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ajane928's review
2.0
DNF 38%- flat and unlikeable characters. FMC is immature and petulant, MMC is a scumbag with no redeeming characteristics.
moreilly1917's review
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jerseytwilight's review
adventurous
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
mysticalsona's review
3.0
It was ok.. Slow to get going but it got better towards the end. I love a book that has an enemies to lovers aspect but in this instance they definitely started off as enemies but as the book progressed it didn't seem like they were really in love, lovers yes but in love not so much. The familiars were fun but I would have liked to know more about Eirah's owl which seemed to have no purpose. The ending was underwhelming, the build up for the final good vs bad was let down when Eirah got injured and the whole thing got delayed a couple of days with no impact on the world whatsoever. There was no final battle, no big revelation just a spell easily completed by a witch with no knowledge of her powers just an instinct. Overall, it wasn't the worst nor the best, the pacing was fast so it was easy to get through but I probably wouldn't read it again.
I received an advance review copy for free from Booksirens. This review is voluntary and is solely my opinion.
I received an advance review copy for free from Booksirens. This review is voluntary and is solely my opinion.
brittanica_bold's review
5.0
This book has a bit of interesting cross-series-functionality (is that a term?) to it. This book is a standalone installment of the “heart-pounding fantasy romance series, Mortal Enemies to Monster Lovers”, and is also set in the same world as the Demons of Frosteria series.
I am not familiar with the Mortal Enemies to Monster Lovers other stories (though you bet your bottom I’ll be checking them out now!), but I am a sucker for those Demons of Frosteria, so I knew I had to hop on this ARC when I saw it!
What I liked about the book:
1. I love seeing a big, tough playboy fall to his knees for the badass FMC who doesn’t want anything to do with him! It definitely makes the nerdy girl in me who finds guilty pleasure in the jocks/bros squeal with delight!
2. My god, Morozko’s and Eirah’s chemistry was INSANE!!!! I swear, every time he called her little bird, my heart fluttered like it had wings!
The setup as a prisoner/master and the way his feelings for her changed completely reminded me of Pestilence by Laura Thalassa, which I absolutely loved! Apparently, this is just another kink I didn’t know I had until now…
3. I liked both MCs in this book!
Eirah was tough and smart, didn’t bow down to him like everyone else, and was legitimately due what she was ultimately gifted in my opinion. She is by far my favorite FMC in the Demons of Frosteria world thus far!!!
Morozko was another misunderstood, alpha bad boy with a tragic past who was healed by true loves powers. And as much as he could be a “prick” at times, he was definitely intelligent and really just trying to do his best to save everyone. What’s not to love about that!?!?
I also liked the main side characters (Eirah’s father, her BFF Saren, Morozko’s closest confidants). There were no characters I didn’t like, which is rare for me. A+ on the characters!
4. I loved the history behind how the krampi came to be!!! I’m a sucker for historical/mythological tales, and the history that was developed around this very much fed that hunger! It really tied all the tales in the series so far together!
5. With the forced proximity, prisoner/master relationship, and the huge castle, I couldn’t help but get Beauty and the Beast vibes, which is NEVER a bad thing for me!
6. The fighting scenes were so descriptive and wonderfully written, I felt like I was in battle with them.
I also felt like the scenes centering on their sexual relationship were perfect given the setting. I’m not expecting pages and pages of graphic scenes when they’re literally in battle just waiting for something else to happen. What we did get were a couple of nice little scenes that had just enough dirty talk and spice to get you through
I am not familiar with the Mortal Enemies to Monster Lovers other stories (though you bet your bottom I’ll be checking them out now!), but I am a sucker for those Demons of Frosteria, so I knew I had to hop on this ARC when I saw it!
What I liked about the book:
1. I love seeing a big, tough playboy fall to his knees for the badass FMC who doesn’t want anything to do with him! It definitely makes the nerdy girl in me who finds guilty pleasure in the jocks/bros squeal with delight!
2. My god, Morozko’s and Eirah’s chemistry was INSANE!!!! I swear, every time he called her little bird, my heart fluttered like it had wings!
The setup as a prisoner/master and the way his feelings for her changed completely reminded me of Pestilence by Laura Thalassa, which I absolutely loved! Apparently, this is just another kink I didn’t know I had until now…
3. I liked both MCs in this book!
Eirah was tough and smart, didn’t bow down to him like everyone else, and was legitimately due what she was ultimately gifted in my opinion. She is by far my favorite FMC in the Demons of Frosteria world thus far!!!
Morozko was another misunderstood, alpha bad boy with a tragic past who was healed by true loves powers. And as much as he could be a “prick” at times, he was definitely intelligent and really just trying to do his best to save everyone. What’s not to love about that!?!?
I also liked the main side characters (Eirah’s father, her BFF Saren, Morozko’s closest confidants). There were no characters I didn’t like, which is rare for me. A+ on the characters!
4. I loved the history behind how the krampi came to be!!! I’m a sucker for historical/mythological tales, and the history that was developed around this very much fed that hunger! It really tied all the tales in the series so far together!
5. With the forced proximity, prisoner/master relationship, and the huge castle, I couldn’t help but get Beauty and the Beast vibes, which is NEVER a bad thing for me!
6. The fighting scenes were so descriptive and wonderfully written, I felt like I was in battle with them.
I also felt like the scenes centering on their sexual relationship were perfect given the setting. I’m not expecting pages and pages of graphic scenes when they’re literally in battle just waiting for something else to happen. What we did get were a couple of nice little scenes that had just enough dirty talk and spice to get you through
butterflies_library's review
3.0
I really enjoyed this book! It was an easy fast read for me. It was a bit refreshing reading a book where the would building is not as intense. The world building was pretty straightforward but also pretty interesting. It was a very nice balance with the character development as well. The tropes were right up my alley! Enemies to lovers and mortals vs immortals absolutely loved it. On top of everything the spice was done so well! I’d give the spice a 3/5 for sure. I also love a dual POV especially when it comes to enemies to lovers!
covetedbooks's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
I really enjoyed this book! I love how simple Eirah was, as far as appearance and job goes — I read a lot of books where the FMC is an assassin, or a knight, so it was really refreshing to see the FMC have a job as a toy maker — it was unexpected and adorable. I really loved the relationship between her and her father, I thought it was so pure and beautiful — again, I read a lot of books where the female main character already has a bad relationship with her father, so I really enjoyed reading about a healthy familial relationship.
Morozko is your typical bad boy, not really caring about what anyone thinks and doing what he wants, but he has such an intense love for his kingdom, and the people that reside in it. He always puts his people as a top priority , and I really enjoyed seeing that side of him. Morozko is a ruthless king, but Eirah slowly melts his cold heart, and shows him what love and compassion is.
I will say, though, this book started out a little bit slow for me, but I’m glad that it was because it helped me really understand the characters and the history of Frosteria.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it.
Morozko is your typical bad boy, not really caring about what anyone thinks and doing what he wants, but he has such an intense love for his kingdom, and the people that reside in it. He always puts his people as a top priority , and I really enjoyed seeing that side of him. Morozko is a ruthless king, but Eirah slowly melts his cold heart, and shows him what love and compassion is.
I will say, though, this book started out a little bit slow for me, but I’m glad that it was because it helped me really understand the characters and the history of Frosteria.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it.
wasauthor's review
3.0
I received an advance reader copy of Slaying the Frost King for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Romance and erotica are not genres I gravitate towards. Both have their place, and both can be supremely written, but if I’m going to make a point of reading a book that is marketed as such, it’s because it offers something to pique my interest. In this case, the authors—[a:Candace Robinson|16541001|Candace Robinson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1530157389p2/16541001.jpg] (who I discovered through [b:Emporium of Superstition - An Old Wives' Tale Anthology|58744204|Emporium of Superstition - An Old Wives' Tale Anthology|Elle Beaumont|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1639518330l/58744204._SY75_.jpg|92467606] and [a:Elle Beaumont|17944583|Elle Beaumont|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1665513211p2/17944583.jpg] (who I discovered through [b:Beyond the Cogs: A Steampunk Anthology|59647298|Beyond the Cogs A Steampunk Anthology|C. Vonzale Lewis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1637211148l/59647298._SY75_.jpg|92363915], but also had a great tale in Emporium of Superstition).
While both authors write entertaining stories that can defy the reader’s expectations, Slaying the Frost King isn’t one of them. Depending on what you look for these stories to include, this may be disappointing, or it may come as a great relief. The subtitle—Mortal Enemies to Monster Lovers—tells the reader everything they need to know.
This is a quick read, something that is far more digestible than most books of its size. Despite this, it feels a little too long for the story it has to tell. It tells its tale of titular Frost King, Morozko, taking Eirah as his prisoner. Given the subtitle, it’s no spoiler to say that an attraction builds between the pair, and passion soon blossoms. While the plot is light, it includes some fun turns, but these feel like they're filling space as the story moves to its inevitable conclusion.
The plot serves its purpose well, while the story revolves around its romance and erotica. The romance aspect builds well enough, although I can’t see how these characters would connect in ways outside of their attraction. In its erotic moments, it dials the spice up a notch or three. The love scenes peppered throughout the novel all work well, conveying the characters’ passion. They leave little to the imagination, while not being so explicit to take things too far.
The style of writing reads almost as a YA fairy tale (but, please, don’t pass this book on to younger readers) with a fun sense of humour. While the setting of Frosteria is on the nose, it fits the tone of the prose and the charm that it brings.
Less successful, however, is the dialogue. Once again, it strikes a tone akin to a fairy tale for younger readers, with both protagonists sounding like they stepped out of a classic fable. Their dialogue sounds completely different to one another. But with Eirah sounding human and Morozko sounding like a monstrous villain, the two voices don’t gel, making it more difficult to suspend disbelief. Eirah’s dialogue also sounds more natural than Morozko’s, which took me out of the story at various points.
Dialogue aside, Eirah is the more compelling character. Although the book alternates between points of view, Eirah feels more fully formed. Morozko is less developed, with the book focusing on him being a mythological being.
As mentioned earlier, this is part of the Mortal Enemies to Monster Lovers series. It stands perfectly alone, with the other books in the series focusing on different romantic entanglements, and written by different authors. Complicating the series connections, is that it fits within Robinson and Beaumont’s Demons of Frosteria series. The book's perfectly contained and without having read those books, I can’t say whether there’s any connective tissue between these.
While it has a light plot and Morozko doesn’t have much depth, Slaying the Frost King does exactly what you would expect it to while entertaining with its prose. Depending on how much you enjoy its tropes, your mileage will vary.
My full review will be available on my website from 5 June 2023. To read it, and a host of other reviews (including Beyond the Cogs and Emporium of Superstition), click here.
Romance and erotica are not genres I gravitate towards. Both have their place, and both can be supremely written, but if I’m going to make a point of reading a book that is marketed as such, it’s because it offers something to pique my interest. In this case, the authors—[a:Candace Robinson|16541001|Candace Robinson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1530157389p2/16541001.jpg] (who I discovered through [b:Emporium of Superstition - An Old Wives' Tale Anthology|58744204|Emporium of Superstition - An Old Wives' Tale Anthology|Elle Beaumont|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1639518330l/58744204._SY75_.jpg|92467606] and [a:Elle Beaumont|17944583|Elle Beaumont|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1665513211p2/17944583.jpg] (who I discovered through [b:Beyond the Cogs: A Steampunk Anthology|59647298|Beyond the Cogs A Steampunk Anthology|C. Vonzale Lewis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1637211148l/59647298._SY75_.jpg|92363915], but also had a great tale in Emporium of Superstition).
While both authors write entertaining stories that can defy the reader’s expectations, Slaying the Frost King isn’t one of them. Depending on what you look for these stories to include, this may be disappointing, or it may come as a great relief. The subtitle—Mortal Enemies to Monster Lovers—tells the reader everything they need to know.
This is a quick read, something that is far more digestible than most books of its size. Despite this, it feels a little too long for the story it has to tell. It tells its tale of titular Frost King, Morozko, taking Eirah as his prisoner. Given the subtitle, it’s no spoiler to say that an attraction builds between the pair, and passion soon blossoms. While the plot is light, it includes some fun turns, but these feel like they're filling space as the story moves to its inevitable conclusion.
The plot serves its purpose well, while the story revolves around its romance and erotica. The romance aspect builds well enough, although I can’t see how these characters would connect in ways outside of their attraction. In its erotic moments, it dials the spice up a notch or three. The love scenes peppered throughout the novel all work well, conveying the characters’ passion. They leave little to the imagination, while not being so explicit to take things too far.
The style of writing reads almost as a YA fairy tale (but, please, don’t pass this book on to younger readers) with a fun sense of humour. While the setting of Frosteria is on the nose, it fits the tone of the prose and the charm that it brings.
Less successful, however, is the dialogue. Once again, it strikes a tone akin to a fairy tale for younger readers, with both protagonists sounding like they stepped out of a classic fable. Their dialogue sounds completely different to one another. But with Eirah sounding human and Morozko sounding like a monstrous villain, the two voices don’t gel, making it more difficult to suspend disbelief. Eirah’s dialogue also sounds more natural than Morozko’s, which took me out of the story at various points.
Dialogue aside, Eirah is the more compelling character. Although the book alternates between points of view, Eirah feels more fully formed. Morozko is less developed, with the book focusing on him being a mythological being.
As mentioned earlier, this is part of the Mortal Enemies to Monster Lovers series. It stands perfectly alone, with the other books in the series focusing on different romantic entanglements, and written by different authors. Complicating the series connections, is that it fits within Robinson and Beaumont’s Demons of Frosteria series. The book's perfectly contained and without having read those books, I can’t say whether there’s any connective tissue between these.
While it has a light plot and Morozko doesn’t have much depth, Slaying the Frost King does exactly what you would expect it to while entertaining with its prose. Depending on how much you enjoy its tropes, your mileage will vary.
My full review will be available on my website from 5 June 2023. To read it, and a host of other reviews (including Beyond the Cogs and Emporium of Superstition), click here.
peta_pan_'s review
DNF
I really really tried, I got about 70% through BUT IT WAS A HARD SLOG to get to that point.
Not a fan of the writing style, very simple.. There was no MEATYNESS in the descriptive writing of anything.. I found it very hard to imagine the story playing out in my head, visualising the characters or the village or the castle..
Its a shame because the plot had promise and all I wanted was more information about the world, the kingdom... ANYTHING.
The writing came across blunt/sharp and with this, things progressed/changed so rapidly that I lost interest and never got wrapped up into the slow burn of the whole enemies to lovers (which if we're honest, that's why we're here, right?!?!)
I really really tried, I got about 70% through BUT IT WAS A HARD SLOG to get to that point.
Not a fan of the writing style, very simple.. There was no MEATYNESS in the descriptive writing of anything.. I found it very hard to imagine the story playing out in my head, visualising the characters or the village or the castle..
Its a shame because the plot had promise and all I wanted was more information about the world, the kingdom... ANYTHING.
The writing came across blunt/sharp and with this, things progressed/changed so rapidly that I lost interest and never got wrapped up into the slow burn of the whole enemies to lovers (which if we're honest, that's why we're here, right?!?!)