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Fire and Ice
Fire and Ice is a blog that reviews and highlights books mainly from YA and LDS fiction. We post parental content reviews Monday- Friday. If you are an author or publisher we invite you to contact us for interviews, book trailer stills, author and event photos, promotional book tour packages, swag design and reviews
Carla Kelly's Christmas Collection
See my blog tour review and content here http://fireandicephoto.blogspot.com/2013/10/cedar-fort-blog-tour-carla-kellys.html
Written on Our Hearts: Invitations from the Old Testament
See my five star review at http://fireandicephoto.blogspot.com/2013/10/blog-tour-and-review-written-on-our.html
Consider the Blessings
See my review at http://fireandicephoto.blogspot.com/2013/10/blog-tour-and-review-consider-blessings.html
Waterfall: A Novel (River of Time Series)
See my review: http://fireandicephoto.blogspot.com/2013/10/book-review-waterfall-river-of-time-1.html
Child of the Mist (These Highland Hills, Book 1)
View content warning and full review at Fire and Icehttp://fireandicephoto.blogspot.com/2013/11/featured-free-fiction-content-breviews.html
This was my first experience with Christian Scottish Fiction and I enjoyed the historical elements of the harsh conditions of women being accused of witchcraft for wanting to use herbs in their healing, or assisting in resuscitation of an infant. The arranged marriage and clan clashes also rang true to the period as well as the Scottish language which takes some getting used to....
Overall, to be honest, it was memorable and peaked my interest. I loved the setting and imagery as well as the flow of the story, but the content was disappointing.
Iron's Prophecy (The Iron Fey, #4.5)
read my review at Fire and Ice http://fireandicephoto.blogspot.com/2013/10/irons-prophecy-by-julie-kagawa-free.html
SPOILER ALERT!
Introductions (The Academy) (Volume 1)
DNF. stopped reading at page 55. Language ("F bomb") reference to rape, assault, a teenage sleepover.
A Bride For Christmas
DNF at 66% right before Chapter 7. Suddenly there's content thrown in out of the blue that doesn't fit the rest of the rest of the plot or a Regency Romance. Frustrating!
Six Dates with Jenna
DNF at page 115. Unnecessary language, can't connect with the grief and fluff of insta movie star love both jammed together.
Hadley-Hadley Benson
See full review and content at http://www.fireandicereads.com/2013/09/ya-book-review-hadley-hadley-benson-by-jody-wind-durfee/I received a copy of Hadley- Hadley Benson from a signing by the author at the LDSBA convention and truly had no idea what to expect. The only thing I knew is that I liked the red chucks on the cover. As soon as I started reading the sweet newness of a High School crush and the every day trials of living with a loved one on the autism spectrum, I jumped all the way in. I absolutely beam inside when an author chooses to integrate and feature a character with ASD or special needs, and Jody Wind Durfee does it well. My heart was tugged over the trials Hadley Benson's family and friends go though to protect both his innocence and his spirit.
Told in the perspective of Jaxon Quayle, a soccer star and ordinary next door neighbor to the Benson family, this is a story of forgiveness and hope. Jaxon knows from the second Maddi Benson moves in that she is someone he wants to get to know better, but Hadley keeps somehow tagging along. Jaxon has a lot of growing up to do and readers get to see his character develop in testimony and awareness of others. Each chapter is very short, which I actually liked. There were only a few glitches in long paragraphs of simple conversation that slowed the pacing of the book, but I sat down and read it all in one Saturday afternoon, finishing in tears.
Jody has written a relevant and heartfelt YA contemp for the LDS and general audience that I would happily recommend, youth or adult. Her sweet understanding of special needs youth and their caregivers is a message that needs to be shared and I'm so glad she took the time to write Hadley- Hadley Benson!
Fight For You (A Stripling Warrior Novel, #2)
Wow. Misty Moncur knows how to write! The second book in her Stripling Warrior Series is unforgettable. I've read over the war chapter in the Book of Mormon, I know the stories, but never have I seen them come to life in vivid color with emotions, romance and action. Keturah has entered the band of stripling warriors, boys ages 12-18 who are fighting for the liberty of their fathers, children, homes and religion. Kit is is a daughter of Helaman, the only female to join the ranks. And this is no longer training with Gideon in the forest or sparring with her camp...this is the real battlefield and the ravages of war. Amongst the action there are moments of clarity and faith that stirred the Spirit within me and made me so grateful for the fortitude of leaders like Gideon. Men who not only led and loved, but who also knelt in prayer before going out to meet the enemy. They did not doubt their God would deliver them and angels sent to fight beside them.
There are stolen moments of a love that is deepening and blooming like a moon flower.The tension is perfect. Kit has some hard decisions to make. Is she meant to be here? Will the man she loves return the commitment as a husband? And, will Zeke forgive her, can she accept the loyalty and attention of her childhood friend?
I enjoyed the idea of healers who used herbs and the things of the earth traveling with the army to help.
Wishing book three, which is due to be released in November were out today so I could keep reading. I'll be passing the Stripling Warrior series on to my children and family. And, I will never read about the Title of Liberty or Helaman's army the same again.
Content: moderate war related violence, kissing
The Prince: A Selection Novella
I really enjoyed hearing things from Maxon's point of view, since both books one and two are written in America's voice. And we learn more about the behind the scenes of why each girl was chosen as well as a glimpse of the King and Queen's personalities.I wish the novella were a bit longer, it seemed super short. But there are sneak peek pages in the back for The Elite.
Content: clean
SPOILER ALERT!
The Elite
AAARRRRG. The back and forth in The Elite killed me. It got really annoying to have America flip flop over and over again. Make up your mind sister! And please be honest with the one being left in the dark. Book two has much more violence and a few dystopian elements, so overall a darker tone.
Content: heavy domestic violence, abuse, underage drinking, heavy petting in a bedroom, mention of teenage pregnancy. One swear word.