My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Thank you, Hachette Book Group, for giving me a finished copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Ice no longer scared me. Its facets were beautiful, especially when it caught and held the vibrancy of flame.
It’s time to say farewell to a great fantasy series. Ruby and Arcus deserve to be happy after everything they went through. Basically, my thoughts on the trilogy are as follows: Frostblood was okay, Fireblood was addicting, and Nightblood was bittersweet. As a whole, I’d give the series a solid 4-star rating. It did have some tropes, such as the infamous love triangle and entitled Chosen One. However, I couldn’t help but be entertained once I overcame my mild jadedness.
Among the three novels, Nightblood was the most stressful. Ruby often couldn’t control her actions because of the Minax’s influence, and that resulted in so many heated arguments with Arcus. Is there a direct relationship between the depth of love and the number of fights between a couple? Because it seemed like the more Ruby and Arcus loved each other, the more they bickered! To make things worse, Kai couldn’t accept his friend-zoned status. Sometimes, his obstinacy bordered on sheer foolishness. Compared to the danger that the antagonist (Eurus) presented, all this romantic drama was nearly insignificant. If I had a girlfriend, I wouldn’t waste my time fighting with her hours before the world’s destruction. Oh well, at least everything worked out in the end; take a peek at the last page if you wanna know more. LOL
This book was also the least predictable. I wouldn’t have been able to foresee the plot twists if the author hadn’t given such obvious hints in the narrative. When the identity of the real Child of Light was finally revealed, I regretted that I had never suspected him/her. I should also note that one of the plot twists might mess with other readers’ emotions. People who have read A Court of Wings and Ruin are an exception. 😉 Anyway, kudos to the author for being brave enough to take “convenient” risks.
Ultimately, reading Nightblood was a predominantly fun experience. I’m just not sure if it’s a good book for people who are already quarreling with their boyfriends or girlfriends. #TriggerWarning hahaha. Kidding aside, I highly recommend The Frostblood Saga, especially to readers who are new to the fantasy genre. The world isn’t difficult to grasp, the characters are generally intriguing, and the plot is always fast-paced. If I had time, I wouldn’t hesitate to reread the series someday. ^^
High Literature 