What do you think?
Rate this book
Godsbane Prince #1
Snowmancer
A future king. A slave’s last hope. Can a sacrifice become something more?Ilyas wants someone he can trust. As the heir to a great kingdom, all he can count on is the treachery of his younger brothers as he protects his future throne. When he receives his latest spoils of war, he meets a slave who’s different. A slave with a hidden agenda…
Jem is the last chance for his people. Shunned by his brethren, he yearns to save them with an impossible kidnap Prince Ilyas and sacrifice him to Jem’s Dark God. Against all odds, he captures the prince and carts him across the frozen wasteland.
Now Jem must keep Ilyas safe for the sacrifice and push down his urges to do more than protect the heir to the throne. Ilyas knows he can’t trust the slave, but he feels like he’s finally found a man he can love. As their attraction builds, they grow closer to a god that could destroy them both.
Snowmancer is an LGBT dark fantasy novella set in a far-off kingdom. If you like unpredictable plot twists, rich descriptions, and tantalizing chemistry, then you’ll love Olivia Helling’s incredible tale of adventure, sacrifice, and love.
Buy Snowmancer to warm up to a forbidden love story today!
Jem is the last chance for his people. Shunned by his brethren, he yearns to save them with an impossible kidnap Prince Ilyas and sacrifice him to Jem’s Dark God. Against all odds, he captures the prince and carts him across the frozen wasteland.
Now Jem must keep Ilyas safe for the sacrifice and push down his urges to do more than protect the heir to the throne. Ilyas knows he can’t trust the slave, but he feels like he’s finally found a man he can love. As their attraction builds, they grow closer to a god that could destroy them both.
Snowmancer is an LGBT dark fantasy novella set in a far-off kingdom. If you like unpredictable plot twists, rich descriptions, and tantalizing chemistry, then you’ll love Olivia Helling’s incredible tale of adventure, sacrifice, and love.
Buy Snowmancer to warm up to a forbidden love story today!
181 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2015
136 people are currently reading
333 people want to read
About the author
Olivia Helling
13 books48 followersOlivia Helling writes the dark fantasy series GODSBANE PRINCE and the historical fantasy romance series DAMON SNOW. Although she grew up an avid book lover, she couldn’t find the LGBTQ fantasy she’d always wanted. So now she writes them herself.
With a Religion & Culture degree and a love of history, she crafts wonderfully dark worlds and malicious gods. As if that weren’t trial enough, she burdens her protagonists with her own struggles of vulnerability and self-doubt, love and obsession. But through twists and intrigue that keep readers guessing to the last page, characters and readers alike finally emerge like a light in the darkness.
Olivia loves to talk with readers, so come chat at:
oliviahelling.com
facebook.com/oliviahelling
goodreads.com/oliviahelling
And get her beautiful and tragic love story, GOD CURSED, for free at:
oliviahelling.com/yourfreebook/
With a Religion & Culture degree and a love of history, she crafts wonderfully dark worlds and malicious gods. As if that weren’t trial enough, she burdens her protagonists with her own struggles of vulnerability and self-doubt, love and obsession. But through twists and intrigue that keep readers guessing to the last page, characters and readers alike finally emerge like a light in the darkness.
Olivia loves to talk with readers, so come chat at:
oliviahelling.com
facebook.com/oliviahelling
goodreads.com/oliviahelling
And get her beautiful and tragic love story, GOD CURSED, for free at:
oliviahelling.com/yourfreebook/
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
June 26, 2015
I'm not sure why there aren't more ratings/reviews because this book was great!
Don't get me wrong - it's not a romance. Actually the romance is kind of... a bit underdeveloped? I missed the feelings.
But yeah, scratch that.
This is fantasy in a world of ice and snow. It's devestating, some time confusing but also quite hopeful.
It wasn't perfect, I'm still not sure if I got everything in the end but it was captivating.
Defintly worth recommanding if you love fantasy.
Don't get me wrong - it's not a romance. Actually the romance is kind of... a bit underdeveloped? I missed the feelings.
But yeah, scratch that.
This is fantasy in a world of ice and snow. It's devestating, some time confusing but also quite hopeful.
It wasn't perfect, I'm still not sure if I got everything in the end but it was captivating.
Defintly worth recommanding if you love fantasy.
July 18, 2024
Insubstantial, with unrealistic character development and half-baked worldbuilding. I'll give it two stars because I didn't completely hate it, and it was quite short so I suppose there wasn't too much scope for development, but... eh.
July 21, 2015
The author made clever use of the prompt and the prompt picture, weaving an interesting ttale about a dark God, sacrifices and so on. The writing was very vague, and I had trouble trying to figure out what is going on. It is also not really a romance, as I did not feel any real chemistry between the MC's. Not a bad book, just not for me
December 29, 2016
A nice freebie, full of snow *winks*, magic and twists. Of course the captive/prisoner element raised my rating... ;)
I enjoyed it a lot!
That's what comes to my mind after reading it...
I enjoyed it a lot!
That's what comes to my mind after reading it...
February 11, 2018
Warning: Make sure to read the book description, because that's all you gonna get for the first, missing part of the story, Snowmancer 0.5. It's absolutely vital because only then you will be able to understand (somewhat) what's going on in the first chapters.
As for the review:
I appreciate the author's imagination in some aspects, in others I find the book seriously lacking of common sense, let alone of the above mentioned imagination.
Editing was another - and very serious - problem for me. I wasn't always sure what was going on and why. Silly things like the capital city full of villagers and peasants in "the kingdom of miners", for example, bothered me to no end. Another, separate problem was that while Lumi is trade oriented, it never occurred to anyone to trade outside their own peninsula. Or branch out and build a few ships and a port, since they are literally sitting on the ocean shore. I mean no one ever went out on a boat fishing or for simple fun? wth?
The last three chapters redeemed this book for me somewhat. Enough to round the initial 1.5 stars up rather than down.
While I hate giving a free book (with a beautiful cover) 1.5 stars, I do have my very strong reasons:
- i didn't like the editing;
- I didn't like the logistics (little made sense);
- I didn't like the MCs
- all in all, I didn't like the book itself.
Now, hear me out and before telling me I am too blunt or too rude!
I read through the reviews, and almost every other reader admits to either "not connecting with the characters" or "it's not the book, it's me". Sure, I use those excuses myself all too often. Sometime I legit believe that it's ME, not the book, like when it comes to bikers or ghosts, for example. NOT MY THING. Sometimes I don't connect with the characters, for whatever reasons. I also use those excuses as a polite "I didn't like your book and I feel bad saying it out loud". So when the majority of the reviews claim same excuses to give the book three or four stars? The picture is clear - it's not the readers, and it's not even the characters, it's the book.
As for the review:
I appreciate the author's imagination in some aspects, in others I find the book seriously lacking of common sense, let alone of the above mentioned imagination.
Editing was another - and very serious - problem for me. I wasn't always sure what was going on and why. Silly things like the capital city full of villagers and peasants in "the kingdom of miners", for example, bothered me to no end. Another, separate problem was that while Lumi is trade oriented, it never occurred to anyone to trade outside their own peninsula. Or branch out and build a few ships and a port, since they are literally sitting on the ocean shore. I mean no one ever went out on a boat fishing or for simple fun? wth?
The last three chapters redeemed this book for me somewhat. Enough to round the initial 1.5 stars up rather than down.
While I hate giving a free book (with a beautiful cover) 1.5 stars, I do have my very strong reasons:
- i didn't like the editing;
- I didn't like the logistics (little made sense);
- I didn't like the MCs
- all in all, I didn't like the book itself.
Now, hear me out and before telling me I am too blunt or too rude!
I read through the reviews, and almost every other reader admits to either "not connecting with the characters" or "it's not the book, it's me". Sure, I use those excuses myself all too often. Sometime I legit believe that it's ME, not the book, like when it comes to bikers or ghosts, for example. NOT MY THING. Sometimes I don't connect with the characters, for whatever reasons. I also use those excuses as a polite "I didn't like your book and I feel bad saying it out loud". So when the majority of the reviews claim same excuses to give the book three or four stars? The picture is clear - it's not the readers, and it's not even the characters, it's the book.
dnf
June 25, 2015Thanks to the author for participating and offering this freebie
Not really my genre but I gave it a go.
For me Ilyas was too unsympathetic a character I found him hard to champion despite his situation. There'd need to be a lot of character development for him become likeable. Jem is mysterious but no where near as sinister as hinted. The plot - I was wanting them to stop being vague and get to the point.
Nothing wrong with the fic, imagination went into the world-building, but it's not a match for me - case of 'it's not you, it's me'
Not really my genre but I gave it a go.
For me Ilyas was too unsympathetic a character I found him hard to champion despite his situation. There'd need to be a lot of character development for him become likeable. Jem is mysterious but no where near as sinister as hinted. The plot - I was wanting them to stop being vague and get to the point.
Nothing wrong with the fic, imagination went into the world-building, but it's not a match for me - case of 'it's not you, it's me'
October 11, 2015
This story starts out with no setup and only as you go along do you get the full picture. By the end I had fallen in love with the story and the characters. You have a proud captive prince, his captor, and various other people. The captive prince only gradually learns the situation but he bears up amazingly well. You despair right to the very end.
This is a beautiful love story in a bleak environment, with a bit of magic to spice things up. I give it my highest recommendation.
This is a beautiful love story in a bleak environment, with a bit of magic to spice things up. I give it my highest recommendation.
July 26, 2020
This was an unexpected pleasure in terms of reading a dark m/m fantasy (with a happy ending!) and plenty of twists and turns.
Review to come!!!
4.5 🌟 rounded up to 5!
Review to come!!!
4.5 🌟 rounded up to 5!
Read
January 2, 2016This one is totally mea culpa. I should have paid more attention to the tags before starting:
Tags: mage/sorcerer, royalty, sweet/no sex, dark, enemies to lovers, homophobia, magic users, soulmates/bonded, tattoo, slave, captivity, tearjerker
Because I would have realized this was absolutely not for me.
Once again, thanks to the author for participating in the event.
Tags: mage/sorcerer, royalty, sweet/no sex, dark, enemies to lovers, homophobia, magic users, soulmates/bonded, tattoo, slave, captivity, tearjerker
Because I would have realized this was absolutely not for me.
Once again, thanks to the author for participating in the event.
June 26, 2015
If you enjoy fantasy, this story is definitely worth the read. If a sequel ever comes out, I'm grabbing it.
January 2, 2026
This was an adult winter's time fairytale.
This was an adult winter's time fairytale. However it was not my cup of tea. I can see the appeal but I can tell that this was not one for me. So I don't think I will continue this series.
This was an adult winter's time fairytale. However it was not my cup of tea. I can see the appeal but I can tell that this was not one for me. So I don't think I will continue this series.
August 17, 2015
the world building in Snowmancer is out of this world. Fabulous.
I'm glad I caught 'the one' HEA Olivia might have written in one take. Based on the author's note at the end of this book, she doesn't do such things. Why not? I ask. There is barely any HEA for us in the real world, so why not get it for a short time from the stroke of a pen?
Well I'm glad Jem/Hemi got his. Poor sod, he deserved it.
I purchased Damon Snow (2 books so far) but don't know if I want to read them now. I just love me a HEA.
I'm glad I caught 'the one' HEA Olivia might have written in one take. Based on the author's note at the end of this book, she doesn't do such things. Why not? I ask. There is barely any HEA for us in the real world, so why not get it for a short time from the stroke of a pen?
Well I'm glad Jem/Hemi got his. Poor sod, he deserved it.
I purchased Damon Snow (2 books so far) but don't know if I want to read them now. I just love me a HEA.
October 28, 2015
I really loved reading this book the author wrote a wonderful book here
I really loved reading this book it was so beautifully written. I loved the relationship between Ilyas and Jem they have a beautiful relationship. I loved the edge of the seat action and all the twists and turns in this book. I really thought the author wrote a wonderful book here. I will recommend this book to all of my friends and all the people I know.
I really loved reading this book it was so beautifully written. I loved the relationship between Ilyas and Jem they have a beautiful relationship. I loved the edge of the seat action and all the twists and turns in this book. I really thought the author wrote a wonderful book here. I will recommend this book to all of my friends and all the people I know.
January 7, 2016
The writing felt a little disjointed, especially in the beginning. I was also having hard time believing the relationship, the romance aspect of it. Having said that, it has an interesting plot and a good world building. Overall, enjoyable, but it could have been better.
July 23, 2025
I felt like I joined this book halfway through the story. I had none of the background. Was there a previous book? Did I get a bad copy? I didn't see Jem in the other land in the harem. I had no idea why they didn't attempt to trade earlier before everyone was starving. I didn't understand the soul mate issue between them. If he was in the harem, hadn't they already had sex, at least kissed? So much I didn't understand. I feel like it was incomplete.
I felt like I kinda caught up to the lack of at least 10 chapters halfway through this story. It was short enough I trudged through it, but if it was a longer book I would have quit. Assume this was a 'good' copy, I don't think this starting in media res really worked for me for this book.
I did like the characters and the world was interesting, so it wasn't a total wash, but yeah, could have been better.
I felt like I kinda caught up to the lack of at least 10 chapters halfway through this story. It was short enough I trudged through it, but if it was a longer book I would have quit. Assume this was a 'good' copy, I don't think this starting in media res really worked for me for this book.
I did like the characters and the world was interesting, so it wasn't a total wash, but yeah, could have been better.
May 16, 2020
This had a lot of potential, but I think it needed to be a longer book. There were just so many things about the world that I wanted to know more about. The plot line was interesting enough to be expanded into a longer story as well, and with a bit more page time given to the development of the romance, the relationship in this book would have been amazing too. So I think had this been an average length fantasy book, I might have loved it, but because it was so short, it didn’t give me enough time to truly get invested in the story or attached to the characters.
January 1, 2021
Snowmancer by Olivia Helling
This book is dark, but sweet as an attraction between two natural enemies turns into mutual respect and trust. The young characters have a lot to deal with and the evil they face is truly powerful. I’m thinking the dark elder god featured here will appeal to a lot of Jordan L. Hawk’s Widdershins fans. This is a wonderful world, beautifully realized and so well written! I admit I am almost afraid to read the next book right away because I don’t want to see these guys suffer anymore! But I will read it and pray for a happy ending to the series, lol. It’s in KU.
This book is dark, but sweet as an attraction between two natural enemies turns into mutual respect and trust. The young characters have a lot to deal with and the evil they face is truly powerful. I’m thinking the dark elder god featured here will appeal to a lot of Jordan L. Hawk’s Widdershins fans. This is a wonderful world, beautifully realized and so well written! I admit I am almost afraid to read the next book right away because I don’t want to see these guys suffer anymore! But I will read it and pray for a happy ending to the series, lol. It’s in KU.
October 6, 2018
Fantastic! Amazing! You'll be swept away to a world you won't forget!
I received a copy of this book from the author.
This was fantastic!
The characters were believable, lovable (once you discovered the evil forces at work) and totally wonderful by the end.
The plot was amazing. I'd love to get inside the workings of Ms. Helling's mind to find out how she develops such an amazing plot!
I received a copy of this book from the author.
This was fantastic!
The characters were believable, lovable (once you discovered the evil forces at work) and totally wonderful by the end.
The plot was amazing. I'd love to get inside the workings of Ms. Helling's mind to find out how she develops such an amazing plot!
May 6, 2021
DNF.
I made it about a quarter of the way before realizing that there was absolutely no one to root for in this book.
It was way too ambiguous, and started in definitely the wrong place. It took a long time to get oriented as to what was going on (and I still didn't know half of what was happening).
I know this is supposed to be a dark fantasy romance, but it lost the plot in trying to get to that, and I really couldn't take it.
I made it about a quarter of the way before realizing that there was absolutely no one to root for in this book.
It was way too ambiguous, and started in definitely the wrong place. It took a long time to get oriented as to what was going on (and I still didn't know half of what was happening).
I know this is supposed to be a dark fantasy romance, but it lost the plot in trying to get to that, and I really couldn't take it.
June 22, 2018
This book did not end the way I thought it would when I started reading. What a way to sneak in a great solution, Ms. Helling! The only reason that the rating is missing a star is I really didn't like Ilyas.
August 20, 2018
Some of my favorite books are when the worldbuilding is a bit of a surprise. Helling does a nice job of creating a world that is different than the reader expects, and explaining things in a gradual way that keeps the reader engaged.
February 24, 2019
No God in the Machine - the God is within.
Wonderful characters! The plot reveals and twists felt refreshingly natural. No real sexy times just attraction and love. Love that is need and sacrifice.
Wonderful characters! The plot reveals and twists felt refreshingly natural. No real sexy times just attraction and love. Love that is need and sacrifice.
November 27, 2017
Different
This was very different and it was more fantasy than anything. There was a little mystery surrounding Jem. It was an easy read.
This was very different and it was more fantasy than anything. There was a little mystery surrounding Jem. It was an easy read.
January 29, 2018
Loved the world created in Snowmancer and the MCs were extremely engaging. Great fantasy read!
July 3, 2018
this was an interesting story. i enjoyed it and the magic and love and emotions.. and it was all very well written and fun
September 28, 2023
September 28; 2023
I read the first two books in this series more than five years ago and I liked both books, but somehow I never got around to actually finishing the trilogy. I only discovered that this series was over in 2021 and Shadowmancer has been on my TBR ever since. It has taken me two years but I'm finally going to be reading Shadowmancer. The reason it took so long was because I knew I would have to re-read the first two books to make sense of the last one but that plan is finally coming to fruition as I just finished re-reading this book.
It has a slow beginning but the plot picks up pace over the course of the book. One thing that makes the beginning a little jarring is the fact that the book starts with Jem carting Ilyas into Lumi. The blurb makes you believe that the story will probably start in Nuriya but it doesn't. We don't actually see Jem kidnapping Ilyas it is fait accompli by the time this book starts. I agree with this creative stance because centring the book in Lumi adds atmosphere. Lumi is a desperate kingdom and that desperation seeps into every nook and cranny of the plot making it a whole lot more interesting and dark. But, the blurb is a little misleading and it really threw me when I first started the book.
"The gods don't interfere with humans."
"The compassionate gods do not, for their absence is a kindness. The Dark God is not kind."
This book is a really interesting read and I love how the plot is centred around the Dark God and the utter desperation that hangs over Lumi that makes them seek refuge at the feet of such a vicious and ruthless deity. Their hunger is omnipresent throughout the story and I really liked just how much atmosphere the author is able to bring to the plot.
Ilyas and Jem are interesting characters and I really liked how the author develops their relationship. The plot also dabbles in political intrigue and while it's very straightforward, it lends a nice dimension to the plot that makes it more engrossing.
I had a fun time re-reading this book and I can't wait to see where this story goes.
Original Review
This book was surprisingly good.
The story follows Jem and Ilyas on a journey from Nuriya to Lumi, from the Land of Fire to the Frozen Tundra of Lumi. While Ilyas remains confident in his ability to escape from Jem's clutches of Jem, he isn't fully aware of what he is up against or whom...
Initially there is a lot of secrecy and mystery surrounding Jem and Lumi. It is uncertain as to what role Ilyas' fulfils in Jem's plan but I must commend the author that she kept the mystery and intrigue to a level that was a tight rope walk between intriguing and irritating. While I don't think she managed to land on the right side of that line every time I do believe it was often enough that the story read like a thriller.
The one irritating thing in this book was Ilyas' attitude at the beginning of the book. At the beginning of the book his over-confidence is toxic, he seems so complacent that he comes across as stupid but as the story progresses you recognise his confidence for what it truly is - denial. He is stuck in a horrible situation but he refuses to give up which later becomes admirable. I liked the way the author presented Ilyas' tenaciousness in three different ways, first as stupidity then as denial and finally as courage.
Jem was such a multifaceted character, he was ignored by the very people for whom he was sacrificed, and instead of letting hatred build up in him, he decided to channel it into loyalty towards the very ones who feared him.
The entire storyline of this book is brilliant. The imagination needed to think of an idea such as this boggles my mind. The plot is actually very well thought. The whole idea of a god who doesn't care for his disciples but is in fact greedy & selfish, and the way it was executed was awesome. I would love to read more about the mythology of this world and about how the Dark Lord was summoned and if so could he be summoned again.
I loved the thread of sacrifice that ran through this story and I loved the way Ilyas' perception of everything changes in the face of Jem's sacrifice. I loved the way the book handles this subject and I especially loved Ilyas' respect for loyalty and how it was something he yearned for (the chance to have someone be loyal to him and to be able to be loyal to someone else).
Jem and Ilyas were lovely characters and I would love to read more about these two.
I read the first two books in this series more than five years ago and I liked both books, but somehow I never got around to actually finishing the trilogy. I only discovered that this series was over in 2021 and Shadowmancer has been on my TBR ever since. It has taken me two years but I'm finally going to be reading Shadowmancer. The reason it took so long was because I knew I would have to re-read the first two books to make sense of the last one but that plan is finally coming to fruition as I just finished re-reading this book.
It has a slow beginning but the plot picks up pace over the course of the book. One thing that makes the beginning a little jarring is the fact that the book starts with Jem carting Ilyas into Lumi. The blurb makes you believe that the story will probably start in Nuriya but it doesn't. We don't actually see Jem kidnapping Ilyas it is fait accompli by the time this book starts. I agree with this creative stance because centring the book in Lumi adds atmosphere. Lumi is a desperate kingdom and that desperation seeps into every nook and cranny of the plot making it a whole lot more interesting and dark. But, the blurb is a little misleading and it really threw me when I first started the book.
"The gods don't interfere with humans."
"The compassionate gods do not, for their absence is a kindness. The Dark God is not kind."
This book is a really interesting read and I love how the plot is centred around the Dark God and the utter desperation that hangs over Lumi that makes them seek refuge at the feet of such a vicious and ruthless deity. Their hunger is omnipresent throughout the story and I really liked just how much atmosphere the author is able to bring to the plot.
Ilyas and Jem are interesting characters and I really liked how the author develops their relationship. The plot also dabbles in political intrigue and while it's very straightforward, it lends a nice dimension to the plot that makes it more engrossing.
I had a fun time re-reading this book and I can't wait to see where this story goes.
Original Review
This book was surprisingly good.
The story follows Jem and Ilyas on a journey from Nuriya to Lumi, from the Land of Fire to the Frozen Tundra of Lumi. While Ilyas remains confident in his ability to escape from Jem's clutches of Jem, he isn't fully aware of what he is up against or whom...
Initially there is a lot of secrecy and mystery surrounding Jem and Lumi. It is uncertain as to what role Ilyas' fulfils in Jem's plan but I must commend the author that she kept the mystery and intrigue to a level that was a tight rope walk between intriguing and irritating. While I don't think she managed to land on the right side of that line every time I do believe it was often enough that the story read like a thriller.
The one irritating thing in this book was Ilyas' attitude at the beginning of the book. At the beginning of the book his over-confidence is toxic, he seems so complacent that he comes across as stupid but as the story progresses you recognise his confidence for what it truly is - denial. He is stuck in a horrible situation but he refuses to give up which later becomes admirable. I liked the way the author presented Ilyas' tenaciousness in three different ways, first as stupidity then as denial and finally as courage.
Jem was such a multifaceted character, he was ignored by the very people for whom he was sacrificed, and instead of letting hatred build up in him, he decided to channel it into loyalty towards the very ones who feared him.
The entire storyline of this book is brilliant. The imagination needed to think of an idea such as this boggles my mind. The plot is actually very well thought. The whole idea of a god who doesn't care for his disciples but is in fact greedy & selfish, and the way it was executed was awesome. I would love to read more about the mythology of this world and about how the Dark Lord was summoned and if so could he be summoned again.
I loved the thread of sacrifice that ran through this story and I loved the way Ilyas' perception of everything changes in the face of Jem's sacrifice. I loved the way the book handles this subject and I especially loved Ilyas' respect for loyalty and how it was something he yearned for (the chance to have someone be loyal to him and to be able to be loyal to someone else).
Jem and Ilyas were lovely characters and I would love to read more about these two.
Read
April 12, 2016This book was provided by the author via IndiGo Marketing & Design in exchange for an honest review.
Warning: My review is going to be filled equally with praise and condemnation…possibly to the point of asking did I like the story at all. The answer is I’m not really sure. Like really…I was like…what did I just read?
I give this book an overall 2.5 stars, but I will round up to 3.0 for the ending and world-building. Yay for happy endings.
The book, told from the perspective of both characters, tells the story of somewhat vapid but ruthless prince Illyas whose is kidnapped by the redoubtable and mysterious sorcerer Jem to be sacrificed to a dark god in an effort to save Jem’s people. I don’t know if there’s such a thing as fantasy suspense but the story hinges on a couple of huge reveals and the continuing focus on the imminent arrival of the dark god and the fate of Illyas and the Lumian people…definitely lends an air of the gothic to the story.
The two main characters. I don’t think we ever get an age for Illyas but IMHO he has all the maturity of an 18 year old. He’s supposed to be this really clever guy but it’s not until much later that you see him actually starting to think about what’s going on and even then I wasn’t impressed. Jem is a really interesting dude. Here’s a man giving EVERYTHING to save his people. I’m a total softie for tall dark and mysterious dudes so I totally crushed on him.
The chemistry between these two is a total blah to me. I do/don’t blame the author. Whenever you have a book that is such an emotional thriller like this, the balance between the big reveal and the growing love interest between the MCs can be a heavy lift. Also, according to the author’s commentary at the end of the book, she was following a prompt that asked for no explicit content. I’m not sure if the prompter was more interested in steamy looks across a ballroom and dump trunks of unrequited love than a little hot man-loving, but this totally missed the mark for me. I felt like I was in a 1980 Harlequin romance novel where the characters hate each other until the last five pages of the book when one of them reveals they’ve been falling in love the whole time and that’s why they’ve been an asshole. They’re relationship is so asexual that the moments they are close are very awkward and unsatisfying to me at least.
The imagery and world building in the book is pretty good. It resembles a post-apocalyptic tundra filled with the dead and dying. The cast of characters, both young and old, are heart wrenching to see on the page. At one point early in the book, Illyas complains about his treatment as a slave, only to realize later, that every bit of food he eats is coming out of the mouth of a villager. At times, I found myself almost wishing for him to be sacrificed as soon as possible so that his death could save these poor people. That said, there was a bit of inconsistency for me with stuff like the trade language and the other villages/towns in the land (such as Sentai) that I found frustrating. I also wished I understood the place of homosexuality in Nuriya and Lumi a bit more, so that I could have understood Illyas’s treatment of Hoari and possibly even his magical reveal. If these had been flushed out a little more, I probably could have ignored the missing romance element and just enjoyed a good fantasy.
I plan to be on the lookout for more of Helling’s books.
Warning: My review is going to be filled equally with praise and condemnation…possibly to the point of asking did I like the story at all. The answer is I’m not really sure. Like really…I was like…what did I just read?
I give this book an overall 2.5 stars, but I will round up to 3.0 for the ending and world-building. Yay for happy endings.
The book, told from the perspective of both characters, tells the story of somewhat vapid but ruthless prince Illyas whose is kidnapped by the redoubtable and mysterious sorcerer Jem to be sacrificed to a dark god in an effort to save Jem’s people. I don’t know if there’s such a thing as fantasy suspense but the story hinges on a couple of huge reveals and the continuing focus on the imminent arrival of the dark god and the fate of Illyas and the Lumian people…definitely lends an air of the gothic to the story.
The two main characters. I don’t think we ever get an age for Illyas but IMHO he has all the maturity of an 18 year old. He’s supposed to be this really clever guy but it’s not until much later that you see him actually starting to think about what’s going on and even then I wasn’t impressed. Jem is a really interesting dude. Here’s a man giving EVERYTHING to save his people. I’m a total softie for tall dark and mysterious dudes so I totally crushed on him.
The chemistry between these two is a total blah to me. I do/don’t blame the author. Whenever you have a book that is such an emotional thriller like this, the balance between the big reveal and the growing love interest between the MCs can be a heavy lift. Also, according to the author’s commentary at the end of the book, she was following a prompt that asked for no explicit content. I’m not sure if the prompter was more interested in steamy looks across a ballroom and dump trunks of unrequited love than a little hot man-loving, but this totally missed the mark for me. I felt like I was in a 1980 Harlequin romance novel where the characters hate each other until the last five pages of the book when one of them reveals they’ve been falling in love the whole time and that’s why they’ve been an asshole. They’re relationship is so asexual that the moments they are close are very awkward and unsatisfying to me at least.
The imagery and world building in the book is pretty good. It resembles a post-apocalyptic tundra filled with the dead and dying. The cast of characters, both young and old, are heart wrenching to see on the page. At one point early in the book, Illyas complains about his treatment as a slave, only to realize later, that every bit of food he eats is coming out of the mouth of a villager. At times, I found myself almost wishing for him to be sacrificed as soon as possible so that his death could save these poor people. That said, there was a bit of inconsistency for me with stuff like the trade language and the other villages/towns in the land (such as Sentai) that I found frustrating. I also wished I understood the place of homosexuality in Nuriya and Lumi a bit more, so that I could have understood Illyas’s treatment of Hoari and possibly even his magical reveal. If these had been flushed out a little more, I probably could have ignored the missing romance element and just enjoyed a good fantasy.
I plan to be on the lookout for more of Helling’s books.
September 13, 2018
Reread September 13 2018
This is so wholesome I just can't. It reads so fast and is over so quickly I DO NOT ACCEPT THIS. Seriously tho I really want to see what happens next, I want to see Ilyas being a smug romantic asshole about his Jem and Jem being equally smug about his Ilyas and Mehdi's reaction to it all, JUST HOW EPIC WAS ILYAS' ENTRANCE WITH A SOULMATE AND BEAUTIFUL JEWELS Edit: I just went to look and THERE IS A SEQUEL AHGALGAH althought the reviews are bad I-I don't know what to do guys
But yes this ship is the bestest ship, Ilyas is such a romantic little piece of work and Jem is so sad and quiet and sad. I would say that Ilyas is seems way less of a douche on the second read, but he does seem a little more selfish- like I don't know if it's me being to tired to think but the way he's like 'Jem is precious and special HE COULD BE MINE' seems more selfish than caring but then again Ilyas is totally crushing on Jem and people in love are 100% the stupidest and most irrational people on earth so eh.
ALSO I want to hate Sentei and Dajana but I can't because they do the things the MC would do from their side??? like yes please I want logical beings in my story.
And the snow rabbits are cute now.
Original Review June 8 2018
Actual rating: 4.5 stars *FREE RIGHT NOW UNTIL I DON'T KNOW WHEN*
There was never a genre that the phrase 'don't judge a book by its cover' describes better than M/M romances. CAN. WE. STOP. WITH THE HALF-NAKED MEN IN BAD COSPLAY. At least this doesn't have that BUT STILL.
SO. This was actually very, very good. I wasn't expecting that from the beginning; it feels like the end of the story. Like, I thought that the blurb was like, the three first chapters résumed but this just throws you right in. It was very disorientating and honestly, a waste. I wanted to see how Jem managed to capture Ilyas, at least.
But the rest??? If you like romances with guys who don't think they have a right to exist, this right here is what you want. Jem is so unloved and sad, he gets so confused when Ilyas acts nice towards him. And Ilyas was just ??? best pairing??? Like he's a douche but he's got these big romantic needs that Jem totally fills and he can't accept that and it's the cutest damnest thing.
The story was also surprisingly good (I don't expect much of these romances ok). I wouldn't mind reading a trilogy of these two. The world was very interesting, with several different magic systems and HAVE I TOLD YOU HOW MUCH I LIKE DIFFERENT MAGIC SYSTEMS IN THE SAME WORLD and countries and it was pretty cool that Ilyas didn't even know about Sentei and Lumi.
My one issue apart from the beginning are Jem's snow rabbits. I thought that was ridiculous.
So what are you waiting for it's freeeeeee
This is so wholesome I just can't. It reads so fast and is over so quickly I DO NOT ACCEPT THIS. Seriously tho I really want to see what happens next, I want to see Ilyas being a smug romantic asshole about his Jem and Jem being equally smug about his Ilyas and Mehdi's reaction to it all, JUST HOW EPIC WAS ILYAS' ENTRANCE WITH A SOULMATE AND BEAUTIFUL JEWELS Edit: I just went to look and THERE IS A SEQUEL AHGALGAH althought the reviews are bad I-I don't know what to do guys
But yes this ship is the bestest ship, Ilyas is such a romantic little piece of work and Jem is so sad and quiet and sad. I would say that Ilyas is seems way less of a douche on the second read, but he does seem a little more selfish- like I don't know if it's me being to tired to think but the way he's like 'Jem is precious and special HE COULD BE MINE' seems more selfish than caring but then again Ilyas is totally crushing on Jem and people in love are 100% the stupidest and most irrational people on earth so eh.
ALSO I want to hate Sentei and Dajana but I can't because they do the things the MC would do from their side??? like yes please I want logical beings in my story.
And the snow rabbits are cute now.
Original Review June 8 2018
Actual rating: 4.5 stars *FREE RIGHT NOW UNTIL I DON'T KNOW WHEN*
There was never a genre that the phrase 'don't judge a book by its cover' describes better than M/M romances. CAN. WE. STOP. WITH THE HALF-NAKED MEN IN BAD COSPLAY. At least this doesn't have that BUT STILL.
SO. This was actually very, very good. I wasn't expecting that from the beginning; it feels like the end of the story. Like, I thought that the blurb was like, the three first chapters résumed but this just throws you right in. It was very disorientating and honestly, a waste. I wanted to see how Jem managed to capture Ilyas, at least.
But the rest??? If you like romances with guys who don't think they have a right to exist, this right here is what you want. Jem is so unloved and sad, he gets so confused when Ilyas acts nice towards him. And Ilyas was just ??? best pairing??? Like he's a douche but he's got these big romantic needs that Jem totally fills and he can't accept that and it's the cutest damnest thing.
The story was also surprisingly good (I don't expect much of these romances ok). I wouldn't mind reading a trilogy of these two. The world was very interesting, with several different magic systems and HAVE I TOLD YOU HOW MUCH I LIKE DIFFERENT MAGIC SYSTEMS IN THE SAME WORLD and countries and it was pretty cool that Ilyas didn't even know about Sentei and Lumi.
My one issue apart from the beginning are Jem's snow rabbits. I thought that was ridiculous.
So what are you waiting for it's freeeeeee
February 28, 2017
I liked the story in general a lot, but there were enough teases that I'd need there to be an actual love scene for the couple. It ended without anything happening pretty much, which was a bit disappointing.
February 24, 2016
Snowmancer was an entertaining and moving dark fantasy read. The story begins when Prince Ilyas is captured and brought to a neighboring kingdom, which is in a barren frozen wasteland. Since Ilyas has grown up with every luxury imaginable, he has a hard time believing that all that they have to feed him is hard, stale bread. Though he is upset with his circumstances, Ilyas becomes entranced with his captor, Jem. The more he learns about Jem, the more he forgets about his own discomforts. Over time, Jem seems to change something fundamental in Ilyas. Even though the Dark God is an ever present danger, Ilyas struggles to prevail for reasons far bigger than the preservation of his life.
I loved the world building in this book and I especially enjoyed the change in Ilyas’s character. Ilyas starts off as a prince who is arrogant and used to having his way. He has trouble recognizing the suffering and hunger of the people around him and only realizes their suffering when it is pointed out to him. However, as the book progresses and Ilyas starts to fall for Jem, Ilyas becomes less self-centered. There is finally someone in the world that he cares for more than himself. I think that change was what really drew me in. I went from wishing bad things on Ilyas to rooting for him. Though I loved the dark world the author creates, I was a little thrown off by the magical aspects and especially the magic used in the end. Even though this threw me for a loop, it didn’t take away from the story in any way. I recommend Snowmancer to anyone who loves M/M dark fantasy, M/M Slave themes, & M/M Romance.
Reviewed for the Dark Arts
I loved the world building in this book and I especially enjoyed the change in Ilyas’s character. Ilyas starts off as a prince who is arrogant and used to having his way. He has trouble recognizing the suffering and hunger of the people around him and only realizes their suffering when it is pointed out to him. However, as the book progresses and Ilyas starts to fall for Jem, Ilyas becomes less self-centered. There is finally someone in the world that he cares for more than himself. I think that change was what really drew me in. I went from wishing bad things on Ilyas to rooting for him. Though I loved the dark world the author creates, I was a little thrown off by the magical aspects and especially the magic used in the end. Even though this threw me for a loop, it didn’t take away from the story in any way. I recommend Snowmancer to anyone who loves M/M dark fantasy, M/M Slave themes, & M/M Romance.
Reviewed for the Dark Arts
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews