Winter Academy: Heiress of the Moonstone

by Karolyn Ciseau, Stacey L.D. Kenwood (Translator)

Mina's first year at the legendary Winter Academy is anything but smooth. Tasked with mastering her ice magic to help protect the world from plunging into eternal frost, Mina struggles with unruly powers and the relentless criticism of Professor Abercroft, her enigmatic and demanding teacher.

But her life takes a chilling turn when she's abducted and taken to the court of the ruthless Winter King. As she navigates the treacherous world of ice and intrigue, Mina's only glimmer of hope lies in the most unexpected her feared and despised teacher. When Professor Abercroft suddenly appears at the Winter King’s court, whispers swirl—could he truly be a spy for the enemy? And why does Mina's heart race every time he’s near?

Winter Academy is a thrilling tale of magic, betrayal, and forbidden desire. Part of the Seasons of Fate series, each volume stands alone and can be enjoyed independently. Dive into a world where the cold conceals secrets, and fate can change with the seasons.

Genres: Fantasy, Magic

308 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 25, 2024

Reviews

[Esi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

The book was so so... It could be an enjoyable scenario with the winter landscape and the whole academy setup, but it was lacking on the story building and description - I couldn't imagine the winter universe but used my own imagination. Even the principle and rules were lacking, we got introduced to the academy and winter king... and then... how the story started ended without a ending but we got moving on to another plot..

The process of the romantic relationship between the teacher and student was also lacking, I feel a chemistry in the beginning then it was slightly there - I dont know. I didn't enjoy the relationship between them..

[Kate W · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is a testament to the repetitiveness of this story that one morning I accidentally had the chapters on shuffle and didn’t realize until it made a jump from chapter 18 back to chapter 2. The concept and world building have so much potential, but the writing is comically bad in parts—at one point she actually describes “gloves that fit like a glove.” Minus several points for multiple uses of “What do we do now?!” by the female protagonist, who had more than 50% of the way through the book seems to have grown and learned not at all. I appreciate that Mina feels like a normal, slightly silly 19 year-old girl, but it doesn’t make for an interesting lead.

[Katie Brooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad but definitely not great. And yet, somehow I finished wanting to read the next installment. If I hadn’t been listening to it as an audiobook on a trip I probably would’ve dnf…
My two biggest gripes- totally personal, I felt like I had read it before. The arc was sooo predictable and the fmc was not very likable at all. And second, I really hate when fantasy worlds randomly sprinkle in tidbits from our world. Like references to pop culture. It just takes me out of the fantasy world, and I personally don’t vibe with it.

[Jennifer Abbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a lot of fun! I wish I had been able to take the time to read it in one or two sittings, but had to take my time. This is a very fairytale story. And I loved it! The translation is really well done, so not much of the story is lost. The characters were fun. I found myself rolling my eyes at them on a regular basis, but in a fun and friendly way. I will definitely be re-reading this book in the future and I highly recommend it.

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book! I wish the rest of the series was in English because this story is so captivating. I thoroughly enjoyed and wished I could speak German so I could read or listen to the rest of the series!!