Ice Like Fire

 Ice Like Fire is the second book in the Snow Like Ashes series by Sara Raash. 

"It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell.

"Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. Theron sees this find as an opportunity—with this much magic, the world can finally stand against threats like Angra. But Meira fears the danger the chasm poses—the last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders the two on a mission across the kingdoms of Primoria to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans to use the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe—even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves?

"Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Januari—leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, he decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken kingdom and protect them from new threats?

"As the web of power and deception weaves tighter, Theron fights for magic, Mather fights for freedom—and Meira starts to wonder if she should be fighting not just for Winter, but for the world."

General Thoughts: It has been a little over a year since I read this and when I first realized that this was on the list, I had a hard time remembering what it was about. Upon further reflection, I did remember that it got rather political. Fights between Winter and Cordell, Meira and Theron, Mather getting himself in trouble. It was a good audiobook and an interesting story, but middle books can be hard to make exceptional, or so I've found. 

Plot: I will not end up doing this justice. I simply don't remember much beyond them going to different countries and trying to get people to believe that the BBEG is still around and pulling strings. I do remember some vice between Meira and Theron and that Mather acted like an idiot. I also remember Meira being pulled in many different directions and that her thought process was interesting and I liked how she figured out how to fix her problems. There were a bunch of "must find the thing" moments in each of the cities they visited and she was able to get help along the way. I do remember that the end was really good. With all the puzzle pieces back together and finding out that the BBEG had his fingers in many pies it made for a really good cliffhanger amongst all the blood. 

Setting: The Snow Like Ashes books have a very simple map though an interesting world that has developed from that map. Each country is so different that different cultures have to bloom from them. Summer was very interesting, though I didn't appreciate all of their social norms, though I hope there wouldn't be many who would. Although, the fact that Summer, Winter, Spring, and Autumn are always that season is kind of basic. It is nice that the other non-season countries are different, but it can be confusing especially when they aren't actually in those countries. 

Characters: I don't have anything bad to say about any of them as far as I can remember. There were some that were annoying or I was glad to see die, but as a character that's what they were supposed to do. Meira had many moments of growth and her fight to figure out what "Being Queen of Januari" meant and that fight continued on into the third book, so I believe. Mather goes about learning more about how not to be an idiot, which I'm grateful for. I was rooting for him to win out his love triangle. Theron has his moments, but he starts slipping into an antagonist roll, though not the main antagonist as the BBEG because he is constantly butting heads with Meira though he has sound ideas as well. 

Spice: 2/5 Spicy Chilis. I remember there being more than flirtations, I mean Meira and Theron are/were engaged to be married. I remember them kissing at least once in the first one, I think. As the book goes on, their love for one another dwindles considerably. Mather coming up into this love triangle again doesn't really happen because he's too far away, though he does love her and tries to save her toward the end. There isn't much of any opportunity to show it. 

Writing Style: It is a very modern, young adult book. Simple in writing. Simple metaphor and similes. Not very poetic or lyrical. Nothing particularly stands out compared to other young adult books. 

Overall: It was a decent book, definitely a middle of the series book where there are parts that are easily forgotten. The ending was pretty cool and had some unexpected parts. I probably wouldn't want to reread this one again on it's own. If I was wanting the series, then yes, but there weren't any  moments the I felt I needed to read again because it was just that good.