and adventurous exploration through the bowels of a mountain. The story was intense and engaging and I couldn’t put it down.

Characters (5/5): I really loved the characters here. Valeria is tough (and a bit broken) because of the loss of her family, but she is a survivor. Watching her try to make the best of her harsh life and living through the realization that her best friend isn’t dead was completely engrossing. Her best friend Alik offsets her traits nicely and is an intriguing character all on his own. The whole adventuring party is full of characters with a lot of depth that are engaging and interesting to read about.

Setting (5/5): This starts out as a typical fantasy world with some interesting magical aspects. Then we journey into the heart of Knnot Mountain and enter an amazing setting. I absolutely love this cave delving setting and really enjoyed the adventure our characters had here. The world building is well done too, but it was the underground adventure setting that really made me love this story.

Writing Style (5/5): This story is incredibly well written and very easy to read. The writing is fast-paced and flows effortlessly. Heart-stopping adventure is balanced well with complex characters and a broader story involving intrigue and thievery. It looks like this is Rubinkowski’s debut novel, and what a fantastic debut it is. I have been spoiled with some excellent adventure fantasies this year and this was another excellent one.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I absolutely loved this fantasy adventure story. I enjoyed the fast-pace, the adventure, the intriguing world and setting, and the complex characters. I am eager to see where this story goes and excited to see what Rubinkowski writes in the future! I would highly recommend this to fans of fantasy adventure. ( )