[Blog Tour] Review: Frozen by Christine Amsden

Title: Frozen
Author: Christine Amsden
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Cassie Scot # 7

Trade Paperback, 209 Pages
Publication: April 11, 2018 by Twilight Times Books

Source: I received a review copy from the author in exchange for a honest review.

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Apparently, life doesn’t end when you get married.

When a couple freezes to death on a fifty degree day, Cassie is called in to investigate. The couple ran a daycare out of their home, making preschoolers the key witnesses and even the prime suspects.

Two of those preschoolers are Cassie’s youngest siblings, suggesting conditions at home are worse than she feared. As Cassie struggles to care for her family, she must face the truth about her mother’s slide into depression, which seems to be taking the entire town with it.

Then Cassie, too, is attacked by the supernatural cold. She has to think fast to survive, and her actions cause a rift between her and her husband.

No, life doesn’t end after marriage. All hell can break loose at any time.

I was sad when the Cassie Scot series wrapped up but Amsden ended up writing a spin-off of Cassie’s best friends Kaitlyn and Madison and I loved those just as much as Cassie’s book…I’d take anything to be able to able spend more time in the magical world of Eagle Rock and with its inhabitants. So when I found out that Amsden decided to write another Cassie Scot novel, I was ecstatic. I fell in love with Cassie and the gang since book one and didn’t need much convincing to read Frozen, the seventh installment in the Cassie Scot series.

Like previous Cassie books, Frozen has a main mystery at its core. A couple was found frozen to death in a cabin and its up to Cassie, Evan and the sheriff to figure out what happen…except there’s no one in town, that Cassie knows of with cold elemental powers, or powers enough to create a localized deep freeze. I really liked the plot and found it engaging but the reason why I’ve always loved this series and found it standing out amongst the Urban Fantasy genre is the theme of family and friends. And Frozen is no exception. I loved that Frozen showcased motherhood, and how its not always about magic. We’ve all heard the good stuff about motherhood, and I’m sure it’s incredible but Amsden also showed us that it’s not always easy and that beyond coming from a strong magical family; she has normal concerns, worries like any other mothers…about children growing up, going to school, leaving the nest, marriage and children etc.

I’ve read all of the Cassie/spin-off books but I gotta say Frozen is the best one yet. I loved everything about it. I can’t wait to see what Amsden has in store for this series and really hope she plans to continue it. I didn’t realized how much I missed the characters until I started Frozen. I am especially excited to see the children develop their powers, specifically Ana, the twin and Christina. They may be minor characters…three of them can’t even talk but are some of the most interesting secondary/tertiary characters I’ve ever read. If you haven’t read this series yet, I highly recommend it!

Forbidden by Cathy Clamp

Title: Forbidden
Author: Cathy Clamp
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Luna Lake #1

Trade Paperback, 352 pages
Publication: August 18, 2015 by Tor Books

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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Ten years have passed since the war that destroyed the Sazi Council and inflicted a horrible "cure" on thousands of Sazi, robbing them of their ability to shapeshift.

Luna Lake, isolated in Washington State, started as a refugee camp for Sazi orphans. Now it's a small town and those refugees are young adults, chafing at the limits set by their still-fearful guardians.
There's reason to fear: Sazi children are being kidnapped. Claire, a red wolf shifter, is sent to investigate. Held prisoner by the Snakes during childhood, Claire is distrusted by those who call Luna Lake home.

Before the war, Alek was part of a wolf pack in Chicago. In Luna Lake he was adopted by a parliament of Owls, defying Sazi tradition. The kidnappings are a painful reminder that his little sister disappeared a decade ago.

When Claire and Alek meet, sparks fly—but the desperate race to find the missing children forces them to set aside their mutual attraction and focus on the future of their people.

I haven’t read the original Sazi series by Clamp, and while Forbidden is somewhat a continuation of the series, it focuses on new characters, location, and overall plot making it easy for new readers to join and follow along. Clamp did a great job explaining the history of how the Wolven agents formed and how the hierarchy of the Sazi Council works. Sazi is a term used to describe shifters, and Luna Lake, is full of all sorts of Sazi living together from owls, wolves, cats, bear etc. And that’s exactly what makes Luna Lake different from all other Sazi communities. Most Communities comprise of one type of Sazi, since most Sazi are known not to get along with another species. But it isn’t the only reason why Luna Lake is different. The town’s Major enforces strict and harsh rules that make it difficult for newcomers to adjust to. Our heroine, Claire (a.k.a Clarissa) is sent there to investigate a string of missing children and is in for a rude awakening when she is made the town’s omega.

I’ve read some of Clamp’s other work but in my opinion they weren’t as good as Forbidden. I really like the Sazi World, and the foundation, world building and characters seemed more well-rounded and better developed. I also like the two leads. Claire and Alex are strong, independent, compassionate and kind characters, which made them both likeable. I’ve seen some people write, why is it so importable to have likeable character? Well, for me it’s a must. If I don’t like them, then I wouldn’t care for them. And if a reader didn’t like or care about the characters, then why read it in the first place…right? But back to the point, Claire and Alex make a good team. They never got carried away from the most important task at hand, which is to find the missing kids. The supporting cast was just as great from Dani to the former omegas Rachel and Scott. I wouldn’t mind getting a Rachel or Scot story, I would definitely be interested in them.

Overall, Forbidden was a great, solid reintroduction (or introduction for newbies) to the Sazis. I highly recommend this new urban fantasy series to those looking for great characters and an engaging plot/story. I look forward to reading more of the Sazi/Luna Lake world…it’s certainly something worth checking out!