Frostfire
by Amanda Hocking
Book 1 of The Kanin Chronicles
~ Goodreads ~
I have nothing extra to say about these updates or the review itself. Enjoy.
First Impression: Prologue
(First Frostfire update on February 16, 2015.)There is an out-of-place Cinderella comparison (two, actually) that doesn't seem to work, and a brief declaration of love by a girl who has "never been interested in boys". Thankfully, it seems that this love won't really last since it was supposedly "just a crush" two paragraphs ago before it become love.
There's also the issue of the guy trying to kill her father. I'd say that's a definite mood killer in any potential relationship.
And also, I'm a little fuzzy on the setting and what type of genre we're trying to be here. There are allusions to a blending of high fantasy, a hidden supernatural world, and modern society. There is royalty and the majority of the characters and things mentioned are definitely high fantasy... but then we throw in the two Cinderella references, and mention movies and music and celebrities and rockstars...
So now I'm already confused.
This worries me a little bit. This is the first 2015 book I'm reading and I was at least hoping it'd be good.
Crossing my fingers with some more hope. The abundance of high fantasy material being presented gives me hope. The mentions of rockstars kind of niggles at some alarm bells.
And the fact is, I have a feeling romance will play a very big part in this story despite the fact that there seem to be other more pressing matters at hand.
Reading progress update: Chapter 1, Page 16
(The second Frostfire update on February 17, 2015.)He was still youthful looking, especially for a guy in his mid-twenties, but thanks in part to his persistent stubble, he couldn't pass for a teenager any longer.
(I bolded part of the quote for empasis.)
The day I suddenly realize that mid-twenties is not considered youthful is the day I start feeling those cricks in my back and my neck, I suppose...
Also... stubble signifies a non-teen male? I figure that even if you have a baby-face, stubble won't make much of a difference.
I'm sorry. I must be much more far removed from my high school years than I thought. I'm sure I remember all of my brothers starting to shave while they were still in high school.
This is as bad as the weird Cinderella comparisons she made in the prologue. Or maybe I'm just being too picky. I should probably quit scrutinizing the writing and try to see where this book goes.
As for the book itself, it seems we are taking an Urban Fantasy approach to the setting and story, so I will adjust my reading mindset accordingly. Although I still don't know in what capacity of Urban Fantasy we're dealing with yet. Hopefully it'll all come together soon.
These update posts were originally posted at Ani's Book Abyss / BookLikes in February 2015.
Some Random Status Updates @ Goodreads
(These random status updates were posted from February 16 to February 18, 2015.)On 2/16/2015 @ 05:44 A.M. - Page 11 of 321:
There is an out of place Cinderella comparison (two, actually) that doesn't seem to work, and a brief declaration of love by a girl who has "never been interested in boys."
And I'm a little fuzzy on the setting and what type of genre we're trying to be here. There are allusions to a blending of high fantasy, a hidden supernatural world, and modern society.
I'm a little worried...
On 2/16/2015 @ 11:30 P.M. - Page 17 of 321:
Oh my God! I smell a TSTL heroine... and a proud one at that.
On 2/16/2015 @ 11:53 P.M. - Page 32 of 321:
So... the whole point of changelings is to collect money into the troll community from unsuspecting humans by taking away the changeling child from the rich family after he or she is of age to "drain their bank accounts", so that the Kanin community can live in luxury...
I guess, as far as fantasies go, this is a fairly... different concept.
On 2/17/2015 @ 12:05 A.M. - Page 43 of 321:
So even after all these years of living among the humans, trolls can't sustain on their own without stealing money from the human community via putting changelings into rich families? And after all these years, the trolls (oh so superior that they are) can't figure out the medical miracles of science to keep their babies alive? Nor figure out how to make human money without trickery?
On 2/17/2015 @ 12:13 A.M. - Page 43 of 321:
"His attack on my dad had left my nerves raw and I was struggling to control my anger at both Konstantin and myself. Myself for not being able to protect my dad better, and for having had such strong feelings for Konstantin."
I thought she just had a crush on him that was only shy of teenage puppy love...
On 2/18/2015 @ 02:10 A.M. - Page 67 of 321:
"If the King says the sky is purple and it rains diamonds, then it does. The King's word is law."
"You make it sound like we live in an Orwellian dystopia, and I know you don't think that [...]"
I'm not sure she understands what Orwellian depicts. And I'm pretty sure she's making it sound like a monarchy... which it technically is.
Am I wrong?
On 2/18/2015 @ 02:52 A.M. - Page 75 of 321:
"The whole practice has always seemed barbaric to me [...] Taking a child and leaving it with total strangers. I don't know how anyone can part with their child like that."
Hey, look! A voice of reason.
The Skojare didn't have changelings [...] They earned their money through more honest means.
Exactly!
On 2/18/2015 @ 03:00 A.M. - Page 81 of 321:
If there ever was a drama queen who threw tantrums like a four year old just because she had an argument with her mother... Bryn is supposed to be an adult.
Just because you have a disagreement with your mother, you don't walk out of the house acting like the whole world is against you; especially when your mother turns around and tries to make peace.
On 2/18/2015 @ 03:03 A.M. - Page 81 of 321:
And also, her entire argument for the necessity of trackers and changelings doesn't really make much sense either. It's quite contradictory to her own opinions of Kanin's way of life.
On 2/18/2015 @ 03:27 A.M. - Page 93 of 321:
You know, I just had a thought. What would make this book even more interesting is making the main characters (maybe the main couple), one of the changelings and one tracker.
Seeing the scene wherein Linus is learning the history of Kanin and trolls was actually pretty neat. And maybe seeing things from the perspective of a changeling--conflicts, emotions, fish-out-of-water--would be a bit more inspiring.
On 2/18/2015 @ 03:41 A.M. - Page 105 of 321:
So she hates Konstantin because he tried to kill her father... But then she noted that he was remorseful so she thinks he has his reasons... And he's being controlled by some higher power to do stuff so maybe it's not his fault... But Konstantin is the one who stabbed her father so he's not innocent... But he had his reasons and he felt bad... so...
Okay. I'm officially confused. Does she hate him or not?
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