Two unlikely assassins, Valour and Petrichor, are thrown together on a perilous mission. Charged with ending the reign of Brandquist, a cunning purveyor of illegal magic tonics, their journey takes them through the treacherous streets of Vinterstock. As they navigate this mission, they’re joined by the charismatic Ingrid Rytterdahl, whose noble status and flirtatious demeanor complicate an already volatile alliance.

Narrated with alternating perspectives, this fantasy melds intrigue, dual character development, and a diverse cast, enriching the narrative with queer representation and a subtle romantic thread. Both haunted by their personal histories and bound by a common goal, Valour and Petrichor must balance their last job with the nuances of interwoven relationships that defy their harsh occupation.

"Snowblooded" is a tightly plotted tale that manages to offset the darkness of the assassins' world with witty banter and a sense of camaraderie. The sharp plot twists and balanced pacing make for an engaging, succinct story that gracefully skirts the line between gritty drama and cozy fantasy enclaves. Awarding this book 4 stars for its enticing storytelling and robust world-building.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Rebellion Publishing for providing a review copy of this gripping fantasy novel.

Thank you so much to Solaris and Netgalley for the ARC! This book sounded so interesting to me but sadly this was a DNF. I'm still unsure of what element of this story that I wasn't enjoying but in general, I just thought that the execution fell a bit flat, and it wasn't something that I want to continue in hopes that the story will pick up.

I've read somewhere that they say you might like this book if you've read The Princess Bride and Six of Crows, so I was intrigued even though I haven't read either of those stories.

In this story we meet two assassins who don't look very good but they have to carry out a job together, so far so good, but like any good story where enemies to lovers is handled, things get tense and it leads us to fangirling with every interaction of the protagonists.

I loved the nordic vibes you gave to the story and the exchange of jokes between the characters and how one of the relationships evolves from “I don't trust, distant” to “because I see him differently.”

It has been an adventure reading this story as at first I didn't know what to expect, I was debating between pirates or musketeers (I went more for the beautiful cover than the synopsis) so what I found was as surprising as it was amazing, I am delighted with this book.

If you saw the incredible cover, I highly recommend this story, but not only for that, but for the magical story that you will find and that will surely catch you.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for this amazing ARC.

#Snowblooded #NetGalley.

I DNF'd this book at 20%, which I rarely do. I found both the characters and the plot lacklustre. The writing style was stilted and read like a translation. I was forcing myself to read this, and life's too short for that.

An interesting concept (assassins in a 18thC Sweden with illegal magic!) but the execution fell flat for me.

Whilst I did enjoy the MCs as individuals, I grew irratited every time they shared a scene together in the first two-thirds of the book. Their arguments and 'banter' quickly grew annoying - there was far too much time dedicated to them flinging childish insults at each other repeatedly and I ended up skim reading a lot of their dialogue together. I did like the arc their relationship eventually went on, but I wish the story could have found a better way to show their initial antagonism.

One part of the characterisation I found really strange is that Valour is constantly described as 'quiet' and how she learns stuff by staying silent and listening, and yet she's never written like that and we never see her doing that.

There was also a few issues I had with the writing style. There's a couple of twists/ reveals in the story and, whilst they do make sense, I found the narrative a bit heavy-handed with its signposting of them. I also found that in the final fight scene the characters felt very detached from what was occurring around them and their actions unrushed despite the urgency of what was supposed to be happening.

My other main issue is that it adds a new aspect to the magic system in the second half of the book that was not well-explained - it had something to do with the Norse gods but that was about all I understood.

Overall, an intriguing concept and MCs, but could have done with less 'banter' and more world-building and a subtler writing style.

2.5 Stars (outliner)
One Liner: Too slow and clunky

Valour and Petrichor are young but esteemed members of the Order of Axsten, an assassin guild in Vinterstock, Sweden. They were with the guild as children and hated each other, which continues even to date.
The guild then gives them a job – to kill Brandquist, the mysterious leader of the city’s drug ring. No one knows who he is and how he looks. Valour and Petrichor are determined to deal with the job alone, but they may have to work together to stay alive.
As if that wasn’t hard enough, Valour has to babysit Ingrid Rytterdahl, the beautiful daughter of an aristocrat. With Valour in love (lust) with Ingrid and the mounting danger, can the assassins stay alive and finish the job?
The story comes in the Valour and Petrichor’s third-person POVs.

My Thoughts:
NGL, I requested the book mainly for the cover. Just look at it! So gorgeous! The premise was intriguing, too, though I admit the execution is less than satisfying.
First, the good points –
• The setting is dark, grim, and depressing. Given the premise, this works well to create a sense of doom, especially for the underprivileged. The snowy landscape adds to the atmosphere.
• I also love the interpretation of the title. That’s a great touch!
• Ingrid shines better than the main characters. There’s more to her than the mask she puts on.
• A few scenes where the characters introspect their lives are well done.
• I could guess one of the twists and like it.
• The romance between Ingrid and Valour is okay. It suits Valour’s arc, so can’t complain.
• A decent ending (and I could finally breathe a sigh of relief).
Now, the not-so-good points –
The characters are 20+ (around mid-20s) but act like teenagers and kids. They have been through so much trauma, but it feels hard to empathize due to their behavior. The scenes between Valour and Petrichor tend to be annoying, even when they are being nice to each other.
The narration is super slow. A lot seems to happen, but the % doesn’t move. And when you stop reading and consider the story that happened until then, it wouldn’t be much. There are many conversations; some are necessary, but some can be edited. Looking back, it doesn’t feel like the two are as efficient assassins as they are portrayed. Yeah, they can fight well and stab, et al, but an assassin has to be focused and precise. We are told they are very good at the job, but I couldn’t see it anywhere in the book (except once in Petrichor’s case).
Instead, we get pages of hate-filled banter between V and P that’s supposed to be some sort of trauma-bonding sibling rivalry type thing (?) except on the extreme level. There are ten instances of V saying ‘stick up the arse’ with some variation.
The last section is better than the beginning in terms of action and drama. Yet, not much of it is due to the MCs’ efforts. It doesn’t seem realistic that the villain would so easily share everything. It works in cozy mysteries, but the stakes are high here (think kingdom-level).
And oh, that brings me to the vibes. Though this is historical, the feel is almost modern. Also, there really isn’t any magic or fantasy. While I appreciate the support for old gods and paganism, it is not well done. Make it a cohesive part of the plot (and not simply repeat the stuff in dialogues).

To summarize, Snowblooded has a worthy premise and an intriguing setting but is weighed down by extras. Toning down the excess will give the characters more space to show their true selves.
Thank you, NetGalley and Solaris, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
****
The review will not be posted on Amazon due to the low rating.

There’s snow and there’s blood so this book is perfectly titled. I loved the action scenes with the assassins and the Norse mythology woven into the world. The actual characters were ok, I felt they weren’t complex enough to really understand. I did like some of the banter and wit between the pair but at times it felt forced. After reading the book I still don’t really know how old the characters are? Did I miss something? Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

A twisting tale of an order of assassins with a mystery to solve, this book follows Petrichor and Valour on their mission to uncover the city’s crime lord and enact an order to eliminate them. But it seems their opponent is always one step ahead, and determined to warn them away from their paths. There’s danger around every corner and the clues are struggling to add up but Petrichor and Valour have a job to do, and secrets to uncover. There’s a side of romance, talk of Norse gods, and some very troubled childhoods.

The secrets and mysteries kept me on my toes in this book though I did have some suspicions. It did seem to take a bit of an odd turn towards the end which didn’t seem to fit with the book and it was long and slow paced, so I would have liked to see more movement in the plot - and more chemistry in the romance, which didn’t feel well developed to me. I also didn’t like any of the characters which no doubt made it feel slower and harder to be invested in, which is a shame! However, I’m sure other readers are going to love this deadly story with its hint of magic and quirky characters.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

Vinterstock, in 18th century Scandinavia, is a grim place to live. Wars keep draining the population, the drugs trade (a semi- magical range called 'ness) is rife and the city's ruler has no qualms in keeping a whole order of assassins to remove anyone they find problematic.
Petrichor and Valour are the two bright young stars of the order, and are given the task of finding and eliminating Brandquist, the drugs overlord. It is obviously not going to be that simple.
Firstly, Petrichor and Valour hate each other, the majority of their interactions are just childish bickering.
Secondly, no one seems to know who this Brandquist is, and are they really the villain?
This means that the first half of the book is mix of the two of them wandering about trying to look for clues and bickering with each other. It drags. It's too long.
The second half, as they finally manage to work together more and occasionally manage to speak to each other without hurling insults, is much stronger. There's some decent twists and action and a hint of some more of the Norse mythology related magic/religion (underutilised in my opinion)

I'm not sure about the comparisons to The Princess Bride and Six of Crows - although there is a Rodent of Unusual Size, I didn't find it especially humorous nor the protagonists charismatic or cunning enough. Despite being in their twenties, they were too childish for too much of it and I think if that had been toned down and their supposed competence as assassins shown more clearly, I'd have liked this more.

Overall, not bad but not mind-blowing

Though the premise was incredibly exciting - assassins, found family, queer characters, Scandinavian setting - this fell a little flat for me. There were points where I really enjoyed the undoubtedly fun and engaged writing style, which was really injected with the characters’ personalities, but the bickering between the two MCs began to read more as childish rather than entertaining. The plot didn’t hold my attention as much as I thought it would, and I found myself unable to be truly invested in the characters.

I found Petrichor to be the most interesting narrative, and really enjoyed the occasional depth that we saw from him, as a result of his traumatic upbringing and formative experiences - I just wish there was more of that we got to see! Valour was humourous but a bit grating, and not entirely believable as an assassin. Of course I enjoyed the sapphic pairing, however there were times where I didn’t find myself fully believing the chemistry.

Though the plot sounded promising (reminiscent of Six of Crows for sure), it didn’t grip me as much as I was expecting and I found my attention wandering. This may have been due to pacing issues, as I found some sections were given entirely too many pages compared to other more important matters which would have allowed for more plot and character development.

A lot of promise! Just didn’t quite deliver for me. There were fun and exciting elements though, so I’ll certainly be keeping tabs on the author for what they do next.

I really enjoyed this one. She is a chunky gal, so I fully expected this to take me just under a week to read. I read it in two days; I just couldn't get enough and needed to just keep reading and reading.

The story follows the two youngest members of an order of assassins who have been tasked with killing the big drug empire honcho in their town. They're not friends and actively do not like each other, but have to team up and work together to complete the mission.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between Valour and Petrichor; they really were like siblings who hated each other and found each other annoying. I can see that their bickering might get on your nerves after a while, but I enjoyed it. It loosened some of the tension in the book. I also think that neither were allowed a childhood, both had a rough early life and were taken in by the assassins pretty young, so I think it's understandable that they might regress a little. Valour was a fantastic badass assassin who lived how she liked and spoke how she liked. I really liked her as the female main character; she was strong and confident. I also VERY much enjoyed Ingrid's presence in the novel; she was both very different to the two assassins, yet also so similar. And very easily slipped into their little gang. I also adored her relationship with Valour so, so much 🥹. More of the two of them please!

I also REALLY enjoyed the Scandinavian aspect of the book. It was really interesting to me the little bits of folklore and history drizzled in; even just the swearing by Valour I found fascinating. I also appreciated that the Norse mythology didn't overshadow the book; there was a healthy amount referenced.

Generally, it was pretty fast-paced. There was lots of action and adventure; lots of brutal and violent fighting too. To balance this out however, there was also a lot of good-natured humour and some lovely romance too!

My main criticism, and the reason that it was not a five star read for me, is that I think it's too long. There were some (very few) parts that felt like they dragged a little, and could have been removed or shortened.

Having said that, I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to see what Emma writes next!

Plucked from the streets two children are raised to compete for their guild masters approval. Valour and Petrichor rise to he esteemed members of the Order of Axsten. An assassins guild tasked with keeping order in the city of Vinterstock. Now they are tasked with their biggest job yet, to kill the mysterious leader of the city's illegal magic trade.

This book had so much promise, assassins, magic, illicit gangs and remnants of norse mythology all set in an Edwardian style adventure but felt like it didn't really carry this idea. The plot was good and really picked up when the assassins got to the tipping point of their mission but I found so much of the book was filled with the two assassins squabbling with each other, throwing each other insults to annoy the other and not that much work on the mission itself. The two assassins are described as the elite of their group but consistently seemed haphazard, clumsy and not very believable as the elite assassins they are described as.

My initial thoughts when I started the book was its going to be good but when I got 200 pages in and there was more character squabbling than mission work I started loosing interest which was really disappointing. For me the redeeming factor was the last 150ish pages where there was fighting, reconnaissance and some plot twists, all things you'd expect from an Assassin novel with high stakes.

Overall, I found it an okay novel but could have done with more drama and tension to show the severity of the mission and less scenes with what felt like childish behaviour. There were some badass characters that could have been so much more with a little more development. I would have loved to have seen more about the Assassin order and the leader of the group. There were definitely some interesting points thay could have been expanded on.

Did not finish book. Stopped at 58%.

Unfortunately this just couldn't hold my attention, over halfway through and it felt like the plot hadn't progressed enough to justify over 200 pages, and the characters were largely one-dimentional.

4.5 stars rounded up. A little bit of repetitive action in the middle of the story, and slightly obvious too at times that I wondered that Petrichor and Valour could miss some if the things they do. But they are young, and still finding out about themselves, so I can forgive that. However so much more to positively report. The witty dialogue between the three main characters and their exploits was so much fun. Valour and Petrichor having been manipulated and let down so often was sad. Yet they have each other, or is that - they hate each other? Maybe both when it matters. The future is theirs to make. And when you have trained to be an assassin, that future might involve fights and weapons galore. They just have to make sure they point them at the people who deserve it. Thank you to Solaris and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Snowblooded is a gaslamp fantasy novel, which represents the traditional debut of Emma Sterner-Radley, published by Solaris. A thrilling story about assassins and conspirations in a Scandinavian setting, with an excellent cast of characters and featuring queer romancing as part of the plot.

Valour and Petrichor are top members of the Order of Axsten, an assassins' guild under the orders of Vinterstock leader that is tasked with keeping the order in this cold city; both were raised in competition with the other, creating a strong sense of rivalry between them. Two different ways of act: Valour solves her task with brawn, while Petrichor leans toward a more gentleman approach.
Things get especially difficult when both are tasked with their biggest job: killing Brandquist, the leader of Vinterstock's illegal magic trade. A job whose reward is enough to allow them to pay their debt with their order and start new lives; but their rivalry is just the first obstacle on that path. At the same time, Valour is practically forced to protect Ingrid Rytterdahl, an attractive aristocrat whose father owns the hotel where Valour stays, putting the mission in a more precarious position.

Sterner-Radley takes this premise and elevates it to create a really entertaining story, with space for banter while not losing the seriousness of the task our characters are trying to deal with. Particularly, I find relatable how Valour and Petrichor can be described as different faces of the same coin: both raised by the guild, similar pasts, and always competing for the approval; however, as a consequence, both have developed different ways to cope with that trauma. Valour and Petrichor are prone to confront each other and often end insulting each other, bringing us many fun moments; but it is proven that, with time, they can grow over their differences, as most of them were just created by the influence of others.
While Ingrid seemed to be just a secondary character, she ends having a more prominent role than I expected in the plot; and honestly, her chemistry with Valour ends evolving into a dangerous romance which gifts us some steamy moments that certainly help us to keep with the glacial setting of Vinterstock.

Talking about Vinterstock, it is refreshing to have a gaslamp fantasy which is inspired by Scandinavia; idioms and expressions imported from them, and even in the mythology you can guess the inspiration. Said that, Vinterstock is a brutal city, where the power is corrupt and difficult to stop; the order of Axsten is just a reflection of what we could expect from the city.
The pacing is a bit slow for what you might expect for this kind of story, but that allows for a better character developing, warming our hearts and making us care about them; tension is well managed, and we are gifted some great action scenes, which creates a really enjoyable reading experience.

Snowblooded is a really powerful debut novel; a delight of read if you like ambitious characters, conspirations and complex plots with a touch of mystery. A standalone, but a world that I wouldn't mind to return again!

Thank you to NetGalley and Solaris for my digital review copy

3 Stars

Overall, I found this book to be okay. There were a lot of witty lines that made me laugh, and I loved the interractions between Petrichor and Valour, and Valour and Ingrid but the plot was relatively simple for a heist plot and managed to confuse me.

The chapters were short and it took about 30 percent of the book for me to get with the worldbuilding.

I would recommend if you want a light read with sapphic representation.

I absolutely adored this book. Magical and full of mystery and norse aspects this kept me intrigued from start to finish.
I loved the 'six of crows' aspect this has previously been received on as with the assassins of axsten, and especially how deep it dives into Valour and Petrichor as people and through their life's experiences having grown up together in assassin-hood.

Ingrid was an unexpected but beloved character and i fell for her and valour so hard. Their sapphic love throughout the chaos of the city and its secrets was truly unbreakable no matter the costs and that dedication was truly something else.

The plot twists in this with Branderquist and the 'ness trades were truly unpredictable and the intrigue and darkness behind it all was extremely engaging. I was fortunate enough to recieve this as an arc from Solaris and am so glad I did. Their advertising this as a Scandi-romantasy with such chaotic dynamics was successful and I can only hope it woo's others just as much.

The whole thing was incredibly well written, descriptive and engaging with great world-building that helped you truly feel in that historical Scandinavian setting amongst the religious, mythological, political and general chaos. I have never read Emma's books before but after this I certainly will be keeping an ee on her in future for more wonderful addictive tales.

Fantasy novel set in 18th century Sweden - enjoyable novel.

Valour and Petrichor are assassins employed to eliminate targets given to them by the Order of Assassins. Their lives are turned upside-down when embarking on a mission to kill a notorious criminal in the city. They encounter a lot of danger and there's a fair amount of duplicity, treachery and revelations. They also develop a bit of a bond, considering their different and rival personalities. The characters, few in the book, are well-developed and the plot moves along briskly in short chapters although the final denouement is perhaps a bit rushed and convenient. There's not a huge amount of fantasy elements to the book but it's an engaging read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Unfortunately it was clear to me in the first few pages that this book wasn’t going to be for me. Far too much telling instead of showing in the world-building, and the main character spoke like a 21st century American even in the historical setting.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review, I’m disappointed I didn’t enjoy this one more.

Welcome to the brutal city of Vinterstock where assassins roam and drug use destroys what little hope the populace had left...

Unfortunately there is minimal character building at the beginning which made me feel very detached from the story, especially as you're introduced to two different perspectives so quickly. The reader is slowly introduced to small details about Petrichor and Valour, and as I learned about their hardships I began to feel a little more connected, but they are both so horrible to each other it was hard to stay sympathetic. Their harsh words and violent reactions made it hard to be fully invested in their outcome until about halfway through the book.

The horrific things these two have been through have warped their worldview and made them distrustful of everyone and everything, including themselves. This created an effective tension and fit the atmosphere of the plot really well - all interactions are suspicious and have an edge of danger. Paired with the grotesque tunnels and frequent bloodshed, the book remains dark to its core.

The writing style often relies too heavily on telling rather than showing, but as the story continues the dialogue and internal thoughts help bring the world and characters to life. It is a bit drawn out, so the action doesn't come across quite as exciting as it could. In fact, the story is strongest when Petrichor and Valour are having moments of internal reflection after important events. This is also when hints of a larger mystery at play are dropped, and I really liked seeing how everything came together.

Overall, the second half is much stronger and the ending was rewarding - it felt true to the characters and to the broken city in which they were raised.