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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)
With its blend of folklore, magic, and an eerie, ever-changing house, The House of Frost and Feathers is a beautifully atmospheric read. It thrives on its sense of mystery, layered characters, and rich world building, though it does struggle with pacing and a few underdeveloped plot elements.
One of the highlights of this book is the way folklore and mythology are woven into the story, seamlessly entwining with the magic system. However, the magic itself remained a bit unclear—even by the end, I wasn’t entirely sure how it all worked. That said, it didn’t detract from the experience, as I was still able to follow what was happening.
The pacing was slow, especially in the beginning. While this allowed time to settle into the world and establish the relationships between characters, it did make for a bit of a sluggish start. The book really picks up around the 60% mark, with a lot more happening in a short span of time. I also found that some scenes in the first half felt repetitive, with similar conversations happening multiple times, which could have been trimmed down.
Despite most of the story taking place within the house, it never felt stagnant. The house itself is filled with secrets, shifting rooms, and hidden hallways, which made every new discovery feel fresh and intriguing. The book is very character-driven, and while I generally enjoy that, I found myself wanting a little more plot. That said, the characters were well-developed, with unique quirks and layers that made them engaging to follow. There’s also a bit of romance, which felt natural and wasn’t forced, adding a nice touch of warmth to the story.
The writing was beautifully descriptive and fit the book’s magical, mysterious atmosphere perfectly. However, when it came to action scenes, the writing became a little hard to follow—I sometimes struggled to picture what was happening or where characters were in relation to each other.
One of the major plot points revolves around a sleeping curse and the main characters’ attempts to find a cure. This had a lot of potential, but unfortunately, it felt somewhat underdeveloped. Rather than seeing magical experiments or learning about spells and ingredients used in the process, we were mostly just told that each attempt failed without much detail. This left that aspect of the story feeling a little flat.
Overall, I did enjoy my time reading The House of Frost and Feathers. The mysterious, magical vibes and intricate folklore elements were captivating, but the slow pacing and lack of depth in some areas held it back slightly. If you love atmospheric, character-driven fantasy with a touch of mystery, it’s definitely worth a read.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This isn't really my cup of tea. I liked some of the worldbuilding ideas, I liked its focus on domestic life and women's experience, and I loved the Slavic folklore elements. However, I prefer a book that's more thematically complex, and that's written with a bit more interest in prose and language. I know a lot of readers will love this, so don't let me put you off!
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hello The House of Frost and Feathers. I received this book as part of my Goldsboro SFF subscription, and so picked it up with little knowledge of plot, or personal extreme desire to read it. However, as a lover of The Winternight Trilogy and Spinning Silver, it had a lot of potential to be loved by me.
And I did really enjoy it. If there was a sequel, I would read it. But I wouldn't be recommending this as a go to fantasy. However, it was still really good.
What I loved:
- As a scientist, it does not surprise me that the author is also a scientist, because the way the main characters interact with the magic is quite scientific. e.g. experimenting with mixing the right ingredients together, learning their properties. Hello magic chemistry.
- The house is super cool. I love the maze of rooms and interesting rooms found in it's depths.
- Seeing people's colours.
- The mystery and then reveal. I didn't guess any major plot points, and a lot of the explanations were satisfying.
What I didn't love, i.e. why this wasn't my next 5 star obsession:
- I felt the romance wasn't necessary. Or at least, we definitely didn't need two! To me, especially after looking at some of the marketing claiming 'romance' in the strapline, it felt like it was forced to make the book more desirable for certain target audiences. If you're looking for a romantacy, this is not it. This is a folklore fantasy book, with two unnecessary romance subplots, that are okay. It just feels so antifeminist to shoehorn romance into fmc books nowadays. You've got a great example of a story that stands up incredibly well on it's own, and then you make both fmcs fall in love? At least make one of them sapphic for goodness sake.
- From what I can find, there isn't going to be a sequel (if there is, I take this back) but one major plot point wasn't fully explained. I think the author has left the world open to go back to if they wish, but without a confirmed sequel, I'd like all the plot points to be fully explained.
- The flying guinea pig duck. Sorry, it just felt forced. Maybe guinea pigs just aren't my favourite animal. With their lil black beady eyes. But at least it came with plot.
For me, it's hard to have a book that is perfect. And despite there being things I didn't love, I am very glad I read this book, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it, and I'd be interested in the author's future work.
And I did really enjoy it. If there was a sequel, I would read it. But I wouldn't be recommending this as a go to fantasy. However, it was still really good.
What I loved:
- As a scientist, it does not surprise me that the author is also a scientist, because the way the main characters interact with the magic is quite scientific. e.g. experimenting with mixing the right ingredients together, learning their properties. Hello magic chemistry.
- The house is super cool. I love the maze of rooms and interesting rooms found in it's depths.
- Seeing people's colours.
- The mystery and then reveal. I didn't guess any major plot points, and a lot of the explanations were satisfying.
What I didn't love, i.e. why this wasn't my next 5 star obsession:
- I felt the romance wasn't necessary. Or at least, we definitely didn't need two! To me, especially after looking at some of the marketing claiming 'romance' in the strapline, it felt like it was forced to make the book more desirable for certain target audiences. If you're looking for a romantacy, this is not it. This is a folklore fantasy book, with two unnecessary romance subplots, that are okay. It just feels so antifeminist to shoehorn romance into fmc books nowadays. You've got a great example of a story that stands up incredibly well on it's own, and then you make both fmcs fall in love? At least make one of them sapphic for goodness sake.
- From what I can find, there isn't going to be a sequel (if there is, I take this back) but one major plot point wasn't fully explained. I think the author has left the world open to go back to if they wish, but without a confirmed sequel, I'd like all the plot points to be fully explained.
- The flying guinea pig duck. Sorry, it just felt forced. Maybe guinea pigs just aren't my favourite animal. With their lil black beady eyes. But at least it came with plot.
For me, it's hard to have a book that is perfect. And despite there being things I didn't love, I am very glad I read this book, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it, and I'd be interested in the author's future work.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The House of Frost and Feathers had me hooked from the beginning. I was immediately intrigued by Marisha and her desire for nothing more than a job. It's a sentiment I can relate very closely to, and I think many other people can too in today's working climate.
Then, the book threw me Olena's point of view and I was even more hooked!
Marisha and Olena are such different characters with very different motivations, which is what made it so interesting to read about them trying to learn to work together. There were times I sided with Marisha, and times I sided with Olena, which only made it so much more fun to read.
The pacing of this book is immaculate. I found it very hard to put down as each chapter added another piece to the puzzle.
Each character was interesting to read about, with various flaws and strengths. The relationships between characters, and the way those relationships developed, were particularly interesting. There's a lovely found-family side to the story.
I highly recommend reading this book during the cold months with many warm cups of tea.
This book was such a joy to read! I can't wait to see what is next from Lauren Wiesebron.
Thank you to Harper Voyager, Avon, and Netgalley for the ARC.
Then, the book threw me Olena's point of view and I was even more hooked!
Marisha and Olena are such different characters with very different motivations, which is what made it so interesting to read about them trying to learn to work together. There were times I sided with Marisha, and times I sided with Olena, which only made it so much more fun to read.
The pacing of this book is immaculate. I found it very hard to put down as each chapter added another piece to the puzzle.
Each character was interesting to read about, with various flaws and strengths. The relationships between characters, and the way those relationships developed, were particularly interesting. There's a lovely found-family side to the story.
I highly recommend reading this book during the cold months with many warm cups of tea.
This book was such a joy to read! I can't wait to see what is next from Lauren Wiesebron.
Thank you to Harper Voyager, Avon, and Netgalley for the ARC.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Inspired by tales of baba yaga and Eastern European folklore, get caught up in the magical world of koldunry where houses can in fact walk on chicken legs. Marisha is a practical sort and doesn't really buy into the all the koldunry stuff, but when she finds herself desperate for a job, she'll take what she gets. This story has a lot going on, but in the best way. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and mystery around it and hope we get more adventures in this world. There's a sleeping plague, haunting dreams, strange magic and a wondrously weird house (on chicken legs).
Baba Zima, the bolshina of the house, is tough but she has her reasons. Olena, her apprentice, is stubborn and doesn't need an assistant. Marisha will have to figure out how she fits into these rough personalities and if it's worth it to improve her life. To make matters even more interesting, Baba Zima's son shows up in the house much to Olena's dismay. There's also an adorable creature, Golgolin, a guinea pig-fowl, who has magical feathers.
Overall this story gave me a bit of Howl's Moving Castle vibes paired with Eastern European folklore and now I want to play the video game Reka even more. I love that there's a magical creature in the story who plays both a role in the plot but also in being a loved creature. The character's have good development over the story and I really hope there's more in store for them.
It is a slower paced story which may not be for everyone but the atmosphere and world building was simply delightful. I look forward to more from this author!
I received an eARC of this book via netgalley, reviews and thoughts are my own.
I have also ordered the GSFF edition.
Baba Zima, the bolshina of the house, is tough but she has her reasons. Olena, her apprentice, is stubborn and doesn't need an assistant. Marisha will have to figure out how she fits into these rough personalities and if it's worth it to improve her life. To make matters even more interesting, Baba Zima's son shows up in the house much to Olena's dismay. There's also an adorable creature, Golgolin, a guinea pig-fowl, who has magical feathers.
Overall this story gave me a bit of Howl's Moving Castle vibes paired with Eastern European folklore and now I want to play the video game Reka even more. I love that there's a magical creature in the story who plays both a role in the plot but also in being a loved creature. The character's have good development over the story and I really hope there's more in store for them.
It is a slower paced story which may not be for everyone but the atmosphere and world building was simply delightful. I look forward to more from this author!
I received an eARC of this book via netgalley, reviews and thoughts are my own.
I have also ordered the GSFF edition.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Blood, Kidnapping
Minor: Animal cruelty
Disability representation - One of the main characters only has one hand
Pandemic/Epidemic - There is a sleeping plague that causes persons, seemingly at random, to fall into a sleep every 10 years.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Using Slavic folklore rather than European, this book has some great worldbuilding. However, the pace is slow with more focus on characters and conversations and the chicken legged house wandering from town to tow while Baba Zina works her magic. This is all well done, but I never felt any urgency in the story and ended up sleep-reading through parts of it, which meant going back to re-read the pages I’d just passed. I struggled to stay interested in this book and kept putting it down in favor of something else, and when I came back to it I struggled to remember what had happened.
This really became an issue in the final quarter of the book where things start to happen, but I just wasn’t invested in the characters or the plot by that point. I do think the characters arcs are well done, but their personalities, to me, felt just as lethargic as the book. Their voices were all so similar, their ways of talking, and there was never a real sense of them as people separate from the plot.
This is, of course, just my opinion. Other people will have a better time than I did with this book — not to say I had a bad one! Just a sleepier, more drifty one. The writing was good, the world building was nice, but the pace made me want to take a nap. However, I’ll be looking forward to future books from this author because everything else was solid, just … slow.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for giving me an ARC!
This really became an issue in the final quarter of the book where things start to happen, but I just wasn’t invested in the characters or the plot by that point. I do think the characters arcs are well done, but their personalities, to me, felt just as lethargic as the book. Their voices were all so similar, their ways of talking, and there was never a real sense of them as people separate from the plot.
This is, of course, just my opinion. Other people will have a better time than I did with this book — not to say I had a bad one! Just a sleepier, more drifty one. The writing was good, the world building was nice, but the pace made me want to take a nap. However, I’ll be looking forward to future books from this author because everything else was solid, just … slow.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for giving me an ARC!
I found an ARC at Fantasycon in October 2024, we're reading it for the BFS Book club.
It took me a couple of days to read. I enjoyed the experience immensely. Marisha has a complicated relationship with everyone around her, no one is trustworthy, except the guinea-pig-fowl, Golgolin. The defeat is magnificent and unexpected. I was left feeling melancholy and satisfied. Slavic folklore-inspired fantasy is an under tapped vein.
It took me a couple of days to read. I enjoyed the experience immensely. Marisha has a complicated relationship with everyone around her, no one is trustworthy, except the guinea-pig-fowl, Golgolin. The defeat is magnificent and unexpected. I was left feeling melancholy and satisfied. Slavic folklore-inspired fantasy is an under tapped vein.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
With it's evocative title and beautiful wintery cover, this Baba Yaga inspired fantasy is an amazing, atmospheric and magical tale.
Marisha's time is running out. She's already lost her family to the sleeping plague and fears she'll be next. Penniless and desperate for protection, she accepts a job as apprentice to the notorious koldunya Baba Zima and finds herself drawn into the magical world of koldunry.
Thrust into an increasingly dangerous and seemingly impossible search for a cure, Marisha uncovers hidden connections between the sleeping plague, her own family's history and her haunting dreams of a masked ball, where sleepers are trapped endlessly dancing and a monstrous beaked man shadows her every step...
This is a very well written and evocative debut with a folktale-like quality, full of fascinating folk magic and enchantment, secrets and dreams, mysteries and masked balls, friendship and found family as well as a touch of romance. I loved all of the wonderfully nuanced characters and their growth arcs, especially sceptical Marisha, independent Olena and the complicated Baba Zima. Valdim and Golgolin also deserve special mention as does the sentient travelling house on chicken legs!
Told in dual POV, it is in many ways a character driven novel and I loved the way the pace steadly built to a creschendo - rather like a really great piece of music - it made for a really immersive reading experience. I really appreciated how stories and legends came to play a part in the quest for the sleeping cure and found myself fully invested in all aspects of this magical tale. Indeed, I found that I didn't want it to end and definitely feel there is more to tell, especially for Marisha, so I am keeping my fingers very firmly crossed for a sequel!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Perfect for fans of Naomi Novik, A.B. Poranek, Katherine Arden and anyone who loves Baba Yaga tales.
Marisha's time is running out. She's already lost her family to the sleeping plague and fears she'll be next. Penniless and desperate for protection, she accepts a job as apprentice to the notorious koldunya Baba Zima and finds herself drawn into the magical world of koldunry.
Thrust into an increasingly dangerous and seemingly impossible search for a cure, Marisha uncovers hidden connections between the sleeping plague, her own family's history and her haunting dreams of a masked ball, where sleepers are trapped endlessly dancing and a monstrous beaked man shadows her every step...
This is a very well written and evocative debut with a folktale-like quality, full of fascinating folk magic and enchantment, secrets and dreams, mysteries and masked balls, friendship and found family as well as a touch of romance. I loved all of the wonderfully nuanced characters and their growth arcs, especially sceptical Marisha, independent Olena and the complicated Baba Zima. Valdim and Golgolin also deserve special mention as does the sentient travelling house on chicken legs!
Told in dual POV, it is in many ways a character driven novel and I loved the way the pace steadly built to a creschendo - rather like a really great piece of music - it made for a really immersive reading experience. I really appreciated how stories and legends came to play a part in the quest for the sleeping cure and found myself fully invested in all aspects of this magical tale. Indeed, I found that I didn't want it to end and definitely feel there is more to tell, especially for Marisha, so I am keeping my fingers very firmly crossed for a sequel!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Perfect for fans of Naomi Novik, A.B. Poranek, Katherine Arden and anyone who loves Baba Yaga tales.