Winter Fire

Winter Fire #1

by Laurie Dubay

"I should have seen Bren for what he was right away." A rebel god, hiding out in the snowswept mountains of Pennsylvania.

"Loki stood before the flames in a black leather jacket and tattered jeans…the son of the Grim Reaper." A captivating hellion who threatens their secret.

When Jenna becomes the center of a clash between Asgard's most powerful forces, she is forced to give in to the darkness that stalks her, or lose what she loves most.

After her parents' divorce, Jenna and her mother find shelter in the frozen world of Yew Dales Resort, where Jenna meets Bren Bergan, a mysterious snowboarder who, while proving elusive, seems to show up at all the wrong times. Intrigued, and anxious to escape the gloom of her own life, Jenna begins to notice the strangeness that surrounds Bren. Hills rise and fall beneath his board, trees sway as he passes, and time seems to shrink and stretch at his silent command. As she searches for answers, Jenna learns that Bren is an expatriate Norse god who has escaped his home in Asgard in order to break a cycle of destruction that threatens both of their worlds. When Loki, hypnotic master of chaos, arrives from Asgard seeking to bring Bren home, he discovers Jenna as well, and intrigue turns to danger as she becomes the object of a fateful struggle.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Mythology, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Paranormal

Unknown Binding

First published May 19, 2013

About the author

Laurie Dubay, author of The Winter Fire Series and The Tomb, was born and raised in Haverhill, Massachusetts, and currently lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When she is not writing, she can be caught snowboarding, hiking, canoeing, eating too much carrot cake, and binge-watching brain candy.
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http://www.lauriedubay.com/

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, Winter Fire is something else! I really enjoyed it, I love the way the author allows you to be a part of her characters process in growing! I have been so blessed with my read for reviews lately because the majority of them are amazing, and Winter Fire among the top! The scenery was just amazing in this book, allowing it to pull you deep into the story as if it were a true vacation from real life. I love when a book can quite literally be an escape from your own world. And Winter Fire has proven to allow just that, with its fast pace story line and the diversity in the characters! Truly amazing!
The story setting is in the winter on a mountain full of lush and beautiful scenery, and if that wasn’t the icing on the cake it’s the sports that the author embeds into Winter Fire so well. I love snowboarding and have tried it a few times (I’ve been skiing since I was 3) but after finishing this story I was praying for snow in June and a wonderful mountain to start some lessons with the perfect man of the hour Bren… dreamy.. sexy... funny... sweet… ohhh Bren. *clears throat* I guess more about the story and not my newest book boyfriend Bren huh? Ok, well he isn’t the only wonderfully written character, in fact he was among many. You have the versatile Jenna who makes a great Main Character, then her mother who you seen slightly peppered in throughout the story. Oh, and Frey and his twin sister Frieda; LOVE THEM! Drag is quite and also Frieda’s lover boy, but you slowly fall for their relationship and secretly crave some of your own. With all the cuties out of the way you have bad ass Sky, who when you start to watch throughout the book remains on indecision row, it hard to know how to think of her until you finish the story, and that’s when you can’t help but love her! ‘Uncle’ Val, who is something else altogether brings the family together in a way that brings a true realism to the plot! And Loki… hmmm, I let you form your own opinion there. I know I know it seems like a lot of characters but they each add their own spice to this marvelous story and plot, which I think you’ll end up falling in love with just like I did!
I haven’t read many books on of about Norse Mythology, so it’s easy to say this is my favorite right now, but that’s what this story is about, if you hadn’t figured that out by the blurb yet, then, SURPRISE! I’m not entirely sure about the accuracy to the story and real historical mythology, but if it matched I do believe Athena and Zeus have a popularity war on the horizon!
If you are looking for a witty, sweet, romantic and semi action pact book then here you go! You definitely don’t want to miss out guys, and I recommend this to anyone who can read, not just young adults but everyone everywhere. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!

PS- I totally can't wait for book two!!

[Laurie Dubay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spent a long time in the realm of literary fiction. I wasn't having fun anymore, and remembered a time when writing was magical and filled the world with possibility. I wanted to write something that spoke to women - supernatural and human alike - of their power, without altering the beauty and danger of the natural world, or painting guys as two dimensional sidenotes. I'm having fun again.

[G.M. Fisk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent characterisation and a steady plot. The mystery is unmitigatedly alluring!

[ophelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

**I wanted to update this review after seeing a review by another reader while I was leaving my thoughts on Book VII. The reviewer in question had two issues with Winter Fire. The first was the insta love, and the second was the attempted sexual assault. But the reader didn't finish the book because of these two issues, so I'm going to address the things they don't know. Firstly, the insta love between the characters is not what it seems. There is a very good, specific reason for the fast attraction depicted in the first book, and we slowly find out about it in subsequent books. Secondly, while the topic of sexual assault has apparently become an eye roll for many readers (what??), many others experience this kind of predatory behavior in our everyday lives and want a safe place to think about it. I hope authors don't join the trend of ignoring this topic or sweeping it under the rug, because it's still prevalent for many women and girls, and it's a serious issue needing serious attention. Dubay actually handles this topic well in her book. Her main character goes through many of the same feelings and thoughts as the rest of us, and the powerful people in her life behave as many commonly do. She doesn't want to make trouble for her family, her loved ones want to react...and ultimately we find out (without spoiling it) that the way she thought it was handled was not the case at all, and we also see her empower herself in her confrontation with the predator, which was a great scene. Anyone who actually finished the book would know all this, but regardless, leaving a bad review can really hurt an indie author, and if you didn't stay for the whole story, it's often an unfair thing to do. Especially if it's the subject matter and not the writing you had an issue with. Moving on, my review below still stands, times a hundred after reading the whole series to date. It just keeps getting better!

Just a great romantasy. Loved the writing style...wistful and extremely visual. I saw everything happening in my head. Plot flowed, excellent characterization (characters were very funny and complex), very interesting, edgy idea. I liked the tension between Jenna and Loki, it was subtle and powerful. Great setup for book II. I suspect Loki will be back!

Definitely recommended for people who like smooth writing, fantasy, and romance.

[Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

My copy of Winter Fire was given to me by the Author. I was not obligated to write a positive review. This is my full and honest opinion.


Cover Blurb: Yes or No? While not the most attention-grabbing cover I've seen, I do like its simplicity. The title alone would make me pick up the book.

Characters: In a story like this, protagonists such as Jenna are very often highly annoying and shallow. So I was a little surprised to discover that Jenna was neither. She makes no real attempt to fit in to the new crowd, despite pressure to, and instead stays true to who she is. She also doesn't quit when she sets her mind to accomplishing a task, gets over her hurt and irritations quickly, and takes what happens in stride. While Jenna makes plenty of mistakes, she learns from them and tries her best to rectify her poor decisions. In short, Jenna was a very realistic, down-to-earth protagonist, and I appreciated that. I liked Bren right off. He has a quiet personality, but also has a great sense of humor and is very protective of his friends. He affects arrogance, but it's so obvious that he's teasing that I actually liked it rather than finding it annoying. I didn't form a great deal of attachment to any of the other Bergans (though I still liked them), except Skye. A girl who threatened to have a real Attitude, I ended up really liking Skye. She could have been an absolute jerk to Jenna, but instead looks after her right along with the other Bergans, and seems to have a real practical and independent streak to her. Meanwhile, on the "characters to hate" side, we have Tyler, Brianna, and - of course - Loki (who actually falls somewhere in between). Tyler was a joy to hate, the little creep, and Brianna rubbed me the wrong way the moment I met her, with her overly bubbly personality and a penchant for flirting with most of the guys she ran into. And then there's Loki, the true villain of the piece (or is he?). Naturally Loki is bursting with personality, from his quick wit, suave manner, cool temper, and tendency of quoting famous poets. But at the same time, we glimpse a side of Loki that I was able to sympathize with; a tortured soul that has been driven to desperate acts - and yet is still quite evil. And those are my favorite kinds of villains: those that we can understand and sometimes even agree with, but are still evil to the core.

The Romance: Need I really point out the obvious fact that of course Jenna and Bren fall in love? For the most part, I was okay with the romance. While there was more smooching and cuddling than I like (and descriptions of Bren's scent and tasty minty breath), I did still like both Bren and Jenna as characters. What lovers' quarrels they have are resolved long before they can become annoying. The romance starts out at a practical pace. It's obvious that Jenna is attracted to Bren, but it isn't an automatic "Oh my gosh, I can't live without him, even though we have known each other for, like, an hour!!!!!!" It's more of a "He's cute, he seems interesting; I want to know him better." Of course, with the story only being 140 pages, the romance does become accelerated after a while, but again - I still liked Jenna and Bren enough to not be as bothered by it as I usually am.

Plot: After moving to Yew Dales Resort in Pennsylvania, Jenna has pretty much decided that her life sucks. She doesn't have any friends, she'll be the new girl at school, and forget about snowboarding or skiing, 'cause Jenna and sliding down a snowy slope don't mix. That is, until Jenna meets Bren Bergan and his Norwegian cousins. They're instructors at Yew Dales Resort, and they're also strange, going out for after-hours snowboarding, sometimes disappearing for days on end into the snowy mountains. But it's how Bren snowboards that catches Jenna's attention, because it isn't normal. The air, the snow, even the trees seem to obey him, and time seems to slow and stop altogether. It's breathtaking and frightening all at once. So when Bren offers to teach Jenna how to snowboard, logic says that she should refuse. But she doesn't, and as her friendship with Bren deepens into something more, it's the beginning of the end - in more ways than one. Bren is forced to reveal his secret to Jenna - that he and his cousins are Norse gods, who have left Asgard in an attempt to stop the destructive cycle of Ragnorak: living life over and over and over again. His affection for Jenna turns her into a target for the mischievous Loki, who comes down from Asgard for some mysterious purpose. But what is he up to exactly? Bren and Jenna must find out before it's too late - for them and for the mortal world itself. Winter Fire is more of a paranormal romance that it is a story about a Norse god rebellion, so the plot begins very sedately, with lots of snowboarding and sorting out of Jenna's feelings for Bren. And then . . . more snowboarding. Now, snowboarding isn't my thing, so for those Readers who understand that special zen that comes with the sport will probably appreciate this part of the book far more than I did. And to be fair, the snowboarding scenes weren't totally pointless; something happened in each part, whether it was further character emotions development or Jenna noticing small, strange details about how Bren and Co. could snowboard so bloody well. And once Asgard and Loki's arrival are all introduced, the plot picks up and becomes faster paced and (for me) more engaging.

Believability: Not applicable.

Writing Style: First person, past tense! Yay! Jenna's sense of humor is very subtle, so having the story told in first person worked really well. We Readers are able to enjoy her slight sense of sarcasm this way. The writing style itself was actually rather nice. I'm not a big fan of modern styles, but I did like this Author's style. She had some great descriptions of mountains in the winter - an ambiance that is much harder to capture in writing than one might think. Sometimes the writing is choppy, but that's to be expected in modern stories, and what typing errors I found were mostly unnecessarily capitalized words at the end of dialogue (like "He said") and a very few spelling errors. It was nothing that obstructed the narration's flow.

Content: 1 s-word, 1 f-word. Jenna is almost raped (pg. 34-35), but the scene is interrupted long before it gets far (the dude doesn't even get his or her trousers unbuttoned). Bren and Jenna cuddle and kiss quite a bit, but Jenna keeps their cuddles from going any further, and Bren respects her wishes.

Conclusion: As Loki carefully lays his trap, Jenna is faced with some very difficult decisions, and either choice she makes could end in her and Bren's separation forever - or the earth's total destruction. For Loki will stop at nothing to get what he's come for; failure for him will come at a very high price. Where Winter Fire began sedately, the climax is anything but. I was very near on the edge of my seat, quite uncertain how things would turn out. And the conclusion did come as a surprise, nicely setting up the book's sequel at the same time without creating a killer cliffhanger. I'm not normally a fan of paranormal romances, but Winter Fire was an enjoyable and quick read, perfect for the weekend or a few hours at the coffee shop. With likable characters and a great climax, it delivered in areas that most paranormal romances don't.

Recommended Audience: Girl-read, fifteen-and-up, good for Readers who are looking for a paranormal romance that has likable characters, a non-aggravating romance (and no love triangles!), and a plot that does speed up as the story progresses.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Great setting and story. It was fast paced and kept my interest. The premise, snowboarding Norse gods, was unique and interesting, and I really liked the way the characters were layered and unpredictable. Even the ones who were dubious or "hateable" were well-drawn. A very well written YA novel with a lot of style and humor. As a snowboarder myself I enjoyed the scenes on the mountain and in the terrain park!

[Kat Wadiak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Fast paced and exciting. It kept my interest the whole time. Loved the the characters, they were dynamic and well-written. The snowboarding/Norse god theme was very interesting. I liked the fact that the heroine was strong, but the guys (gods) were still awesome!

[Stacy Witt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book, that kept my interest through the whole thing. It was refreshing to have a story, not a bunch of useless details distracting from it, yet I could visualize the scene and characters. I look forward to the next book.

[Farzy Mae of BooksKeepMeSane · Rating 5 out of 5]

YOU CAN ALSO VIEW THIS REVIEW @ BOOKSKEEPMESANE

I have read books based on different mythologies before, Egyptian, Greek, Roman but I haven't read a book based on the Norse Mythology so I was very excited to read it.
My favorite character is Bren and Jenna, obviously. There is this unmistakable chemistry between them that is too strong to ignore. I couldn't help mentally saying, "Aww, that's so sweet!".

“I’d trade every single day I’ve lived for just one day with you.”
“Every day you’ve lived on the earth?” I asked, baiting him.
“Every day.” He said. “Ever.”

But the one thing I find very weird is the fact that Bren is so much older than Jenna. Don't you think it would be weird if your boyfriend were older than your great grandfather?

“From what you told me, you’re older than dirt anyway.”
He smiled and relaxed a little. “I said I was older than time, not dirt.”

But who cares? Bren is hot hot hot despite being the god of snow, and he's also one of the most powerful gods in Asgard. What's not to love?

“Ullur was an ancient and very powerful god who had existed in time before the first cycle of Ragnarok. His vision wasn’t bound by the events of the cycle."

Loki was supposed to be the villain of the story. But instead I couldn't really hate him. Even from the start I couldn't hate him. In other stories Loki is always the bad guy but in this story he isn't entirely the villain, especially if you find out about what he did in the end.

“There is no truth.” He said. “Only perspective.”

The character I hate the most is
Brianna. I had a hunch from the start that she's going to be bitchy towards Jenna. And turns out, I was right.

I felt Brianna’s glare all through Math, and in every class afterward. I didn’t try to talk to her between periods, figuring it was better to let her tell me what her problem was than to assume anything and give her new information.

The story focuses more on the romance than the adventure stuff but I really liked it. I like how the story didn't end in a cliffhanger. And when I found out that there will be a sequel to the story, I was really delighted. The story is so beautiful that just one book wouldn't do it justice.
If you're a fan of Riordan's books then you are likely to love this book too! I couldn't recommend this highly enough.

[Annamarie Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story. It was a really fast read (probably because I couldn't put it down), and I loved the snowboarding scenes. The idea of snowboarding gods is original, and I think young adults who like paranormal with an edgy side will love this. The author's style was really smooth and fluent. There were no mistakes that I found, and the characterization was great. Loki, especially, was interesting and complicated. I like the cover, too. I'm sick of seeing random models groping each other...this one had great colors and a nice mood. I <3 Jenna and Bren!!!

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully well-written by Laurie Dubay, Winter Fire takes you on a journey between two worlds where everyday life mixes with the unimaginable. Filled with interesting and real characters, this young adult novel explores family and peer relationships and will have you rooting for young love. Can't wait for Hail Storm and for this series to continue!

[Andra-Mihaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Winter Fire" is a lovely beginning in a norse inspired paranormal romance series! A perfect palatte cleanser in between longer books or heavier reads! ^_^

We follow Jenna as she moves with her mother to Yew Dales - a ski and snowboarding resort.
There, between finding energy and desire to make friends and deal with her internal struggles, she gets mixed with Bren and his group - the 'norwegian students' that aren't quite normal.

I will start by saying Jenna is not everyone's cup of tea. She's an introvert, hates crowds, has no real desire to make friends and likes avoiding conflicts of any kind. I believe I'm quite like her and that's the reason she works as a MC for me...but, many people won't like her apathy regarding others and the hyperfocusing on small things. So, if you know what works for you, and if Jenna is not appealing from my description of her, the nice writing style, great pacing and storytelling won't make you enjoy the book more.

The romance is slow and believable. She is enraptured by the male lead, but still puts a healty amount of fear and apprehension before taking any decision. She's cautious and smart about things, although a little naive in some aspects...overall a great protagonist to follow!

Also, I want to mention the amount of snowboarding and skiing in this book 0_0....it's very clear the author knows what she's talking about. And all this info is nicely intertwined with the narrative and the characterisation of the Norse Gods.

I really enjoyed the fact that Jenna is clearly living a normal life..I hate when authors forget the fact that people have school/work/family when the supernatural appears! >..<
The story is very well balanced between normal and abnormal; Jenna definitely has reasons to think all of this is crazy.:)))

Another warning for some readers: the plot progresses slow and it takes it's time to reveal information in regards to why the Norse Gods are here and what exactly does it mean. I like this kind of approach, but for a short book, many would enjoy more time with the supernatural, than with a snowboard.

for Content Warnings: attempted rape

Some things I didn't particularly like: Jenna sometimes does a mistake twice and Bren is not always in character...it feels like the author tried to make him younger through temper and emotional instability, so that he can better fit Jenna, but I really don't think that was necessary.(especially when we find out who he is and what role he plays in norse mythology)

In conclusion, Winter Fire is a really good palatte cleanser with amazing potential for a great paranormal story based on Norse Mythology. I really hope the following books are at least just as good!

Enjoy

[Jessica *The Lovely Books* · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given a review copy from the author for an honest review.

I was excited to read about Norse gods and snowboarding. I mean how cool is that?!

The story starts off with our main character, Jenna, and her mother when they move into a hotel where her mother is takes on the job as a manager. There she sees the mysterious Bren and his family, whom everyone tells her is weird. Little do they know...

I guess I will start with what I did like about the book. I like the characters, they were all fun and easy to relate to. Especially Jenna. She seemed so calm and wise for her age. Bren was awesome as well! Not to mention I thought he was good looking:)

The snowboarding was interesting to read about since I know nothing of the sport. It seems hard but I still would love to try it out.

Now is the part where i talk about what i disliked. I found the story slow paced and repetitive. There were times when I wanted to skip parts but I kept on reading. The action at the end of the book made up for what I felt lacked in the middle.

All in all I thought it was a cute read and it was definitely different from what I am used to reading.

The second book Hail Storm comes out soon.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. It was very well written, and it looks at paranormal romance from a very unique point of view. The setting itself is so original. It takes place at a ski resort and the characters are mostly snowboarders who are really expatriot Norse gods. Very cool. Also, the main character is a strong teenage girl who actually makes realistic decisions and has realistic feelings despite her crazy circumstances. Although I liked Bren best, I have to admit I was really intrigued by Loki. I haven't read anything quite like this and I'm really anxious to get a hold of the next book.

[Heather Langston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! It was a refreshing change (i.e. no vamps or werewolves) and one I'll definitely read again. It also wasn't as confusing as some mythology related YA books that I've read. Easy to follow in regards to what exactly is going on with the Norse gods. And, a word of warning...it'll be hard to put down! However, I do have one question...how long do we have to wait for next next one? :)

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[L. Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winter Fire was beautifully written and had a really unique approach. Dubay's world building is fantastic and her descriptions in general allow you to get lost in the story. Themes that may be common in other romantasy books - characters falling in love quickly ect. - are handled with a fresh approach, especially because this is the first book in a series, and we find out in subsequent books that there is a good reason for the fast connections between the characters. I love what Dubay has done with Norse myth, and I since I'm a Loki fan, I devoured this series and can't wait for more!

[Vassa]

dnf'd @ 60 per cent or something
I was there for Loki ONLY, and I was patient enough to finally get a glimpse of him, but honestly, it was not for me at all, I just could not get into the story. Jenna is chill I guess, but the episode where she was nearly raped was the beginning of an end for me. I didn't particularly like how the trauma was handled, and everything after that just didn't excite me anymore, so I think it's time to stop

[Magi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rushed

It felt way too rushed, especially between Jenna and Bren,but then i realized it was only 254 pages. I don't like things dragged out a lot,but i do like characters development and building relationships, but since it all felt so rushed, i didn't get all the feels! Falling in love at first sight is fine,but the feels have to be there and not feel slapped on super suddenly.

[Christine Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome and full of teen/mythological action

Anyone, especially teenagers/young adults, who enjoys reading Norse mythological stories, will find this book very interesting. Has been a pleasure reading and going on one heck of a ski trip throughout midgard and Asgard.

[Bobbi Jo Villa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting spin on Asgard, Thor, & Loki

This was a cool story. I did not guess where the story was going. I thought the characters were some type of paranormal at first.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boy meets girl. Girl falls in love with boy. Boy is a Norse god. As you can expect, things heat up between Bren and Jenna, climaxing with the Loki incident. Loki comes down from Asgard to bring Bren back home so that the ancient cycle concerning the end/rebirth of the world can continue.

Ill start by saying I loved the writing style, Dubay has an art for fiction and I can't wait until she hones this skill in character development. I enjoyed the humor, witty banter and the characters of Skye an Bren. I felt emotions from the book which is rare: I felt sorrow for Loki, and adored Fenrir.

The story progresses realistically, Jenna's mother is a perfect hook for reality, and the lore is thought provoking.

That said....

I hated Jenna, she was selfish, shallow and not very intelligent. She didnt piece together Loki's plan, and didnt understand when she was warned about Bren's womanizing ways.
"He's always with a girl, but never the same one twice, do you understand?" I didn't understand. "Yes"
Duh. Even a 12 year old would understand the implication.

Jenna constantly behaves irrationally. Loki is here to hurt you and you stress about goin home to mom? You then sneak out at night and think your mother doesn't notice? She constantly behaves as if she's a child and not a 17 year old who should have some sort of brain and independence.

[Jan Niblock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book looking for stories about Loki, who I love reading about, and what I found was another story about Ullur or Ull who is quickly becoming one of my favorite Norse gods. This story was very well written. It didn’t have a lot of that teenage angst that many young adult stories have which made it very easy to read as an adult.

It is easy to fall in love with Bren and his family. It took me a while to figure out if I liked Skye or not. However, Jenna is not the typical teenager; she has that special part of her that I feel we are just beginning to understand. Hopefully in the later books, we will learn more about Jenna and how important or not her role is when it comes to the battle of the gods. I am looking forwarding to reading the next one in the series.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snowboarding mythological gods...neat idea. I enjoyed this read.