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Shards of Ice
Vyvica Karala, of the D’Authian Guards, had to leave her father behind when the Crown City of Althu was invaded by Ch’ar Barakus. She is determined to retake the city. Kelvaras Mason, a vigilante for hire, has been brought in to the D’Authian Guards to find a leak in their intelligence network. Vyvica and Kelvaras clash from the moment they meet and set the planet ablaze with their conflicts, yet they can’t resist each other. But both hold dark secrets that could put their lives at risk. Will one of them make the ultimate sacrifice in order for the other to survive?
Customer I really enjoyed it - it's not the kind of thing I would normally read but the story had me hooked! - Suzy Turner - YA Author
Customer I really enjoyed it - it's not the kind of thing I would normally read but the story had me hooked! - Suzy Turner - YA Author
207 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 25, 2015
7 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 1, 2015
Shards of Ice was my first fantasy romance read. Typically this is not my genre of reading, but with a new venture underway of doing some art work for authors, I was given a chance by this author to not only produce some teasers for her release but also a chance to read an early copy of the story.
Vyvica was forced to leave her father and hide underground and await word from the D’Authian Guards when the time was right to strike, to reclaim what was taken.
When an incident occurs and Vyvica is forced lure out the rat amongst the ranks, Kelvaras is brought in. Vigilante for hire, Kelvaras is willing to do any job for the right price. Even if that means taking two jobs for opposite goals. But it isn’t until he meets Vyvica that he becomes conflicted about where his loyalty lies.
So I went into this story not knowing what to expect and honestly a little worried that it was going to be so far out of my comfort zone that I would struggle to see the romance through the fantasy aspect. I was pleasantly surprised. I feel like my review is a disservice because of this outside looking in, mentality. Somethings I am sure readers of fantasy will have different take on than what I had.
So what I can say is that I did enjoy this. I didn’t struggle to enjoy the romance that existed in this land of make believe. I was sort of surprised how easily I fell into the story because I’m a reader that constantly plays out scenes in my head as I read. Reading this story has a me a bit excited for the chance to discover a whole new world of romance books and has my wallet a little worried over the idea of adding more books to the never ending pile.
Vyvica was forced to leave her father and hide underground and await word from the D’Authian Guards when the time was right to strike, to reclaim what was taken.
When an incident occurs and Vyvica is forced lure out the rat amongst the ranks, Kelvaras is brought in. Vigilante for hire, Kelvaras is willing to do any job for the right price. Even if that means taking two jobs for opposite goals. But it isn’t until he meets Vyvica that he becomes conflicted about where his loyalty lies.
So I went into this story not knowing what to expect and honestly a little worried that it was going to be so far out of my comfort zone that I would struggle to see the romance through the fantasy aspect. I was pleasantly surprised. I feel like my review is a disservice because of this outside looking in, mentality. Somethings I am sure readers of fantasy will have different take on than what I had.
So what I can say is that I did enjoy this. I didn’t struggle to enjoy the romance that existed in this land of make believe. I was sort of surprised how easily I fell into the story because I’m a reader that constantly plays out scenes in my head as I read. Reading this story has a me a bit excited for the chance to discover a whole new world of romance books and has my wallet a little worried over the idea of adding more books to the never ending pile.
September 5, 2015
This novel certainly has promise.
Here's what I liked about it:
1. A big fan of space opera and love stories set in space, I really enjoyed the setting of Shards of Ice. In many ways, I would have enjoyed more insight into the ice planet where this story takes place.
2. The plot is fast-paced and action-packed, which is a plus for me as I tend to prefer romances which don't just have the developing romance as the primary focus of the story. A gripping story can really amplify the romance, if done right.
3. The cover is gorgeous - one of the best I've seen in a while.
However, there were a couple of things that prevented me from giving this novel a higher rating.
1. The characterisation. Vyvica is certainly a memorable character. She's one arse-kicking lady, and it's good to see a strong female lead. However, her tendency to solve all arguments with her fists - especially towards the hero, put me off her. I lost count of the number of times she punched him in the face! Her character is a little uneven, and her aggression and stubbornness jarred with her insecurity. These are all character traits that could work well together, but they need to be handled more subtly. Kelvaras was a difficult character to get a sense of. Initially, I pictured him as a bit of a Han Solo - a cocky 'gun for hire'. However, he appeared to drift for much of the story and came across as a bit weak next to Vyvica's hostility. Both characters had promise, they just needed to be rounded out more so that the reader has a clear sense of their personal journeys.
2. Lack of emotional connection between hero and heroine. The relationship between Vyvica and Kelvaras lacked depth. This comes from the characters themselves not gelling properly. There's a lot of attraction - although it's all external. When the couple finally get together there isn't any emotional punch.
3. There was a bit too much 'telling' rather than 'showing' throughout the novel. This tends to kill suspense and makes the story one-dimensional. It also stops the reader from drawing their own conclusions and fully engaging their imagination.
The good and the bad said, I read this book quickly over a couple of days, and was keen to know what happened next - a good sign! All the ingredients are there, and if the characters had been developed a bit better, and the developing romance between them made more real, this could have easily been a five-star read!
I look forward to reading more from this author and I get the feeling she's just get started!
Here's what I liked about it:
1. A big fan of space opera and love stories set in space, I really enjoyed the setting of Shards of Ice. In many ways, I would have enjoyed more insight into the ice planet where this story takes place.
2. The plot is fast-paced and action-packed, which is a plus for me as I tend to prefer romances which don't just have the developing romance as the primary focus of the story. A gripping story can really amplify the romance, if done right.
3. The cover is gorgeous - one of the best I've seen in a while.
However, there were a couple of things that prevented me from giving this novel a higher rating.
1. The characterisation. Vyvica is certainly a memorable character. She's one arse-kicking lady, and it's good to see a strong female lead. However, her tendency to solve all arguments with her fists - especially towards the hero, put me off her. I lost count of the number of times she punched him in the face! Her character is a little uneven, and her aggression and stubbornness jarred with her insecurity. These are all character traits that could work well together, but they need to be handled more subtly. Kelvaras was a difficult character to get a sense of. Initially, I pictured him as a bit of a Han Solo - a cocky 'gun for hire'. However, he appeared to drift for much of the story and came across as a bit weak next to Vyvica's hostility. Both characters had promise, they just needed to be rounded out more so that the reader has a clear sense of their personal journeys.
2. Lack of emotional connection between hero and heroine. The relationship between Vyvica and Kelvaras lacked depth. This comes from the characters themselves not gelling properly. There's a lot of attraction - although it's all external. When the couple finally get together there isn't any emotional punch.
3. There was a bit too much 'telling' rather than 'showing' throughout the novel. This tends to kill suspense and makes the story one-dimensional. It also stops the reader from drawing their own conclusions and fully engaging their imagination.
The good and the bad said, I read this book quickly over a couple of days, and was keen to know what happened next - a good sign! All the ingredients are there, and if the characters had been developed a bit better, and the developing romance between them made more real, this could have easily been a five-star read!
I look forward to reading more from this author and I get the feeling she's just get started!
August 3, 2015
I was lucky enough to be one of the author's beta readers for Shards of Ice so therefore I guess you could say I received an ARC. At first glance, I didn't think this was going to be my kind of thing. In fact, it was totally different from anything I've read before. Having said that though, I did enjoy it. The characters were very well rounded, although it took me some time to warm to Vyvica but I did, eventually!
All in all, once I'd gotten into it, the story had me hooked, and I occasionally found myself sitting on the edge of my seat. I'd definitely read more by Catherine Mede in the future.
All in all, once I'd gotten into it, the story had me hooked, and I occasionally found myself sitting on the edge of my seat. I'd definitely read more by Catherine Mede in the future.
October 27, 2016
I loved this book; my wife is now reading “Shards of Ice”. It communicated well. I liked Ms. Medes writing style. She has set scenes well, so well in fact—you can feel the snow and the ice and you’re in the moment with Vyvica and Kelvaras, immersed in their textured chemistry. I liked that, the most about this book, how the main characters fought for their attraction. The author didn’t just smack you in the face with how hot for each other they were. Some really great twists in the story make it truly an excellent read. I would highly recommend it, I shall be reading this authors other works and anything else she writes in the future.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews