Disclaimer: This is the Review of an advance copy (ARC) received from NetGalley!
The Ice Beyond is a new fantasy romance that starts with an awkward predicament…..well, not awkward for us as readers because we all love awkward situations in books. It’s awkward for the people in the story; for Nordin and Zasjka. Nordin Stormsson (our male lead of the story), who rejects Zasjka(such a pretty name) and chooses another girl for clan peace purposes. So Zasjka leaves to find her own people, not that she is angry or anything (she is practically fuming). But Nordin follows her…..which is not awkward at all. lol.
Keep reading, people…it gets interesting!
Blurb
HE DEFIED HIS PACK TO LOVE ME.
I had two childhood dreams: to shift into a wolf, and to win Nordin Stormsson’s forbidden heart.
My first dream shattered the day my mother confessed I wasn’t a shifter, but a valkyrie—stranded in a land far from my people. My second was crushed when Nordin rejected me…only to claim another as his mate.
Heartbroken, I crossed beyond the wards in search of my birth clan. My freedom came at a cost. Dragons, vampyrs, and enemy wolves stalked me through the dark. They weren’t the only ones who came after me, though.
Nordin came too. He seized me before they could, stealing my body and then my heart.
For a time, I dared to dream once more, to imagine a future with Nordin in the land of ice and wolves.
Until I uncovered my beloved’s most closely guarded secret.
A truth about my past.
One that ruined us all.
Genre
Fantasy Romance
Tropes
- Forbidden Love
- Childhood crush
- Rejected FMC
- Hidden heritage of Zaskja’ ( She is a Valkyrie)
- Zaskja’s search for belonging
- Protective MMC
- Devastating secrets (he knows something about her past that threatens their relationship)
- Viking Style Themes
My Review
The Ice Beyond is the first book in the Empress of Thorn series written by Olivia Wildenstein.
The story starts with an inconvenient discovery: Zasjka, our FMC, has spent her whole childhood hoping to become a wolf shifter and finally join the clan in the true sense (she was adopted), only to learn she is a valkyrie on her special day. She immediately started making plans to find out about her real heritage and where she comes from. But she has to go beyond the wards where other things exist….more dangerous things like dragons, vampires, and enemy wolves.
We will be facing two difficult situations at the start: she wants to find out her origins; for that, she has to leave, and she also wants to hold on to the man she has always wanted and admired from afar; for that, she has to stay. But both goals come with problems. She attracts the attention of enemies inside the wards and beyond the wards, who suspect she is not a wolf, and then a fierce tussle starts between different species.
The push and pull started between Nordin and Zasjka after he saves her and gets her back inside the ward was the best one lol. Nordin started pursuing her, and she rejects him again and again and stays away from him tho she still loves him, but she denies it. Although it didn’t last, and I wanted more of it….. anyway, it was very entertaining to read it. Forbidden Romance is also there because he is her cousin, not blood-related, but still everyone in the clan sees them as cousins, so it is a problem they navigate too.
There is also some political intrigue and betrayal themes. But fair warning: the story ends with a cliffhanger which I wasn’t expecting, but now I have another kind of suspicion that Nordin might not be the person for her. I don’t know what will happen, but my gut is saying this. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. Taeric is also one of the interesting characters; I would love to read about his backstory, and I guess we will find it in the next book.
The main thing that kept my focus in the whole story is: what happens when discovering the reality of yourself complicates the future you have always wanted? What are your thoughts on this?
My Rating
- Overall: ★★★★ | 4 Stars
- Plot: ★★★★| 4 Stars
- Romance: ★★★★| 4 Stars
- Characters:★★★★ | 4 Stars
- Pacing: ★★★★| 4 Stars
- Ending: ★★★★| 4 Stars
- Spice Level: 🌶🌶| Level 2
- Book Cover:★★★★★| 5 Stars ( Perfection)
The Best Part
- The push and pull between Nordin and Zasjka
- When Nordin started calling her love…it was comical
- The way he protects her and then says he doesn’t feel anything for her… lol
- Friendship between Zasjka and Saga (Nordin’s sister)
The Worst Part
- I didn’t like how Tyron’s story went sideways. I somehow liked that character; his dynamic with the group was really good.
