Reviews

A Tale of Ice and Ash by Katherine Macdonald

a_ab's review against another edition

4.0

This is not one of my favorite fairytales, but I really appreciated this retelling — more than most other versions of this story.

aqua_lilium's review

4.0

I did not even read the description when I got this ARC lol well I read it but did not think much about it lol, I saw it was from Kate and just snatched it. Well, I actually saw the part where it said there are step-siblings and usually it is a no-no for me, but I told myself to be open-minded. And y'all, no worries they are not related at all, like in any way, so if you can roll with it get this book.

Apart from this, the book was a pleasure to read (at this point I am biased because I love anything Kate writes haha), the pace, and the banter was just great (I think like I do not need to write about this as each book is filled with banter which makes you laugh so hard sometimes).

The only reason I gave 4 starts is that, I am going through some stuff and just could not enjoy the book as I would normally would but nevertheless. The book is short itself and it has a real easy writing, so ideal if you are after a quick read yourself. And as usual I finish with saying thank you very much for the book, my Queen.

nikkieliz13's review

4.25

Rating: 4.25 Stars 

“Sacrifice is a strange thing, you know. It’s utterly selfless selfishness. In the moment, it’s the right thing to do, but honestly, it’s easy to be brave for a moment. It’s easy to die. It’s the people that love you that pay the real price.”

 
I enjoyed [b: A Song of Sea and Shore], but I absolutely adored [b: A Tale of Ice and Ash]. Macdonald has a talent for bringing to life fantastical worlds, as well as writing new, yet familiar retellings of iconic fairy tale classics.
The characters and plot far outshone that of the original Snow White, but the banter was without a doubt my favorite aspect. This is definitely worth reading for lovers of clean, fairy tale retellings, featuring a competent heroine and sensitive hero. 

“You’re not... you’re not terrible, you know.” 

He rolled over and laughed. “Goodness, Snow. What sweet words you throw at me. Be careful. I might just fall in love with you.” 

“And we’re back to detestable again. That was short lived.”

 
Title:[b: A Tale of Ice and Ash by Katherine Macdonald ]
POV(s): Multiple—Third Person
Interconnected Series: Yes
Standalone: Yes
Cliffhanger: No
HEA: SpoilerYes
Relationship: M/F
Genre(s): Fairy Tale Retelling, Clean Romance
Triggers: N/A
Tags/Tropes: 
❖ Competent-Heroine
❖ Evil-Stepmother
❖ Family-Interference
❖ Found-Family
❖ Hate-to-Love
❖ Hero-Incorrigible-Flirt
❖ Heroine-Presumed-Dead
❖ Magic
❖ Rebellion
❖ Reclaim-the-Throne
❖ Reluctant-Allies
❖ Royalty
❖ Snow-White-Retelling
❖ Step-Siblings
❖ Tortured-Hero
❖ Virgin-Heroine
❖ Witty-Banter

katemac89's review against another edition

Obviously I read it. Many times. It's my beautiful baby number 7!

Honestly, I had such fun writing this, it's been difficult to get into my Little Mermaid retelling where the fact that the MC doesn't have a voice means that the flirty banter is fairly minimal.

The flirty banter in this book? It's en pointe, if I do say so myself. Cole x Eirwen were hilarious to write with their endless back-and-forths, and both verbal and physical sparring. I need to write another love/hate/reluctant allies book STAT.

Like all my retellings, this story gives the heroine back her agency. She is no longer a passenger in her own story but a person with choices and wishes. She is far from unsupported in her quest as she is backed by her entire adoptive family, a diverse group of dwarves capable of kicking butt and cooking pies. Honestly, I wish I'd had time to give all of them a bit more attention.

Anyway, if you like fairy tales but hate insipid heroines, you'll probably enjoy this, especially if you also enjoy romance and the wittiest of banter!

shcleveland's review

5.0

I really enjoyed this one. Eirwen is a strong, kind character. She's self-reliant at times, but also willing to admit when she needs help. The main romantic relationship was a little weird given the characters were technically step-siblings (although not raised together) but I think it worked alright. The plot was engaging and often surprising. The twists on the fairytale were excellent and made clever use of the story's original elements while maintaining the princess's agency and self-determination.

jferrell526's review against another edition

5.0

A fairy tale with a difference. Katherine MacDonald has taken Snow White to a whole new level. She has empowered Snow to save herself and her kingdom. I found this book to be a great read. It's one I would prefer to read to my nieces rather than the original. It would show them that women could save themselves.
I would say this is a terrific read. It has all the things needed for a bestseller a little romance, a little action and some drama for balance. Highly recommend.

cheseliz's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

5.0

Fantastic Retelling

Witty banter, swoon-worthy romance, and a fun, adventurous retelling? This book had me from page one and refused to let go. I loved it!