A Touch of Stone and Snow

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance In The Touch of Stone and Snow we have a story that continues in the gritty world of Milla Vane of the Gathering of Dragons series. After reading the first book "A Heart of Blood and Ashes" I have been so intrigued by this style of fantasy and quite frankly I adore epic fantasy and so happy to see more authors writing in this genre. Its definitely one we need more books in. And I have been highly impressed with Milla Vane to be honest. I just love how she developed this story and I will say that I couldn't seem to get enough of this book and it turned out so different than I expected and most especially the romance turned a road I never expected and I was all in for it. The Touch of Stone and Snow is a story that begins with a love story of two people....Lizzan and Aerax. Lizzan and Aerax were once best friends who turned into lovers, but then in a battle that Lizzan led, all of her men were killed and she was held to blame as the only survivor and she was cast out of Koth, her family living in disgrace and losing the man she loved and the only home she had ever known. Lizzan now works as a protector to lead innocent people through the dangers of bandits, and those touched by the 'destroyer'. Aerax has never stopped loving Lizzan, and will never tell her the full story but he and his pet snow cat (a saber tooth tiger) feel the loss of Lizzan in their lives. But while on the trail sent on a mission....Aerax finds her and even though there is a tension he feels more complete with her near. As Aerax and Lizzan work together and reconnect they will also have to face a danger, one they won't be ready for and it will take the both of them to destroy it and reach the HEA they so richly deserve.... I have to say that A Touch of Stone and Snow was such a endearing read. I just fell so hard for Aerax and Lizzan. Now I will say that Lizzan isn't your average heroine and not normally my cup of tea since I do have a hard time relating with such alpha females, but boy I adored her. Because even though she has such a tough exterior, she also possesses this sweetness and charming vulnerability I wanted to see more of. Now Aerax ...*sigh* he was delicious in every way. I love that even though he made his own share of mistakes, he owns up to them and isn't afraid to go after what he really wants. He has such a protective side but also appreciates Lizzan for the woman she is and supports her in every way and I found that so sexy. I was expecting so much ANGST in this book and I was pleased to see that it didn't turn out the way I expected or last as long as I was ready for which had my heart pleased. I don't care too much for angst to be throughout the whole story so to see it resolved more earlier on was quite refreshing. Now as a plot line this story kicks booty let me tell y'all. Because wowzers, will she never cease to surprise me in that? Because I just couldn't get enough of seeing how she just pulls you into this suspense filled story. Both Aerax and Lizzan and their group have to battle off some enemies and the intensity in some of these scenes definitely keeps one on edge all the way through. Especially in the later half of the story, that is where it really picks up speed. The first half the focus tends to be the romance between Aerax and in the second half they are pushed to the test in saving the lives of their people. I found the style of seeing the growth of the story to be one that feeds your attention in the right manner. A side note I ADORED Aerax having a pet saber tooth tiger, so so cool!! And quite frankly the bond between the three of them was adorable and I couldn't seem to get enough of it. Overall I found A Touch of Stone and Snow to be a fantastic addition to the series that embodies thrilling adventure, the beauty of finding love again and good conquering evil ----an edgy, keep you on your toes read that will leave you eager for the next one.

Content warnings: (view spoiler)[extreme fantasy violence, alcoholism, physical effects of going sober cold turkey (magically induced), sexual assault and rape (including that of a child, off-page) (hide spoiler)] I was absolutely blown away by the first book in the series and its angry, hurting characters, and expected more of the same from this book. Instead, I got an achingly sweet second-chance romance with kindhearted characters surrounded by a whole lot of awfulness, and it’s certainly one of the best books I’ll read this year. It takes a talented author to take what on its surface is a content-warning-filled barbarian fantasy romance – something inherently depressive and gory – and turn it into a hopeful, uplifting story. “For that was who Lizzan was. Who she would always be. The brightest, most beautiful jewel that Koth had ever produced, with the softest heart and the bravest soul. Aerax had not deserved the happiness of a single moment she’d spent with him, let alone the years she’d given, along with the joy of every kiss and every touch. And he did not deserve to see her again. Yet as a prince, even a feral one, he often got what he didn’t deserve.” Lizzan is just everything. Soft-hearted and caring as they come, her parents tried to push her to become a healer, but she always knew she wanted to be a soldier to have the ability to protect the ones she loves. Exiled from Koth after a disastrous attack, Lizzan’s become a mercenary whose only concern is earning enough to drink herself back into a stupor. Running from her problems turns even more literal when she finds out that her childhood friend and love, Aerax, is looking for her. Aerax is the bastard son of the king of Koth, despised and shunned until an illness killed the king’s legitimate offspring. Aerax knows – and accepts – that Lizzan hates him for letting her be exiled without saying a word, but he still wants her to be safe and happy, and the best way to accomplish that is forming a strong alliance and surrounding her with competent warriors that she can befriend. Years ago, the Destroyer ravaged the world before departing across the ocean as mysteriously as he came. Now, warned that he’s returning, the broken kingdoms must try to come together to mount a defense. Painfully aware of her family’s fate since she was banished, Lizzan’s only thought is to die gloriously in battle and redeem her name for them, so she asks the goddess Vela for a quest – which turns out to be protecting Aerax. Aerax, of course, is not on board with the plan, especially the dying part. If Lizzan has a soft heart for everyone, Aerax is a compete softy for her. The way they negotiate their past and present relationship is heart-wrenching and ultimately empowering, and I’m not sure I’ve ever rooted more for a couple than I did for them. “But . . . for a little while, can we be as we were before? Before my exile, before you went to the palace, before the red fever—when we were the finest of friends.” “I would always be that for you,” he told her. “Not only for a little while.” “But a little while is all we have.” There’s so much more going on than the achingly sweet love story. Intricately plotted, with seemingly minor details holding the keys to major plot points, the pacing is excellent. It’s a story of redemption – for Lizzan and Aerax, and also . The world is richly imagined, a continent full of disparate cultures and ideologies coexisting and clashing, with a cast of wonderful characters. Caeb, Aerax’s saber tooth tiger-like companion, steals the show in practically every scene he’s in. There’s some crossover from the previous book in terms of side characters, as well, and it was lovely to see how those characters have grown in the two years since the last book. “To all of Koth, I am a villain. And no villain was ever redeemed, except in death.” “I know of many villains who were redeemed and lived.” Returning to the island of Koth, Lizzan and Aerax’s homeland, is the focus of most of the plot. Koth is founded on the promise that anyone can, through hard work and talent, better themselves, like their founder who wrapped the island in protections so strong that it even protected the kingdom from the Destroyer. But that promise only holds true for its citizens, not illegitimate children like Aerax, and the cost of that protection is higher than any except the king and his heir know. I was not expecting to find a brutally honest takedown of the puritanical American Dream in a barbarian romance, but it was amazing, and the way it tied into Lizzan’s “villains can only be redeemed by their deaths” mentality was pure perfection. Overall, I was absolutely blown away by this book and the way it sets up the next book and its couple. This will definitely be on my top-10 list of books for this year, and I cannot wait to see what happens next! I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I really wish I could've loved this as much as book one, but there just wasn't enough romance here for me!