Cover: It is an interesting cover, but it doesn't really hint at too much in the book. It is a bit lacking.
Author: Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston
Genre: Fantasy, Dystopian, Romance, Adventure
Goodreads Blurb: From New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston comes this remarkable first book in a spellbinding new series about the dawn of a new kind of magic.
Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature—freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows.
At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she's heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light.
But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson to take her there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? Fiery hearts collide in this fantastic tale of the evil men do and the awesome power within us all.
Published/ing: September 17th, 2013 Putnam Juvenile
Rating: 4.5/5
Review:
So I went into this book not expecting much. But I was extremely wrong by the assumption.
The way the book starts out, diving straight into the character of Nat and her life and past life. I loved how immediately I knew what was going on. It took the perfect amount of time to explain why she was a fugitive, why the world was Frozen, and why she needed to leave. And gods it caught my attention like that. I was so anxious to learn more and learn why.
Starting with the setting, I enjoyed it, but it could've been better. The whole idea of the world falling frozen rather than burning up like most dystopian books assume is definitely a new way to look at things. I wish that there was a bit more politics in it and it talked more about the world, but since it was in the point of views of characters with their own problems, I understood why that really couldn't be laced in.
Another thing that might've enhanced it a bit, would be a map. They talked a lot about new lands and new societies of course, but it also talked about New Pangea, and it made me wonder if the land had shifted. So yeah- map.
Otherwise, the world itself was so new and interesting and unlike anything I had read before, which excited me.
So the story itself was 3rd POV, but it was told from the point of two people (like Percy Jackson if you need an example). At some points, it was sort of hard to tell the voices apart, but above all it was a good way to tell the story. It showed the two experiences and the two lives lived in the crushed world.
Natasha, who I would say is the main character, was an interesting person. A character that you usually don't come across in these things. She isn't trying to save the world or any crap. She just wants to get away and find this mystical land where the Earth is green and the water is clean and it doesn't burn every time she takes a breath.
And then we have Wes, who is a personal favorite of mind. He is just like "what the hell" on most things, but not in a stupid, idiotic way, but in a "why should I have to care so much about this" way. Like at a point in the book when something important is revealed about Nat's character, he's like "I don't care. You aren't hurting me so why should I care?"
I just wish there were more humans like him. He also is a great hero for the story, but not the type that saves the girl. The type that saves the people. A loyal, honest, and working man.
I really fell in love with the characters in this book, if you can't tell.
Another aspect of this book that I loved a lot was FANTASY. There were elves and dwarves and drakon and yes. Drakon. Not to sound like a ten year old boy, but it was so cool.
In the end it was bit busy and kind of hard to keep up and a bit cheesy, but overall it was just so cool. That fantasy aspect just blew the book away.
Overall, it was an awesome book. It was bit shaky at some parts and could have been improved at other parts, but it exceeded my expectations and blew my mind; that, in my book, is a good novel.
Future News:
The second book in this soon to be trilogy is set to be released November of 2014.
The second book in this soon to be trilogy is set to be released November of 2014.
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