Intense, gripping, sexy, feral, and haunting – these are some of the words I can think of to describe Cage of Ice and Echoes. If you thought that this story’s pace might slow down after the cliffhanger ending from Hills of Shivers and Shadows, think again. Pam Godwin’s characters don’t know how to sit still and let life happen to them, no – they dive into their problems headfirst with grit and courage. 

“So we’re to spend the winter in darkness?”
“Scared?”
“Fuck you.” 

Even though it had been months since I’d read HOSS, it felt like I hadn’t missed any time with the story. The characters felt familiar to me and it felt like no time had passed since reading the last book. Several scenes in this story made me pump my fist – I was SO ready for them and loved the way that they were written. It was so satisfying to read and I highlighted so many sections of text. 

“Outside, everything is fatal. Everything dies. But in here, with our eyes locked and our souls touching, we’re eternal.” 

 

It’s difficult for me to divulge my feelings about this story without restraint because spoiling this story for any of my friends is something I refuse to do. Everyone deserves to experience the pure, raw emotion as the story unfolds, and I won’t take that away from anyone. 

I will reveal that some questions from Hills of Shivers and Shadows do get answered. I have to commend Pam Godwin’s brilliance in the way that she unraveled some of the mysteries from HOSS. The plot feels like an intricate web that becomes infinitely more complex the more you pay attention to it. 

“I didn’t understand what he was trying to tell me. When I asked, he said the point is that lions can’t fly, bears are drunks, and…” My face crumples. “The Magic Kingdom will forever be without its queen.” 

Cage of Ice and Echoes ends on a cliffhanger, and let it be known that this might be one of my favorite cliffhangers of all time. It’s brutal in the most satisfying way, and I’m literally aching for the final book in the trilogy. I have some really off-the-wall theories on how I think the final book will go, and that cliffhanger – that f***ing cliffhanger - gives me some validation that I might be on the right track. Gah! 

Cancel your weekend plans, because the moment you start this book, you won’t want to put it down! I already want to go back to it and read it all over again from the beginning. These characters continue to consume my thoughts. 

Thank you, Pam, from the bottom of my heart, for including me in the beta reader team. Beta reading this story has been such an incredible experience, and I’ve loved every moment of the process thus far.