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Embers of Frost: A Fantasy Romance
622 pages, Paperback
Published January 22, 2025
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 25, 2025
My Rating: 3/5
"Embers of Frost: A Fantasy Romance (Frost and Fire, #1)" by Daisy Allen Reason for DNF (Did Not Finish): A decent concept and world, but the execution and pacing felt average.
"Embers of Frost" offered a familiar but promising blend of fantasy and romance, centered around a slow-burn "chosen one" narrative. While the world-building had some neat ideas, the overall experience felt too middle-of-the-road, preventing me from getting fully invested enough to finish the story.
The Good: Intriguing Foundations
The book earns a 3/5 because it clearly has a strong foundation and a clear genre appeal. The author successfully establishes a world with elemental magic (Frost and Fire, as the title suggests) and the classic trope of two people from opposite sides being drawn together. The political intrigue surrounding the different factions was genuinely interesting, and I liked the initial setup of the main characters' conflicting loyalties.
Why the DNF: Execution and Pacing
The reason I put this one down was primarily the pacing and the generic feeling of the execution:
Predictable Romance: The "slow-burn" aspect felt less like tension and more like simple avoidance of the inevitable. The romantic beats were often formulaic, making the chemistry between the leads feel manufactured rather than organic. It lacked the intensity or unique flair needed to elevate it above other titles in the subgenre.
Average Writing: While the prose is perfectly competent and readable, it didn't possess a distinctive voice or style. The descriptions were adequate, and the dialogue was functional, but nothing truly sparkled or drew me deeper into the characters' emotional states.
A "Seen It Before" Feeling: The core plot—a girl with a hidden destiny, a powerful but reluctant male lead, and a brewing war—felt too close to countless other YA/NA fantasy romances. The fresh elements (like the specific elemental magic) didn't receive enough focus to truly differentiate the book.
Summary: "Embers of Frost" is a book that does nothing terribly wrong, but also nothing exceptionally right. It's a perfectly serviceable fantasy romance that delivers on the genre tropes, but it failed to capture my imagination or emotional investment. I stopped reading when I realized I was turning the pages out of duty, not excitement, preferring to move on to a story with a more compelling narrative voice. It's likely a wonderful read for fans who deeply enjoy standard tropes, but it just didn't hold my interest.
"Embers of Frost: A Fantasy Romance (Frost and Fire, #1)" by Daisy Allen Reason for DNF (Did Not Finish): A decent concept and world, but the execution and pacing felt average.
"Embers of Frost" offered a familiar but promising blend of fantasy and romance, centered around a slow-burn "chosen one" narrative. While the world-building had some neat ideas, the overall experience felt too middle-of-the-road, preventing me from getting fully invested enough to finish the story.
The Good: Intriguing Foundations
The book earns a 3/5 because it clearly has a strong foundation and a clear genre appeal. The author successfully establishes a world with elemental magic (Frost and Fire, as the title suggests) and the classic trope of two people from opposite sides being drawn together. The political intrigue surrounding the different factions was genuinely interesting, and I liked the initial setup of the main characters' conflicting loyalties.
Why the DNF: Execution and Pacing
The reason I put this one down was primarily the pacing and the generic feeling of the execution:
Predictable Romance: The "slow-burn" aspect felt less like tension and more like simple avoidance of the inevitable. The romantic beats were often formulaic, making the chemistry between the leads feel manufactured rather than organic. It lacked the intensity or unique flair needed to elevate it above other titles in the subgenre.
Average Writing: While the prose is perfectly competent and readable, it didn't possess a distinctive voice or style. The descriptions were adequate, and the dialogue was functional, but nothing truly sparkled or drew me deeper into the characters' emotional states.
A "Seen It Before" Feeling: The core plot—a girl with a hidden destiny, a powerful but reluctant male lead, and a brewing war—felt too close to countless other YA/NA fantasy romances. The fresh elements (like the specific elemental magic) didn't receive enough focus to truly differentiate the book.
Summary: "Embers of Frost" is a book that does nothing terribly wrong, but also nothing exceptionally right. It's a perfectly serviceable fantasy romance that delivers on the genre tropes, but it failed to capture my imagination or emotional investment. I stopped reading when I realized I was turning the pages out of duty, not excitement, preferring to move on to a story with a more compelling narrative voice. It's likely a wonderful read for fans who deeply enjoy standard tropes, but it just didn't hold my interest.
Displaying 1 of 1 review