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5 stars! 10 stars! I loved this book so much! This review will contain no spoilers for Frozen Tides! However, if you have not read the first three books, there will be spoilers for Falling Kingdoms, Rebel Spring, and Gathering Darkness!
Summary:
Frozen Tides is the fourth installment in Morgan Rhodes’s Falling Kingdoms series. After Gathering Darkness, a war is still brewing in Mytica and all sides want to win. Cleo and Magnus are now in Limeros. While Magnus takes over the throne in Limeros, he has to lie in wait for the consequences of his actions while his father is away. In the meantime, Magnus is worried about where Lucia has gone and how the people are receiving him as their ruler especially with certain someones undermining his every move. Princess Cleo is now essentially a prisoner in a different palace and she is still plotting a way to ascend to her throne in any way possible. Princess Lucia has taken Melenia’s life and magic, and now she has the Fire Kindred on her side. In the deepest of sadnesses she seeks revenge alongside her Fire God. Jonas, the once again failed rebel, has woken up with a wound in his shoulder to find out that he doesn’t have long to live unless he finds a witch to heal him. So him and Lysandra are off to find him one in Limeros. King Gaius, knowing he has been betrayed by both Lucia and Magnus, chooses to sail to Kraeshia. Gaius plans to ally himself with the brutal emperor before he has the chance to attack Mytica. Felix basically delivers himself to the king, giving him exactly what Gaius needs before he goes on his journey. And everyone’s story takes off from there.
Oh my goodness! My heart, has just been shattered, put back together, and shattered into even tinier pieces. I’m am literally left in complete and utter awe and amazement at how freakin’ GREAT Frozen Tides was. For a good minute, I couldn’t stop saying ohmygods ohmygods ohmygods. Morgan Rhodes has grown in her writing exceptionally since I’ve finished Falling Kingdoms. Like I finished reading the last few pages literally five minutes ago, and I couldn’t even wait to sleep on it before writing a review. This book has me so excited for the next one and the next, but terrified for the ending. I just love these characters so, so much! Lots of event happened in this book! Plot points I’ve been waiting on since the beginning of book two finally happened and even more things were added into the pot just in the last chapter alone. Do yourself a favor and please please pick up this series! Do it for the adventure and do it for the characters!
*I read this using Audible! Fred Berman is such a GREAT narrator! And trust me when I say that reading this book using Audible (and NOT being able to read ahead to spoil yourself) is SO PERFECT because the surprises just hit you that much more!*
Plot:
This plot had by far the MOST twists, turns, alliances, betrayals, shocks, surprises, E V E R Y T H I N G! rTo say that this book was a whirlwind of emotions and plot twists is an enormous understatement. In Frozen Tides, we are finally starting to see a bigger picture and be able to guess in which direction things are heading, BUT don’t get too set on your predictions because most likely you’ll still be super surprised by what unfolds. The new plots points from the previous book have been elaborated on and newer plots points have been revealed. It’s basically impossible for this series to be dull. Something new is always getting added into the mix.
I do enjoy the fact that by this book, we actually have so much more information on all the characters and their true feelings instead of being in the dark. It’s like no matter who’s POV you’re in, you can have a good idea of what the other characters are thinking before it even switches to their part. Also, we get some more backstory and insight in the the pasts of some characters (including King Gaius so that was super cool).
Speaking of POVs, Morgan Rhodes's writing with multiple POVs is just astounding. She chooses who we are experiencing certain things through perfectly. I live for everything in Magnus’s POV, too and she most definitely delivered in his parts. Definitely. Magnus is just wonderful in every way, even when he’s being all dark and dismal.
This book was definitely the best at unraveling the plot and developing the characters. I’ve heard this book was focused more on the plot than the characters, but I disagree. I feel like everything was expounded upon in this story. The build up to the climax is getting more and more suspenseful and thrilling.
Lastly, I LIVED for that ending! So many things happened on every side of the story. Things happening in Limeros were the most intense and scary. I was definitely worried for my babes. I feeling of “no one being safe” hit me hard in this ending. Oh, and there were plenty of name drops (both new people and old)! Those name drops are going to play something in the next book, I know it, and it’s going to drive me crazy.
Characters:
These characters have GROWN. Cleo, Magnus, Jonas, Nic, Princess Amara, Lucia, and Felix have had some of the best character arcs I've ever read. I truly truly enjoy watching them grow and seeing their opinions and priorities change with each new development.
Magnus is my favorite character in this entire series, he has shone so much development since book one. He has such a strong backbone in this book, I’m happy to see that he is finally finding his resolve and backing up his own decisions.
Cleo is even better in this book because even when she seems to show so much “hatred” for her prince, she still backs him up. Even when that slimy git Lord Curtis tried to get into her head, she didn’t let him. Her and Magnus just make the most perfect OTP because they fit each other’s personalities so well.
Nic is also a character I really like, though I wish by now that he would believe in Magnus, too. Like I really want this friendship to happen. They would be so funny together.
Jonas, the super failed rebel leader by this point, has a weird role in this book. He is kinda jumping between Lys and Cleo, which was a little odd to me. Eventually he finds his way, but he still just doesn’t do anything. He’s great at rescuing though. Those plans always seem to work. Just not the attacking ones. And yet we still love our little rebel.
Felix is growing on me a lot more in this book. He is showing his heart and learning that he has made mistakes and has to right them. Especially towards the last quarter of this book, when certain things take place, we see into his true emotions. I hope he has more parts in the next books because his character is very entertaining.
Lucia’s POV’s are probably the ones I hated the most. I couldn’t really understand her motives for doing some of the things she was doing of why she felt that aligning herself with Kyan didn’t make her feel used, but he was definitely using her. I don’t know what she was thinking, but I’m glad of a few reveals about her that have made her think more clearly.
Finally, there’s Amara. I went into this book hating Amara, so very much. I mean in book three she just killed Ashur. And now… I have to say I can see where she comes from. You learn much more about her home life back in Kraeshia in her POV.
Overall:
THIS BOOK WAS THE BEST IN THE SERIES SO FAR AND I NEED THE NEXT ONE IN MY HANDS LIKE YESTERDAY.
Thanks for reading! :)
