Ice Like Fire

Really, this gets a 3.5 but I just had to bump it up (5 and above give it a shove you know).

To be frank, Ice Like Fire is just boring at some parts. Really, the first half made me want to gouge my eyes out. But it made a lot of grounds towards the end.

Another thing that bugged me was Meira, the main character. For, again, the first half of the book, she was this whiny main character who I just really wasn't resonating with. You probably know the type- I-can-do-it-on-my-own-and-I-don't-need-anyone-else's-help-because-they'll-just-get-hurt-because-of-me. But she finally snapped out of her idiocy and got tons better.

The last major problem I had was (major spoiler so don't be stupid and read it) the whole main character must die in order to save everyone cliche. While I thought it was somewhat fresh in EoS by SJM, I have since realized that it is WAY overdone. Sorry SJM, I still love you, but come on. The only difference for this cliche was that Meira actually had some resemblance of a natural human reaction to such news. And boy, that was real good.

The last 100-150 pages were by far the most entertaining. Everything finally came to a head and was explained in the last 10 pages. It was like putting the last couple pieces of the puzzle together and you start smiling like “ooooooohhhhh I get it now!”

All in all, it's your typical trilogy middle book- less than impressive.

Even so, as someone who was not completely sold on the first, somewhat happy (but also not) with the second, I am a bit surprised to say I am dying to read the last. But... that ending.