Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: Ice on Fire
SERIES: Treble & the Lost Boys #1
AUTHOR: G.R. Lyons
PUBLISHER: self-published
LENGTH: 342 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 27, 2018
BLURB:
Zac Cinder is on the verge of making his dream come true. His punk rock band, Inferno, might have a shot at an audition for a record deal. Fame and fortune would mean he could finally help his parents. They’d raised eight kids in a loving household while barely scraping by, so Zac is determined to give back in any way he can.
Keeping Inferno together, though, means keeping his biggest secret. His bigoted bandmates would drop him in an instant if they found out Zac was gay.
Then he meets Adrian Frost, and Zac can’t resist the shy man. Adrian gives up everything to be with Zac, but Zac can’t bring himself to do the same. He doesn’t want to lose Adrian, but he can’t give up Inferno, either. Not when he’s so close to realizing his dream.
When one cruel decision rips Adrian from his life, Zac will have to decide if ambition is worth the price of the greatest happiness he’s ever known.
(Note: This story takes place in a fictional world, the same as in the Shifting Isles Series. There are multiple gods, different names for the days of the week, etc. A glossary is included.)
WARNING: Contains scenes of self-harm that may be disturbing for some readers.
REVIEW:
I loved the few other books in this series. I need to read the rest. This book was no different in that it was just as good as the others I’ve read. Heartfelt, emotional, brutal in some cases. It shows the harsh realities that some live in, and even though we’ve grown as a nation, to a point, it’s still just as bigoted as ever. And the need to hide becomes worse. It’s so sad people are like that.
Zac is working his butt off. Being in two different bands, working and going to school. But he refuses to ask for help, even when his parents offer, because all they gave up for their kids. He and his 7 siblings have done all they could to flourish and return the favor for their parents. But Zac has been hiding a secret that he’s afraid of getting out. But one man, a shadow, at one of his performances is keeping him on the edge of his seat. He’s trying to play it cool but he wants to speak to this guy so bad and the guy up and leaves before he can say a word. What Zac doesn’t realize is Adrian can’t stay, no matter how bad he wants to. His anxiety in crowds cripples him, but the urge to see and hear Zac play is too much to ignore. When they find out they are in a class together, the sexual tension is off the charts, but Adrian is so shy. A class project forces to work together and they set the world on fire. But they know they have to keep it a secret. Between Adrian’s domineering father and Zac’s assholish friends, they have to stay in the closet. But their caught and Adrian loses everything. Zac takes him in, but things are getting too much. In order to hide from his friends that he’s gay, Zac says some very hurtful things and that’s the icing on the cake. Now they have to fix things before it’s too late. If it’s not already.
Man, I hate that this world is so bigoted. Even in fiction you can’t always have a happy ending. Well, you can but then it would be this perfect thing and it would suck bad. What’s worse is having crippling anxiety and being forced to deal with anxious things anyway. Which caused Adrian to cut. I loved Adrian so much. He just wanted freedom and someone to love him. But his asshole father wouldn’t even let him breathe. He was so domineering and such a dick! I hate that man. When you are a parent, you’re suppose to love and nurture them, even if you don’t agree with their lifestyle. Adrian couldn’t even be himself. And when he got kicked out, he realized that he couldn’t even find for himself. Which set him on a darker path. Being with Zac was hard but when the ‘shit hit the fan’, he knew he had to grow up. He even finally realized he wanted to live, and that made all the difference. What I love about Zac is even when he felt he had to be a dick because of his friends, he still tried to do right by Adrian. Yeah, he stuck his foot in his mouth too much because of it. And it hurt, no matter how many times he apologized.
The fact of the matter is, they both had a lesson to learn. Adrian had to learn he could live without his father. Yes, the inheritance he got made things drastically better, but even broke, he had to take control of his life and be who he was meant to be. Zac had to stand up for himself. If that meant he lost friends….oh well. When you set out to deliberately hurt someone to make yourself better, it’s never good. When you truly love someone, the things you used to tolerate should change. If they don’t, reevaluate. Something isn’t right. Zac had to realize everytime he accepted his friends bigotry, he hurt himself and Adrian. Which is more important? Assholes who spew hate, or someone who truly loves you and you them.
Being different is never easy. Having that difference constantly pointed out to you is even worse. And those of us who tolerate, should be ashamed. If we don’t stand and make a change, it will never get better. Take a note from this book. Be a voice. Take a stand. Make a difference. This is a wonderful book and I can’t wait to read the next.
RATING: 
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