Tears of Ice

Captivating, intense, and all-consuming - that's my impression of the world building. The author is completely unknown to me, so I was a little hesitant to start - but oh, how quickly I forgot my reservations with this short book.
A case of mistaken identity or not/I'm not sure how this will play out in future books/Ava is kidnapped and her hasty attempt to escape leaves her stranded in another realm. A realm where the social hierarchy is strongly established on the magical reserves and essence of its inhabitants - the stronger the magic, the higher the position of the family with the leading elemental emperor on top. After the initial shock of so many revelations and events, I was pleasantly surprised to see the steel core that Ava possessed. Challenging, witty, and resilient, she showed from the start that she wasn't going to be a silent pushover, a pawn in anyone's game, or a docile little “human”. Yes, being human and lacking magical abilities definitely puts Ava on the lowest rung of the ladder, but it doesn't dampen her wild spirit or turn her into some sort of talking vegetable. I loved how unapologetically herself she is - kind, observant and fun. The splashes of humor that flash across the pages from the very beginning of her interesting adventure, added even stronger entertaining vibe.
The story has a definite slow burnish vibe relationship wise with only a hint of some of her future love interests, but with everything happening in rapid succession, there wasn't a single boring moment.
What's even more interesting is that Ava found Sanctuary in the leading Academy in the new realm and this is the first of many other academy type of series, that kept my attention. I can't wait to read the continuation.