My first comment about this book is that it should be made clear at the point of sale that this book contains male on male rape scenes.   I'm pretty sure not everyone wishes to buy books with such content in them for very obvious reasons.

That said, let's get on with the review.

As a first book in a trilogy i was very impressed.   I feel it's certainly set the stage for some good grimdark fantasy to come.   It isn't pleasant, the characters are flawed and too busy struggling with their own shit to worry about you, the reader -- get over it!

No really, looking at some reviews i don't think some people get this genre of story telling: you ain't getting it laid out all spotlessly cleaned and ironed with your clean socks in the morning, it's crumpled, still got stains and a bit of a stale wiff to it.   But they're the only clothes you've got for the day so just throw 'em on and get out and enjoy the adventure they take you on.

To sum up, this was a great beginning to a trilogy that also has another trilogy following straight after.   As the stage builder for this grimdark, disturbing world that the story is set in, it's certainly got my interest and i'm diving straight into Dust & Rain to see if what follows can meet my expectations. ( )

Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over

I’ve read other books by Patty Jansen, and like her science fiction, so I picked up one of her fantasies to try. This world is complex with many layers running through it. There are few simple answers or clear villains and heroes. The one constant is power, or more specifically control, but what that means for each character is different.

Tandor is a mix of hero trying to overthrow an illegitimate government and villain willing to do whatever necessary to achieve his aims. But that is far from the whole of his nature as his care for the imperfects he has rescued fights with his need to use them in his plan. As an imperfect himself, he sees the benefits in what he offers them as much as the loss, but doesn’t understand the rage that drives his servitor to fight his control absolute.

Isandor, an imperfect Tandor rescued a long time ago and placed with the woman he loves, has grown up in the capital city with an instinctive command of icefire. He also sought forbidden books that speak of icefire to learn more. Still, he joined the Knighthood when being an imperfect means abandonment on the ice floes when newborn. This is a policy the Knights brought into practice when they overthrew the old king because imperfects can use icefire, and yet they have not noticed Isandor’s wooden leg.

Then we get to Carro, Isandor’s childhood friend. His father mentally tortured him as a child, a practice the Apprentice Knights are all too happy to continue when he follows his friend into their ranks. With Carro we see the darker side as much as with Tandor, though I can’t say more without spoiling. His situation is complicated, and fair warning, involves on-screen male-male rape. However, there are hints of healthy gay relationships, so the two are not considered equivalent but rather one of power and the other of pleasure.

The complexity of the world comes to play in Loraine role, Isandor’s foster mother and Tandor’s love. She’s a breeder, one of the rare women able to bring a child to term. For this she is offered contracts to continue other family lines in return for her children being ripped from her. Economic imbalance also plays a part with the City of Glass much less prosperous since the overthrow. Most of the remaining wealth is funneled to the higher levels and away from the outer city. Which isn’t even covering the secret society, a black market in loot from the old palace, and many other aspects that make the world multilayered and fascinating.

There are many characters who have a crucial role and the point of view. I haven’t listed them all (some for spoiler reasons), but once I realized Carro’s friend Isandor did not grow up to be Tandor, I had no trouble keeping track. They have different parts to play, different skills, and distinct personalities. The imperfects are born with visible birth defects, meaning a good number of the characters are disabled, including two of the leads.

Bloodline is also critical because imperfects tend to come from the older, Thillei, bloodline while the bloodline that dominates the senior Knights can sense, if not see, icefire. This ability means illusions are harder to hold.

The world is not a bright and happy one. It has its moments, but there are as many if not more where the characters suffer or do something that turns my stomach. There is violence and hate, for sure, and yet there are moments of connection and love even in unexpected characters. It’s a harsh place with rules designed to keep the old bloodlines from returning. The costs are high. You won’t find straightforward characters that fall into place. Instead, the characters are as multi-faceted as the world and make as many bad choices as good. This is the strength of Fire & Ice. You will not find simplicity or easy answers, but there are many deep questions to consider, something I appreciate.

This is the first of a trilogy, and yet several storylines come to a satisfying conclusion. In some cases, that is a “for now” answer with more needing to be resolved and in others one situation resolves but with hints at more to follow. I’m not sure where the next book will take me, but I’m curious to find out.

P.S. I purchased this in the Icefire Trilogy The Complete Series box set for those who want to know the series is written before they start. ( )

FROM AMAZON: Where magic is dark and gritty, characters are troubled and twisted, and victory comes at a heavy price.
Deep under the City of Glass in the frozen Southern land, an age-old machine called the Heart of the City radiates a power that locals call icefire. Most citizens are immune to it, but a few, always born with physical disabilities, can bend it to their will. For 50 years, the ruling Eagle Knights, who fly on the back of giant birds, have killed these Imperfects, fearing the return of the old royal family, who used icefire to cut out people's hearts, turning them into ghostly servitors.
The old king's grandson Tandor only sees the good things icefire brought: power and technology now forgotten while the people of the South live in dire poverty. He's had enough of seeing his fellow kinsfolk slaughtered by ignorant Knights, of Imperfect babies being abandoned on the ice floes to be eaten by wild animals. His grandfather's diary tells him how to increase the beat of the Heart, the first step to making the land glorious once more. Arrogant as he is, he sets the machine in motion. All he needs is an army of Imperfect servitors to control the resulting power.

This is the first of a trilogy, so some elements are left hanging. The ending is, however, partially satisfying. In the story, the mix of the world we know into the world Jansen builds is interesting. There are some triggers that make this apparently easy fantasy hard. ( )

I freely chose to review this ARC and I liked the way Tandor planned his revenge on the Eagle Knights that killed his family and taken of the throne of the Glass City. For years, after the knights abused him, he escaped to save the Imperfect children that were left to die on an ice float. His plan was to gather as many as he could find alive to help him with their untrained gift of icefire. Book one only whetted my appetite for more! ( )