Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep
Release date: April 28th 2015
Kensington: YA
368 pages (paperback)
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Cold Burn of Magic was my top most anticipated read of 2015. My hands were itching to have my own copy, my head was ready to take in the story by storm and my heart was anticipating the feels I knew Jennifer Estep was bound to give.
I could not stop talking to my younger sister about the books, me being the one who pushed her to read Estep’s other YA series, Mythos Academy, which everyone should read as well because they are fantastic! But I must confess something, while the Mythos Academy series will always have a special place in my heart I will admit, I thought Cold Burn of Magic was beyond amazing and blew her other works out of the park hands down. I could not hold in my giggles that came from my mouth page after page, grinning at the non stop humor and laughing way too loud when I read a scene that I knew Estep had planned perfectly and so detailed.
I cannot express how much I envy Estep’s writing, her characters and worlds that she builds from the bottom up to create something so wonderful and energetic. I believe she has the touch to write about magic and all it has in store for us as readers. My greedy hands just about wept when I realized I was at the end of the story and knowing there is a sequel coming is heavy on my mind. Before I get deeper into the story, I want all of you readers to take a moment, look up all of Jennifer Estep’s books and buy them all. I am completely serious. I have all her YA books in paperback and her adult fantasy series which are ebooks and I do not regret spending every penny I had and you will not either. Just do it.
(Now to the part in which I stop babbling about the authors greatness and about the book itself)
Being that I read almost every Estep book known to mankind, it was refreshing to read her writing style again since I read her latest release back in 2014 before this book. I loved reading about her sassy, snarky and sarcastic characters who had an itch to fight like there was no tomorrow, to handle swords like a professional and just kick ass despite the mayhem going on around them.
The characters (like always) are naturally likeable, a type of character every reader wants to befriend and be like. The worlds are built beautifully and set the story perfectly. I don’t know how exactly Estep does it but damn does she do it on point every single time.
In Cold Burn of Magic the story is set in Cloudburst Falls, a town filled with magic, mafia-like Families and monsters that are unheard of and the main character, Lila Merriweather, finds herself in the middle of it all. Lila like almost everyone in Cloudburst Falls has a Talent, a type of magical skill, and some mad fighting skills which lands her the job of a bodyguard for Devon Sinclair of the Sinclair Family, one of the most powerful Families in their little town. All Lila wanted to do was stay out of the Families ways because her mom had an unfortunate fate when collided with the Families while Lila was younger. But now that she is in their feud she must find out why Devon need protecting and keep herself from following her mother’s fate as well.
Like all Estep’s leading female character, I couldn’t help loving Lila just as much as the rest – she had her own strength to protect herself and her friends. Lila was the type of character many vie to be – strong, smart, pretty and a wicked sarcastic tongue that you have no choice but to laugh about. And of course she was a badass with a sword and her magic combined.
The side characters are always a hoot – Devon, Felix, Oscar and many others exceed the standards for all other side characters, which is something that happens when reading Jennifer’s books. I love their interaction with one another, always in sync and the fluidity is great. The author gives the right amount of love, hate, humor and sadness in the works she has and it makes me appreciate her more as an author because as you read her books you can tell how much time and energy she puts in her books to make them perfect for us readers.
Another good thing I adore about her writing is the fighting scenes. It may make me sound odd but I love the bloodlust in her books, I like seeing the main character kick ass and spill blood. The way its written makes you want to jump in, grab a sword and start stabbing some goons alongside the hero. You receive a rush of adrenaline from reading and I swear its the best feeling in the world, to see it in your head and feel it in you as well, knowing that the hero always wins and the bad guys face yet another loss.
Also Estep throws in some of her famous explanations of the food in the book – who knew a BLT could sound so delicious?
Overall Cold Burn of Magic is another hit in my book and if I could give it more than 5 stars I totally would. As I end this review I will give ya’ll some advice – Go buy Cold Burn of Magic, ASAP, you don’t have to buy all her books at once (still buy them) but when you start, start with this one.
Thank you readers for reading and I will be back with another post up soon,
Over and out.
A Book Fanatic Obsession 