Cold Fire (The Spiritwalker Trilogy #2)

Jun 14, 2013 Ms. Library rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, good-world-building, poc-characters, pretty-good, strong-female-characters

I really liked this story, and I think Elliot developed her characters a lot more in this one. I think the first one was really bogged down by infodumps, and while they were still very present in this one, I think it was to a lesser degree. I definitely felt more engaged in the story, and I think that Elliot had set up her world already, so she didn't feel the need to have the characters engage in so many awkward conversations to describe the environment.

I really like the direction that Cat too...more

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Oct 08, 2012 FantasyWereld rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: volwassenen

Nadat Cat en Bee ontkomen zijn aan de koude magiërs die hen in het huis van Bee’s ouders hadden opgesloten, dachten ze veilig te zijn bij de rebellen. Maar wanneer generaal Camjiata daar opduikt en zowel Bee als Cat voor zijn wagentje wil spannen, zijn de Hassi Barahal nichtjes opnieuw genoodzaakt te vluchten. Wat volgt is een duizelingwekkende reis door zowel de echte wereld als de geestenwereld. Maar de nacht van Allerzielen komt steeds dichterbij, en nu bekend is dat Bee de dromen van draken...more

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Sep 27, 2011 Virginia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: balticon, 2011books, library

I don’t know, you guys. I REALLY loved the first book in this series, but this one starts out on the wrong foot. (And then kind of continues that way.) I was looking forward to this one so much that I went out and got it the first day it was released. But - all the things I loved about the first book were kind of missing – the cold mages, the magic, Andevai’s history and conflict with the Four Moons house (SUCH a great character), Catherine’s family and cousin and the backdrop of her traditional...more I don’t know, you guys. I REALLY loved the first book in this series, but this one starts out on the wrong foot. (And then kind of continues that way.) I was looking forward to this one so much that I went out and got it the first day it was released. But - all the things I loved about the first book were kind of missing – the cold mages, the magic, Andevai’s history and conflict with the Four Moons house (SUCH a great character), Catherine’s family and cousin and the backdrop of her traditional upper class upbringing in contrast to the circumstances in which she finds herself.

Instead we get: a new setting, fire mages who don’t do a lot of magic, zombies/lepers, a group of revolutionaries who were minor characters before and have been promoted within the plot, and a whack of new, bland, sort of interchangeable characters right off the bat. Also, in the introduction the author takes pains to explain that this is not an alternate history, merely “a fantasia of an Earth that might have been had conditions included an extended Ice Age, the intelligent descendants of troodons, nested planes of interleaved worlds, and human access to magical forces…” Um. Isn’t that the same thing?

(view spoiler)[The setting switches abruptly from Europe, which I felt like I was just becoming familiar with as a reader, to the Caribbean. I do not remember this setting being mentioned at all in the first book (granted, it’s been several months since I read it), but all the characters react nonchalantly, like it’s no big deal to jaunt across the Atlantic, everyone does it all the time. It just felt REALLY out of left field to me. I guess this gives the author a chance for more worldbuilding? In order to do this, though, she sticks her main characters in a holding pattern that seems to last forever, where Andevai is now working as a carpenter, and Catherine as a waitress at a boarding house. The main characters seem like they can’t have a full coherent thought or conversation without being interrupted by the bland supporting cast. Catherine now seems super happy to be bossed around and sew stuff and wait on tables for months at a time. One of the things that I particularly liked about her in the first book was her ingenuity and independence and wit – she seems like an entirely different character here, devoid of all those traits. I thought it was weird how only one of Andevai’s family members traveled to the Caribbean with him. (What is happening to the rest of them, in the village with the Mansa? We don’t get to find out!)

Andevai was still far and away the best character in the book. He had personality and feeling and complexity and depth. I did like the Trolls. Catherine and Bee were also okay, but everybody else? There did not seem to be any reason, plotwise, for the whole boarding house cast to exist. I finished the book this morning and cannot really remember their names. I think there was a missed opportunity with Bee, who had an interesting background, but she was omitted for most of the book, and sort of glossed over at the end. (Catherine: “I am so worried about my cousin! Oh, nevermind, let me learn how to become the best waitress ever to impress these people that I don’t know while my cousin is possibly dead. Hold on, I have to go PUNCH A SHARK.” Reader: “WTF?”) (hide spoiler)]

Don’t get me wrong, this was still extremely addictive reading, and I finished the whole thing in a couple of days. But I was disappointed when comparing this to the first book in the series.(less)

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Oct 14, 2012 JJ DeBenedictis rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is as good as the first one, which is to say that the writing is still crisp, the characters engaging and likeable, the plot entertaining--and there are still a few sections that should have edited down because they went on too long.

In this case, the bits-that-should-have-been-shorter happen in the middle rather than the beginning of the book, but as in the first novel of the series, the writing is strong enough that you'll probably have no trouble sticking with it.

Part of my issue wi...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Serena rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, ya-fantasy

Seriously, this series just gets more addicting with each page! I read both Cold Magic and Cold Fire in one go until four in the morning (yes, I know that sounds crazy, and I've got puffy bloodshot eyes to prove it).

Concerning the flow of plot and use of language, this sequel is way better than the first novel (i.e: Cold Magic). Finally, we get to know more about Cat's mysterious heritage, not to mention that her relationship with Vai starts to get... well, much more interesting.

In truth, for...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Deborah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-scifi, reviewer-book, series-section, woman-writer, ya-novel, trilogy, couldn-t-put-down

Cold Fire" is first of all a cinematic read. I was delighted by the visual imagery Kate Elliot was able to invoke. What a unique author I found her to be in this particular area. It was if I could see her characters in clothing with their weaponry in their settings, vividly. It's a rare thing to experience such a talent. This is not only a good book, it's really fun to read. Kate Elliot is a stand out writer in this genre, in my opinion!

World-building and the time symbols here were so interestin...more

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Feb 07, 2012 Ori rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, fantasy, steampunk, reviewed

The first half of this book I'd actually just give a 3-star rating, but when it picks up (and it really does), it's a solid four.

Most of everything I said in my review of the first book still holds -- except miraculously, the term "personage" has either vanished from Elliott's vocabulary (in which case, good riddance!) or I've become so used to reading it that it's stopped raising my red flags.

In addition, I'd like to say that Cat's characterization sort of fluctuated in the middle of the book f...more The first half of this book I'd actually just give a 3-star rating, but when it picks up (and it really does), it's a solid four.

Most of everything I said in my review of the first book still holds -- except miraculously, the term "personage" has either vanished from Elliott's vocabulary (in which case, good riddance!) or I've become so used to reading it that it's stopped raising my red flags.

In addition, I'd like to say that Cat's characterization sort of fluctuated in the middle of the book for me -- specifically in her dealings with James Drake. I won't go into the particulars of what she did, but the way she allowed him to walk all over her afterwards is something that I don't think Cat would have allowed, regardless of her circumstances. Still, she returns to the Cat we all know and love shortly afterwards.

My second complaint is that the political wheelings and dealings are a bit fuzzy for me. The nuances of who was betraying whom and having secret dealings with whom for whatever reason all just flew over my head, which is not entirely due to my struggle to remember the political climate. I feel it could have been laid out in a less convoluted way.

Still, the main attraction of this series for me is the characters. I love Cat, Vai and Bee. I love how Cat and Vai befriend the people of Expedition, and how Cat and Bee are still as close as ever. I love the trolls getting more screen time. I love Cat's frustration in her binding, and how the Master of the Hunt actually seems like a legitimate ominous omnipresence. I love that Camjiata keeps me guessing all the time. Sometimes the villains are the downfall of books, but not in this case.

Cat and Vai's relationship finally getting to where it needed to be is probably the best and most satisfying part of the book. They've aired out all their dirty laundry, so all the misunderstanding drama can finally be put to rest. I won't deny that I fair swooned through every single interaction they had.

Also, holy crap chapter 31.5. God bless chapter 31.5!(less)

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Jan 13, 2012 Fangs for the Fantasy rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Cold Fire continues the story of Catherine Bell Barahal, right where Cold Magic ended. One would assume that because Cold Magic included such massive amounts of world building that Cold Fire would delve right into the story, but that is not the case. For a good 130 pages, the book just droned on. I am starting to wonder what Elliott has against the beginning of her novels. I once again considered giving the novel a DNF, and it is only because I remembered that Cold Fire was extremely slow to sta...more

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Dec 25, 2011 drey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reads, steampunk, ya

I really enjoyed Kate Elliott’s Cold Magic, and couldn’t wait to read Cold Fire…

drey’s thoughts:
Catherine Bell Barahal is on the run from the cold mages and the Prince, along with her cousin Bee and her half-brother Rory. (To find out why, read Cold Magic, book 1 in this fabulous steampunk series from Kate Elliott.) They wind up separated, and Cat learns her true father’s identity. Which doesn’t help in her present predicament, as she travels through the spirit world, washes up on an exile islan...more

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Nov 20, 2011 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi-fantasy, steampunk, alt-history

I am hesitant here...what do I say?

I love the series.

I devoured Cold Magic. It was so incredible that I counted the days until Cold Fire came out. I've been waiting for this book for most of the year.

And yet, maybe that is the problem.

Or perhaps (spoiler alert)...

It's the zombies and steampunk and movement to a part of the world where nothing is familiar because none of it was even touched upon in the first book and then when the second book came out suddenly these things are there as though we...more

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Nov 11, 2011 Meg rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alternate-history, epic-fantasy, fantasy-romance, steampunk

WARNING: SOME SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN’T YET READ BOOK #1, COLD MAGIC

COLD FIRE continues right where COLD MAGIC left off: Cat, Bee, and Rory at the law offices of Godwik and Clutch. I was slightly irritated that the story backtracked a little, but that’s only because I read it immediately following COLD MAGIC. I’m sure the rest of the world appreciated the refresher. In any case, COLD FIRE was a fast and furious continuation of the trilogy, and a perfect middle for the story arc. If only I didn't h...more WARNING: SOME SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN’T YET READ BOOK #1, COLD MAGIC

COLD FIRE continues right where COLD MAGIC left off: Cat, Bee, and Rory at the law offices of Godwik and Clutch. I was slightly irritated that the story backtracked a little, but that’s only because I read it immediately following COLD MAGIC. I’m sure the rest of the world appreciated the refresher. In any case, COLD FIRE was a fast and furious continuation of the trilogy, and a perfect middle for the story arc. If only I didn't have to wait for the conclusion!

In this second installment, Cat finally gets some real answers about her identity while fighting against the powers that seek to control her, which is pretty much everyone. The story starts in Adurnam, but the majority takes place in Expedition, the revolutionary city in the Caribbean, where Cat is forced to spy for the Master of the Wild Hunt or he will sacrifice Bee on Hallow’s Night. Meanwhile, Camjiata is back with his own plans for Cat and her cousin. There are so many layers of intrigue, it’s hard to believe that anyone is on her side. Even Bee betrays Cat on accident, and Cat herself unwittingly acts as the pawn in multiple schemes. Everyone has their own angle, and everyone seems to think that they can force Cat into their own plans. Cat struggles to break free, determined to make her own destiny and protect those that she loves.

Characters: **** 4 Stars
Everything I said in my review of COLD MAGIC still holds true. I would love to sit down with the main characters, and they felt so real to me that I almost thought I could! Andevai in particular grew as a character, and I was thrilled that he pursued Cat with such determination. I will say, however, that the Expedition natives felt a bit one-dimensional. They were secondary, but they felt stereotypical: the mother hen, the protective and distrustful friend, and the witless teenage sister. More could have been done to flesh them out and bring them into the story.

Plot: **** 4 Stars
With more twists than a mountain road, COLD FIRE kept the story moving. Betrayal after betrayal leaves Cat spinning, but she stays strong in the face of mounting problems. Overall, I thought this was a great follow-up to the first book, but there were a couple of issues that threw me out of the story for a moment (a very brief moment).

First, Cat is magically dropped off in the middle of the ocean near Salt Island, a quarantine zone for the salters. However, the Master of the Wild Hunt dropped her there because he has no ability to enter the area (hence his need for her to spy). It seemed contradictory that he didn’t have to send her back to Adurnam and force her to travel to Expedition on her own, but perhaps that’s why she was dropped in the ocean and not on land?

Second, when she finally arrives in the city of Expedition, she just happens to run into Andevai, 7 months later and halfway across the world from their last meeting. It was necessary for the story to have them in the same place at the same time, but the setup was a bit awkward.

Setting: ***** 5 Stars
As in COLD MAGIC, the alternate earth setting really worked for me. With the addition of Salt Island and Expedition, the world expanded and exploded with color, literally and figuratively. Given that it’s November, it made me wish I could hop on a plane and take a vacation on the beach!

Romance: ***** 5 Stars
Away from the mage houses and the Northern cold, Vai finally breaks through the cold mask he wears and reveals his true nature: a warm, sentimental heart that will fight to find and win Cat’s love. The two have to learn to trust each other, each overcoming their past and choosing to move forward together. It’s a slow process, with heartbreak along the way, but eventually they take the step that solidifies their bond. [Note: Kate Elliott has written a free bonus chapter from Vai’s point of view that was a wonderful look into his psyche during the critical...ah...adult moment. It’s available on her website, but don’t read it until you’ve finished the book!]

Genre - Multiple: ***** 5 Stars
Steampunk becomes more prominent in COLD FIRE, but the genres integrate even better as a result. Like COLD MAGIC, it’s a fantastic mash-up that is hard to categorize, but fun to read. I can't wait to see what happens next!(less)

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Oct 07, 2011 Felicia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, vaginal-fantasy

UUUUUUUUG I dunno. I LOVED the first one in this series, totally interesting steampunk-magic world, and I was so psyched to see this pop up on my Kindle the other day, but something felt completely off for me in the first half of this book. Especially the first 50 pages, it was lot of confusing information that didn't really settle you back into the world that readers have been away from for a few years, it was like an info dump, and a bit of a scattered wonky political info dump at that. Maybe...more

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Oct 20, 2011 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

The big question for me is why I did not hate this book, let alone why I almost sort of liked it a little bit.

It's telling that the excerpt in the back - "You might like this too!" - is The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin, which is one of the worst books I've ever read. I am clearly not in the wheelhouse here. And yet, this book is a fun read despite having a lot of flaws, which flaws include picking up right where the last book left off (like seriously, the same street chase), jolting...more The big question for me is why I did not hate this book, let alone why I almost sort of liked it a little bit.

It's telling that the excerpt in the back - "You might like this too!" - is The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin, which is one of the worst books I've ever read. I am clearly not in the wheelhouse here. And yet, this book is a fun read despite having a lot of flaws, which flaws include picking up right where the last book left off (like seriously, the same street chase), jolting across an ocean with no real explanation and having all characters suddenly decide to conveniently converge in this location, and really no clear idea of what the main plot of the trilogy is when it's 2/3 of the way over.

But it's interesting. Cat is not an insufferable narrator. Cat's weird, evolving feelings towards Andevai aren't annoying, somehow, despite how frequently they crop up. The sudden transition to the Caribbean is jarring but the whole Caribbean atmosphere is cool. Who cares if we never really stop to consider why "North Amerike" is full of trolls, or even what trolls really are? One thing about Kate Elliott is that she is good at subtly having differences in dialect in her character voices. The "Creole" of the islanders is not especially subtle, but what I mean is that these never sound like modern people talking, nor do they sound like old-fashioned people talking. They sound like people of her worlds talking. Being dropped into this world without a ton of exposition is really more of a positive. Keeps the book flowing more smoothly and most of it is not such a huge mystery that you need to learn more immediately. Like in the first book, the salt plague is alluded to but not entirely described, and here we are rather literally dropped into the salter situation, so now it's described when important.

Occasionally things get a little jumbled in the action and I didn't entirely figure out what was going on or why with the politics, but maybe you're not meant to; Cat thinks she knows and then it turns out she doesn't.

Also, even though as a trilogy I'm not sure what the overall plot is supposed to be (I guess Cat's thing with Andevai? Is it Mr. Napoleon-if-he-was-Roman?), somehow it has a nice middle installment of trilogy conclusion. It ends with the right amount of tension of an unresolved situation while not being totally and obnoxiously cliffhanger. Think Luke looking out at the galaxy from the medical frigate at the end of Empire Strikes Back. He's just found out his father is one of the ultimate evils of the universe and also his friend is kidnapped. He is beaten for now, but not broken. He'll be back. This is Cat at the end of Cold Fire, except she still has both hands. Too bad for whatever force is in her way.(less)

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Jun 08, 2012 K. Bird rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the continuation of the world and the characters from Cold Magic. In the alternate world where glaciers travel deep into Europe and a terrible plague (turning people into mindless zombies) forced the African Mali Empire into a diaspora, cousins Cat and Bee are on the run from their family and the powerful cold mages.

Cat is still married to the cold mage, Andevai. Bee is still vulnerable as a woman who "walks the dreams of dragons" (sees the future.)

They run to law offices of friendly tro...more This is the continuation of the world and the characters from Cold Magic. In the alternate world where glaciers travel deep into Europe and a terrible plague (turning people into mindless zombies) forced the African Mali Empire into a diaspora, cousins Cat and Bee are on the run from their family and the powerful cold mages.

Cat is still married to the cold mage, Andevai. Bee is still vulnerable as a woman who "walks the dreams of dragons" (sees the future.)

They run to law offices of friendly trolls and find radicals and a revolutionary as well.

Cat discovers her sire, is forced into Amerike, and encounters fire mages and the Wild Hunt.

This world is luscious; luscious as rice and peas and mango juice sweetened with lime and sugar. There are a hundred, little details about the way the Taino live, and the festival practices of the people living in Expedition that make this book a fully-formed delight.

The twists and turns Bee and Cat are forced to make as they navigate the troubled politics of Europa, the Taino, and revolutionary general Camjiata take effort to follow, but are so so exciting. Indeed, this book is not a quick, light-entertainment kind of read. There are layers to the conversations and witty quips to unravel and secret intentions to suss out for all the characters. Elliot spares the reader and Cat n mercy when trust is misplaced.

And the whole answering a question with a question thing simultaneously annoyed and amused me (especially when it was Andevai tormenting Cat with questions.)

The problems I had with the first book of this trilogy have disappeared; there were no tedious repetitions of stories or lore, and while Cat and Andevai spend time apart, they spend a lovely amount of time together (and there's even an extra chapter on Kate Elliot's website for those of you wanting the full details of their time together that wasn't included in the novel). Cat is headstrong and naively judgmental as ever. Andevai is a wonderful blend of youthful arrogance and heartbreaking vulnerability.

In short, Elliot has created a marvelous world populated by marvelous characters, and in this book she allows the reader to see the full implications of their crazy adventures across a broader swathe of the world than just Europa.

While the ending sets up a fairly difficult obstacle for Cat and Andevai to overcome (then just his status as a kind of bonded servant to a cold mage house) I can't wait until the third book in the series comes out so I can see how the duo handles a powerful spirit world foe.

This Book's Snack Rating: Like multigrain sun chips with hummus-salsa dip for the textured, heartily-drawn characters and the creamy bite of the world's detailed layers
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Sep 17, 2011 Shortlatte rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While I am an avowed fantasy fan, there is a reason that most of my reading tends to stick to contemporary works. Not only do I find it easier to relate to modern characters and settings, but I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of turning the corner and running into the very same fantastical elements that I had just been reading about. Conversely, I’ve never been able to sink into works of epic or high fantasy, quickly becoming frustrated with the plethora of names and factions that seem to c...more While I am an avowed fantasy fan, there is a reason that most of my reading tends to stick to contemporary works. Not only do I find it easier to relate to modern characters and settings, but I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of turning the corner and running into the very same fantastical elements that I had just been reading about. Conversely, I’ve never been able to sink into works of epic or high fantasy, quickly becoming frustrated with the plethora of names and factions that seem to contribute in large part to the word count.

While not high fantasy, Kate Elliott’s Spiritwalker Trilogy nevertheless has enough density of cultural and political description to qualify it as the sort of work that normally would have me headed for the hills. Yet, having read Cold Magic a few months ago, I was surprised by how eager I was for its follow-up, Cold Fire. Though Elliott doesn’t shy away from long stretches of exposition detailing various aspects of her complicated world, her story never veers into the tedious (and sometimes cheesy) territory that makes me wary of many fantasy works. As readers follow protagonist Cat on her efforts to protect herself, her cousin Bea, and a select few other loved ones from various figures intent on exploiting or eliminating them, it is apparent that Elliott has spent a great deal of time fleshing out her world. While all aspects of the political and magical systems that are a driving force to the story have not yet been explained, Elliott provides readers with enough information to infuse her world with reality. Cat’s journey is sometimes gritty and always believable, no matter if she is standing on the sand in a small village or sheltering from the resonance of a dragon’s dreams in the spirit world.

While I’ve not grown to love Elliott’s characters like old friends as I do the characters of many of my favorite series, I appreciate how Elliott doesn’t shy away from repeatedly highlighting their flaws. I might not always agree with Cat’s choices, but her thought processes feel real to me, and her emotions develop over the course of months rather than as the result of knee-jerk reactions. Likewise, Vai’s motives are not always apparent, and his courses of action are often suspicious, yet his choices seem appropriate or at least understandable given the difficult situations the characters are placed in. Though I was initially disappointed to read what appeared to be the start of yet another love triangle, I am so glad Elliott included it in this installment, for it is one of the only instances I have encountered where the triangle was not merely a plot device. Cat has reasons for behaving the way she does, and she doesn’t abandon those reasons lightly, even when the fallout from her actions appears to be more than she bargained for.

I first heard of the Spiritwalker Trilogy while searching for new steampunk titles. Save for a few references to airships and automatons, there really is not much steampunk in these books, which is unfortunate since I believe that Elliott could make some significant contributions to the genre if she so chose. However, Cold Fire does feature an interesting spin on another supernatural genre (which I won’t mention for fear of spoiling the surprise) that I hope plays a bigger role in the final book next year.

Cold Fire is released in the US on September 26, 2011. Be sure to check out Elliott’s website post-release for an extra scene that takes place during the events of Cold Fire.

http://abookandashortlatte.wordpress....(less)

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Feb 29, 2012 Jules rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: female-friendship, genre

Didn't like this quite as much as the first, but it was definitely a ton of fun, and I just really, really have to say that I ADORE Cat and Bee's relationship. It's so rare to see such a wonderful friendship in a book, particularly between two women -- they're so dedicated to one another, and even their teasing is clearly underpinned by deep love and affection. Truthfully, I felt like this one was more of a three-point-five star read, but I bumped it up to four just for the Cat-Bee relationship....more

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Jan 19, 2012 Lindsay rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So ....ok.....let me think about this one.

This book was.....interesting, it was slow to get going and has some kind of huge preoccupation with law, these highly charged, mages and generals and spirits and yet they all adhere to the law, in one way or another, I will admit it got to me a little.

There just doesn't seem to be an overarching story to this trilogy, like with a Harry Potter or LOTR you know why things are happening, But with this one it seems to be jumbled, is Cat there to defeat the...more

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Jan 11, 2013 James rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This fantasy, steam-punk doesn't quite fit into any of the 'norms' of either genre - yet brings them both together in a fun, quirky mix that you can't help by enjoy. Four Stars.

Plot : Four and half Stars

While, at times, this plot felt a tad aimless, it was still a brilliantly crafted, compelling and pacey tale. In fact, those aimless bouts aren't as bad as you might imagine, they never threatened the tale once - indeed, they almost propelled you forwards even more as you sought to work out whe...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Lindsey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, historical-fantasy

Not quite the tour-de-force that Cold Magic was, this is still a great read. Elliott's character work is fantastic; the ongoing relationship between Cat and Vai is tense and difficult, even when you know what will result. Bee takes a serious step back in this book, which was a little confusing since her conundrum is Cat's driving force through much of the book. However, there are hints that we will hear more of her events in the third book, so I am willing to wait this out.

Elliott's worldbuildin...more

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Sep 27, 2011 Ranting Dragon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: michael

As a reader, I enjoy finishing a book and knowing that the author has done something truly innovative or that the story has somehow changed my perspective on reading. Cold Magic, the first installment of the Spirit Walker trilogy, was such a book. Kate Elliott laid a tremendous foundation to build upon in Cold Fire, but rather than playing it safe and just providing more of the same, Elliott has taken risks in her storytelling. Some readers may feel frustrated by an unexpected change of directio...more

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Sep 24, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, alternate-history, unfinished-series

Cold Fire is the second in a planned trilogy, with the first book being Cold Magic. I loved Cold Magic, partially because I found the alternate history Kate Elliott created to be detailed and intriguing. This world is further fleshed out in Cold Fire, as the protagonist finds herself (literally) washed ashore in the Western Hemisphere, called the Amerikes in the book. Experiencing the world Elliott has created is by far my favorite part of the series so far.

Plot-wise, while Cold Fire kept me rea...more

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Jun 08, 2012 Megg rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Argh. So mad I have yet another trilogy I have to wait until next year for the new installment. New rule: never start a series until all books are released.

I had mixed feelings about this book during the first half. It was slow, I found myself getting bored with spirit world thing, Bee started to annoy me, and that pissed me off because I really enjoyed her character in the first novel. Then Cat started bugging the hell out of me. It was like she became a different character for the first half...more

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Sep 28, 2011 TheBookSmugglers rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-favorites

Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers

Catherine Bell Hassi Barahal has been through an incredibly trying few weeks. Willingly sacrificed by her Aunt and Uncle in order to protect their daughter, Beatrice, Cat has been whisked from her home and bound into an unbreakable marriage to haughty, powerful cold mage Andevai Diarisso Haranwy, based on a prophecy and a deal struck by the Hassi Barahals and the cold mage houses. The only problem is that Cat is not truly a Hassi Barahal by blood, and the...more

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Jun 01, 2013 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, romance, fiction

Not nearly as frenetic as Cold Magic--but not quite as gripping, either.

After a narrow escape from Europa, and a lengthy detour through the spirit world (where she learns the truth about her father), Cat washes up in the Antilles, where she finally gets a chance to catch her breath and assess her situation. She has a dreadful problem on her hands: to save her cousin Bee, Cat must choose someone to sacrifice in her place. And she can't speak of her dilemma to anyone, no matter how much she may w...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Madame X rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, romance-spans-multiple-books, shapeshifters, witchcraft-sorcery, spinning-wheels

What a disappointment.

So. The first 10% of COLD FIRE is a recap of COLD MAGIC. Okay, that's fine. Then the plot advances for a bit. Things continue to look terrible for Cat, what with her being the enemy of every powerful faction in the world, and then she's presented with a new, even more terrible dilemma. She has to name the sacrifice for the next Wild Hunt. She has to choose a person, a powerful magic user, to die -- and if she won't make the choice, then the sacrifice of choice will be Bee....more What a disappointment.

So. The first 10% of COLD FIRE is a recap of COLD MAGIC. Okay, that's fine. Then the plot advances for a bit. Things continue to look terrible for Cat, what with her being the enemy of every powerful faction in the world, and then she's presented with a new, even more terrible dilemma. She has to name the sacrifice for the next Wild Hunt. She has to choose a person, a powerful magic user, to die -- and if she won't make the choice, then the sacrifice of choice will be Bee.

That's quite a dilemma, isn't it? But instead of strategizing about this problem, we go on a weird, endless, saggy-middle vacation in Expedition. There's so much that could be happening. Camjiata is mobilizing, and Cat knows she's going to have a decisive influence on the war. Cat doesn't think about that. She's too busy working as a barmaid and eating tropical fruit. The oppressive rule of the Courts must be overthrown. Cat doesn't worry about that, either. She's too busy drinking rum and mending clothes. Her marriage to Vai is in limbo, but Cat decides to...leave it there, dithering endlessly.

The middle of this book is a mess. Reading it made me really, really mad. The story here is too epic to be wasting half of a book on spinning wheels. Without plot to interfere, Cat and Andevai get lots of pagetime together, which ought to have been delicious but totally wasn't. Andevai is so hands-off and meek I wanted to smack him. Cat is so wishy-washy I wanted to smack her. We have to wade through chapters of childishness before they finally start having some necessary conversations, at which point it's almost too late.

Towards the end of the book, after putting off the problem for so long, Cat starts worrying about choosing a sacrifice. The night of the Hunt is rushed, and then events wrap up too quickly. I skimmed pages furiously at this point. Things had finally started happening again, yes, but this is a TRILOGY. There's ONE BOOK LEFT and the war hasn't even started. I want Cat to exercise more agency. I know that it's darkest before the dawn, but so far Cat has been in survival mode for two books. She's been used and betrayed, she's escaped and survived. And I admire that, and her, but I have no sense of her as a mover and shaker in this world, as a power to be reckoned with.

So far, all the chains that bind her have been impossible to overthrow. The marriage chain. The bond of ownership that Four Moons holds over her. The persecution of the Prince, the laws of Expedition, the plans of Camjiata. A lot of the plot in COLD FIRE revolves around the idea of a popular rebellion. Can the peasants really rise up an demand rights, or do they need a man like Camjiata to bestow those rights -- as Imperial decrees, once he obtains the throne he craves? We get a sense of how Elliott answers that question by the end of COLD FIRE, but the powerlessness of the characters, their inability to take control over their own destiny in meaningful ways, makes the book feel disheartening rather than inspiring overall.

(view spoiler)[Also, a word about this whole Drake thing.

What a mess.

So Cat's bitten by a salter and Drake says he can cure her with sex. Cat agrees to have sex. She's cured. Later, she gets drunk and has sex with Drake again, just because. She had fun the first time, he's there, fire magic seems to stoke the libido a little.

Then it turns out that Drake is a complete and utter asshole, constantly telling Cat to shut up or follow orders better. And THEN we discover that actually, fire mages can cure the salt plague without having sex with the infected. And THEN we discover that actually, by some miracle, Cat was never even infected. That Drake had lied about the infection and also lied about how to cure it.

This whole situation is just vile and gross. The first time around, Cat consented but only under a false premise - that sex would save her life. The second time, Cat consented without any motivation other than pleasure. Later on in the book, when trying to explain why she had sex with Drake, she only says "he got me drunk". I guess she's trying to explain why she consented freely, the second time? Except that we have no reason to believe that she'd have consented the second time if there hadn't been a first. Drake skipped over the actual seducing part of a seduction with vile lies.

Cat gets angrier and angrier at Drake. She hates the guy, which she should, because he's horrible. So that's appropriate. But she's treated by others, consistently, as though she had an affair with Drake. She doesn't try to explain what happened, that she was terribly deceived, so they assume the worst. They assume that she was cheating on Andevai of her own free will. But her will was compromised and every time someone called her two-faced or untrustworthy, I found it almost unbearable.

One of the things that really impressed me about the first book was the frank way that characters dealt with sexuality, surrounded by mores that constrained behavior but never belaboring themselves with shame, I was really disappointed to see so much of this book mired in a plot that shamed and humiliated Cat for having sex when her consent was not freely given. Cat doesn't blame herself, but she endures blame, and the injustice of it made the book hard for me to read at times. (hide spoiler)]
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Dec 29, 2012 Andi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, feminism, ya, race

Phenomenal. Simply phenomenal. The first of the series was excellent but had pacing and exposition flaws in the beginning. Now that we are fully immersed in Cat's world, there is nothing but glorious story and characterization.

The pacing is perfect. Cat is thrown into one calamity to the next, with enough time in between that we get to see her rise to each challenge and take a breath until her world is yet again upside down. You never see the twists coming, and yet they make total sense as inexo...more

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Nov 12, 2011 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011, fantasy

Cold Fire like Cold Magic had a bit of a rocky start. For the first 100 or so pages things were tough to follow. Conversations, events, and text just seemed to be thrown out there with no real rhyme or reason.

After that rocky start I was worried how the rest of the book would come about but it came out perfectly. Elliott gets her footing at about 150 pages and it's a rip, roaring ride from there till the last page.

There are a few things that I didn't like -
1. The whole making islanders talk o...more

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Oct 08, 2011 Emma rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 3-stars, caribbean, alternate-history

I enjoyed Cold Magic, so much so that I preordered this one. The good news is that it’s a fun book and makes for compelling reading. The bad is that the whole book feels like a diversion from the main plot (two books into the trilogy, I’m still not sure what the “main plot” is, actually) and compared to the first book, is a bit lacking in tension and danger.

The good stuff first: the book is well-paced and interesting throughout. The main characters, Cat, Bee and Andevai, remain interesting and g...more I enjoyed Cold Magic, so much so that I preordered this one. The good news is that it’s a fun book and makes for compelling reading. The bad is that the whole book feels like a diversion from the main plot (two books into the trilogy, I’m still not sure what the “main plot” is, actually) and compared to the first book, is a bit lacking in tension and danger.

The good stuff first: the book is well-paced and interesting throughout. The main characters, Cat, Bee and Andevai, remain interesting and get further development. Cat’s voice is still strong--these are books that depend heavily on voice, and pull it off well. For the matter, Cat herself is an engaging and sometimes downright funny character (particularly when drunk, as it turns out). I mostly liked the romance, which is well-written and not cheesy. (On the other hand, the number of reversals and counter-reversals in Cat and Andevai’s relationship make things a bit hectic, depriving events of some of their emotional impact--and Andevai has gotten much more normal, which probably makes him a better love interest but dials down the dramatic tension a fair bit.)

This book moves the action to an alternate Caribbean, where the Taino kingdom, dominated by powerful fire mages, has an uneasy peace with a city-state called Expedition (on the island we call Hispaniola, although for obvious reasons it has a different name here). The worldbuilding is fun and inventive, and it’s nice just to have a setting that hasn’t been done to death. Also, the social movements we saw in alt-Europe in book one are brewing here too, with underground political organizations that bring to mind analogous groups in the real Latin America. But this isn’t one of those fantasy societies that exists solely to further the plot; it’s fully fleshed-out and feels like a real culture, complete with a sports obsession (specifically, batey--an actual Taino game as it turns out).

But, despite all of this.... there’s the plot. Cold Fire starts out on the wrong foot, the first chapter being a rewrite of the last chapter of Cold Magic, with some details added or omitted, and proceeds for the next 150 pages or so with the characters running around--it feels like the end of Cold Magic got dragged out into Cold Fire, long after the climax was past. Cat then encounters her biological father, who gives her a mission which is meant to lend tension to the next section of the book, but that subplot never really gets off the ground and a great opportunity for drama is handily avoided. (view spoiler) And then we get 200 pages of romance, worldbuilding and batey. This book never failed to be interesting, and yet it barely ever achieved the sense of danger and urgency that Cold Magic had throughout. I attribute this in large part to the lack of antagonists--the mansa is entirely absent from this book except for a distance shot in Chapter 1 (version 2.0), and neither Cat’s sire nor anyone else in this book can hope to equal him. Finally, it’s unclear what any of this has to do with the events of Cold Magic, or what the overall arc of this trilogy even looks like. Cold Fire feels more like a book an author might write after a series is successfully completed, fleshing out tangential events that occurred off-screen in the regular series, than like the middle book of a trilogy.

Despite all that, I will probably still recommend the series (although I prefer Elliott’s Crossroads trilogy). It is a fun series with good characters and an intriguing world, and I’m counting on Cold Steel to bring all of this together in some sensible way.(less)

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Jan 06, 2012 Fellshot rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: steampunk-ish, fantasy-strangenesses

As is my habit, when I find someone writing stuff I find intriguing I want more of it (hence my patience in waiting for Nick Harkaway's next book). Since the alternate history presented in Cold magic was really interesting with all kinds of far reaching effects, I went and picked up Cold Fire.

The story continues to follow Catherine Bell Barahal as she tries to keep her cousin Beatrix away from the cold mages who more or less run Europa while something of an industrial revolution is attempting to...more As is my habit, when I find someone writing stuff I find intriguing I want more of it (hence my patience in waiting for Nick Harkaway's next book). Since the alternate history presented in Cold magic was really interesting with all kinds of far reaching effects, I went and picked up Cold Fire.

The story continues to follow Catherine Bell Barahal as she tries to keep her cousin Beatrix away from the cold mages who more or less run Europa while something of an industrial revolution is attempting to take off. Also, the Wild Hunt would like to throw Bea's head down a well. Cat has her work certainly cut out for her.

My delight first surfaced when I saw the maps in the front. I usually don't mention such in a review (I generally prefer to stick to the story and just the story), but there's something that makes me unreasonably happy about seeing a map of North America without the conquistadors. I'm just easy that way. However, those maps left me wanting a full-on atlas or encyclopedia... certainly I was left with a hankering to explore the narrative world more than is allowed in a first person perspective novel.

That being said, Cat still worked for me as a narrator. I liked her ups and downs and found her constant review of what she wanted and who she wanted to protect sincere. For some of the big political stuff it's pretty clear that she isn't sure about what she wants,but she had no such major confusions about who she cared about. Considering that she likes the idea of both gender and class equality, I'm curious to see which faction she ends up on, especially as she continues to travel to different places and sees ever more diverse ways of arranging society. When she isn't confused about what she wants to do (or who she wants to help her with it) I like her a lot.

I enjoyed how each character had multiple motives informing their actions (even if some of those motives are still unknown). Andevai's feverent wish to get his home village out of indenture to the local cold mages in addition to being an arrogant vain twerp at times helped humanize him and putting him in a place that didn't hold cold mages in high esteem certainly helped with expanding his character base elsewhere. Also putting him in that less lofty position gave a glimpse into what he was like before the cold mages came and took him from his village.

I still can't decide if I actually like General Camjiata, but I find him an interesting, sneaky bastard regardless. This is okay since sneaky interesting bastards make awesome antagonists and at least to Cat, he clearly is. I look forwards towards a greater expansion of his plans and motives towards both Bea and Cat.

I liked the Caribbean diversity across the islands and how those differences interacted with each other to create their own revolutions and rivalries. I'm also kind of impressed that somehow zombies and airships got worked into the narrative universe as well as the steal-your-baby elves. I think that the narrative universe is big enough for it so no complaints there. The side trip through the spirit realm (for lack of a better term) went a long ways towards illustrating why nearly everything there wasn't too keen on Bea.

My one major complaint? NOT ENOUGH RORY. I seriously missed him and his shapeshifting and wise cracks and unfamiliarity with human customs. Besides, who wouldn't miss a saber toothed kitty? Yes, I know gentle reader, I am a raving fangirl on this topic. I'm allowed!

In any case, I'm looking forwards to the next book and I hope that there will be more stories set in this narrative universe thereafter.
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Nov 06, 2011 Mary rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: steampunk

This book is stuffed. That isn't to say it is good. It's like the author jammed too much into it. Cat was in her own world, and then in the spirit world, and then plunged into a different part of her world, half way around the globe. There are pieces of Celtic lore in the Wild Hunt and the night court but those are not completely filled out, and there is some steamish punk, but not as much as existed in the first book in the trilogy, Cold Magic. I will have to read the final book in the trilogy...more

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Cold Fire (Spiritwalker #2)

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