Review: Frozen Heart by Annabelle Blume

Title: Frozen Heart
Author: Annabelle Blume
Genre: Sci-fi Romance, Dystopian
Publisher: InkSpell Publishing (Aug 7 2012)
Get it: Pre-Order @ InkSpell Publishing - B&N

NOTE:  Story is for mature readers due to some sexual content.

Goodreads
A decade surviving on her own. Three days with the enemy. Can love conquer all?

Cressenda knows how to survive. With her sled dogs as her only companions, she’s spent the past ten years hiding in the snow covered wilderness from the oppressive regime of the Affinity. When a routine trip to civilization takes a turn for the worst, Cressenda is forced to take refuge with the enemy or lose her life to the frozen countryside.

But Beckett, a Guard of the Affinity, is more than a man in uniform. His desperate need to help Cressenda escape both- the blizzard and the Affinity- makes her feelings for him all the more troubling. Will Beckett be true to his word and set Cressenda free? Will her heart let her leave after all they’ve shared?

Review

Cressenda is a woman of about 26 years old who is what's called an Outlier because she does not live within the rules of the Affinity, a type of government. Outliers are treated as if they are violent threats to society, so if caught, any Outlier would be put into a work camp. The world in which she lives is in an Ice Age, and Cressie needs provisions for her and her two dogs to survive, so when she is in need of things, she heads to the Collective where there is a Trade Path where she can trade various goods that she collects, makes, grows in order to get what she needs.

It's in the Trade Path that she meets Beckett, an Affinity Guard, who when he learns of her 'Missing Person' status, should have immediately taken her into custody but doesn't. Now Cressie is unsure as to why and whether she can even trust him.

I found Frozen Heart to be a very interesting and unusual read.  For one thing, the world in which Cressenda lives in, as I said, is in an Ice Age. The population is dwindling and the Affinity takes it upon themselves to Match people, which basically means that if you live within their control, you can't choose who you will marry. They will choose for you based on genetics. That's the primary reason that Cressie is an Outlier. Her parents didn't want the Affinity to control her life so they raised her to be able to fend for herself outside of the Collective.

I really enjoyed the interaction between Beckett and Cressie, though she doesn't immediately feel comfortable around him. Beckett has his story to tell which explains why he's so willing to help Cressie out despite the fact that it puts him in danger as well.

Now although I thought the story was really good, I found that the beginning was a bit slow for me. Maybe part of that reason is because it wasn't until about 13% of the way into the book did I find out what Cressie's name was, and the book is told from her perspective. Apart from her dogs though, she lives alone and has no one else to talk to. So it's her narration or her speaking briefly to herself or her dogs. However, you do learn a bit about her past and the world she lives in, so it is important for building up the story. And then, of course, when the book ended I wasn't ready for it to end. I'm so hoping that there will be a sequel because I really would love to know what happens next. There has to be more because I say so. :P

So yeah, I want more! I guess I will just have to wait patiently and see what Annabelle writes next!

** I received an eARC copy of the book from InkSpell Publishing for review.** 

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