Not as good as the first one, frostblood. But I still enjoyed this. I like the magic and powers. Writing is good and enjoyable for a YA. Would continue with the series b

I simply love the world that Elly Blake created in Fristblood along with all the associated lore. She continues to expand on this in Fireblood and for me that is what made this an exceptional read!

Unfortunately I no longer wish to review this book as the first few chapters did not reel me in. Thank you for the opportunity.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Following the defeat of King Rasmus and the destruction of the Frost Throne, Ruby finds herself as a guest in King Arcus' court, where the only person who really wants her there is Arcus himself. She knows that the Minax she released from the throne is out there causing chaos and destruction, and needs to find the Fire Throne and a missing text which could hold the key that they all need. During a ball, a Sudesian nobleman named Kai appears, and helps Ruby during an ambush that injures Arcus. Ruby knows that the longer she stays in Tempesia, the more that puts Arcus at risk, so she heads to the Sudesian court to meet the Fire Queen, Nalani, and take part in the Masters trial in order to have access to the famous library. While in Sudesia, there are forces at play that make her think the Minax is closer than she thinks, and Ruby needs to keep all her wits about her to survive unscathed.

This book, for me, was as good as the first one, and the character growth in Ruby was phenomenal. Embracing her Fireblood heritage was really important to her, and being at the Fire Court helped her discover secrets in her past, and more about her late mother. The whole aspect of the trials and the danger facing Ruby was really enjoyable to read, and I loved seeing her fully grow into her powers. Yes, there is a love triangle, of sorts in this book, and I'm a little conflicted on which one of her love interests I think is better suited to her. It was really well written, and I can't wait to see how it is resolved in Nightblood. There were so many twists and turns in this book, and I found the world building to be immense and lush, and definitely shows Elly's writing off to a T! Roll on Nightblood!

i really loved this sequel to my favourite book of 2017 frost blood.
There was action straight from the minute go and i loved being back
in ruby and arcus world and see how their romance blossoms throughout
the book. I loved meeting all the new characters we got introduced
to in the fireblood lands. This definatley does not suffer from 'second book syndrome'.
I had to admit i was worried when a new 'love interset' kai was introduced as i really
love ruby arcus together so much but i feel that elly blake handles a love triangle well
and made it not feel like there was once at all. i liked how ruby is getting more powerful and developing
her powers. i also liked the twist and turns the book took and how we begun to know more of rubys
background and her true identity.

Absolutely magical within 2 pages I was hooked on this book. The storyline was great and there wasn’t a character that I didn’t love even the evil ones

For those of you who read my review of book one of this magical trilogy, you will know that, even with a book full of tropes, I still loved Frostblood. And of course, those tropes are carried on through to the second book. But did it live up to the first one, or did it suffer from second-book syndrome?

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.

Fireblood is a worthy sequel and I do actually think it was better than the first book. Not by much, but it still was a more enjoyable read. I think it was because the main bit of the world-building had already taken place, we knew who most of the characters were and their relationships with each other, so the story could just... well... get on with it, I guess?

In Fireblood, we are introduced to another YA cliche... the love-triangle. *suppresses groan* But to be honest, this love-triangle wasn't that bad. We are introduced to the character of Kai who is absolutely charming and wins over the heart of everyone he meets. Including Ruby... to a certain degree. Am I Team Arcus or Team Kai? I have no idea. I like Arcus, but I felt that his behaviour in Frostblood was bordering on emotional abuse (which stopped halfway through the book) and I do really like him and Ruby together because they're really cute, but Kai... it's just effortless. There's obvious chemistry between him and Ruby and he is a very charming character who tries to help Ruby as much as he can (even though he lies a few times in between trying to help *tut tut*) so I don't know... I'd probably have to say Team Kai but I have a feeling that they're not going to be endgame... 





“You’re quite amusing when you’re not lashing me with that sharp tongue. Although” -his eyes turned sultry- “I might not mind the violence of your tongue in the right circumstances”

― Elly Blake, Fireblood





We, again have the trial aspect in Fireblood but this time, Ruby is competing to show that her life is worth saving by the Fire Queen. Yes! We finally get to meet the Fire Queen of Sudesia which had me really excited because she sounded like such a badass in the first book. Upon first meeting her, I wasn't disappointed. Sure, she could be really horrible at times, but due to spoilers, I can't say why. 

Fireblood was much more tightly-written than Frostblood. It seemed much more concise, the plot was way more exciting and there was some brilliant character development. The ending had me on the edge of my seat and there were loads of twists and turns that I WAS NOT EXPECTING! PLEASE, CAN SOMEONE TALK TO ME ABOUT THAT ENDING BECAUSE OH. MY. GOD. I NEED NIGHTBLOOD IN MY LIFE RIGHT NOW!!

Overall, this was a brilliant book. The only reason that I didn't give it 5 stars was because of how the love-triangle was portrayed at the beginning of the book and even though the ending was absolutely CRAZINESS, I do think that a lot happened in the last 50 pages and was slightly rushed. BUT, it was still a fantastic book, and even better, it didn't suffer from the second-book-syndrome! Bring on the third AND FINAL book!

Disclaimer: this book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Fireblood is a great follow up to Frostblood, exploring the mythology of the world as well as deepening the characters. I loved the separation of Ruby and Arcus as it allowed her to develop as a character and I found myself liking her. The addition of Kai was great, I enjoyed his mystery, banter and backstory. For a second book Fireblood involves a lot of unexpected twists and reveals, I excited for the next instalment!

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!
Fireblood - Elly Blake

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!

As with the first book, Frostblood, I found myself unable to put this book down. It has everything you would expect in a sequel and more. I cannot wait to see what happens in Nightblood!

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me this book to review.

Fireblood is the second book in the Frostblood saga and while an enjoyable book I felt it was not as good as Frostblood. The story was fast paced and well written but was also predictable and has all of the clichés I would expect from middle book. I really was not a fan of the love triangle as it was not needed and was only there to add drama when Kai and Ruby could have just been good friends and the story would have been practically the same.

Ruby want to discover her potential and find a place she belongs but it is annoying that she is the special snowflake and Chosen One when her character isn’t that interesting. She has also learnt to think more before she acts but still lacks emotional control. We do not see as much of Arcus as I would have liked but he is still stubborn, protective and moody. While I was not a fan of the love triangle, I really liked Kai as he was charming, charismatic and flirty, and was not afraid to express his emotions and vulnerable side.

I felt the ending was a bit rushed but I am still looking forward to the next book Nightblood. I would recommend Fireblood to people who enjoyed the first book Frostblood.

I received a copy from Netgalley.

This is one of those delightful fantasy series that the plot twists are actually pretty ridiculous and kind of laughable, but it’s just SO GOOD you can overlook how silly it really is because it’s so exceptionally well written and the characters are excellent. Definitely one of my favourite fantasy series of this year.

Review contains spoilers for the first book.

Picking up shortly after where the first book ended, Arcus is now King of the Frostbloods and Ruby is now a Lady living in his court. She still has the hideous Minax monster hiding in her mind and is on a quest to figure out how to destroy it. Her friend from the first book, Lady Marella is helping her with court etiquette. Despite the fact that the Frostblood curse and throne is gone, and the evil king Rasmus along with it, not all the nobles are over joyed with the changes Arcus wants to implement, giving the regular people more fair trade terms for farmers and such. And treat the Firebloods better. Ruby is still met with scorn and suspicion. But she handles it a lot better.

She’s definitely got a spark and attitude and a delightful snarky manor about her, given everything Ruby went through in the first book, she’s an incredibly strong and well-adjusted character and is definitely (in this reader’s opinion) entitled to her moments of moaning and temper. She’s smart enough to know and understand that everything isn’t going to go smoothly.

During a fancy ball, after an assassination attempt Ruby makes the acquaintance of a strange but handsome boy Kai, who has an interesting offer for her. He’s a Fireblood like her and can take her to the Fireblood island to meet with the Fireblood Queen. One of the new ideas Arcus is after is a peace treaty between the Fireblood lands and the Frostblood lands. The Queen didn’t respond to his invitations to the ball and talks. Ruby figures if she takes Kai up on his offer then she can be the emissary for peace talks. And she’s also learned that the book she needs to destroy the Minax in the library at the Fireblood palace. So another reason to go.

Of course there is naturally some suspicion there. Wouldn’t be that simple. (And of course if everything went according to the plan there wouldn’t be much of a book.) There’s a lot of arguing between Ruby and Arcus on this point which makes a lot of sense if you think about it. There’s not a lot of information on who Kai is, or if he’s really who he SAYS he is. Or what he’s really doing there. Is she just going to blindly trust him and believe what he says? You can understand Arcus’s reasons against it.

At the same time Ruby has the chance to learn more about her own people and her own powers, she’ll be with others the same as herself – Firebloods. You can understand as well why Ruby wants to see the Fireblood lands. It’s a well reasoned argument with good points from both sides, made more frustrating by the deep attraction and the love that the two have for each other. And it’s almost painful to read about for the two of them clearly care deeply for each other but both are damned stubborn.

So Ruby heads off for the Firebloods lands across the sea. Where she’s met with some disturbing home truths about how the Fireblood Queen really is. Kai of course has kept his own secrets and reasons for bringing Ruby to the island. She’s pissed, naturally, but that doesn’t stop the fantastic bantery flirting between the two of them. Leading to internal conflict inside Ruby because she still has strong feelings for Arcus.
Ruby has to take trails to become a Master before she can get access to the information she needs. And nothing goes according to plan. As the training increases and the tests she has to pass become more and more difficult, she’s hit bit a number of startling revelations about who she really is and who her own deceased mother was.

The twists are a bit silly to be perfectly honest, but like I said earlier, this is such a brilliantly written book, the daftness of the plot which can be eye rolling at times, doesn’t particularly matter because it’s so much fun to read. Left at a cliffhanger (of course) for the final instalment. Which I am really looking forward to.

This is a fantastic series I can’t recommend enough. I’ve already pre ordered the last book.

I absolutely loved the first book, it reignited my love for sci-fi and I was really looking forward to this, however it didn't quite hit the mark for me, I enjoyed reading it but it just didn't have the same kick as the first

This is a very solid sequel! It builds really well on the themes of Frostblood whilst allowing Ruby to grow as a main character. Ruby is such an interesting character- she's fiery and determined whilst at the same time being scared and confused. She's flawed and fabulous and I love following her journey from the beginning of Frostblood to now- I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for Nightblood.

The introduction of new characters was really well done too- Nalani, Eiko and Kai in particular were brilliantly formed, interesting and genuinely added to the story. I really liked Kai from the beginning, with Nalani and Eiko growing on me with each passing chapter. All three are well woven and fantastic and I hope to see more of them in the series conclusion.

My main issue with this is the introduction of the dreaded love triangle. One of the reasons I loved Frostblood so much last year was because there wasn't a love triangle so this was really quite frustrating to me. I like both of the love interests and think they are both a good match for Ruby (but I prefer Arcus as most people will!) and to be fair it was handled pretty well by the author but there is just never any need for a triangle! It's important to mention that this isn't something that takes up most of the plot and the story moves around it rather than revolving around it, so I really appreciated that.

Regarding the plot- it's constantly moving and interesting. The main story is gripping and then there were several side plots that I was always excited to get back to. It's a quick read filled with twists and turns in an impressively vivid fantasy world.

Wow Elly Blake has done it again. Loved this sequel and enjoyed seeing all the loved characters from the 1st book. Still has plenty of twists and turns to keep you glued to the pages. I would really recommend the series to anyone.

I has been quite a while since I read the first book but I found it quite easy to slip back into the story. We are given just enough information to know what happened in the last book - as so to understand what is happening in this one - but it doesn't go into long details that you feel as though you were re-reading the first book.

I was worried when I read the synopsis 'But as sparks fly in her moments alone with Kai, how can Ruby decide whom to trust?' i was worried about a love triangle. As I rediscovered Ruby and Arcus's love, I loved the sweet moments between them in the first few chapters. I still can't decide if their parting was sweet or just cheesy/ sickly / needy. Yet as Ruby and Kai spend more time together -despite his lies- I began to change the direction of my ship. But when the full emotional effect of the love triangle comes into play later in the book I am not sure which couple I ship.

Although Kai - as I have mentioned- does lie I do like him as a character, he is uncannily cleaver, quick to change moods, tuned into others emotions and seemly well liked by those around him. The queen remains a bit of a mystery, when Ruby first meets her she seems so harsh but during their second meeting you can see her love for her people.

Once Ruby gets to Sudesia I felt as though Fireblood became a quite paced novel with one obstacle after another presenting itself. We get some surprise revelations and some edge of the seat encounters, although Fireblood did begin at a slow plod it soon drew me back into this world of fire and ice and soon swept me away.

Hey guys!


I am finally back on the ball. I apologise for the absence but life got in the way. As you may have seen in my last post. I have had an interview that more than wrecked my nerves and also been viewing houses. Nice and busy, as per normal. Unfortunately this and orders has meant that I haven't had a lot of time to read let alone write some blogs. I'm now just starting to catch back up thank fully.


I have been reading the book Fireblood by Ella Blake. Now for those of you that don't know, this is the second in the series. I reviewed the first book back in March and it was brilliant. I was recently given Fireblood NetGalley and what can I say. The story is brilliant and only getting better. So lets get started!


Summery: All hail the Fire Queen.

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. 



There were a couple of things that I wasn't really certain of, such as the relationship between Ruby and Kai. I don't understand what was supposed to be the relationship between the two of them. She is supposed to be in love with Arcus, and all of a sudden she is fooling around with Kai once she leaves. What is the deal!


Other than that I love the new part of the plot. The fact that the rest of the world believes everything is just a myth however... its not.
I love Elly Blake's form of writing as she puts you in the middle of all the action. It's were all her best writing is done. When you know... stuff is going down and some people, hopefully bad people, are going to get hurt. One of the scenes near the end includes a god and also a whole lot of Minax. I think its my favourite scene as Ruby just has no choice but to follow what the Minax want. She then defies the odds again and proves that she is not one to be controlled.


There are the trials that proves and tests Ruby's strengths as well as shows her weaknesses and boy does she kick those weaknesses to the curb. The only problem is that she would have to swear all loyalty to the Queen of the Firebloods. Doing so would mean that she would forever be under the Queen's protection and in her Guard. She would never be able to leave an be with Arcus.


I like the connect be between Ruby and Arcus, as this shows that though their kingdoms and races don't get along there can be peace and also beauty between the two elements. The one that needs to be kept at bay is an errant god of mischief.
All in all I love the book, the series and the author. There's not much I would improve but I would try and make some of the characters a little less selfish but I'm guess that this is needed for the next book. So thank you Elly for the well written story. I can't wait to sink my teeth into the next one! 5 stars

I was wary going into this one for a lot of reasons. I enjoyed but didn't love Frostblood so I obviously had a few doubts about the sequel, Fireblood. The mere fact the summary implied there was a love triangle didn’t help matters at all. I may not have been head over heels for the romance, but I did like it in that first book so I didn’t want some interloper ruining things for me.

In the first book, the romance bothered me some. I didn't feel like the characters had spent enough time together to feel as strongly for one another as they did. In this second book, I really believed the passion between Arcus and Ruby far more, even if they do spend a lot of the book apart. That pleased me. I think I could feel they had a connection even if they had a few miles between them. Maybe the romance was just written better, I don’t know. I think it helped that the time they did spend together there was a fire between them and they obviously cared for one another. Arcus was adorable throughout and even when he was a jealous belly he was still sweet.

The third point to this love triangle was newbie Kai. I thought I would hate him on principle but he was actually a good character. Whilst Arcus was reserved (on the outside anyway) Kai was impulsive and flirty and just the opposite of Arcus (obviously because the two in a love triangle are always opposites) but they were similar as well. Both were acting for the best of those around them. They cared for Ruby in their own way and were looking to prevent harm coming to her. Kai wasn't a bad guy and I think once I got past the forced love interest feel I really liked him.

The story was still no more standout in YA fantasy but it was enjoyable. I won't reveal the plot but the journey and trials in Sudesia were easy to read even if they lacked originality. I sped through the story and whilst I rolled my eyes at the progression of the whole prophecy and at the reveals which were so obvious I did enjoy myself.

I admit to skimming the book at times as the story did feel a bit stale but I will still be checking out the next book if I get a chance because whilst it lacks originality it does kind of suck you into the story. And Blake is skilled at killer cliffhangers too.

If ever a book deserved more than 5 stars it would be Fireblood!

Now that I have finished WHAT ON EARTH AM I SUPPOSED TO DO? Nightblood is too far away!

Fireblood is the second book in a series and picks up after the events of Frostblood, so you really need to get your read on if you want to enjoy the delights that Fireblood has to offer, if you haven't already.

Once again I found myself completely captivated by the rich, vivid storytelling from an obviously talented author who has such a poetic way with words that leave her readers under her spell. This is definitely one of the BEST sequels I have ever read! Elly Blake certainly hit the ground running with Fireblood delivering a fast paced, action packed story with all of "the feels" and enough twists and turns to keep readers on their toes. I couldn't get enough and now I can not wait the next book!

Go ahead and one click NOW!

Back in January, I was lucky enough to be part of the blog tour for Elly Blake’s debut novel, Frostblood. I devoured the book in just a few days and gave it well deserved 4.5/5 stars, and so its sequel Fireblood crept its way to the top of my most anticipated releases for 2017. Just like her first story, I raced through this one, totally enthralled from beginning to end.

Right from the beginning I felt attached to Ruby. As a Fireblood in the Frost Kingdom, she feels like she doesn’t belong and was subject to a lot of hostility that really made me feel for her. After going through some difficult situations, I admired her strength and courage and enjoyed the development of Ruby and her journey, especially seeing her in her true homeland.

With the story being set in Sudesia for the most part, we didn’t see too much of Arcus but I am still a huge fan, though I do wish he and Ruby would just OPEN UP to another. Don’t worry though, there were definitely some swoon worthy interactions between the two of them. Arcus is loyal, trustworthy, caring despite his cool (haha) exterior and loving; a true YA hero.

We were introduced to some new characters through the journey to Sudesia, her mother’s homeland and the land of Firebloods, including some lovable crew members, a pickpocket and of course the Queen, her Prince and the Fireblood Court.

So, the one we were all wondering about… Kai. After reading the summary, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about Kai or how he would add to the plot, because I ship Ruby and Arcus hard and worried that it would be some kind of typical love triangle. However, I can now confess, I love Kai. Yes he was flirty and funny, but also a good friend and I definitely became invested in his character too. Ruby had spent so long without interacting with any other Firebloods, and growing up in a land ruled by the Frost King, that someone like Kai was exactly who she needed. He helped her not only develop her powers, but understand them too, and made her feel as though she was finally “home”. They weren’t always 100% with each other but overall but in the end I loved their relationship. No spoilers as to the outcome of the love triangle though!

Blake weaved in important plot points from her first book into Fireblood effortlessly throughout the beginning, recapping small bits of information that were important to her sequel without info-dumping, which I really appreciated. The world building was much stronger in Fireblood I felt; we were exposed to new lands and places like Sudesia, and more characters which really helped to give us an idea of the scope of the world. Blake’s descriptive writing was impeccable too, with scenes to easy to picture it felt as though they were jumping off the page.

One of the things I loved about Fireblood is the fact that it is action packed from the very beginning. Whilst Frostblood was character driven in my opinion, Fireblood’s plot was much more fast paced with lots going on throughout. There were also several revelations in the story, with some parts feeling tense and uneasy which really added another layer. The development of the Minax plot point was really interesting and definitely more intense this time around, especially with the addition of another major evil character!

A lot of the plot revolves around a quest that Ruby undertakes to become a valued member of Fireblood society – I won’t say exactly what because of spoilers, but this quest includes a series of trials. I was hoping that the trials would be a little harder and darker personally, but that’s just me and I enjoyed them all the same. They helped Ruby to develop and strengthen her powers, and I really liked the direction that the plot went in; the learning student arc is one of my favourites.

I raced through Fireblood in just two days, and my only complaint is that I wish it were longer. Fireblood definitely did not suffer from second book syndrome purely acting as a bridge to the third book. It was a fast paced and action packed story, filled with kick-ass characters and a gripping plot. I can’t wait to see where the third book, Nightblood, takes us. Another 4/5 stars from me!