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4.75 stars! This review will contain no spoilers for Frost like Night, but if you have not read the first two books, there will be spoilers for Snow like Ashes and Ice like Fire!
Summary:
Frost like Night is the third and final book in the Snow like Ashes trilogy by Sara Raasch. We now know that Angra is alive and he has not only retaken Winter, but now has Ventralli, Autumn, Summer, and Cordell. If he has Cordell, he has Theron. Meira is trying to save everyone and to do so she has to learn to control the very magic she fears. Rares, a leader from the Order of the Lustrate and a Paislyan, offers her a chance to master her powers so that she can defeat Angra even if it requires a major sacrifice. Mather, ordered by his queen to save the other Winterians, has to get his Thaw and the court of Winter out of the dungeons of Ventralli. Against his greatest desire to help Meira and keep her safe. Ceridwen has just lost everything: her lover, her brother, her kingdom. Now, she’s a prisoner to Raelyn the queen of Ventralli and Angra’s new puppet. As she’s being shipped off, she find herself an unexpected ally who reveals many things to her as well as gives her some of the tools she needs to take back her kingdom. Anger’s Decay is spreading, and in this multiple POV story (the only one in this trilogy), we get to see how Meira, Mather, and Ceridwen bring rhythm and season forces together to fight against Angra… Or lose everything and everyone they’ve ever loved.
Thoughts:
I am so happy that this book brought back the enjoyment I felt when reading book one and even surpassed it. There was more of everything in this story: more magic wielding, more action and fighting, more plot development, more FEELS. Frost like Night sealed my love for this trilogy. I like how we had equal parts of victory and loss. Raasch wasn't afraid to make you mourn characters, I appreciate that aspect of this story. Along with the people we've lost, we gain new characters too and YES there is diversity in this book. I like how people from different kingdoms look so different, matching their kingdom almost, but not only that! You get to see the different cultures of the season and rhythm kingdoms. About the plot, there are some parts that were pretty predictable, and I had to keep screaming at the characters in my head to realize something that I found so obvious, but that is the way of these books sometimes. I still 100% loved the ending. There was suspense! There were tears! And there was Mather, my baby Mather who is my favorite character in this book/trilogy now. It was absolutely perfect especially with the epilogue.
*Also, I read this book using Audible! The narrators for this book, Kate Rudd, Nick Podehl, and Eileen Stevens, have the perfect voices to narrate the 3 POV's for Meira, Mather, and Ceridwen! They definitely got the feel of the characters for me.
Plot:
This book was a little slow to start, but once the magic and action got going, there was no stopping me from gulping it down. Lot’s of thing happen back to back to back! Some are good. Some are suspenseful. Some are heartbreaking. Also, its ABOUT TIME everyone finally knows what Meira is. Like I’ve been waiting so long for the truth to come out.
I like how we got to see some familial relationships bloom in addition to the romance. Rares and Oana’s immediate love for Meira was palpable. Sir began to open up more and show his feelings for his son Mather. Jesse’s love for his children is adorable. Great fathers are the best in YA novels.
Romance in this book was done so well. You know there’s a slow burn relationship when it takes till book three for something/anything to happen. I love love love Mather’s and Meira relationship because their feelings are so obvious on each other’s faces. They know how they feel themselves, and they know how each other feels, so there is no confusion. Just took a little push called war to bring them into each others arms finally. Damn the consequences.
So I did mention that this book is predictable. I found a lot of things about this trilogy to be predictable EXCEPT the ending of Ice like Fire (weird because that’s the book I liked the least). Despite these things, the story was still so so much fun to read. I may not have been surprised by the betrayals, and the deaths, and the ending, but when they happened I still felt all the emotions that someone who was surprised would feel.
Thank goodness, Raasch wasn't afraid to make you mourn characters because some books just don't seem real when everyone survives. Be prepared for tears!
I really liked the final test of the labyrinth, it wasn’t just a simple “walk through the door with the keys” type thing. And the final battles were so suspenseful! There’s an epilogue, too, which made me happy because the ending didn't just drop off and we get the see what the aftermath brings us. The love triangle problem was also solved, not left open ended with the epilogue.
Characters:
Meira has finally grown into her personality. She finally accepts who she is and who she needs to be to be the savior of Primoria. She has begun to understand her magic and is becoming the kind of queen that can command kingdomS, plural!
Mather is a soldier and that makes it hard to remember sometimes that he’s also a boy who loves a girl. His loyalty to Meira is my favorite part about him especially in how he is unabashed in showing it. He is always looking out for his people, the Thaw as well. He shows so much leadership in how he directs them and how they take up as Meira’s personal guard.
Ceridwen is fiery and sometimes she doesn’t have the best ideas, but I will still love her character. She cares about not just her kingdom, but all the slaves for all kingdoms. She is the beginning the unity between rhythm and season kingdoms.
Rares and Oana are so sweet. Oana had an instant motherly feel about her and then she came out with the lightening! Badass and caring, love it. Rares also has this thing where he flicks people in the nose or forehead to get them to snap outta their sadness and it’s the most adorable thing this book. Perfect comedic relief for some serious parts of the story.
I also have to throw Lekan in here because he makes the funniest comments. His honesty and his husband make me smile.
Overall:
I'm glad I picked up this trilogy. The gorgeous covers of this trilogy reflect the story that is told. In order of my favorites my #1 is obviously Frost like Night. I was blown away by the ending of this story and how everything came together in the end. My #2 is Snow like Ashes because it's what start this all. Though it's very foundational and there actually isn't as much magic in the story as your would expect, the characters are what make you want to keep reading. I liked Ice like Fire the least, which I keep saying, but I just hope that anyone that hits that second book slump like me continues with the last book. It's worth it!
Thanks for reading! :)
