Fireblood
Elly Blake
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Rating: 3.75/5
Against all odds, Ruby has defeated the villainous Frost King and melted his throne of ice. But the bloodthirsty Minax that was trapped inside is now haunting her kingdom and everyone she loves. The answers to its demise may lie to the south in Sudesia, the land of the Firebloods, and a country that holds the secrets to Ruby’s powers and past…
Despite warnings from her beloved Arcus, Ruby accompanies a roguish Fireblood named Kai to Sudesia, where she must master her control of fire in a series of trials to gain the trust of the suspicious Fire Queen. Only then can she hope to access the knowledge that could defeat the rampaging Minax—which grows closer every moment. But as sparks fly in her moments alone with Kai, Ruby no longer knows whom to trust. The fates of two kingdoms are now in her hands.
Sequels can be a tricky thing to get right. You have to recreate the magic of the first book, yet make sure the second book shines on its own.
Thankfully, Fireblood is a worthy sequel. Actually, I thought it was better than Frostblood. It’s fun and easy to read. The perfect combination when all you want to do is escape in a book!
Yes, Frostblood wasn’t the most original of stories, and Fireblood follows suit. It definitely follows the YA Fantasy formula with some cliches thrown in:
- Ruby has to compete in trials
- Love triangle
- Royalty from neighbouring country
- A few others, but spoilers!
But honestly? I’m fine with all that as long as it’s done well. The cliches make sense in the story. They don’t feel as though they’re included Just Because – they all contribute to the larger plot.
In my review for Frostblood, I mentioned the romance between Ruby and Arcus didn’t do anything for me and would have been better had it been left out. To me, Arcus was the weakest part of book one. I felt like he was included purely as a convenient love interest and let’s be real, he was kinda a dick. After reading Fireblood, I still dislike Arcus. However, now we get Kai! I think it’s absolutely safe to say I’m Team Kai. The scenes between him and Ruby didn’t feel contrived or forced like they did with Arcus. I don’t think they’ll be the endgame, but one can dream!
Circling back to the trials: I personally loved that plot line! Competitions are always such a blast – especially in fantasy books.
Overall, Fireblood surpasses Frostblood in quality. It’s tighter, well paced, and addictive. If you enjoyed the first book, or even moderately enjoyed it, you’ll want to pick this one up. If the trend continues then Nightblood may end up being the best of the bunch!
Book Links: Book Depository | Amazon US | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK
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I also enjoyed Fireblood much more than Frostblood! I thought that the writing was much better and the plot was way more engaging. I am on the border on whether I am Team Arcus or Team Kai. I definitely think that they both have their own virtues relationship-wise for Ruby. I liked that the love triangle was believable. She grew close to each of them in time and there was no “convenience” love triangle going on. I am really excited to read book three!
Definitely! Love triangles can be so silly and unnecessary sometimes, but it worked really well here.
Can’t wait for book three 🙂