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shercockholmes 's review for:
The King of Frost and Shadows
by Jen L. Grey
Overall Vibes: Familiar Fae Fantasy
Hot Sauce Scale: 3 (there is mention of sexual things, they clearly want to do the vertical tango, it is highly likely the next book has more spicy content)
Quick thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the ARC so I could review this title!
I'm hitting this with a 3, but it's more like a 3.5 because there's potential here. I will be picking up the sequel to see if the author builds on some of the more interesting plot threads.
The King of Frost and Shadows is a book you've probably read before. It has a lot of familiar tropes and a Fae romance. If you enjoyed something like ACOTAR, you will probably also enjoy this book. It's an easy read. I think there's a lot of potential in the story, but unfortunately, nothing really interesting or unique is presented until the last few chapters. There's the possibility for some exploration of political and social unrest within the kingdom as you're introduced to a rebellion leader and find out how he's linked to the King's cousin. It's intriguing, but it comes much, much too late in the book. By that time, I was basically checked out because the majority of the plot was a Fae King saying "Hey I gotta kill you but wow I'd like to make out" and the FMC having to participate in a "gauntlet" of fighting and obstacles.
The FMC is fine. Her name is Lira, and she's very accepting of what is happening in her life. Initially, I think she was too accepting, but once again, near the end of the book she started asking questions and even called out when her questions were ignored and unanswered. She does have that "good at everything with no flaws" quality that's common with Romantasy leads. There is some plot reasoning for this, so I'm not going to completely fault the book, but so far the only "flaw" is that she's just super extra kind and doesn't want to hurt people. And that isn't really a flaw, as it clearly affects the way Tavish sees his rule.
Tavish is fine. He's the classic "I command darkness, ice, and shadows and fear" kind of Fae. You've seen MMCs like him before. He is very morally grey, and while I expect him to eventually soften up or be influenced by Lira's kindness, he stays a tyrannical ruler for the entirety of this book.
There is potential here for an interesting, but familiar, story and I do hope the author decides to follow it. I will also add that it ends on an extreme cliffhanger, so if you do not like that sort of ending, I'd wait until the next book is out.
Hot Sauce Scale: 3 (there is mention of sexual things, they clearly want to do the vertical tango, it is highly likely the next book has more spicy content)
Quick thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the ARC so I could review this title!
I'm hitting this with a 3, but it's more like a 3.5 because there's potential here. I will be picking up the sequel to see if the author builds on some of the more interesting plot threads.
The King of Frost and Shadows is a book you've probably read before. It has a lot of familiar tropes and a Fae romance. If you enjoyed something like ACOTAR, you will probably also enjoy this book. It's an easy read. I think there's a lot of potential in the story, but unfortunately, nothing really interesting or unique is presented until the last few chapters. There's the possibility for some exploration of political and social unrest within the kingdom as you're introduced to a rebellion leader and find out how he's linked to the King's cousin. It's intriguing, but it comes much, much too late in the book. By that time, I was basically checked out because the majority of the plot was a Fae King saying "Hey I gotta kill you but wow I'd like to make out" and the FMC having to participate in a "gauntlet" of fighting and obstacles.
The FMC is fine. Her name is Lira, and she's very accepting of what is happening in her life. Initially, I think she was too accepting, but once again, near the end of the book she started asking questions and even called out when her questions were ignored and unanswered. She does have that "good at everything with no flaws" quality that's common with Romantasy leads. There is some plot reasoning for this, so I'm not going to completely fault the book, but so far the only "flaw" is that she's just super extra kind and doesn't want to hurt people. And that isn't really a flaw, as it clearly affects the way Tavish sees his rule.
Tavish is fine. He's the classic "I command darkness, ice, and shadows and fear" kind of Fae. You've seen MMCs like him before. He is very morally grey, and while I expect him to eventually soften up or be influenced by Lira's kindness, he stays a tyrannical ruler for the entirety of this book.
There is potential here for an interesting, but familiar, story and I do hope the author decides to follow it. I will also add that it ends on an extreme cliffhanger, so if you do not like that sort of ending, I'd wait until the next book is out.