A Crown of Petals and Ice [Dramatized Adaptation]

Honey and Ice [Dramatized Adaptation] #3

by Shannon Mayer, Kelly St. Clare

Queen of the fae courts. Faced with an impossible battle. Destined to never be with the Unseelie I love.

The magical tea has worn off. My eyes are wide open. And it’s with horror that I realize the fate of two realms rests on my shoulders after my mother’s ultimate sacrifice to trap Rubezahl in Underhill.

Terrified humans clamoring for answers, whispered rumors from both Seelie and Unseelie, and a stepmother who seeks the throne for surprising reasons are the least of my troubles.

Rubezahl has returned far sooner than I thought possible. I’m not ready. I can’t win this. And not only that…

He has something crucial if we are to win. He’s taken something I cannot live without.

The place of the final battle has been decided, and two armies will meet. Yet forces beyond my understanding must be satisfied first—old magics rise and demand their dues.

There is no option but to race and decipher the puzzle to save the man I love, the friends more important to me than my own life, and humans and fae alike.

Two realms.

Only I can save them.

We’re screwed.

Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects, and cinematic music!

Genres: Audiobook, Magic, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance, Fantasy

7 pages, Audiobook

Published June 7, 2024

About the author

A long time ago, in a galaxy far away, I was born into a family of Star Wars nuts. I have a lot of siblings (somewhere I lost count but I think there was more than could be numbered on one hand) and being one of the young padawans I was subjected to Star Wars marathons, on a regular basis. If you've read any of my books you'll see there is often a reference to said movies as a small homage to my upbringing. May the force be with you and all that jazz.

I started writing when I realized I didn't want to grow up not believing in magic, or not believing in creatures everyone else said didn't exist. That being said, I have never seen a fairy, unicorn or dragon. I had a neighbour who swore they fed the leprechauns in their garden, but I never caught the little buggers no matter how long I lay in wait. (And consequently had to help the neighbours plant new flowers to replace those I killed waiting for the leprechauns to show their faces.)

Along the way, I found my husband who is the rock that keeps me from floating away into my dreams, and we have a little boy who is the centre of our world. Living on a farm keeps us busy (as if the writing wasn't enough) and I have more than my share of stories about wrestling with cows, helping birth calves and ending up in the creek during the process, falling in the mud (we'll call it mud but we all know that on a farm, mud is rarely mud) and chasing escaped livestock in the hopes the four legged convicts don't make it to the highway.

I've taken up archery, and the goal is to move into horseback archery in time (you know, when I can hit the target on a consistent basis) and when no one is looking, I love to bake (this doesn't happen often as it's hard to keep the sweet treats in stock with two boys in the house.)

As to what's coming next for me? More stories (since those never stop inside my head, I might as well share them with all of you!) and more adventures. Pretty much, when the fancy strikes, I'll jump on it. Leap before you look I'm sure that motto was created for me.

Or was that . . . think big and dream bigger, ready, set, pull the trigger . . . yeah. That one is a good one too. But only if you have a gun. And are hunting elephants. Which is not cool because of so many reasons. Let's stick with the first one with an addendum.

Leap before you look and let your dreams carry you on their wings. And that, my friends, is me in a nutshell.

Reviews

[Alva · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a few questions haha - I agree with what someone else wrote in their review that this ending felt a little rushed. With the "slower" pace of the first two books, the resolution in this felt... a little off. I'm also, honestly, quite pissed at how Alli had to be the one sacrificing everything - I get that it builds character, but isn't weird she's the only one, like, majorly affected?

I must say, though, that I've enjoyed listening to these books as a whole. Will I continue the next, sort of spin-off, on this trilogy? Yeah, probably. I find the authors to have an interesting way of writing, and I really enjoy listening to Graphic Audio, so my bet is yes. Very intrigued about the apparent RH in those, haha.

and also the baby boom? i know that it's common, but my god, why did everyone have a baby at the ending?? and what in the actual heck was this about alli's half-sister?? wasn't she dead? why is the next book about her being kidnapped and she's only three years old?? i'm thinking that silver (underhill's daughter) will be the mc in the entire part of that series, but i am so confused

[Leafing Through It · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story continues into the finale of this group of characters.

Overall easy reads, background read. No deep character or world building. If you don't want to keep up with the series, this is a good place to stop.

[Abigail Buchanan · Rating 3 out of 5]

📕 A Crown of Petals and Ice by Shannon Mayer
⭐ Rating: 3/5 🌸❄️👑

📖 Summary:
The Fae Courts are in turmoil. With her mother’s sacrifice still echoing and Rubezahl stirring in the shadows, our heroine must balance leadership, love, and survival. Political intrigue, magical peril, and high-stakes decisions collide as she navigates loyalty, betrayal, and unexpected alliances. Beautiful story, but sometimes the layers of action, magic, and intrigue can feel overwhelming.

This book is:
✨ Fae court politics meets personal growth and romance
✨ High-stakes magic, dangerous secrets, and strategic battles
✨ Romance threaded through chaos, but the focus is on power and survival
✨ A story of sacrifice, duty, and facing the consequences of past actions

💖 Character Reactions:

🌸 Heroine —
Determined, strategic, and growing into her power. She makes tough choices and fights for her people, but the sheer volume of chaos sometimes overshadows her personal journey.

❄️ Love Interest / Allies —
Supportive yet complicated. Relationships are tested under pressure, and their interactions add both warmth and tension amidst the larger stakes.

🫠 Notable Moments You Probably Felt:

The political maneuvering that leaves your jaw on the floor

Magical battles with consequences for both realms

Difficult decisions that challenge the heroine morally and emotionally

Moments of romance that pierce the tension and remind you why you root for these characters

🔥 Smut Level:
Romance is present but subtle—more about emotional connection and tension than graphic content.

#SmutTags: #FaeRomance #LoveInChaos #MagicAndTension

⚠️ Trigger Warnings:
Violence, political intrigue, betrayal, high-stakes magical peril

🏷️ Tags:
#ACrownOfPetalsAndIce #HoneyAndIce #ShannonMayer #FaePolitics #FantasyRomance #MagicAndSacrifice #EnemiesAndAllies #OverwhelmingChaos

[Stine · Rating 3 out of 5]

De to første bøger i serien var rigtig gode, mens denne ikke var noget for mig. Kan du lide krig, intriger og kaos, vil du måske synes den er spændende. Jeg savnede den gode slowburn romance fra de to første og var jævnligt forvirret over hvad der skete.

[Audiobookhorder ᕕ(⌐■_■)ᕗ ♪♬ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,2
Proposed alternative title: Getting to know Underhill

Alli starts off as a very capable queen. She has put Fealon in the position of Unseelie ruler, which means they can't be together. Just as "foretold".
The struggle for acceptance of her position, gradually evolves throughout the book.
The addition of Alva, the mindreader is very useful. I like the fact that the writers kept that overpowered ability in check within the scope of the events within this book. It could make everything easier for Allie to have a mindreader within her court, so that could harm the struggles of continuing a fantasy-type-adventure-story.
The choice of Fealon to partake in a heist to steal the heart from Rubasol, was a predictable, but understandable and story wise, a good choice. It gave the story extra momentum and a useful point to highlight the inner workings of the mind of both Ruby and Alli.
What I found most creative, was the fact that Underhill truly is a conscious person/being. Not only a realm of existence. The way Alli "got too know her" was a entertaining theme.
The fact that Drake got his redemption, felt nice.
The relationship between Fealon and Alli feels believable and legit at this point. The fact that Underhill is somebody and STILL pushed them together... It sparked joy. And simultaneously felt cruel. It's not a slow-burn when you keep ripping the character apart. It becomes cruel. But yeah, still fun.
During Alli's growth and development, it is strongly suggested that she will sacrifice herself. The fact that Fealon and her are connected, fitted with the sacrifice they made. When 'Unbalance' gives them an ultimatum, I'm glad they didn't truly hesitated. The choice was obvious. Them not lingering on the inevitable, and choosing the greater good, felt like the only right choice after realising what the cost would be.
I'm looking forward for Alli being the Oracle. Especially in tandem with Fealon. It's almost a shame they didn't become a dual-Oracle or something. Since everything about them is so intertwined.
The series could have ended with this third book. It would've been a finished three-arc-story. Nobody to Rebel, Rebel to Queen, Queen to Oracle. With that said, I'm looking forward to the next three books!

[Stacy Holguin · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were parts of this book that I liked, or wanted to like, but the story suffered from trying too hard. Too many tropes. Too much borrowing from other stories. Too many obstacles/dangers and crises... and almost all of the solutions were "super easy, barely an inconvenience" (to borrow a quote from Ryan George) and explained away in couple of sentences. There were so many times that I backed up the story because I'd missed something, only to realize it hadn't been fleshed out very well. I hate to give up on a series, but also, Life is too short to waste on poorly written stories....

[Natasha Skinner · Rating 3 out of 5]

We have a couple of plot twists in this one. Calla is now queen of the unseelie and Lan over the seller. All is not well in callas court as she doesn’t have the respect of her generals, her step mom is still there being a dramatic thorn in her side.

Ruby has come to play and I mean drain the land. Lan goes through his own transformation.

There was a great twist with the Oracle that i didn’t see coming but the star of this story was def the land kelpie! so brash and rude. had me cracking up!

[Rachel G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the format but the series was a bit boring. But maybe I'm just not interested in these same old , same old fantasy series. I would have rather had the series from the MMC point of view he was the only interesting character with any potential for depth.

[Robin Kristina Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing conclusion this this part of the story. It definitely sets up some foreshadowing for continuing the series. I LOVE Alli and Lan sooooooo much!!!

[Rakel Artin · Rating 3 out of 5]

PRETTY GOOD!!!

[Krissie Pooh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The burn was too slow but the story was overall good and interesting.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a 3.5 for me… better than the others! And I loved the ending…

[Brooke Barnett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was bored for the middle half of this book.