ICE KISSED (Book 2 in The Kanin Chronicles) by Amanda Hocking

Bookoutlet.com – Frostfire (Book 1 in The Kanin Chronicles)

Bookoutlet.com – Ice Kissed (Book 2 in The Kanin Chronicles)

Amazon.com – Crystal Kingdom (Book 3 in The Kanin Chronicles)

Genre: YA/Adult/Fiction/Fantasy

Plot: In the majestic halls of a crystal palace lies a secret that could destroy an entire kingdom…

Bryn Aven refuses to give up on her dream of serving the kingdom she loves. It’s a dream that brings her to a whole new realm…the glittering palace of the Skojare.

The Skojare people need protection from the same brutal enemy that’s been threatening the Kanin, and Bryn is there to help. Being half Skojare herself, it’s also a chance for her to learn more about her lost heritage. Her boss Ridley Dresden is overseeing the mission, but as their undeniable attraction heats up, their relationship is about to reach a whole new level―one neither of them is prepared for.

As they delve deeper into the Skojare world, they begin to unravel a long-hidden secret. The dark truth about her own beloved Kanin kingdom is about to come to light, and it’ll change her place in it forever…and threaten everyone she loves.

Opinion: Here we are, book 2 in The Kanin Chronicles. I swear I have been reading this series so fast that all the books are starting to blend together, but in a fantastic way. Ice Kissed begins right where book 1, Frostfire, has left off. Due to this being a three part series, and this being the middle book, I am probably going to run through this review rather quickly. It’s usually a bit easier to summarize the entire series as a whole in the last books review, so watch out for that one!

After Bryn and her boss Ridley return home from Storvatten, Bryn copes with the sense of failure at not locating the missing Skojare Queen; as well as, letting Konstantin Black escape again. As the threats on the Kanin kingdom grow, so do the threats at the kingdom in Storvatten. Bryn, along with a Högdragen guard named Kasper, are then sent back to protect the Skojare people and the kingdom. Due to the royal family feeling that there is corruption among their guards, Bryn and Kasper work to find out what was really behind the disappearance of Queen Linnea. Soon hidden secrets start to surface, and more than one mystery starts to intertwine as the kingdoms move closer to war.

So there is A LOT happening in this book, and there is no way I can touch on everything without this review taking at least two hours to read. Therefore, I will try to summarize the book in its entirety, without giving too much away. This book starts off with Bryn and Ridley just arriving back to Doldastam. Bryn is having some serious regrets about not being able to find Queen Linnea, and for letting Konstantin Black get away again. But Bryn being Bryn, she is determined more than ever to set things right and protect innocent people and her kingdom. Once again, Bryn finds herself at the Skojare palace with Kasper, a Högdragen guard, where they work together to find out what is really going on in the kingdom. After talking to multiple guards and the royal family, they feel that they keep hitting dead ends. But after the Skojare King is almost killed, they start to find clues as to what is really going on.

I really enjoyed this story, and think it was a great follow up to book 1. The main character is in a new setting, working with new characters, and there is another mystery intertwining into the already major issues that are happening. I think Bryn is developing into a great character, and in this installment she has proven to be a highly likeable and real person. The author has been doing a great job of keeping the reader on their toes about what the conclusion will be, and this book was no exception. I had started off having a VERY strong inkling to who was behind everything, but the author throws in all these extra “scenes” and problems that kind of started to throw me. At the end of the book I was completely shocked (but in some ways, not too shocked) about what happened to Bryn, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on book 3…which I just received in the mail! SCORE!

The relationship between Bryn and Ridley heats up in this book, and I mean it seriously HEATS up. It’s so hot it’s dipping over that line of PG-13 but kind of R rated…kind of. I will say, their wishy-washy-ness with each other was starting to get on my nerves in this book. Sometimes I wish I could just grab those characters, shake them, and make them get over their weird insecurities. Honestly guys, were all adults here!

I know I sped through this one, but it is all leading up to book 3 so that I can summarize the series as a whole. Book 2 is usually, in most cases, a book that sets up for the final book that brings everything together. The refreshing thing about this series that I am finding is that these books flow so perfectly together, and they each have their own special thing going on. I am really recommending this series to all of you, it has gotten me addicted for the past three days and I am going to be so sad when it’s over.