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The Ice Plague #3
The Ice Plague
Eran Iliakambar and Mosk Manytrees are on the final stretch of their journey to vanquish the plague of ice and defeat the dreaded Mage Olphix once and for all. Travelling with a mixed Seelie and Unseelie group of fae – including the Unseelie King – mourning their losses and dealing with their traumas, the two are challenged repeatedly, struggling to keep their love for each other alive during a time that threatens not only their relationship, but their lives, and the lives of all fae.
*
Words: 286272 (Complete)
Set in the greater Fae Tales universe, this is book #3 of #3 of The Ice Plague
*
Words: 286272 (Complete)
Set in the greater Fae Tales universe, this is book #3 of #3 of The Ice Plague
ebook
Published August 1, 2022
1 person is currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Pia Foxhall
16 books176 followersPronouns: They/them
Aka not_poignant
http://not-poignant.tumblr.com/
http://archiveofourown.org/users/not_...
http://archiveofourown.org/users/thes...
NEWSLETTER: http://eepurl.com/dJsDhQ
Aka not_poignant
http://not-poignant.tumblr.com/
http://archiveofourown.org/users/not_...
http://archiveofourown.org/users/thes...
NEWSLETTER: http://eepurl.com/dJsDhQ
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 22, 2022
I can’t believe this is the last book in the FTV canon! 😭
In the end notes, Pia said that TIP#3 was the last popular FTV work, and I admit, I also had a few moments when I struggled with this one...
(Re)reading the last four books (COFT and TIP trilogy) back to back made me realize not only how very YA Mosk and Eran’s story was in comparison to the earlier books in this canon, but also that I never managed to get 100% invested in this pairing. To further illustrate this: even though Eran and Mosk were going through some bad shit literally at the same time, what made me cry and think about throwing my Kindle at the nearest wall — if I hadn’t seen some spoilers earlier, or if I'd read this as a serial instead, I would’ve been done with this book for days, weeks even — was a scene between Augus and Gwyn (is anyone surprised? 🙈).
But that’s neither here or there, so let’s just get to the point.
I think this was a solid trilogy finale, and I loved a lot of things about this book. The found family, the strong friendships (I loved how gentle Eran and Mosk were with Gwyn here, when they finally realized how fragile he was! 💔), those little Augus/Gwyn moments that made my heart melt. The way Augus was so good at handling Mosk, that prickly little tangled weed, and knowing how to help him. Also, their chemistry during and after that impromptu, hm, hands-on lesson was so much fun, even though I’m sure Augus could have chemistry with pretty much anything with a pulse if he so desired. 🤭
Okay, moving on!
Finally meeting the Glashtyn was definitely one of my favorite parts here. (Let me just add real quick that the way the author incorporated so many different mythological creatures and themes into the story and seamlessly blended them with original characters was just awesome! — and that goes for the earlier works, too) The much-feared true form of Ash, Augus’ happy-go-lucky adopted brother, always kept under lock and key by Ash himself, finally showed himself in this book. And man, he was nasty! Mean! Terrifying! 😱 So of course, I loved him instantly. 😌
He was an asshole, but he was fun.
His conflict with Ash broke my little black heart, and I loved his conversations with Mosk so much.
I’d LOVE to read more about Ash’s journey of self-acceptance… maybe there will be a short Ash-centric follow-up sometime in the future? (pretty please? 🙏)
Oh, oh, and the Ratcatcher with his human farm… 😱 That was creepy as fuck!!
So that was all well and good, and the final battle itself was GREAT, but I had two main problems with this book.
➣ The pacing sucked in some chapters! To the point I got the strong impression they were just ‘filler episodes,’ so to speak. We met a bunch of minor characters that were completely unrelated to the main story. Some events were overthought and discussed at length, for seemingly no other reason than to invoke guilt in someone, while a few other, imo more important issues were glossed over.
➣ Eran. Sorry, baby, I have nothing against you, personally — or maybe I do? 🤔 — but you’re just too… GOOD!! It rubbed me the wrong way since the very beginning, because as a rule, I do not like good, honorable, righteous characters if they don’t become just a liiitle bit corrupted, darker, ‘down to earth’ so to speak, over the course of a book/series, and instead take the moral high ground and try to raise everyone else up. 🤷♀️ I’d hoped he’d change in this last book, but nope, it became clear this guy’s just too stubborn! Like father, like son. 🙄 Mosk’s character grew so much throughout this series, but Eran pretty much remained his do-gooder Seelie self the whole time 😑 I mean, resenting Ash and Augus’ appetites, still, after all they’d done for you? Shame on you, young man.
All in all, it worked out well in the end, and I had a lot of fun with this book! AND there’s just a little bit more still to come! 😍 I’ve been super excited for the Augus/Gwyn POV multi-chapter epilogue for weeks now, but after that scene, I NEED IT SO BAD!! 😭 Will I be able to resist until it’s complete? Ahhh…
In the end notes, Pia said that TIP#3 was the last popular FTV work, and I admit, I also had a few moments when I struggled with this one...
(Re)reading the last four books (COFT and TIP trilogy) back to back made me realize not only how very YA Mosk and Eran’s story was in comparison to the earlier books in this canon, but also that I never managed to get 100% invested in this pairing. To further illustrate this: even though Eran and Mosk were going through some bad shit literally at the same time, what made me cry and think about throwing my Kindle at the nearest wall — if I hadn’t seen some spoilers earlier, or if I'd read this as a serial instead, I would’ve been done with this book for days, weeks even — was a scene between Augus and Gwyn (is anyone surprised? 🙈).
But that’s neither here or there, so let’s just get to the point.
I think this was a solid trilogy finale, and I loved a lot of things about this book. The found family, the strong friendships (I loved how gentle Eran and Mosk were with Gwyn here, when they finally realized how fragile he was! 💔), those little Augus/Gwyn moments that made my heart melt. The way Augus was so good at handling Mosk, that prickly little tangled weed, and knowing how to help him. Also, their chemistry during and after that impromptu, hm, hands-on lesson was so much fun, even though I’m sure Augus could have chemistry with pretty much anything with a pulse if he so desired. 🤭
Okay, moving on!
Finally meeting the Glashtyn was definitely one of my favorite parts here. (Let me just add real quick that the way the author incorporated so many different mythological creatures and themes into the story and seamlessly blended them with original characters was just awesome! — and that goes for the earlier works, too) The much-feared true form of Ash, Augus’ happy-go-lucky adopted brother, always kept under lock and key by Ash himself, finally showed himself in this book. And man, he was nasty! Mean! Terrifying! 😱 So of course, I loved him instantly. 😌
The waterhorse walked closer towards all of them, before stopping and considering them all with a calculated, heartless gaze. The intelligence there was frightening, it was obvious this wasn’t a regular animal shifter with an animal mind. This was something else entirely, a canny knowing that started in a place of cold hunger and ended with blood.
He was an asshole, but he was fun.
[...] The Glashtyn danced away on his hooves, laughing again. Then, he burst into song: ‘Oh, the Glashtyn’s work is never done, he’s never sated and so well hung! Ohhh, the Glashtyn’s work is never easy, he’s always hungry and a little sleazy.’ He burst into darker, longer laughter that shredded at all of them.
His conflict with Ash broke my little black heart, and I loved his conversations with Mosk so much.
‘When I was a foal, before my appetite matured, I was ‘allowed’ out all the time. He and I were one and the same. Ash Glashtyn. The only time the name meant anything at all, though I have never needed a name beyond the one I am born to. […] And then my instincts woke, and we were sundered because of his rejection and revulsion.’ Laughter, bitter, bleak and dangerous. ‘And then I was only allowed out to hunt. Yes, this is the most I have been allowed out for three thousand years. When I am weak. When I am starving. When I am exposed to the open sky.’
I’d LOVE to read more about Ash’s journey of self-acceptance… maybe there will be a short Ash-centric follow-up sometime in the future? (pretty please? 🙏)
Oh, oh, and the Ratcatcher with his human farm… 😱 That was creepy as fuck!!
So that was all well and good, and the final battle itself was GREAT, but I had two main problems with this book.
➣ The pacing sucked in some chapters! To the point I got the strong impression they were just ‘filler episodes,’ so to speak. We met a bunch of minor characters that were completely unrelated to the main story. Some events were overthought and discussed at length, for seemingly no other reason than to invoke guilt in someone, while a few other, imo more important issues were glossed over.
➣ Eran. Sorry, baby, I have nothing against you, personally — or maybe I do? 🤔 — but you’re just too… GOOD!! It rubbed me the wrong way since the very beginning, because as a rule, I do not like good, honorable, righteous characters if they don’t become just a liiitle bit corrupted, darker, ‘down to earth’ so to speak, over the course of a book/series, and instead take the moral high ground and try to raise everyone else up. 🤷♀️ I’d hoped he’d change in this last book, but nope, it became clear this guy’s just too stubborn! Like father, like son. 🙄 Mosk’s character grew so much throughout this series, but Eran pretty much remained his do-gooder Seelie self the whole time 😑 I mean, resenting Ash and Augus’ appetites, still, after all they’d done for you? Shame on you, young man.
All in all, it worked out well in the end, and I had a lot of fun with this book! AND there’s just a little bit more still to come! 😍 I’ve been super excited for the Augus/Gwyn POV multi-chapter epilogue for weeks now, but after that scene, I NEED IT SO BAD!! 😭 Will I be able to resist until it’s complete? Ahhh…
September 22, 2022
'It is a strange thing, to have hope, after so long without it. But hope is not fact, Mosk, and your imminent defeat may be. But it is in the fiction of things that we weave new beginnings. Tell yourself good stories, sapling, with good endings.'
I didn't much like Mosk after the first two books, did I?. I even thought he might end up being the villain. I didn't see him evolving into the person who he is now. He changed so much. That's the effect of having a family who look out for each other. They helped him heal, and he helped others heal too. The realization he isn't the only one suffering made him become a pillar of strength; having a goal and responsibilities also helped him mature mentally and be strong for himself and somehow slowly he became the strongest person in the group. Which I never thought would happen. The petulant sapling he was in book 1 was nowhere to be found. The journey he went through is incredible. He is deserving of everyone's love.
This last book focused more on the emotional journey, it was less action-packed than the previous ones, and heavier on the folk elements which I really appreciated (Trowna <3 for example was my favorite part). There were lots of sad moments and heartfelt moments and I was also reminded how good the author is at writing creepy and gory stuff and... hmm whats the word for something that's equally disgusting and funny at the same time?... well that too. XD
I love these characters so much.
Next up, FFS, coz even the villains need some love.
January 12, 2023
I'm going to miss these characters so much 😭 I read this one, Ice Plague 3, and also the extra - 6 chapters of Gwyn/Augus pov "All that we were, all that we will ever be' .
This final installment was quite good, Most grew and developed so much. I gotta say though, this author loves to torture her characters 🤧 I was just like daang . Yeah they got their happy ending, but after everything they went through .. just wow.
After reading the Ice Plague 3, I read the extra - make sure you read that because it's so good! Honestly I think they were better than any of the ice Plague chapters.
I didn't realize how much I truly missed reading from Gwyn and Augus' POV, it's just different - darker and more mature I feel like. Augus can be so fucking brutal. While I like Eran and Mosk , I dont even know how to put it into words - I really like reading from Augus and Gwyns POV more . But this book and series was still really good!
I can't believe the fae tales verse canon is over! I really loved these characters and the world , and honestly feel like it can go on forever.
The Glashtyn made his appearance finally too in this book, he's definitely a favorite. What I would give to have a book told from his and Ash's POV .
This final installment was quite good, Most grew and developed so much. I gotta say though, this author loves to torture her characters 🤧 I was just like daang . Yeah they got their happy ending, but after everything they went through .. just wow.
After reading the Ice Plague 3, I read the extra - make sure you read that because it's so good! Honestly I think they were better than any of the ice Plague chapters.
I didn't realize how much I truly missed reading from Gwyn and Augus' POV, it's just different - darker and more mature I feel like. Augus can be so fucking brutal. While I like Eran and Mosk , I dont even know how to put it into words - I really like reading from Augus and Gwyns POV more . But this book and series was still really good!
I can't believe the fae tales verse canon is over! I really loved these characters and the world , and honestly feel like it can go on forever.
The Glashtyn made his appearance finally too in this book, he's definitely a favorite. What I would give to have a book told from his and Ash's POV .
December 27, 2024
4.5 stars!
A silver lining for not following each chapter release was the privilege of having to read this in one go. This is a monstrous read, a little daunting and sometimes overwhelming. But I read so voraciously I didn't even notice the size of it. I swear, the author's way of writing is just a marvel.
There were so many twists I tried to guess but I'm often wrong. Like I predicted Gwyn and Mosk would blend their magic to defeat Olphix but what happened was even better and heartbreaking.
I hate to say it but Mosk wasn't my favorite character in the canon story I don't know, I just feel kinda distant from him. However, I grew to appreciate his and Eran's story. He was a hero in all aspects. Him dying was a gut punch and poor Eran had to endure all of those years alone.
This clearly shows my favoritism but the most heartbreaking part for me was when Gwyn ran for his light and Augus screaming his heart out trying to stop him and oh how my tears freely flowed. I could feel Augus' anguish and anger and fear and just pure mortification from what Gwyn was doing. It's like my world collapsed alongside his. Ah Gwyn, that heartsong of sacrifice was his undoing although it seemed like the best option at the time. Because if not him, nobody else could certainly survive that light. Not even Mosk, who already had a lot on his plate not to mention fighting Olphix at that moment, despite his power.
That was a perfect ending. I couldn't imagine any other way to have ended not only this book, but this entire far universe as a whole.
With a bit of shame I must admit that while Mosk and Eran carried this series, I looked forward for Gwyn and Augus' appearances the most. My love for them just never wanes.
Nevertheless, I gave this 4.5 stars for Mosk and Eran's respective amazing character development, the heart-pounding story arcs, the drama, the adventure, the fight scenes, the romantic love, the familial love, the found family, the hurt/comfort, and the eventual healing after all of that happened. The whole series had an abundance of the above-mentioned. Everything was all so satisfying.
This fae tales universe will always have a special place in my heart. I'm already itching to read the other mini-fics. The canon storyline might have ended but I'll always come back to read the mini-fics.
Lastly, thank you to the author for allowing us to read this masterpiece for FREE. What a gift. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
A silver lining for not following each chapter release was the privilege of having to read this in one go. This is a monstrous read, a little daunting and sometimes overwhelming. But I read so voraciously I didn't even notice the size of it. I swear, the author's way of writing is just a marvel.
There were so many twists I tried to guess but I'm often wrong. Like I predicted Gwyn and Mosk would blend their magic to defeat Olphix but what happened was even better and heartbreaking.
I hate to say it but Mosk wasn't my favorite character in the canon story I don't know, I just feel kinda distant from him. However, I grew to appreciate his and Eran's story. He was a hero in all aspects. Him dying was a gut punch and poor Eran had to endure all of those years alone.
This clearly shows my favoritism but the most heartbreaking part for me was when Gwyn ran for his light and Augus screaming his heart out trying to stop him and oh how my tears freely flowed. I could feel Augus' anguish and anger and fear and just pure mortification from what Gwyn was doing. It's like my world collapsed alongside his. Ah Gwyn, that heartsong of sacrifice was his undoing although it seemed like the best option at the time. Because if not him, nobody else could certainly survive that light. Not even Mosk, who already had a lot on his plate not to mention fighting Olphix at that moment, despite his power.
That was a perfect ending. I couldn't imagine any other way to have ended not only this book, but this entire far universe as a whole.
With a bit of shame I must admit that while Mosk and Eran carried this series, I looked forward for Gwyn and Augus' appearances the most. My love for them just never wanes.
Nevertheless, I gave this 4.5 stars for Mosk and Eran's respective amazing character development, the heart-pounding story arcs, the drama, the adventure, the fight scenes, the romantic love, the familial love, the found family, the hurt/comfort, and the eventual healing after all of that happened. The whole series had an abundance of the above-mentioned. Everything was all so satisfying.
This fae tales universe will always have a special place in my heart. I'm already itching to read the other mini-fics. The canon storyline might have ended but I'll always come back to read the mini-fics.
Lastly, thank you to the author for allowing us to read this masterpiece for FREE. What a gift. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2022
Absolutely wonderful book! A great ending to the main series!
November 8, 2022
2.5 stars
I love the characters, but the plot really dragged in this one.
I love the characters, but the plot really dragged in this one.
April 9, 2023
literally no book ever did to me what chapter 39 alone did
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews