Frostblood

Gr 9 Up—Seventeen-year-old Ruby Otrera lives in a world where fire and ice are mortal enemies. Ruby is one of the last firebloods, second-class citizens of the kingdom of Tempesia. There, the ruling frostbloods are determined to locate and destroy all remaining firebloods in the realm. Ruby lives with her mother in a remote village, hiding her unpredictable powers of heat and flame. After the king's soldiers raid her small village and drag Ruby to prison, though, she is set on a dangerous and unexpected path. Blake's debut fantasy novel is a familiar tale about a young woman finding her way in a troubled and prejudiced world. With a few allies, including frost-wielding monks and a mysterious and irresistible masked warrior, the heroine becomes the key to a rebel plot to assassinate the king. Despite some formulaic plot elements, this is an enjoyable, fast-paced debut that blends romance into a story of suspenseful battles, royal prisons, and rebel schemes.