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Blood & Souls Duology #2
Gods Beneath the Ice
Heartbroken and grappling with unwanted powers, Revna must work with the person she swore to forget if she's to lead her people and unravel the secrets behind her new magic in this page-turning conclusion to the Blood & Souls duology.
Revna knew ruling would be difficult, but she never anticipated ruling with a newfound Lurae. The godtouched fear her, the godforsaken don't trust her, and her best friend doesn't know the truth she's been hiding. When the war-ending treaty is signed, Revna will reveal her secrets and finally put the Hellbringer behind her.
Except the Kryllian Queen refuses to sign the treaty when she discovers how volatile Revna's bloodsinging is. Desperate for any alliance, Revna begrudgingly agrees to the Queen's if Revna can learn to control her magic in three weeks, negotiations will resume. But there's a catch - the queen's general will be the one training her.
Revna will work with the Hellbringer once more, but she won't make it easy. But when the general reveals that the dead are unable to pass on, they realize there's more at stake than their tangled relationship. Ancient, powerful secrets tie the realm - and Revna and the Hellbringer - together, and their only hope of lasting peace is to unweave them.
Revna knew ruling would be difficult, but she never anticipated ruling with a newfound Lurae. The godtouched fear her, the godforsaken don't trust her, and her best friend doesn't know the truth she's been hiding. When the war-ending treaty is signed, Revna will reveal her secrets and finally put the Hellbringer behind her.
Except the Kryllian Queen refuses to sign the treaty when she discovers how volatile Revna's bloodsinging is. Desperate for any alliance, Revna begrudgingly agrees to the Queen's if Revna can learn to control her magic in three weeks, negotiations will resume. But there's a catch - the queen's general will be the one training her.
Revna will work with the Hellbringer once more, but she won't make it easy. But when the general reveals that the dead are unable to pass on, they realize there's more at stake than their tangled relationship. Ancient, powerful secrets tie the realm - and Revna and the Hellbringer - together, and their only hope of lasting peace is to unweave them.
464 pages, Hardcover
First published February 17, 2026
51 people are currently reading
11793 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
February 23, 2026
**ℜ𝔢𝔳𝔦𝔢𝔴** 𝔊𝔬𝔡𝔰 𝔅𝔢𝔫𝔢𝔞𝔱𝔥 𝔱𝔥𝔢 ℑ𝔠𝔢 𝔟𝔶 𝔄𝔩𝔢𝔵𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔯𝔞 𝔎𝔢𝔫𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔱𝔬𝔫 (𝔅𝔩𝔬𝔬𝔡 & 𝔖𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔰 𝔇𝔲𝔬𝔩𝔬𝔤𝔶 #2)
Release Date: February 17, 2026
3.75⭐️3🌶
This duology was very interesting, but didn't have the gravatas I'm normally looking for. While it ticks a lot of boxes, there were moments where I felt like there were some major jumps for things to happen or for the reader to believe what happened. Overall, I found it to be a very entertaining story.
After winning the Bloodshed Trials, Revna has the crown she wanted. What she didn’t want was the newfound Lurae abilities she manifested. She's keeping secrets about murder from her best friends, and she's morning her favorite brother. However, everything changes when she sees the Hellbringer again while trying to negotiate peace with the neighboring Queen.
Revna works with the Hellbringer once more, though she won’t make it easy in order to secure peace for her country. She learns why the Hellbringer did what he did, and she can't force herself to stop caring for him. I found Revna's responses to be obnoxious at times. She was drowning with insecurities, but in front of her friends and citizens she would act all-powerful and all knowing.
I would be interested in reading more from Alexandra Kennington.
Themes/Tropes:
🍁Falling for your kidnapper
🍁One bed trope
🍁Masked man
🍁Shadow daddy
🍁Lost Princess
🍁Unrealized potential
🍁Evil King
🍁Kidnapped Princess
🍁Priests using their power for Evil
TW:
✨Family disownment
✨Verbal abuse
✨War/battle scenes
✨Training sequences
Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC copy!
Release Date: February 17, 2026
3.75⭐️3🌶
This duology was very interesting, but didn't have the gravatas I'm normally looking for. While it ticks a lot of boxes, there were moments where I felt like there were some major jumps for things to happen or for the reader to believe what happened. Overall, I found it to be a very entertaining story.
After winning the Bloodshed Trials, Revna has the crown she wanted. What she didn’t want was the newfound Lurae abilities she manifested. She's keeping secrets about murder from her best friends, and she's morning her favorite brother. However, everything changes when she sees the Hellbringer again while trying to negotiate peace with the neighboring Queen.
Revna works with the Hellbringer once more, though she won’t make it easy in order to secure peace for her country. She learns why the Hellbringer did what he did, and she can't force herself to stop caring for him. I found Revna's responses to be obnoxious at times. She was drowning with insecurities, but in front of her friends and citizens she would act all-powerful and all knowing.
I would be interested in reading more from Alexandra Kennington.
Themes/Tropes:
🍁Falling for your kidnapper
🍁One bed trope
🍁Masked man
🍁Shadow daddy
🍁Lost Princess
🍁Unrealized potential
🍁Evil King
🍁Kidnapped Princess
🍁Priests using their power for Evil
TW:
✨Family disownment
✨Verbal abuse
✨War/battle scenes
✨Training sequences
Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC copy!
Want to read
May 19, 2025IT'S DUAL POV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CAN YOU HEAR ME SCREAM
February 4, 2026
Why is no one screaming about this duology?! Because they should be.
Gods Beneath the Ice is an absolutely stunning conclusion, and I finished it wondering how this series is still flying under the radar. From the very first book, I was hooked, but this finale completely sealed my love for the story.
Revna is the kind of heroine you can’t help but root for. She goes THROUGH it in this book, emotionally, mentally, and physically l, yet her strength and resilience never falter. Watching her step into her power while navigating leadership, complicated magic, and impossible choices made her journey feel both epic and deeply personal.
This story carries so much emotional weight. The stakes feel real, the consequences hit hard, and several moments genuinely had me holding my breath. Alexandra Kennington does a beautiful job balancing action with vulnerability so the characters never get lost behind the plot.
And the romance? So worth the wait. There is something incredibly satisfying about a relationship that is tested, strained, and fought for rather than handed over easily. When love shows up in this story, it feels earned in the best possible way.
I also love when fantasy isn’t afraid to explore heavier themes, and this book does it wonderfully with identity, forgiveness, healing, and learning how to move forward without letting your past define you. It gives the story a depth that really lingers after you turn the final page.
Honestly, this is one of those series that makes me want to immediately shove it into everyone’s hands and demand they read it so we can talk about it.
If you love character driven fantasy, powerful heroines, emotional storytelling, meaningful romance, and endings that actually satisfy, please put this duology on your radar.
Highly, highly recommend
Gods Beneath the Ice is an absolutely stunning conclusion, and I finished it wondering how this series is still flying under the radar. From the very first book, I was hooked, but this finale completely sealed my love for the story.
Revna is the kind of heroine you can’t help but root for. She goes THROUGH it in this book, emotionally, mentally, and physically l, yet her strength and resilience never falter. Watching her step into her power while navigating leadership, complicated magic, and impossible choices made her journey feel both epic and deeply personal.
This story carries so much emotional weight. The stakes feel real, the consequences hit hard, and several moments genuinely had me holding my breath. Alexandra Kennington does a beautiful job balancing action with vulnerability so the characters never get lost behind the plot.
And the romance? So worth the wait. There is something incredibly satisfying about a relationship that is tested, strained, and fought for rather than handed over easily. When love shows up in this story, it feels earned in the best possible way.
I also love when fantasy isn’t afraid to explore heavier themes, and this book does it wonderfully with identity, forgiveness, healing, and learning how to move forward without letting your past define you. It gives the story a depth that really lingers after you turn the final page.
Honestly, this is one of those series that makes me want to immediately shove it into everyone’s hands and demand they read it so we can talk about it.
If you love character driven fantasy, powerful heroines, emotional storytelling, meaningful romance, and endings that actually satisfy, please put this duology on your radar.
Highly, highly recommend
March 29, 2026
I really enjoyed the first book of this duology—despite taking an absurd amount of time to realize it was trad pub Reylo fic—so I was very interested to see where it would go. I liked a lot of things about the conclusion to the Blood & Souls duology, even if I could see some pitfalls common to new fantasy authors.
We pick up Gods Beneath the Ice shortly after the end of the previous book. Revna is Queen of Borghild, but she's barely holding her kingdom together. The Nilurae are hostile toward her because she now possesses a strong Lurae, she's lying to her closest friends, and she now has to contend with the Queen of Kryllian’s demands before the war between their nations can fully end. Revna is hopeful she can negotiate this treaty, end the war, and begin the work of rebuilding Borghild as a place where both those with magic and those without can thrive. But before she's willing to sign the treaty, the Queen of Kryllian demands that Revna master her magic and insists she be taught by Søren—the Hellbringer’s real identity.
So now Revna is playing host to the man who killed her brother, the man who led the army that devastated her kingdom, and she’s forced to work one-on-one with him to master her Lurae. To make matters worse, they both still have feelings for each other and, somehow, their magic is tied together. But with peace between kingdoms and her own land on the line, Revna is going to do everything she can to resist temptation.
There was a lot to love about this conclusion to the Blood & Souls duology. I really enjoyed how the world expanded. The setting was very limited in the first book due to the structure of that story. We were mostly confined to the prison where Revna and the Hellbringer trained and the royal grounds in Borghild. In this book, we get to see more of life in Kryllian and how everyday people live in both kingdoms. I also really enjoyed how the magic system expanded. I like when magic and politics weave together in fantasy, and they did here.
I think where this book really stood out was in how Revna and Søren maneuvered through their feelings. Revna is still so hurt from Søren's actions in the previous book that she can barely stand to look at him. But he's also the person who believed she could win her crown and probably the only person who has truly seen all of her and not looked away. I loved how she came to understand Søren's position over the course of the book and realized she would have made the exact same choice. Søren is completely gone for Revna, so there wasn’t much conflict there, but I loved that we spent time in his POV, understanding his value system and logic as he made decisions. It made him a really well-rounded character.
Where I think this book struggled was in the introduction of the gods and the history of the magic system. Everything was a little too neat for my taste. It felt a bit like an author’s first fantasy—which isn’t far off—but I think this story needed more maturity in how the gods were introduced and the way Revna and Søren interacted with them. Alexandra Kennington got close with the story and character of Aloisa, but many of the other plot points around the gods were just too clean for my taste.
Overall, this was still a really fun duology, and I’d recommend it—especially for Reylo fans. 4 stars.
We pick up Gods Beneath the Ice shortly after the end of the previous book. Revna is Queen of Borghild, but she's barely holding her kingdom together. The Nilurae are hostile toward her because she now possesses a strong Lurae, she's lying to her closest friends, and she now has to contend with the Queen of Kryllian’s demands before the war between their nations can fully end. Revna is hopeful she can negotiate this treaty, end the war, and begin the work of rebuilding Borghild as a place where both those with magic and those without can thrive. But before she's willing to sign the treaty, the Queen of Kryllian demands that Revna master her magic and insists she be taught by Søren—the Hellbringer’s real identity.
So now Revna is playing host to the man who killed her brother, the man who led the army that devastated her kingdom, and she’s forced to work one-on-one with him to master her Lurae. To make matters worse, they both still have feelings for each other and, somehow, their magic is tied together. But with peace between kingdoms and her own land on the line, Revna is going to do everything she can to resist temptation.
There was a lot to love about this conclusion to the Blood & Souls duology. I really enjoyed how the world expanded. The setting was very limited in the first book due to the structure of that story. We were mostly confined to the prison where Revna and the Hellbringer trained and the royal grounds in Borghild. In this book, we get to see more of life in Kryllian and how everyday people live in both kingdoms. I also really enjoyed how the magic system expanded. I like when magic and politics weave together in fantasy, and they did here.
I think where this book really stood out was in how Revna and Søren maneuvered through their feelings. Revna is still so hurt from Søren's actions in the previous book that she can barely stand to look at him. But he's also the person who believed she could win her crown and probably the only person who has truly seen all of her and not looked away. I loved how she came to understand Søren's position over the course of the book and realized she would have made the exact same choice. Søren is completely gone for Revna, so there wasn’t much conflict there, but I loved that we spent time in his POV, understanding his value system and logic as he made decisions. It made him a really well-rounded character.
Where I think this book struggled was in the introduction of the gods and the history of the magic system. Everything was a little too neat for my taste. It felt a bit like an author’s first fantasy—which isn’t far off—but I think this story needed more maturity in how the gods were introduced and the way Revna and Søren interacted with them. Alexandra Kennington got close with the story and character of Aloisa, but many of the other plot points around the gods were just too clean for my taste.
Overall, this was still a really fun duology, and I’d recommend it—especially for Reylo fans. 4 stars.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you so much to Ace, PRH Audio, and Netgalley for providing advanced copies of this book! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.
This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. I'm loving that we're getting shorter fantasy romances (either standalones or duologies). And overall this was a solid debut series.
I think the plot itself was great. I loved how things came together, the pacing, the fact that not everything worked out perfectly. The villains felt villainous and challenging to overcome. The themes were timely and well executed.
Where this lost me a little bit was on the characters. I thought their personal journeys felt kind of repetitive and drawn out. And oftentimes obnoxiously frustrating. The main character just keeps getting in her own way and making choices that make very little sense. She has the same struggles/arguments over and over again. And after a while I got legitimately annoyed with her.
But it wasn't just the heroine. It was the side characters too. While I understood the reactions to some extent, I felt like a lot of them were beyond a believable acceptable reaction. The 180 of Freya's character was absurd and had me actually annoyed with the ending.
I just felt like some aspects were added to further the plot while ignoring the character development.
I am very interested to check out this author's next series. I believe it's set in the same world (and honestly I'd love books for all of the other characters!). And I'm excited to see how her writing grows. Because I think she could become a favorite fantasy romance author.
This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. I'm loving that we're getting shorter fantasy romances (either standalones or duologies). And overall this was a solid debut series.
I think the plot itself was great. I loved how things came together, the pacing, the fact that not everything worked out perfectly. The villains felt villainous and challenging to overcome. The themes were timely and well executed.
Where this lost me a little bit was on the characters. I thought their personal journeys felt kind of repetitive and drawn out. And oftentimes obnoxiously frustrating. The main character just keeps getting in her own way and making choices that make very little sense. She has the same struggles/arguments over and over again. And after a while I got legitimately annoyed with her.
But it wasn't just the heroine. It was the side characters too. While I understood the reactions to some extent, I felt like a lot of them were beyond a believable acceptable reaction. The 180 of Freya's character was absurd and had me actually annoyed with the ending.
I just felt like some aspects were added to further the plot while ignoring the character development.
I am very interested to check out this author's next series. I believe it's set in the same world (and honestly I'd love books for all of the other characters!). And I'm excited to see how her writing grows. Because I think she could become a favorite fantasy romance author.
March 3, 2026
This is the second book in the Blood & Souls Duology and what a perfect conclusion to this incredible debut fantasy series! If you need a powerful female ready to burn it all down, Revna is your girl!
This book takes place directly after Revna won the Bloodshed Trials, earning her the crown of her kingdom. Now, she must master her Lurae (magical abilities), secure a treaty alliance with the neighboring (and difficult) queen, all while juggling the newfound responsibilities of ruling a kingdom that was previously founded on the many injustices per the prior king-her very own father.
I loved seeing Revna and the Hellbringer working together again in order for Revna to prove herself capable to rule, master her complicated magic, and ultimately garner the alliance her kingdom so desperately needs. Revna and Soren’s love is the kind that requires healing, forgiveness and vulnerability. It was so satisfying to watch them fight for their love over the course of these two books because these two are the definition of fated love! I appreciated the background into the gods and goddesses and their connection to the Luraes, which come into play in a major way in this book! Kennington did a beautiful job balancing the character-driven plot, the politics, and the magic, with the kind of action that requires the stakes to be high, as expected in a fantasy.
These characters are so well thought out, bringing so much diversity, complexity, and humanity to the conversation- especially while reading it and existing in a world where injustices persist daily. This is the kind of book that brings me the most comfort. I love seeing a woman and her allies ban together to create a new world built on love, justice, equality, and respect. Pick up this duology friends, it’s a must read!
•𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 •
+ a female worth rooting for
+ fantasy tropes: chosen one,
chosen/found family
+ romance tropes: forced proximity, enemies to allies to lovers, second chance, slow burn, epic love story, fated love
+ Book 2 in the Blood & Souls duology
+ creative plot, world building, and magic
+ fighting against unfair politics, injustices, inequality, and power imbalance
+ Astrid!! You will love her!
+ masked morally grey villain
+ gods and goddesses
+ lurae/ancient magic abilities
+ forgiveness, healing and grief (especially due to death of a sibling plot)
+ thread weaving, invisible string (I loved this plot point!)
+ a beautiful and satisfying conclusion
+ dual POV & dual audiobook narration!!
+ complex characters in a character driven plot balanced with action
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: February 17, 2026
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Fantasy • Duology Series • Romantasy
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: Physical 📖 (464) & Audio🎧 (15h 3m)
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Ellie Gossage, Will Damron
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★★★★★ 𝟓
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟓✰
𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭: A satisfying conclusion to this must read debut duology series!
•𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬•
"And as much as I had tried to hate him until now, I didn't want anyone but him there to pick up the broken pieces of me. My jagged edges couldn't hurt him. He'd proven it over and over again.
"If I could go back, I would do it all differently. But not in the way you think. I would dance with you more. Touch you sooner. Make you laugh again and again. And kiss you the first time I considered it.”
•𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞•
🎧
I listened mostly on audio, but did find that when I physically read, there were so many beautiful passages and quotes I immediately annotated! The audiobook was everything I could have hoped for! Done to perfection with Ellie Gossage back to narrate and breathe audible life into our fantastic Revna! And to have Will Damron join on this one as Soren was the perfect addition! Sometimes it can be hard to keep track of a fantasy novel on audio but these two narrators did this book justice and made for such an easy listening experience!
This book takes place directly after Revna won the Bloodshed Trials, earning her the crown of her kingdom. Now, she must master her Lurae (magical abilities), secure a treaty alliance with the neighboring (and difficult) queen, all while juggling the newfound responsibilities of ruling a kingdom that was previously founded on the many injustices per the prior king-her very own father.
I loved seeing Revna and the Hellbringer working together again in order for Revna to prove herself capable to rule, master her complicated magic, and ultimately garner the alliance her kingdom so desperately needs. Revna and Soren’s love is the kind that requires healing, forgiveness and vulnerability. It was so satisfying to watch them fight for their love over the course of these two books because these two are the definition of fated love! I appreciated the background into the gods and goddesses and their connection to the Luraes, which come into play in a major way in this book! Kennington did a beautiful job balancing the character-driven plot, the politics, and the magic, with the kind of action that requires the stakes to be high, as expected in a fantasy.
These characters are so well thought out, bringing so much diversity, complexity, and humanity to the conversation- especially while reading it and existing in a world where injustices persist daily. This is the kind of book that brings me the most comfort. I love seeing a woman and her allies ban together to create a new world built on love, justice, equality, and respect. Pick up this duology friends, it’s a must read!
•𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 •
+ a female worth rooting for
+ fantasy tropes: chosen one,
chosen/found family
+ romance tropes: forced proximity, enemies to allies to lovers, second chance, slow burn, epic love story, fated love
+ Book 2 in the Blood & Souls duology
+ creative plot, world building, and magic
+ fighting against unfair politics, injustices, inequality, and power imbalance
+ Astrid!! You will love her!
+ masked morally grey villain
+ gods and goddesses
+ lurae/ancient magic abilities
+ forgiveness, healing and grief (especially due to death of a sibling plot)
+ thread weaving, invisible string (I loved this plot point!)
+ a beautiful and satisfying conclusion
+ dual POV & dual audiobook narration!!
+ complex characters in a character driven plot balanced with action
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: February 17, 2026
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Fantasy • Duology Series • Romantasy
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: Physical 📖 (464) & Audio🎧 (15h 3m)
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Ellie Gossage, Will Damron
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★★★★★ 𝟓
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟓✰
𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭: A satisfying conclusion to this must read debut duology series!
•𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬•
"And as much as I had tried to hate him until now, I didn't want anyone but him there to pick up the broken pieces of me. My jagged edges couldn't hurt him. He'd proven it over and over again.
"If I could go back, I would do it all differently. But not in the way you think. I would dance with you more. Touch you sooner. Make you laugh again and again. And kiss you the first time I considered it.”
•𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞•
🎧
I listened mostly on audio, but did find that when I physically read, there were so many beautiful passages and quotes I immediately annotated! The audiobook was everything I could have hoped for! Done to perfection with Ellie Gossage back to narrate and breathe audible life into our fantastic Revna! And to have Will Damron join on this one as Soren was the perfect addition! Sometimes it can be hard to keep track of a fantasy novel on audio but these two narrators did this book justice and made for such an easy listening experience!
February 25, 2026
Not the strongest follow up but still a good conclusion
4⭐️
2/5🌶️
Dual/first person POV
Book 2 in a duology
Format: audiobook
Spoiler free ish
I think I like this follow up just as much as book 1 even though the vibes are significantly different this time around. I LOVE when we only get the MMC’s POV in the following book so Soren’s POV was such a great addition here. I knew he was a yearner but now we really get to experience just how deep his feelings go for her.
The plot takes a little bit to get into & the pacing does stutter occasionally but this book definitely packs an action punch towards the end because the last third of the book had so much going on but in the most fun way! Also, I loved how the plot ended up unfolding & coming together; very original for the romantasy genre.
For me, the biggest hurdle was Revna. I thought her stubbornness last book could be seen as having spunk & character. But now, it felt like she was regressing up until the last third. At first, she was just plain bull headed & childish & thinking only about herself all the while parading it as if she’s really thinking about her kingdom or friends. I could not stand how she was justifying her anger at others & making all these excuses for herself while making the worst decisions. The self sabotage was bordering on absurd & I started to really get annoyed with her. It was a nice reprieve to be in someone else’s POV because her inner monologuing was grating.
I think the romance really saves Revna as well as the plot & most definitely the middle of the book. Soren just being who he is & feeling how he does kinda helped her come out of that state & into herself. These 2 were just everything this time🥹 they really tried to not be affected by each other but still it could not be helped; they’re jelly for one another.
& i must add: Ms BFF is a capital A hole😠 What kind of friend behaves like this knowing everything throughout the entire journey & justifies themselves afterward?! But I did love this subplot bacause it’s unfortunately very realistic in how friendships work.
While this is far from perfect, there is just something I find so pleasant about Alex’s writing. I’ve become such a fan after this duet.
4⭐️
2/5🌶️
Dual/first person POV
Book 2 in a duology
Format: audiobook
Spoiler free ish
I think I like this follow up just as much as book 1 even though the vibes are significantly different this time around. I LOVE when we only get the MMC’s POV in the following book so Soren’s POV was such a great addition here. I knew he was a yearner but now we really get to experience just how deep his feelings go for her.
The plot takes a little bit to get into & the pacing does stutter occasionally but this book definitely packs an action punch towards the end because the last third of the book had so much going on but in the most fun way! Also, I loved how the plot ended up unfolding & coming together; very original for the romantasy genre.
For me, the biggest hurdle was Revna. I thought her stubbornness last book could be seen as having spunk & character. But now, it felt like she was regressing up until the last third. At first, she was just plain bull headed & childish & thinking only about herself all the while parading it as if she’s really thinking about her kingdom or friends. I could not stand how she was justifying her anger at others & making all these excuses for herself while making the worst decisions. The self sabotage was bordering on absurd & I started to really get annoyed with her. It was a nice reprieve to be in someone else’s POV because her inner monologuing was grating.
I think the romance really saves Revna as well as the plot & most definitely the middle of the book. Soren just being who he is & feeling how he does kinda helped her come out of that state & into herself. These 2 were just everything this time🥹 they really tried to not be affected by each other but still it could not be helped; they’re jelly for one another.
& i must add: Ms BFF is a capital A hole😠 What kind of friend behaves like this knowing everything throughout the entire journey & justifies themselves afterward?! But I did love this subplot bacause it’s unfortunately very realistic in how friendships work.
While this is far from perfect, there is just something I find so pleasant about Alex’s writing. I’ve become such a fan after this duet.
February 6, 2026
Gods Beneath the Ice was a great conclusion to the Blood & Souls Duology! The author definitely improves from the first book, and I did enjoy Blood Beneath the Snow so I don't mean that in a snarky way. I loved learning more about the lore and having more world building that fleshed out this universe and setting that brought the plot to new heights. The romance had some great angsty moments and the absolute PAIN at the climax had me going for a minute!! The way Soren is only truly soft for Revna made me experience all the warm fuzzy feelings. Him being the only person to never leave her or hold the decisions she had to make when in impossible situations had my heart so full! Their relationship grew in the exact way it needed to and they're perfect for each other. A satisfying, unique plot with a romance that only made everything even better, this duology is definitely worth picking up!
Thank you to Ace Books, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early and free, finished copy!
Thank you to Ace Books, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early and free, finished copy!
February 27, 2026
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Fantasy / Romance
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
Gods Beneath the Ice is the second and final installment in author Alexandra Kennington's Blood & Souls duology. This is a series inspired by Norse Mythology. A romantasy duology that follows a princess who, after winning the crown, must grapple with what it means to rule. The story picks up with Revna, our fierce and complex protagonist, now burdened by newly emerged, unwanted powers after the dramatic events of the first book.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Fantasy / Romance
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
Gods Beneath the Ice is the second and final installment in author Alexandra Kennington's Blood & Souls duology. This is a series inspired by Norse Mythology. A romantasy duology that follows a princess who, after winning the crown, must grapple with what it means to rule. The story picks up with Revna, our fierce and complex protagonist, now burdened by newly emerged, unwanted powers after the dramatic events of the first book.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
February 25, 2026
God’s Beneath the Ice is book 2 of Alexandra Kennington’s Blood & Souls duology. I really enjoyed book 1 and was highly anticipating the conclusion. I loved the dual POV and how everything came together. There was so much that went into the world building, the back story and the relationships.
At times the pacing felt a bit slow to me but there was so much to weave together and I have to admit that I just wanted Revna and Soren together so I might have been a bit impatient.
This was a wonderful conclusion to the series/duology. My fellow romantasy lovers, you won’t want to miss it!
At times the pacing felt a bit slow to me but there was so much to weave together and I have to admit that I just wanted Revna and Soren together so I might have been a bit impatient.
This was a wonderful conclusion to the series/duology. My fellow romantasy lovers, you won’t want to miss it!
February 11, 2026
This was a SOLID 4 star duology! I really loved this story and the characters! There was enough build up to connect with the characters and really start to root for the main characters in what they are trying to do and their passionate romance as well! There were a few spicy scenes and I enjoyed them! I just loved all the characters throughout this series it really was an epic journey and I was so hooked!!! Absolutely recommend this fantasy duology!!!
Read
March 18, 2026Technically a DNF, but I almost finished it so I’ll set it as read. There’s a first time for everything I guess
February 17, 2026
Thanks to Ace for the free book!
Synopsis: Book two in the Blood & Souls duology.
Thoughts: Since the cliffhanger ending of book one, I have been anxiously awaiting the release of this book, and what a satisfying conclusion to this duology! I loved the expansion of the magic system and lore of this unique world. The plot and pacing are even better than book one, with twists that really surprised me. If you love an emotional, angsty romance, you will be obsessed with Revna and Soren. Overall, this is such a solidly good duology!
Read this duology if you like:
🗡️ romantasy
🗡️ magic
🗡️ political intrigue
🗡️ enemies to lovers
🗡️ character driven fantasy
🗡️ angst
Synopsis: Book two in the Blood & Souls duology.
Thoughts: Since the cliffhanger ending of book one, I have been anxiously awaiting the release of this book, and what a satisfying conclusion to this duology! I loved the expansion of the magic system and lore of this unique world. The plot and pacing are even better than book one, with twists that really surprised me. If you love an emotional, angsty romance, you will be obsessed with Revna and Soren. Overall, this is such a solidly good duology!
Read this duology if you like:
🗡️ romantasy
🗡️ magic
🗡️ political intrigue
🗡️ enemies to lovers
🗡️ character driven fantasy
🗡️ angst
November 17, 2025
This wrapped up so well! A very underrated duology. The author distracts you from the twists just enough to think you know whats coming but then finds a way to still surprise the reader. I enjoyed the underlying message of releaseing anger and forgiving yourself. I also really loved seeing characters saying they were proud of each other and the LGBTQ reps.
"Hey there, Princess. Sorry it took me so long"
Soren and Revna are such a slow burn. After the betrayals in book 1, I wasnt sure what to expect but they made it worth the wait. The ways they are similar especially with their magic feels like soul mates type love. They teamed up much better than when they were opposing sides.
Volkan and Jac deserved more on-page time!! Can we please get a spinoff series of them changing the discrimination laws in Faste and also, obviously, falling in love?!
Frode ❤️🔥 my favorite side character in this series! He is the sweetest character in this whole duology and the best brother. I cant imagine being burdened with knowing everyone's thoughts especially during a war and while fighting. I was glad he had a decent part of this book!
"Hey there, Princess. Sorry it took me so long"
Soren and Revna are such a slow burn. After the betrayals in book 1, I wasnt sure what to expect but they made it worth the wait. The ways they are similar especially with their magic feels like soul mates type love. They teamed up much better than when they were opposing sides.
Volkan and Jac deserved more on-page time!! Can we please get a spinoff series of them changing the discrimination laws in Faste and also, obviously, falling in love?!
Frode ❤️🔥 my favorite side character in this series! He is the sweetest character in this whole duology and the best brother. I cant imagine being burdened with knowing everyone's thoughts especially during a war and while fighting. I was glad he had a decent part of this book!
March 5, 2026
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Gods Beneath the Ice
Author: Alexandra Kennington
Book Series: Blood and Souls Duology Book 2
Rating: 3.5/5
Spice Rating: 2.5/5
Diversity: Queer characters, gay characters, asexual character, bisexual FMC and MMC, deaf and signing queer character
Recommended For...: Adult readers, Fantasy, Dystopian, Romantasy, Magic, LGBT+
Publication Date: February 17, 2026
Genre: Fantasy Dystopian Romantasy
Age Relevance: 18+ (anxiety, death, depression, domestic violence, drowning, romance, sexual content, grief, ableism, violence, language, suicide, religion, religious trauma, blood and body gore, PTSD)
Explanation of CWs: There are scenes showing anxiety, PTSD, and depression. There is domestic violence that is mentioned. There are scenes of violence, blood gore, body gore, and death. There is a drowning. There is romance and sexual content. There are scenes showing grief. There are ableist comments made. There is some cursing. There are scenes and mentions of religion (made-up) and religious trauma is shown.
If This Was a Taylor Swift Song: The Archer
Publisher: Ace
Pages: 464
Synopsis: Revna knew ruling would be difficult, but she never anticipated ruling with a newfound Lurae. The godtouched fear her, the godforsaken don't trust her, and her best friend doesn't know the truth she's been hiding. When the war-ending treaty is signed, Revna will reveal her secrets and finally put the Hellbringer behind her.
Except the Kryllian Queen refuses to sign the treaty when she discovers how volatile Revna's bloodsinging is. Desperate for any alliance, Revna begrudgingly agrees to the Queen's if Revna can learn to control her magic in three weeks, negotiations will resume. But there's a catch - the queen's general will be the one training her.
Revna will work with the Hellbringer once more, but she won't make it easy. But when the general reveals that the dead are unable to pass on, they realize there's more at stake than their tangled relationship. Ancient, powerful secrets tie the realm - and Revna and the Hellbringer - together, and their only hope of lasting peace is to unweave them.
Review: Overall, I thought that this was a pretty good sequel. I felt like the book took a hard left turn and we were kind of back at square one with our main characters. I liked that the book pretty much picked up from where we left off in the last book, but I also really liked the inclusion of Søren's chapters. I thought the world development was pretty well done and the character development was good. I also wouldn't entirely mind if we continued the series with some of the other characters from the books.
However, I do feel like the pacing was a bit all over the place and that there were a lot of lull moments in the book. I also feel like more could have been done with the World building and the character development of some of the side characters. I also feel like I felt so disconnected from this book is because we got thrown all new information about the world and the characters themselves that we had very little inkling of in the previous book. I think if more sprinkles of what was to come in this book were present in the previous then I would have connected a bit better.
Verdict: It was good and enjoyable! I would read this series again.
Book: Gods Beneath the Ice
Author: Alexandra Kennington
Book Series: Blood and Souls Duology Book 2
Rating: 3.5/5
Spice Rating: 2.5/5
Diversity: Queer characters, gay characters, asexual character, bisexual FMC and MMC, deaf and signing queer character
Recommended For...: Adult readers, Fantasy, Dystopian, Romantasy, Magic, LGBT+
Publication Date: February 17, 2026
Genre: Fantasy Dystopian Romantasy
Age Relevance: 18+ (anxiety, death, depression, domestic violence, drowning, romance, sexual content, grief, ableism, violence, language, suicide, religion, religious trauma, blood and body gore, PTSD)
Explanation of CWs: There are scenes showing anxiety, PTSD, and depression. There is domestic violence that is mentioned. There are scenes of violence, blood gore, body gore, and death. There is a drowning. There is romance and sexual content. There are scenes showing grief. There are ableist comments made. There is some cursing. There are scenes and mentions of religion (made-up) and religious trauma is shown.
If This Was a Taylor Swift Song: The Archer
Publisher: Ace
Pages: 464
Synopsis: Revna knew ruling would be difficult, but she never anticipated ruling with a newfound Lurae. The godtouched fear her, the godforsaken don't trust her, and her best friend doesn't know the truth she's been hiding. When the war-ending treaty is signed, Revna will reveal her secrets and finally put the Hellbringer behind her.
Except the Kryllian Queen refuses to sign the treaty when she discovers how volatile Revna's bloodsinging is. Desperate for any alliance, Revna begrudgingly agrees to the Queen's if Revna can learn to control her magic in three weeks, negotiations will resume. But there's a catch - the queen's general will be the one training her.
Revna will work with the Hellbringer once more, but she won't make it easy. But when the general reveals that the dead are unable to pass on, they realize there's more at stake than their tangled relationship. Ancient, powerful secrets tie the realm - and Revna and the Hellbringer - together, and their only hope of lasting peace is to unweave them.
Review: Overall, I thought that this was a pretty good sequel. I felt like the book took a hard left turn and we were kind of back at square one with our main characters. I liked that the book pretty much picked up from where we left off in the last book, but I also really liked the inclusion of Søren's chapters. I thought the world development was pretty well done and the character development was good. I also wouldn't entirely mind if we continued the series with some of the other characters from the books.
However, I do feel like the pacing was a bit all over the place and that there were a lot of lull moments in the book. I also feel like more could have been done with the World building and the character development of some of the side characters. I also feel like I felt so disconnected from this book is because we got thrown all new information about the world and the characters themselves that we had very little inkling of in the previous book. I think if more sprinkles of what was to come in this book were present in the previous then I would have connected a bit better.
Verdict: It was good and enjoyable! I would read this series again.
February 24, 2026
Thanks so much to Alexandra Kennington, Berkley Publishing Group | Ace, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this eARC!
I really enjoyed Blood Beneath the Ice and was worried this book would suffer from second book syndrome, but THIS is how you finish off a duology. This book is action-packed, but in the best way. The pacing was great, the twists not too unbelievable, and I felt like this two book series was wrapped up really nicely without feeling like the ending was rushed or that we needed more out of it. I will be thinking about this series for quite a while after wrapping this up.
I love the world that Alexandra has created--the characters, the diversity (racial, differently-abled, gender identity, and sexual orientation) among the citizens of the world she's built, the villains and otherworldly beings--everything is just really well done. And our main characters--ugh, chef's kiss. Revna is powerful but the author portrays her power tempered by human flaws and mistakes made out of her desire to keep the people she loves safe. I loved that she recognizes and acknowledges mistakes when she makes them and tries her best to reconcile and rectify them as much as possible. She takes everything on the chin and just gets up and keeps going. While she does have a chip on her shoulder, I appreciated that from the get-go she really tried to make the country better for everyone, not just the Nilurae. She was one of the rare FMCs in fantasy that I didn't roll my eyes at for doing dumb things because of their superiority complex. It was refreshing. And good lord, the man that Soren is--the things he says, his acts of love towards Revna, his patience (both in training her and in waiting to see if she can forgive him or move past what has happened between them without pressuring her for more than she's willing or able to give), his loyalty to those he cares for--I think he has moved right to the top of my list of book boyfriends. The vulnerability he displays to Revna and her ability to also expose her own insecurities to him through trust slowly built up over time was so wonderful to see over the course of the duology. And the spice, while not prolific, is so HOT. Soren had me fanning myself every single time. The side characters were also really well-done and did a great job of being a supporting cast and moving the story along. They were mostly endearing and relatable--but let's be clear, I hope Arne did suffer for being such a jackass. But otherwise, top-tier character creation in this novel.
The gifts given to Soren and Revna make a lot of sense within the context of the story and within the lore of their "gods"; I never felt like they were too crazy or over the top and I really enjoyed the fact that neither was the "savior" of the story--they were the balance of each other, the temperance of power between each other, neither more powerful than the other. They both need the other in order for their powers to work as designed, which I think is what a lot of fantasy stories are missing.
Overall, this book and this series have been one of my favorite reads of the year. I loved the new setting, the new take on gods and god-given powers and abilities, and the story overall. Would recommend to everyone, without question. Five stars from me.
I really enjoyed Blood Beneath the Ice and was worried this book would suffer from second book syndrome, but THIS is how you finish off a duology. This book is action-packed, but in the best way. The pacing was great, the twists not too unbelievable, and I felt like this two book series was wrapped up really nicely without feeling like the ending was rushed or that we needed more out of it. I will be thinking about this series for quite a while after wrapping this up.
I love the world that Alexandra has created--the characters, the diversity (racial, differently-abled, gender identity, and sexual orientation) among the citizens of the world she's built, the villains and otherworldly beings--everything is just really well done. And our main characters--ugh, chef's kiss. Revna is powerful but the author portrays her power tempered by human flaws and mistakes made out of her desire to keep the people she loves safe. I loved that she recognizes and acknowledges mistakes when she makes them and tries her best to reconcile and rectify them as much as possible. She takes everything on the chin and just gets up and keeps going. While she does have a chip on her shoulder, I appreciated that from the get-go she really tried to make the country better for everyone, not just the Nilurae. She was one of the rare FMCs in fantasy that I didn't roll my eyes at for doing dumb things because of their superiority complex. It was refreshing. And good lord, the man that Soren is--the things he says, his acts of love towards Revna, his patience (both in training her and in waiting to see if she can forgive him or move past what has happened between them without pressuring her for more than she's willing or able to give), his loyalty to those he cares for--I think he has moved right to the top of my list of book boyfriends. The vulnerability he displays to Revna and her ability to also expose her own insecurities to him through trust slowly built up over time was so wonderful to see over the course of the duology. And the spice, while not prolific, is so HOT. Soren had me fanning myself every single time. The side characters were also really well-done and did a great job of being a supporting cast and moving the story along. They were mostly endearing and relatable--but let's be clear, I hope Arne did suffer for being such a jackass. But otherwise, top-tier character creation in this novel.
The gifts given to Soren and Revna make a lot of sense within the context of the story and within the lore of their "gods"; I never felt like they were too crazy or over the top and I really enjoyed the fact that neither was the "savior" of the story--they were the balance of each other, the temperance of power between each other, neither more powerful than the other. They both need the other in order for their powers to work as designed, which I think is what a lot of fantasy stories are missing.
Overall, this book and this series have been one of my favorite reads of the year. I loved the new setting, the new take on gods and god-given powers and abilities, and the story overall. Would recommend to everyone, without question. Five stars from me.
February 14, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for inviting me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
4.5 stars.
This was such a good sequel! I am glad I was invited to read an ARC of this otherwise I never would have read this duology. I would have been missing out severely!
The second book had some moments that were a little slower for me, but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment level.
There are so many tropes in this book that just hit so hard. I love enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers again. And the enemies to lovers was done so well! Revna didn’t just jump to forgive Søren right away, even if deep down she still cared for him.
I also love a good corruption arc, especially when it involved a character’s magic. Revna wasn’t completely evil, but she also stood her ground and didn’t take crap from anyone! I’m a sucker for everyone thinks they are a monster but only another “monster” can understand them.
Revna is such a complex character, and I loved her as the lead. She struggled and didn’t have it easy, but she still fought. She was never annoying and is such a cool and strong woman.
And Søren, don’t even get me started about Søren. What a MAN. He is such a sweetheart and I love how much he worships Revna. He also is a good brother, even though I’m not sure Sonja really deserved it to be honest. I love how he never left and always cared even when things were tough. He is supportive and never put her down, even when she couldn’t control her magic. He is so dreamy too. Everything you’d want in a good partner!
I thought some things came a little too easily for the characters at times, but I didn’t even really care because all I really cared about was Revna and Søren’s relationship. They made the book for me. It was such a slow burn, but so good.
It is a good mix of politics, magic, fighting, and romance, so if you’re looking for a book that has all of that, this would be the one to read!
Astrid is an unsung hero. She was such a cool character and I feel like she didn’t get the praise she deserves! Freja is the worst type of friend. She annoyed me so badly in this book. I can understand her being upset at Revna’s actions, but to treat her supposed best friend the way she did is inexcusable in my eyes.
I loved what little we saw of Jac and Volkan. I wanted more though! I would NOT mind a spin off with them as the main characters.
I even wouldn’t mind a sequel for Revna and Søren, though I do think their story is complete.
This was a phenomenal sequel, and I ate it up.
4.5 stars.
This was such a good sequel! I am glad I was invited to read an ARC of this otherwise I never would have read this duology. I would have been missing out severely!
The second book had some moments that were a little slower for me, but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment level.
There are so many tropes in this book that just hit so hard. I love enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers again. And the enemies to lovers was done so well! Revna didn’t just jump to forgive Søren right away, even if deep down she still cared for him.
I also love a good corruption arc, especially when it involved a character’s magic. Revna wasn’t completely evil, but she also stood her ground and didn’t take crap from anyone! I’m a sucker for everyone thinks they are a monster but only another “monster” can understand them.
Revna is such a complex character, and I loved her as the lead. She struggled and didn’t have it easy, but she still fought. She was never annoying and is such a cool and strong woman.
And Søren, don’t even get me started about Søren. What a MAN. He is such a sweetheart and I love how much he worships Revna. He also is a good brother, even though I’m not sure Sonja really deserved it to be honest. I love how he never left and always cared even when things were tough. He is supportive and never put her down, even when she couldn’t control her magic. He is so dreamy too. Everything you’d want in a good partner!
I thought some things came a little too easily for the characters at times, but I didn’t even really care because all I really cared about was Revna and Søren’s relationship. They made the book for me. It was such a slow burn, but so good.
It is a good mix of politics, magic, fighting, and romance, so if you’re looking for a book that has all of that, this would be the one to read!
Astrid is an unsung hero. She was such a cool character and I feel like she didn’t get the praise she deserves! Freja is the worst type of friend. She annoyed me so badly in this book. I can understand her being upset at Revna’s actions, but to treat her supposed best friend the way she did is inexcusable in my eyes.
I loved what little we saw of Jac and Volkan. I wanted more though! I would NOT mind a spin off with them as the main characters.
I even wouldn’t mind a sequel for Revna and Søren, though I do think their story is complete.
This was a phenomenal sequel, and I ate it up.
March 30, 2026
Thanks to @acebookspub @berkleyromance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley & @prhaudio #prhaudiopartner for the free book & #gifted ALC.
⚔️ Review - GODS BENEATH THE ICE (Blood & Souls #2) ⚔️
Author - Alexandra Kennington
Pub Date - 2/17/26
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this romantasy duology and because it ended with a pretty intense cliffhanger, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the sequel. I flew through Gods Beneath the Ice in just a couple of sittings, and boy, it did not disappoint!
Picking up right where the first book left off, this one does a deep dive in Reyna’s journey as she deal with the challenges and struggles that come with being a new Queen, and which are compounded by the fact that she is also learning about her new magical powers.
I loved Revna in the first book and was really impressed by her strength and resilience in this one because she goes through so many trials and tribulations. No matter how many times she gets knocked down, she continues to get up and fight. I was fully invested in her personal journey and was equally invested in the slow burn romance between Revna and Soren. Soren is completely devoted to Revna and I was just so here for it!
What I especially loved about this duology is how fully fleshed out the characters, world building, and the magic system are in just two relatively short books. The author did a great job and no element of the story felt like it was lacking.
I read this one with my eyes and ears.. Ellie Gossage and Will Damron narrate and I loved how their voices worked together. They do such a wonderful job bringing these characters to life, and the audiobook nicely elevated my overall experience with the book.
⚔️ Review - GODS BENEATH THE ICE (Blood & Souls #2) ⚔️
Author - Alexandra Kennington
Pub Date - 2/17/26
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this romantasy duology and because it ended with a pretty intense cliffhanger, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the sequel. I flew through Gods Beneath the Ice in just a couple of sittings, and boy, it did not disappoint!
Picking up right where the first book left off, this one does a deep dive in Reyna’s journey as she deal with the challenges and struggles that come with being a new Queen, and which are compounded by the fact that she is also learning about her new magical powers.
I loved Revna in the first book and was really impressed by her strength and resilience in this one because she goes through so many trials and tribulations. No matter how many times she gets knocked down, she continues to get up and fight. I was fully invested in her personal journey and was equally invested in the slow burn romance between Revna and Soren. Soren is completely devoted to Revna and I was just so here for it!
What I especially loved about this duology is how fully fleshed out the characters, world building, and the magic system are in just two relatively short books. The author did a great job and no element of the story felt like it was lacking.
I read this one with my eyes and ears.. Ellie Gossage and Will Damron narrate and I loved how their voices worked together. They do such a wonderful job bringing these characters to life, and the audiobook nicely elevated my overall experience with the book.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I had been waiting for this book ever since I reached the ending of the first one. From that final chapter alone, I knew I needed to see what she was going to do next—especially once she came into her new power. And honestly? It did not disappoint.
From the very beginning, I felt so deeply for her. Nothing in her life was ever easy—not then, not now, not even when she finally gained power. Every step forward came with pain, sacrifice, and impossible choices. That’s why I’ll say this loud and clear: I will always support her decisions, no matter what. If she falls in love with the enemy? I support it. Fully. After everything she’s endured, she deserves love, peace, and choice—even if the world hates who she chooses.
Spoilers ahead
Now let’s talk about the best friend—because I’m sorry, but I did not love her. Not at all. The main character did everything to save her. She risked herself, her freedom, her future—only for that same best friend to suddenly turn around and label her a danger simply because she now has power? Absolutely not.
That argument falls flat for me. If it weren’t for the main character, her so-called best friend would have either stayed imprisoned or died. Period. The lack of gratitude, trust, and loyalty was infuriating, especially considering everything the main character sacrificed. Power didn’t make her dangerous—fear did.
This final book was emotional, frustrating, romantic, and powerful in all the ways a romantasy conclusion should be. It hurt, it healed, and it stayed true to a heroine who has always had to fight for everything she has. And I wouldn’t have wanted her story to end any other way.
From the very beginning, I felt so deeply for her. Nothing in her life was ever easy—not then, not now, not even when she finally gained power. Every step forward came with pain, sacrifice, and impossible choices. That’s why I’ll say this loud and clear: I will always support her decisions, no matter what. If she falls in love with the enemy? I support it. Fully. After everything she’s endured, she deserves love, peace, and choice—even if the world hates who she chooses.
Spoilers ahead
Now let’s talk about the best friend—because I’m sorry, but I did not love her. Not at all. The main character did everything to save her. She risked herself, her freedom, her future—only for that same best friend to suddenly turn around and label her a danger simply because she now has power? Absolutely not.
That argument falls flat for me. If it weren’t for the main character, her so-called best friend would have either stayed imprisoned or died. Period. The lack of gratitude, trust, and loyalty was infuriating, especially considering everything the main character sacrificed. Power didn’t make her dangerous—fear did.
This final book was emotional, frustrating, romantic, and powerful in all the ways a romantasy conclusion should be. It hurt, it healed, and it stayed true to a heroine who has always had to fight for everything she has. And I wouldn’t have wanted her story to end any other way.
February 9, 2026
𝙶𝚘𝚍𝚜 𝙱𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙸𝚌𝚎 📖
✍🏻 𝚋𝚢: 𝙰𝚕𝚎𝚡𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚛𝚊 𝙺𝚎𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚝𝚘𝚗
𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕜 𝕪𝕠𝕦 🫶🏻 Berkley for the beautiful free finished copy and PRHAudio for the #gifted audiobook. #berkleypartner #berkleyromance #PRHAudiopartner I am so grateful! All opinions are my own.
𝔽𝕒𝕧𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖 𝕢𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖 💕
“If I could go back, I would do it all differently. But not in the way you think. I would dance with you more. Touch you sooner. Make you laugh again and again. And kiss you the first time I considered it.”
𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪 ✏️
Gods Beneath the Ice is the second book in the Blood & Souls Duology. “Heartbroken and grappling with unwanted powers, Revna must work with the person she swore to forget if she’s to lead her people and unravel the secrets behind her new magic.”
𝕄𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 💭
I just love this duology so much and absolutely devoured this book! These stories have everything you could want in a romantic fantasy including monumental world building, amazing characters, heart-pounding action and an epic love story. Once again, Revna is feisty, brave and fights for her people and for the things she holds dear and Soren shows so much vulnerability throughout the story that I fell hard for him all over again. This is a fantastic conclusion to this series and personally I loved it even more than the first because this time we got a dual pov!!
𝔸𝕦𝕕𝕚𝕠 ℕ𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤 🎧
I loved the audio of both these books and would highly recommend them! Ellie Gossage is fantastic once again and the addition of Will Damron for book 2 only increased my enjoyment of the story!
ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕚𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 📖
✩ Enemies to Lovers
✩ Second Chance
✩ Forced Proximity
✩ Slow Burn
✩ Chosen One
✩ Dual POV
✍🏻 𝚋𝚢: 𝙰𝚕𝚎𝚡𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚛𝚊 𝙺𝚎𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚝𝚘𝚗
𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕜 𝕪𝕠𝕦 🫶🏻 Berkley for the beautiful free finished copy and PRHAudio for the #gifted audiobook. #berkleypartner #berkleyromance #PRHAudiopartner I am so grateful! All opinions are my own.
𝔽𝕒𝕧𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖 𝕢𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖 💕
“If I could go back, I would do it all differently. But not in the way you think. I would dance with you more. Touch you sooner. Make you laugh again and again. And kiss you the first time I considered it.”
𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪 ✏️
Gods Beneath the Ice is the second book in the Blood & Souls Duology. “Heartbroken and grappling with unwanted powers, Revna must work with the person she swore to forget if she’s to lead her people and unravel the secrets behind her new magic.”
𝕄𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 💭
I just love this duology so much and absolutely devoured this book! These stories have everything you could want in a romantic fantasy including monumental world building, amazing characters, heart-pounding action and an epic love story. Once again, Revna is feisty, brave and fights for her people and for the things she holds dear and Soren shows so much vulnerability throughout the story that I fell hard for him all over again. This is a fantastic conclusion to this series and personally I loved it even more than the first because this time we got a dual pov!!
𝔸𝕦𝕕𝕚𝕠 ℕ𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤 🎧
I loved the audio of both these books and would highly recommend them! Ellie Gossage is fantastic once again and the addition of Will Damron for book 2 only increased my enjoyment of the story!
ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕚𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 📖
✩ Enemies to Lovers
✩ Second Chance
✩ Forced Proximity
✩ Slow Burn
✩ Chosen One
✩ Dual POV
January 15, 2026
Gods Beneath the Ice is a strong, emotionally grounded conclusion to the Blood & Souls duology and a satisfying follow-up to Blood Beneath the Snow. Alexandra Kennington expands the world and the magic while keeping the story centered on Revna and the weight of what she’s inherited.
Revna’s struggle as queen felt raw and believable. Her newly awakened abilities complicate everything, and I appreciated that leadership doesn’t come easily or cleanly for her. The way the story connects magic, history, and identity is thoughtfully handled, even if I would have liked some of those threads introduced a bit earlier.
I was especially excited to get Soren’s POV in this installment. His perspective adds emotional depth and balance, and his dynamic with Revna is layered with tension shaped by mistrust, shared history, and the fallout from past choices. Their relationship remains the emotional core of the story, even when they’re forced onto opposite footing.
The middle section dragged slightly for me, particularly coming right after the intensity of the Blood Trials, but the later twists pulled me back in. Several reveals genuinely surprised me, and the emotional reasoning behind the villains, especially Queen Anja, played out better than I expected.
Overall, this is a satisfying and thoughtful conclusion. While the pacing kept it from being a full five stars for me, the character arcs, magic, and central relationship made it well worth the journey.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
Release Date: February 17, 2026
Revna’s struggle as queen felt raw and believable. Her newly awakened abilities complicate everything, and I appreciated that leadership doesn’t come easily or cleanly for her. The way the story connects magic, history, and identity is thoughtfully handled, even if I would have liked some of those threads introduced a bit earlier.
I was especially excited to get Soren’s POV in this installment. His perspective adds emotional depth and balance, and his dynamic with Revna is layered with tension shaped by mistrust, shared history, and the fallout from past choices. Their relationship remains the emotional core of the story, even when they’re forced onto opposite footing.
The middle section dragged slightly for me, particularly coming right after the intensity of the Blood Trials, but the later twists pulled me back in. Several reveals genuinely surprised me, and the emotional reasoning behind the villains, especially Queen Anja, played out better than I expected.
Overall, this is a satisfying and thoughtful conclusion. While the pacing kept it from being a full five stars for me, the character arcs, magic, and central relationship made it well worth the journey.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
Release Date: February 17, 2026
December 23, 2025
Thank you so much to Alex for reaching out to ensure I was able to get early access to Gods Beneath the Ice! I absolutely adored Blood Beneath the Snow so I feel so lucky to have read this one early as well!
The conclusion to this duology caught me off guard in the best way, I wasn’t sure where we were going to head after the cliffhanger from the first book but we pick up where we left off and barrel on to a devastating end. I swooned, I cried, and I held on for dear life on the edge of my seat.
My beautiful Revna went THROUGH it this book. I was actually so sad for her because she kept getting knocked down, but would get back up every time. She is still one of my favorite FMCs because of her resilience in the face of it all. I loved watching her weave her own narrative. I was worried only briefly for the romance aspect of this because of how book one ended but it was handled really well and I loved how she and Søren fit together (and I just get to picture Adam Driver the whole time so that’s a plus).
Sequels are hard to review without spoiling too much so I just want to say go pick up this duology if you haven’t already. It will sweep you off your feet and take you through an intense journey that wraps up so beautifully. I am SO sad this world is coming to a close because I could have spent so much more time there, but I’m so excited to see what Alex does next!
Gods Beneath the Ice comes out February 17 and I highly recommend checking it out!
The conclusion to this duology caught me off guard in the best way, I wasn’t sure where we were going to head after the cliffhanger from the first book but we pick up where we left off and barrel on to a devastating end. I swooned, I cried, and I held on for dear life on the edge of my seat.
My beautiful Revna went THROUGH it this book. I was actually so sad for her because she kept getting knocked down, but would get back up every time. She is still one of my favorite FMCs because of her resilience in the face of it all. I loved watching her weave her own narrative. I was worried only briefly for the romance aspect of this because of how book one ended but it was handled really well and I loved how she and Søren fit together (and I just get to picture Adam Driver the whole time so that’s a plus).
Sequels are hard to review without spoiling too much so I just want to say go pick up this duology if you haven’t already. It will sweep you off your feet and take you through an intense journey that wraps up so beautifully. I am SO sad this world is coming to a close because I could have spent so much more time there, but I’m so excited to see what Alex does next!
Gods Beneath the Ice comes out February 17 and I highly recommend checking it out!
April 1, 2026
5⭐ 1.5🌶️ 5🎧
✨Review Highlights✨
- Wonderful narration by Ellie Gossage and Will Damron
- Great writing
- Fast paced
- Wonderful plot
- Great ending
I loved this duology. The worldbuilding and magic system were well thought out and it made sense. I truly loved these characters and was very happy with the ending that they got in this book. This book is full of twists and turns, some I saw coming others didn't even cross my mind as a possibility. This duology will tear your heart out and then put it back in your chest only to be ripped out again. This story is an emotional roller-coaster but it is so worth the ride, especially if you need a really emotional read.
I really enjoyed the plot and the prose in this book. I had a great experience reading this story, not only could I not put it down but it also had some great points and things to really think about when it comes to religion and politics. There is some really interesting and thought provoking things written in this duology and I liked seeing all the different perspectives of the MMC and FMC in these situations.
I really enjoyed the ending to this story, I thought it was really well done and exactly what I think the characters wanted and deserved. They truly earned their ending.
I would recommend this duology, if you are a fan of romantasy I feel you would enjoy this story.
✨Review Highlights✨
- Wonderful narration by Ellie Gossage and Will Damron
- Great writing
- Fast paced
- Wonderful plot
- Great ending
I loved this duology. The worldbuilding and magic system were well thought out and it made sense. I truly loved these characters and was very happy with the ending that they got in this book. This book is full of twists and turns, some I saw coming others didn't even cross my mind as a possibility. This duology will tear your heart out and then put it back in your chest only to be ripped out again. This story is an emotional roller-coaster but it is so worth the ride, especially if you need a really emotional read.
I really enjoyed the plot and the prose in this book. I had a great experience reading this story, not only could I not put it down but it also had some great points and things to really think about when it comes to religion and politics. There is some really interesting and thought provoking things written in this duology and I liked seeing all the different perspectives of the MMC and FMC in these situations.
I really enjoyed the ending to this story, I thought it was really well done and exactly what I think the characters wanted and deserved. They truly earned their ending.
I would recommend this duology, if you are a fan of romantasy I feel you would enjoy this story.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you for the free arc, Ace books!
In the second book of this romantasy duology, it picks up right where book one left off. Revna has realized her true potential with her lurae, and she feels betrayed by many close to her. She also has a new role to fill within the kingdom. In this book, she and Soren need to work together to fulfill their destiny that was predicted years ago in a prophecy.
Please forgive my deliberately vague synopsis- I want to keep the review spoiler-free because the ending of book one was so good. However, without giving anything away, this book is extremely satisfying to the reader by providing many answers and giving the characters a great arc, development, and ending. It is filled with jaw dropping moments, twists and turns, and villains. It is quite different from the first book, and I think I missed some of the intrigue and mystery of that, but it was still very bingeworthy, exciting, and worth reading. I love a duology because it isn’t a huge commitment like a long series but gives you more time with the characters that you grow to love than a standalone book does. Overall, I highly recommend reading this duology in its entirety.
In the second book of this romantasy duology, it picks up right where book one left off. Revna has realized her true potential with her lurae, and she feels betrayed by many close to her. She also has a new role to fill within the kingdom. In this book, she and Soren need to work together to fulfill their destiny that was predicted years ago in a prophecy.
Please forgive my deliberately vague synopsis- I want to keep the review spoiler-free because the ending of book one was so good. However, without giving anything away, this book is extremely satisfying to the reader by providing many answers and giving the characters a great arc, development, and ending. It is filled with jaw dropping moments, twists and turns, and villains. It is quite different from the first book, and I think I missed some of the intrigue and mystery of that, but it was still very bingeworthy, exciting, and worth reading. I love a duology because it isn’t a huge commitment like a long series but gives you more time with the characters that you grow to love than a standalone book does. Overall, I highly recommend reading this duology in its entirety.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Gods Beneath the Ice is the second and last book in the Blood & Souls duology. I enjoyed the first book, Blood Beneath the Snow. I also love duologies because I think it’s the perfect number of books to develop and wrap up a fantasy series, without dragging the story out. Gods Beneath the Ice has all the elements that make a great fantasy: interesting worldbuilding and politics, plenty of action, and a very satisfying love story.
I loved Revna and Soren’s romance and Soren’s devotion to her. His support of Revna was unwavering, despite all her mistakes and bad decisions. Unlike Revna’s supposedly best friend, Freja, who was really unfair and unkind to Revna, in my opinion. Besides Freja, there were many great secondary characters who enriched the story.
As I mentioned, the worldbuilding was interesting. I especially liked the idea of the Tapestry and the memories introduced in the second half of the book. I found it fascinating. The ending was very satisfying. I thoroughly enjoyed Blood & Souls duology, and look forward to reading more books by Alexandra Kennington.
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley
I loved Revna and Soren’s romance and Soren’s devotion to her. His support of Revna was unwavering, despite all her mistakes and bad decisions. Unlike Revna’s supposedly best friend, Freja, who was really unfair and unkind to Revna, in my opinion. Besides Freja, there were many great secondary characters who enriched the story.
As I mentioned, the worldbuilding was interesting. I especially liked the idea of the Tapestry and the memories introduced in the second half of the book. I found it fascinating. The ending was very satisfying. I thoroughly enjoyed Blood & Souls duology, and look forward to reading more books by Alexandra Kennington.
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was such a great follow up and conclusion to the series.
Revna is now queen. She is way over her head, especially with her deadly ability. Her friends don't trust her and the man she loves has killed her brother. To form a peace treaty with the Queen of a neighboring kingdom, she needs to master her ability. The only person who can properly train her is her former lover.
Loved how we definitely see Revna's despair and growth in this book. Just like with book 1, the twists and turns in this story makes the story exciting all the way to the end. My major gripe is how prejudiced and immature her closest friends turned out. Maybe that's why they were best friends in the first book? Revna was definitely more idealistic and immature in the first one. In this book, we see a lot of her growth while her best friends seemed to have stayed stagnant. My favorite parts were definitely Soren and Revna's journey back to each other.
This duology should be read like a single book to get the full emotional experience.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, Ace and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Revna is now queen. She is way over her head, especially with her deadly ability. Her friends don't trust her and the man she loves has killed her brother. To form a peace treaty with the Queen of a neighboring kingdom, she needs to master her ability. The only person who can properly train her is her former lover.
Loved how we definitely see Revna's despair and growth in this book. Just like with book 1, the twists and turns in this story makes the story exciting all the way to the end. My major gripe is how prejudiced and immature her closest friends turned out. Maybe that's why they were best friends in the first book? Revna was definitely more idealistic and immature in the first one. In this book, we see a lot of her growth while her best friends seemed to have stayed stagnant. My favorite parts were definitely Soren and Revna's journey back to each other.
This duology should be read like a single book to get the full emotional experience.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, Ace and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 29, 2025
Thanks so much to Ace Books Publishing for the ARC or Gods Beneath the Ice by Alexandra Kennington.
I found the FMC, Revna, to be both relatable and perfectly flawed. I’m so used to main characters in fantasy novels being “the chosen one” or “secret royalty” that it was refreshing to see a FMC that was a little different. Yes, Revna was born to royalty, but is she cut out for leadership? I also liked how the author didn’t have everyone forgive the mistakes that the FMC made. It made this story a little more realistic to me (yes, I know that this is a fantasy book).
When reading this story, I thought that there was no way the author could wrap everything up in two books. While all the loose ends did get tied up, I wish there was more! It almost felt too easy of a conclusion after everything goes wrong for the main characters. But I guess I will take what I can get and I will be looking out for more books by this author!
You will like Blood Beneath the Snow if you like:
🐺Masked men
🫦Enemies to lovers to…?
⚔️Deadly competition
🔥Slow burn… until it isn’t.
🖤Forced proximity
I found the FMC, Revna, to be both relatable and perfectly flawed. I’m so used to main characters in fantasy novels being “the chosen one” or “secret royalty” that it was refreshing to see a FMC that was a little different. Yes, Revna was born to royalty, but is she cut out for leadership? I also liked how the author didn’t have everyone forgive the mistakes that the FMC made. It made this story a little more realistic to me (yes, I know that this is a fantasy book).
When reading this story, I thought that there was no way the author could wrap everything up in two books. While all the loose ends did get tied up, I wish there was more! It almost felt too easy of a conclusion after everything goes wrong for the main characters. But I guess I will take what I can get and I will be looking out for more books by this author!
You will like Blood Beneath the Snow if you like:
🐺Masked men
🫦Enemies to lovers to…?
⚔️Deadly competition
🔥Slow burn… until it isn’t.
🖤Forced proximity
February 2, 2026
Such a solid ending to a duology. I was engaged the whole time I was reading the book, mostly because Revna and Soren are of course broken up. It was very illuminating to see more of the queen and soren and how soren is a scholar? I was surprised by that. Also the forced proximity with soren and revna was just perfect. Revna struggling with her magic, her friendships (she has terrible friends btw), and her broken heart was very emotional. She really changes throughout the book and the end result is very surprising. The backstory with the “gods” and magic was quite unique for me. They are not quite gods but it shows you how an idea can become so explosive it creates such a deep conflict. Soren and Revna navigating their rocky relationship was also the deep connection this book needed. They totally need each other and they compliment the other so well. My only red flag is of course Revna’s friends but it’s for the best. I loved the action scenes, the discoveries and the conclusion to this story. Very well done
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you Ace Books via NetGalley and PRH Audio for the gifted review copies!
This was a really strong conclusion to the duology, and I appreciated that this story was always intended to be just two books. I sometimes get tired of extended series, and this felt focused and complete in a really satisfying way.
The drama surrounding the Kryllian Queen was especially interesting, and I enjoyed getting to dig deeper into the world’s mythology and magic. Seeing those elements expanded added a lot of weight to Revna’s journey and the larger stakes of the story.
There were still a few moments that felt fairly typical of romantasy, and I think the story would have stood just fine without them, but they didn’t detract too much from the overall experience. The strength of the worldbuilding and the broader narrative kept me invested despite those smaller, familiar beats.
Overall, I really enjoyed this duology and thought it wrapped up in a way that felt earned.
Ellie Gossage and Will Damron were both enjoyable to listen to and worked well together as narrators.
This was a really strong conclusion to the duology, and I appreciated that this story was always intended to be just two books. I sometimes get tired of extended series, and this felt focused and complete in a really satisfying way.
The drama surrounding the Kryllian Queen was especially interesting, and I enjoyed getting to dig deeper into the world’s mythology and magic. Seeing those elements expanded added a lot of weight to Revna’s journey and the larger stakes of the story.
There were still a few moments that felt fairly typical of romantasy, and I think the story would have stood just fine without them, but they didn’t detract too much from the overall experience. The strength of the worldbuilding and the broader narrative kept me invested despite those smaller, familiar beats.
Overall, I really enjoyed this duology and thought it wrapped up in a way that felt earned.
Ellie Gossage and Will Damron were both enjoyable to listen to and worked well together as narrators.
February 21, 2026
This Blood & Souls finale gave me everything I wanted for the conclusion to this duology! I loved the forced proximity, second-chance tension, broody general energy, and magic that feels genuinely dangerous. Revna struggling with her volatile bloodsinging while having to train with the literal Hellbringer she swore off? Loved the angst here, and it was especially interesting to learn more about the history and gods that played into their shaky alliance.
The dual narrators absolutely elevated it. Having both POVs made the emotional moments hit harder, and made their banter more fun.
The political stakes and the mystery aspect with the Kryllian Queen, the treaty, and the magical abilities kept the plot moving! There are surprises, secrets, and questions left unanswered until the end. I love that this is a duology! You get all the epic fantasy vibes of a series wrapped up into two books. I definitely recommend these books to anyone looking to add some open door romantasy to their list!
The dual narrators absolutely elevated it. Having both POVs made the emotional moments hit harder, and made their banter more fun.
The political stakes and the mystery aspect with the Kryllian Queen, the treaty, and the magical abilities kept the plot moving! There are surprises, secrets, and questions left unanswered until the end. I love that this is a duology! You get all the epic fantasy vibes of a series wrapped up into two books. I definitely recommend these books to anyone looking to add some open door romantasy to their list!
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