Blizzard by Mikayla Elliot | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)

As a note, a copy of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

WOW. Mikayla Elliot does it again with the next enthralling release of her The Black Ice trilogy: Blizzard. Just when you thought things couldn't get more thrilling, action-packed, or mysterious, Elliot makes the stakes at an all-time high, leaving readers grappling with where the story went and just what the implications will be for the third installment.

Where we left in Snow, there were a lot of questions left dangling just in front of us. The betrayal of Zachariah, the fact that Eliza is technically Neva's mother, Neva is left reeling from the death of all but one member of her family, a niece who is presently missing and presumably in terrible danger, by the hands of her long-gone husband. Elliot packed a lot into the climax of Snow, leaving us all breathless and intrigued at one comes next--fortunately for readers, Blizzard is just as complex and richly written as its predecessor and will, once again, leave us longing for more. 





Armed with a darkly unique take on the classic vampire plot, Blizzard picks up on very two different timelines; on one end, we see the origins of Eliza and Zachariah, the start of the vampires of their world, we get an idea on who Kareese was in that fateful first life, and we rotate back into the thick of where we left off in Snow.

Elliot shows no sign of slowing down. Not only do we get a artfully done backstory for many of the characters, we are introduced to many new plot-twists and characters. We get a glimpse of what other, let's call them, creatures are in this world--and we witness just a bit more worldbuilding.

Further, Blizzard maintains that beautifully suspenseful and magical feeling that Snow had in tone and prose; tying into the at times heart-wrenching and heart-warming series of events. There are so many emotions I felt while reading Blizzard. Elliot proves once again how much heart and soul she poured into the trilogy; captivating readers from the start in a way that is admirable and fully engrossing. If I am being unclear and appear to be babbling, just know this: you should be reading these books.

I went from intrigued, to surprised, to horrified, to all-swooned-out and flipped around in my many emotions. There were several twists and turns that even I didn't see coming straight away. If you're keen on surprises, there are at least three in this book that I can list off the top of my head.

This is a sign of not only a great series, but an incredible talent. Mikayla Elliot should be applauded for revitalizing the tired genre and creating something so fun. 

My personal favourite parts of the novel were:

• Neva seeing more of not only her past life as Kareese, but also seeing Eliza's story. I think that the backstory between Eliza, Zachariah and Reegan (I may be spelling his name wrong?) may be my favourite part of Blizzard and I'd totally read more from their past in a heartbeat. 
• One specific familial revelation that I will not mention for fear of spoiling. 
• The rise of a new big bad. 
• A little redemption.

That being said, I was completely blown away by Snow and even more so by Blizzard. This is truly a can't-miss-series by an exceptionally talented author. While many would argue that vampires are, like, so yesterday, Mikayla Elliot is here to remind what the genre could--and should--be.

Say hello to your next obsession!