Tears of frost

In the follow-up to 2018's Heart of Thorns, sworn enemies Mia Rose (newly back from the dead) and fierce Pilar d'Aqila (who killed her) are dealing with the aftermath of political turmoil in the kingdom of Glas Ddir. Young Prince Quin, once betrothed to Mia Rose, is now a hunted man after losing all support. New alliances must be built as more magic emerges from the Gwyrach, mixed-raced female mortals descended from the gods. Letters from the mysterious Angelyne, presented in handwritten font on specially designed pages resembling old stationery, drop hints while counting down the passing of time up until the Night of the Weeping Moon. The last letter, dated from that anticipated night, satisfyingly pulls all the threads together. Barton's action-packed sequel won't stand alone; there are so many plot twists that a solid knowledge of the first book is essential to follow the story. But those who enjoyed the previous title's fiercely feminist tone and proactive women will be delighted.--Debbie Carton Copyright 2020 Booklist

Magic and sisterhood intertwine in the high-stakes sequel to Heart of Thorns (2018).Mia Rose awakens from her death with gaps in her memory and her senses gone numb. Her search for a mother who betrayed her trust leads her to the snow kingdom, where she hopes to find answers and a way to rescue Prince Quin from her sister Angelyne's powerful enthrallment. Determined to seek revenge against her powerful mother, Pilar d'Aqila is on the run from the river kingdom when she runs into a recently escaped Prince Quinthe boy whose sister she killed. Pilar and Quin join forces to travel together into the snow kingdom in search of Pilar's long-lost father. Chapters alternate viewpoints between Mia and Pilar, who are on a collision course that connects ongoing family secrets and betrayals, the failings of previous generations, and a thoughtful examination of agency, female empowerment, and the history of magic. In this world, "magic is born of a power imbalance," and while this conceit showed a lot of promise in the overtly feminist first book, the sequel is effectively bogged down by an extended magical system that leads to convoluted worldbuilding, a love triangle, and trivial twists. Mia and Quin are white, Pilar has golden skin and black hair, and there are multiple queer characters.A sequel that builds on its predecessor with mixed results. (map, author's note, resources) (Fantasy. 13-16) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.