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Frostworld #1
Ice & Blood
On Frostworld, only the strong survive...
Jarl Beckström dreams of one day becoming a great warrior. Sadly, he had the misfortune of being lowborn—classless, unable to level up. He lives the mundane life of a poor mud-farmer, subjected to the whims of the infamous battleborn and the magical fireborn. But legend says that deeds of great courage can change a person’s class...
When the Clan Lord’s son unexpectedly disappears, Jarl sees an opportunity to prove himself a hero and rise above the lowly station of his birth. He goes against the traditions of his people to seek his destiny... and possibly even his death.
However, dark things stir in the frozen wilderness.
A star has fallen from the heavens and the dead have begun to rise. While clanholds struggle in eternal conflict and powerful men vie for control, only an ambitious mud-farmer and his domineering sister can shed light on the true enemy: the monstrous, undead draugr...
Don't miss the start of an epic GameLit/LitRPG adventure with a Viking and Norse Mythology twist. It's perfect for fans of Unsouled, Iron Prince, and Sufficiently Advanced Magic.
Jarl Beckström dreams of one day becoming a great warrior. Sadly, he had the misfortune of being lowborn—classless, unable to level up. He lives the mundane life of a poor mud-farmer, subjected to the whims of the infamous battleborn and the magical fireborn. But legend says that deeds of great courage can change a person’s class...
When the Clan Lord’s son unexpectedly disappears, Jarl sees an opportunity to prove himself a hero and rise above the lowly station of his birth. He goes against the traditions of his people to seek his destiny... and possibly even his death.
However, dark things stir in the frozen wilderness.
A star has fallen from the heavens and the dead have begun to rise. While clanholds struggle in eternal conflict and powerful men vie for control, only an ambitious mud-farmer and his domineering sister can shed light on the true enemy: the monstrous, undead draugr...
Don't miss the start of an epic GameLit/LitRPG adventure with a Viking and Norse Mythology twist. It's perfect for fans of Unsouled, Iron Prince, and Sufficiently Advanced Magic.
497 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 23, 2021
174 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
Blake Arthur Peel
21 books73 followersBlake Arthur Peel has been coming up with stories ever since he was a kid. He inflicted his scribblings on family members and friends throughout his youth, always drawing maps in the back of notebooks and daydreaming when he probably should have been paying attention. It wasn’t until he was out of college that he finally decided to get serious about pursuing his career as a fantasy author.
His favorite stories have always been about good conquering evil, about fantastic worlds and wondrous magic systems. The works that have most inspired him are The Lord of the Rings, The Dragonlance Chronicles, The Riftwar Saga, The Stormlight Archive, and The Wheel of Time, among many others.
Blake was born and raised in Hemet, California. He loves playing games, being outside, and spending time with his wife and two sons.
Follow him at facebook.com/blakearthurpeel
His favorite stories have always been about good conquering evil, about fantastic worlds and wondrous magic systems. The works that have most inspired him are The Lord of the Rings, The Dragonlance Chronicles, The Riftwar Saga, The Stormlight Archive, and The Wheel of Time, among many others.
Blake was born and raised in Hemet, California. He loves playing games, being outside, and spending time with his wife and two sons.
Follow him at facebook.com/blakearthurpeel
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 29, 2021
Good stuff. I really enjoyed Peel's Fall of Radiance and this was just as good. An interesting world with gamelit elements. A true epic fantasy.
February 11, 2023
This is the story of a young Viking by the name of Jarl Beckstrom. In this story, the Vikings are born into a caste system, there are highborn, and lowborn, as well as thralls (Those captured from other tribes, and turned into slaves, you can tell them, as they have their ears clipped, forever marking them as slaves). Lowborn are those that do the ‘menial’ work, in the case of Clan Norvaask, this mainly means being a mud farmer, which Jarl’s family has been for 3 generations now.
The highborn are made up of the Battleborn, the warriors of the clan, and the fireborn, those born with the ability to case fire magic.
For young Jarl, the main character of the story, although he is a lowborn mud farmer, and as such, it is not possible for him to become a battleborn, to rise above his station, he still has his heart set on becoming a battleborn.
There have been folktales of lowborn, performing amazing feats, and levelling up, becoming battleborn and thus changing their stations.
I should mention that this book has a mild element of LitRPG running through it, mud farmer, battleborn, fireborn etc, are all different classes of characters, and to become a battleborn, Jarl has to perform a significant feat of heroism for his Gods, showing that he is suitable to be a battleborn, and thus ‘level up’, moving from a Level 1 Mud Farmer, and changing his class in the process, to a Level 1 Battleborn.
Without giving too much away (no spoilers as such), the first part of the story revolves around Jarl trying desperately to become a Battleborn, and due to the traditions of the Norvaask, it nearly killing him on several occasions.
We also get to meet his sister Freya, a fireborn, and an ambitious, and somewhat self-centered person (to put it lightly), who cares little for others, especially her brother, who she sees as a dimwitted moron, who is an embarrassment to her.
Freya is a very powerful and talented fireborn though, and if it wasn’t for her attitude, she would go a lot further. Unfortunately, there is another who is stronger, Runa, who is kinder and gains favour with the leaders of the fireborn, the High Aesir.
Several things happen at the start of the book, there is a raid by a rival Clan, something we learn that happens often, but this raid has a profound impact on Jarl’s life, changing him forever.
We also learn that the Clan Lords son, Raynor Haig, has gone missing whilst out exploring and the Clan Lord is desperate to find his son and Heir to the Norvaask Clan, and sends out a huge hunting party to go and find him. Jarl of course, sees this as an opportunity to prove himself, and sneaks out to go along with the hunting party.
I am not going to go into too much more, because I don’t want to give away too much more.
Needless to say, Jarl’s adventure does not go quite as planned.
Part of this is because he comes across the Draugr, these are the undead zombies of slain clan members, infected with a strange worm like creature that tries to infect anything organic, living or dead. If it is dead, it reanimates it so that it can use the undead body as a host to try and infect others.
From the moment you pick this book up, you are hooked, the writing is captivating and totally engaging, as you read about this young Viking so desperate to be something more than he is. Jarl is immediately likeable, even though he seems to go from one bad situation to the next, and can’t seem to catch a break, you can’t help but like him, his noble and honourable character, and his utter determination to be a battleborn, but to do what is right, to help people and defend his home and people. He has such a huge heart. It is a testament to Peel’s character writing that you can be so easily captivated by the character. Just as easily, you find yourself both repelled, but equally fascinated by the character of Freya, who although comes across as a self-centered stuck-up cow, deep down, there is actually a person with a soul, one that cares, but has just found herself trapped by peer pressure.
The character writing is just exceptional in this story, from the main characters to the individual Vikings, the Hero’s of the clan, Asger Ironfists, Halvard Bloodhammer, Sten Haig, and more, each of them with this detailed, rich history that you would expect of a powerful Viking warrior. Peel has put a lot of effort into creating this wonderful Viking clan with its own mythology and brilliant history for each and everyone of its Clan members, it makes for an exceptional character driven story.
I mentioned this was a LitRPG story, but it is subtle, there are elements, mentions of Jarl’s character and Freya’s character, but it is not overbearing like some LitRPG’s can be, Peel has found a good balance of giving us the characters stats so it is interesting, but not overwhelming us with numbers and figures, so you just start flipping pages (or if listening, fast forwarding).
The other outstanding part of the story is the world building. It is not just the characters that have impressive backgrounds, Peel has put a lot of thought into this world, the descriptive work of the ice world, the Tundra they live on and the creatures that live there is stunning. There is so much depth, with a complex and complete background for every aspect of the story, making it not only an enthralling read, but it is stunning, at times beautiful due to the detail, and at other times, utterly terrifying due to the complexity and quality of information provided.
I am normally someone who only reads Sci-Fi, it is not often I delve into fantasy, but having previously read Peel’s Fall of Radiance series and seen how extraordinary that was, I had to give Frostworld a go, and I could not be happier I did, as it is just outstanding, easily one of the best Fantasy LitRPG books I have read this year. If you love Fantasy, or LitRPG, this is a must read, and if you like the Viking genre, then this is also a must read, as Peel has really done it justice.
Amazing read!!
The highborn are made up of the Battleborn, the warriors of the clan, and the fireborn, those born with the ability to case fire magic.
For young Jarl, the main character of the story, although he is a lowborn mud farmer, and as such, it is not possible for him to become a battleborn, to rise above his station, he still has his heart set on becoming a battleborn.
There have been folktales of lowborn, performing amazing feats, and levelling up, becoming battleborn and thus changing their stations.
I should mention that this book has a mild element of LitRPG running through it, mud farmer, battleborn, fireborn etc, are all different classes of characters, and to become a battleborn, Jarl has to perform a significant feat of heroism for his Gods, showing that he is suitable to be a battleborn, and thus ‘level up’, moving from a Level 1 Mud Farmer, and changing his class in the process, to a Level 1 Battleborn.
Without giving too much away (no spoilers as such), the first part of the story revolves around Jarl trying desperately to become a Battleborn, and due to the traditions of the Norvaask, it nearly killing him on several occasions.
We also get to meet his sister Freya, a fireborn, and an ambitious, and somewhat self-centered person (to put it lightly), who cares little for others, especially her brother, who she sees as a dimwitted moron, who is an embarrassment to her.
Freya is a very powerful and talented fireborn though, and if it wasn’t for her attitude, she would go a lot further. Unfortunately, there is another who is stronger, Runa, who is kinder and gains favour with the leaders of the fireborn, the High Aesir.
Several things happen at the start of the book, there is a raid by a rival Clan, something we learn that happens often, but this raid has a profound impact on Jarl’s life, changing him forever.
We also learn that the Clan Lords son, Raynor Haig, has gone missing whilst out exploring and the Clan Lord is desperate to find his son and Heir to the Norvaask Clan, and sends out a huge hunting party to go and find him. Jarl of course, sees this as an opportunity to prove himself, and sneaks out to go along with the hunting party.
I am not going to go into too much more, because I don’t want to give away too much more.
Needless to say, Jarl’s adventure does not go quite as planned.
Part of this is because he comes across the Draugr, these are the undead zombies of slain clan members, infected with a strange worm like creature that tries to infect anything organic, living or dead. If it is dead, it reanimates it so that it can use the undead body as a host to try and infect others.
From the moment you pick this book up, you are hooked, the writing is captivating and totally engaging, as you read about this young Viking so desperate to be something more than he is. Jarl is immediately likeable, even though he seems to go from one bad situation to the next, and can’t seem to catch a break, you can’t help but like him, his noble and honourable character, and his utter determination to be a battleborn, but to do what is right, to help people and defend his home and people. He has such a huge heart. It is a testament to Peel’s character writing that you can be so easily captivated by the character. Just as easily, you find yourself both repelled, but equally fascinated by the character of Freya, who although comes across as a self-centered stuck-up cow, deep down, there is actually a person with a soul, one that cares, but has just found herself trapped by peer pressure.
The character writing is just exceptional in this story, from the main characters to the individual Vikings, the Hero’s of the clan, Asger Ironfists, Halvard Bloodhammer, Sten Haig, and more, each of them with this detailed, rich history that you would expect of a powerful Viking warrior. Peel has put a lot of effort into creating this wonderful Viking clan with its own mythology and brilliant history for each and everyone of its Clan members, it makes for an exceptional character driven story.
I mentioned this was a LitRPG story, but it is subtle, there are elements, mentions of Jarl’s character and Freya’s character, but it is not overbearing like some LitRPG’s can be, Peel has found a good balance of giving us the characters stats so it is interesting, but not overwhelming us with numbers and figures, so you just start flipping pages (or if listening, fast forwarding).
The other outstanding part of the story is the world building. It is not just the characters that have impressive backgrounds, Peel has put a lot of thought into this world, the descriptive work of the ice world, the Tundra they live on and the creatures that live there is stunning. There is so much depth, with a complex and complete background for every aspect of the story, making it not only an enthralling read, but it is stunning, at times beautiful due to the detail, and at other times, utterly terrifying due to the complexity and quality of information provided.
I am normally someone who only reads Sci-Fi, it is not often I delve into fantasy, but having previously read Peel’s Fall of Radiance series and seen how extraordinary that was, I had to give Frostworld a go, and I could not be happier I did, as it is just outstanding, easily one of the best Fantasy LitRPG books I have read this year. If you love Fantasy, or LitRPG, this is a must read, and if you like the Viking genre, then this is also a must read, as Peel has really done it justice.
Amazing read!!
July 11, 2021
I'm basing this review on the ARC I received from Aethon Books.
Frostworld starts out with Jarl, a lowly mud farmer who aspires to be more. His sister is venerated as a Fireborn, someone who can use the magic of fire. Their clan is set in the far north of a world that seemed very similar to Scandinavia, and was more than a little like the Vikings of old.
Before I recount the plot, let me say that the book is very well written, and the story is richly developed. The highborn can become battleborn, but the merchant and lower castes of the clans cannot. There are stories of mudborn rising to become battleborn, but those are myths from the distant past.
Jarl makes a couple of not so well thought out attempts to prove himself that he is worthy of becoming battleborn, each time embarrassing his sister to no end. When he does finally make a kill to raise his level, it doesn't matter.
The war leaders and other battleborn want nothing to do with him. He doesn't give up, which is to his credit, even when he probably should have.
The story takes a turn around the 60% mark, and while I won't spoil it, it changes the tone of the story. The carousing, drinking, and lusting after mates comes to an end as a real threat enters the scene. Jarl knows what it is, but he's the boy who cried wolf too many times, and no one listens.
Until they are forced to, however.
The story is the classic heroes journey, where the underdog wants to fight, and then is forced to fight and prove his worth.
Is I've said during other reviews, I firmly believe Aethon books are putting out some of the best LitRPG books right now, almost all of them from first time authors. It's a great time to be reading LitRPG right now, and Frostworld is well worth the time.
Recommended. 5/5*
Frostworld starts out with Jarl, a lowly mud farmer who aspires to be more. His sister is venerated as a Fireborn, someone who can use the magic of fire. Their clan is set in the far north of a world that seemed very similar to Scandinavia, and was more than a little like the Vikings of old.
Before I recount the plot, let me say that the book is very well written, and the story is richly developed. The highborn can become battleborn, but the merchant and lower castes of the clans cannot. There are stories of mudborn rising to become battleborn, but those are myths from the distant past.
Jarl makes a couple of not so well thought out attempts to prove himself that he is worthy of becoming battleborn, each time embarrassing his sister to no end. When he does finally make a kill to raise his level, it doesn't matter.
The war leaders and other battleborn want nothing to do with him. He doesn't give up, which is to his credit, even when he probably should have.
The story takes a turn around the 60% mark, and while I won't spoil it, it changes the tone of the story. The carousing, drinking, and lusting after mates comes to an end as a real threat enters the scene. Jarl knows what it is, but he's the boy who cried wolf too many times, and no one listens.
Until they are forced to, however.
The story is the classic heroes journey, where the underdog wants to fight, and then is forced to fight and prove his worth.
Is I've said during other reviews, I firmly believe Aethon books are putting out some of the best LitRPG books right now, almost all of them from first time authors. It's a great time to be reading LitRPG right now, and Frostworld is well worth the time.
Recommended. 5/5*
August 25, 2021
This is seriously one of my new favorite books. Absolutely loved the characters, loved to hate some of them too! Overall this story was gripping, and I honestly couldn't stop listening (I listened to the audio, highly recommend, the narrator goes all out with accents) The plot was great, the rpg part added a cool facet to the story, and like I said before, I loved the characters. I can't wait until book no. 2 comes out!
August 23, 2021
Good Viking Story LitRPG
I enjoyed the Viking style LitRPG. Made for an intriguing setting and leaned into that heavily to make for a good story.
The main conflict is also frost zombies. So that’s helpful too. But it’s a fun enjoyable book and I recommend it.
I enjoyed the Viking style LitRPG. Made for an intriguing setting and leaned into that heavily to make for a good story.
The main conflict is also frost zombies. So that’s helpful too. But it’s a fun enjoyable book and I recommend it.
August 2, 2021
Recommend this book.
I picked the book and couldn't set it down. Does not overwhelm you Stat pages but does have an element of litrpg. Well writen book and interesting world. Cannot wait until the next book comes out and how the story develops
I picked the book and couldn't set it down. Does not overwhelm you Stat pages but does have an element of litrpg. Well writen book and interesting world. Cannot wait until the next book comes out and how the story develops
November 2, 2021
I have no idea how this book got good ratings, maybe people like listening to a slow ass book that comes down to noobie low level cavemen beating each other to death ( pvp ) with sticks, raiding other cities etc. That is all their is to it.
* No real range weapons outside of magic? How about a bow or a sling?
* No world building and a magic system that is not explained.
* This is not a GameLit or LitRPG.
* These idiots barely have any society
* The characters are not even flushed out.
* No real range weapons outside of magic? How about a bow or a sling?
* No world building and a magic system that is not explained.
* This is not a GameLit or LitRPG.
* These idiots barely have any society
* The characters are not even flushed out.
October 9, 2024
Haven't reviewed a book in forever... Because I haven't read a book in forever...
Anyway, let's get into this.
The Narration:
I'm not generally a fan of Neil Hellegers' narration style; I find it lacks characterisation while being a bit too...querky on the intonations. While it certainly didn't enhance my listening experience, it didn't degrade it either: neutral.
The Good
I've come to a general conclusion: The more involved the game/magic system, the less of a story there actually is. All books I've really enjoyed in this subgenre are those where the author has chosen to go lite on gaming mechanism and heavy on "conventional" fantasy. As far as I'm concerned, that's a match made in heaven.
In this vein, this book does not really qualify as LitRPG. Hell, I wouldn't even call it Gamelit. No, this is a good ole dark fantasy, but with a very peculiar magic system where classes and stat points and quests exist, in a very limited fashion. As a result, the author took his time to craft a dense and poignant ACTUAL story, that stands on its own. It shows in the depth he managed to impart on his protagonists, as well as the intrigue guiding the main plot. I particularly appreciated the irony of the cliff-hanger.
The world-building is detailed enough while not drowning us in trivia, even if a little bit trite.
The Less Good
This is a personal peeve. I found the POV jumping annoying. We could have stuck to the brother/sister chapters and nothing of value would have been lost.
To be honest, we could have transformed the stats business into something a bit more esoteric. I didn't find the stats and damage number to make much sense.
Another nitpick was about the class drama. It felt a bit... artificial
There is a little bit of subplot recycling when it comes to the MC trekking out of the village.
The Bad
Nothing really belongs in this category.
The Conclusion
I regret not delving into this book earlier, and I now have to check out what else this author has to offer, while waiting for the next volume.
Ah, yes... the score: 5 stars in its category. Not even a question. Get this!
Anyway, let's get into this.
The Narration:
I'm not generally a fan of Neil Hellegers' narration style; I find it lacks characterisation while being a bit too...querky on the intonations. While it certainly didn't enhance my listening experience, it didn't degrade it either: neutral.
The Good
I've come to a general conclusion: The more involved the game/magic system, the less of a story there actually is. All books I've really enjoyed in this subgenre are those where the author has chosen to go lite on gaming mechanism and heavy on "conventional" fantasy. As far as I'm concerned, that's a match made in heaven.
In this vein, this book does not really qualify as LitRPG. Hell, I wouldn't even call it Gamelit. No, this is a good ole dark fantasy, but with a very peculiar magic system where classes and stat points and quests exist, in a very limited fashion. As a result, the author took his time to craft a dense and poignant ACTUAL story, that stands on its own. It shows in the depth he managed to impart on his protagonists, as well as the intrigue guiding the main plot. I particularly appreciated the irony of the cliff-hanger.
The world-building is detailed enough while not drowning us in trivia, even if a little bit trite.
The Less Good
This is a personal peeve. I found the POV jumping annoying. We could have stuck to the brother/sister chapters and nothing of value would have been lost.
To be honest, we could have transformed the stats business into something a bit more esoteric. I didn't find the stats and damage number to make much sense.
Another nitpick was about the class drama. It felt a bit... artificial
There is a little bit of subplot recycling when it comes to the MC trekking out of the village.
The Bad
Nothing really belongs in this category.
The Conclusion
I regret not delving into this book earlier, and I now have to check out what else this author has to offer, while waiting for the next volume.
Ah, yes... the score: 5 stars in its category. Not even a question. Get this!
August 30, 2024
Didn't need to be gamelit.
This is a bit of a weird one. It starts poorly and only begins to get interesting around chapters 4-7. It's a coming of age style story and does decently at that.
The setting is not great though. There's a class system that seems to have the farmers working to fullfil Communist shuttle quotas for the clan while the upper classes accumulated wealth from somewhere and do nothing.
Moreover the LitRPG aspect is hand waved in after a few lines at the start but was unnecessary. You could take all the game aspects out of the story and it would be greatly improved. The stats were meaningless since a level 2 can do seemingly everything a higher level can and when it says "Stamina: 2/9. Freya was exhausted." You could just say "Freya was exhausted." I have no idea why the game stuff was shoehorned into the narrative as it was much the worse for it.
Then there's the plot. Very Game of Thrones-esque with an evil villain who wants to kill everyone because they're evil. Not much going on there. The main characters have quite interesting arcs though and once you get a bit invested it's not too bad.
The people were another weird aspect. Every clans has slaves who are treated like shit. The main character's mates even joke about hoping some prominent female enemy warriors are caught and turned into slaves so they can rape them. Between that, the rigid unfair class system and the society based around pointless war you wonder why you should want these guy to survive. One main character even wonders if their society deserves to be saved.
I will say that despite the janky plot devices and the dumb game mechanics the story gets a bit better by the end and the last hour or two were compelling and enjoyable.
Overall, I think this is an ok book. Not great and it could definitely be retooled into a 4-5 star book but it's not there now. The narration was good. I probably won't read the sequel.
This is a bit of a weird one. It starts poorly and only begins to get interesting around chapters 4-7. It's a coming of age style story and does decently at that.
The setting is not great though. There's a class system that seems to have the farmers working to fullfil Communist shuttle quotas for the clan while the upper classes accumulated wealth from somewhere and do nothing.
Moreover the LitRPG aspect is hand waved in after a few lines at the start but was unnecessary. You could take all the game aspects out of the story and it would be greatly improved. The stats were meaningless since a level 2 can do seemingly everything a higher level can and when it says "Stamina: 2/9. Freya was exhausted." You could just say "Freya was exhausted." I have no idea why the game stuff was shoehorned into the narrative as it was much the worse for it.
Then there's the plot. Very Game of Thrones-esque with an evil villain who wants to kill everyone because they're evil. Not much going on there. The main characters have quite interesting arcs though and once you get a bit invested it's not too bad.
The people were another weird aspect. Every clans has slaves who are treated like shit. The main character's mates even joke about hoping some prominent female enemy warriors are caught and turned into slaves so they can rape them. Between that, the rigid unfair class system and the society based around pointless war you wonder why you should want these guy to survive. One main character even wonders if their society deserves to be saved.
I will say that despite the janky plot devices and the dumb game mechanics the story gets a bit better by the end and the last hour or two were compelling and enjoyable.
Overall, I think this is an ok book. Not great and it could definitely be retooled into a 4-5 star book but it's not there now. The narration was good. I probably won't read the sequel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2023
Ice and Blood may scratch the itch for those looking for a Viking themed LitRPG, of which there are few. But a bare-bones, poorly explained, and inconsequential game system may leave you wanting. That is not to say Ice and Blood is poorly written. It actually is on the better side of the still burgeoning LitRPG genre. The characters overall don't have that much depth but they have enough facets to have me invested in some of them.
The first entry in the Frostworld series is pretty simple overall. Jarl Bekcstrom is a lowborn, they toil away at farming, constuction, etc. who manages to kill an enemy during a raid his clan was experiencing. This 'levels him yp' into a battleborn, warriors who fight for the clan. His sister Freya is a fireborn, fire spellcaster, who is resentful of Jarl's new class as he makes a fool of himself trying to prove he belongs among the new caste. Both are set on a trajectory towards an enemy that threatens not just their clan, but the entire continent.
I will say I found the plot itself interesting enough to keep me turning the pages. But Blake Arthur Peel could've done quite a bit more worldbuilding to make his setting feel richer. As mentioned earlier, the game system also feels tacked on. You could remove it from the story and it wouldn't effect much. It is wildly inconsistent and the skill checks feel at times jarring more than LitRPG. The magic also is just spells, magic points, and potions to help with casting spells/spell points.
All that said, I had a strong hankering to read a Viking LitRPG series and while Ice and Blood felt lacking in the game system and stats; there is a fun story to be experienced. I hope books two and three refine the game aspect more.
The first entry in the Frostworld series is pretty simple overall. Jarl Bekcstrom is a lowborn, they toil away at farming, constuction, etc. who manages to kill an enemy during a raid his clan was experiencing. This 'levels him yp' into a battleborn, warriors who fight for the clan. His sister Freya is a fireborn, fire spellcaster, who is resentful of Jarl's new class as he makes a fool of himself trying to prove he belongs among the new caste. Both are set on a trajectory towards an enemy that threatens not just their clan, but the entire continent.
I will say I found the plot itself interesting enough to keep me turning the pages. But Blake Arthur Peel could've done quite a bit more worldbuilding to make his setting feel richer. As mentioned earlier, the game system also feels tacked on. You could remove it from the story and it wouldn't effect much. It is wildly inconsistent and the skill checks feel at times jarring more than LitRPG. The magic also is just spells, magic points, and potions to help with casting spells/spell points.
All that said, I had a strong hankering to read a Viking LitRPG series and while Ice and Blood felt lacking in the game system and stats; there is a fun story to be experienced. I hope books two and three refine the game aspect more.
August 3, 2021
Good idea, but lacking a bit
I like the gritty setting, but there are things that just don't fit. For example, the leveling system just seems tossed together and makes zero sense. He fights one enemy and earns a big chunk of XP... Then literally fights dozens of them and gets peanuts... Sometimes nothing at all. It feels like the author just added levels and stats in to call it a litrpg. The numbers are completely arbitrary and could be removed without consequence. Also, the MC doesn't fit. He is kind of a white knight beta... Which makes zero sense in the societal setting or warrior culture. It's like vikings meets Disney... Kind of ruins the whole aesthetic. It is written better than most in the genre, but between the pacing and the oddities mentioned it could be a lot better. This could be overlooked if it wasn't so cliche and predictable. I don't think I'll read the next one since it's pretty obvious what's going to happen.
I like the gritty setting, but there are things that just don't fit. For example, the leveling system just seems tossed together and makes zero sense. He fights one enemy and earns a big chunk of XP... Then literally fights dozens of them and gets peanuts... Sometimes nothing at all. It feels like the author just added levels and stats in to call it a litrpg. The numbers are completely arbitrary and could be removed without consequence. Also, the MC doesn't fit. He is kind of a white knight beta... Which makes zero sense in the societal setting or warrior culture. It's like vikings meets Disney... Kind of ruins the whole aesthetic. It is written better than most in the genre, but between the pacing and the oddities mentioned it could be a lot better. This could be overlooked if it wasn't so cliche and predictable. I don't think I'll read the next one since it's pretty obvious what's going to happen.
August 30, 2024
I dislike characters that are stupid. Here you have an MC who just wants to kill, but has no reason other than it looks fun. No care as to the danger and what it might cost him or others, especially if he, say, lost an arm or simply dies. The world of slaves (thralls) makes no sense if every village fights the other after a few generations only 1 or 2 societies would exist and all else would have missing pieces of an ear to signify their enslavement. Remember that these are magic battles, not small hand-to-hand battles.
For me, unless it's REALLY a game, then to fight or murder or do what I consider morally challenged ordeals, a person needs a reason ... I'd even accept revenge, but not ... oh, that seems fun and I've wanted to do it since I was a boy.
I can go on, but suffice it to say that the story lacks an engaging plot.
For me, unless it's REALLY a game, then to fight or murder or do what I consider morally challenged ordeals, a person needs a reason ... I'd even accept revenge, but not ... oh, that seems fun and I've wanted to do it since I was a boy.
I can go on, but suffice it to say that the story lacks an engaging plot.
February 6, 2022
An enjoyable Viking themed first novel
This one was a classic tale of rising above your origins and becoming something more. Heavily Norse/Viking themed, with several characters named after the Norse gods. I enjoyed this one, simply for the fact that the MC just wont give up. He’s continually getting beaten down by the established hierarchy but wont let it stop him. I enjoyed the more D&D style mechanics vs what some authors use, it lent this story a bit more uniqueness.
This one was a classic tale of rising above your origins and becoming something more. Heavily Norse/Viking themed, with several characters named after the Norse gods. I enjoyed this one, simply for the fact that the MC just wont give up. He’s continually getting beaten down by the established hierarchy but wont let it stop him. I enjoyed the more D&D style mechanics vs what some authors use, it lent this story a bit more uniqueness.
August 10, 2021
Book one
Mistakes: I only found one mistake in this book. Good writing and well edited.
Plot: On a frozen planet one young man strives to change his destiny. Will he be able to before the dead cover his planet?
Characters: MC is likable enough. His sister is something else. She does improve during the book though.
8/10
Mistakes: I only found one mistake in this book. Good writing and well edited.
Plot: On a frozen planet one young man strives to change his destiny. Will he be able to before the dead cover his planet?
Characters: MC is likable enough. His sister is something else. She does improve during the book though.
8/10
April 25, 2024
This was a great listen. I enjoyed the dynamic of starting as a lower class and working your way up and being respected. The dynamic of brother and sister reworking their relationship is interesting, but was somewhat predictable. The story of an unknown war to build the allies of the world is a great setting. Worth a read/listen
August 1, 2021
Viking LitRpg
MC is a lad rising from low station. Getting some recognition. Scary adversary’s. Magic elements exists but limited knowledge are shared & seems be reagent based for the most part. Well described fight’s.
MC is a lad rising from low station. Getting some recognition. Scary adversary’s. Magic elements exists but limited knowledge are shared & seems be reagent based for the most part. Well described fight’s.
August 10, 2021
A great story, Not LitRPG
This is a great story and anyone that like this genre will like this story. It is not LitRPG. There are occasional level up’s and other mechanics but they seem to get in the way of the story. I will read Book 2.
This is a great story and anyone that like this genre will like this story. It is not LitRPG. There are occasional level up’s and other mechanics but they seem to get in the way of the story. I will read Book 2.
September 21, 2021
Vikings in their usual fighting attitudes.
The weak and the poor become stronger and prepared for a changing life. A sister and brother become the heroes that are needed if their Clans are to survive.
The weak and the poor become stronger and prepared for a changing life. A sister and brother become the heroes that are needed if their Clans are to survive.
October 25, 2024
In search of a dream
It took me a while to get into the story. I saw a man who was sick of his lot in life and wanted to be a warrior, not a farmer. He was able to reach that goal, but with great trial.
It took me a while to get into the story. I saw a man who was sick of his lot in life and wanted to be a warrior, not a farmer. He was able to reach that goal, but with great trial.
August 3, 2021
Great Clean Book
I enjoyed the book it was a lot of fun to read. It was clean with little profanity. It lost one star for profanity
I enjoyed the book it was a lot of fun to read. It was clean with little profanity. It lost one star for profanity
August 5, 2021
Loved it!
Very well written. Ive been on a viking kick lately and this one hit all the right notes! Highly suggest picking up!
Very well written. Ive been on a viking kick lately and this one hit all the right notes! Highly suggest picking up!
September 4, 2021
Exceptional book. Only gripes would be not much in LitRPG and final epic battle Jarl only gained one level.
Read
January 29, 2023DNF at 8 %.
Not for me. Could not hold my interest.
Not for me. Could not hold my interest.
March 15, 2023
Lit RPG not really my genre. Overall story otherwise interesting
June 2, 2024
Freezing cold story of growth and adventure in a world controlled by game rules. The young protagonist never gives up in his search for recognition.
June 27, 2024
A hood litrpg book with an interesting frost viking setting. Typical coming of age but I like those.
October 8, 2024
Great book
Stellar work from Blake Arthur Peel! Lots action and adventure, monsters and magic. Looking forward to reading the next one.
Stellar work from Blake Arthur Peel! Lots action and adventure, monsters and magic. Looking forward to reading the next one.
April 30, 2025
Not a book I would normally pick up but I was impressed with the writing, dialog, and character development. It’s a different experience reading a book by an author you know.
September 1, 2021
Interesting. Takes place in an oppressive world which is uncomfortable to even read about. A real page turner which leaves many interesting opportunities for the upcoming books.
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