Heidi Catherine

“The Thaw Chronicles” is not only great YA dystopian series, but certainly the very best! Sloan & Catherine have created an enthralling new verse that captivated the readers at the very first book, and have kept the fires burning ever since 😉 showing us Askala, as a (maybe not so) distant future version of our own, and succeeding in mixing fictional and realistic tropes into a fully satisfying story, that is first and foremost entertaining, as every timeless story has to be.

A new leader has mastered the Tournaments and has been choses to rule over the Outlands. The tournaments might be over, but the final war for Askala has just barely begun. The confrontation between the harsh survival on the Outlands, and the – apparently – thrive and prosperity on Askala comes to his breaking point, leading to a war whose outcome will seal not only the future of Askala but that of the dying planet, because – as often happens – even the most honorable of fights develop their shadowy motives.

Sloan & Catherine’s wonderful dystopian world, foreign yet familiar, both beautiful and terrifying captivates the reader at first read. Their fluid and nuanced writing conveys a powerful message, whose actuality is plainly apparent. The extraordinary thoroughly created world is populated by well developed and multifaceted characters, credible and relatable at all times. This is – as always - a fast-paced story, that provides action non-stop, an intelligent plot, and very satisfactory developments, a real page-turner, a great adventure that leaves a lasting impression without disregarding the level of pure entertainment every good story should provide.

“Conquer the Thaw” is the perfect conclusion to the series, bringing to fulfilment the events depicted in “Tournaments of Thaw” (Book 9) which gave us a brand-new insight into the Chronicles, being perfect counterbalance to previous sub-series in the verse: “After the Thaw” (Books 1-4) and “Beyond the Thaw” (Books 5-8). “Conquer the Thaw” is a wonderful bitter-sweet lecture, that appeals not only to our emotions, but also to our intelligence and empathy, as only the best literature works do. I’ve already stated it in numerous occasions, however is worth repeating at least one more time: “The Thaw Chronicles” is without any doubt the best YA dystopian series of the decade, not only lining up effortlessly with “The Hunger Games” and “Divergent” but even surpassing them with a very carefully crafted world, the right amount of dystopia and social critique, the constantly questioning of the values and drawbacks of the system that allow the reader to understand the strengths and flaws of the system and to find unsettling similarities to our own social shortcomings.… (meer)

“The Thaw Chronicles” is not only great YA dystopian series, but certainly the very best! Sloan & Catherine have created a enthralling new verse that captivated the readers at the very first book, and have kept the fires burning ever since 😉 showing us Askala, as a (maybe not so) distant future version of our own, and succeeding in mixing fictional and realistic tropes into a fully satisfying story, that is first and foremost entertaining, as every timeless story has to be.

We have fevered, fought, and explored the world beyond along with our protagonists wondering since the very first book how everyday life really is in the Outlands, and finally the time to ponder is over: “Tournaments of Thaw” deals with life in the Outlands and the fight for survival, whose peak are the Tournaments: deadly games in which the five different factions confront each other until the soul survivor grasp power over the Outlands. Two sets of twins (Lexis, Raze, Winter and Gray) will compete for the winner spot and the right to rule and led the Outlanders into a better life, beyond the toxic water. Twins in a competition which acknowledge a sole survivor is unheard of, two set of twins changes the whole situation, even more so when both teams are diametrically opposed. On the one side the high born, with a lifelong worth of training and destined to rule (Lexi & Raze), on the other the ‘losers’ on society, born poor and expected to fall. In order to survive and win, they are expected to ignore any empathy, but perhaps surviving is not a solitary feat. Lexis, Raze, Winter and Gray might be newcomers to the “Thaw-Verse”, but they all have already found their place into our hearts.

Sloan & Catherine’s wonderful dystopian world, foreign yet familiar, both beautiful and terrifying captivates the reader at first read. Their fluid and nuanced writing conveys a powerful message, whose actuality is plainly apparent. The extraordinary thoroughly created world is populated by well developed and multifaceted characters, credible and relatable at all times. This is – as always - a fast-paced story, that provides action non-stop, an intelligent plot, and very satisfactory developments, a real page-turner, a great adventure that leaves a lasting impression without disregarding the level of pure entertainment every good story should provide.

“Tournaments of Thaw” gives a new insight into the “The Thaw Chronicles Series” and is the perfect counterbalance after both previous sub-series in the verse: “After the Thaw” (Books 1-4) and “Beyond the Thaw” (Books 5-8). I’ve already stated it in numerous occasions, however is worth repeating, “The Thaw Chronicles” is without any doubt the best YA dystopian series of the decade, not only lining up effortlessly with “The Hunger Games” and “Divergent” but even surpassing them with a very carefully crafted world, the right amount of dystopia and social critique, the constantly questioning of the values and drawbacks of the system that allow the reader to understand the strengths and flaws of the system and to find unsettling similarities to our own social shortcomings.… (meer)