Friday, August 12, 2016

Arctic Dawn by @KarissaLaurel


Genre: Urban Fantasy/Mythology/Romance

Description:
Alone and exhausted after her month-long sojourn as a shooting star, Solina Mundy flees to southern California to lie low, recuperate, and plot a survival strategy. The one person she trusts to watch her back is her best friend, Skyla Ramirez. But Skyla has been missing for weeks.

The arrival of a dangerous stranger and the discovery of a legendary weapon of mass destruction forces Solina out of hiding and back into the fight for her life. Solina knows she won’t last long on her own. She must find out what happened to Skyla and unite her contentious allies if she hopes to track down this devastating weapon before her enemies use it to burn the world to ash.”

Author:
Karissa lives in North Carolina with her kid, her husband, the occasional in-law, and a very hairy husky. Some of her favorite things are coffee, chocolate, and super heroes. She can quote Princess Bride verbatim. She loves to read and has a sweet tooth for fantasy, sci-fi, and anything in between. Sometimes her husband convinces her to put down the books and take the motorcycles out for a spin. When it snows, you'll find her on the slopes.

Karissa also paints and draws and harbors a grand delusion that she might finish a graphic novel someday.”

Find out more about Karissa Laurel on her website or Facebook.

Appraisal:
Ms. Laurel has stepped up her game in Arctic Dawn. The characters are more intense, the action is nonstop and the entire book is more heavily steeped in Norse Mythology. Solina’s powers have matured and she is fully focused on her mission at all times, even if she is not totally aware of what is going on around her. I love the way she challenges Thorin at every turn. And even though this vexes Thorin, you can tell he admires her spunk and tenacity as she is always honest with her feelings about the situations at hand. However, she continues to conceal her emotions and desires from Thorin. Her walls are cracking though, as are Thorin’s. I practically melted during a few touching scenes.

I was a bit worried I would be lost when I started reading this sequel considering it had been a full year since I had read Midnight Burning. But rest assured Ms. Laurel brings forward what you need to remember without bogging down the story. New people were introduced who fit well in the mix. I ended up reading late into the night until I couldn’t focus my eyes any longer, the book was that hard for me to put down.

Arctic Dawn is a fast-paced cataclysmic addition full of action that will keep you on the edge of your seat. There are several unexpected twists, which change the course of the plot. These give rise for more Norse mythology, which is incorporated into the plot. Ms. Laurel’s imagination and knowledge seems boundless. I would highly recommend Arctic Dawn to lovers of mythology, adventure seekers, and action lovers. For those who loath romance in their stories, I will add the romance is low-key and not what this series is centered around. The ending made me swoon, while I was cursing the cliffhanger. Well done, ma’am. Please don’t make me wait another year for more.

Buy now from:    Amazon US     Amazon UK

FYI:
Arctic Dawn is book two in The Norse Chronicles following Midnight Burning. I would recommend reading this series in order.

Format/Typo Issues:
I found no significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 100-105,000 words


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