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Fae of Snow & Ice #1
Court of Winter
When Ilara’s abducted by the hated crown prince, she’s faced with an impossible choice—enslavement to her nemesis or war for the kingdom.
Being a defective marks me in the eyes of the Solis Fae.
Wingless. Magicless. Weak.
To my kind, I’m nothing—not when strength is needed to survive the perpetual snow and ice that shrouds our northern continent in endless winter.
But I’ve persevered, living a meaningful yet simple life with my sister . . . until the hated Crown Prince of the Winter Court thunders into our village.
Prince Norivun’s massive black wings and potent magic cloud my senses and steal my breath. He’s beautiful yet brutal, so when he whisks me away and locks me in his castle I’m certain my death is tomorrow’s promise.
Yet my end doesn’t come, not when the prince looks at me with hunger in his gaze while revealing the true reason for my abduction.
Now I’m faced with an impossible choice—either join forces with the hated prince who’s robbed me of everything I love or watch our kingdom start a devastating war.
Court of Winter is book one in a four-book enemies-to-lovers fae fantasy romance that takes place in Krista Street’s Supernatural World . This series contains steamy romance, a strong female fae who refuses to bow, a morally gray prince whose brutality knows no bounds, and a deadly tangle of royal strife and intrigue.
Being a defective marks me in the eyes of the Solis Fae.
Wingless. Magicless. Weak.
To my kind, I’m nothing—not when strength is needed to survive the perpetual snow and ice that shrouds our northern continent in endless winter.
But I’ve persevered, living a meaningful yet simple life with my sister . . . until the hated Crown Prince of the Winter Court thunders into our village.
Prince Norivun’s massive black wings and potent magic cloud my senses and steal my breath. He’s beautiful yet brutal, so when he whisks me away and locks me in his castle I’m certain my death is tomorrow’s promise.
Yet my end doesn’t come, not when the prince looks at me with hunger in his gaze while revealing the true reason for my abduction.
Now I’m faced with an impossible choice—either join forces with the hated prince who’s robbed me of everything I love or watch our kingdom start a devastating war.
Court of Winter is book one in a four-book enemies-to-lovers fae fantasy romance that takes place in Krista Street’s Supernatural World . This series contains steamy romance, a strong female fae who refuses to bow, a morally gray prince whose brutality knows no bounds, and a deadly tangle of royal strife and intrigue.
344 pages, Paperback
First published September 28, 2023
9771 people are currently reading
87205 people want to read
About the author
Krista Street
45 books1,846 followersKrista Street loves writing about coming of age characters who fight to find their place in this world while also finding their one true mate.
Krista Street is a Minnesota native but has lived throughout the U.S. and in another country or two. She loves to travel, read, and spend time in the great outdoors. When not writing, Krista is either chasing her children, spending time with her husband and friends, sipping a cup of tea, or enjoying the hidden gems of beauty that Minnesota has to offer.
To connect with Krista more, you can join her newsletter at www.kristastreet.com/contact
You can also find her on:
Facebook (@authorkristastreet)
Instagram (@authorkristastreet)
Bookbub
Krista Street is a Minnesota native but has lived throughout the U.S. and in another country or two. She loves to travel, read, and spend time in the great outdoors. When not writing, Krista is either chasing her children, spending time with her husband and friends, sipping a cup of tea, or enjoying the hidden gems of beauty that Minnesota has to offer.
To connect with Krista more, you can join her newsletter at www.kristastreet.com/contact
You can also find her on:
Facebook (@authorkristastreet)
Instagram (@authorkristastreet)
Bookbub
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,111 reviews
December 23, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
ACOTAR if Elain was the main character
ACOTAR if Elain was the main character
December 2, 2023
Okay okay okay.... Let me get this straight. This person admits to you that he killed your parents and brother, has zero remorse about it, ruined your life and made it so you nearly froze/starved to death several times the past year, and so in retaliation you start lusting over the guy? Gag. The FMC repeats multiple times how much she hates him yet the mmc's admittance to the crime is a turning point in her lust for him!?!!? How spineless. I'd be backing up out of that castle with two middle fingers blazing letting the world burn and not under any circumstance save their asses.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2024
Love when an MMC doesn't care about the FMC to a point that he kills her entire family and then kidnaps her from her remaining sibling and acts like she should be grateful for his presence 😍 And then she is because she's really into guys with abs.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2024
I’m trash and I loved this problematic romance.
I’ve been in a 75% slump lately where I make it to the final quarter of the book and have no interest in finishing. This book however kept me going all the way until the end!
Was it a literary work of art?
No lol. It was a book with a flimsy FMC and a male love interest who did something VERY PROBLEMATIC. I have no idea why these two paired up and can get past that VERY PROBLEMATIC thing.
Just about every tropey cliche to exist in fantasy romance was there:
-SASSY Female MC with special hair and secret powers a’brewin inside her
-Dark prince who is secretly not so bad (except he is bad lol)
-the FMC is so skinny and starving but gets fed and now has L A D Y C U R V E S
-probably a fated mates thing going on
-a Princess competition
-flirty but evil rival royalty
Ah there’s just so much here to laugh at but as I stated, sometimes I’m TRASH and I eat this stuff up. Of course I’m going to read the next book.
I have no idea why I enjoyed this as much as I did but I’m just gonna roll with it.
I’ve been in a 75% slump lately where I make it to the final quarter of the book and have no interest in finishing. This book however kept me going all the way until the end!
Was it a literary work of art?
No lol. It was a book with a flimsy FMC and a male love interest who did something VERY PROBLEMATIC. I have no idea why these two paired up and can get past that VERY PROBLEMATIC thing.
Just about every tropey cliche to exist in fantasy romance was there:
-SASSY Female MC with special hair and secret powers a’brewin inside her
-Dark prince who is secretly not so bad (except he is bad lol)
-the FMC is so skinny and starving but gets fed and now has L A D Y C U R V E S
-probably a fated mates thing going on
-a Princess competition
-flirty but evil rival royalty
Ah there’s just so much here to laugh at but as I stated, sometimes I’m TRASH and I eat this stuff up. Of course I’m going to read the next book.
I have no idea why I enjoyed this as much as I did but I’m just gonna roll with it.
April 8, 2024
Why can't we all have fae winged princes who would come take us from our stressful lives and treat us like princesses?
But no, we have to be human 🙄
How rude.
But no, we have to be human 🙄
How rude.
December 11, 2023
dnf @ 70
WTF DO U MEAN ML MURDERED THE FL’S WHOLE FAMILY AND WERE SUPPOSED TO ROOT FOR HIM💀💀
IM NOT EVEN GONNA SPOIL IT CAUSE SHE REMINDS U EVERY
FUCKING
2 PAGES
HOW ARE U GONNA SAY THAT THEN START SAYING “omg hes so hot and beautiful” GIRLY
BRO HE DOESNT GIVE A SHITT
ITS NOT EVEN GOOD THE WRITING IS SO AWKWARD AND ITS SO CLICHE IM CRYING
LIKE PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP CALLING EVERYONE “FEMALE” AND “MALE” ITS SO AWKWARDDD
WTF DO U MEAN ML MURDERED THE FL’S WHOLE FAMILY AND WERE SUPPOSED TO ROOT FOR HIM💀💀
IM NOT EVEN GONNA SPOIL IT CAUSE SHE REMINDS U EVERY
FUCKING
2 PAGES
HOW ARE U GONNA SAY THAT THEN START SAYING “omg hes so hot and beautiful” GIRLY
BRO HE DOESNT GIVE A SHITT
ITS NOT EVEN GOOD THE WRITING IS SO AWKWARD AND ITS SO CLICHE IM CRYING
LIKE PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP CALLING EVERYONE “FEMALE” AND “MALE” ITS SO AWKWARDDD
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2024
Ahhh, the story was good, but I wanted to put a fork in my eye every time she said, "My prince" 😵💫 I'm not sure if I'll continue the series yet or not...
July 11, 2025
3✧!!
╰i haven’t read a fantasy like this in forever ahh it was good!! mini review below!
🎧~ down bad
“and now i’m down bad crying at the gym
everything comes out teenage petulance
what if i can’t have him?
i might just die it would make no difference”
it has been so long since i’ve read a fantasy book and this one was pretty good! with all the romance and ya i’ve been reading i needed smth that would sweep me away from reality and this was the perfect getaway from reality🤍 i really enjoyed the plot and the characters(ilara is such a pretty name omg!) like hellaur now i want a devastatingly handsome fae prince to sweep me away from my home too(not rlly but ykyk). there were some aspects i wasn’t the most fond of- but other than that it was good!! the enemies to lovers was amazing and so many other parts too🤭 and with the cliffhanger it left on?? book two here i come!🫶🏻 hope ur doing amazing xx🫂💐
love,
saisha
- - - -
⋆·˚ ༘ * ❄️┆ post-read!
that was surprisingly good?! rtc<3
⋆·˚ ༘ * ❄️┆ pre-read!
haven’t read a fantasy in way too long- hope this one’s good! hehe i’m so excited🤭🫶🏻
╰i haven’t read a fantasy like this in forever ahh it was good!! mini review below!
🎧~ down bad
“and now i’m down bad crying at the gym
everything comes out teenage petulance
what if i can’t have him?
i might just die it would make no difference”
“not because he agreed with me that the cave’s sight was extraordinary, but because when he said it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, he hadn’t been looking at the cave. he’d been looking at me.”
⊹my thoughts!🩵
it has been so long since i’ve read a fantasy book and this one was pretty good! with all the romance and ya i’ve been reading i needed smth that would sweep me away from reality and this was the perfect getaway from reality🤍 i really enjoyed the plot and the characters(ilara is such a pretty name omg!) like hellaur now i want a devastatingly handsome fae prince to sweep me away from my home too(not rlly but ykyk). there were some aspects i wasn’t the most fond of- but other than that it was good!! the enemies to lovers was amazing and so many other parts too🤭 and with the cliffhanger it left on?? book two here i come!🫶🏻 hope ur doing amazing xx🫂💐
love,
saisha
- - - -
⋆·˚ ༘ * ❄️┆ post-read!
that was surprisingly good?! rtc<3
⋆·˚ ༘ * ❄️┆ pre-read!
haven’t read a fantasy in way too long- hope this one’s good! hehe i’m so excited🤭🫶🏻
October 18, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did! I listened to it in one sitting and was surprised to see I finished it 🤣
It did end on a semi cliffhanger but I didn’t mind it. I will definitely continue the series.
I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did! I listened to it in one sitting and was surprised to see I finished it 🤣
It did end on a semi cliffhanger but I didn’t mind it. I will definitely continue the series.
January 3, 2024
I want to be transparent at the beginning here - I DNF’d about 43% of the way through the book. So around ~140ish pages I just couldn’t do it anymore.
The troupes that I got from what I read: enemies to lovers, a sort of hades/persephone dynamic possibly, naïve fmc, with perhaps a touch of forced proximity if you squint. Fated mates(educated guess)
I….hated this book. Really it’s on me, I’ve been consuming books like this for a long time and was hoping for something different from the norm. Went into a bakery hoping for bangin steak cause I was tired of the usual bread ya know? I’m the idiot who wanted a product that I should have known this book wouldn’t have produced. So I own that. That is on me.
However.
This book is going to be the one that gets my pent up feelings about this type of fantasy romance I suppose.
Can we please. Please. Please. Please. Please write intelligent female characters? Ones with just one iota of intellect to their name? A singular brain cell if you will?? I am so tired of the troupe that the fmc just doesn’t know better or that they can’t parse together the picture that’s right in front of them. That plot device can seriously take a reader out of book.
Or! Perhaps one who reacts to things normally??? Or at least in the realm of possibility? I realize that my conception of normal may be different than others but cmon! Example of what I mean here: it is stated multiple times that the male main character KILLED HER FAMILY. She only has a sister left. He KILLED the others. KILLED. And 20% into the story they are basically flirting. Though the female lead is somehow engaging in flirting without being aware it’s flirting cause remember the whole HE KILLED HER FAMILY bit. Oh and this scene happens after he also pretty much KIDNAPS HER FROM HER HOME. Ya know the one where her SINGULAR LIVING FAMILY MEMBER LIVES. But oooo he’s so sexy. Excuse me where’s the female rage???? Where’s the holding fast to your experiences and ideals!!!!!!! I just can’t.
‘But you said she doesn’t /know/ she’s flirting’ which imo is one of the most annoying plot devices I’ve seen come to life in books in the whole freaking world. At one point she internally reveals that she’s been with men before, which is confusing on other levels of the plot but that’s not the topic right now, so my point is SHE SHOULD KNOW AND BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS.
I just…I’m so annoyed. I loved the concept of the book. Family killer comes for main character and sweeps her off into the cruel world of noble fae. I was excited for tension. I was excited to see how in the world the female heroine forgives the male lead for such an atrocity(if she even can). But the whole ‘instant attraction so powerful I can’t control my own reactions and emotions’ thing is such a cliche and honestly such a huge disappointment.
The troupes that I got from what I read: enemies to lovers, a sort of hades/persephone dynamic possibly, naïve fmc, with perhaps a touch of forced proximity if you squint. Fated mates(educated guess)
I….hated this book. Really it’s on me, I’ve been consuming books like this for a long time and was hoping for something different from the norm. Went into a bakery hoping for bangin steak cause I was tired of the usual bread ya know? I’m the idiot who wanted a product that I should have known this book wouldn’t have produced. So I own that. That is on me.
However.
This book is going to be the one that gets my pent up feelings about this type of fantasy romance I suppose.
Can we please. Please. Please. Please. Please write intelligent female characters? Ones with just one iota of intellect to their name? A singular brain cell if you will?? I am so tired of the troupe that the fmc just doesn’t know better or that they can’t parse together the picture that’s right in front of them. That plot device can seriously take a reader out of book.
Or! Perhaps one who reacts to things normally??? Or at least in the realm of possibility? I realize that my conception of normal may be different than others but cmon! Example of what I mean here: it is stated multiple times that the male main character KILLED HER FAMILY. She only has a sister left. He KILLED the others. KILLED. And 20% into the story they are basically flirting. Though the female lead is somehow engaging in flirting without being aware it’s flirting cause remember the whole HE KILLED HER FAMILY bit. Oh and this scene happens after he also pretty much KIDNAPS HER FROM HER HOME. Ya know the one where her SINGULAR LIVING FAMILY MEMBER LIVES. But oooo he’s so sexy. Excuse me where’s the female rage???? Where’s the holding fast to your experiences and ideals!!!!!!! I just can’t.
‘But you said she doesn’t /know/ she’s flirting’ which imo is one of the most annoying plot devices I’ve seen come to life in books in the whole freaking world. At one point she internally reveals that she’s been with men before, which is confusing on other levels of the plot but that’s not the topic right now, so my point is SHE SHOULD KNOW AND BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS.
I just…I’m so annoyed. I loved the concept of the book. Family killer comes for main character and sweeps her off into the cruel world of noble fae. I was excited for tension. I was excited to see how in the world the female heroine forgives the male lead for such an atrocity(if she even can). But the whole ‘instant attraction so powerful I can’t control my own reactions and emotions’ thing is such a cliche and honestly such a huge disappointment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2023
Defs a little cliche but It was also entertaining
December 31, 2023
5 ⭐️
Thank you to Goodreads for recommending me this book because I’m in LOVE. I fell into a bit of a reading slump after reading Fourth Wing & Iron Flame but this took me right out of it! The perfect enemies-to-lovers, fae, magic, etc. series. I’m so excited to start book 2! I love how the book is not too fast or slow paced like many other romantasies, everything about this book is perfect! 🤩
Thank you to Goodreads for recommending me this book because I’m in LOVE. I fell into a bit of a reading slump after reading Fourth Wing & Iron Flame but this took me right out of it! The perfect enemies-to-lovers, fae, magic, etc. series. I’m so excited to start book 2! I love how the book is not too fast or slow paced like many other romantasies, everything about this book is perfect! 🤩
November 14, 2023
Obsessed!!! Done in less then 4 hours and on to the second one
Obsessed
Obsessed
April 16, 2025
5/5⭐️ this has filled the void in me that ACOTAR created 💙 I lovedddd this!! So excited to read the rest of the series! The magic was really interesting and easy to follow. Everything about this was amazing 🤩 highly recommend
August 13, 2025
4.5-5 stars.
Oh my God this was so good. It definitely gives ACOTAR mixed with Spark of the Everflame vibes (but it's more like ACOTAR). I loved this book and I can't wait to read the rest of the series (that is completed, which I find really refreshing because I'm in the middle of so many uncompleted series). If you love the A court of thorns and roses series you will probably love this too. RTC.
This is definitely not the most groundbreaking book ever but I didn't care. I loved it anyway.
The main female character (I had to search her name up because I forgot it) Ilara is an unusual fae as she has black hair and doesn't have wings or any affinities, which is a magical ability so she is seen as useless by most people in her village. However there are some people that love and support her such as her sister Callis (I also had to search up her name as well) and her friends. One day Ilara is with her sister and friends when Prince Norivun (I didn't remember his name either 😭) , who is the crown prince of the Kingdom comes and demands that she will come with him. Ilara doesn't want to come with him especially because he is the person that murdered her brother and parents but he is the crown prince so she has no choice but to do as he says. However Ilara is surprised when she is treated extremely well by the prince and it almost seems like he wants her. Despite this she is with Norivun for a reason and he eventually tells why he really took her from her home. The crops in the kingdom are dying and most people are starving. However Ilara has the ability to grow crops so she can help save everyone. Yes she just happens to be the chosen one but I didn't care. After all there is a chosen one in every fantasy book. Honestly it would be nice if any main character just wanted to save the world 😂. Anyway eventually it is revealed that Ilara has four magical abilities and therefore she is eligible to marry Prince Norivun whose betrothal trials have just begun to be held and this is where the story ends. I loved this one but I do have one issue with it. The main female character's brother and parents were killed by the prince and she hardly seems to care about this. She even forgives him when he apologizes to her for committing those horrific acts. If I was her I would never forgive him and I get that this is a fantasy novel but it is book 1 in a four book series. However I would still recommend this book.
Oh my God this was so good. It definitely gives ACOTAR mixed with Spark of the Everflame vibes (but it's more like ACOTAR). I loved this book and I can't wait to read the rest of the series (that is completed, which I find really refreshing because I'm in the middle of so many uncompleted series). If you love the A court of thorns and roses series you will probably love this too. RTC.
This is definitely not the most groundbreaking book ever but I didn't care. I loved it anyway.
The main female character (I had to search her name up because I forgot it) Ilara is an unusual fae as she has black hair and doesn't have wings or any affinities, which is a magical ability so she is seen as useless by most people in her village. However there are some people that love and support her such as her sister Callis (I also had to search up her name as well) and her friends. One day Ilara is with her sister and friends when Prince Norivun (I didn't remember his name either 😭) , who is the crown prince of the Kingdom comes and demands that she will come with him. Ilara doesn't want to come with him especially because he is the person that murdered her brother and parents but he is the crown prince so she has no choice but to do as he says. However Ilara is surprised when she is treated extremely well by the prince and it almost seems like he wants her. Despite this she is with Norivun for a reason and he eventually tells why he really took her from her home. The crops in the kingdom are dying and most people are starving. However Ilara has the ability to grow crops so she can help save everyone. Yes she just happens to be the chosen one but I didn't care. After all there is a chosen one in every fantasy book. Honestly it would be nice if any main character just wanted to save the world 😂. Anyway eventually it is revealed that Ilara has four magical abilities and therefore she is eligible to marry Prince Norivun whose betrothal trials have just begun to be held and this is where the story ends. I loved this one but I do have one issue with it. The main female character's brother and parents were killed by the prince and she hardly seems to care about this. She even forgives him when he apologizes to her for committing those horrific acts. If I was her I would never forgive him and I get that this is a fantasy novel but it is book 1 in a four book series. However I would still recommend this book.
May 27, 2024
4.5 stars ✨
This took all of my will power to not binge this, I’m happy I purposely read this slow and enjoyed it. It give me HUGE acotar vibes. GIVE ME THE NEXT BOOK.
This took all of my will power to not binge this, I’m happy I purposely read this slow and enjoyed it. It give me HUGE acotar vibes. GIVE ME THE NEXT BOOK.
November 7, 2024
I'm SO sorry I let this book get buried in my TBR for this long! My Mood Reader brain really does a number on me sometimes! This was FANTASTIC! You may feel this is a guilty pleasure book, but I feel no guilt whatsoever for reading and enjoying it. Are the morals VERY questionable? YES. Could the FMC be a tad bit more skeptical/cautious of the MMC? Yes. Did I eat it all up anyway? Why yes I did thanks for asking!
The MMC is deliciously morally grey (dare I say morally black?). He has no qualms about murder, which depending on the circumstances can be a good or bad thing. Personally, I found it very interesting! Also, HE HAS WINGS. As soon as that was said I was SAT.
The FMC was interesting enough to read about. She does come off as naive a lot of the time. She also has some questionable morals and hiccups. I know I disagreed with an opinion she had right at the beginning but, frankly, I've forgotten what it was so it probably wasn't that deep (and since I read this as an audiobook at night I wasn't going to get up and write it down).
The ending threw me for a loop! I wasn't expecting THAT. Sure I was expecting something big to happen but it wasn't that. I'm off to the next book! I hope I love it just as much as I loved this one!
The MMC is deliciously morally grey (dare I say morally black?). He has no qualms about murder, which depending on the circumstances can be a good or bad thing. Personally, I found it very interesting! Also, HE HAS WINGS. As soon as that was said I was SAT.
The FMC was interesting enough to read about. She does come off as naive a lot of the time. She also has some questionable morals and hiccups. I know I disagreed with an opinion she had right at the beginning but, frankly, I've forgotten what it was so it probably wasn't that deep (and since I read this as an audiobook at night I wasn't going to get up and write it down).
The ending threw me for a loop! I wasn't expecting THAT. Sure I was expecting something big to happen but it wasn't that. I'm off to the next book! I hope I love it just as much as I loved this one!
Read
December 9, 2024DNF 35%
December 16, 2023
Almost DNF, regret that I didn’t.
For the life of me, I cannot understand the rave reviews for this. First things first, I found this highly rated in “Dark Fantasy Horror”, this wasn’t dark, barely fantasy, and the only horror is the main female character. Secondly, in the first chapter I got a distinct “woe is me” attitude with a dash of “I’m so kind even though it doesn’t make sense for the story line”
MFC and sister spend hours traveling on foot because MFC is “defective”, during scene MFC and sister get turned away because of MFC’s defectiveness. Revealed that she received this treatment at two previous stops before this and is shunned by the population because of appearance. So sister and you are to starve because you couldn’t stay home? Like surely this isn’t the first time this has happened? Why are you intentionally burdening your sister when you know your presence causes problems?
We’re warned of big bad prince, but upon first meeting our magickless, wingless, unable-to-defend-herself MFC mouths off to him with no repercussions, and continues to do so. Immediately undermines “big bad” status.
One of my biggest problems with this book? Our MFC is so nice that she goes completely out of the way to make a point of defending abusers. She’s so outraged and disgusted that the MMC killed a male that ripped his wife’s wing, and was actively killing their child because why? HE MIGHT CHANGE SOME DAY. AND ITS NOT ONE TIME, IT HAPPENS AGAIN AND THIS TIME SHE WAS SUCCESSFUL IN SAVING THE ABUSER. I’m not triggered by this, but I could see how easily it could trigger someone and the first instance is where I almost DNF.
My last point is that the MFC is willfully ignorant, 95% of her rage and vitriol is based on assumptions (that were false) the 5% that is justified (her family) I wouldn’t be surprised if they showed up at some point later in the series just to make a bigger idiot out of her.
For the life of me, I cannot understand the rave reviews for this. First things first, I found this highly rated in “Dark Fantasy Horror”, this wasn’t dark, barely fantasy, and the only horror is the main female character. Secondly, in the first chapter I got a distinct “woe is me” attitude with a dash of “I’m so kind even though it doesn’t make sense for the story line”
MFC and sister spend hours traveling on foot because MFC is “defective”, during scene MFC and sister get turned away because of MFC’s defectiveness. Revealed that she received this treatment at two previous stops before this and is shunned by the population because of appearance. So sister and you are to starve because you couldn’t stay home? Like surely this isn’t the first time this has happened? Why are you intentionally burdening your sister when you know your presence causes problems?
We’re warned of big bad prince, but upon first meeting our magickless, wingless, unable-to-defend-herself MFC mouths off to him with no repercussions, and continues to do so. Immediately undermines “big bad” status.
One of my biggest problems with this book? Our MFC is so nice that she goes completely out of the way to make a point of defending abusers. She’s so outraged and disgusted that the MMC killed a male that ripped his wife’s wing, and was actively killing their child because why? HE MIGHT CHANGE SOME DAY. AND ITS NOT ONE TIME, IT HAPPENS AGAIN AND THIS TIME SHE WAS SUCCESSFUL IN SAVING THE ABUSER. I’m not triggered by this, but I could see how easily it could trigger someone and the first instance is where I almost DNF.
My last point is that the MFC is willfully ignorant, 95% of her rage and vitriol is based on assumptions (that were false) the 5% that is justified (her family) I wouldn’t be surprised if they showed up at some point later in the series just to make a bigger idiot out of her.
March 26, 2024
Four stars for how goddamn addictive this book is, Jesus fuck.
So asides from the whole “he killed my family” part, BITCH GET A GRIP. MATE MATE MATE MATE.
So asides from the whole “he killed my family” part, BITCH GET A GRIP. MATE MATE MATE MATE.
August 19, 2025
₊˚❄️꒱˚₊ 5 stars .ᐟ
⊹ I didn’t know what to expect going into this book but WOW it exceeded my expectations! This was the perfect SLOW BURN enemies to lovers book that I needed. The banter between Ilara and Prince Norivun is DELICIOUS. It had me giggling and kicking my feet. The tension between them is palpable! Norivun is so sarcastic and broody it’s mouth watering. Ilara is so strong despite the odds and never loses sight of who she is and what she stands for. The romance is well done and Ilara’s inner turmoil over her feelings for Norivun just increases the tension. The world building was great and I thought the magic was really cool. I had so much fun with this book and reading it with my bff Jess made the experience 10x better! Can’t wait to read the second book.
‧₊˚ ꒰🖇️꒱ ⁺˖ ⸝⸝ favorite quotes ₊ ⊹ 𓂃
“…but because when he said it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, he hadn’t been looking at the cave. He’d been looking at me.”
“They’re staring because you’re a sight to behold.”
”How about I tell you something else? I don’t like it when you run from me, and I don’t like it when I find you in another male’s company, especially when you’re wearing his clothes.”
He tasted of sin and snow, spice and fire, and I’d never tasted anything so sweet, so addictive.
”You look lovely,” he finally said, his tone husky. “No, you’re beautiful, exquisite, beyond anything. I have no words.”
His gaze dipped, and he did a slow perusal of my body, his stare like the strength of a hundred suns, burning a path into me.
”Be careful, Ilara Seary, daughter of Mervalee Territory. I might be offended by how much you despise me.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Is my company so abhorrent?”
“She has a name, you know.” The words shot out of me, and all five males’ easy smiles vanished.
︵‿୨ ♡ ୧‿︵
˖ ࣪ ⊹ ( 💭 ) 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝑅𝑒𝒶𝒹.ᐟ
⤿ buddy reading this with my bff
❝ Do you always ask such asinine questions? ❞
❝ Only when encountered with ridiculous fae. ❞
⊹ I didn’t know what to expect going into this book but WOW it exceeded my expectations! This was the perfect SLOW BURN enemies to lovers book that I needed. The banter between Ilara and Prince Norivun is DELICIOUS. It had me giggling and kicking my feet. The tension between them is palpable! Norivun is so sarcastic and broody it’s mouth watering. Ilara is so strong despite the odds and never loses sight of who she is and what she stands for. The romance is well done and Ilara’s inner turmoil over her feelings for Norivun just increases the tension. The world building was great and I thought the magic was really cool. I had so much fun with this book and reading it with my bff Jess made the experience 10x better! Can’t wait to read the second book.
‧₊˚ ꒰🖇️꒱ ⁺˖ ⸝⸝ favorite quotes ₊ ⊹ 𓂃
“…but because when he said it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, he hadn’t been looking at the cave. He’d been looking at me.”
“They’re staring because you’re a sight to behold.”
”How about I tell you something else? I don’t like it when you run from me, and I don’t like it when I find you in another male’s company, especially when you’re wearing his clothes.”
He tasted of sin and snow, spice and fire, and I’d never tasted anything so sweet, so addictive.
”You look lovely,” he finally said, his tone husky. “No, you’re beautiful, exquisite, beyond anything. I have no words.”
His gaze dipped, and he did a slow perusal of my body, his stare like the strength of a hundred suns, burning a path into me.
”Be careful, Ilara Seary, daughter of Mervalee Territory. I might be offended by how much you despise me.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Is my company so abhorrent?”
“She has a name, you know.” The words shot out of me, and all five males’ easy smiles vanished.
︵‿୨ ♡ ୧‿︵
˖ ࣪ ⊹ ( 💭 ) 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝑅𝑒𝒶𝒹.ᐟ
⤿ buddy reading this with my bff
December 17, 2023
This was ok. It is chock-full of tropes of course, but I wasn’t too annoyed reading it. It leans towards 2,5 stars but not interesting enough to get 3 from me.
I do think it made some choices that felt kind of weird though. Especially Ilara being attracted to the prince despite him murdering her family. I am tired of FMCs throwing every rational thought out the window because the dude is hot. The guy murdered your family, that would in most (read all) cases snuff out any attraction. Although, my guess is that will turn out to be a ruse. The classic bad boy with a heart of gold.
Also growing a bit tired of the trope of someone being special and having a trait that sets them apart (it tends to be hair, as it is here as well). And of course she’s nurturing while he’s death on legs.
Ilara in general was a confusing FMC. She spent her time bickering instead of actually seeming hurt and sad about being ripped from her home. Very few thoughts were spent on her sister and on how she would survive. It would have made more sense if she became depressed by being locked up and isolated. To me the sassy FMC Ilara is depicted as doesn’t vibe with her situation. Or even with how we’re told she’s spent her first 24 years, hiding and feeling as an outsider. The sass doesn’t have enough substance to start with.
In the end there isn’t enough of a story here for me. It rather feels like an excuse to write a mated romantasy novel that we’ve seen hundreds of already. I feel this is especially evident given the events at the very end, where it pivots from being about saving the world to a magical competition to marry the prince. I wish it would have stuck to one of them instead of throwing everything into the mix.
I do think it made some choices that felt kind of weird though. Especially Ilara being attracted to the prince despite him murdering her family. I am tired of FMCs throwing every rational thought out the window because the dude is hot. The guy murdered your family, that would in most (read all) cases snuff out any attraction. Although, my guess is that will turn out to be a ruse. The classic bad boy with a heart of gold.
Also growing a bit tired of the trope of someone being special and having a trait that sets them apart (it tends to be hair, as it is here as well). And of course she’s nurturing while he’s death on legs.
Ilara in general was a confusing FMC. She spent her time bickering instead of actually seeming hurt and sad about being ripped from her home. Very few thoughts were spent on her sister and on how she would survive. It would have made more sense if she became depressed by being locked up and isolated. To me the sassy FMC Ilara is depicted as doesn’t vibe with her situation. Or even with how we’re told she’s spent her first 24 years, hiding and feeling as an outsider. The sass doesn’t have enough substance to start with.
In the end there isn’t enough of a story here for me. It rather feels like an excuse to write a mated romantasy novel that we’ve seen hundreds of already. I feel this is especially evident given the events at the very end, where it pivots from being about saving the world to a magical competition to marry the prince. I wish it would have stuck to one of them instead of throwing everything into the mix.
July 4, 2024
DNF 40%. One of the most poorly executed enemies to lovers stories out there. So many things about this annoyed me. For one, the heroine. The hero killed her parents and brother, ripped her away from her only surviving family and she gets over it way too quickly. She hates him for 3 seconds before becoming flirty, mouthy, constantly bantering and being unafraid of him. By 30%, she’s already feeling some guilt for assuming he is horrible and how people dislike him. Honestly this felt like an ACOTAR rip off with the inner circle as well. It was very unoriginal. Plus, the hero is already acting possessive less than halfway in and I’m not about that. Is the slow burn in the room with us? Where is the hate? The tension? The moral dilemma? The author shouldn’t have created a storyline like this if the depth of the story isn’t going to match it.
Second, we were told the heroine has been bullied for being wingless but once taken by the prince and his guards, she immediately becomes sassy with all of the men which felt inconsistent with what we were told about her. Oh and of course, she’s the only one with a different hair color and will inevitably come into her own unique and powerful abilities.
Second, we were told the heroine has been bullied for being wingless but once taken by the prince and his guards, she immediately becomes sassy with all of the men which felt inconsistent with what we were told about her. Oh and of course, she’s the only one with a different hair color and will inevitably come into her own unique and powerful abilities.
October 31, 2024
I wanted to like this so bad but the writing was so childish and the FMC was IRRITATING. She was whiny and weak and repeated everything said to her like a parrot. The pacing was so quick yet the characters had no depth. After reading SJM I think weak and frail FMC’s with no personality are ruined for me.
January 2, 2024
IFirst book of the new and I'm pretty pleased! I have barely seen anyone talking about this series but it's def a contender amongst some other great romantasy stories. Read if you like rooting for the under dog, broody mmcs and slow burns.
What to expect:
✅ Hidden powers
✅ Morally gray MMC
✅ Feyre in Acotar vibes
✅ Air magic but think shadow hands
✅ Snarky banter
✅ Court intrigue
✅ Unique magic system
Overall
Story ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice 1.5🌶️ (tons of tension, only kissing but it's gonna get steamy)
Audio 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
I plan to do a fun little recap below so if you don't want spoilers don't continue. I need recaps for these books since I can't keep it all straight.
_-----------_
Ok you've been warned.
So our story begins in a village with a girl and her sister. Her sister has an affinity for knowing if someone is telling the truth. Most people in this world are fae and blessed with an infinity or "magic." Only the truly powerful have more than one. Our FMC is shunned in her community because she possesses no wings and does not have silver hair which is a fae trait. She also has no magic and thus is called defective. Her family was killed by the ruling prince for daring to question why crops are dying along with the land. Our FMC has a love of plants and keeps a thriving garden which draws the intrigue of the prince. He takes one look at her and her garden and decides that she is coming home with him. He's morally gray and possesses at least four affinities. One of which is the ability to suck the soul out of a fae, which he used on her brother and parents back in the day. So basically she hates him but due to her late blooming affinity she has the ability to replenish the earth and save the fae from starving to death. They strike a drunken bargain where she agrees to help if he agrees to let her got back to her village and see her sister. However, the king finds out about the girl his son has been sequestering away and demands he bring her to the upcoming ball. At the ball our FMC is faced with a man from her village who enjoyed doing sadistic things to her back when she was powerless. He chokes her and suddenly more magic unlocks and she displays the ability for air and fire magic. In addition, she is able to give life which counter acts the MMCs abilities to suck a soul out of a human, and she basically tells him to stop killing people and forces the soul back in the body. She is not just as powerful as him. During all this the king sees her power and decides she would be a good candidate for competing in these queen trials. See, the ball was a front and the king has three extremely powerful fae females there who have also been chosen as contenders in the trials for the princes hand and now our FMC is forced to join the fray. The prince is onboard because I'm pretty sure he thinks she is his mare but hasn't said anything. She is so conflicted because she's extremely attracted to him but he killed her family soooo...
Anyways. On to book two!
What to expect:
✅ Hidden powers
✅ Morally gray MMC
✅ Feyre in Acotar vibes
✅ Air magic but think shadow hands
✅ Snarky banter
✅ Court intrigue
✅ Unique magic system
Overall
Story ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice 1.5🌶️ (tons of tension, only kissing but it's gonna get steamy)
Audio 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
I plan to do a fun little recap below so if you don't want spoilers don't continue. I need recaps for these books since I can't keep it all straight.
_-----------_
Ok you've been warned.
So our story begins in a village with a girl and her sister. Her sister has an affinity for knowing if someone is telling the truth. Most people in this world are fae and blessed with an infinity or "magic." Only the truly powerful have more than one. Our FMC is shunned in her community because she possesses no wings and does not have silver hair which is a fae trait. She also has no magic and thus is called defective. Her family was killed by the ruling prince for daring to question why crops are dying along with the land. Our FMC has a love of plants and keeps a thriving garden which draws the intrigue of the prince. He takes one look at her and her garden and decides that she is coming home with him. He's morally gray and possesses at least four affinities. One of which is the ability to suck the soul out of a fae, which he used on her brother and parents back in the day. So basically she hates him but due to her late blooming affinity she has the ability to replenish the earth and save the fae from starving to death. They strike a drunken bargain where she agrees to help if he agrees to let her got back to her village and see her sister. However, the king finds out about the girl his son has been sequestering away and demands he bring her to the upcoming ball. At the ball our FMC is faced with a man from her village who enjoyed doing sadistic things to her back when she was powerless. He chokes her and suddenly more magic unlocks and she displays the ability for air and fire magic. In addition, she is able to give life which counter acts the MMCs abilities to suck a soul out of a human, and she basically tells him to stop killing people and forces the soul back in the body. She is not just as powerful as him. During all this the king sees her power and decides she would be a good candidate for competing in these queen trials. See, the ball was a front and the king has three extremely powerful fae females there who have also been chosen as contenders in the trials for the princes hand and now our FMC is forced to join the fray. The prince is onboard because I'm pretty sure he thinks she is his mare but hasn't said anything. She is so conflicted because she's extremely attracted to him but he killed her family soooo...
Anyways. On to book two!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2025
"A warning growl came from the prince, low in his throat, and his eyes shot daggers at everyone." This quote sealed the deal for me, it was generously going to be a two star book, but this quote single-handedly banished it to one star.
I've really been back and forth as to whether I should waste time writing a review, ranting about how I really didn't like this book, but I've decided it's my civic duty to warn everyone.
*50 pages in the MMC kills an abusive father*
FMC: HOW DARE HE BREAK UP A FAMILY EVEN IF HE WAS AN ABUSER >:(((
STFU I’m so done with this girl and this book.
Extremely unlikeable protagonist who unfortunately does not improve with time in any capacity.
WHY ARE THEY FINGERING THE PLANTS!!??? Just use better words!!
And another thing! Yeah, I should have expected she’d refuse to save the entire continent out of pure spite after her views on how known wife beaters should be forgiven for no apparent reason. What a troubled young lady, it’s just a shame it was written in a way that made her truly insufferable with absolutely no recourse.
This book genuinely felt like the author hadn’t proof read it or sent it to an editor to be proof read. I genuinely do not believe that a publisher would have read “this male had murdered half my family, yet my stomach was flipping like a female fairy in the midst of maturity” and thought, yes this is our next best seller!
AND ANOTHER THING is the enemies to lovers slow burn in the room with us right now?? They literally saw each other naked in the first 40 pages!!! Maybe the slow burn was the friends we made along the way...
AND ANOTHER THING why is one of the randos doing windshield wiper motions over FMC's chest????
The plot is ridiculous and tediously predictable, the writing style is horrific, the grammar is appalling, the characters are SO two dimensional with absolutely zero depth or growth, OR EVEN A PROSPECT FOR DEPTH AND GROWTH!!! I hate to sound like a book snob, and obviously people can enjoy whatever books they want to enjoy, BUT IN WHAT UNIVERSE ARE PEOPLE READING THIS BOOK AND THINKING "yeah MMC is blonde, wears leggings 24/7, and knee high boots on special occasions, THAT'S MY POOKIE!"
Also, I do really hate to hate FMCs purely because they're "annoying" in fear of sounding like a blatantly misogynistic Skylar White hater, but I really had to force myself through every damn page because FMC's monologue was just repetitive and exhausting. YES, MMC KILLED YOUR FAMILY, ARE YOU GOING TO LEAVE HIM? NO! SO, LET'S MOVE ON.
I've really been back and forth as to whether I should waste time writing a review, ranting about how I really didn't like this book, but I've decided it's my civic duty to warn everyone.
*50 pages in the MMC kills an abusive father*
FMC: HOW DARE HE BREAK UP A FAMILY EVEN IF HE WAS AN ABUSER >:(((
STFU I’m so done with this girl and this book.
Extremely unlikeable protagonist who unfortunately does not improve with time in any capacity.
WHY ARE THEY FINGERING THE PLANTS!!??? Just use better words!!
And another thing! Yeah, I should have expected she’d refuse to save the entire continent out of pure spite after her views on how known wife beaters should be forgiven for no apparent reason. What a troubled young lady, it’s just a shame it was written in a way that made her truly insufferable with absolutely no recourse.
This book genuinely felt like the author hadn’t proof read it or sent it to an editor to be proof read. I genuinely do not believe that a publisher would have read “this male had murdered half my family, yet my stomach was flipping like a female fairy in the midst of maturity” and thought, yes this is our next best seller!
AND ANOTHER THING is the enemies to lovers slow burn in the room with us right now?? They literally saw each other naked in the first 40 pages!!! Maybe the slow burn was the friends we made along the way...
AND ANOTHER THING why is one of the randos doing windshield wiper motions over FMC's chest????
The plot is ridiculous and tediously predictable, the writing style is horrific, the grammar is appalling, the characters are SO two dimensional with absolutely zero depth or growth, OR EVEN A PROSPECT FOR DEPTH AND GROWTH!!! I hate to sound like a book snob, and obviously people can enjoy whatever books they want to enjoy, BUT IN WHAT UNIVERSE ARE PEOPLE READING THIS BOOK AND THINKING "yeah MMC is blonde, wears leggings 24/7, and knee high boots on special occasions, THAT'S MY POOKIE!"
Also, I do really hate to hate FMCs purely because they're "annoying" in fear of sounding like a blatantly misogynistic Skylar White hater, but I really had to force myself through every damn page because FMC's monologue was just repetitive and exhausting. YES, MMC KILLED YOUR FAMILY, ARE YOU GOING TO LEAVE HIM? NO! SO, LET'S MOVE ON.
January 9, 2024
**** spoilers alert *****
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This story was going good, and ma I wanted to finish it... however I couldn't.
The mmc kidnaps you, leaving your only sister to fend for herself, he imprisons you, admits he murdered your brother and parents, and that same day you are propositioning him, and acting like its water under the bridge? He murdered them not even a year before
That goes a little too far for me and I couldn't/ wouldn't finish it. I lost all respect for her right at the start. There was no coming back from that.
There are just some things that should not be forgiven or forgotten. If someone killed my family there is no way I would be making kissy faces with him.
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This story was going good, and ma I wanted to finish it... however I couldn't.
The mmc kidnaps you, leaving your only sister to fend for herself, he imprisons you, admits he murdered your brother and parents, and that same day you are propositioning him, and acting like its water under the bridge? He murdered them not even a year before
That goes a little too far for me and I couldn't/ wouldn't finish it. I lost all respect for her right at the start. There was no coming back from that.
There are just some things that should not be forgiven or forgotten. If someone killed my family there is no way I would be making kissy faces with him.
December 21, 2023
I loved Court of Winter, it has everything that a romantasy lover like me enjoys - enemies to lovers, forced proximity, morally grey MMC, FMC who discovers her true self. I devoured this and the second book in a matter of days. Nori, the MMC, has my heart 🖤
May 27, 2024
4.5/5⭐️ - this book has gotten me out of my slump. Slow burn, enemies to lovers, fantasy. What a BOOK
February 26, 2025
Bilinen en zayıf fae kadını..
Öyle bir zayıflık ki kimse yüzüne bakmıyor, ana ölmüş baba ölmüş birader ölmüş...
Herkesin bir gücü kuvveti varken bizimkinin kanatları bile yok.. (Bu dünyadaki karşılığı kör olmak falan gibi düşünün)
İzbe bir vilayette kız kardeşi ile yaşayıp gitmektedir, dedikodulara göre de ekinler ölmekte, insanlar olası bir açlık dalgasıyla karşılaşacak gibi... belirsizliklerce..
Köyüne ansızın gelen prens (hikaye bu ya, o da en güçlü fae erkeği) benimle geleceksin diyor, kanadının terkesine attığı gibi yallah sarayına
Sora olaylar olaylar
Yazarın dili çok akıcı, hızlı bir okuma oldu, Acotar' ın başrolü Nesta olsaydı diye merak edenler rahatlıkla zevk alabilir, Court of Winter yani boru değil
4 kitabı da kısa sürede hüplettim beğendim, yani owww şeklinde bir fantastik değil görevini yerine getirdi, bekleneni verdi
xoxo
Öyle bir zayıflık ki kimse yüzüne bakmıyor, ana ölmüş baba ölmüş birader ölmüş...
Herkesin bir gücü kuvveti varken bizimkinin kanatları bile yok.. (Bu dünyadaki karşılığı kör olmak falan gibi düşünün)
İzbe bir vilayette kız kardeşi ile yaşayıp gitmektedir, dedikodulara göre de ekinler ölmekte, insanlar olası bir açlık dalgasıyla karşılaşacak gibi... belirsizliklerce..
Köyüne ansızın gelen prens (hikaye bu ya, o da en güçlü fae erkeği) benimle geleceksin diyor, kanadının terkesine attığı gibi yallah sarayına
Sora olaylar olaylar
Yazarın dili çok akıcı, hızlı bir okuma oldu, Acotar' ın başrolü Nesta olsaydı diye merak edenler rahatlıkla zevk alabilir, Court of Winter yani boru değil
4 kitabı da kısa sürede hüplettim beğendim, yani owww şeklinde bir fantastik değil görevini yerine getirdi, bekleneni verdi
xoxo
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