Genre:
Adult
Epic Fantasy
Publish Date:
May 10, 2021
Synopsis:
Meet Tama, an adept winter mage of Khione, a beautiful, dangerous land. Bloodthirsty monsters roam the frozen wilderness, and the unforgiving elements are a constant. Tama and her friends—Kachina and Masou—are on the cusp of completing their education at the temple where they have trained for the past four years. They need only to do one more thing: earn the Goddess Tira’s final anointing. But to do that, they must fight through hordes of corrupted creatures and endure the perplexing obstacles within Mount Orodani.
The road before them is long and bloody, and Tira’s evil sister, Malsumi, won’t stop sending her minions until she is strong enough to break free of her prison. Tama fights valiantly to defend herself and her people from these twisted monsters. But she will soon discover the real threat is much closer than she initially thought…
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**About the Author**
Christian Cura is a new author who just recently published his debut novel Dreams of Fire. Ever since he read Lord of the Rings as a teenager, it has been his dream to write and publish a novel of his own. His favorite authors include J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, and Robert Jordan.
Christian lives in Northern Virginia where he lifts weights and creates artwork. He is a Gryffindor, an Earth-bender, and a loyal follower of Optimus Prime. When he is not writing, he can be found drawing or getting beaten up at his MMA gym.
Stay connected with Christian Cura
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***My Thoughts***
Temple of Ice has all the right parts that make it a story that flows seamlessly and immerses the reader. The reader is immediately introduced to the main protagonist and her closest friends, Tama, Masou, and Kachina. While Tama is courageous, stubborn, yet dutiful. Masou is peaceful and rather shy, almost seeming nervous. And then, Kachina is serene, calm, and thoughtful. Their group dynamic and four year-long friendship are relatable, which help the reader become attached to the characters and delve into the world of Khione. The lore of Tira and Malsumi are introduced in a way that makes the winter mages’ power over water, air, and ice sound natural. Within a short hour, I was already entranced and ten chapters in. It was earnestly difficult to put the story down while reading in the middle of the night.
Temple of Ice has a good balance of action, strife, love, and character growth. There is some tension between Tama and Kachina when Tama confesses her love for the other woman, but they remain close friends. Even though Tama berates Masou for being a coward in combat, he eventually shows courage and fights on the front lines in the final chapters. The relationship with Liseli and Tama is a good addition to Tama’s relationships that sets her up for possible tragedy and romance. Tama’s mother, Shima, is overbearing and distant. Although she seemed harmless at first, when it is revealed that Shima is a follower of Malsumi, the threat of Malsumi breaking free of her prison to spread her darkness feel more imminent. I enjoyed that each character mentioned played an important role to help progress the story and aren’t simply tossed to the side or forgotten. Each chapter and conflict that Tama comes face-to-face with help her mature from a fun-loving young woman into an honorable warrior.
I think I only have two criticisms. The first would be the lack of diverse metaphors. In the last sixteen chapters, while Tama is investigating the murders of citizens of Nevesska, “A cold weight dropped in her stomach” appeared frequently to convey Tama’s dread. Although telling the reader how she is feeling, it becomes a bit tedious. The second is Tama’s inner conflict that would help her develop as a character. She does change due to her relationships with Kachina and Liseli, where Tama finds heartbreak but remains friends with one while becoming partners with the other. While her relationships with either help her grow more confident in love, it doesn’t drastically change Tama’s already headstrong or even short-tempered personality. On the other hand, Tama’s relationship with Shima is shown to be antagonistic from the first time the mother is mentioned. Their conflict in the end therefore doesn’t seem to challenge any of Tama’s preconceived beliefs, such as her mother being controlling or selfish. In fighting the final antagonist, Tama’s love of her parent is already so strained that it leaves little conflict in Tama’s mind to arrest Shima. Overall, the world of Temple of Ice has amazing potential to grow not only by expanding the world of Perimar but having Tama mature even more as a person.
My rating:
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