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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
I don't have much experience with fantasy novels, so this is going to be a tricky book for me to review. I hope you'll bear with me as I try to convey my feelings, as my emotions and thoughts were all over the place for the span of all 420 pages.
A King So Cold is a story about Audra, the icy queen of Allureldin who is feared by many and loved by few. Audra has become queen after her father, King Tyrelle, was assassinated by her husband, Raiden, on the day of their wedding. And if her surly status wasn't secured before said execution, it sure is now that she's been betrayed by the only man she's ever loved.
With the help of Audra's friend and a magical potion, Raiden's memory is erased and he is exiled to the outskirts of the continent. But when she learns he is about to marry another woman and war is on the horizon between her kingdom and the opposing Sun Kingdom, (Raiden's birth place,) she must bring Raiden back to Allureldin and try to make him remember who he is and what he's done in order to bring peace to the land.
Ella is the queen of angst, and the romance and tension in A King So Cold is so on point, I felt my own anxiety rise as I rushed to find out how this would end. While retelling Raiden the story of how they met and fell in love, you almost wish Audra will somehow find her way back to him. But as the story progresses, the connection between Audra and her friend, Zad, becomes stronger and stronger, and the result is a love triangle so compelling, readers will be turning the pages as fast as they can to find out which man Audra ends up with.
Okay, so this is the hard part...diving into the fantasy/magical realism aspect of A King So Cold. While I feel I have a strong grasp on the world Ella created in A King So Cold now that I've finished the book, it took a bit of time for me to get there. (I'd say I was a little confused about things up until the 50% mark.) I would have liked a little bit more world building in the beginning to fully comprehend who each person was, where they were from, and what their power was. At times, I was straight up confused and had to use my Kindle word search to look up certain words or phrases to refresh my memory. It felt a bit like Game of Thrones, and if you've read that book or watched the show, you know there are a lot of crazy names and lots of different settings; that's how A King So Cold felt for me.
In the end, I give the fantasy part of the book 3.5 stars and the romance 4.5 stars. I think Ella's first attempt at writing this kind of story is admirable. It's obvious lots of time and research went into it. These characters are fleshed out, complex, and highly entertaining. I am counting down the days until the next book, The Stray Prince, is released, and I'm missing my time spent with Audra, Raiden, and Zad already.
TW: a scene of sexual assault and some graphic violence/torture
A King So Cold is a story about Audra, the icy queen of Allureldin who is feared by many and loved by few. Audra has become queen after her father, King Tyrelle, was assassinated by her husband, Raiden, on the day of their wedding. And if her surly status wasn't secured before said execution, it sure is now that she's been betrayed by the only man she's ever loved.
With the help of Audra's friend and a magical potion, Raiden's memory is erased and he is exiled to the outskirts of the continent. But when she learns he is about to marry another woman and war is on the horizon between her kingdom and the opposing Sun Kingdom, (Raiden's birth place,) she must bring Raiden back to Allureldin and try to make him remember who he is and what he's done in order to bring peace to the land.
Ella is the queen of angst, and the romance and tension in A King So Cold is so on point, I felt my own anxiety rise as I rushed to find out how this would end. While retelling Raiden the story of how they met and fell in love, you almost wish Audra will somehow find her way back to him. But as the story progresses, the connection between Audra and her friend, Zad, becomes stronger and stronger, and the result is a love triangle so compelling, readers will be turning the pages as fast as they can to find out which man Audra ends up with.
Okay, so this is the hard part...diving into the fantasy/magical realism aspect of A King So Cold. While I feel I have a strong grasp on the world Ella created in A King So Cold now that I've finished the book, it took a bit of time for me to get there. (I'd say I was a little confused about things up until the 50% mark.) I would have liked a little bit more world building in the beginning to fully comprehend who each person was, where they were from, and what their power was. At times, I was straight up confused and had to use my Kindle word search to look up certain words or phrases to refresh my memory. It felt a bit like Game of Thrones, and if you've read that book or watched the show, you know there are a lot of crazy names and lots of different settings; that's how A King So Cold felt for me.
In the end, I give the fantasy part of the book 3.5 stars and the romance 4.5 stars. I think Ella's first attempt at writing this kind of story is admirable. It's obvious lots of time and research went into it. These characters are fleshed out, complex, and highly entertaining. I am counting down the days until the next book, The Stray Prince, is released, and I'm missing my time spent with Audra, Raiden, and Zad already.
TW: a scene of sexual assault and some graphic violence/torture
This book was certainly not what I expected, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. I was engaged in the story the entire time though.
“They wanted peace. She gave them ruin. A monster indeed, though wrath had never looked quite so beautiful.”
I was hesitant to start this because of the cover. I thought it was a typical YA Fantasy and I’m not a big reader of that genre but upon reading some reviews, I found out that it’s actually a darkish NA/Adult Fantasy Romance so I gave it a try and wow. It blew away all of my expectations. It shattered my heart in the best and worst ways possible. I can see why this is a polarizing book. It has a love triangle, morally grey characters, and it digs into the nuances of relationship, politics, morality and human nature. It’s also a bit lengthy but it was intriguing enough for me and it helped that the protag who everyone hates because she is wicked, cold, selfish, powerful and unapologetically flawed, is the type of MC that I love. She is one of the most complex anti-heroines I’ve read. I was rooting for her so I’m not that concerned about the direction the romance is going but I like how everything comes together in the end. I hope it becomes a series!
3.75 stars (might round it up to four stars for my wicked queen audra idk let me breathe)
Damn.
I can't even remember last time I read fantasy and fell so hard for it. I have to say, Ella can write everything. If you like fantasy I feel this is a must-read.
I had my doubts at first, cause fantasy is not my favorite genre, but once you start reading and you discover the story and characters...Wow. Mind-blowing.
Spells
Betrayals
The arranged marriage.
The plot is amazing. There are things happening all the time, you need to breathe and think twice before trusting anyone, you really felt like Audra, afraid of someone stabbing you in the back.
About her: loved her. I loved the fact everyone thought she was so cold and strong but we could read all the broken pieces of her. I just loved her as a female main character cause she's both fierce and soft.
I have to say, the romance was one of my favorite things, yes, the plot was really amazing. But my heart broke and melted with Zad and Raiden. I did have my favorite boy, and I did scream and cry internally but it was soooo worth it.
I loved it. Really, really loved it.
I can't even remember last time I read fantasy and fell so hard for it. I have to say, Ella can write everything. If you like fantasy I feel this is a must-read.
I had my doubts at first, cause fantasy is not my favorite genre, but once you start reading and you discover the story and characters...Wow. Mind-blowing.
Spells
Betrayals
The arranged marriage.
The plot is amazing. There are things happening all the time, you need to breathe and think twice before trusting anyone, you really felt like Audra, afraid of someone stabbing you in the back.
About her: loved her. I loved the fact everyone thought she was so cold and strong but we could read all the broken pieces of her. I just loved her as a female main character cause she's both fierce and soft.
I have to say, the romance was one of my favorite things, yes, the plot was really amazing. But my heart broke and melted with Zad and Raiden. I did have my favorite boy, and I did scream and cry internally but it was soooo worth it.
I loved it. Really, really loved it.
