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The Land of Frost
Princess Maeve Moran’s wedding day was supposed to be a day she had dreamed of. When a violent coup breaks out in the capital city, her life is turned upside down as she witnesses the murder of her father, The King, her mother, her brother, Heir to the Throne, and her fiancé, Rian Doherty. Stripped of her magic and left for dead, Maeve is rescued by Dedra Blos, a royal seamstress, and Tiernan Demaris, an army alchemist. Determined to recapture all she has lost, Maeve vows revenge against the usurpers who stole all but the breath from her lungs.
Under Tiernan’s guidance, Maeve is sent to the infamous Báscogar Prison, nestled deep within the Romiodóg mountains, to train alongside Gálgalesh, the faerie Warden. However, in a world where even her identity must be kept secret, she finds her life hanging in the balance at every moment. When she encounters Eoghan Kael, a fiery Tinemallacht warrior who harbors a deep-seated hatred for her, she truly learns just how precarious her fight for survival and retribution has become.
As Maeve immerses herself in her training, she discovers shocking truths about her heritage and the deceptive nature of her upbringing within the castle walls.
Can she make it through with her head—and her heart—to retrieve all she has lost and restore her place in the castle once more? Or will the price of love and secrets cost more than death ever could?
Under Tiernan’s guidance, Maeve is sent to the infamous Báscogar Prison, nestled deep within the Romiodóg mountains, to train alongside Gálgalesh, the faerie Warden. However, in a world where even her identity must be kept secret, she finds her life hanging in the balance at every moment. When she encounters Eoghan Kael, a fiery Tinemallacht warrior who harbors a deep-seated hatred for her, she truly learns just how precarious her fight for survival and retribution has become.
As Maeve immerses herself in her training, she discovers shocking truths about her heritage and the deceptive nature of her upbringing within the castle walls.
Can she make it through with her head—and her heart—to retrieve all she has lost and restore her place in the castle once more? Or will the price of love and secrets cost more than death ever could?
Unknown Binding
Published March 18, 2025
117 people are currently reading
2535 people want to read
About the author
Whitney Welsh Gibbs
9 books21 followersWhitney Welsh Gibbs is a storyteller at heart, with a love for history and a curiosity for discovering new worlds—both real and imagined. She grew up on California’s Central Coast, where the fog-draped mornings and salty sea air helped spark the imagination that fuels her writing today.
She holds a Master’s in Intelligence and Security Studies from the University of Leicester and honed her craft through a blend of academic work and years of creative writing. Whitney has self-published three novels—Lucas Taite and the Mysterious Armor of God, Broken Anchors, and Lucas Taite and the Mountain of Örlög—each one earning praise and a growing base of loyal readers.
Her latest series, The Steel Citadel, published by Azala Press, brings together her love of layered plots, complex characters, and rich, magical worlds.
When she’s not writing, Whitney can usually be found reading, exploring new places, or catching up with friends—often gathering sparks of inspiration along the way. She currently lives in Burbank, California.
You can find her on Instagram and TikTok, where she shares behind-the-scenes looks at her writing life and upcoming projects.
She holds a Master’s in Intelligence and Security Studies from the University of Leicester and honed her craft through a blend of academic work and years of creative writing. Whitney has self-published three novels—Lucas Taite and the Mysterious Armor of God, Broken Anchors, and Lucas Taite and the Mountain of Örlög—each one earning praise and a growing base of loyal readers.
Her latest series, The Steel Citadel, published by Azala Press, brings together her love of layered plots, complex characters, and rich, magical worlds.
When she’s not writing, Whitney can usually be found reading, exploring new places, or catching up with friends—often gathering sparks of inspiration along the way. She currently lives in Burbank, California.
You can find her on Instagram and TikTok, where she shares behind-the-scenes looks at her writing life and upcoming projects.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
March 11, 2025
Thank you to Whitney Welsh Gibbs and Netgalley for providing me with an arc! I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Actual Rating: 4.5 ⭐
What to expect:
-Enemies to lovers
-Royals
-Adorably grumpy side character
-Protective mmc
-Secret identity
-Forced proximity
-First book in unfinished series
What I liked:
The relationship. I loved the relationship between Eoghan and Maeve! Of course, it didn’t help that I’m a sucker for a good enemies to lovers. In the beginning there was a lot of animosity and hatred but by the end, there is no doubt in my mind that Eoghan would have died for Maeve. One of my favorite parts was seeing them together at the end. It's like I could feel the chemistry! My one con with the relationship is how fast it developed, as much as I do love enemies to lovers, I also enjoy a slow burn too. It just felt a little abrupt. One minute Eoghan hated her and the next he was in love with her.
Galgalesh. Is there really any explanation needed? He was hilarious. Seriously, some of his one liners had me rolling! Not only was he a great comedic relief, he also had a really great story line. I loved his relationship with Peadair. Don’t get me wrong, I hated Peadair but I thought his actions and Galgalesh’s response to them were definitely unique. Also a great LGBTQ+ rep!
What I didn’t like:
The lack of explanation. At the beginning of the book there are pages worth of lore, from seasons, to kingdoms, to gods. It honestly felt a bit overwhelming. To the point where the author really didn’t want to do any explaining in the books, so she just did it all in the beginning. Kind of like one big info dump, but the story hasn’t started. Now, granted, a lot of fantasy authors will do this so it’s not a huge deal. I just would have liked to have more explanation in the book, verses having it solely in the beginning.
The predictability. I’m going to keep this one short because I feel this has more to do with me personally as a reader. To me, the ending seemed quite predictable. Maybe not everything but with that specific character reappearing it definitely didn’t surprise me. Though, the foreshadowing throughout the book was well done, and I think the reappearing of this character will be a very interesting plot driver in the next book.
All in all, this book was great! I can’t wait to read the next one… Please let it be out somewhat soon! 🤞
Actual Rating: 4.5 ⭐
What to expect:
-Enemies to lovers
-Royals
-Adorably grumpy side character
-Protective mmc
-Secret identity
-Forced proximity
-First book in unfinished series
What I liked:
The relationship. I loved the relationship between Eoghan and Maeve! Of course, it didn’t help that I’m a sucker for a good enemies to lovers. In the beginning there was a lot of animosity and hatred but by the end, there is no doubt in my mind that Eoghan would have died for Maeve. One of my favorite parts was seeing them together at the end. It's like I could feel the chemistry! My one con with the relationship is how fast it developed, as much as I do love enemies to lovers, I also enjoy a slow burn too. It just felt a little abrupt. One minute Eoghan hated her and the next he was in love with her.
Galgalesh. Is there really any explanation needed? He was hilarious. Seriously, some of his one liners had me rolling! Not only was he a great comedic relief, he also had a really great story line. I loved his relationship with Peadair. Don’t get me wrong, I hated Peadair but I thought his actions and Galgalesh’s response to them were definitely unique. Also a great LGBTQ+ rep!
What I didn’t like:
The lack of explanation. At the beginning of the book there are pages worth of lore, from seasons, to kingdoms, to gods. It honestly felt a bit overwhelming. To the point where the author really didn’t want to do any explaining in the books, so she just did it all in the beginning. Kind of like one big info dump, but the story hasn’t started. Now, granted, a lot of fantasy authors will do this so it’s not a huge deal. I just would have liked to have more explanation in the book, verses having it solely in the beginning.
The predictability. I’m going to keep this one short because I feel this has more to do with me personally as a reader. To me, the ending seemed quite predictable. Maybe not everything but with that specific character reappearing it definitely didn’t surprise me. Though, the foreshadowing throughout the book was well done, and I think the reappearing of this character will be a very interesting plot driver in the next book.
All in all, this book was great! I can’t wait to read the next one… Please let it be out somewhat soon! 🤞
March 10, 2025
Utterly addictive, captivating, and impossible to put down!
⭐
The Land of Frost is an absolute page-turner, delivering high-stakes action, richly woven world-building, and a heroine you can’t help but root for. From the very first chapter, the tension is palpable—Maeve’s fall from royalty and her relentless fight for survival kept me hooked. The prison setting and brutal training sequences gave me Heir of Fire vibes in the best way, while the slow-burning tension with Eoghan added another layer of intrigue.
Welsh Gibbs crafts an immersive, fast-paced story with compelling twists and deeply layered characters. The ending left me desperate for the next book!
This is a must-read for fantasy lovers craving adventure, magic, and a heroine willing to risk everything.
A Gripping Fantasy Adventure – I Need the Sequel NOW! ⭐
The Land of Frost is an absolute page-turner, delivering high-stakes action, richly woven world-building, and a heroine you can’t help but root for. From the very first chapter, the tension is palpable—Maeve’s fall from royalty and her relentless fight for survival kept me hooked. The prison setting and brutal training sequences gave me Heir of Fire vibes in the best way, while the slow-burning tension with Eoghan added another layer of intrigue.
Welsh Gibbs crafts an immersive, fast-paced story with compelling twists and deeply layered characters. The ending left me desperate for the next book!
This is a must-read for fantasy lovers craving adventure, magic, and a heroine willing to risk everything.
A Gripping Fantasy Adventure – I Need the Sequel NOW! ⭐
May 19, 2025
I cannot recommend The Land of Frost ENOUGH.
Book one in the Steel Citadel series, I sit here staring out the window in distress and anguish- book two,...where are you??
But seriously, I'm gonna need poor Whitney Welsh Gibbs to go head immediately into her office, or cubicle, her writing yurt, or what cozy hole she hides in to create such wonderous fantasy worlds. Go, shoo, we NEEEED more Maeve and Eoghan.
Please, bookish friends, I behoove you to pick this up if you love:
Enemies to lovers (DONE, SO, SO WELL)
Royal settings
Protective MMC
Secret Identities
In fact, all romantasy fans should be picking this up ASAP.
I'll admit the first 5-10 pages of folklore history and lists of definitions sort of scared me, but ended up being super helpful as I worked through the book. If I had read a physical copy- I'd finally have a reason to use those cute color coded annotation tabs, but... I digress.
Bottom line- amazing, looking forward to next!
Book one in the Steel Citadel series, I sit here staring out the window in distress and anguish- book two,...where are you??
But seriously, I'm gonna need poor Whitney Welsh Gibbs to go head immediately into her office, or cubicle, her writing yurt, or what cozy hole she hides in to create such wonderous fantasy worlds. Go, shoo, we NEEEED more Maeve and Eoghan.
Please, bookish friends, I behoove you to pick this up if you love:
Enemies to lovers (DONE, SO, SO WELL)
Royal settings
Protective MMC
Secret Identities
In fact, all romantasy fans should be picking this up ASAP.
I'll admit the first 5-10 pages of folklore history and lists of definitions sort of scared me, but ended up being super helpful as I worked through the book. If I had read a physical copy- I'd finally have a reason to use those cute color coded annotation tabs, but... I digress.
Bottom line- amazing, looking forward to next!
March 10, 2025
Rating-
4.5/5 stars
(Rounded up!)
Genre-
Romantasy
Age Rating For It-
18+ because there is abuse (off page), attempted murder, death, drugs, murder, profanity, violence and sexually explicit scenes too.
Tropes-
Enemies to lovers
Royals
Protective mmc
Forced proximity
Quotes-
“Love is not a simple thing to break.”
“‘I am not a conquest, Eoghan’…’ No, Mave. You’re everything.’”
“‘You’re doing that thing again.’
‘What thing?’
‘Where you make me wonder how I am ever going to spend another moment not thinking about you.’”
“‘Kiss me again,’...’No,’ he laughs…
’Why?’
‘Because if I kiss you again, I’ll never want to stop. I’d let the world come crashing down around us, and I wouldn’t even flinch’”
Thoughts/Would I Recommend This?-
I honestly loved this book so much and thought it was great. I love the enemies to lovers trope so much and thought they did that trope really well, whereas some people definitely don’t, and so I loved that aspect of it so much. I thought the whole story was fun and the fmc Rapunzel vibes were really fun to have and that they did that well as well. The only real cons that it had I think was that at the beginning there were like 20 pgs of just explaining different world building stuff, which was a lot I think. The ending was also pretty predictable as well, which I didn’t love, but I also didn’t hate it either. All in all, though, I would absolutely recommend this book and think that it’s a great book that people should definitely read!
(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)
4.5/5 stars
(Rounded up!)
Genre-
Romantasy
Age Rating For It-
18+ because there is abuse (off page), attempted murder, death, drugs, murder, profanity, violence and sexually explicit scenes too.
Tropes-
Enemies to lovers
Royals
Protective mmc
Forced proximity
Quotes-
“Love is not a simple thing to break.”
“‘I am not a conquest, Eoghan’…’ No, Mave. You’re everything.’”
“‘You’re doing that thing again.’
‘What thing?’
‘Where you make me wonder how I am ever going to spend another moment not thinking about you.’”
“‘Kiss me again,’...’No,’ he laughs…
’Why?’
‘Because if I kiss you again, I’ll never want to stop. I’d let the world come crashing down around us, and I wouldn’t even flinch’”
Thoughts/Would I Recommend This?-
I honestly loved this book so much and thought it was great. I love the enemies to lovers trope so much and thought they did that trope really well, whereas some people definitely don’t, and so I loved that aspect of it so much. I thought the whole story was fun and the fmc Rapunzel vibes were really fun to have and that they did that well as well. The only real cons that it had I think was that at the beginning there were like 20 pgs of just explaining different world building stuff, which was a lot I think. The ending was also pretty predictable as well, which I didn’t love, but I also didn’t hate it either. All in all, though, I would absolutely recommend this book and think that it’s a great book that people should definitely read!
(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)
July 7, 2025
review to come but this changed my life WHAT
October 8, 2025
I’d like to thank Victory Editing for an Advanced readers copy of this book through NetGalley.
When I first picked up this book I admit I was overwhelmed by the information in the beginning of the book on the glossary of seasons, languages, provinces, magic systems ect. I was nervous it was going to be hard to follow but it was the complete opposite. The glossary is there for reference but if you are more of a casual reader you can for sure read the book without having to flip back to the glossary.
This romantasy read effortlessly and kept me on my toes wondering what was going to happen next with Maeve. I loved her journey throughout the book, the friends and enemies she meets along the way. I fell in love with the characters and became invested in their futures. I enamored the world building and learning of all the aspects of the magic and locations. The ending had caught me for a loop and now I do not want to wait for the next book to come out. Please tell me it’s already being written!
March 19, 2025
Land of Frost cured my book hangover! A NA Romantic Fantasy novel that immerses you right into the story and action, while world-building as you go. The book starts on Princess Maeve’s wedding day, when a coup to overthrow the crown results in her witnessing the deaths of her entire family before she herself is left to die, beaten by an angry mob. The story of her survival and thirst for revenge leads her to some unexpected places, including a magical prison, where she meets FIRE DADDY Eoghan Kael, the most dangerous resident of Bascogar Prison and the most hilarious, grumpy faerie and Warden of Bascogar, Galgalesh. His one liners had me actually laughing. Full of some good ol’ enemies-to-lovers, touch-her-and-die, and grumpy-grumpy tropes, this story kept me captivated the whole time and built up to an ending that had my jaw on the floor! Can’t wait for the next book!!
April 10, 2025
Like the review before me, I felt that there was a lack of emotional depth. Also the whole thing was confusing and frustrating especially with the casual torture and trauma which was added as an afterthought. Including some examples below:
* Maeve is painted as this carefree princess in the beginning, in love with, and clearly sleeping with Rian. But then later it is told that she was so sheltered that her friends and attendants had their tongues cut. If she wa kept so sheltered then how could Rian so easily talk to her not once but multiple times, and even sleep with her. Maeve wrote in one of her letters in the beginning that the guards wouldn't say anything if she and Rian did pda or slept in some tunnels. Which clearly contradicts the later statements about her supposed tortured and sheltered life in castle
* Which brings me to her father. In the beginning, she was sad and angry about her father's been killed along with her mother and brother. Then we're told that the father was a torturous and unjust king and she acts like she wasn't sure about it. But later in the book, it's told that her father had her regularly experimented upon, cruelly because of her healing magic and also got her neutered against her will. And that when she announced herdesire to marry Rian to her parents, he beat her up, carved 'whore' in her stomach! (Which got healed but the point was that the father was a torturing a-hole but this info is just thrown to us readers later; as an after thought. Why?)
* And this brings us to the point that Maeve told the secrets about her family's magic as well as the security details of the castle to Rian either in person or in her letters. And she specifically says that some of these secrets were not even known by her brother or mother. Excuse me, are you telling me that your brother who is supposed to be this big fighter/commander for the king's troops doesnt know secrets whereas you, who was a sheltered/tortured princess who wasnt taught much or allowed to go out at all or talk to people knew all these? And no one watched her communication with Rian?! Again, too many frustrating discrepancies which made no sense.
* The prison was an enigma. One moment we're told it's dangerous and scary and people are out for blood and we're shown that they're fighting/dueling/training and almost killing their opponents but next moment they're all also laughing, drinking, gambling all together? Besides the food, everything else seemed like a luxury at the prison. Everyone got individual rooms and plenty of clothes and hot water and toiletries. And Maeve, despite having arrived with a shaved hair was still the first and only woman in this place where men had been locked up for years and no one really tried to do anything to her? They were all pretty respectful and welcoming.
Now besides the fact that the author decided to add torture and random info without ensuring continuity, my other main gripe is the MMC Eoghan Kael. In order to sell the whole enemies to lovers trope, we're told he's this big bad dangerous dude who would murder her if she even looked at him funny. And then a few times he does talk, he's a jerk to her; absolutely rude and condescending. But the incident which pissed me off completely was when he caught her watching him and his friends train and he dragged her into a duel, punched the living daylights out of her that her jaw was broken and she was bleeding and then grinded on and taunted her about how she was enjoying this! I was furious! And then homeboy later says oh Ive been wanting you since I had you under me! Like when? When you were almost killing her? And no apology came from him about his jerk-ass comments not for physically assaulting her. In fact Maeve was the one who apologized multiple times.
I get that her upbringing with an abusive father, a mostly absent brother and a manipulative fiance didnt give her the chance to acquaint with decent guys and so she wanted to keep Kael since he did save her life a couple times but man is this guy an absolute piece of filth. I hope the author pulls a Tamlin move with him, though probably not, but im sad that Maeve has to end up with this abusive pos who couldnt and wouldnt apologize.
2 stars because Galgalesh had been written decently and the foreshadowing and the twists have been interspersed well.
This was an ARC from netgalley.
* Maeve is painted as this carefree princess in the beginning, in love with, and clearly sleeping with Rian. But then later it is told that she was so sheltered that her friends and attendants had their tongues cut. If she wa kept so sheltered then how could Rian so easily talk to her not once but multiple times, and even sleep with her. Maeve wrote in one of her letters in the beginning that the guards wouldn't say anything if she and Rian did pda or slept in some tunnels. Which clearly contradicts the later statements about her supposed tortured and sheltered life in castle
* Which brings me to her father. In the beginning, she was sad and angry about her father's been killed along with her mother and brother. Then we're told that the father was a torturous and unjust king and she acts like she wasn't sure about it. But later in the book, it's told that her father had her regularly experimented upon, cruelly because of her healing magic and also got her neutered against her will. And that when she announced herdesire to marry Rian to her parents, he beat her up, carved 'whore' in her stomach! (Which got healed but the point was that the father was a torturing a-hole but this info is just thrown to us readers later; as an after thought. Why?)
* And this brings us to the point that Maeve told the secrets about her family's magic as well as the security details of the castle to Rian either in person or in her letters. And she specifically says that some of these secrets were not even known by her brother or mother. Excuse me, are you telling me that your brother who is supposed to be this big fighter/commander for the king's troops doesnt know secrets whereas you, who was a sheltered/tortured princess who wasnt taught much or allowed to go out at all or talk to people knew all these? And no one watched her communication with Rian?! Again, too many frustrating discrepancies which made no sense.
* The prison was an enigma. One moment we're told it's dangerous and scary and people are out for blood and we're shown that they're fighting/dueling/training and almost killing their opponents but next moment they're all also laughing, drinking, gambling all together? Besides the food, everything else seemed like a luxury at the prison. Everyone got individual rooms and plenty of clothes and hot water and toiletries. And Maeve, despite having arrived with a shaved hair was still the first and only woman in this place where men had been locked up for years and no one really tried to do anything to her? They were all pretty respectful and welcoming.
Now besides the fact that the author decided to add torture and random info without ensuring continuity, my other main gripe is the MMC Eoghan Kael. In order to sell the whole enemies to lovers trope, we're told he's this big bad dangerous dude who would murder her if she even looked at him funny. And then a few times he does talk, he's a jerk to her; absolutely rude and condescending. But the incident which pissed me off completely was when he caught her watching him and his friends train and he dragged her into a duel, punched the living daylights out of her that her jaw was broken and she was bleeding and then grinded on and taunted her about how she was enjoying this! I was furious! And then homeboy later says oh Ive been wanting you since I had you under me! Like when? When you were almost killing her? And no apology came from him about his jerk-ass comments not for physically assaulting her. In fact Maeve was the one who apologized multiple times.
I get that her upbringing with an abusive father, a mostly absent brother and a manipulative fiance didnt give her the chance to acquaint with decent guys and so she wanted to keep Kael since he did save her life a couple times but man is this guy an absolute piece of filth. I hope the author pulls a Tamlin move with him, though probably not, but im sad that Maeve has to end up with this abusive pos who couldnt and wouldnt apologize.
2 stars because Galgalesh had been written decently and the foreshadowing and the twists have been interspersed well.
This was an ARC from netgalley.
February 26, 2025
This book had me hooked from the start. From the first chapter, it delves right into action as Maeve’s family is betrayed and murdered right in front of her on her wedding day. From there, an intriguing story of healing, magic, and secrets erupts . I did feel the love story was a tad clumsy and rushed, but I overall enjoyed the fast paced writing and character development. I will definitely read the next book in the series when published!
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 17, 2025
The Land Of Frost hit that perfect sweet spot where Fantasy and Romance mix, but add in adventure, banter, betrayal, and oh shit moments. The action starts in chapter one, and the entire time I was reading, I just kept waiting for the NEXT shoe to drop! YES, MULTIPLE SHOES BEING DROPPED.
As a big fantasy reader, I really loved this book and the world building, but it isn’t so intense that someone new to the genre wouldn’t be able to keep up. It’s woven into the story perfectly as we follow the FMC!
One of the side characters is grumpy and sassy and my favorite 💁🏻♀️
Have I mentioned yet the broody, swoon worthy, fire daddy? 🔥😏 no? He might just be my new favorite book boyfriend (sorry shadow daddies- still love you though)
Overall, this story kept me captivated — I was laughing, crying, cursing at the author — and I loved every minute of it! It does end on a cliffhanger that will have you saying WTF, but I cannot wait for book two!!
Tropes:
• Touch her and die (honestly- don’t even look at her)
• Unique territories in the realm
• Unique magic system
• Political intrigue and conspiracy
• Forced Proximity
• Secret Identity
• Betrayal/Secrets
• Enemies to Lovers
• Found Family
As a big fantasy reader, I really loved this book and the world building, but it isn’t so intense that someone new to the genre wouldn’t be able to keep up. It’s woven into the story perfectly as we follow the FMC!
One of the side characters is grumpy and sassy and my favorite 💁🏻♀️
Have I mentioned yet the broody, swoon worthy, fire daddy? 🔥😏 no? He might just be my new favorite book boyfriend (sorry shadow daddies- still love you though)
Overall, this story kept me captivated — I was laughing, crying, cursing at the author — and I loved every minute of it! It does end on a cliffhanger that will have you saying WTF, but I cannot wait for book two!!
Tropes:
• Touch her and die (honestly- don’t even look at her)
• Unique territories in the realm
• Unique magic system
• Political intrigue and conspiracy
• Forced Proximity
• Secret Identity
• Betrayal/Secrets
• Enemies to Lovers
• Found Family
March 18, 2025
I’m not usually one for decimals, but this one gets a 3.5 (rounded up to a 4)! I really enjoyed the character dynamics and the conflicts throughout. Maeve loses everything dear to her and is set on revenge, and you get to watch her grow both mentally and physically along the way. The pacing felt a bit erratic, especially with some info-dumping at the start, but overall Maeve was a likable lead. The enemies-to-lovers trope was great, though it felt a little abrupt; I appreciated that it didn’t dominate the story. A solid read overall!
Thank you to NetGalley and Azala Press for providing an advanced reader’s copy 🤎
Thank you to NetGalley and Azala Press for providing an advanced reader’s copy 🤎
November 4, 2025
✨ Enemies to Lovers
✨Forced Proximity
✨Magical Prison
✨Fire Daddy MMC
✨Banter
✨Kingdom Politics
There’s so much great world building in this story! You have a badass FMC and a MMC you’ll have heart eyes 😍 over.
One of my favorite characters was Galgalesh. A no nonsense character who’s also a bit grumpy but you start to love.
I would not do this book justice trying to explain how great it is but I will say this : if you love really thoughtful world building, kingdom politics, a badass FMC, some spice, a fire MMC, and an ending leaving you wanting more.. pick this up!
February 18, 2025
The Land of Frost by Whitney Welsh Gibbs is a book I requested because of the blurb. I saw it and thought it sounded interesting and I have to tell you...from the second I picked it up, I couldn't put it down (or at least I didn't want to) and I was immediately drawn into this world and this story. The only thing I really want to know right now is how long do I have to wait for the next book to come out because I'm going to need it in my hands real soon.
Maeve is our fmc and we actually gradually learn about her as the story progresses because her story doesn't truly come out until we're well into the book. See, she's a princess and what we do learn immediately is that on her wedding day, a coup breaks out and her father, mother, brother and fiance are all killed. Add to that, Maeve's family has some pretty strong magic. Maeve herself has a healing magic that no one has and when she is captured, Maeve is stripped of her magic, beaten and left for dead right alongside her family. But when she comes to, Maeve realizes she's been rescued by two people (Dedra and Tiernan) who knew her family and she vows not to waste the opportunity to get revenge on the usurpers who stole everything from her. When she's strong enough, she pushes to go on a drop to the Borderlands with Tiernan, and finds that this will change the next phase of her plan.
As I mentioned earlier, I thought that the world that Gibbs has built is well done. It is pretty detailed in terms of magic and fae and the different weather systems and you know the rules based on the outline provided. There are a lot of characters in this book and a lot of different magic and lands mentioned so just be prepared.
When Maeve and Tiernan run into a fae named Galgalesh who also happens to be the Warden of Bascogar, the prison for the worst criminals in the kingdom, things start to move. Tiernan talks him into taking Maeve with him back to the prison so that he can train her both in magic and fighting. It's here where we start to learn more about the link between Galgalesh and "The Leader" and how Tiernan fits into that story. As well as a bit more about magic and how even though Maeve was stripped of her original magic, she will be able to wield magic again. But everyday at the prison is dangerous for Maeve. She's living under a fake identity and there is danger around every corner...or at least right next door because the man in the prison cell - Eoghan Kael, a fiery Tinemallacht warrior, hates her and wants her gone.
Eoghan is definitely a mystery for the first few chapters he is around but like Maeve, his story comes out as we go. We learn about why he is at the prison, his connection to Galgalesh and "The Leader" and what that has to do with the coup and Maeve. Since the majority of the book is at the prison a lot happens here...relationships and friendships change over the course of the months that Maeve is hiding away and she is learning more about herself and the outside world than she ever did living locked away in the castle.
So, I can't say much else because I can't give any spoilers away and admittedly I did guess the twist at the end...but I didn't care because I was that invested in the story and now I just want to know what happens next. Just know I loved this one and couldn't put it down...so you should go get it as soon as you can. There's plenty of danger, magic, betrayal, and yes...some romance to keep you turning the pages. As I said, I'm looking forward to the next installment of this series and will be recommending this book to anyone and everyone who asks me what to read next.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
Maeve is our fmc and we actually gradually learn about her as the story progresses because her story doesn't truly come out until we're well into the book. See, she's a princess and what we do learn immediately is that on her wedding day, a coup breaks out and her father, mother, brother and fiance are all killed. Add to that, Maeve's family has some pretty strong magic. Maeve herself has a healing magic that no one has and when she is captured, Maeve is stripped of her magic, beaten and left for dead right alongside her family. But when she comes to, Maeve realizes she's been rescued by two people (Dedra and Tiernan) who knew her family and she vows not to waste the opportunity to get revenge on the usurpers who stole everything from her. When she's strong enough, she pushes to go on a drop to the Borderlands with Tiernan, and finds that this will change the next phase of her plan.
As I mentioned earlier, I thought that the world that Gibbs has built is well done. It is pretty detailed in terms of magic and fae and the different weather systems and you know the rules based on the outline provided. There are a lot of characters in this book and a lot of different magic and lands mentioned so just be prepared.
When Maeve and Tiernan run into a fae named Galgalesh who also happens to be the Warden of Bascogar, the prison for the worst criminals in the kingdom, things start to move. Tiernan talks him into taking Maeve with him back to the prison so that he can train her both in magic and fighting. It's here where we start to learn more about the link between Galgalesh and "The Leader" and how Tiernan fits into that story. As well as a bit more about magic and how even though Maeve was stripped of her original magic, she will be able to wield magic again. But everyday at the prison is dangerous for Maeve. She's living under a fake identity and there is danger around every corner...or at least right next door because the man in the prison cell - Eoghan Kael, a fiery Tinemallacht warrior, hates her and wants her gone.
Eoghan is definitely a mystery for the first few chapters he is around but like Maeve, his story comes out as we go. We learn about why he is at the prison, his connection to Galgalesh and "The Leader" and what that has to do with the coup and Maeve. Since the majority of the book is at the prison a lot happens here...relationships and friendships change over the course of the months that Maeve is hiding away and she is learning more about herself and the outside world than she ever did living locked away in the castle.
So, I can't say much else because I can't give any spoilers away and admittedly I did guess the twist at the end...but I didn't care because I was that invested in the story and now I just want to know what happens next. Just know I loved this one and couldn't put it down...so you should go get it as soon as you can. There's plenty of danger, magic, betrayal, and yes...some romance to keep you turning the pages. As I said, I'm looking forward to the next installment of this series and will be recommending this book to anyone and everyone who asks me what to read next.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 12, 2025
The Land of Frost has potential. The ideas are interesting, and the world building is meticulous. The book begins with extensive lists explaining terminology and geography that is overwhelming. I like a good list or glossary, but this introduced way too much information that was not immediately essential to my understanding of the story. Moving it to the end would be preferable.
Despite devoting massive amounts of time on magic training, I still do not understand the magic system here. There is a "cost" to using it that is never explained, for example. The biggest twist was very predictable from the start. Transitions need work. I don't think of them often, but a character sitting at the FMC's lunch table with just the motivation of being her friend in a PRISON camp feels artificial and forced. The relationships between characters are often confusing. A character is referred to as Maeve's "boyfriend" despite having no relationship with her whatsoever, and he is barely mentioned at all in the second half of the book. An enemies to lovers trope is explored, but it feels juvenile with wild declarations of love that seem to come out of nowhere feeling empty and inauthentic. There is a lack of organic development that is really hard for me to explain. I also do not understand the decisions characters make. If you escape a horrible situation, do you hang out there, waiting to see what happens next? As far as plot goes, nearly everything that matters happens in the first few chapters, and the rest is character development. Prison camp training definitely brings the dark in dark academia. This book feels too long, but it doesn't explain enough to feel complete as the first book in a series. I struggle with rating this a 2 or 3. It is a quick and interesting story, but there is just so much missing and the juvenile tone really hurts. Truly a 2.5, rounding up for Goodreads.
TW: this is the second book I've read this month with forced female sterilization, and I feel like that should be disclosed. There is also a SA and lots of violence.
Thanks to NetGalley and Azala Press for this ARC!
Despite devoting massive amounts of time on magic training, I still do not understand the magic system here. There is a "cost" to using it that is never explained, for example. The biggest twist was very predictable from the start. Transitions need work. I don't think of them often, but a character sitting at the FMC's lunch table with just the motivation of being her friend in a PRISON camp feels artificial and forced. The relationships between characters are often confusing. A character is referred to as Maeve's "boyfriend" despite having no relationship with her whatsoever, and he is barely mentioned at all in the second half of the book. An enemies to lovers trope is explored, but it feels juvenile with wild declarations of love that seem to come out of nowhere feeling empty and inauthentic. There is a lack of organic development that is really hard for me to explain. I also do not understand the decisions characters make. If you escape a horrible situation, do you hang out there, waiting to see what happens next? As far as plot goes, nearly everything that matters happens in the first few chapters, and the rest is character development. Prison camp training definitely brings the dark in dark academia. This book feels too long, but it doesn't explain enough to feel complete as the first book in a series. I struggle with rating this a 2 or 3. It is a quick and interesting story, but there is just so much missing and the juvenile tone really hurts. Truly a 2.5, rounding up for Goodreads.
TW: this is the second book I've read this month with forced female sterilization, and I feel like that should be disclosed. There is also a SA and lots of violence.
Thanks to NetGalley and Azala Press for this ARC!
August 4, 2025
Rating: 4.75 stars
If you're someone who loves deep world-building and epic fantasy, The Land of Frost might just be your next favorite read. This book leans heavily into fantasy with romantic elements, rather than being a full-blown romantasy—and for me, that totally worked. It gave off those sweeping, expansive vibes that reminded me a lot of Throne of Glass. Like that series, this felt very much like the setup to a much larger story, and I am so here for it.
We get a rich, emotional introduction to our FMC, Maeve, and her backstory lays the groundwork for what I suspect will be a heart-wrenching journey. The twists? They were there, and I lived for them! Even though I guessed a few, I still found myself surprised, which is all I ask for. I read a lot of fantasy, so I think my brain is just wired to anticipate reveals, but the execution here was still satisfying.
As for characters, I enjoyed the entire cast, but Galgalesh was the standout for me—the classic grumpy-but-soft mentor/uncle figure who stole every scene he was in.
Now, for the minor negatives: the prose felt a little clunky in spots, and while I did guess some of the plot points, I wouldn't call either a dealbreaker. There’s also a glossary at the beginning that may look intimidating, but don’t let it scare you off. I found that I was able to pick up most of what I needed through context, and only occasionally flipped back for clarity.
If you're a fan of epic fantasy with a side of romance, rich lore, and high-stakes intrigue, definitely give this a try. The vibes are similar to Throne of Glass and When the Moon Hatched, and I flew through this in just two days—no small feat, considering I usually juggle multiple books at once.
Tropes You Can Expect:
Enemies to lovers
Touch-her-and-die MMC
Forced proximity
Royals
Secret identity
I’m incredibly excited for the next book and can’t wait to see where the story goes from here!
If you're someone who loves deep world-building and epic fantasy, The Land of Frost might just be your next favorite read. This book leans heavily into fantasy with romantic elements, rather than being a full-blown romantasy—and for me, that totally worked. It gave off those sweeping, expansive vibes that reminded me a lot of Throne of Glass. Like that series, this felt very much like the setup to a much larger story, and I am so here for it.
We get a rich, emotional introduction to our FMC, Maeve, and her backstory lays the groundwork for what I suspect will be a heart-wrenching journey. The twists? They were there, and I lived for them! Even though I guessed a few, I still found myself surprised, which is all I ask for. I read a lot of fantasy, so I think my brain is just wired to anticipate reveals, but the execution here was still satisfying.
As for characters, I enjoyed the entire cast, but Galgalesh was the standout for me—the classic grumpy-but-soft mentor/uncle figure who stole every scene he was in.
Now, for the minor negatives: the prose felt a little clunky in spots, and while I did guess some of the plot points, I wouldn't call either a dealbreaker. There’s also a glossary at the beginning that may look intimidating, but don’t let it scare you off. I found that I was able to pick up most of what I needed through context, and only occasionally flipped back for clarity.
If you're a fan of epic fantasy with a side of romance, rich lore, and high-stakes intrigue, definitely give this a try. The vibes are similar to Throne of Glass and When the Moon Hatched, and I flew through this in just two days—no small feat, considering I usually juggle multiple books at once.
Tropes You Can Expect:
Enemies to lovers
Touch-her-and-die MMC
Forced proximity
Royals
Secret identity
I’m incredibly excited for the next book and can’t wait to see where the story goes from here!
April 11, 2025
Oh. My. God.
Can I just say I am obsessed?! I'm not going to lie, I was a little uncertain at first since Maeve wasn't that easy to really like or relate to. She's weak and spoiled and soooooo sheltered. That's the entire point though. As the story progresses her character has such AMAZING development and by the end I'm rooting for her to kill allllll the people who betrayed her and her family. The entire world built in this story is fleshed out so beautifully. Seeing Maeve slowly start to realize the truth about the Kingdom she's never actually experienced is heartbreaking while also motivating. Your heart breaks alongside hers as more and more is revealed and she learns what it's like to really live.
Eoghan has my heart now and forever. He gives off the perfect "touch her and die" vibes even when he's acting like he HATES her. From the start I was very excited to see what he would do and how their story would develop. I appreciated the lack of "insta-love" because it wouldn't have fit with the story. The way their relationship develops is perfect and filled with all the troubles you would expect from a girl who no longer knows WHO to trust and a man who has LOT of secrets. This entire book gave off Throne of Glass vibes in my opinion and it hooked me in. I was reading this nonstop once it got going and when I wasn't reading it I was thinking about it.
I'm going to be in a serious book hangover waiting for the next one to come out. Because that ENDING. I had a feeling but to have it CONFIRMED blew my mind. I was ready to rip out some throats alongside Maeve and Eoghan.
Can I just say I am obsessed?! I'm not going to lie, I was a little uncertain at first since Maeve wasn't that easy to really like or relate to. She's weak and spoiled and soooooo sheltered. That's the entire point though. As the story progresses her character has such AMAZING development and by the end I'm rooting for her to kill allllll the people who betrayed her and her family. The entire world built in this story is fleshed out so beautifully. Seeing Maeve slowly start to realize the truth about the Kingdom she's never actually experienced is heartbreaking while also motivating. Your heart breaks alongside hers as more and more is revealed and she learns what it's like to really live.
Eoghan has my heart now and forever. He gives off the perfect "touch her and die" vibes even when he's acting like he HATES her. From the start I was very excited to see what he would do and how their story would develop. I appreciated the lack of "insta-love" because it wouldn't have fit with the story. The way their relationship develops is perfect and filled with all the troubles you would expect from a girl who no longer knows WHO to trust and a man who has LOT of secrets. This entire book gave off Throne of Glass vibes in my opinion and it hooked me in. I was reading this nonstop once it got going and when I wasn't reading it I was thinking about it.
I'm going to be in a serious book hangover waiting for the next one to come out. Because that ENDING. I had a feeling but to have it CONFIRMED blew my mind. I was ready to rip out some throats alongside Maeve and Eoghan.
August 15, 2025
Honestly, the last half of this book was probably 4 stars but there are some things I couldn’t get past to give it more than 3. Mainly, the world building is probably too intense for a 400 pager. I also wouldn’t call it true enemies to lovers. Shout out to Gálgalesh’s sass for keeping me entertained for the first 50% until Eoghan got some page time.
“- was kissing me so horrible that you felt the need to hurl your daggers into my back?”
“- was kissing me so horrible that you felt the need to hurl your daggers into my back?”
March 4, 2025
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ARC Review ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Thank you to Azala Press, Whitney Welsh Gibbs, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
The Land of Frost has many great characteristics, and some characteristics I felt needed a little more work. I’ll start with the good and then find my way to what I think could have been better.
The worldbuilding is phenomenal. There is an extensive glossary at the beginning that breaks down the different providences of the kingdom, the different types of magic, religions, languages, creatures, objects, and a pronunciation guide. It was almost overwhelming to be hit with right from the beginning but was great to have access to throughout my read. The book starts with a lot of fast paced action and immediately grips you into the story. The spice is fun, and the characters are well fleshed out. The ending had me excited for book 2!
Now for some areas I felt needed a little work. Overall the pacing at times felt weird. Sometimes it felt more like we were forcing the story to a certain point instead of letting the story naturally evolve. Like if we wanted two characters together we had to awkwardly write the way there. I felt it dragged a bit in the middle. It felt like it took a while to decide what the driving narrative of the story was going to be. And the buildup of the main love interests relationship did not necessarily feel like it evolved naturally. The main character Maeve was at times a bit intolerable, but thankfully the side characters also recognized that and called her out anytime she was too weak or too whiny.
Overall though, this was a fun read. I enjoyed the read and the world building a lot. I am excited for book 2 and to see how we explore the world even more. I gave this book 3.5 stars. I think it has the makings of a good romantic fantasy series and will definitely add the second book to my TBR!
Thank you to Azala Press, Whitney Welsh Gibbs, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
The Land of Frost has many great characteristics, and some characteristics I felt needed a little more work. I’ll start with the good and then find my way to what I think could have been better.
The worldbuilding is phenomenal. There is an extensive glossary at the beginning that breaks down the different providences of the kingdom, the different types of magic, religions, languages, creatures, objects, and a pronunciation guide. It was almost overwhelming to be hit with right from the beginning but was great to have access to throughout my read. The book starts with a lot of fast paced action and immediately grips you into the story. The spice is fun, and the characters are well fleshed out. The ending had me excited for book 2!
Now for some areas I felt needed a little work. Overall the pacing at times felt weird. Sometimes it felt more like we were forcing the story to a certain point instead of letting the story naturally evolve. Like if we wanted two characters together we had to awkwardly write the way there. I felt it dragged a bit in the middle. It felt like it took a while to decide what the driving narrative of the story was going to be. And the buildup of the main love interests relationship did not necessarily feel like it evolved naturally. The main character Maeve was at times a bit intolerable, but thankfully the side characters also recognized that and called her out anytime she was too weak or too whiny.
Overall though, this was a fun read. I enjoyed the read and the world building a lot. I am excited for book 2 and to see how we explore the world even more. I gave this book 3.5 stars. I think it has the makings of a good romantic fantasy series and will definitely add the second book to my TBR!
July 20, 2025
Worth the time
Great book! Take the time to read! I was hesitant at first never having heard anyone mention this book, but I was pleasantly surprised
Great book! Take the time to read! I was hesitant at first never having heard anyone mention this book, but I was pleasantly surprised
July 27, 2025
My friends, you must read this book
December 28, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC. All opinions are my own.
The Land of Frost follows our FMC, Maeve, after a coup kills her family and leaves her near dead. Now a princess on the run, Maeve ends up at a deadly prison in order to train so that she can exact her revenge upon the people that have taken everything from her.
I throughouly enjoyed this book and it got me out of a book slump after a certain big Romantasy release. The plot was paced well, engaging you and keeping wanting to read just one more page. There are turns and twists throughout which keep you glued to Maeve's journey. At the start of the book there is a glossary, as well as pronunciation guide, which I did refer back to throughout the book as it did take me a while to understand the different places throughout the story. The pronunciation guide was also helpful as a lot of the names and some words are based on Irish Gaelic.
Our FMC, Maeve, starts off young and naive, clueless to the real world around her. It's hard not to root for Maeve, as she comes against hurdle after hurdle and refuses to give in. We really see her fighting spirit develop and her gain a better understanding of herself. Our MMC, Eoghan, brings in an enemies to lovers storyline, my favourite trope, as well as a tension filled slow burn. He is a fire wielder, which adds something different to the setting.
This book had me hooked and ended on a cliff hanger. I can't wait for Book Two. Definitely read if you are a fan of Fourth Wing/ Throne of Glass.
The Land of Frost follows our FMC, Maeve, after a coup kills her family and leaves her near dead. Now a princess on the run, Maeve ends up at a deadly prison in order to train so that she can exact her revenge upon the people that have taken everything from her.
I throughouly enjoyed this book and it got me out of a book slump after a certain big Romantasy release. The plot was paced well, engaging you and keeping wanting to read just one more page. There are turns and twists throughout which keep you glued to Maeve's journey. At the start of the book there is a glossary, as well as pronunciation guide, which I did refer back to throughout the book as it did take me a while to understand the different places throughout the story. The pronunciation guide was also helpful as a lot of the names and some words are based on Irish Gaelic.
Our FMC, Maeve, starts off young and naive, clueless to the real world around her. It's hard not to root for Maeve, as she comes against hurdle after hurdle and refuses to give in. We really see her fighting spirit develop and her gain a better understanding of herself. Our MMC, Eoghan, brings in an enemies to lovers storyline, my favourite trope, as well as a tension filled slow burn. He is a fire wielder, which adds something different to the setting.
This book had me hooked and ended on a cliff hanger. I can't wait for Book Two. Definitely read if you are a fan of Fourth Wing/ Throne of Glass.
December 26, 2025
Seriously did not think about how incredible this book was gonna be.
March 15, 2025
I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I needed this book! I really did. Was the ending a little predictable and the foreshadowing a little too obvious? Yes. Did I care? No. Did it take away from the enjoyment I had reading this book? Absolutely not. This is a darker romantasy story so theme's are 18+. The banter was delicious, the enemies to lovers was ideal, the supporting characters were amazing and the world building was on point.
Let's dive in, shall we?
Tropes:
Enemies to lovers
Touch her and die
Forced proximitry
Secret identity
Found family
Fight training
The first 12% went from being a shock to a bit of a slog as most first novels are. Introducing the characters and building the foundations of the world. Some authors are more subtle about it than others but it's to be expected with every new series I pick up. We start with Maeve. It's her wedding day. Everything is bright and hopeful, and yet she finds herself getting caught hiding in the chimney of her room before being dragged out to the courtyard. There's a slaughter and she's left for dead. Two people who worked in the castle find her in their attempt to escape and take them with her, saving her life and keeping her safe while she heals.
At this point Maeve is stupid, immature and a bit petulant. She does something stupid and ends up at the Borderlands, from where she ends up in Bascogar, escorted by the Warden himself. Galgalesh is by far one of my favourite characters in this book. He is gruff and growly but thaws towards Maeve, especially when he sees how hard she tries, despite being an immature and spoiled princess.
Now, the deal is that Galgalesh is to train Maeve so that she can protect herself within the prison walls, seeing as she's the only female there, and so that she can be strong enough to avenge her family. This is all well and good in theory, but she's as weak as a kitten and just as soft. She gets her ass kicked repeatedly and these men do not pull their punches. It was absolutely refreshing! Although, Galgalesh does give her a healing potion after every session. This section of the story is all about Maeve. This is where she does her most developing. She does her best to learn all about the prison, how it functions and who to stay away from, in order to stay alive. During this time, she processes her grief and her trust issues begin to come to light. Your whole family was murdered, how would you not have trust issues? Not to mention being in a prison of murderers and all sorts, doesn't scream trust me, does it?
I LOVED the fact that she didn't take to her training sessions like she had been born to it. She sucked. Really badly and for quite a significant portion of the book. But she did come into her own and while she didn't thrive, she knew enough and could do enough to survive. Her character development was brilliant and I loved it.
Enter Eoghan. Dark, broody and hates our Maeve with a passion. His eyes follow her and blaze with hatred for the majority of the book. In the beginning their interactions were few and far between but midway through the book, they are ordered to stay together and that's when the relationship begins. I loved their dynamic! Everything from Eoghan's smirks, his teasing and those little glimpses into his softer side had me swooning over him. "'Underneath me again, Princess? I'm starting to think that is what you want.'"
After some time, he softens towards her and we learn some vital information about Eoghan's past. He is possessive, protective and just so growly (in the best way).
“‘I am not a conquest, Eoghan’…’ No, Mave. You’re everything.’” and ‘Because if I kiss you again, I’ll never want to stop. I’d let the world come crashing down around us, and I wouldn’t even flinch’”
His relentless devotion to her is palpable and the quiet core of steel she develops is awe-inspiring and shows how far her character has come. The banter between them is so good, between her throwing daggers (literally) at the back of his head and him besting her in combat, quite violently, the fact that they came together after that, the how and the why of it, was very well written.
The world is well developed and I went from 12% to 61% in one sitting because I was so engrossed. The book is well written and flows with a nice pace, fleshing out the characters and building relationships and friendships.
I adored this book and am dying to follow this story. The characters and romance made this book for me, while the plot and it's twists kept me reading well past my bedtime.
I needed this book! I really did. Was the ending a little predictable and the foreshadowing a little too obvious? Yes. Did I care? No. Did it take away from the enjoyment I had reading this book? Absolutely not. This is a darker romantasy story so theme's are 18+. The banter was delicious, the enemies to lovers was ideal, the supporting characters were amazing and the world building was on point.
Let's dive in, shall we?
Tropes:
Enemies to lovers
Touch her and die
Forced proximitry
Secret identity
Found family
Fight training
The first 12% went from being a shock to a bit of a slog as most first novels are. Introducing the characters and building the foundations of the world. Some authors are more subtle about it than others but it's to be expected with every new series I pick up. We start with Maeve. It's her wedding day. Everything is bright and hopeful, and yet she finds herself getting caught hiding in the chimney of her room before being dragged out to the courtyard. There's a slaughter and she's left for dead. Two people who worked in the castle find her in their attempt to escape and take them with her, saving her life and keeping her safe while she heals.
At this point Maeve is stupid, immature and a bit petulant. She does something stupid and ends up at the Borderlands, from where she ends up in Bascogar, escorted by the Warden himself. Galgalesh is by far one of my favourite characters in this book. He is gruff and growly but thaws towards Maeve, especially when he sees how hard she tries, despite being an immature and spoiled princess.
Now, the deal is that Galgalesh is to train Maeve so that she can protect herself within the prison walls, seeing as she's the only female there, and so that she can be strong enough to avenge her family. This is all well and good in theory, but she's as weak as a kitten and just as soft. She gets her ass kicked repeatedly and these men do not pull their punches. It was absolutely refreshing! Although, Galgalesh does give her a healing potion after every session. This section of the story is all about Maeve. This is where she does her most developing. She does her best to learn all about the prison, how it functions and who to stay away from, in order to stay alive. During this time, she processes her grief and her trust issues begin to come to light. Your whole family was murdered, how would you not have trust issues? Not to mention being in a prison of murderers and all sorts, doesn't scream trust me, does it?
I LOVED the fact that she didn't take to her training sessions like she had been born to it. She sucked. Really badly and for quite a significant portion of the book. But she did come into her own and while she didn't thrive, she knew enough and could do enough to survive. Her character development was brilliant and I loved it.
Enter Eoghan. Dark, broody and hates our Maeve with a passion. His eyes follow her and blaze with hatred for the majority of the book. In the beginning their interactions were few and far between but midway through the book, they are ordered to stay together and that's when the relationship begins. I loved their dynamic! Everything from Eoghan's smirks, his teasing and those little glimpses into his softer side had me swooning over him. "'Underneath me again, Princess? I'm starting to think that is what you want.'"
After some time, he softens towards her and we learn some vital information about Eoghan's past. He is possessive, protective and just so growly (in the best way).
“‘I am not a conquest, Eoghan’…’ No, Mave. You’re everything.’” and ‘Because if I kiss you again, I’ll never want to stop. I’d let the world come crashing down around us, and I wouldn’t even flinch’”
His relentless devotion to her is palpable and the quiet core of steel she develops is awe-inspiring and shows how far her character has come. The banter between them is so good, between her throwing daggers (literally) at the back of his head and him besting her in combat, quite violently, the fact that they came together after that, the how and the why of it, was very well written.
The world is well developed and I went from 12% to 61% in one sitting because I was so engrossed. The book is well written and flows with a nice pace, fleshing out the characters and building relationships and friendships.
I adored this book and am dying to follow this story. The characters and romance made this book for me, while the plot and it's twists kept me reading well past my bedtime.
March 1, 2025
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. And 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺, I feel like I won the ARC lottery.
“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 - 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘐 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺… 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘦.”
At first I was convinced I would absolutely dislike Maeve. She starts out naive, self-centered and rude. She also seemed to have no sense of self-preservation whatsoever, surrendering quite easily as she and her family are captured, just wishing for a quick death, and again when she’s attacked in Bascogar, she barely reacts, not even to scream.
As the story goes along we see her gradually improving and growing into a woman instead of a child. People tell her their stories and she could’ve easily and petulantly refused to acknowledge what they tell her because it doesn’t fit with the image she has of the world. Instead, she listens and hears the truth, even when it contradicts everything she knew and opens her eyes to who her father really was; a selfish and cruel man.
She turns into someone strong, selfless, courteous and self-aware. She calls herself out on problematic behaviour and petty, childish lines of thought. She continually tries to be a better version of herself and to be kind and less of a burden to others. That’s what I call top notch character development.
“𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 - 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴?”
I loved loved 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 Gálgalesh. The big grump initially seems cold and unfeeling, but he’s absolutely hilarious.The 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 and creative ways he threatens Maeve had me giggling at almost every scene they had together. He calls her out on her BS when she’s being a brat, but he's also kind - in his own way.
“𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴? 𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵."
Rhyses, Kais and Xadens of the romantasy world, make way, ‘cause there’s a new book boyfriend in town.
With his infuriating little smirks, the sarcasm and the possessive jealousy, in addition to being sweet and funny when it’s just the two of them, Eoghan Kael has catapulted right into S-tier book boyfriend territory.
I’m glad we don’t have another shadowdaddy on our hands, and I enjoyed how the unique magic systems in this book allowed Eoghan an unusual way of expressing his flames - though don’t think I haven’t noticed we’ve yet to find out what his individual power is.
One thing: while River, Kai and Finn are all very acceptable and manly names, we instead got the most unpronouncable moniker in the entire book.
Speaking of Finn and River; they’re hilarious, and I need more of them and their brotherly goofiness in the next book.
I feel like there could have been more contractions used; I’m, you’re, it’s. Though I realise that Maeve was brought up a certain way, and this story is set in medieval-like times, sometimes the narration and dialogue felt a bit stilted. It might not be a problem for most, but it’s something of a pet-peeve of mine.
The ending was not a complete surprise, and I’m not sure it was supposed to be. It seemed more inevitable than anything else. I feel like this will be the catalyst for change, like this book was only an introduction into the world and we’ll be seeing an epic story unfold in the next books, the likes of SJM’s novels. This book hasn’t even been released yet, and I already can’t wait for the next.
"𝓘'𝓶 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝔂𝓸𝓾, 𝓜𝓸𝓻𝓪𝓷, 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓮𝓷𝓭."
“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 - 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘐 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺… 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘦.”
At first I was convinced I would absolutely dislike Maeve. She starts out naive, self-centered and rude. She also seemed to have no sense of self-preservation whatsoever, surrendering quite easily as she and her family are captured, just wishing for a quick death, and again when she’s attacked in Bascogar, she barely reacts, not even to scream.
As the story goes along we see her gradually improving and growing into a woman instead of a child. People tell her their stories and she could’ve easily and petulantly refused to acknowledge what they tell her because it doesn’t fit with the image she has of the world. Instead, she listens and hears the truth, even when it contradicts everything she knew and opens her eyes to who her father really was; a selfish and cruel man.
She turns into someone strong, selfless, courteous and self-aware. She calls herself out on problematic behaviour and petty, childish lines of thought. She continually tries to be a better version of herself and to be kind and less of a burden to others. That’s what I call top notch character development.
“𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 - 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴?”
I loved loved 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 Gálgalesh. The big grump initially seems cold and unfeeling, but he’s absolutely hilarious.The 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 and creative ways he threatens Maeve had me giggling at almost every scene they had together. He calls her out on her BS when she’s being a brat, but he's also kind - in his own way.
“𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴? 𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵."
Rhyses, Kais and Xadens of the romantasy world, make way, ‘cause there’s a new book boyfriend in town.
With his infuriating little smirks, the sarcasm and the possessive jealousy, in addition to being sweet and funny when it’s just the two of them, Eoghan Kael has catapulted right into S-tier book boyfriend territory.
I’m glad we don’t have another shadowdaddy on our hands, and I enjoyed how the unique magic systems in this book allowed Eoghan an unusual way of expressing his flames - though don’t think I haven’t noticed we’ve yet to find out what his individual power is.
One thing: while River, Kai and Finn are all very acceptable and manly names, we instead got the most unpronouncable moniker in the entire book.
Speaking of Finn and River; they’re hilarious, and I need more of them and their brotherly goofiness in the next book.
I feel like there could have been more contractions used; I’m, you’re, it’s. Though I realise that Maeve was brought up a certain way, and this story is set in medieval-like times, sometimes the narration and dialogue felt a bit stilted. It might not be a problem for most, but it’s something of a pet-peeve of mine.
The ending was not a complete surprise, and I’m not sure it was supposed to be. It seemed more inevitable than anything else. I feel like this will be the catalyst for change, like this book was only an introduction into the world and we’ll be seeing an epic story unfold in the next books, the likes of SJM’s novels. This book hasn’t even been released yet, and I already can’t wait for the next.
"𝓘'𝓶 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝔂𝓸𝓾, 𝓜𝓸𝓻𝓪𝓷, 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓮𝓷𝓭."
March 9, 2025
This was a pretty cool start to a series! It takes some time to really get into it, but by the end I was fully invested in Maeve's story. The Land of the Frost has an interesting world, some loveable characters, and a steamy romance as well.
Read if you like:
- extensive worldbuilding
- training sequences
- enemies to lovers
- forced proximity
- "touch her and die"
- political intrigue
Our FMC Maeve has some strong Rapunzel vibes as a locked up princess with magical hair (that dies when cut). I found her to be a little difficult to like at first because she's 100% the cat that we worry about being killed by curiousity. I love an inclined FMC when they want to get strong or smart but Maeve spends so much time feeding her curiosity by being rash that I kept getting frustrated with her. I did grow to love her though and I also kept reminding myself that she was sheltered and didn't understand a lot of things so it is natural that she's curious and ignorant much of the time.
I really loved the other main and side characters! I think they were all super compelling and I liked their relationships and interactions with one another as well. I hope to see more of Finn and River in book 2!
The extensive worldbuilding is really awesome and is definitely desired by a lot of fantasy readers. However, personally I think it may have been better to put just the family tree and pronunciations at the front of the book along with a note to find a full glossary at the end of the book. 20 full pages of detailed notes on the entire world is a touch overwhelming at the beginning of a new book and I'm not sure I would've kept going after seeing that had this not been an ARC I already committed to review. That being said, I do love the attention to detail there, I just don't think it's necessary in the front of the book.
My only real complaint is I had a lot of trouble with the pacing of the book. It took until halfway for me to truly get captivated and even then the plot is a little non-existent (but it does help that the characters become more enjoyable at that point). The gist of the premise is that it's a revenge story but with no clear plan as to how the revenge is happening other than training to become strong. That could definitely work if the plan is to get a revenge body, but that's clearly not the plan here so most of the story felt a little meandering.
Eventually we uncover other elements and the plot becomes more intricate. Now that all this is in play, I'm so into this world and I can't wait to read more about this story! Fantasy and Romantasy readers will eat this up. This book is perfect for fans of The Winner's Curse and A Court This Cruel & Lovely.
Thank you to Azala Press, Whitney Welsh Gibbs, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review :)
Read if you like:
- extensive worldbuilding
- training sequences
- enemies to lovers
- forced proximity
- "touch her and die"
- political intrigue
Our FMC Maeve has some strong Rapunzel vibes as a locked up princess with magical hair (that dies when cut). I found her to be a little difficult to like at first because she's 100% the cat that we worry about being killed by curiousity. I love an inclined FMC when they want to get strong or smart but Maeve spends so much time feeding her curiosity by being rash that I kept getting frustrated with her. I did grow to love her though and I also kept reminding myself that she was sheltered and didn't understand a lot of things so it is natural that she's curious and ignorant much of the time.
I really loved the other main and side characters! I think they were all super compelling and I liked their relationships and interactions with one another as well. I hope to see more of Finn and River in book 2!
The extensive worldbuilding is really awesome and is definitely desired by a lot of fantasy readers. However, personally I think it may have been better to put just the family tree and pronunciations at the front of the book along with a note to find a full glossary at the end of the book. 20 full pages of detailed notes on the entire world is a touch overwhelming at the beginning of a new book and I'm not sure I would've kept going after seeing that had this not been an ARC I already committed to review. That being said, I do love the attention to detail there, I just don't think it's necessary in the front of the book.
My only real complaint is I had a lot of trouble with the pacing of the book. It took until halfway for me to truly get captivated and even then the plot is a little non-existent (but it does help that the characters become more enjoyable at that point). The gist of the premise is that it's a revenge story but with no clear plan as to how the revenge is happening other than training to become strong. That could definitely work if the plan is to get a revenge body, but that's clearly not the plan here so most of the story felt a little meandering.
Eventually we uncover other elements and the plot becomes more intricate. Now that all this is in play, I'm so into this world and I can't wait to read more about this story! Fantasy and Romantasy readers will eat this up. This book is perfect for fans of The Winner's Curse and A Court This Cruel & Lovely.
Thank you to Azala Press, Whitney Welsh Gibbs, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review :)
April 18, 2025
~ could anyone love so much that their heart melts in their chest? ~
This book didn't seem to set out to be a love story, and yet, it was.
Maeve Moran, our FMC, is the protected, seemingly pampered princess of the Steel Citadel. On her wedding day to a man who she believes she is madly in love with, a violent coup takes the lives of those she holds dearest – her brother and her fiancé, as well as her parents – the king and queen. She is left for dead, stripped of her magic – then rescued, nursed to a semblance of health, and smuggled out of the city by Dedra and Tiernan, who were loyal to the royal family.
She eventually finds herself at Báscogar Prison, training alongside the faerie Warden Gálgalesh. As she learns more about herself, the world she grew up in, and the world she was meant to never see, she begins to question everything – including love, herself, and her desire for revenge.
Maeve is an interesting protagonist. She is naïve and sheltered - quite literally the golden child on the surface, with glittering hair and doted on by her family in public. But there is a dark side to the royal family. Maeve’s magic is the gift of healing – she can heal herself, and her blood heals others. Her father and his potion master tortured and abused for her magic her whole life – testing its limits and taking her blood to make potions to heal others. Maeve is also strong and hotheaded, wanting revenge at all costs and having to learn it will take time to get to where she needs to be - especially without her magic. I did love that she wasn't suddenly super strong and amazing, but the grueling effort to train is well-depicted.
📖 World Building: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5) – There is so much to this world. The guide at the front is very helpful - if a bit of an infodump feel, but it is still a lot for one book and at the same time, not enough. A lot of the world building unfolds throughout the story as it happens, so you don’t have information until you “need” it in the story. It’s an interesting construct, but at times, it does lend to not understanding the tension that is clearly being built.
📖 Character Development: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5) - This was fantastic – and this is where this book shines. Watching Maeve, Gálgalesh, Eaghan, and the others grow and develop into better people through the book was really the best part of the story.
📖 Predictability (lack of): ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5) – There were some smaller twists I didn’t see coming – a couple of very good ones, in fact. However, what I would call the two major plot twists, I 100% saw coming. Would have loved to have had a little more secrecy around some of the major points, but overall, still solid.
📖 Pacing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4.5) - very well done. It never felt bogged down or boring. There were points where it definitely sped up or slowed down but overall was very well done. There were a lot of unanswered questions at the end and things that were started but never explained, so I’m hopeful book 2 will pick those up.
📖 Spice: 🌶️🌶️-🌶️🌶️🌶️ (2-3 peppers) – definitely adult.
📖📖 Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4-4.5) – Overall a great story. I love the characters and the premise. The predictability got to me a little bit, as did some of the started but never finished parts. Will definitely still pick up book 2.
📖 Noteworthy:
📚 enemies to lovers
⚔️ orphan
📚 found family
⚔️ magic
📚 mentor x mentee (begrudgingly)
⚔️ LGBTQIA+ romance rep (secondary characters)
📚 character growth in spades
⚔️ touch her and die - look at her and risk dying
📚 growly, OTT protective, fire mmc
📖 TW/CW: Death; murder – a lot of murder/assassinations; attempted murder; bullying; objectification of women; references to cannibalism/vampirism; attempted rape; assault; abductions; torture – a lot of torture and descriptions of torture. There is a lot of graphic violence in this book. None of it feels overly gratuitous and it does make sense in the context of the book, but it is there.
This book didn't seem to set out to be a love story, and yet, it was.
Maeve Moran, our FMC, is the protected, seemingly pampered princess of the Steel Citadel. On her wedding day to a man who she believes she is madly in love with, a violent coup takes the lives of those she holds dearest – her brother and her fiancé, as well as her parents – the king and queen. She is left for dead, stripped of her magic – then rescued, nursed to a semblance of health, and smuggled out of the city by Dedra and Tiernan, who were loyal to the royal family.
She eventually finds herself at Báscogar Prison, training alongside the faerie Warden Gálgalesh. As she learns more about herself, the world she grew up in, and the world she was meant to never see, she begins to question everything – including love, herself, and her desire for revenge.
Maeve is an interesting protagonist. She is naïve and sheltered - quite literally the golden child on the surface, with glittering hair and doted on by her family in public. But there is a dark side to the royal family. Maeve’s magic is the gift of healing – she can heal herself, and her blood heals others. Her father and his potion master tortured and abused for her magic her whole life – testing its limits and taking her blood to make potions to heal others. Maeve is also strong and hotheaded, wanting revenge at all costs and having to learn it will take time to get to where she needs to be - especially without her magic. I did love that she wasn't suddenly super strong and amazing, but the grueling effort to train is well-depicted.
📖 World Building: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5) – There is so much to this world. The guide at the front is very helpful - if a bit of an infodump feel, but it is still a lot for one book and at the same time, not enough. A lot of the world building unfolds throughout the story as it happens, so you don’t have information until you “need” it in the story. It’s an interesting construct, but at times, it does lend to not understanding the tension that is clearly being built.
📖 Character Development: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5) - This was fantastic – and this is where this book shines. Watching Maeve, Gálgalesh, Eaghan, and the others grow and develop into better people through the book was really the best part of the story.
📖 Predictability (lack of): ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5) – There were some smaller twists I didn’t see coming – a couple of very good ones, in fact. However, what I would call the two major plot twists, I 100% saw coming. Would have loved to have had a little more secrecy around some of the major points, but overall, still solid.
📖 Pacing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4.5) - very well done. It never felt bogged down or boring. There were points where it definitely sped up or slowed down but overall was very well done. There were a lot of unanswered questions at the end and things that were started but never explained, so I’m hopeful book 2 will pick those up.
📖 Spice: 🌶️🌶️-🌶️🌶️🌶️ (2-3 peppers) – definitely adult.
📖📖 Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4-4.5) – Overall a great story. I love the characters and the premise. The predictability got to me a little bit, as did some of the started but never finished parts. Will definitely still pick up book 2.
📖 Noteworthy:
📚 enemies to lovers
⚔️ orphan
📚 found family
⚔️ magic
📚 mentor x mentee (begrudgingly)
⚔️ LGBTQIA+ romance rep (secondary characters)
📚 character growth in spades
⚔️ touch her and die - look at her and risk dying
📚 growly, OTT protective, fire mmc
📖 TW/CW: Death; murder – a lot of murder/assassinations; attempted murder; bullying; objectification of women; references to cannibalism/vampirism; attempted rape; assault; abductions; torture – a lot of torture and descriptions of torture. There is a lot of graphic violence in this book. None of it feels overly gratuitous and it does make sense in the context of the book, but it is there.
March 15, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶
Just wanted to start by saying a massive thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for gifting me an EArc of this book.
We start off with a glossary, pronunciation guide, magic system overview, religion overview, language guide and creatures guide. I love when authors include things like this in their books and I feel like it makes it so much easier to quickly immerse yourself in the universe.
The story begins with our FMCs family and fiancé being brutally murdered in front of her, and she somehow survives. After she takes some time to heal, she is sent to a prison with one of the MMC's to train in combat in order to retaliate against the people who killed her family. Their dynamic reminds me a lot of Aelin and Rowan in the Throne of Glass series, when he is training her to be Fae (minus any romance).
The romance in this book is true enemies to lovers. I wasn't sure which male character would be the love interest initially, but it became obvious when they started telling each other how much they hate each other. They spew horrible words to each other, but eventually the sexual tension becomes evident and it's clear where their story is going 🤭. The tension build was delightful, and the first spicy scene was sizzling. I absolutely adore their relationship, he's so protective over her.
It took me a while to really get into the flow of this book, and I didn't find myself reaching for it initially. The pacing was a bit slower at the start, but once I got a bit further in and the romantic subplot was introduced I was hooked. And the ENDING... excuse me, I was NOT expecting that plot twist. It really set the storyline up perfectly for the next installment, which I will be eagerly awaiting.
🌶🌶🌶
Just wanted to start by saying a massive thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for gifting me an EArc of this book.
We start off with a glossary, pronunciation guide, magic system overview, religion overview, language guide and creatures guide. I love when authors include things like this in their books and I feel like it makes it so much easier to quickly immerse yourself in the universe.
The story begins with our FMCs family and fiancé being brutally murdered in front of her, and she somehow survives. After she takes some time to heal, she is sent to a prison with one of the MMC's to train in combat in order to retaliate against the people who killed her family. Their dynamic reminds me a lot of Aelin and Rowan in the Throne of Glass series, when he is training her to be Fae (minus any romance).
The romance in this book is true enemies to lovers. I wasn't sure which male character would be the love interest initially, but it became obvious when they started telling each other how much they hate each other. They spew horrible words to each other, but eventually the sexual tension becomes evident and it's clear where their story is going 🤭. The tension build was delightful, and the first spicy scene was sizzling. I absolutely adore their relationship, he's so protective over her.
It took me a while to really get into the flow of this book, and I didn't find myself reaching for it initially. The pacing was a bit slower at the start, but once I got a bit further in and the romantic subplot was introduced I was hooked. And the ENDING... excuse me, I was NOT expecting that plot twist. It really set the storyline up perfectly for the next installment, which I will be eagerly awaiting.
February 25, 2025
*****ARC Read****
Review will contain minor spoilers.
I would give this 4.5 stars if Goodreads allowed stars. I would rather round up when I really enjoy a book than round down.
The 4.5 star rating is because of the things I saw coming from the start of the book. Maybe we the reader are supposed to know these things while the fmc does not.
I was happy to see a glossary at the front of the book. So much easier to see those at the start instead of searching for them at the end. Which in a physical book could potentially have you seeing spoilers of things at the end.
Overall I enjoyed the story even though I figured out from the start who was behind the plot against the family.
Mauve goes from being someone who isn't able to handle herself to become strong and better equipped to protect herself.
I was a bit sad over the loss of one of her friends, though I also suspected they would turn if given the chance.
The use of magic isn't over complicated and it was a nice change to not read about mates or bonded to a dragon, wolf or other creature. Don't get me wrong I like those books, but this was a nice change of pace.
There is spice in the book. I am giving it 3.5 chili peppers.
Overall this is a great fantasy read with more of a fantasy feel to it than romance for this first book. The romance is there, but the book was more than that. We get to see the change with the fmc before the romance really takes off. Which I liked to see that she learned to be on her own without needing a man.
If you like fantasy books with romance you will want to give this book a try.
Review will contain minor spoilers.
I would give this 4.5 stars if Goodreads allowed stars. I would rather round up when I really enjoy a book than round down.
The 4.5 star rating is because of the things I saw coming from the start of the book. Maybe we the reader are supposed to know these things while the fmc does not.
I was happy to see a glossary at the front of the book. So much easier to see those at the start instead of searching for them at the end. Which in a physical book could potentially have you seeing spoilers of things at the end.
Overall I enjoyed the story even though I figured out from the start who was behind the plot against the family.
Mauve goes from being someone who isn't able to handle herself to become strong and better equipped to protect herself.
I was a bit sad over the loss of one of her friends, though I also suspected they would turn if given the chance.
The use of magic isn't over complicated and it was a nice change to not read about mates or bonded to a dragon, wolf or other creature. Don't get me wrong I like those books, but this was a nice change of pace.
There is spice in the book. I am giving it 3.5 chili peppers.
Overall this is a great fantasy read with more of a fantasy feel to it than romance for this first book. The romance is there, but the book was more than that. We get to see the change with the fmc before the romance really takes off. Which I liked to see that she learned to be on her own without needing a man.
If you like fantasy books with romance you will want to give this book a try.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2025
What is it about a book that tortures your soul that is so damned appealing? Gibbs' fantasy adventure #TheLandOfFrost "gets you in your feels".
Attempting to avoid spoilers but give enough insight to really bring this story to life, in a few words -
A young princess, Maeve, finds herself kidnapped and, after surviving an attempted execution, finds herself in the center of an epic adventure - an adventure with torture and starvation and cruelty, where weakness becomes strength, fear becomes confidence, and hate - well, hate and sex go hand in hand. And when you 'hate' the most bad*ss warrior in the prison (who just so happens to be built like a Greek god), you might as well have those 'hateful' moments in full, glorious detail.
The author's writing style was consistent and beautiful, the worldbuilding was stellar, and the character development from beginning to end was lovely.
This story is for those who enjoy: fantasy, magic systems, training sequences, warriors, faeries, banshees, shadow lurkers, good vs. evil, romance, slow burn romance, the chosen one, quests, fantastical creatures, hidden truths, and reluctant hero vibes. But reader be wary (as is mentioned in the author's trigger warnings page), you will also find on-page abuse, torture, murder and attempted murder, death, drugs, hallucinations, infertility, profanity, violence, and sexually explicit scenes.
Overall, I went into reading this story with an idea of what awaited me. Luckily, the story surpassed my expectations and drew me into another world with new friends and enemies and love and hate.
Attempting to avoid spoilers but give enough insight to really bring this story to life, in a few words -
A young princess, Maeve, finds herself kidnapped and, after surviving an attempted execution, finds herself in the center of an epic adventure - an adventure with torture and starvation and cruelty, where weakness becomes strength, fear becomes confidence, and hate - well, hate and sex go hand in hand. And when you 'hate' the most bad*ss warrior in the prison (who just so happens to be built like a Greek god), you might as well have those 'hateful' moments in full, glorious detail.
The author's writing style was consistent and beautiful, the worldbuilding was stellar, and the character development from beginning to end was lovely.
This story is for those who enjoy: fantasy, magic systems, training sequences, warriors, faeries, banshees, shadow lurkers, good vs. evil, romance, slow burn romance, the chosen one, quests, fantastical creatures, hidden truths, and reluctant hero vibes. But reader be wary (as is mentioned in the author's trigger warnings page), you will also find on-page abuse, torture, murder and attempted murder, death, drugs, hallucinations, infertility, profanity, violence, and sexually explicit scenes.
Overall, I went into reading this story with an idea of what awaited me. Luckily, the story surpassed my expectations and drew me into another world with new friends and enemies and love and hate.
March 19, 2025
Thank you Azala Press for allowing me to Arc Read this book!
Someone, please tell me that Book 2 is already sitting with the editor because I honestly need to know what happens next!
This book is a wild ride that starts with a princess who loses everything and ends with a warrior who is ready to avenge everything that she once held dear.
The good:
-This is a fantasy that you can get lost in and won't want to put down.
-I was very intimidated by the amount of glossary and mappage at the front of this book, but I skipped right past it and did not have trouble understanding what was happening. Which is to say, if you want expansive world-building, it's there, but if you are the kind of reader who finds those things tiresome, you can still enjoy this fantasy read.
-This is a fantasy romance, but the romance is definitely not the overbearing adventure of this book. It's always there simmering in the background, but this fantasy is primarily an adventure of growth and discovery.
-The main character starts off very much as a damsel in distress but grows and develops to the point that she is not in danger, she is the danger and I love it.
The Bad:
-I have a lot of questions and I am not holding book 2.
In conclusion:
This is a slow-burn fantasy romance with a lot of character development. There is some spice, but it is not overbearing. The primary focus of this book is our princess's journey to become her own person and her own savior. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for book 2.
Someone, please tell me that Book 2 is already sitting with the editor because I honestly need to know what happens next!
This book is a wild ride that starts with a princess who loses everything and ends with a warrior who is ready to avenge everything that she once held dear.
The good:
-This is a fantasy that you can get lost in and won't want to put down.
-I was very intimidated by the amount of glossary and mappage at the front of this book, but I skipped right past it and did not have trouble understanding what was happening. Which is to say, if you want expansive world-building, it's there, but if you are the kind of reader who finds those things tiresome, you can still enjoy this fantasy read.
-This is a fantasy romance, but the romance is definitely not the overbearing adventure of this book. It's always there simmering in the background, but this fantasy is primarily an adventure of growth and discovery.
-The main character starts off very much as a damsel in distress but grows and develops to the point that she is not in danger, she is the danger and I love it.
The Bad:
-I have a lot of questions and I am not holding book 2.
In conclusion:
This is a slow-burn fantasy romance with a lot of character development. There is some spice, but it is not overbearing. The primary focus of this book is our princess's journey to become her own person and her own savior. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for book 2.
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