Danger lurks in the western realms. The Destroyer’s imminent return has sent the realms into turmoil as desperate citizens seek refuge—but there’s no safety to be found when demons and wraiths crawl out from the shadows. Even Koth, a northern island kingdom left untouched by the Destroyer a generation past, is besieged by terrors spawned from corrupt magics.
When Lizzan leads the Kothan army against these terrors, only to see her soldiers massacred and to emerge as the only survivor, she is called a coward and a deserter. Shunned from her home, Lizzan now wanders in solitude as a mercenary for hire, until she encounters a group of warriors seeking new alliances with the northern kingdoms—a group that includes Aerax, the bastard prince of Koth, and the man who sent her into exile.
Though they were childhood friends, Aerax cannot allow himself to be close to the only woman who might thwart his treacherous plan to save their island realm. But when a goddess’s demand binds them together, Lizzan and Aerax must find a way to overcome their painful pasts. Or there will be no future for the western realms…
Release Date: Jul 21, 2020
Series: A Gathering of Dragons
Book: 2
Heat Level: Hot
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley
Price: $7.99
A Touch of Stone and Snow by Milla Vane is the second installment in her A Gathering of Dragons series, and I highly recommend reading the first before reading this book. However, if you must you can read this book as a standalone. But in my opinion, there is such a deep world that is built in these two books that it is best if the background knowledge is there prior to starting in on this installment.
I am a big fan of fantasy romances because you can really and truly get lost in a completely new world and escape the everyday earthly life for a bit, I think this is partly due to growing up on the Harry Potter novels. That being said, I rarely read fantasy romances because it takes so much to build the worlds and I find that a lot of books are hit or miss with this. This is why I have enjoyed both of the installments of this series so much.
Milla Vane really knows how to build the world with many elements and you really feel as if you are there walking along with the characters. The story is so action packed and there are many myths and characters that are slowly revealed along the way that just add to your understanding of the world and the story in general. I almost felt like I needed to write down every character and myth that came up just so I could keep track of where everyone was from and why they act the way they do.
The main characters in this installment are Lizzan and Aerax, who grew up together and were childhood sweethearts until Lizzan was exiled. When they meet up again years later, they both are very guarded and keeping their secrets about the past close to their hearts.
I love a good angst-y romance, and this was definitely that, there was a slow build to Lizzan and Aerax overcoming their obstacles to see what they both could have together. I also liked Lizzan and Aerax individually; they were both strong characters on their own. I really like how the women in this world are never just damsels in distress, waiting to be saved by the male lead, they are all strong in their own rights. Lizzan was a bit rough around the edges but I really liked how she was a warrior who was a bit fearless due to her lack of experience. Both of them are obviously lonely and trying to escape the feeling of hopelessness.
I highly recommend this book (and the one before it) for those who like an action packed story that is infused with lots of romantic angst and steamy moments.
~ Harshita
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