Ice & Ivy

Mages of the Wheel, Book 4

De: J.D. Evans

Narrado por: Tim Campbell, Caren Naess

A wildflower alone is all the more beautiful for the barrenness from which it grows. A single note more glorious for the silence around it.

She is a void, the empty balance of magic.

When the Grand Vizier seeks to humiliate a man who has crossed him, a woman of the humblest origins becomes entangled in political webs far beyond her understanding, and bound into a marriage she cannot escape. She does not know who is an ally, and who is an enemy. But she does know she is drawn to the man whose dreams and heart seem made of ice.

He is a mage broken, whose power has been warped.

The Blight ravages both Tamar and Sarkum, and their people, and armies, are starving. Violence and protests in Narfour have the city on the brink of rebellion. When Ihsan sees a chance to gain an ally with the only productive land left in Tamar for his cousin, the Sultana, he takes it. But nothing is as it seems when Behram Kadir is involved. Ihsan knows he should not trust the woman who has upended his life, even if she is the first warmth he has felt since fire stole everything from him.

Some broken things were never meant to be as they were.

For mature listeners.

©2023 J. D. Evans (P)2024 Podium Audio

Do not sleep on this series.

Oooph that ending. How do these books keep getting better and better??? As the cast grows so has my depth of live for the story. The next installment can’t come soon enough.

Great narration!

Loved listening to this audiobook and following along on my kindle. This series is one of my favorites. Its unique. I haven’t read anything with a mid eastern culture involved and this author wrote it very well.

stunning.

Everything I want in a love story, and more. Can't wait for the next book!

Such beautiful characters!

And such infuriatingly evil characters! I try to never start a series that isn’t completely finished, and I thought this series was…NEXT INSTALLMENT PLEEEAASSEE!!

Amazing. Exactly what I was looking for, all the hallmarks of YA but actually mature characters and conflicts

Amazing. Exactly what I was looking for, all the hallmarks of YA but actually mature characters and conflicts

Wow... just wow

I think this one is my favorite of the series. I loved the plot, the angst and the characters. The narration is lovely and really brings the characters to life. I can't wait for the next book to come out!

Best in the series

Just when you thought you could follow what the author planned you can’t. Blown away by the storyline and the ending. Best yet in this series!

Excellent Story, Amazing Characters

Wow! That’s pretty much all I can say is “wow”! JD Evans has outdone her herself again, and I am in shock. And the last chapter?! Are you kidding me right now?! Ugh!!! How long until the next one?!

Okay, review time:

1) Plot: The Mages of the Wheel sits in an interesting place for me, where I want to think of them as Romantasy, but they’re more like Romantic Fantasy. They take all of the best parts of epics like Game of Thrones, but replace the crass with the beautiful and delicious. Every scene is either brimming with anticipation, fear of what is next, or superb character building. 5/5!

2) Characters: this is where JD Evens shines brightest. Each of her characters feel so alive and real, each having their own voice and tone, and each filled with life and realism. I loved our main two characters in this story, their brutal moments of self-reflection and heart wrenching moments of honesty, tied into a myriad web of lies and deceit. 5/5!

3) Narrators: both narrators are excellent, helping me dive into this story with ease. 5/5!

This might be my favorite read of 2025.

Amazing series, this book is no exception

Every book in this series is just so so good. The story is so masterfully plotted and it’s an absolute delight to experience how it all unravels from book to book.
I absolutely love how every book continues the story and definitely feel as a part of a whole but also each are distinct from each other.
Ice & Ivy brings us back to the court in Tamar and all the political intrigue, but with Ihsan and Nesrin as the main couple. Their story is the slowest of slow burns compared to the previous books, but it’s very well justified as their character development is so deep and well done (as is with all characters in the series).
I just can’t wait for the next books. This is series is exceptional.

Beloved for a reason

By now it’s well established how special this series is. This chapter, especially so.
I initially read this book months ago, but since I had listened, and re-listened, to the previous books I couldn’t wait to hear these narrator’s voice these characters. As expected, they deliver with all the warmth and affection we’ve come to expect.
Nearly all the characters from the previous installments play a role this time. Amarra’s entrance caused my adrenaline to spike. But this is the story of Ishsan and Nesrin. Two folks whose lives were nearly destroyed at different times by Kadir. It tackles healing, rebirth, death and hope and how all those things are in balance. Threads from all the previous books come together and we start to see the whole picture. Questions are answered just as fast new clues and Easter eggs are dropped. The prose remains practically lyrical. It is fulfilling and gratifying in all the ways so few series are these days. I cherish this book and it will stick with me for a long time.
Oh except for that last chapter. Thankfully neither of the MC’s are involved because it will rip out your heart. However, it’s foreshadowed well and sets up the 5th book nicely, raising the stakes a considerable amount. Enjoy.