Review: Cold Magic

Cold Magic by Kate Elliott
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I may have hyped this one up in my head a bit too much. I'm giving this a 3 because the first 200 or so pages are a bit of a slog, the middle portion is genuinely great, and then the ending leaves quite a bit to be desired, even knowing it's the first book in a trilogy.

The book involves a girl who is essentially contracted out for an arranged marriage. There are, of course, a number of twists that come along that blow the entire situation up, and we get to follow the aftermath.

When this book is rolling, it's really rolling. When it's dragging, however, it's very painful. The universe (an alternate planet earth with magic and dirigibles!) is well-done, and a lot of the history and characterization of the different groups in play are truly fascinating. Perhaps if it were a little differently written, I might have liked it more? Perhaps if it met the expectations many set for me on this, I would been head over heels for it? I don't really know. I'll probably seek out the sequel at some point when I get some distance from this one, but it's not an OMG I MUST READ THIS IMMEDIATELY situation.

If you like some smart fantasy, you could definitely do worse. Just keep your expectations in check.


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