Ice Upon a Pier

by Ladz

My warped sense of morality embarrasses me.

Ruta Pawlak is one of the most successful contract killers Pier-Upon-Pier City has ever seen. Convicted of five murders that landed her multiple life sentences, her kill count allegedly sits between fifteen and two hundred people. Some were just for practice, others for revenge, and others she executed for money to keep her potentially world-record setting reading collection going.

For the first time, a biographer sits down with the legendary killer to hear her story in her own words. Get the details on her relationship with her depraved bosses and her eclectic arsenal of murder weapons from ice magic to poison to even the sun itself. From her impoverished upbringing to her introduction to the Syndicates to her bizarre affair with fellow killer Frieda Masters to Ruta’s eventual downfall, this account goes beyond headlines and court proceedings, weaving a story of love, family, survival, and murder.

This novella is perfect for fans of true crime, fantasy, noir, The Last Podcast on the Left, and the interview portions of AMC’s Interview with the Vampire series.

Humans killing other humans wasn’t natural.

Humans killing monsters, however, might be.

CONTENT WARNINGS
Bullying, killing your bully, killing your parents, death of a child (off-page), vomiting, immolation, poisoning, gun violence, and a mention of beastiality. There is a cat, the cat does not die.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, LGBT, Lesbian, Novella, Queer, Dark Fantasy

107 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 11, 2023

Reviews

[Terry J. Benton-Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve had the privilege of knowing Ladz for quite a few years, and it has been an incredible pleasure to watch them grow as a writer and powerhouse craftsperson who would eventually give us this story. Ice Upon A Pier was a quick read that was not short on action, intrigue, or emotion. This book is definitely worth your time. I can’t wait to read more of Ladz’s work!!

[Victor Manibo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gritty journey into the life and times of a sapphic ice mage assassin, Ice Upon A Pier is what noir fantasy should be: dark, layered, and endlessly compelling.

[Morgan Dante · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting, sometimes darkly funny, sometimes sad story about a sapphic contract killer, Ruta. The story isn't a romance, but I enjoyed the love story between two messed up assassin women immensely. I especially loved Frieda's disposition. Sure, she's a little evil, but she just loves her work, you know?

The world, fantasy but still grounded, is compelling. Overall, I recommend this, especially for fans of a story structured like a prison interview, where there's a contrast between what Ruta says aloud and what she omits. I've only listened to some Last Podcast on the Left, but it gave the feeling of something a podcast would dissect when reading a biography transcript.

Thanks to Ladz for the ARC!

[Shane Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Ladz (whom I'm very proud to call a friend - and they confirmed this, thank you!) first shared the opening chapter of this novella with me, I was immediately hooked. After reading an ADHD-centred short story by them earlier this year, I knew getting my hands on another work of theirs was a priority.

When ICE UPON A PIER belatedly landed in my inbox (thanks, tech issues!) I dived back in, desperate to get back to the world I had been briefly introduced to a few weeks earlier.

AND. IT. DID. NOT. DISAPPOINT. For real, I haven't stopped thinking about this story ever since I finished it. It's delicious, it drips with malice and fucky, cool magic like freezing time AND brains???? and also murder, and really cool quotes like: "Lives are cheap and temporary; art is priceless and eternal. And I wanted to fund my own piece of immortality."

I'll be the first to say I don't think I've ever read a noir novella before but God, IUAP blew me away. With a compelling writing style, Ladz creates a story told in an interview from the POV of a hitwoman, Ruta, who has ice magic and learns to use it to her advantage as she kills her way across a sort of reimagined New York--until she meets co-hitwoman Frieda and falls in love. However, none of them are ready to give up their coveted jobs. But when threats arise and Ruta is given her biggest target yet, both Ruta and Frieda run into conflict that changes their lives.

This book was beautiful, gory, shameless, and full of dark thoughts, desires, and love. It's impossible not to inhale it in one sitting. With a spiralling world, characters that practically *pour* off the page with their own nasty agendas, ruthlessness and lack of morals, ICE UPON A PIER is the noir novella of the year, for me.

With magic mingled with intrigue and survival instincts, Ladz' has created something intelligent, brutally brilliant, and raw. Something that stares right back at you because it sees those dark violent thoughts and calls to act upon them--for the right price.

If you like your women with killer instincts, cunning minds, and softer sides only their love can bring out, oh, and with a sprinkle of tragedy, then you need to pick up this novella and let it unravel your ethics, morals, and savagery. Dipped in Ladz' rich voice that resonates so deeply, get ready for the most unapologetic hitwoman, Ruta.

[Jen Karner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ice Upon a Pier seamlessly combines fantasy, noir, and true crime in an incisive read that should be on the TBR of anyone who loves dark fantasy.

Ice-magic lesbian assassin gets interviewed in prison? Yes. Please.
A POV mid-interview where we get to see the truth behind what the biographer gets? Hell yes.

Ladz's debut is indicative of the wealth of stories straddling genre we can come to expect from them in the future and shouldn't be missed.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was recommended to me at Emerald City Comic Con based on my choice of outfit as Harley Quinn (and my gf standing next to me as Poison Ivy). It was a quick read and one I enjoyed for sure.

[Camilla Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was immediately taken with this due to it bringing me straight back to my serial killer phase where a lot of my time was spent immersed in every serial killer book and podcast I could get my grimy little hands on. These sorts of tell-alls are often a man's domain and so seeing Ruta was a real treat. She truly gave me the Villanelle I was craving after the lacklustre affair that was Killing Eve.

I loved hearing about her journey, her tragic history, her killing methods and the little twist at the end really cinched her as a heroine on par with Lisbeth Salander. I'd gladly read a much thicker volume with her at the helm.

[Matt Polen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unabashedly, unreservedly, unflinchingly queer, violent, and bleak, but not without hope for peace. The magic is imaginative, the characters are compelling, the setting is unique, and the violence is raw.

[Menoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes the perfect book for you is about morally grey lesbian who happen to be an assassin.
This was short, well written and intriguing.
I can't recommend it enough if you're a fan of old noir movies!

[Adri · Rating 4 out of 5]

CWs: instances of child abuse, child death, and alcoholic parent; allusions to animal cruelty; some sexual content

This is a darkly compelling novella about a sapphic ice mage assassin that blends together the genres of noir and fantasy in really exciting ways.

At the end of the day, this was an extremely entertaining read. It starts with Ruta being locked up and interviewed by a biographer who wants to hear the story of her life, and then the story is basically split into chapters that alternate between the past and present. To me, this is a classic and effective structure for a noir story, because you know something is going to go wrong along the way from the get-go, but there's a still a sense of suspense as you witness the events that led the criminal character to where they are now.

While this is not a romance story, there are aspects of romance and seduction. There's betrayal. There's jobs gone wrong. There's unwieldy magic. I just think there's so many interesting elements that elevate what could have been a straightforward series of events into something much more compelling.

I also appreciate the explorations of how violence has always touched Ruta's life in some way, shape, or form, even from a young age. That adds even more layers into how she found her way into this brutal occupation, and why she's more invested in continuing cycles of violence rather than breaking them for herself.

Listen, I'm a simple person. I love dark stories about murderous queer women doing bad things and being unremorseful about the things they need to do in order to ensure their own survival in a violent world—and this story has that in spades.

This is a quick, enjoyable, immersive read that's well worth the price of admission, and I would definitely read more from Ladz in the future because of it!

[splendour hyaline · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I don't care in any sense of the word. But I am bored, and if people want to hear my story, then it's good that they hear it directly from me first."

disclaimer: i was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

this was such an engaging read! i'm a big fan of the non-linear narrative, and the interview format with confessional asides - presented to us as if we, as readers, are reading through ruta's personal files after her grand escape - is so uniquely intriguing. ICE UPON A PIER strikes a very delicate balance between humour, romance, and tragedy, and its success in maintaining this blending of tone is a marvel to behold.

[S.S. Genesee · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐
This was a super fun and entertaining read!! I really enjoyed the MC Ruta, reading in her POV was so smooth and easy, even if she is a dangerous contract killer. Maybe I just have a thing for killers, I'm drawn to characters like that 🤭 So it was really enjoyable to dive in and get into!

With this being a short novella I always feel like I want there to be more... like more in depth exploration of the magic systems used, what other kinds of elemental magic there may be, how it affects their world, and such! But those questions didn't impede my enjoyment of the story, because either way I really did love this 💕💖

[Luna Fiore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this the night before but needed some time to chew on it. I love the interview format. The INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE vibes were immaculate. Ruta is an excellent narrative voice as the past, both the watered down version and the truth, and present dance around each other until we get to the end. A compelling character to the end. I'd read so many stories about Frieda and Ruta and their relationship. Ladz crafted an excellent, and oft times harrowing, narrative full of magic, and death, and the quiet moments in between.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the author

[Elias Eells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's go mean lesbians! Let's go! A wonderfully sharp novella about a lesbian ice mage contract killer, who is herself cold as ice. Chilling and lizardlike in her malice, Ruta Pawlak is nevertheless a compelling character and fascinating protagonist.

Check out this freezy frosty treat inspired by ICE UPON A PIER:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deonP...

[DC Guevara · Rating 5 out of 5]

ICE UPON A PIER is enticing and electric.

Upon opening the book and landing on that first page I was hooked on Ladz's use of voice and character. Ruta is a protagonist for the ages-- a big "I support women's rights AND women's wrongs" kinda gal-- one near and dear to my heart. She's observant, cunning, mysterious, and feral in a way very few authors can actually pull off in a satisfactory manner and Ruta Pawlak exceeds all expectations.

The setting of this novella is brutal, in a dark and grimy crime syndicate type of city where the scum is plenty and there's a lack of empathy anywhere. It is an ambiance ripe for monster-making, and it serves as a perfect backdrop for a narrative brimming with depravity and chaos.

The relationship between Ruta and Frieda was so bittersweet, and yet it ended as it needed to. Because in Ruta's own words: "It's romantic, sure [...] We wouldn't wound out with that sweet, sweet happily ever after." They were bright like a burning star, and the pure, raw magnetism of them being drawn to each other was as feral as it was intriguing.

Ruta's relationships with other characters within the novella also held their own levels of intrigue and interest. Simon, Ten Pan, and Piotrek especially would have been all complicated, tragic, and tangled dynamics to explore but Ruta's on a deadline here-- she's telling her life story so our job as readers is to shut up and listen, and boy what this story does end up being is something else entirely!

In the end, accompanied by a rad darkwave/electro synth playlist and a rainy day, spending a couple of hours clutching ICE UPON A PIER was an excellent way to spend my Tuesday afternoon. I cannot wait for more of Ladz's work in the future, where they will hopefully continue to delve into darker, grittier, and sexier projects! This debut author's writing career is one to look out for!

[Gabby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will admit that I struggled with this book. I suppose it was more the format than anything my brain was finding it difficult to keep straight when the story is being told to just the reader, the biographer in the present or the past. I think the constant shifts made it harder for me to focus on the story.

It is well put together and written with some poignant looks at relationships and how they can twist the psyche. I came into it expecting one thing and reading another. I enjoyed seeing the development over the timeline as well as the characters thought processes throughout. I will definitely try some of the authors other works in the future.

[claudia reads it all · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ice Upon a Pier is the story of a lesbian ice mage contract killer who tells her life story to a biographer as she serves her life sentence.

This novella is gritty, conveying the darkness of Ruta's childhood and going through the decades, including her love affair with fellow contract killer Frieda and her troubled relationship with various family members.

I enjoyed the mix of fantasy, crime noir, and horror storytelling. There is so much talent in Ladz's writing and I look forward to reading more of their work.

[Lark Lu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an fun read as protagonist Ruta Pawlak walks the reader through her tale with a voice tragic, sarcastic, funny, and relatable. It's immensely enjoyable to follow the journey from a simple(if violent!) way to fund one's manga collection snowball- pun intended- into personal stakes. The sapphic relationship is messy and raw in the best way.

[Rain · Rating 5 out of 5]

The narrative voice is Ladz’s Ice Upon A Pier is really remarkable. They bring a realness and humor to the icy femme assassin protagonist, and I would read so much more in this fresh Polish/noir/magic/gay world.

A great one sitting (for most) story.

[Ladz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote it so I think it's pretty rad, and I'm really excited to share it with readers of secondary world fantasy, true crime, and those interested in sapphic relationships.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling and endlessly entertaining, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. The telling of Ruta's story in retrospect, which was dark, sad, and sometimes funny, made me love her character immediately. The love story between her and Frieda was complicated, a little messed up, and felt so very real. It evokes thoughts of cold rainy days and dreary cities, and yes of course there's plenty of murder.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A neatly written fantasy noir with compelling narrative voice. I read it all in one go within an hour, but the story itself is going to linger with me for far longer.