CAGE OF ICE AND ECHOES - Pam Godwin

4.5 stars

You know what I love? I love being surprised by stories. When you’re a frequent reader, the surprises become fewer and farther between as you reread tropes and plot points.

But Pam?? Pam always surprises me. And I love her for that. This story is so unique and so angsty and yes, I’m still obsessed.

Plot: ★★★★★
Pacing: ★★★
Angst: ★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★★

This is the second book in the Frozen Fate series. You CANNOT start with this book, you must start with book one--Hills of Shivers and Shadows. Read my review of Hills of Shivers and Shadows here.

Okay, now I'm writing this review for my fellow besties who have already read Hills of Shivers and Shadows.

Y'all....

I'm convinced that Pam laces these books with something to make them this good. There's no other author in this subgenre that I read as obsessively as her. I don't read a lot of darker romance, but I'll always read Pam because at the end of the day, I know the characters are in love. There might be a hell of a lot of angst and pain in their journeys, but it's all coming hand-in-hand with their eventual love arc.

So with that being said, let's talk about the propulsive sequel, Cage of Ice and Echoes.

Frankie, Leo, and Kodiak are stranded in the Artic Circle. Their generator is broken. They've just killed their abuser, Denver, and he was the only one who knew how to fly the plane—their one source of escape from the wilderness. They're going to die out here in the dark, frigid cold without any help or way of escape.

Leo and Kodiak are found-family brothers, raised in this unforgiving hellscape with Denver. They're grieving the loss of their fellow brother, Wolf, and are reeling from the fact that for the first time in their lives, they are free of Denver's abusive control. And they're both obsessively in love with Frankie.

Frankie was abducted by Denver at the beginning of this series and brought to the Arctic Circle compound where it became clear to her that something very sinister lay at the heart of the compound. After a traumatic several months spent in Denver's control and orbiting around Denver's three adult "sons," Frankie finds herself entwined forever with these rugged Alaskan men.

But with Wolf and Denver gone, the three remaining survivors have a lot to work out—not the least of which is their deep connections and love for each other. Can Kodiak and Leo share a woman when they both love her obsessively and see each other as brothers? Can Frankie navigate this unique romantic scenario while also dealing with the perils of surviving a starving, freezing winter?

And wait, there's another wrinkle in this already crumpled story: Monty, Frankie's rich husband, isn't out of commission. Denver might have ruined Frankie's love for her husband by showing her a video of Monty cheating on her after she "left him" in her abduction, but that was Monty's one fumbling moment in months of endless pain. He's been a broken man since Frankie "left," and he's never given up. He's running himself and his fortune into the ground in an effort to find his missing wife.

What will he do—and what will Frankie do—when and if he finds her?

So many tangles. So many threads. So much pain, and beauty, and grace. The heart of this survivor's tale is deep in the frozen tundra, and it's time to connect some dots.

Like all of Pam's stories that I've read so far, you come for that unique scenario that propels you to find out "why." And then you stay for the hard-won and emotionally fulfilling romance story arc that awaits you at the finish line.

This sequel is in the middle of a trilogy with cliffhangers on both sides—there is no big closure moment here. It's the middle leg of the journey and it reads like one. A little softer, a little more focused on building the relationships vs. uncovering more secrets. After the pain and stress of the first book, I enjoyed this reprieve as a reader. And now I'm FERAL for that third book.