Beck Michaels

How has no one considered the Hades and Persephone element in the story? Because it is there. The story may lean toward Beauty and the Beast but there is also Hades and Persephone. Although a bit lesser seeing widely in the novel.

Plus he has a scythe! Okay, so there could be the argument that the scythe in mythology could belong to either Chronos or Thanatos, depending on what story is being told. However, it could be considered still a weapon belonging to possibly the Underworld.

Also, allow me to continue the argument and point out that technically he could be considered Hades in both senses. He does consider himself the God of Death and he does claim souls. Now, I am well aware that Hades is simply the God of the Underworld, but his world also contains the souls of the dead. He may not be part of the judgment but he still has his hand in ushering them to their respective areas.

Sunnëva lives in a village where winter is an everyday occurrence. With food scarce and most of the hunting party gone, it is hard to find a meal anywhere on the frozen tundra. That is until the party returns carrying food and gold. Along with the party are Rune, Sunnëva's love, and her brother, Fenrir. But something happens to her brother and Sunnëva is forced to go find an incredibly rare flower from the home of the Ice Phoenix. But the moment she plucks the flower, she brings the Ice Phoenix knocking on her village doors.

Jökull, known as the Ice Phoenix and the God of Death, has come for the one who has stolen his flower. When he is offered the little thief as his bride, he takes her and spirits her away back to his home. Sunnëva believes her new husband has killed her brother and her father has threatened to harm her sister if she does not find his weakness. She sees his death as a chance to lift the curse of an eternal winter upon the tundra, but what happens when the two begin to chip away at each other's icy hearts?

Sunnëva's character, while compelling, seems to show that she is resilient, strong-willed, and brave. There are even moments of bravery when she faces her husband many times. Most of them are to kill him and even those are fruitless attempts. The downside to her character is that she does prove to be a bit of an annoying female. There are times when I would have loved to throttle her. Her character's development slows down during the moment of her arrival at her husband's castle. She continues to lament over the fact she believes he killed her brother. This seems to be a continued theme whenever we get into her head. Although I do understand, it seems to be part of a one-track mind.

The Ice Phoenix, Jökull, was a fascinating character. He was cold and distant, but you could see that there was more beneath the surface. As the story progressed, we got to see more of his past and how he became the God of Death. His love for Sunnëva grew and he became more human, but he still had his flaws and his dark side.

Now let's get down to her family. I hated both her brother, Bjorn, and her father, Thorstein. The latter was hateful toward his other children. He cared little whether any of them died and this shows when Fenrir is harmed during their expedition back home. He even discourages Sunnëva from seeking any remedy to save him. He believes in the survival of the fittest and Fenrir is nothing but a weak link in their family.

When Sunnëva brings back the rose, he offers her up to the Ice Phoenix as a way to save himself. He even sees this as an opportunity to force Sunnëva to look for a kink in her new husband's armor that would give them a way to kill him. And to make sure she follows his orders, he uses her sister to force her to obey him.

And Rune. I don't believe Sunnëva really loved him. Maybe it was just a fleeting youth when they are in the throes of falling in love. They may have planned to marry but I don't see really following through with it. They used each other, yes, but I don't see it progressing any further than that. I understand that there were points she may have started falling in love with him especially when the winter castle of the Ice Phoenix was alerted to the theft of the flower and he supposed led the Ice Phoenix's troops away, but other than that, I just don't see it happening.

I can also see the reason why he would be the bad guy. He seemed creepy even upon his return from the expedition. He was more friendly and his usage of "sweetling" seemed to offer more of a sinister side. His smile seemed to be a dead giveaway but Sunnëva didn't seem to be paying much attention to any details that screamed he was not the right choice for her.

The world-building was also excellent. The author did an incredible job of describing the frozen tundra and the mystical beings that lived there. The Ice Phoenix's home was beautifully described, and you could feel the coldness and magic that emanated from it.

Final Thought:

Overall, while there were some characters that I disliked, the story itself was well-written, engaging, and had me hooked until the end. I recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy romance stories with a touch of darkness.… (altro)

"Let me show you how powerful a woman can be." Yessss Lucenna! She's definitely a favorite and I'm so glad she was a more prominent character in Bonded Fate.

In Divine Blood, the first in the Guardians of the Maiden series, we're introduced to a full cast of characters on quite the epic adventure! Bonded Fate literally picks up exactly where we were left in Divine Blood, on that cliff...yaknow...that cliff.

The chapters continue to alternate between characters which I absolutely love. The extra depth it adds to make a well-rounded plot is necessary. The growth of the leading lady, Dyna is wonderful! She was pretty innocent in the first book, but she's faced with many challenges in Bonded Fate that truly test her, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing her grow and evolve :) The tension between the lovely Dyna and the brooding Cassiel is back in full force and I am 1000% on board! The way Beck writes each character with such passion is just on point, perfect. She really makes you fall in love with each one.

The pacing of the book is perfect for the epic fantasy series this is projected to be. It's a bit slower to start out, but picks up quite well near the end and I found myself gobbling it up and terribly sad it was over. There's plenty of action and adventure, of course, and also some more laid back, sweet moments where appropriate... *ahem* kissing!!!

Be prepared to not be able to put this book down and potentially be broken from that ending (that epilogue though...phew!) Now I'll just be wallowing in the corner until I can read the next book. Thanks so much, Beck *sighs*

Huge thank you to Beck Michaels for the advanced e-copy to read, enjoy, and review!
(SERIOUSLY GO READ THIS SERIES!)… (altro)