Just got my ARC

Thank you! - Kitarad, you have a mail!

Huggin you back FashionSparkles! Feel better already -grin-

Oh, jeez, that's tough. I love all of them.

Novella-characters: Zach, Nita and Nate. x)

I loved Clay, because he loved Tally and I'm sometimes like Tally myself. I loved Sascha, because I'd love to have someone like her or be like her sometimes.. Buut she's "too" good sometimes. I didn't love her book or her scenes, but in real life.. Well, I'd like her, I guess.
Judd. Nuff said? I mean.. Judd.. Awwr. Devs, Rileys and Andrews stories are awesome. I loved how Riley would've given up the den for Mercy. Oh, and Drew? I mean, the ringtone-thing is epic.

In Kiss of Snow, I loved Kit. You'll understand as soon as you got your hands on the book. He is one damn good friend and.. well. He's Kit.

I never really thought about Walker, but one phrase made me love him. *_* There are the 'new' lieutnants, Matthias, Tomas etc and I really want to know more about them.

But the ones I really, really need to read about? Vasic/The Arrows. They are my new "Kiss of Snow".

I guess we will read more about the pater.. um, priest.. wtf, the one who works with the Ghost, Xavier! Yes, Xavier, too, sometime soon...

Thank you Patricia for taking the time. I must agree with others here who said Nalini picked the right person to give the arc to.

@ Patricia: I'm also one of the three German-speaking ARC winners. I'll post my review tomorrow I just have to figure out how much 'spoiling' is ok. I'm with you, I too need to read about Vasic, Aden and the Arrows.
btw, I really like your signature and I totally agree

Thank you! *dances around. again*

Serena, I'm SO looking forward to reading your review. Won't post mine till, huh, I guess April-May. Ah, finally! The other ARC-winners didn't really write much about them and I was like: 'Ah.. forever alone. Me and the Arrows..' :'D Haha, foot fetish -gg- Yup. Loved that part.

Btw, I have the same problem about my review. I mean, yup, I'm spoiling alot here, buut it's different. The biggest problem is: I really don't know where to start. Wrote 5 reviews already and they are bullshit. All of them. Gn! Hope you've got better luck!

I know, the one and only 'bad' thing about getting an ARC at this stage, when the release day is eons away is: there are very few people to talk about the book. I know, I really shouldn't be complaining because it's a thousand times harder for all the others.
You are not alone anymore, if you like to share, there are enough Arrows for both of us
I think I will write two reviews, I'll post a more spoilery one later on, in May. At first I didn't want to post one so soon but I really want to share my thoughts about the book and I feel I've found a way to make my review not too spoilery but also not uninteresting. Since I was never before trusted with something like an ARC and writing a review about it I found that a hard task. I just need to smooth out some edges then I'll post it later on today.

Ok, I'm finished with my first review. Please be kind if my spelling is wrong or some expressions are funny, english is not my native language.
I orientated my review to Patricias and Ladyhawkes in terms of spoilers so I hope it's okay the way I wrote it. I'm not quite satisfied with it but I'll post it nonetheless because otherwise you would never get to read it due to perfectionistic Serena

Okay, here you go:

I can imagine that writing Kiss of Snow was probably even more hard work than any book in the Psy/Changeling series so far, given the load of anticipation that was building up among us fans since the first signs of a possible …something…between Hawke and Sienna showed up.
Before I held the book in my hands and started to read I really tried not to build up too many expectations like I normally do, because it often ruined the whole book when I thought too much of what I wanted or not wanted to happen

Of course, those attempts epically failed

I needed to read Kiss of Snow three times before I felt confident enough to write a review. When I read it the first time I was so excited and nervous I wasn’t quite able to process all the information Ms. Singh shares in this book.
In Play of Passion we saw the Council splitting and the beginnings of an upcoming war that threatens to destroy not only the Psy. In Kiss of Snow we are taken back in the SnowDancer den to see how the Changelings and the Psy prepare for the inevitable war. Existing alliances are further strengthened and possible new alliances are discussed.

And then, of course, there are Hawke and Sienna, both tormented souls in their own right.
I was very curious to learn more about Sienna, discover more about what she was like beside the fact that she had the ability to aggravate Hawke more than anyone else. I really liked what I saw. Sienna often acts very mature, I recall that she was called an “old soul” in Play of Passion and I think that description fits very well. But especially when it comes to Hawke Sienna often acts like the nineteen year old young woman she is. She is very much aware about the age gap between her and Hawke and tries to make him see that she’s not a child anymore by acting calm and mature but she doesn’t always succeed. This is what made me really like her. We also learn more about the Lauren family as a whole, how they are tied together, how they stuck together even in the Net. I really liked to see that Sienna made some friends in the den, because I always thought of her more as a “lone wolf” before. The X-designation did surprise me, but positively.
Hawke just made me melt into a pile of goo. We learn a lot about him, how he became the Alpha he is.
Seeing Sienna and Hawke interact and play was often funny especially because of the very strained political situation on the other hand.
What really stunned me was when I discovered that Kiss of Snow doesn’t only contain the romance between Hawke and Sienna, we also get to see Walker and Lara’s story. When it became apparent that Walker and Lara’s story would also be told I was a little dissatisfied because I really wanted them to get their own story, and not being a sidekick story next to Hawke and Sienna. To think that was really foolish. Walker’s story really swept me off my feet. I found myself even more intrigued with his story and his character than I already was with Hawke and Sienna's and that’s quite something. After finishing Kiss of Snow, my dissatisfaction with Lara and Walker having to “share” Kiss of Snow with Hawke and Sienna faded, because I understood why the story had to be told the way it was. Of course I wished the book was longer but in my opinion it was enough “room” between the beginning and the end to tell both stories in a way that does everyone justice.

In Kiss of Snow we get further insights in how life in the den is organized and functions and learn more about SnowDancer’s past. We also get to see more of Aden, Vasic and the Arrows. The Arrow-scenes were very intense and really got me thinking about what Ms. Nalini got in store for them.
Of course we get to see great Sascha/Lucas/Baby moments, some “don’t-get-shot-Drew “ jokes. We also get to see a little more about Nikita too, not very much though, but I’m sure there will be more in the upcoming books.

I have to agree with my fellow reviewers that Kiss of Snow is a very serious book. The non-romantic-plot got probably more room than in the other books. Personally, I liked that and also expected it since Kiss of Snow is the final of the first story arc and is setting the stage for further events to come.
I really enjoyed Kiss of Snow, Nalini Singh did a great job and resolved all fears I had about too high expectations. After finishing Kiss of Snow and thinking about it I can say that that with Kiss of Snow Nalini Singh has exceeded all my expectations. And expectations I had plenty. It really was worth the long time we’ve waited since the first hint that Hawke and Sienna might have some chemistry.

Kiss of Snow is a clear cardinal on the book-Gradient.

Lovely review - thanks, Serena.

Thank you for the review Serena.

"Kiss of Snow is a clear cardinal on the book-Gradient." - LOL! Nice word choice! Great review & thanks for taking the time to write a detailed one as well. =)

Excellent review! I enjoyed it.

Great review
Thanks

Thanks, it's the first I wrote for the public, so it's encouraging that I did good

Love your last sentence well written .

I have been a long time lurker, but decided to finally register to tell you guys how excited this post has made me. Thank you so much Patricia and Serena for your wonderful reviews/quotes/goodies/amazingness. You really do make the wait feel so much easier. I think the last time I was this excited about a book was Acheron's, but I think Hawke definitely beats Acheron!!!

I just had a quick question because I can't find it anywhere and was hoping you guys could help: does anyone remember/know the site where a lot of books are being auctioned off on ebay? I remember it was for a great cause in the romance community, but can't find it in a google search. Thanks so much!

Welcome KittyKat! Usually I'm a lurker on other book forums too, but the wait for KOS is driving me nuts & so I've been posting on here like crazy these past few months. ;-) Google either Operation Auction or Auction Operation (it's one of those). Speaking of ebay, I was trying to win an arc for Kiss of Snow this past week on there & the two posted went for like 300-400 dollars each. Craziness! I'm dirt poor right now, so those prices were way out of my range. And I got lucky that Acheron was out by the time I started reading Kenyon, as that wait was numerous years in the making. And I agree, Hawke beats Acheron. ;-)

Thank Tracy! I lived around Raleigh for a few years, so I will probably try to bid on some auction items to help a bit, since the area and the people are very close to my heart. But for the life of me, I couldn't remember the name! Thanks again =)

I feel you about the $. I'm a dirt poor grad student... But it would be sweet to win an ARC and live off Ramen for two months. What a sacrifice! =) I remember when Acheron came out and there was an ARC on ebay that went for 400, it doesn't surprise me, but still

I was also lucky enough to start reading Kenyon after Acheron was out, some of my poor friends who read the series right from the start had to wait years for his story like we all are for Hawke, but I think it will be worth it.
I am a 19 year old grad student too so can't participate. Will wait.

Great review! I really enjoyed it.

Um, since it's only something about php, I'm going to ask in German. Its not about KoS directly, so I hope no one minds.

Alsooo.. irgendwie fühlt sich das grad komisch an auf Deutsch zu schreiben xD Egal. Ich wollte eventuell eine kleine extra-Seite machen, auf der ich die Rezensionen, Fragen und Antworten die hier gepostet wurden, reinstelle. Über kilu oder bplaced. Also selbstgehostet und mit php/html/css, was ich selbstmache. Anyway, falls ich das mache (großes FALLS), kann ich deine Rezi auch reinstellen? Ich meine, ich möchte das im Prinzip nur machen, weil ich nicht ALLES auf meinem Blog veröffentlichen will, aber trotzdem allen ermöglichen, das zu lesen (ohne hier den gesamten Forenverlauf durchlesen zu müssen, mein ich xD).

As for the ARCs:

Why would they sell them on ebay? I mean.. yes. It's cool. You get lots of money. But it's SO. NOT. NICE. Ecept if you donate it for.. lets say, Nippon.

Arg, I meant Japan. Sorry xD

I'm happy that you like it

Since you asked in German I will reply in German :

Du kannst mein Review gern verwenden, ich fühle mich geehrt
Ich finde deinen Bücherblog übrigens toll! Ich bin gerade dabei selber einen auf die Beine zu stellen, aber Programmiersprachentrottel der ich bin, dauert es noch, bis das Layout meinen Ansprüchen genügt ( die nicht hoch sind- aber gut aussehen soll es schon)

ok, back to English:

Yeah, you get a lot of money by selling your ARCs on ebay, but I wouldn't do that either, except if I was dirt poor and it was the only way to feed my family. I'm a poor student right now, but there's always a little money left for books. Not as much as I would like it though, but hey, you can't always get what you want.

I really enjoyed it. I don't agree with most of the reviews and thinking about it, now that some time passed since reading KoS I won't give it an 4.5 rating anymore, but more like 4 of 5 stars. The story was well-written and more complex in lots of ways but there wasn't enough time to do the plot (and the two couples) justice. Also, sometimes Hawkes behavior just freaked me out. Alpha-behavior I can stand. Arrogance, yes, I can stand that, too. But he was so smug. There was a little part where, although meant to be funny, I really had to stop reading for 5 minutes. I think it was like.. well he thought that he'd like to have something. Than Sienna told him that she wanted him to do exactly that and what was his thought? "I don't like to be given orders but for Sienna I might just do that." Stupid wolf! He wanted it all along, gr! On the other hand he was so gentle and tender that it almost broke my heart. Almost. There were about 100-400 pages missing to REALLY break my heart.

Oh, if you're done with your blog pleaaase send me the link! *_*

For the rest of you, I don't know if you've already seen it.. In case you didn't here is Anna-Lisa's review (German and English):

http://anlisunendlichegeschichte.wordpress.com/2011/03/27/rezension-kiss-of-snow-deutsch-und-englisch/

Just scroll down

I will - I try to beat some programming and webdesigning skills into my already philosophy-stuffed brain. Maybe the cliché about the ivory-towered philosophers isn't entirely wrong

I understand your criticism - well, the word criticism is too hard- I thought that too but after thinking about it I decided that what I was doing was some sophisticated whining. But I'm speaking just for myself, that statement does not intent to lessen anyone elses opinion.
After letting my impressions "rest" for a while I got the feeling that Kiss of Snow does set the stage for something bigger.
The one big objection I have and already stated was that Walker and Lara didn't get their own book, because its hard to compete to Hawke and Sienna. But I understand why it was done the it was done. Perhaps it would've been better to make two books because it would have allowed to show more about the romances.
But as I already said: The perfect book I haven't yet read and I don't think that it exists ( at least not for me) and Kiss of Snow was pretty damn good.

Wordpress, Blogger etc. - You don't need to know much about it there!

Yes. Not the book was bad or anything. There were simply not enough pages left. LaraxWalkers story and SiennaxHawkes couldn't be told in any other way than together, but damn, a few pages more (like 500) wouldn't have hurt now, would they?

Huh, sophisticated whining xD. I had the feeling I was 'too' happy about the book, because I got that ARC. Like I HAD to like it, because I got one. After I got rid of this thoughts and thought about the book as just another book, I noticed that it really wasn't my favourite one, but still damn good (has to share the first place xD). The prob was, I was searching for mistakes, because I wanted to write the best review possible. Not some too fangirlish stuff, but something the book deserved. Still not there, but you know.. Well, anyway. After thinking about the book so much, reading it again and again to think about the plot, the (often & sadly missing) character development, dialogue etc. I think I'm really going to stick with my 4 of 5 stars. It wasn't perfect and it wasn't thaat near perfect that I'd still give the 5.
Btw, it's not really the romance I miss. It's the characters. They lack something, but I haven't figured out what exactly that is.. Gr.

But I still loved the story and am damn happy to have read it. Wouldn't miss it for the world and want to read more already. (ARROWS!! *_*)

Awr. Besides, with the things happening in KoS, Nalini really writes exactly what everyone wanted. And more. Jeez, we're going to be some spoiled brats. x]

Just set up my blog at wordpress.com. Doesn't look fancy at the stage... I'm still working on it. Maybe I should have written some reviews in advance
I'll send you the link later on today, or just post it here.

I was searching for a translation of: "jammern auf hohen Niveau" and "sophisticated whining" was the best I could come up with.
I share your feeling of somehow "having to like" the book because we got an ARC. Not that I don't like it, I really do.
If there was a perfect book for me, it would be a book focused on Vasic and/or Aden. I really came to like Aden a lot while reading KoS.

I know what they are lacking: More room to unfold - the book needed more pages

Yay for more reviews!!! =)