Last week I posted about Gena Showalter’s newest release, Shadow & Ice. This is the first book in her new paranormal romance series Gods of War. Thanks to the author, publisher and Inkslinger PR I was able to get my hands on an ARC.
Today is my spot on the blog tour and I also have an excerpt in this post for you as well!
The Queen of Paranormal Romance, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gena Showalter, stuns with SHADOW AND ICE, the first title in her scorching new paranormal romance Gods of War Series. Check out the tour stop below and get your copy of SHADOW AND ICE today!
Gena Showalter, the New York Times bestselling author who brought you the Lords of the Underworld, introduces a scorching new paranormal romance series… Gods of War.
Knox of Iviland has spent his life competing in the All Wars, where vicious warriors with supernatural powers fight to the death to claim new realms. One winner takes everything—and all losers die. Enslaved as a child for his ability to control shadows, the most ruthless champion in history will stop at nothing to kill his king. But first he must win the battle for Earth. When a fearsome weapon imprisons every combatant in ice, centuries pass without progress…until she walks in.
Vale London craves a fun arctic getaway with her foster sister before settling down to open a bakery. Street-tough but vulnerable, she is unprepared to find ancient gods escaping a frozen cave—merciless beings who target her when she inadvertently enters their war.
Though Vale is now his enemy, Knox is consumed with lust and a fierce need to protect her. But only one combatant can prove victorious, and he will have to choose: live for freedom, or die for love.
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“I love this world…this is Gena Showalter at her best!”—J.R. Ward, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“The Gods of War series is my new obsession.”—Christine Feehan, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Review
Like I said before when I shared an excerpt for Shadow & Ice, this is my first paranormal romance by this author! I have only read one of the books in a young adult series that she also wrote.
While I really enjoyed Shadow & Ice, I have to be honest and say it took me a few chapters to really get this story and understand the world. The prologue starts out a bit cryptic for me and I didn’t quite understand everything in the beginning. As I went along, I definitely started understanding everything more.
I have read a few people describing this as Hunger Games. I can definitely see that link, but a paranormal version. In All Wars, the winner is the last one standing. I also have to warn you that this book is bloody! Gena isn’t afraid to describe bodyparts flying around and what it looks like.
Our two main characters are really interesting though. Knox has never known freedom. He was enslaved as a child for his abilities with shadows. Knox needs to win the All Wars to be free. After losing so much, he’s ready to be on his own. Gena’s description of him is impressing and I wouldn’t mind seeing him walking down the street, haha.
Vale hasn’t had the easiest life, but has come out of it stronger. Her foster sister is important to her and she can’t wait to open up a bakery together. Things get interesting when there fun getaway becomes less fun. While trying to find food and a way back to society, finding a cave with frozen warriors wasn’t on her wishlist.
Shadows & Ice is filled with some steamy scenes, but also a lot of humor. Gena even used a Harry Potter reference, I was sold after that! I loved seeing the relationship between Vale and Knox grow. I’m all for the dominant caveman idea, but sometimes he was a bit too much. Being frozen for quite awhile, he still doesn’t trust easily, which is understandable.
Vale is sassy and maybe a tad bit insecure, but she is stronger than she thinks. Instead of going into complete panic mode when everything started to happen she took things as they happened. I don’t know if I would’ve been able to say the same if the roles were reversed.
I haven’t read many paranormal romances, so I don’t have much to compare this to. All in all, a definitely exciting and sexy read. I do think I will keep an eye on the next release to this series!
Excerpt
Vale wasn’t closed off to relationships, per se, but she wasn’t open, either. People were intrinsically flawed. At some point, they were going to disappoint you—leave you. So, she lived by a code. Always be the leaver, never be the leavee. And yes, she knew her code had roots in childhood abandonment. So what? Issues were issues for a reason. Intrinsically flawed, remember? Most people sucked a nut.
Nola and Carrie were exceptions. Her mom and baby bro were as well…until they’d died in a tragic accident that forever altered the course of her life. Her dad would have been wonderful, too, if he hadn’t taken off, leaving her to bounce from home to home and wonder what was wrong with her, why no one wanted to keep her.
Avoid, avoid! That thought train had only one station: Depressionville.
So, moving on. Vale had a low tolerance for BS, and she believed happily-ever-afters were an illusion because—let’s be honest—the longer couples were together, the more time they had to get to know each other, dig deeper, dig past all the pretty smiles and lies they told to make their choices seem okay, to finally see the garbage heap inside. More time to deceive each other, lash out and inflict pain.
Get in, get out.
Fact was, something was going to get broken or stolen if you let down your guard and finally trusted someone. Most often you were left bleeding internally.
Vale had dated around for a while, but she’d never spend an enormous amount of energy pretending to be something she wasn’t: sweet and gentle. It had stressed her out, which had made her even more prickly, blunt and abrasive, and ultimately she’d given up.
At least, that was the reason she embraced. Otherwise she’d have to admit there wasn’t a man alive willing to put in the work and fight to be with her.
“Lately, my love life has been exactly like a private jet,” Nola said, pulling Vale from her wayward thoughts.
“Oh, yeah? How so?”
“I don’t have a private jet.”
She laughed. Funny girl. “Come on. Let’s travel a little farther before we settle in for the night.” Their bodies needed heat, and movement would add logs to the fire.
Nola lumbered to her feet. They helped each other strap on the packs before marching forward. Vale hauled the bulk of supplies while her sis had blankets and medications, but even still, guilt robbed her of breath every time Nola grunted or groaned from exertion.
Another distraction, coming up. “I miss Carrie,” she said.
At thirteen years old, both Vale and Nola were assigned to the woman who handled “difficult” cases—young girls with a disability of some sort. Carrie had done more than open her home and heart; she’d taught her charges how to love themselves, and how to thrive.
Vale, honey, do you think a twenty-dollar bill is worth any less if it’s dirty and wrinkled? No way in heck! You might be a little rough around the edges, but you are still priceless.
Carrie and her words of wisdom. She’d loved the adage about the potato, egg and coffee beans most of all
In boiling water, the potato softens, the egg hardens, but the mighty coffee beans change the water. Don’t let difficult times weaken or harden you, girls. Get up and change the situation!
Eyes gleaming with fondness, Nola nodded. “If she were here, she’d cook up a feast. Snowcakes. Slush omelets. Ice bacon. Hail biscuits and blizzard gravy.”
Vale grinned, even as hunger gnawed her empty stomach. But the grin was quickly shaken off by a trembling chin. Last year, Carrie had suffered a massive heart attack and, over the ensuing weeks, she’d only weakened. Finally, she’d slipped away.
Her death left a hole in Vale’s heart. “I vividly remember the day I moved in. Back then, I lived by prison rules. You know, show them who’s boss on day one. So of course I destroyed Carrie’s living room, toppling furniture and breaking anything glass. When I finished, she calmly asked if I’d like my sweet tea iced or steaming.”
Mimicking the prim and proper Carrie, Nola said, “Always be a lady, until you need to be a land mine.”
Carrie had only ever exploded when it came to the protection of her girls.
A sense of homesickness tightened Vale’s chest, which flattened her lungs. Great! Now she needed a distraction from the distraction..
Gena Showalter’s SHADOW AND ICE – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:
October 22nd
All Things Dark & Dirty – Review & Excerpt
Beneath The Covers – Review & Excerpt
Diane’s Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Evermore Books – Review & Excerpt
It’s All About the Romance – Excerpt
Little Red Reading Hood +1 – Excerpt
NallaReads – Review & Excerpt
Read more sleep less – Review & Excerpt
October 23rd
A Book Lover’s Dream Book Blog – Review
Book Reader Chronicles – Review & Excerpt
Ceres Books World – Review
Declarations of a Fangirl – Review & Excerpt
For The Love of Fictional Worlds – Excerpt
Little Shop of Readers – Review & Excerpt
Moonlight Rendezvous – Review & Excerpt
October 24th
@reads_romance – Review
Bout-a-Book blog – Review
Crazii Bitches Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Lo’s Lo-Down on Books – Review & Excerpt
Milky Way of Books – Review
Romancing the Laser Pistol – Review & Excerpt
Somewhere Lost in Books – Review & Excerpt
October 25th
Bambi Unbridled – Review
Caitlin’s World – Review & Excerpt
Feel the Book – Excerpt
Jen’s Reading Obsession – Excerpt
Kay Daniels Romance – Review & Excerpt
Reading in Pajamas – Review & Excerpt
Reese’s Reviews – Excerpt
October 26th
Cinta Garcia de la Rosa – Excerpt
Feeling Fictional – Review & Excerpt
Incidental Inspiration – Review & Excerpt
My Book Filled Life – Review & Excerpt
Nicole’s Book Musings – Review
Sip Read Love – Review
The Ink Spell – Review
October 27th
Another Book Hangover – Excerpt
Bookgasms Book Blog – Review
Booknerd1107 – Review
Family, Books and Food – Excerpt
Rantings of a Reading Addict – Excerpt
The Reading Cafe – Review & Excerpt
October 28th
Bingeworthy Book Blog – Review
Clare & Lou’s Mad About Books – Review
Jax’s Book Magic – Excerpt
Ginreads – Review & Excerpt
Mother/Gamer/Writer – Review & Excerpt
NC 2 DC – Review & Excerpt
Red’s Midnight Readers – Review & Excerpt
October 29th
3 degrees of fiction – Review & Excerpt
Avephoenix Naughty Readings – Review & Excerpt
Books 2 Blog – Review & Excerpt
Just Reading Book Blog – Excerpt
Sharing Inspired Kreations – Review & Excerpt
The Book Dutchesses – Review & Excerpt
October 30th
Dirty Girl Romance – Review
Nerdy Dirty & flirty – Review & Excerpt
Reads All the Books – Review & Excerpt
Romancing the Readers – Review
Sassy Book Lovers – Review & Excerpt
Total Book Geek – Excerpt
Writes Forward – Review
October 31st
Book Lovers Hangout – Review & Excerpt
KDRBCK – Review & Excerpt
Mean Girls Luv Books – Review & Excerpt
Movies, Shows, & Books – Excerpt
– Review & Excerpt
Shameless Book Club – Review & Excerpt
November 1st
Book Nook Nuts – Review & Excerpt
Busy Bumble Bee Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Dreamer’s Book Blog – Excerpt
Jeri’s Book Attic – Review
Romance Schmomance – Review & Excerpt
Smut Book Junkie Book Reviews – Excerpt
Up All Night w/ Books Blog – Review & Excerpt
November 2nd
Book Addict – Excerpt
Fundinmental – Review
Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Excerpt
Ruby’s Books – Excerpt
Southern Vixens Book Obsessions – Review
The Book Maven – Review & Excerpt
About Gena Showalter:
Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld and Angels of the Dark series, two young adult series–Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles–and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series. In addition to being a National Reader’s Choice and two time RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan (Red Hot Read) and Seventeen magazine, she’s appeared on Nightline and been mentioned in Orange is the New Black–if you ask her about it, she’ll talk for hours…hours! Her books have been translated in multiple languages.
She’s hard at work on her next novel, a tale featuring an alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who brings him to his knees. You can learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her upcoming books at genashowalter.com or Facebook.com/genashowalterfans
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This was definitely an unique setting and idea for a book. There is a lot of sass and humor in it as well. Have you ever read any of Gena’s parnormal romance books before? What was your favorite?
Ahh, I can’t wait to dive into this book!
My first Gena reads that I’ve read years ago – this was before she published any ya books – have been paranormal romance so I’ll always prefer her writing and publishing books in this genre – I do love her YA and contemporary romance as well though. Awesome you got to participate in the blog tour! The book is on my November tbr stack now, so I hope I’ll get around to read it in November.
Yeah, I was very grateful I got to participate! I can’t wait to see what you think of this book!