Temple of Ice by Christian Cura is a thrilling fantasy novel set in a frozen land with ruthless monsters roaming about. It centers around Tama and her two friends, Kachina and Masou, as they complete their training as winter mages. To do that though, they must face numerous trials, including an evil goddess sending out minions to break her out of her prison.

Temple of Ice is set in the intriguing world of Perimar and on the continent Khione. The setting seems dire, but is the beautiful descriptions really bring the backdrop to life, Khione is a frozen continent with marvelous landscapes covered in snow and ice but little else. The setting is somewhat of a canvas that author Christian Cura fills with all sorts of creative beings and characters to create a truly vibrant world. So much so, that the mere descriptions of snowy fields, or ice molded homes, or beautiful star laden skies against majestic mountains were a delight to read. Khione was also littered with a variety of fantasy beasts roaming the world, all of them wildly different to each other, my favourite the avak – was giant four-winged bird. These didn’t stay on page long as new creatures were introduced, ensuring readers never get bored of them. The culture of those living here was just as well-crafted as the physical world with new traditions, customs, and an ice-based magic system that felt unique and fit in well in this world.

The protagonist, Tama, starts out mischievous and grows into a stronger, more mentally resilient, individual. This fantasy character archetype was executed well but I wanted to see something more to make it really stand out. The side characters in the main cast helped with this though, as their pasts and motivations were strong and just as interesting.

Fight scenes were common throughout and the best aspect of them was their coherency. The magic was used solidly without any deus ex machinas but the main positive for me was how well they flowed together. It was never a jumble of fists and ice spears but each action had a reaction that kept it engaging throughout. Overall, the setting was great, the actions and characters were well-written but perhaps due to the small page count, the pacing felt rushed which left me wanting more of the characters and their relationships.

Temple of Ice is an action-filled sword and sorcery novel. With a well crafted magic system, an interesting setting and fascinating characters, fantasy fans will find plenty to love in Christian Cura’s suspenseful novel.

Pages: 236