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A review by wendy327
Shadow Frost by Coco Ma
2.0
I received a free copy from Blackstone Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
In Axaria, there is a beast afoot who is terrorizing the kingdom. Soldiers that have ventured out to destroy the menace have died and whole towns have been destroyed. Asterin Faelenhart, Princess of Axaria and heir to the throne, decides to use her fighting skills and magic for the benefit of her kingdom and defeat the beast. With a small, loyal crew, Asterin sets off into the wilder sections of her kingdom; however, what awaits them is not what they expected. As secrets are revealed, Asterin and her friends find that there is a plot that has been in motion for more than fifteen years and it threatens to kill them all and topple Axaria and the other kingdoms of the world. Putting the pieces together, the group opts to take on the mission of disrupting the plot, enduring countless dangers that may not allow everyone to survive.
In Shadow Frost, Coco Ma works to offer a fantasy-lover’s dream with a slate of memorable characters who wield elemental magic and engage in swordplay. While the characters are all offered motives for their participation in the hunt, these backstories are not given quite enough space to breathe. Much of this is also related to the world building, which, while present, doesn’t offer quite enough detail to boost the character backstories and plot. Because of this, the first three-quarters of the novel suffer from pacing challenges that plague the plot and the characters themselves.
As a YA novel, the instant love romance trope was well on display here. One character falls hopelessly in love with another upon first meeting. This was very apparent to the reader, if not to the character in question, so much so that at times I tended to forget that there wasn’t an established relationship between them. Most likely designed to be an instant-love, enemies-to-lovers, slow burn, it didn’t quite work in the way intended. What really didn’t work for me was the tough banter and nicknames. The dialogue came off a bit stilted and calling each other “brat” and “asshole” as pet names just didn’t land.
Overall, the tale was designed to have some unexpected twists; however, due to some heavy-handed foreshadowing and an omniscient narrator, many of these plot devices were predictable as the story picked up speed during the final quarter of the tale. That being said, the culmination of the novel was satisfying, if inevitable.
Much has been said about the fact that Ma will be a published author at the age of fifteen. I, like many others, believe this is commendable. My hope is that as Ma continues to mature her writing follows suit. I am curious where the story is headed and will read the sequel, and hope that like other series I have read, the writing grows with the author, characters, and story arc.
In Axaria, there is a beast afoot who is terrorizing the kingdom. Soldiers that have ventured out to destroy the menace have died and whole towns have been destroyed. Asterin Faelenhart, Princess of Axaria and heir to the throne, decides to use her fighting skills and magic for the benefit of her kingdom and defeat the beast. With a small, loyal crew, Asterin sets off into the wilder sections of her kingdom; however, what awaits them is not what they expected. As secrets are revealed, Asterin and her friends find that there is a plot that has been in motion for more than fifteen years and it threatens to kill them all and topple Axaria and the other kingdoms of the world. Putting the pieces together, the group opts to take on the mission of disrupting the plot, enduring countless dangers that may not allow everyone to survive.
In Shadow Frost, Coco Ma works to offer a fantasy-lover’s dream with a slate of memorable characters who wield elemental magic and engage in swordplay. While the characters are all offered motives for their participation in the hunt, these backstories are not given quite enough space to breathe. Much of this is also related to the world building, which, while present, doesn’t offer quite enough detail to boost the character backstories and plot. Because of this, the first three-quarters of the novel suffer from pacing challenges that plague the plot and the characters themselves.
As a YA novel, the instant love romance trope was well on display here. One character falls hopelessly in love with another upon first meeting. This was very apparent to the reader, if not to the character in question, so much so that at times I tended to forget that there wasn’t an established relationship between them. Most likely designed to be an instant-love, enemies-to-lovers, slow burn, it didn’t quite work in the way intended. What really didn’t work for me was the tough banter and nicknames. The dialogue came off a bit stilted and calling each other “brat” and “asshole” as pet names just didn’t land.
Overall, the tale was designed to have some unexpected twists; however, due to some heavy-handed foreshadowing and an omniscient narrator, many of these plot devices were predictable as the story picked up speed during the final quarter of the tale. That being said, the culmination of the novel was satisfying, if inevitable.
Much has been said about the fact that Ma will be a published author at the age of fifteen. I, like many others, believe this is commendable. My hope is that as Ma continues to mature her writing follows suit. I am curious where the story is headed and will read the sequel, and hope that like other series I have read, the writing grows with the author, characters, and story arc.