A Touch of Stone and Snow

by Milla Vane

July 21, 2020 · Berkley

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I try not to be overly hyperbolic in reviews and recommendations; after all, “this is the best book I have ever read!!!!” loses its impact if it’s my go-to phrase for any enjoyable read. So when I say that Milla Vane’s A Touch of Stone and Snow is the best fantasy romance I have ever read, I’m not exaggerating. It is perfect from chapter one and — defying all known logic — continuously surpasses itself to reach new levels of perfection. At one point, I set my e-reader down and decided to take a break; clearly the book would go off-the-rails sooner or later. I needed to savor the perfection of the first half before breaking my heart on a shitty ending (I am a deeply pessimistic person). I was wrong, and it’s the happiest I’ve ever been to be wrong.

Generations ago, Anumith the Destroyer razed through the Western Realms and left behind tears, a trail of dead bodies, and broken populations. No realm was spared — except for the northern island of Koth. No one knows why the Destroyer ignored Koth, but Kothans swear that their founder Varin’s blessing ensures that no outside magic will harm the island. The Destroyer continued his rampage across the ocean, and so the Western Realms spent over thirty years rebuilding and surviving a trauma that has barely started to heal. But there is no more time for healing: the moon goddess Vela has confirmed that Anumith the Destroyer is returning to the Western Realms. He seeks to repeat past atrocities with his massive armies. These armies contain soldiers that were taken as children from the Western Realms thirty years ago. But no matter how difficult and heart-wrenching it will be to face this enemy, everyone agrees that the Western Realms need to form an alliance and face the Destroyer together.

That alliance is the Gathering of Dragons (the series name), and the formation of that alliance to defeat Anumith the Destroyer is the overarching storyline of the first three books. A Touch of Stone and Snow features Kothan exile/ex-soldier Lizzan and her childhood-best-friend-turned-lover-turned-worst-enemy Aerax, the bastard prince of Koth who exiled her. Yep. That’s the level of angst we’re dealing with here, so grab a glass of water while reading because your throat will be sore from all the weeping.

After desperately trying to avoid Aerax when their paths cross, Lizzan is forced to accompany Aerax’s alliance-building mission after divine intervention by the goddess Vela. It’s somehow both the worst and best thing that could’ve happened to Lizzan. Worst because she wants nothing to do with the villain who broke her heart. Best because she’s still hopelessly in love with Aerax, and he feels the same way.

While A Touch of Stone and Snow is book two, you don’t need to read the first book A Heart of Blood and Ashes or the prequel novella The Beast of Blackmoor. There are some secondary characters who first appeared in book one, but the second installment works as a stand-alone (I should know — this is my first book by Milla Vane). I recommend jumping into A Touch of Stone and Snow straight away if my review intrigues you.

Y’all. This book. This fucking book. I wish I was a good writer because then I could pen glorious poetry in honor of A Touch of Stone and Snow (we all know any attempted poetry from me would look like what the saber-toothed snow cat dragged in). Let me start with the heroine Lizzan, aka soft-hearted, murderous, cat-loving warrior who deserves everything good in the world and has received the exact opposite. Lizzan is in a terrible place at the start of the novel. She’s been exiled for a transgression she didn’t commit. Koth law decrees that Kothans aren’t allowed to talk or acknowledge the existence of an exile, so her family carries her shame and endures ostracization. Lizzan’s trials are difficult to read: she drinks mead to numb her pain, her memories of Aerax’s betrayal rip her heart out, and strangers shun her at the sight of her facial scars (the scars resemble the mark of the goddess Vela, who only marks those who fall out of her favor). Lizzan is lonely and reviled by everyone — most of all herself.

But it doesn’t matter how low her circumstances bring her down. Her spirit is filled with generosity toward everyone, even those who might condemn her. Even at her lowest, her selflessness compels her to petition the goddess Vela and ask for a quest to redeem her family’s honor. When Vela gives her a worn pink cloak to mark her quest, Lizzan fiercely defends the gift to unimpressed acquaintances (the goddess usually gives a plush red cloak to her questers).

“This one suits me.” Threadbare and frayed, just as she was. “I only wish it were not so faded. But while on this quest, I intend to redden it with the blood of my enemies.”

And then there’s Aerax, the irredeemable hero I was prepared to hate. Who the fuck is dumb enough to break Lizzan’s heart? Then I got to his first point-of-view scene and burst into sobs. The man is in even worse straits than Lizzan. He has REALLY good reasons for what he did to his beloved, and bitterly thinks of himself as a villain. I can’t talk much about his incredible character arc because spoilers, but trust me on this. He loves Lizzan desperately, so desperately that he sees her in every single person he meets. Lizzan consumes Aerax’s every thought, night and day. Aerax also carries a pouch with Lizzan’s braid in it (it’s not as weird as it sounds. Kothan soldiers cut off their hair and give it to loved ones. Lizzan gave it to Aerax years ago). We’re only on chapter two and I’m a hiccupping ball of tears.

Hope constricted through his chest. He urged his mount to the edge of the clearing, calling himself a fool. Everywhere he saw her. Because everywhere he wanted to see her. Yet this was no trick of his eyes. Here was a print of a bare foot, and he would have known it was Lizzan by the shape of the heel alone. Or by the curve where the arch met the ball of her foot. Or by the sweet dimples that were impressions of her toes.

How can I hate someone so in love that he thinks he can identify Lizzan by her footprints?! It’s one thing to identify a masked heroine by poison ivy scented perfume or something (I kid, I kid), but looking at a days-old footprint in the mud? Honestly, I have to stan.

My resolve to hate Aerax died a sad death after three pages. I hold grudges for a long time, especially against heroes who have wronged heroines, so my easy capitulation is remarkable. Also, he says something moving and romantic every two pages, so I was helpless. I never forgive a hero before a necessary grovel, but apparently my usual rules go out the window for this book.

Aerax laughed harshly and crouched before her again, cupping her nape in a firm grip, making her gaze meet his. “If I have to become a monster to save you, that is what I will do.”

So basically we have two characters desperately in love with each other from the start, and a terrible unforgiving world that continuously spits out reasons to keep them apart. Well, fuck you, terrible unforgiving world because this is a romance novel and we’re fighting tooth and nail for our happily-ever-after. Yes, there are wraiths and demons and pesky Destroyers along the way, but these are minor details. This is a book where two broken people fall in love again and they save the day and all becomes right with the world!

Ahem. Need a second now to calm down before I descend into feral review incoherency. Hmm, what next? Oh yes, how could I forget? Probably because my President of the I Love Caeb Fan Club t-shirts haven’t arrived yet. Dear SBTB readers, meet Caeb. Caeb is Aerax’s most loyal companion in these dark times, and is the most dangerous character in the book. Caeb loves Lizzan as much (if not more, let’s be real) than Aerax. Caeb is also a saber-toothed snow cat.

Caeb prowled out of the tangled foliage and onto the road. The silver on his harness glinted in the sunlight, powerful muscles rippling under white fur dappled with pale gray.

“There he is,” said Lady Junica, before adding with a soft laugh, “It seems that he was unlucky in his hunt—and you are spared a bath.”

Amused, Aerax grunted his agreement. Usually after a hunt, Caeb returned with his muzzle and chest covered in blood. But no washing would Aerax have to give him this time.

Standing in the road, the big cat looked back over his shoulder and regarded the periwag. Nearly as tall as Aerax’s horse, with a powerful chest and forelimbs combined with explosive speed, Caeb could easily take down even a beast of the periwag’s size—and had, when he’d encountered herds of the untamed animals. Yet this one he could not eat.

Aerax gave a small shake of his head and the cat turned away as if he’d never given a thought to devouring Lady Junica’s mount. Instead he batted a clump of grass, then leapt straight upward in an attempt to swat a brushfly from the air, its segmented body as long as Aerax’s arm.

Caeb seemed more like a kitten than a fully grown snow cat on this journey.

Caeb is the best damn character in this entire book. He adores Lizzan, and simply does not understand why these foolish humans are determined to be apart. Lizzan and Aerax have nursed Caeb since he was a little baby piece of fluff, and Caeb frequently acts like a kitten (much to the amusement and frustration of his humans). Caeb thinks it’s funny to splash people with a deluge of water and watch them sputter. Caeb enjoys being spoiled and having his meat cut up for him by Lizzan. Caeb is completely uninterested in his humans engaging in, ah, adult activities but he also won’t leave them (it’s… memorable reading a sex scene while knowing a lion-sized creature is nearby, but I got over it. Typical cat behavior). Caeb is the bright spot in Aerax and Lizzan’s lives — no matter how low they feel, this big, growly snow cat adores his humans and never lets them forget it. Usually with his tongue, which is encased in frighteningly large teeth. In conclusion, there are only a limited number of spots available for the I Love Caeb Fan Club, so please email me if interested.

And oooh, I have many spoilery things to say about the lies molded into propaganda by governments. Koth, the dreamlike untouchable island kingdom, isn’t as it seems from the outside or the inside. Not only do we have complicated diplomacy struggles, culture clashes, and political infighting between the Western Realms seeking an alliance, we also have complex folklore for the pantheon of gods and mythological beings. My fantasy-loving heart soared constantly. Careful attention to detail is the difference between good and bad worldbuilding, and this series has it in spades.

I’m afraid that this review will turn into a dissertation if I’m allowed to type anymore. It’s been twenty-four hours since I finished A Touch of Stone and Snow and I am consumed with a cascade of emotions. Pure, unadulterated joy as I flail on my bed and swoon over this book. Annoyance that my 2020 plans have been put on hold because I need to glom Milla Vane/Meljean Brook’s backlists (Brook and Vane are the same author writing under different pen names). Pre-emptive grief for when my spurned TBR murders me in revenge because I abandoned them (you laugh, but it could happen!).

Since I’m starting to spiral into delighted incoherency again, I’ll end with this. A Touch of Stone and Snow is my new gold standard for fantasy romance. The palpable yearning wrecked me to the point of tears. The sexual heat scorched my fingertips. The angst bled out of the ink on every page. I devoured every single bite with a spoon and went back for seconds. Please, I’m begging you — if you’re someone who loves fantasy/PNR settings, give this book a try. I love A Touch of Stone and Snow with all my heart and then some; I think you might, too.