Of Ice and Shadows (Of Fire and Stars #2)

by Audrey Coulthurst

ISBN 9780062841223

Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of this title from the publisher.

 “It felt like the latest in a series of mistakes, and I wasn’t even sure what the first one had been. Was it letting everyone believe I’d died in the star fall? Was it the morning I’d gotten up before dawn to leave Mare behind? Or, the darkest part of my heart asked, was it the night I’d chosen to flee from the man I was betrothed to in order to save his sister instead?”

With everyone believing that Princess Dennaleia of Havemont was killed in the starfall that also struck down the scheming Lord Kriantz of Sonnenborne, Denna and Mare are finally free to be together. But as Princess Amaranthine, Mare also owes a duty to her brother, the newly crowned King Thandillimon of Mynaria. With the Sonnenborne plot revealed, it is crucial that they recruit the magical kingdom of Zumorda as an ally, despite Mynarian’s instinctive suspicion of magic. Better yet, in Zumorda, Denna will be accepted, and able to receive training for her gifts, the destructive scope of which has frightened Mare beyond words. So with Denna disguised as her maid, Mare sets out as the newly appointed Mynarian ambassador to Zumorda. Unfortunately, the Zumordan queen seems uninterested in Mynaria’s troubles, and unconcerned by the Sonnenborne plot. Denna’s gift, on the other hand, is extremely interesting, and soon Queen Invasya is trying to recruit her into an elite but dangerous magical training program that threatens to separate her from Mare.

If Of Fire and Stars was about forbidden love, Of Ice and Shadows is about what happens when the initial obstacle is removed, and the next stage must be faced. Traveling in disguise, Denna encounters new constraints, having to pretend to be Mare’s maid, and hiding her intelligence and diplomatic skills. And once across the border, no one can understand why a powerful magic user like “Lia” would be a servant to a vakos like Mare, who has no gift at all. While Denna seeks training for her gift, she becomes uncomfortably aware that Mare would rather find a way to eliminate her magic altogether—Mynarian prejudice against magic runs deep. Having already given up her identity to be with Mare, Denna is faced with the question of whether she will sacrifice more of herself in the name of love. Magic also keeps the two apart in more ways than one; after accidentally burning Mare in an amourous moment, Denna refuses to touch her again until her power is under control. I wasn’t a huge fan of this trope being introduced, as it tends to be rooted in sex shame, and I don’t think this use subverted that problem.

Of Ice and Shadows is told in alternating chapters, from Mare and Denna’s perspectives. Their voices aren’t terribly distinct, and it can be easy to mix the two up during the first part of the story, when they are both generally in the same place. As their paths diverge a bit in the latter half of the book, this becomes less of a concern. While both characters grow in the course of the book, it is especially important for Mare. Out from under the critical eye of the Mynarian court, she is finally able to accept some responsibility for what it means to be a member of the royal house, while also taking advantage of the freedom offered by distance to pursue interests and skills that would have been forbidden to her as a woman in Mynaria. Ultimately, I think it is being able to grow this way herself that enables her to accept Denna’s development as well.

As a setting, Zumorda makes for a much more interesting backdrop than Mynaria. Magic is rife, and there are many different types to be discovered. This makes Mare uncomfortable, but the prevalence makes Denna feel normal for once, like she might belong. Three powerful women play a major role, including the ancient dragon queen, Invasya, Guardian Laurenna, and Grand Vizier Zhari, who are powerful magic users in their own right, based in the Southern trade hub of Kartasha, while the Queen holds court in Corovja. None of the women seem especially concerned by the Sonnenborne threat, leading Mare and Denna to wonder if they are really so powerful in their magic that they have nothing to fear, or if one or more of them may be in league with their enemies.

Of Ice and Shadows wraps up this particular storyline, but leaves ample room to continue exploring the world, and what happens to Mare and Denna next. Currently no further installments have been announced, but a reader can hope!

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