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Forgotten Kingdom Chronicles #1
The Snows of Nissa
An exiled god hiding his identity.
A mortal warrior with a prophecy.
And a dangerous temptation that will change everything.
After a fire that leaves her home in ashes, Duna Damaris has no choice but to join the military, working her way up the ranks and becoming one of the deadliest warriors that the Kingdom has ever seen. She’s fierce, resilient, and with her heart locked away, she's determined that nothing stand in her way. Not even the brooding commander with the devastatingly beautiful face and striking eyes that ignite an inferno in her blood.
He is the legendary General, a lethal weapon of the mortal armies of Tyros. No one dares to challenge him, but when he comes face to face with the legion's most skilled fighter, his life is turned upside down. She's stubborn, infuriating—and very forbidden. The General is betrothed to another, the daughter of a mighty ruler and the one person that can ruin his life. If only his heart would listen to reason.
When the princess of an empire disappears in the middle of the night, Duna and the General are forced together on a search mission across the land. Tensions run high, limits are tested, and lines are blurred as an ancient secret unravels right before their very eyes, one with the power to bring down entire nations and change Fate itself.
Who will be the first to fall?
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
This book contains an intense slow-burn steamy forbidden romance, with forced proximity, high heat and spice, a love triangle, alpha males and headstrong sassy women. It is the first novel in an adult dark fantasy romance series the Forgotten Kingdom Chronicles and is for mature audiences only. 18+ recommended.
A mortal warrior with a prophecy.
And a dangerous temptation that will change everything.
After a fire that leaves her home in ashes, Duna Damaris has no choice but to join the military, working her way up the ranks and becoming one of the deadliest warriors that the Kingdom has ever seen. She’s fierce, resilient, and with her heart locked away, she's determined that nothing stand in her way. Not even the brooding commander with the devastatingly beautiful face and striking eyes that ignite an inferno in her blood.
He is the legendary General, a lethal weapon of the mortal armies of Tyros. No one dares to challenge him, but when he comes face to face with the legion's most skilled fighter, his life is turned upside down. She's stubborn, infuriating—and very forbidden. The General is betrothed to another, the daughter of a mighty ruler and the one person that can ruin his life. If only his heart would listen to reason.
When the princess of an empire disappears in the middle of the night, Duna and the General are forced together on a search mission across the land. Tensions run high, limits are tested, and lines are blurred as an ancient secret unravels right before their very eyes, one with the power to bring down entire nations and change Fate itself.
Who will be the first to fall?
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
This book contains an intense slow-burn steamy forbidden romance, with forced proximity, high heat and spice, a love triangle, alpha males and headstrong sassy women. It is the first novel in an adult dark fantasy romance series the Forgotten Kingdom Chronicles and is for mature audiences only. 18+ recommended.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published April 23, 2023
395 people are currently reading
4542 people want to read
About the author
Isabella Khalidi
11 books100 followersIsabella Khalidi is an adult dark romance & fantasy author. Her novels are deep and complex, filled with scorching romance that leaves the reader breathless and yearning for more. From an early age she has shown love for ancient lore and mythology, igniting her dream of one day becoming a successful author.
The Snows of Nissa is her first published novel, with the Forgotten Kingdom Chronicles as her debut adult fantasy series.
Follow her on Instagram: isabellakhalidiauthor.
The Snows of Nissa is her first published novel, with the Forgotten Kingdom Chronicles as her debut adult fantasy series.
Follow her on Instagram: isabellakhalidiauthor.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 217 reviews
August 6, 2023
I'm shocked by anyone claiming this book is well written. Cliches & bad writing combine to pull the reader out of the story over and over. The plot idea may be fine, but the author needs to work on how to "show, not tell" and not rely on tired descriptives.
I have amended my earlier criticism regarding the authors grasp of English, I agree with the commenter below, but stand by my opinion that the poor English combined with the poor writing made the book unenjoyable.
Made it 1/3 and put it down. Came back to try again, and still couldn't get more than halfway. DNF.
I have amended my earlier criticism regarding the authors grasp of English, I agree with the commenter below, but stand by my opinion that the poor English combined with the poor writing made the book unenjoyable.
Made it 1/3 and put it down. Came back to try again, and still couldn't get more than halfway. DNF.
August 20, 2023
Rating: 2/5
Spice: 4/5
I honestly really wanted to like this. I enjoyed the first quarter of the book and then it sort of went down hill. The writing was well done, maybe a little too much detail for my liking but that isn’t something that would deter me from a read.
I was personally very confused throughout the story. It felt as though it became a different book halfway through. All of a sudden it felt like a high fantasy, but there wasn’t much world-building to prepare for it. The concept of the Gods was sort of lost to me. Not having it mentioned until a quarter of the way through the read.
I think my biggest disappointment was with our main character. I really wanted to love Duna. A bad ass female lead is my favorite kind of character to read about. She has so many physical skills. She can fight grown man with only a wooden sword. She never misses her shot. Seen as one of the deadliest warriors in the army. However, she becomes a puddle of a woman the instant she sees an attractive male. She let them walk all over her. Gave forgiveness the minute she got horny. She lost her appeal to me once I saw that. I’m one for spice and angst but not at the expense of the integrity of our female character. Dick is not worth it….these men, from what I could read were more obsessed with her body than her mind. The moment she spoke her mind or tried to disobey, she was treated like a child. I like possessive males, but this was overkill.
I really loved the idea of this book. I was super interested and ready to dive in. I thought there was going to be more of a plot that wasn’t strictly revolved around a physical attraction toward our female lead. I almost wish the fantasy outweighed the romance in this story. It was definitely overshadowed.
There was so much potential with this read and I am really upset with my rating. I am really curious what happens next in the story but I do not want to be disappointed again.
Spice: 4/5
I honestly really wanted to like this. I enjoyed the first quarter of the book and then it sort of went down hill. The writing was well done, maybe a little too much detail for my liking but that isn’t something that would deter me from a read.
I was personally very confused throughout the story. It felt as though it became a different book halfway through. All of a sudden it felt like a high fantasy, but there wasn’t much world-building to prepare for it. The concept of the Gods was sort of lost to me. Not having it mentioned until a quarter of the way through the read.
I think my biggest disappointment was with our main character. I really wanted to love Duna. A bad ass female lead is my favorite kind of character to read about. She has so many physical skills. She can fight grown man with only a wooden sword. She never misses her shot. Seen as one of the deadliest warriors in the army. However, she becomes a puddle of a woman the instant she sees an attractive male. She let them walk all over her. Gave forgiveness the minute she got horny. She lost her appeal to me once I saw that. I’m one for spice and angst but not at the expense of the integrity of our female character. Dick is not worth it….these men, from what I could read were more obsessed with her body than her mind. The moment she spoke her mind or tried to disobey, she was treated like a child. I like possessive males, but this was overkill.
I really loved the idea of this book. I was super interested and ready to dive in. I thought there was going to be more of a plot that wasn’t strictly revolved around a physical attraction toward our female lead. I almost wish the fantasy outweighed the romance in this story. It was definitely overshadowed.
There was so much potential with this read and I am really upset with my rating. I am really curious what happens next in the story but I do not want to be disappointed again.
August 22, 2023
”i will gladly die a thousand more excruciating deaths if that is the price that i must pay so that i may finally, one day, hold you in my arms. there is nothing that i wouldn’t surrender for you, nothing that i wouldn’t endure just to have you gaze upon me with love in your eyes.”
the snows of nissa is book one in a four book series following fmc, duna who is a highly skilled soldier with a rough past. duna has been alone for the last five years, knowing no one other than those met from her time spent in the army. duna is strong, fierce, and always has something to say as a comeback. she is definitely a great fmc, and her story is always interesting to read through.
before i get too far into rambling on about this book, i do want to mention it is written in third person and also has some pretty detailed 🌶️ scenes! in case anyone is wondering about that. there also is a lot of historical information dumps throughout the story, which really help the understanding of plot-line and the events that come to follow.
”did she just hear his voice in her head?”
one of my FAVORITE things ever is the scene that this quote above is from. i absolutely LOVE fated mates and mind-speaking between the two (coming from a huge fan of ACOTAR). this does follow a similar pattern to ACOTAR, having two male main characters which duna has experiences with! one being amazing and the other… worse than tamlin. 😭
”she would do anything, anything at all that the general asked of her, just to be in the his arms again.”
general cathal ragnar. that’s all. absolutely and utterly obsessed with him. cathal is the general of the tyrossian armies, who is also betrothed to the princess of tyros. after meeting duna though, things fundamentally change for cathal. he realizes how much she means to him, and that he would never find a love quite like what he feels for her. even with the princess, he still would never be truly content. the best part about cathal? he WIELDS SHADOWS!!😩
”if not in this lifetime, then in the next, i swear to you, we will be together.”
i really enjoyed this book, the storylines were interesting and i love the two main characters so much! my only reasoning for not giving five stars is that i wish there was more of cathal’s povs. he kinda disappears for awhile and i spent half my time reading missing him and wondering what he’s up to lol.
definitely excited to read book two soon<3
major spoilers!!
i HATE madir with my entire being. if you thought tamlin was bad, wait until you read about madir. i have never in my life encountered a character that made my blood boil from the very beginning like he did. he’s arrogant, selfish, and cares so little about duna but yet she doesn’t realize it. hes manipulative and possessive and cathal warned her about him and she DIDNT LISTEN. what he did to her, disgusting. i felt so terribly upset for duna and her entire situation with him.
finding out cathal is the god of death?! SHOOK.
like i mean i knew he was a power of some sort, but for some reason couldn’t put two and two together. explains his shadow powers so much more when that whole thing comes to light.
i really hope cathal finally gets to duna and saves her. but i’m so worried he won’t find her considering THE ENDING. this book ends on a cliffhanger, and a major one at that. needless to say, i have so many unanswered questions now.
end spoilers!!
i definitely love this world and cannot wait to continue on farther into the series. i hope to read all four of the books as long as they continue to be amazing!
the snows of nissa is book one in a four book series following fmc, duna who is a highly skilled soldier with a rough past. duna has been alone for the last five years, knowing no one other than those met from her time spent in the army. duna is strong, fierce, and always has something to say as a comeback. she is definitely a great fmc, and her story is always interesting to read through.
before i get too far into rambling on about this book, i do want to mention it is written in third person and also has some pretty detailed 🌶️ scenes! in case anyone is wondering about that. there also is a lot of historical information dumps throughout the story, which really help the understanding of plot-line and the events that come to follow.
”did she just hear his voice in her head?”
one of my FAVORITE things ever is the scene that this quote above is from. i absolutely LOVE fated mates and mind-speaking between the two (coming from a huge fan of ACOTAR). this does follow a similar pattern to ACOTAR, having two male main characters which duna has experiences with! one being amazing and the other… worse than tamlin. 😭
”she would do anything, anything at all that the general asked of her, just to be in the his arms again.”
general cathal ragnar. that’s all. absolutely and utterly obsessed with him. cathal is the general of the tyrossian armies, who is also betrothed to the princess of tyros. after meeting duna though, things fundamentally change for cathal. he realizes how much she means to him, and that he would never find a love quite like what he feels for her. even with the princess, he still would never be truly content. the best part about cathal? he WIELDS SHADOWS!!😩
”if not in this lifetime, then in the next, i swear to you, we will be together.”
i really enjoyed this book, the storylines were interesting and i love the two main characters so much! my only reasoning for not giving five stars is that i wish there was more of cathal’s povs. he kinda disappears for awhile and i spent half my time reading missing him and wondering what he’s up to lol.
definitely excited to read book two soon<3
major spoilers!!
i HATE madir with my entire being. if you thought tamlin was bad, wait until you read about madir. i have never in my life encountered a character that made my blood boil from the very beginning like he did. he’s arrogant, selfish, and cares so little about duna but yet she doesn’t realize it. hes manipulative and possessive and cathal warned her about him and she DIDNT LISTEN. what he did to her, disgusting. i felt so terribly upset for duna and her entire situation with him.
finding out cathal is the god of death?! SHOOK.
like i mean i knew he was a power of some sort, but for some reason couldn’t put two and two together. explains his shadow powers so much more when that whole thing comes to light.
i really hope cathal finally gets to duna and saves her. but i’m so worried he won’t find her considering THE ENDING. this book ends on a cliffhanger, and a major one at that. needless to say, i have so many unanswered questions now.
end spoilers!!
i definitely love this world and cannot wait to continue on farther into the series. i hope to read all four of the books as long as they continue to be amazing!
June 16, 2023
The Snows of Nissa” is book one of Isabella Khalidi’s Forgotten Kingdom Chronicles series. It features the protagonist, Duna’s lone adventure in the woods, where she hopes to seize some game meat fast before her grandmother notices her absence. However, she’s attracted to an increasingly vociferous crying out that is coming from the direction of her home, the Kingdom of Tyros. Just as she emerges from the forest, she is met by the striking view of burning houses, with multitudes sprinting haphazardly in all directions. Her grandmother’s life is at risk and Duna can’t visualize losing her to the fire, being the only one left of her family.
Years later after fleeing home, Duna joins the army where she impressively and skillfully combats diverse male warriors, an achievement that brings her into the presence of the most handsome man she has ever set her eyes on, General Cathal. She becomes intensely attracted to him, owing to his firm physique, agility, and grit, in addition to an occasional fondness for her magnificence, skill, and persona. Cathal is equally experiencing a tornado of emotions for the warrior queen, Duna. He knows very well that if not controlled fast, these feelings will overtake his loyalty to Princess Leila, whom he has known for a longer time and is planning to marry.
This text brims with dreadful twists, and cliffhanging adventures, among other contradictions and susceptible incidents among its characters. Themes of dilemma and disarray will grab the readers’ attention throughout the read. In this book, reason is stretched, and emotions are charged at the helm of a rescue task. The ending is unanticipated, and readers will desire to check out the second volume of the Forgotten Kingdom Chronicles series, for answers to the many questions that have been left unanswered.
This five-star rated novel, “The Snows of Nissa” by Isabella Khalidi, owes its conquest to the gripping tension, imagery depictions, and well-hewn characters. It is indeed an award-earning adult dark fantasy that will keep its readers deeply invested emotionally and craving more.
Years later after fleeing home, Duna joins the army where she impressively and skillfully combats diverse male warriors, an achievement that brings her into the presence of the most handsome man she has ever set her eyes on, General Cathal. She becomes intensely attracted to him, owing to his firm physique, agility, and grit, in addition to an occasional fondness for her magnificence, skill, and persona. Cathal is equally experiencing a tornado of emotions for the warrior queen, Duna. He knows very well that if not controlled fast, these feelings will overtake his loyalty to Princess Leila, whom he has known for a longer time and is planning to marry.
This text brims with dreadful twists, and cliffhanging adventures, among other contradictions and susceptible incidents among its characters. Themes of dilemma and disarray will grab the readers’ attention throughout the read. In this book, reason is stretched, and emotions are charged at the helm of a rescue task. The ending is unanticipated, and readers will desire to check out the second volume of the Forgotten Kingdom Chronicles series, for answers to the many questions that have been left unanswered.
This five-star rated novel, “The Snows of Nissa” by Isabella Khalidi, owes its conquest to the gripping tension, imagery depictions, and well-hewn characters. It is indeed an award-earning adult dark fantasy that will keep its readers deeply invested emotionally and craving more.
August 16, 2023
This was addicting-ly horrible. One of the most poorly written books I have ever had the misfortune of coming across - yet I couldn't get enough just to see how much worse it could get.
The writing was horrible, the plot was confusing, there were spelling & grammar errors that a third grader could have edited and the building of the romance was laughable.
ROSE 🌹: UM...
Hold on, I'm still trying to think of one...
I guess the smut wasn't that bad, but there was never any between the two MCs...
THORN 🗡️: WRITING, EDITING, PLOT, CHARACTERS, ROMANCE
First of all, this was one of the worst cases of purple prose I have ever read. Parts of it actually made me laugh out loud, and I will provide them here for your viewing pleasure:
that treacherous organ in Duna's chest cavity
JUST SAY HEART.
sky was diminishing rapidly and she had no ulterior light source to illuminate the ground while she worked
Okay, so... it's getting dark out and you don't have a torch.
She could not form words, her tongue was left lying in her oral cavity like a lifeless piece of flesh.
WHAT???
"We don't want you dying of an obstruction of the airways due to a lack of oxygen because your trachea was blocked by a ridiculous amount of solids."
This was said in response to someone eating their food fast...
ANYWAY, those are only some examples because I got too lazy to highlight all of them (that's how many there were). On top of this, there were so many spelling mistakes and uses of the wrong words (ex: prey instead of pray is used twice).
No plot is good enough to cover up bad writing, but this one would have been bad regardless. There is almost zero world building and anything of importance is lazily revealed through people just saying/telling stories.
And the romance sucked and was insta-lust.
BUD 🌷: N/A
The writing was horrible, the plot was confusing, there were spelling & grammar errors that a third grader could have edited and the building of the romance was laughable.
ROSE 🌹: UM...
Hold on, I'm still trying to think of one...
I guess the smut wasn't that bad, but there was never any between the two MCs...
THORN 🗡️: WRITING, EDITING, PLOT, CHARACTERS, ROMANCE
First of all, this was one of the worst cases of purple prose I have ever read. Parts of it actually made me laugh out loud, and I will provide them here for your viewing pleasure:
that treacherous organ in Duna's chest cavity
JUST SAY HEART.
sky was diminishing rapidly and she had no ulterior light source to illuminate the ground while she worked
Okay, so... it's getting dark out and you don't have a torch.
She could not form words, her tongue was left lying in her oral cavity like a lifeless piece of flesh.
WHAT???
"We don't want you dying of an obstruction of the airways due to a lack of oxygen because your trachea was blocked by a ridiculous amount of solids."
This was said in response to someone eating their food fast...
ANYWAY, those are only some examples because I got too lazy to highlight all of them (that's how many there were). On top of this, there were so many spelling mistakes and uses of the wrong words (ex: prey instead of pray is used twice).
No plot is good enough to cover up bad writing, but this one would have been bad regardless. There is almost zero world building and anything of importance is lazily revealed through people just saying/telling stories.
And the romance sucked and was insta-lust.
BUD 🌷: N/A
February 28, 2024
DNF at 11%. I was actively angry at this one. Best warrior in the whole army is a woman (which no one has noticed before, sure) and the she sees. THIS MAN and suddenly she's useless? Give me a break.
PLUS, it's written with excruciating detail about what everyone looks like but not much else. I learned what every woman in this novel's breasts look like, the color of their hair, how tiny their waists are, etc... but nothing about the world, the conflict, why there is an army. The reader hears about her boobs before we hear about her skills. This cannot be written by a woman, it's just a teenager boy's wet dream power trip.
PLUS, it's written with excruciating detail about what everyone looks like but not much else. I learned what every woman in this novel's breasts look like, the color of their hair, how tiny their waists are, etc... but nothing about the world, the conflict, why there is an army. The reader hears about her boobs before we hear about her skills. This cannot be written by a woman, it's just a teenager boy's wet dream power trip.
March 30, 2024
The way I was so enthralled by the concept of an exiled god and a mortal warrior 😭 it could've been executed so so so much better and it breaks my heart that I didn't love this as much as I thought I would :/
As much as I enjoy descriptive prose, you lose me every time you refer to an eye colour as a 13-something-lettered gemstone and over-describe physical attributes of every character the moment they're introduced T-T
The world building and the mythologies again had so SO much potential and I would've loved it if there was more showing of the world building instead of talking about it through telling :/ I was also excited when I saw a reference to South-Asian/Hindu mythology however it wasn't reflected upon any further, nor do we see any other South-Asian representation which didn't seem like cultural appreciation to me.
The romance fell flat for me as well— I felt like it could've been a lot more developed instead of purely being based upon lust, but that seems to be a disappointing theme across romantasy books ://
As much as I enjoy descriptive prose, you lose me every time you refer to an eye colour as a 13-something-lettered gemstone and over-describe physical attributes of every character the moment they're introduced T-T
The world building and the mythologies again had so SO much potential and I would've loved it if there was more showing of the world building instead of talking about it through telling :/ I was also excited when I saw a reference to South-Asian/Hindu mythology however it wasn't reflected upon any further, nor do we see any other South-Asian representation which didn't seem like cultural appreciation to me.
The romance fell flat for me as well— I felt like it could've been a lot more developed instead of purely being based upon lust, but that seems to be a disappointing theme across romantasy books ://
November 2, 2023
The Snows of Nissa by Isabella Khalidi is the first book in the Forgotten Kingdom Chronicles and is a dark fantasy romance story. It features a female warrior who finds herself in the middle of male leaders of competing kingdoms and myths that encompass all the kingdoms. Tropes include forbidden romance, gods and myths, a strong FMC, a moody MMC, and a shadow daddy. Trigger warnings for graphic and explicit content on page - this is a book where you really do need to check the trigger warnings list before reading because there is a lot of explicit content.
The Lovely: I loved the characters, especially Duna and Petra. I appreciate not only that they’re strong women but that they don’t shy away from men who would condemn them for it. I also like the MMC (and his shadows), although he is quite possessive.
The Mundane: This is high/epic fantasy at its core. There is a lot of world building in terms of the gods & myths. It is nit dumped at the beginning rather it’s spread throughout the book. But, there is a lot of lore and myths to remember.
The Dreadful: I found some of the twists to be predictable, based on some foreshadowing. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it does impact the tension and pacing of the story. I spent a lot of the book not sure how the story would get from point A to B but knowing what those two points were.
Rating: 4/5 Stars 3/5 Flames
Recommendation: This book delivers as a dark and spicy fantasy romance. Books one and two are currently available (Nov 2023) and the next two books are due out in early/mid 2024. It is quite spicy with the number and content of explicit scenes. I started book two as soon as I finished book one (while still on the airplane). If you like spicy fantasy romance with a strong FMC and gods and myths, I think you would like this book.
The Lovely: I loved the characters, especially Duna and Petra. I appreciate not only that they’re strong women but that they don’t shy away from men who would condemn them for it. I also like the MMC (and his shadows), although he is quite possessive.
The Mundane: This is high/epic fantasy at its core. There is a lot of world building in terms of the gods & myths. It is nit dumped at the beginning rather it’s spread throughout the book. But, there is a lot of lore and myths to remember.
The Dreadful: I found some of the twists to be predictable, based on some foreshadowing. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it does impact the tension and pacing of the story. I spent a lot of the book not sure how the story would get from point A to B but knowing what those two points were.
Rating: 4/5 Stars 3/5 Flames
Recommendation: This book delivers as a dark and spicy fantasy romance. Books one and two are currently available (Nov 2023) and the next two books are due out in early/mid 2024. It is quite spicy with the number and content of explicit scenes. I started book two as soon as I finished book one (while still on the airplane). If you like spicy fantasy romance with a strong FMC and gods and myths, I think you would like this book.
October 10, 2023
Honestly I’m not even sure what book I just read. All I know is all the men must be over 6ft with large frames and bodies of sin. We can’t forget that our main lead Duna is poorly educated but she makes up for that with really great fighting skill, her training has ensured she has thick thighs on a curvy body with modest breasts. The author made sure we never forgot these physical attributes.
I’m not sure what anyone else is reading to rate this book higher than 3 stars, whilst the spicy was indeed spicy it really doesn’t have much else going for it.
I’m not sure what anyone else is reading to rate this book higher than 3 stars, whilst the spicy was indeed spicy it really doesn’t have much else going for it.
August 21, 2024
Not a single character had any sort of personality. The author threw in every cliche imaginable. All emotion was surface level. The declarations were completely out of place and awkward. The male antagonist and protagonist were essentially the exact same person. The FMC willingly walked into every bad scenario she ended up in. Just no.
August 24, 2025
2.5 ⭐️
The writing was on and off. I contemplated DNFing a few times. The world-building and the lore were interesting. I think this story has potential, but I cannot tell if it will be properly narrated.
The writing was on and off. I contemplated DNFing a few times. The world-building and the lore were interesting. I think this story has potential, but I cannot tell if it will be properly narrated.
June 13, 2023
so much love for this story!
I loved this book! True romantasy with mythical creatures, legends an intoxicating villain with side story galore! I loved it! The world building was beautiful, the characters were all pleasantly quirky and the right amount of spice!
.
Any book with a strong female lead does it for me! I love it when she’s fiery and able to hold her own. Duna is absolute inspiration that you don’t need anyone but yourself
.
Massively excited for the next story! Such a cliffhanger ending!
.
If you haven’t already this has to be your next read!
.
I loved this book! True romantasy with mythical creatures, legends an intoxicating villain with side story galore! I loved it! The world building was beautiful, the characters were all pleasantly quirky and the right amount of spice!
.
Any book with a strong female lead does it for me! I love it when she’s fiery and able to hold her own. Duna is absolute inspiration that you don’t need anyone but yourself
.
Massively excited for the next story! Such a cliffhanger ending!
.
If you haven’t already this has to be your next read!
.
January 9, 2025
1.5 ⭐
This took all my strength not to DNF.
The world building was non-existent. I honestly didn't even think this was a fantasy book at all until a slight hint to a magical element was randomly sprung on me about a third of the way in, with zero context and no explanation. I thought I'd missed something.
And then suddenly, we're completely overwhelmed with pages and pages of info-dumping, through the lazy form of characters randomly telling each other long-winded stories out of nowhere. Hard to read and endless paragraphs of it.
The relationship between the MCs is 0-100. Insta-lust at it's finest, and I don't mean that in a good way. They have like two measly, miniscule interactions and then all of a sudden are acting as though they have this deep, angsty, romantic connection full of yearning, when they've literally barely just met.
It's so forced, there's no chemistry apart from what we're told about them. There's no showing of anything in the entire book. There's no depth or substance to any of the characters, they have zero personality. And what personality they do have is massively inconsistent, their actions constantly make no sense.
And the writing itself is so bad. It was so hard to concentrate with how overwritten the prose is, too flowery and trying to be overly verbose. The word choices were at times so bizarre. Even in the dialogue, the verbose language would transfer over into the characters speech and made zero sense whatsoever. The characters spoke so formally at all times and every other word would have some kind of unnecessary adjective in front of it. People don't talk like that!
That, paired with the numerous grammatical errors made it so hard to read and took me out of the book so often.
The plot in itself had some potential I guess, and there was enough intrigue created for me to be curious about where everything was headed. Despite my many negative feelings for this book I actually was tempted to try a couple chapters of the next one to see where it went, as there are a lot of threads still unresolved, but unfortunately I cannot put myself through reading any more from this author.
Where all these positive reviews came from I will never know.
This took all my strength not to DNF.
The world building was non-existent. I honestly didn't even think this was a fantasy book at all until a slight hint to a magical element was randomly sprung on me about a third of the way in, with zero context and no explanation. I thought I'd missed something.
And then suddenly, we're completely overwhelmed with pages and pages of info-dumping, through the lazy form of characters randomly telling each other long-winded stories out of nowhere. Hard to read and endless paragraphs of it.
The relationship between the MCs is 0-100. Insta-lust at it's finest, and I don't mean that in a good way. They have like two measly, miniscule interactions and then all of a sudden are acting as though they have this deep, angsty, romantic connection full of yearning, when they've literally barely just met.
It's so forced, there's no chemistry apart from what we're told about them. There's no showing of anything in the entire book. There's no depth or substance to any of the characters, they have zero personality. And what personality they do have is massively inconsistent, their actions constantly make no sense.
And the writing itself is so bad. It was so hard to concentrate with how overwritten the prose is, too flowery and trying to be overly verbose. The word choices were at times so bizarre. Even in the dialogue, the verbose language would transfer over into the characters speech and made zero sense whatsoever. The characters spoke so formally at all times and every other word would have some kind of unnecessary adjective in front of it. People don't talk like that!
That, paired with the numerous grammatical errors made it so hard to read and took me out of the book so often.
The plot in itself had some potential I guess, and there was enough intrigue created for me to be curious about where everything was headed. Despite my many negative feelings for this book I actually was tempted to try a couple chapters of the next one to see where it went, as there are a lot of threads still unresolved, but unfortunately I cannot put myself through reading any more from this author.
Where all these positive reviews came from I will never know.
November 24, 2023
⚔️𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓢𝓷𝓸𝔀𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓝𝓲𝓼𝓼𝓪 by Isabella Khalidi is a fantastic dark and spicy read!!⚔️
Our MMC is the General in the King's Army and betrothed to the princess. Our FMC, Duna, is a soldier who is strong and sassy with a tragic back story.
I loved the connection between the FMC and MMC. The way he looks at her though🫠 I honestly enjoyed that the FMC made realistic decisions. Sometimes when you have an altruistic character that is morally good, they make too many good choices and it doesn't feel real, but this FMC made some bad choices and it gave her character more depth.
This book was dark and spicy!!! And the General is swoon-worthy! The ending left me wanting more, I can't wait to dive into book two and dig deeper into this romance and explore more of this map! If you enjoy dark romance with heavy spice and a great plot then this is definitely the book for you!!
Book 1 in the Forgotten Kingdom Chronicles
Publication Date: August 2023
Pages: 272
Rating: 4.5⭐
Spice: 4🌶️
🆓 on #KindleUnlimited
Tropes:
✔️Forbidden Love
✔️Heavy Spice
✔️Curses
✔️Fantasy Kingdoms
✔️Forced Proximity
✔️Gods & Myths
✔️Dual POV
✔️Dark & Intense
✔️Broody Males
✔️Action Packed
And More…
✨She is the kingdom’s deadliest warrior—and the one temptation he must resist.✨
⚠️The Snows of Nissa is a dark tale and not a sweet love story. It is the first novel in an adult dark fantasy romance series the Forgotten Kingdom Chronicles and contains strong language, explicit adult scenes, and scenes of violence and death. It is intended for mature audiences only. Please be sure to check the trigger warnings before reading this book!⚠️
Our MMC is the General in the King's Army and betrothed to the princess. Our FMC, Duna, is a soldier who is strong and sassy with a tragic back story.
I loved the connection between the FMC and MMC. The way he looks at her though🫠 I honestly enjoyed that the FMC made realistic decisions. Sometimes when you have an altruistic character that is morally good, they make too many good choices and it doesn't feel real, but this FMC made some bad choices and it gave her character more depth.
This book was dark and spicy!!! And the General is swoon-worthy! The ending left me wanting more, I can't wait to dive into book two and dig deeper into this romance and explore more of this map! If you enjoy dark romance with heavy spice and a great plot then this is definitely the book for you!!
Book 1 in the Forgotten Kingdom Chronicles
Publication Date: August 2023
Pages: 272
Rating: 4.5⭐
Spice: 4🌶️
🆓 on #KindleUnlimited
Tropes:
✔️Forbidden Love
✔️Heavy Spice
✔️Curses
✔️Fantasy Kingdoms
✔️Forced Proximity
✔️Gods & Myths
✔️Dual POV
✔️Dark & Intense
✔️Broody Males
✔️Action Packed
And More…
✨She is the kingdom’s deadliest warrior—and the one temptation he must resist.✨
⚠️The Snows of Nissa is a dark tale and not a sweet love story. It is the first novel in an adult dark fantasy romance series the Forgotten Kingdom Chronicles and contains strong language, explicit adult scenes, and scenes of violence and death. It is intended for mature audiences only. Please be sure to check the trigger warnings before reading this book!⚠️
July 4, 2023
🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️/5
In a world of Gods and myths, young Duma went hunting one morning only to come back to see her grandmother, her last remaining relative, perish from an arson attack on their home. Five years later, she serves as one of the few females in the kingdom’s army. When the army’s general, Cathal, witnesses her sparring during practice, he is impressed and demands to meet her, despite not knowing her identify or that she is a woman. As the two become more acquainted with each other, sparks fly. There’s just one large problem: Cathal is betrothed to Princess Leila AND she’s suddenly missing. The Kingdom of Nissa’s army goes on a hunt for the missing princess, whilst Duma and Cathal fight their forbidden feelings for each other.
I was impressed at how skilled the writing is, considering this is a debut novel and a great start to a fantastical series. It’s immediately spicy and not for the faint of heart.
I loved reading this and learning about the lore and legends circling this world. I was both frustrated and aroused by some of the characters introduced in this book. We’re left on a cliffhanger and I am dying to see what happens next.
This book has:
✔️strong FMC
✔️touch her and die
✔️forbidden love
In a world of Gods and myths, young Duma went hunting one morning only to come back to see her grandmother, her last remaining relative, perish from an arson attack on their home. Five years later, she serves as one of the few females in the kingdom’s army. When the army’s general, Cathal, witnesses her sparring during practice, he is impressed and demands to meet her, despite not knowing her identify or that she is a woman. As the two become more acquainted with each other, sparks fly. There’s just one large problem: Cathal is betrothed to Princess Leila AND she’s suddenly missing. The Kingdom of Nissa’s army goes on a hunt for the missing princess, whilst Duma and Cathal fight their forbidden feelings for each other.
I was impressed at how skilled the writing is, considering this is a debut novel and a great start to a fantastical series. It’s immediately spicy and not for the faint of heart.
I loved reading this and learning about the lore and legends circling this world. I was both frustrated and aroused by some of the characters introduced in this book. We’re left on a cliffhanger and I am dying to see what happens next.
This book has:
✔️strong FMC
✔️touch her and die
✔️forbidden love
November 11, 2025
Spice: 5/5
Plot: 2/5
"Do not test me, Duna," he hissed, leaning in close to her face, "I am this close to bending you over my knee and spanking you right here in front of everyone for almost getting yourself killed."
Excuse me? She almost died and you are betrothed.
This felt like a draft that still needs a lot of editing.
The Snows of Nissa is the first book in a five book series. The story follows the main fmc Duna who became an orphan and joined an army.
The author doesn’t hesitate and tells us how her body is so perfect right at the beginning.
The main mmc is general Cathal who is in a relationship with Princess Leila. Even tho he loves her very much and claims she is his mate, he somehow proceds to fall in love with Duna at first glance.
This is the most insta lusty book I have ever read, contains strong language and explicite scenes. Cathal knows Duna just a few days and he would sacrifice anything just to have her.
The writing is not bad at all, actually really liked it. I think the author definitely knows how to tell a story but scenes are full of cliches and the plot was lacking.
Plot: 2/5
"Do not test me, Duna," he hissed, leaning in close to her face, "I am this close to bending you over my knee and spanking you right here in front of everyone for almost getting yourself killed."
Excuse me? She almost died and you are betrothed.
This felt like a draft that still needs a lot of editing.
The Snows of Nissa is the first book in a five book series. The story follows the main fmc Duna who became an orphan and joined an army.
The author doesn’t hesitate and tells us how her body is so perfect right at the beginning.
The main mmc is general Cathal who is in a relationship with Princess Leila. Even tho he loves her very much and claims she is his mate, he somehow proceds to fall in love with Duna at first glance.
This is the most insta lusty book I have ever read, contains strong language and explicite scenes. Cathal knows Duna just a few days and he would sacrifice anything just to have her.
The writing is not bad at all, actually really liked it. I think the author definitely knows how to tell a story but scenes are full of cliches and the plot was lacking.
September 5, 2023
Okay so what. did. I. just. read!?! 😵 for a debut novel this was up there with some of my favourite reads of the year. I'm so glad I have the ARC of book two because that ending had me in a complete and utter chokehold!
I absolutely adore the premise of this book. From the magic, to the world building and the character development it was simply fantastic. I was so engaged throughout the entire book - I found myself picking up my kindle simply so I could find out what was going to happen next!
It's definitely a great start to a new fantasy series!
𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘
• forbidden romance
• forced proximity
• dual pov
• angsty
• curses
I absolutely adore the premise of this book. From the magic, to the world building and the character development it was simply fantastic. I was so engaged throughout the entire book - I found myself picking up my kindle simply so I could find out what was going to happen next!
It's definitely a great start to a new fantasy series!
𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘
• forbidden romance
• forced proximity
• dual pov
• angsty
• curses
June 11, 2023
Oh my goodness, what a book! THE ENDING?!
I became quickly obsessed with the writing style in this book and of-course, the smutty scenes😍.
If you are looking for a book which is packed with twists and turns and ALL the romance, I definitely recommend purchasing this.
I loved the strong feminist vibes from main character and the fact that she didn’t need a man to take care of her.
I CANNOT wait to read book 2
I became quickly obsessed with the writing style in this book and of-course, the smutty scenes😍.
If you are looking for a book which is packed with twists and turns and ALL the romance, I definitely recommend purchasing this.
I loved the strong feminist vibes from main character and the fact that she didn’t need a man to take care of her.
I CANNOT wait to read book 2
August 4, 2023
i went into this not really knowing what i was getting myself into. But boy was i happily surprised!!
I love LOVED the FMC. She’s such a badass and her just banter with literally everyone was so amusing too. I did love the MMC as well, with his lil grumpy ass haha
The plot, the spice, the banter, the villains, the side characters?? I was engulfed in it all. I’m so excited for the second book !!
I love LOVED the FMC. She’s such a badass and her just banter with literally everyone was so amusing too. I did love the MMC as well, with his lil grumpy ass haha
The plot, the spice, the banter, the villains, the side characters?? I was engulfed in it all. I’m so excited for the second book !!
Want to read
July 11, 2023🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/11/2023)! 🎁
August 12, 2023
The Snows of Nissa by Isabella Khalidi
Wow! This cliffhanger in this debut novel! I am ready for the next book now. I have questions and just don't know where to begin. It has me craving for more.
This is book 1 in the Forgotten Kingdom Chronicles series.
Duna is the deadliest warrior of the kingdom. Cathal is the lethal general. It's a bombshell when they meet, forbidden to stay together yet unable to stay away. They have a challenging path in front of them.
Duna is unknown to larger forces at play. Fate is being cruel to them and is waiting to reveal all the secrets. Please read the blurb, but I would suggest going in blind. I don't want to tell more about the plot, as it seems to reveal the entirety of the book.
The author has built up a brilliant, adventurous story that had me engaged, engrossed, and wanting to know what this all would lead to. I liked the pace and flow of the story, building up to the intense moments, some of which were dreadful.
The characters were great, developing though stupid at times. The language is explicit and gory at times, with violence and death, and definitely for mature audiences. It had a few grammatical errors, but they were nothing against the overall feeling I was left with.
I would recommend this to all fantasy lovers.
Wow! This cliffhanger in this debut novel! I am ready for the next book now. I have questions and just don't know where to begin. It has me craving for more.
This is book 1 in the Forgotten Kingdom Chronicles series.
Duna is the deadliest warrior of the kingdom. Cathal is the lethal general. It's a bombshell when they meet, forbidden to stay together yet unable to stay away. They have a challenging path in front of them.
Duna is unknown to larger forces at play. Fate is being cruel to them and is waiting to reveal all the secrets. Please read the blurb, but I would suggest going in blind. I don't want to tell more about the plot, as it seems to reveal the entirety of the book.
The author has built up a brilliant, adventurous story that had me engaged, engrossed, and wanting to know what this all would lead to. I liked the pace and flow of the story, building up to the intense moments, some of which were dreadful.
The characters were great, developing though stupid at times. The language is explicit and gory at times, with violence and death, and definitely for mature audiences. It had a few grammatical errors, but they were nothing against the overall feeling I was left with.
I would recommend this to all fantasy lovers.
November 27, 2024
I don’t like to be too negative about books but I really struggled with this 😂
August 9, 2023
Hooked! This book has so much! Love the writing! I could not put this book down. This book has some 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ If you like strong female lead, gods, and kings you will love this book.
May 27, 2023
I received an ARC of this for an honest review.
An exiled god. A mortal warrior. An eons long curse.
When two worlds collide, nothing will ever be the same again.
The Snows of Nissa is the first novel in an adult dark fantasy series the Forgotten Kingdom Chronicles and contains strong language, explicit sexual scenes, scenes of violence and death. It is intended for mature audiences only.
This is a great opening to what I feel will be an amazing series. The characters are likeable, the world building is amazing and the premise is intriguing. There are so many plot twists and nothing is as it seems.
Our MFC Duna is a complete bad ass and I love her. She is sassy, funny and very likeable. She had a moment where I was like come on Duna, you’re better than this! But she pulled through and I hope her bad assery continues in the next book. And if you go on the authors Instagram you will find a picture of her – she is stunning! (In fact go check out all the characters, they’re sooo good!)
Our MMC, the general, is brooding, mysterious and has a very naughty mouth!! I feel the character development is well paced and I connected well with each character. There are some you just love and some you love to hate.
My ONLY criticism (because this book is awesome) and reason this isn’t a 5-star review is, in my personal opinion, it is overly heavy on description and some of it is very repetitive. I got really fed up of reading “chocolate hair”, after the first few times we know that her hair is chocolate so it doesn’t need to be repeated over and over again. The second half of the book does ease up on this but I did struggle getting through the first half. I also really dislike the over use of the word slick, it gives me the ick big time, especially when used in conversation.
However, The Snows of Nissa is an amazing read where you will be immersed in a world of mystery, myth and legend with a fated mates vibe and plenty of spice!
And that ending... well!!!
I cannot wait to see what happens next for these characters!
An exiled god. A mortal warrior. An eons long curse.
When two worlds collide, nothing will ever be the same again.
The Snows of Nissa is the first novel in an adult dark fantasy series the Forgotten Kingdom Chronicles and contains strong language, explicit sexual scenes, scenes of violence and death. It is intended for mature audiences only.
This is a great opening to what I feel will be an amazing series. The characters are likeable, the world building is amazing and the premise is intriguing. There are so many plot twists and nothing is as it seems.
Our MFC Duna is a complete bad ass and I love her. She is sassy, funny and very likeable. She had a moment where I was like come on Duna, you’re better than this! But she pulled through and I hope her bad assery continues in the next book. And if you go on the authors Instagram you will find a picture of her – she is stunning! (In fact go check out all the characters, they’re sooo good!)
Our MMC, the general, is brooding, mysterious and has a very naughty mouth!! I feel the character development is well paced and I connected well with each character. There are some you just love and some you love to hate.
My ONLY criticism (because this book is awesome) and reason this isn’t a 5-star review is, in my personal opinion, it is overly heavy on description and some of it is very repetitive. I got really fed up of reading “chocolate hair”, after the first few times we know that her hair is chocolate so it doesn’t need to be repeated over and over again. The second half of the book does ease up on this but I did struggle getting through the first half. I also really dislike the over use of the word slick, it gives me the ick big time, especially when used in conversation.
However, The Snows of Nissa is an amazing read where you will be immersed in a world of mystery, myth and legend with a fated mates vibe and plenty of spice!
And that ending... well!!!
I cannot wait to see what happens next for these characters!
September 11, 2023
The Snows of Nissa is the first novel in an adult dark fantasy romance series the Forgotten Kingdom Chronicles and contains strong language, explicit adult scenes, scenes of violence, and death.
I received a copy of this ebook as I was selected as an ARC reader for book 2 of this series. Thank you to Isabella Khalidi for the opportunity.
The Snows Of Nissa features Duna as the main character. Duna becomes a warrior after the death of her grandmother, her only remaining relative, and her village burns down... she seeks revenge.
Duna decides to join the military and becomes a skilled warrior. She is a mouthy, strong, Kick ass woman who doesn't take shit and can hold her own. Her general, Cathal, takes notice of her, and there's instant attraction... 🔥🌶. The only thing is, he's betrothed to the Princess. When the princess gets kidnapped, Cathal takes his strongest warriors on a journey to find her. This includes Duna.
There's slow burn, forced proximity, jealousy, love triangles, spice, adventure, mythology, lore.....
The characters are well rounded, and the writing to create the environment, characters, and setting is visual. I'm new to fantasy, and I was taken into this world by Isabella's words.
The Book starts off slow and then then speeds up as you continue reading to end on a cliffhanger. Ahhhhh..... why do this to me?! I can't wait for book 2.
My favorite parts of this book were the anticipation of the slow burn, like come on, give it to me, and instead just slowly adding fuel to the fire. Made it feel more genuine and real. Also, how the spice wasn't the main focus of the story.
My least favorite part was how strong Duna was as a woman when it came to being a skilled warrior, but she felt so weak when it came to Madir.
I received a copy of this ebook as I was selected as an ARC reader for book 2 of this series. Thank you to Isabella Khalidi for the opportunity.
The Snows Of Nissa features Duna as the main character. Duna becomes a warrior after the death of her grandmother, her only remaining relative, and her village burns down... she seeks revenge.
Duna decides to join the military and becomes a skilled warrior. She is a mouthy, strong, Kick ass woman who doesn't take shit and can hold her own. Her general, Cathal, takes notice of her, and there's instant attraction... 🔥🌶. The only thing is, he's betrothed to the Princess. When the princess gets kidnapped, Cathal takes his strongest warriors on a journey to find her. This includes Duna.
There's slow burn, forced proximity, jealousy, love triangles, spice, adventure, mythology, lore.....
The characters are well rounded, and the writing to create the environment, characters, and setting is visual. I'm new to fantasy, and I was taken into this world by Isabella's words.
The Book starts off slow and then then speeds up as you continue reading to end on a cliffhanger. Ahhhhh..... why do this to me?! I can't wait for book 2.
My favorite parts of this book were the anticipation of the slow burn, like come on, give it to me, and instead just slowly adding fuel to the fire. Made it feel more genuine and real. Also, how the spice wasn't the main focus of the story.
My least favorite part was how strong Duna was as a woman when it came to being a skilled warrior, but she felt so weak when it came to Madir.
January 2, 2024
I sat down thinking I would read a couple of pages while we were in relaxing over the weekend but I basically became worthless to my family as this book consumed me or rather I devoured this book. I am now obsessed. It was so deliciously spicy. The tension and banter between the characters was amazing. The Snows of Nissa is a Spicy Adult Dark Fantasy Romance. It follows Duna the badass FMC in a Dual POV with the Shadow Daddy General had me weak in the knees!! If you are a fan of Forbidden Romance, Forced Proximity, Possessive brooding MMC then this book is for you. I read all day long and did nothing else and immediately went to book 2! I swear the things this man said, "Listen to you, Suffocating for Me" in real life I would have been like excuse you but because Cathal Said it I'm like yes please.
September 22, 2023
📚BOOK REVIEW📚
The Snows of Nissa by Isabella Khalidi
(The Forgotten Kingdom Chronicles, Book 1)
Rating: ⭐️⭐️/5
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️+/3
Genres: fantasy, romance
Tropes: fated mates, “under the table”, secret identity, alpha MMCC
This book is a dual POV between Cathal (MMC) and Duna (FMC)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I really wanted to like this book. I feel like I’ve seen it so much on bookstagram, and one of the cover iterations is really pretty. I do think that the overall plot is unique, and I’m curious where this series will be taken.
I struggled with the characters. A lot of the actions/reactions of both the MMC and the FMC did not feel consistent. I also felt that the characters were a little one-dimensional. Cathal (MMC) ‘s personality is basically just “possessive”. He cheats on his betrothed and he has obvious anger issues; his only redeeming quality is that he is apparently super hot. Duna is at least funny, although she seems to make bad decisions a lot.
It took a while for any kind of plot to really kick in; didn’t really happen until around the 25-30% mark.
Some of the world building/ backstory that is given for the book and characters is done through either characters telling stories or reading books. This is normally fine, but it felt like there were a couple chapters where it was just pages and pages of information. It felt like too much of a knowledge dump all at once.
There’s a “plot twist” that occurs around 60% (I think it was 60ish, I didn’t mark the exact spot in my notes) that was a little predictable. I don’t mind that. My issue was that with this twist, it uncovered a lot of plot holes towards the beginning of the book.
I was a little confused on the timeline of this book. Because it’s dual POV, we jump back and forth between Duna and Cathal. When they’re together (or in the same area at least) it is fine, but when they’re apart it is hard to tell what events are happening concurrently and what is happening sequentially.
Overall, this one didn’t really do it for it.
Thank you to the author for a copy of this to read ✨
‼️‼️Book specific notes, may contain spoilers ‼️‼️
-Cathal definitely gives off “if I can’t have you, no one can” vibes and it doesn’t help my opinion of him
-Duna’s backstory doesn’t make a ton of sense in terms of why she would join the army. Like if her goal is to get strong enough so no one messes with her, couldn’t she just train independently? Especially considering her opinion about the army and how she’s worried she’ll get harassed for being a woman.
-during the first time Duna and Cathal (and others) are on a mission together, she takes down the majority of the attackers but he tries to send her home. He asked her to come on the mission, what did he think was going to happen? Obviously she would need to fight
-Cathal yelling at her in the middle of a training ring that he was going to spank her also did not help my opinion of him
-he calls her a little girl, which gives me the ick
-the pacing of the book felt a little off, especially when she’s in Nissa. Madir came on to her super strong initially, and then just spent 3+ weeks doing nothing? It doesn’t make sense. Weeks later, we finally see him hitting on her again but they still haven’t slept together. It doesn’t feel consistent for Duna as a character that it look that long for anything to happen.
-it’s really unclear why they are just hanging out in Nissa for that long. They were brought there to help search for the princess, but then Cathal just goes off and leaves them? It doesn’t make sense
-Duna was shook when she discovered that the king’s line all live long lives due to a curse (blessing? Idk) but she seemed totally unbothered when she learned that Cathal can literally become shadows
-the Crown Prince is just wandering around during a festival, eating Duna out in an alley, and no one recognizes him?
-also Madir using a story about his mother being assassinated as a segue to eat Duna out is weird 🚩
-it is obvious who the general is once we hear the prophecy. But it makes the first half of the book make little sense and have lots of plot holes. He was aware of the prophecy, so he knew he needed a mate. He thought that was Leila. Why did he think that was Lelia? He said he grew up with her, but he’s ancient. Was it just on this iteration of his life that he found a mate? Had he not found one before? Did King Lucan know him at various ages then? when cathal realizes he had some sort of pull to Duna, why did he not realize that was stronger than whatever he had with Leila? If he was planning on breaking things off with Leila, would that not undo the prophecy (at least as far as he knew)?
-unclear how the prince can just keep Duna locked up for 10 days. If she visits with the King so much, how would he not know?
-there was a “time jump” for the time that Duna and Madir are together, which makes it seem like she suddenly went from being strong willed to immediately being complacent. It would have been nice to see some of this gradual change
-she makes a big deal about her special soaps; did she really not go back to her room for 3 weeks to get them? Did she just have all of her necessary stuff in the Prince’s room?
-I was confused why Cathal didn’t do anything while Duna was being held captive, which then made me debate the timeline. The only reason I can think for him to not check on her was because he thought she was on her way to him (traveling). So does that mean the POV timelines are overlapping? Or are they sequential?
-both of my least favorite words were used during spicy scenes, bonus points to you if you can guess what they are
The Snows of Nissa by Isabella Khalidi
(The Forgotten Kingdom Chronicles, Book 1)
Rating: ⭐️⭐️/5
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️+/3
Genres: fantasy, romance
Tropes: fated mates, “under the table”, secret identity, alpha MMCC
This book is a dual POV between Cathal (MMC) and Duna (FMC)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I really wanted to like this book. I feel like I’ve seen it so much on bookstagram, and one of the cover iterations is really pretty. I do think that the overall plot is unique, and I’m curious where this series will be taken.
I struggled with the characters. A lot of the actions/reactions of both the MMC and the FMC did not feel consistent. I also felt that the characters were a little one-dimensional. Cathal (MMC) ‘s personality is basically just “possessive”. He cheats on his betrothed and he has obvious anger issues; his only redeeming quality is that he is apparently super hot. Duna is at least funny, although she seems to make bad decisions a lot.
It took a while for any kind of plot to really kick in; didn’t really happen until around the 25-30% mark.
Some of the world building/ backstory that is given for the book and characters is done through either characters telling stories or reading books. This is normally fine, but it felt like there were a couple chapters where it was just pages and pages of information. It felt like too much of a knowledge dump all at once.
There’s a “plot twist” that occurs around 60% (I think it was 60ish, I didn’t mark the exact spot in my notes) that was a little predictable. I don’t mind that. My issue was that with this twist, it uncovered a lot of plot holes towards the beginning of the book.
I was a little confused on the timeline of this book. Because it’s dual POV, we jump back and forth between Duna and Cathal. When they’re together (or in the same area at least) it is fine, but when they’re apart it is hard to tell what events are happening concurrently and what is happening sequentially.
Overall, this one didn’t really do it for it.
Thank you to the author for a copy of this to read ✨
‼️‼️Book specific notes, may contain spoilers ‼️‼️
-Cathal definitely gives off “if I can’t have you, no one can” vibes and it doesn’t help my opinion of him
-Duna’s backstory doesn’t make a ton of sense in terms of why she would join the army. Like if her goal is to get strong enough so no one messes with her, couldn’t she just train independently? Especially considering her opinion about the army and how she’s worried she’ll get harassed for being a woman.
-during the first time Duna and Cathal (and others) are on a mission together, she takes down the majority of the attackers but he tries to send her home. He asked her to come on the mission, what did he think was going to happen? Obviously she would need to fight
-Cathal yelling at her in the middle of a training ring that he was going to spank her also did not help my opinion of him
-he calls her a little girl, which gives me the ick
-the pacing of the book felt a little off, especially when she’s in Nissa. Madir came on to her super strong initially, and then just spent 3+ weeks doing nothing? It doesn’t make sense. Weeks later, we finally see him hitting on her again but they still haven’t slept together. It doesn’t feel consistent for Duna as a character that it look that long for anything to happen.
-it’s really unclear why they are just hanging out in Nissa for that long. They were brought there to help search for the princess, but then Cathal just goes off and leaves them? It doesn’t make sense
-Duna was shook when she discovered that the king’s line all live long lives due to a curse (blessing? Idk) but she seemed totally unbothered when she learned that Cathal can literally become shadows
-the Crown Prince is just wandering around during a festival, eating Duna out in an alley, and no one recognizes him?
-also Madir using a story about his mother being assassinated as a segue to eat Duna out is weird 🚩
-it is obvious who the general is once we hear the prophecy. But it makes the first half of the book make little sense and have lots of plot holes. He was aware of the prophecy, so he knew he needed a mate. He thought that was Leila. Why did he think that was Lelia? He said he grew up with her, but he’s ancient. Was it just on this iteration of his life that he found a mate? Had he not found one before? Did King Lucan know him at various ages then? when cathal realizes he had some sort of pull to Duna, why did he not realize that was stronger than whatever he had with Leila? If he was planning on breaking things off with Leila, would that not undo the prophecy (at least as far as he knew)?
-unclear how the prince can just keep Duna locked up for 10 days. If she visits with the King so much, how would he not know?
-there was a “time jump” for the time that Duna and Madir are together, which makes it seem like she suddenly went from being strong willed to immediately being complacent. It would have been nice to see some of this gradual change
-she makes a big deal about her special soaps; did she really not go back to her room for 3 weeks to get them? Did she just have all of her necessary stuff in the Prince’s room?
-I was confused why Cathal didn’t do anything while Duna was being held captive, which then made me debate the timeline. The only reason I can think for him to not check on her was because he thought she was on her way to him (traveling). So does that mean the POV timelines are overlapping? Or are they sequential?
-both of my least favorite words were used during spicy scenes, bonus points to you if you can guess what they are
December 27, 2023
The Snows of Nissa follows the story of Duna. After loosing her grandmother to raiders, she joins the military and finds she has a natural talent for killing. It’s here she runs into the General, Cathal. The two of them have instant chemistry and feel drawn to the other. The only issue being Cathal is betrothed to the Princess. When she gets kidnapped, Duna joins Cathal in the search for her, despite wanting to keep her distance and him feeling equally torn about the situation. His possessiveness of her doesn’t correlate with their short time knowing one another and his current very taken status.
In the beginning the story seemed very normal, but the fantasy slowly begins to trickle in. I found it fascinating how the world seemed to be so ordinary at first, until Duna slowly uncovers all the magic and fantastical things out there. It was done in a way I hadn’t quite read before. Cathal has his own secret, one I won’t spoil here, but he’s got an amazing backstory that I loved uncovering. And as the story progresses, we find out more and more about who he truly is. In the same token, we begin to see there is something about Duna that seems different. There are strange occurrences and a tie to Cathal that can’t be explained away.
I loved this slow burn uncovering of information. Once they make their way to the kingdom of Nissa, the information starts pouring out as we get lots of the legends of this world. We get hints as to what may be going on with Duna, but nothing concrete yet. The legends give us hints themselves, as does the reactions of several beings she comes into contact with, as well as her skill set. There is also a prophecy afoot and mysterious beings that I desperately need answers to!
Duna’s story has a lot of ups and downs. At the beginning of the story, she saved the life of a man who turns out to be the prince of Nissa, Madir. She finds herself in a bit of a conundrum relationship wise. Madir is…complicated is very light word for it! Duna’s journey through this section of the book is a tough one to read just because I wanted to shake her! She started the story as an incredibly strong and independent woman who refused to bow to the whims of any man. And that woman seems to fade away as the story progresses. But it does teach her a lesson that may have been necessary. And we do see her have a great resolution to this storyline!
I normally don’t like stories where the main couple has relationships or sex scenes with others. But with Cathal’s betrothed and Duna’s journey, I found myself okay with this surprisingly! It was very clear who the main couple would be here, even if we need to wait for it! But just a heads up for if anyone is like me, don’t give up! Keep reading, it’s so worth it! The interactions between Duna and Cathal always left me wanting more of them. The scenes are charged as whatever it is between them seems to run through their very beings. As the princess is supposed to be Cathal’s fated mate, we get some delicious drama from his struggle with his relationships. I’m curious to see which way this will go with the mate plot line. I tend to love the fated mate trope, so this story has left me with all sorts of feelings!
There’s a lot of great side characters that we get a lot of here too. Petra, Duna’s friend and comrade, gets her time to shine and I always found her really fun. The King of Nissa is wonderful. His wisdom and wonder came through so well and I loved his loyalty. Cathal’s own warriors like Axel, Rhun, Lir, Kane, Prince Edan, and Prince Valen have smaller parts to play, but I always loved getting time with them! The Princess I’m very curious to see more of and where her plots are leading.
We leave things on a cliffhanger. Duna seems to attract trouble, but my hope is it will lead her right to where she needs to be despite the…predicament! She still has a long way to go, as does Cathal. I can’t wait to get more of them together and to get the answers to the mysteries surrounding them. But I’m completely fascinated by this story and this world. I can’t wait for the next book to continue where this left off! There’s so much still to be uncovered and I feel like we are just getting to the juicy parts of the story. We’re now uncovering what Cathal’s deal is and those answers are incredible. I really want to see more and if he achieves what he has been trying to find a way to do for a long time. If there will be a battle or some sort of confrontation between him and a certain someone. I’m equally invested in the mystery around Duna and I’m hoping Cathal can help answer some of the questions being raised.
The smut in this book is incredible. The lightest of smut happens with Cathal and Duna, we get much more with Madir for now. And as much as I knew this guy was…complicated, as I said, I couldn’t help loving how the smut was written. There’s also a really good balance between the plot, characters, smut, and world building. Once the story really hit the ground running, I found myself unable to look away. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy or romance. While the romance might be sort of light here thus far, Cathal and Duna had several fabulous scenes and the promise Cathal made leaves me sure we’ll be seeing much more of it later! I loved what we did get of them and I never say no to an agonizing slow burn. And in the meantime, we have lots of wonderfully filthy smut to keep us satisfied!
In the beginning the story seemed very normal, but the fantasy slowly begins to trickle in. I found it fascinating how the world seemed to be so ordinary at first, until Duna slowly uncovers all the magic and fantastical things out there. It was done in a way I hadn’t quite read before. Cathal has his own secret, one I won’t spoil here, but he’s got an amazing backstory that I loved uncovering. And as the story progresses, we find out more and more about who he truly is. In the same token, we begin to see there is something about Duna that seems different. There are strange occurrences and a tie to Cathal that can’t be explained away.
I loved this slow burn uncovering of information. Once they make their way to the kingdom of Nissa, the information starts pouring out as we get lots of the legends of this world. We get hints as to what may be going on with Duna, but nothing concrete yet. The legends give us hints themselves, as does the reactions of several beings she comes into contact with, as well as her skill set. There is also a prophecy afoot and mysterious beings that I desperately need answers to!
Duna’s story has a lot of ups and downs. At the beginning of the story, she saved the life of a man who turns out to be the prince of Nissa, Madir. She finds herself in a bit of a conundrum relationship wise. Madir is…complicated is very light word for it! Duna’s journey through this section of the book is a tough one to read just because I wanted to shake her! She started the story as an incredibly strong and independent woman who refused to bow to the whims of any man. And that woman seems to fade away as the story progresses. But it does teach her a lesson that may have been necessary. And we do see her have a great resolution to this storyline!
I normally don’t like stories where the main couple has relationships or sex scenes with others. But with Cathal’s betrothed and Duna’s journey, I found myself okay with this surprisingly! It was very clear who the main couple would be here, even if we need to wait for it! But just a heads up for if anyone is like me, don’t give up! Keep reading, it’s so worth it! The interactions between Duna and Cathal always left me wanting more of them. The scenes are charged as whatever it is between them seems to run through their very beings. As the princess is supposed to be Cathal’s fated mate, we get some delicious drama from his struggle with his relationships. I’m curious to see which way this will go with the mate plot line. I tend to love the fated mate trope, so this story has left me with all sorts of feelings!
There’s a lot of great side characters that we get a lot of here too. Petra, Duna’s friend and comrade, gets her time to shine and I always found her really fun. The King of Nissa is wonderful. His wisdom and wonder came through so well and I loved his loyalty. Cathal’s own warriors like Axel, Rhun, Lir, Kane, Prince Edan, and Prince Valen have smaller parts to play, but I always loved getting time with them! The Princess I’m very curious to see more of and where her plots are leading.
We leave things on a cliffhanger. Duna seems to attract trouble, but my hope is it will lead her right to where she needs to be despite the…predicament! She still has a long way to go, as does Cathal. I can’t wait to get more of them together and to get the answers to the mysteries surrounding them. But I’m completely fascinated by this story and this world. I can’t wait for the next book to continue where this left off! There’s so much still to be uncovered and I feel like we are just getting to the juicy parts of the story. We’re now uncovering what Cathal’s deal is and those answers are incredible. I really want to see more and if he achieves what he has been trying to find a way to do for a long time. If there will be a battle or some sort of confrontation between him and a certain someone. I’m equally invested in the mystery around Duna and I’m hoping Cathal can help answer some of the questions being raised.
The smut in this book is incredible. The lightest of smut happens with Cathal and Duna, we get much more with Madir for now. And as much as I knew this guy was…complicated, as I said, I couldn’t help loving how the smut was written. There’s also a really good balance between the plot, characters, smut, and world building. Once the story really hit the ground running, I found myself unable to look away. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy or romance. While the romance might be sort of light here thus far, Cathal and Duna had several fabulous scenes and the promise Cathal made leaves me sure we’ll be seeing much more of it later! I loved what we did get of them and I never say no to an agonizing slow burn. And in the meantime, we have lots of wonderfully filthy smut to keep us satisfied!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2023
Spoilers ahead (only minor, only for the first part of the book). Please read until the end if you are reading this to decide whether or not to read this book.
When I read the blurb and some of the reviews on this very page, I believed I had found my perfect book. However, the blurb and the reviews failed to mention some very important details.
So, Duna is a special woman who fights better than the god of death himself. She is also an orphan, although I wouldn't call it a war orphan. She meets the general, who is engaged, but also totally obsessed with her. And everything is hyper sexual. Nothing to add, the blurb is up there.
So, what was my problem? Was it the insta-lust? Maybe. I had actually read a review that mentioned this and said it was well done since it felt fated. I like fated mates tropes, so I though gotta give it a try. However, nothing felt fated. Let me get this straight: There was no instant connection, no attempts to get to know each other better, nothing of the likes that makes fated mates romances work. Instead, we have them both lusting over each other and tons of mentions of juices and salivating + some dumb inner monologues. On top of it all, we start the MMCs point of view by reading how he has sex with his fated mate, whom he is engaged to. And then he jumps to "I need to f*ck that other woman I have seen once in my life". It was superficial. It was only physical. They do not know each other and that is a fact that doesn't change, even after the halfway mark when he decides to LEAVE HIS MATE FOR HER. It read as if he wanted to have sex with a stranger so badly he decided to end his long-time relationship. Fated? Not even close.
On top of that, there were so many random sex scenes and fantasies thrown in, I felt like I was reading erotica - and here I thought I would get a fantasy romance. Fantasy? Here and there a scene to justify the name and the absolute a*hole the MMC is. "Oh, but surely you are exaggerating" I wish.
This was erotica cosplaying as fantasy romance. And no, I have no problem with some steamy scenes, specially if there was some lead up and it progresses the relationship. However, that was not the case here. There was just constant mention of private parts and juices, to the point it felt pointless and simply gross. There was no relation to progress either, no depth to the characters, nothing. Not my cup of tea and I would have liked to be warned. I feel like things would have looked different if someone had told me this is an erotica novel. Then I wouldn't have picked it up and there would be one less negative review.
On top of all, the inner monologues of the FMC are bland. At some point I was skipping entire paragraphs because she was describing how hot and perfect the MMC looked FOR THE DOZENTH TIME. I understood the first time I read it. I had no trouble remembering the second time. But every single time they were in the same space or saw each other in the passing, we got another inner monologue of how hot and how their bodies reacted and how they wanted to f*ck so badly. Man, I was so sick of it. It was repetitive and made them look dumb.
Then, what about world building? bland. Everything focuses on the steam, so there is little space for worldbuilding, other characters and the likes. When we did get some information, it was in an info-dump and most likely through a not subtly placed game or story. At some point the characters sit in a group around a camp fire and one suggests they play a game where they have to tell a story that no one knows. And only two characters share a story. And both stories are related to the MCs. Great.
Am I missing something? Right, language. The overall writing reminded me at how my first reviews were written, when I was learning English and writing to practice. Granted, my writing is not perfect, but English is my third language. I read somewhere that this is a self-publishing Indie author. While I don't know if that is true, I still believe it does not justify the immaturity of the language, or the grammar and spelling mistakes. I sincerely believe that if you want to be a self-publishing writer, you need to arm yourself with a group of friends that is brutally honest and proofreads at various stages of your writing process. And is good in English.
Was it a terrible book? Absolutely not. I just went in thinking it was something else. It has many positive reviews and there certainly is an audience out there for this type of literature. It ain't me, however I know a friend or two who would enjoy this very much. Therefore, take the review with a grain of salt and decide for yourself if this is your genre.
When I read the blurb and some of the reviews on this very page, I believed I had found my perfect book. However, the blurb and the reviews failed to mention some very important details.
So, Duna is a special woman who fights better than the god of death himself. She is also an orphan, although I wouldn't call it a war orphan. She meets the general, who is engaged, but also totally obsessed with her. And everything is hyper sexual. Nothing to add, the blurb is up there.
So, what was my problem? Was it the insta-lust? Maybe. I had actually read a review that mentioned this and said it was well done since it felt fated. I like fated mates tropes, so I though gotta give it a try. However, nothing felt fated. Let me get this straight: There was no instant connection, no attempts to get to know each other better, nothing of the likes that makes fated mates romances work. Instead, we have them both lusting over each other and tons of mentions of juices and salivating + some dumb inner monologues. On top of it all, we start the MMCs point of view by reading how he has sex with his fated mate, whom he is engaged to. And then he jumps to "I need to f*ck that other woman I have seen once in my life". It was superficial. It was only physical. They do not know each other and that is a fact that doesn't change, even after the halfway mark when he decides to LEAVE HIS MATE FOR HER. It read as if he wanted to have sex with a stranger so badly he decided to end his long-time relationship. Fated? Not even close.
On top of that, there were so many random sex scenes and fantasies thrown in, I felt like I was reading erotica - and here I thought I would get a fantasy romance. Fantasy? Here and there a scene to justify the name and the absolute a*hole the MMC is. "Oh, but surely you are exaggerating" I wish.
This was erotica cosplaying as fantasy romance. And no, I have no problem with some steamy scenes, specially if there was some lead up and it progresses the relationship. However, that was not the case here. There was just constant mention of private parts and juices, to the point it felt pointless and simply gross. There was no relation to progress either, no depth to the characters, nothing. Not my cup of tea and I would have liked to be warned. I feel like things would have looked different if someone had told me this is an erotica novel. Then I wouldn't have picked it up and there would be one less negative review.
On top of all, the inner monologues of the FMC are bland. At some point I was skipping entire paragraphs because she was describing how hot and perfect the MMC looked FOR THE DOZENTH TIME. I understood the first time I read it. I had no trouble remembering the second time. But every single time they were in the same space or saw each other in the passing, we got another inner monologue of how hot and how their bodies reacted and how they wanted to f*ck so badly. Man, I was so sick of it. It was repetitive and made them look dumb.
Then, what about world building? bland. Everything focuses on the steam, so there is little space for worldbuilding, other characters and the likes. When we did get some information, it was in an info-dump and most likely through a not subtly placed game or story. At some point the characters sit in a group around a camp fire and one suggests they play a game where they have to tell a story that no one knows. And only two characters share a story. And both stories are related to the MCs. Great.
Am I missing something? Right, language. The overall writing reminded me at how my first reviews were written, when I was learning English and writing to practice. Granted, my writing is not perfect, but English is my third language. I read somewhere that this is a self-publishing Indie author. While I don't know if that is true, I still believe it does not justify the immaturity of the language, or the grammar and spelling mistakes. I sincerely believe that if you want to be a self-publishing writer, you need to arm yourself with a group of friends that is brutally honest and proofreads at various stages of your writing process. And is good in English.
Was it a terrible book? Absolutely not. I just went in thinking it was something else. It has many positive reviews and there certainly is an audience out there for this type of literature. It ain't me, however I know a friend or two who would enjoy this very much. Therefore, take the review with a grain of salt and decide for yourself if this is your genre.
July 10, 2023
Introduction
I was given a copy to review by LoveBookTours. My reviews are always honest and all opinions are my own. @isabellakhalidiauthor @lovebookstours #SnowsofNissaTour #LBTCrew #Bookstagram #LoveBookTours #BookReview #gifted #ad
Review
The Snows of Nissa is a wonderful adult fantasy for more mature audiences. There is explicit sexual scenes, violence and death and strong language. However I did enjoy this one a lot more than I expected.
Set after a terrible war left the continent decimated, the ancient Three Kingdoms are finally at peace. But trouble is brewing in the infamous Tyrossian army. The princess of a might empire has gone missing and Duna Damaris is appointed the task of retrieving her. If only it was that easy, when an imposing figure unexpectedly enters her life, she is thrown into a violent chaos of intrigue, lust and forbidden truths. The figure thought he had lived through it all until she proved him wrong. The Legendary General he is know as a lethal weapon of the mortal armies of Tyros. None dare challenge him but when he comes face to face with the legions deadliest warrior his life is twisted upside down. As the two worlds collide nothing will ever be the same again.
Firstly I have to say the world building and fantasy in this novel is top tier. Armies, bad guys, good guys, fantastical creatures, different landscapes. All the things that I love fantasy for, Khalidi has it. Even the characters are mostly well rounded and fun. I adored Duna who is bad ass without becoming a little too rude or cliched like some bad ass female leads can be. It seems sometimes authors equate being a bad ass with being rude to everyone but Duna is a lot more Xena Warrior Princess or Wonder Woman than one of these other types. The General is also interesting and intriguing. I normally dislike the ‘intrigue’ around male character who will turn out to be a love interest but for the General it worked. The only thing I didn’t overly like with the characters was the descriptions, or rather repetition of the descriptions. Re-referencing to eye or hair colour of course happens but for me there was a little too much of colours of hair and eyes repeated a little too close together. It’s only a small thing but it did irk me a little but did not break my immersion.
Secondly tied to the description of characters though is the writing style. Baring the repeating of description of characters the writing is wonderful. It really got me hooked in and kept me engaged. It’s easy to follow but fast paced at the same time. The landscapes and areas are described vividly so you can easily be transported to the world. As already mentioned I adored the world building and creatures that inhabited it. While there is scenes of violence and death I felt this really added to the story showing what each character has gone up against and overcome.
Thirdly while I am generally not one for romance unless it is a subplot I would say that the romance in the book is not bad. It was a little bit too much ‘instant love’ for my liking. If I do have romance I prefer slow burn or slow build at least but it did work for the characters and story so it’s not really a negative just down to my personal taste. There is a lot of spice and steam here but while again I’m not big on that side of things within reason, it did work for the story and characters. That is to say it never felt it was put in just to add steam to the story. It works and helps to showcase the effects the male and female main characters are having in each others lives.
In conclusion the Snows of Nissa is an amazing debut novel. While I personally found some of the descriptions of characters repetitive it did not break my immersion in the story or my enjoyment. The world itself is well fleshed out and populated with a wonderful cast of characters both good and bad as well as some brilliant creatures. If you enjoy dark fantasy with a bit of spice it’s hard not recommend this one. I will definitely be looking forward to to the second book!
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#SnowsofNissaTour #LBTCrew #Bookstagram #LoveBookTours #BookReview #gifted #ad #BookReviewer #BookBlogger #BookHoader #FantasticRead #BookDragon #BookShark #BookReader #Bookstagram #BookNerd #BookReader #BookLover #BooksBooksBooks #BookAddict #Book
I was given a copy to review by LoveBookTours. My reviews are always honest and all opinions are my own. @isabellakhalidiauthor @lovebookstours #SnowsofNissaTour #LBTCrew #Bookstagram #LoveBookTours #BookReview #gifted #ad
Review
The Snows of Nissa is a wonderful adult fantasy for more mature audiences. There is explicit sexual scenes, violence and death and strong language. However I did enjoy this one a lot more than I expected.
Set after a terrible war left the continent decimated, the ancient Three Kingdoms are finally at peace. But trouble is brewing in the infamous Tyrossian army. The princess of a might empire has gone missing and Duna Damaris is appointed the task of retrieving her. If only it was that easy, when an imposing figure unexpectedly enters her life, she is thrown into a violent chaos of intrigue, lust and forbidden truths. The figure thought he had lived through it all until she proved him wrong. The Legendary General he is know as a lethal weapon of the mortal armies of Tyros. None dare challenge him but when he comes face to face with the legions deadliest warrior his life is twisted upside down. As the two worlds collide nothing will ever be the same again.
Firstly I have to say the world building and fantasy in this novel is top tier. Armies, bad guys, good guys, fantastical creatures, different landscapes. All the things that I love fantasy for, Khalidi has it. Even the characters are mostly well rounded and fun. I adored Duna who is bad ass without becoming a little too rude or cliched like some bad ass female leads can be. It seems sometimes authors equate being a bad ass with being rude to everyone but Duna is a lot more Xena Warrior Princess or Wonder Woman than one of these other types. The General is also interesting and intriguing. I normally dislike the ‘intrigue’ around male character who will turn out to be a love interest but for the General it worked. The only thing I didn’t overly like with the characters was the descriptions, or rather repetition of the descriptions. Re-referencing to eye or hair colour of course happens but for me there was a little too much of colours of hair and eyes repeated a little too close together. It’s only a small thing but it did irk me a little but did not break my immersion.
Secondly tied to the description of characters though is the writing style. Baring the repeating of description of characters the writing is wonderful. It really got me hooked in and kept me engaged. It’s easy to follow but fast paced at the same time. The landscapes and areas are described vividly so you can easily be transported to the world. As already mentioned I adored the world building and creatures that inhabited it. While there is scenes of violence and death I felt this really added to the story showing what each character has gone up against and overcome.
Thirdly while I am generally not one for romance unless it is a subplot I would say that the romance in the book is not bad. It was a little bit too much ‘instant love’ for my liking. If I do have romance I prefer slow burn or slow build at least but it did work for the characters and story so it’s not really a negative just down to my personal taste. There is a lot of spice and steam here but while again I’m not big on that side of things within reason, it did work for the story and characters. That is to say it never felt it was put in just to add steam to the story. It works and helps to showcase the effects the male and female main characters are having in each others lives.
In conclusion the Snows of Nissa is an amazing debut novel. While I personally found some of the descriptions of characters repetitive it did not break my immersion in the story or my enjoyment. The world itself is well fleshed out and populated with a wonderful cast of characters both good and bad as well as some brilliant creatures. If you enjoy dark fantasy with a bit of spice it’s hard not recommend this one. I will definitely be looking forward to to the second book!
Hashtags
#SnowsofNissaTour #LBTCrew #Bookstagram #LoveBookTours #BookReview #gifted #ad #BookReviewer #BookBlogger #BookHoader #FantasticRead #BookDragon #BookShark #BookReader #Bookstagram #BookNerd #BookReader #BookLover #BooksBooksBooks #BookAddict #Book
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