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Ragnarok on Ice
Power Play
This is an updated cover edition of B00KVKTTDI.
Ice Hockey meets Norse Mythology
Meet Jack Skelton - hockey player, drinker of fine beers, and most importantly potential trigger to Ragnarok, the Norse apocalypse. The problem is he has no idea until he accidently ends up in Asgard thanks to the Trickster, Loki.
Join in the adventure as Jack tries to survive in the hostile realms right of the very mythology they are based. As he encounters old gods, dark elves, and cruel fates, Jack needs to figure out who he can trust and who is out to kill him...or worse. Action, love, and mystery await us as we follow along for the ride. Ragnarok is coming; is there anyone who can stop it?
Ice Hockey meets Norse Mythology
Meet Jack Skelton - hockey player, drinker of fine beers, and most importantly potential trigger to Ragnarok, the Norse apocalypse. The problem is he has no idea until he accidently ends up in Asgard thanks to the Trickster, Loki.
Join in the adventure as Jack tries to survive in the hostile realms right of the very mythology they are based. As he encounters old gods, dark elves, and cruel fates, Jack needs to figure out who he can trust and who is out to kill him...or worse. Action, love, and mystery await us as we follow along for the ride. Ragnarok is coming; is there anyone who can stop it?
215 pages, ebook
First published June 8, 2014
6 people are currently reading
291 people want to read
About the author
Jeremy Croston
59 books56 followersI live in Orlando, FL with my wife, son, and dog. Writing has always been a passion of mine and I am happy to bring my crazy visions life. Check out Ragnarok on Ice (Norse adventures trilogy), The Inglewood Chronicles (a supernatural mystery series), and The Negative Man (a superhero action series) at your convenience!
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 15, 2015
I enjoyed Power Play, I really liked the concept and the plot was a lot of fun, however I did find the writing a bit clunky and the dialogue didn't feel all that natural.
I really like new takes on mythology so this world is really up my street. It's not completely accurate (Valkyrie is a single female guard rather than a group of women who choose those who die in battle- it's one of the most well known parts of the mythology so I don't understand why it was changed- perhaps there's a reason in the sequels) and it irritated me a bit in places but I wasn't too bothered.
It's very much plot driven and we get to follow Jack through Asgard visiting a few of the different worlds that are part of Norse mythology, we get to meet the Aesir, the elves (both light and dark), a frost giant amongst other mythological characters. It's fun to meet such a wide array of characters and races and I liked that even the 'monsters' had some depth of character to them, no body was evil for the sake of it.
I've never watched ice hockey in my life so all of that went over my head, I probably shouldn't have picked up an ice hockey book but I really liked the Norse mythology angle and while it was confusing in places it wasn't too big of a part so it didn't affect my enjoyment too much.
I did get annoyed at the ending though, the plot came to a natural finish and then the author shoved a cliffhanger on the end! Why!? I was going to read the next book anyway because I wanted to discover more of the world now I'm just annoyed, cliff hangers really annoy me.
Book provided free for review.
I really like new takes on mythology so this world is really up my street. It's not completely accurate (Valkyrie is a single female guard rather than a group of women who choose those who die in battle- it's one of the most well known parts of the mythology so I don't understand why it was changed- perhaps there's a reason in the sequels) and it irritated me a bit in places but I wasn't too bothered.
It's very much plot driven and we get to follow Jack through Asgard visiting a few of the different worlds that are part of Norse mythology, we get to meet the Aesir, the elves (both light and dark), a frost giant amongst other mythological characters. It's fun to meet such a wide array of characters and races and I liked that even the 'monsters' had some depth of character to them, no body was evil for the sake of it.
I've never watched ice hockey in my life so all of that went over my head, I probably shouldn't have picked up an ice hockey book but I really liked the Norse mythology angle and while it was confusing in places it wasn't too big of a part so it didn't affect my enjoyment too much.
I did get annoyed at the ending though, the plot came to a natural finish and then the author shoved a cliffhanger on the end! Why!? I was going to read the next book anyway because I wanted to discover more of the world now I'm just annoyed, cliff hangers really annoy me.
Book provided free for review.
April 30, 2015
Power Play is probably the most unique and refreshingly different story I have read this year. Fantastic concept, great storytelling and superb character definition and development. The protagonist, Jack, as a hockey player in Asgard was well defined. All the dialogue was done well, and I very much enjoyed the different first-person perspectives offered throughout the book.
I was very surprised, as the blurb did not really convey well what I could expect. My first thoughts were, hockey player in Asgard? However, the twists and turns that Jeremy Croston put into this seemingly uninteresting plot, made a world of difference. I was hooked into this story early on and excited to see what happened next. Drama, comedy, romance and action all blended well together, without one of them running over the other. A great mix and presented well.
All that said, I would have given this book 5 stars, because it was that enjoyable and wonderful to read. However, typos and inconsistent formatting on the Kindle brought some distraction. It could have been top quality otherwise. Still, I enjoyed reading this story immensely and have no problem recommending it to others. It is a great story and lots of fun to read!
My final rating is 4 stars. I would probably even go to 4-1/2 if that were possible. Final note. You will not be disappointed in reading this book and it is worth more than it is priced. Great job and kudos to Jeremy Croston.
I was very surprised, as the blurb did not really convey well what I could expect. My first thoughts were, hockey player in Asgard? However, the twists and turns that Jeremy Croston put into this seemingly uninteresting plot, made a world of difference. I was hooked into this story early on and excited to see what happened next. Drama, comedy, romance and action all blended well together, without one of them running over the other. A great mix and presented well.
All that said, I would have given this book 5 stars, because it was that enjoyable and wonderful to read. However, typos and inconsistent formatting on the Kindle brought some distraction. It could have been top quality otherwise. Still, I enjoyed reading this story immensely and have no problem recommending it to others. It is a great story and lots of fun to read!
My final rating is 4 stars. I would probably even go to 4-1/2 if that were possible. Final note. You will not be disappointed in reading this book and it is worth more than it is priced. Great job and kudos to Jeremy Croston.
October 2, 2014
A fantastic and mythological journey into Asgard as the main character Jack Skelton makes the journey in 'Power Play'. If you are looking for action, adventure, mysticism, romance, and intrigue, this would be the book to add to your library collection. It has riveting twists and turns throughout with surprising elements that keeps you on the edge of imaginative endeavors of fantasy with style....
The characters were well thought out and nicely developed with a flare of a more humorous and fun quality in parts. An entertaining read that will have you chuckling to yourself one minute, and thrown to the creatures and Goblins the next. It even has a little romance entwined which is very charming. The master of creativity is here, the talents of the author, Jeremy Croston and Ragnarok, Book 1 is not to be missed.
Can not wait to read the second in this saga. Highly recommended.
The characters were well thought out and nicely developed with a flare of a more humorous and fun quality in parts. An entertaining read that will have you chuckling to yourself one minute, and thrown to the creatures and Goblins the next. It even has a little romance entwined which is very charming. The master of creativity is here, the talents of the author, Jeremy Croston and Ragnarok, Book 1 is not to be missed.
Can not wait to read the second in this saga. Highly recommended.
October 19, 2014
I've read all of Jeremy Croston's books and I find them to be extremely entertaining. 'Blood and Arrows' is the installment that you should read before 'Power Play'. A well written story line as the characters continue to progress and develop as you learn more about them as they smoothly descend into action. Each epic saga brings forth a fierce energy that leads to an explosive climax. The interactions of roles and multifaceted characterization is interlaced perfectly as the plot comes to an end. It weaves the whole series of events together as a compelling identifiable story. The complexity of a well written novel will sure to please so take a seat by the fireplace tonight and enjoy 'Blood and Arrows', you won't be disappointed.
February 1, 2015
This is a really fun title. It begins from the point of view of a dark elf, and so I assumed this would be a more run-of-the-mill fantasy novel, and then, Boom, Jack Skelton the hockey player shows up, and everything takes on a different complexion. Mr. Croston does a great job of dropping surprise after surprise regarding Jack's Lineage, so that by the end you're thinking of him as a completely different character. Very well done.
I was also impressed Jeremy Croston's ability to carve out his own version of Norse mythology. These aren't Marvel's heroes. They're something completely different, and that in itself is an accomplishment.
This is a fast paced, fun story, and I'm looking forward to exploring more of Mr.Croston's Norse universe.
I was also impressed Jeremy Croston's ability to carve out his own version of Norse mythology. These aren't Marvel's heroes. They're something completely different, and that in itself is an accomplishment.
This is a fast paced, fun story, and I'm looking forward to exploring more of Mr.Croston's Norse universe.
October 15, 2014
I loved reading the background in this book of the events leading up to Power Play. Rumil's story before she met Jack was captivating, and only made me like her even more. This book gave more of a sense of the dark times starting that lead us to Power Play. We got to know some characters even better. There were some very intense parts where I couldn't put the book down, and there were even some twists and surprises!
January 16, 2018
Fun book
The only thing I didn't like about this book was how it changed characters who were narrating without telling you who it was at the time otherwise I really liked the mix of mythology and fiction
The only thing I didn't like about this book was how it changed characters who were narrating without telling you who it was at the time otherwise I really liked the mix of mythology and fiction
July 23, 2015
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
I was quite taken by the blurb of this book when I read it for the first time. I've been interested in Norse mythology for a while now, so it was good to have the opportunity to read another book inspired by the Norse mythos.
It was an interesting concept to see a male character as the main character, since a lot of these types of books tend to have a female central character. And the fact that he wasn't a teenager and was an ice hockey player were two more unique things about him.
Unfortunately, I felt a lot of the book could have been edited. There was a lot of unnecessary detail and the romance felt really forced. The problem I have with soulmates is that the two characters are just assumed to be together and there's no time spent actually developing their relationship... which I felt was definitely the case here.
There was a lot of potential in this book. Rumil and Jack meeting for the first time worked particularly well. Her suspicion of him seemed natural and made her a more intriguing character.
Although I don't mind reading first person POV books, I don't like it when they switch between different POVs. And there were too many of those changes and not enough difference in the tones to make it easy to differentiate between the different characters.
It was an interesting concept about the conflict between the Aesir and the dark elves. It was nice to see that the author didn't make the dark elves evil. And the touching palms thing was unique... even if the soulmate thing is over-used and cliched.
It was interesting to see the different versions of the characters from Norse mythology, though I think some of them came across as too much the Marvel versions of the characters... in particular Sif and, to a lesser extent, Thor.
I liked the opportunity to see Fenrir and it was also good to be able to see Sigyn. It was nice to learn about the culture of the dark elves.
I'm not sure I'll read the next book in this series. This one read more like a first draft and could probably have done with some heavy editing. I didn't really care about the characters as much as I should do.
(This review may contain spoilers).
I was quite taken by the blurb of this book when I read it for the first time. I've been interested in Norse mythology for a while now, so it was good to have the opportunity to read another book inspired by the Norse mythos.
It was an interesting concept to see a male character as the main character, since a lot of these types of books tend to have a female central character. And the fact that he wasn't a teenager and was an ice hockey player were two more unique things about him.
Unfortunately, I felt a lot of the book could have been edited. There was a lot of unnecessary detail and the romance felt really forced. The problem I have with soulmates is that the two characters are just assumed to be together and there's no time spent actually developing their relationship... which I felt was definitely the case here.
There was a lot of potential in this book. Rumil and Jack meeting for the first time worked particularly well. Her suspicion of him seemed natural and made her a more intriguing character.
Although I don't mind reading first person POV books, I don't like it when they switch between different POVs. And there were too many of those changes and not enough difference in the tones to make it easy to differentiate between the different characters.
It was an interesting concept about the conflict between the Aesir and the dark elves. It was nice to see that the author didn't make the dark elves evil. And the touching palms thing was unique... even if the soulmate thing is over-used and cliched.
It was interesting to see the different versions of the characters from Norse mythology, though I think some of them came across as too much the Marvel versions of the characters... in particular Sif and, to a lesser extent, Thor.
I liked the opportunity to see Fenrir and it was also good to be able to see Sigyn. It was nice to learn about the culture of the dark elves.
I'm not sure I'll read the next book in this series. This one read more like a first draft and could probably have done with some heavy editing. I didn't really care about the characters as much as I should do.
July 23, 2015
Disclaimer: I got this book from the Read$Reap program in exchange for an honest review.
This book was sort of a fun read.
I found the main character to be very realistic and authentic. He had a consistent personality all the way through even when he faced adversity. He was likable and so were most of the characters.
I liked the take on the Nordic Mythology. It was very refreshing because it was shown from a different point of view compared to the usual take on Loki and Thor. There was a lot of characters to take into account and remember and I think it gave a lot of flavors to the story. It was like seeing your own daily life populated with strangers. That's something pretty rare in most books where minor characters tend to be cut off but it really helped with the world building.
The story unfolded pretty well even if the path was a bit slow at time but it helped with the suspense. There were a lot of changes of POV and that gave a nice dimension to the story, they were clearly separated though maybe a blend in would have been easier to follow (I'm one of the rare person who love head hopping). The first change of POV really surprised me because it's all told in the first person, but after that I was good to go.
The villain side of the story wasn't really necessary, it would have been better to have a lot of it if any because that would have given another dimension to the story instead of just filling but I guess that's a matter of taste.
I also liked the story about Ice Hockey. There were fun parts and added to Jake's personality.
I would recommend this book to any fan of Hockey, North Mythology and adventure in a fantasy world.
This book was sort of a fun read.
I found the main character to be very realistic and authentic. He had a consistent personality all the way through even when he faced adversity. He was likable and so were most of the characters.
I liked the take on the Nordic Mythology. It was very refreshing because it was shown from a different point of view compared to the usual take on Loki and Thor. There was a lot of characters to take into account and remember and I think it gave a lot of flavors to the story. It was like seeing your own daily life populated with strangers. That's something pretty rare in most books where minor characters tend to be cut off but it really helped with the world building.
The story unfolded pretty well even if the path was a bit slow at time but it helped with the suspense. There were a lot of changes of POV and that gave a nice dimension to the story, they were clearly separated though maybe a blend in would have been easier to follow (I'm one of the rare person who love head hopping). The first change of POV really surprised me because it's all told in the first person, but after that I was good to go.
The villain side of the story wasn't really necessary, it would have been better to have a lot of it if any because that would have given another dimension to the story instead of just filling but I guess that's a matter of taste.
I also liked the story about Ice Hockey. There were fun parts and added to Jake's personality.
I would recommend this book to any fan of Hockey, North Mythology and adventure in a fantasy world.
August 5, 2015
I received an Arc of this book through the read it & reap programme on Goodreads.
The story follows the character Jack Skelton, a minor league hockey player, after a failed marriage and being traded off to his home team the Bears he lives a pretty ordinary life. One night after the practice a few of the teammates decide to meet up at the bar for a few drinks, all going well Jack notices someone sitting in the corner who looks out of place and when no-ones paying attention keeps looking at Jacks friend Oleg, when the stranger makes eye contact with Jack thats when all hell breaks out and he ends up in Asgard. I don't want to give to much detail as i don't want to spoil it for you.
I loved this story it was very well written and you couldn't help but imagine everything that was happening. The story is full of adventure and excitement and along the way you will come across lots of mystical creatures from elves to ice giants even Thor and Loki are in this story. So if you like a book full of adventure, comedy and even some sadness then this is one for you and i hope you enjoy it as much as i have.
The story follows the character Jack Skelton, a minor league hockey player, after a failed marriage and being traded off to his home team the Bears he lives a pretty ordinary life. One night after the practice a few of the teammates decide to meet up at the bar for a few drinks, all going well Jack notices someone sitting in the corner who looks out of place and when no-ones paying attention keeps looking at Jacks friend Oleg, when the stranger makes eye contact with Jack thats when all hell breaks out and he ends up in Asgard. I don't want to give to much detail as i don't want to spoil it for you.
I loved this story it was very well written and you couldn't help but imagine everything that was happening. The story is full of adventure and excitement and along the way you will come across lots of mystical creatures from elves to ice giants even Thor and Loki are in this story. So if you like a book full of adventure, comedy and even some sadness then this is one for you and i hope you enjoy it as much as i have.
July 27, 2015
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this was an interesting concept and I am a big fan of most mythology, and Norse mythology is right up there. I really enjoyed the different takes on the characters that were not quite as one would suspect. Having the dark elves as the good guys was a different, and nice, touch. I did find the dialogue a bit stunted at times, but nothing that would lessen my enjoyment of the story. As another reviewer said, having the main character be a bit older and weathered (30 year old minor league hockey player) was also pretty original and I liked that as well.
If you are a fan of Norse Mythology, enjoy the concept of moving a character from our world to a fantasy realm, or just enjoy some entertaining reading, I would recommend this book to you.
I thought this was an interesting concept and I am a big fan of most mythology, and Norse mythology is right up there. I really enjoyed the different takes on the characters that were not quite as one would suspect. Having the dark elves as the good guys was a different, and nice, touch. I did find the dialogue a bit stunted at times, but nothing that would lessen my enjoyment of the story. As another reviewer said, having the main character be a bit older and weathered (30 year old minor league hockey player) was also pretty original and I liked that as well.
If you are a fan of Norse Mythology, enjoy the concept of moving a character from our world to a fantasy realm, or just enjoy some entertaining reading, I would recommend this book to you.
July 20, 2015
This novel is extremely unique and full of action, humor and mystery. When I first started reading it, I didn't know what to expect By the end of the first chapter I was hooked. When hockey player Jack Skelton is transported to Asgard, I couldn't put it down. There, he meets mythical creatures, has an adventure, and falls in love. It is such an unusual idea for a fantasy book. I loved all the plot twists.
Jack Skelton's character was a lot of fun. In fact, I thought the other characters were great. I loved that first person point of view was used for all the characters.
I really enjoyed it! I am looking forward to reading more of Jeremy Croston's books.
Jack Skelton's character was a lot of fun. In fact, I thought the other characters were great. I loved that first person point of view was used for all the characters.
I really enjoyed it! I am looking forward to reading more of Jeremy Croston's books.
December 23, 2014
Blood and Arrows is a quick fun read that takes place before Power Play. I really enjoyed how we get to find out more about the dark elves, especially Rumil, in this book. It answered a lot of questions for me and when I went back and re-read Power Play, it was really cool how much the backstory adds to certain parts.
Like I said, it was a fast read (maybe 2-3 hours?) but for 99 cents, it was an afternoon well spent. If you like Viking mythology and action, I definately reccommend Blood and Arrows, as well as the rest of the Ragnarok on Ice series.
Like I said, it was a fast read (maybe 2-3 hours?) but for 99 cents, it was an afternoon well spent. If you like Viking mythology and action, I definately reccommend Blood and Arrows, as well as the rest of the Ragnarok on Ice series.
July 28, 2015
From the description it sounded like a very original plot which is why I was interested in reading it. It didn't disappoint. I was a little worried it would have a lot of hockey in it but it didn't. It took the direction I was hoping it would. I love a good adventure and this was that. I connected to the characters personalities and there was just the right amount of danger and humor. There were also plot twists that I did not see coming! Easy to read and very enjoyable. I see it says book one and I look forward to reading more!
August 22, 2014
It is a good fast paced book that really expanded my horizons on the myths behind characters like Thor and Loki. I enjoyed that is had all the elements I like in a book rolled up into one; comedy, action, some romance, and of course plot twists. I definately would recommend giving it a try, especially if you are a fan of strong female leads. Jack my be the main character, but the dark elf Rumil steals the show.
September 29, 2015
I love the mix of Norse mythology with modern society presented in the Ragnarok on Ice books. Although this one is set primarily in Asgard, not in our world. The characters are engaging, and rather well developed. The plot is adventurous and fun. This was purely an enjoyable read.
August 17, 2015
The book is easy to read. However I don't find anything special about the story or the characters that makes me rate it more than with 3 starts
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews