Do not let the title deter you: “Frozen Tides” brings the heat in every which way.
Morgan Rhodes morphs all that readers thought they knew into something completely different. The major cliff-hanger at the end of “Gathering Darkness” left “Frozen Tides” open for many twists and turns to take place within the plot, and Rhodes not only did so in the plot but also in the characters’ stories and thoughts. Before “Frozen Tides,” Rhodes did not push boundaries; now, her writing has no boundaries.
The main characters in this book, whether antagonists or protagonists, had been one-dimensional at one point or another. “Frozen Tides,” however, brings them all to life and sits them right on the couch next to readers. Lucia has gained a lot of power in the three prior books to “Frozen Tides,” and her strength is not to be underestimated. Her character has gone through a lot of development since readers were introduced to the somewhat cowardly princess in “Falling Kingdoms” before she knew she was a sorceress. Her powers are strengthened with Kyan at her side to the very end of the book. Lucia’s decisions cause internal battles, and one decision comes with great consequence.
Magnus and Cleo have always struggled with their relationship throughout the series from Theon’s death to their arranged marriage. Magnus, however, has grown individually to no longer doubt himself. (Side note: he doesn’t say irrelevant anymore in “Frozen Tides,” considers his moves with caution and does not underestimate those around him.) Although she has not changed much since “Gathering Darkness,” Cleo has grown to consider both what her heart and mind are telling her before moving on. Both of them combined in “Frozen Tides” make an incredible team. The married couple, for about 3 books now, struggle to come to terms with each other due to their stubbornness and past tensions. (Magnus even becomes aware of the balcony situations.) Throughout “Frozen Tides,” the duo have powerful moments that leave readers tense and gasping for air. By the end of the book, Magnus and Cleo will surprise readers and leave them crying (I will not say if the tears are happy or sad).
There are two new point-of-views that Rhodes introduces in “Frozen Tides” that were unexpected but necessary. Felix and Princess Amara both spend much needed time in the spotlight with their very own point-of-views. In “Gathering Darkness,” Felix is mysterious. In “Frozen Tides” chapters from his point-of-view, he becomes less mysterious and more three-dimensional. His story gets told not from Jonas or Lysandra’s point-of-view, but his own, which allows for more details and truth to be known. His character is used for comic relief amongst all the seriousness of the upcoming peaked conflicts. Princess Amara also gets to tell her very own story which leads to some sympathies getting doled out. The Kraeshian Empire, which was only hinted about in “Gathering Darkness,” becomes a new setting for readers to explore. Amara, along with other characters that arrive in Kraeshia, wonderfully describes her homeland and brings the land to life through fleeting words. The Kraeshian Empire holds much of the conflict in its lands, and it isn’t until the end of the book where it overflows to Mytica.
The second half of “Frozen Tides” is where characters’ secrets get told either from their mouths or from their co-conspirators’ mouths. It all leads to a very information-packed ending with a major cliff-hanger. This cliff-hanger leaves readers theorizing and yearning for the next installment in the “Falling Kingdoms” series, name yet to be discovered.
“Frozen Tides” awes readers in more ways than one, and hopefully the “Falling Kingdoms” series will continue to do so with the final two installments into this fantasy series.