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Deadly Endings #3
Across the Frostlands
Never wake the princess. Do not question the Queen. Never melt the ice.
Frozen in a deep sleep, Neve didn’t imagine her life taking such a drastic turn. Tricked by one Queen to be manipulated by another, she wakes from her sleep to find a kingdom she can no longer recognize, and her enemy at her side. The man who is responsible for her father’s death has to die. But the more she learns about the cursed boy, the less she believes he killed the King.
All Ban ever wanted since being gifted as an Ice Mage is to understand his purpose. Twice dead, he can’t help wondering if fate is playing a cruel joke on his existence the longer he escapes death himself. When the princess of his home kingdom wakes to find her mother’s turned into a tyrant, they’ll discover what hides high in the mountains of the Frostlands, and why the Mad Queen leaves this land be.
Forgiveness was never part of Princess Neve’s plan. Discovering the mage who slain her father might not be the monster he’s painted to be unravels her world, and in turn, she will unravel her mother’s.
The ice is thinning, and secrets are thawing.
This is a dark romantasy retelling set in the world of Mystica. It is strongly recommended to read this series in order as each picks up with a new couple where the last book left off, following the quest to stop the Mad Queen. This collection is coming to Kickstarter for physical editions in 2026.
Frozen in a deep sleep, Neve didn’t imagine her life taking such a drastic turn. Tricked by one Queen to be manipulated by another, she wakes from her sleep to find a kingdom she can no longer recognize, and her enemy at her side. The man who is responsible for her father’s death has to die. But the more she learns about the cursed boy, the less she believes he killed the King.
All Ban ever wanted since being gifted as an Ice Mage is to understand his purpose. Twice dead, he can’t help wondering if fate is playing a cruel joke on his existence the longer he escapes death himself. When the princess of his home kingdom wakes to find her mother’s turned into a tyrant, they’ll discover what hides high in the mountains of the Frostlands, and why the Mad Queen leaves this land be.
Forgiveness was never part of Princess Neve’s plan. Discovering the mage who slain her father might not be the monster he’s painted to be unravels her world, and in turn, she will unravel her mother’s.
The ice is thinning, and secrets are thawing.
This is a dark romantasy retelling set in the world of Mystica. It is strongly recommended to read this series in order as each picks up with a new couple where the last book left off, following the quest to stop the Mad Queen. This collection is coming to Kickstarter for physical editions in 2026.
465 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 20, 2026
9 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 21, 2026
I absolutely loved this book. This trilogy is amazing. We have all read fairy tale retelling but you have never read any like this.
This book features not one, or two stories but several different stories. Yet, they all merge together so nicely.
Right from the beginning I was hooked. For what Ban had done to Neve's family, you would have thought I would want to hate him but as the story progressed I realized he really is not a bad guy.
The slow burn romance that grew between Neve and Ban is hot. I am obsessed with these two.
This book features not one, or two stories but several different stories. Yet, they all merge together so nicely.
Right from the beginning I was hooked. For what Ban had done to Neve's family, you would have thought I would want to hate him but as the story progressed I realized he really is not a bad guy.
The slow burn romance that grew between Neve and Ban is hot. I am obsessed with these two.
February 14, 2026
Across the Frostlands delivers a haunting, frostbitten continuation of Mystica that feels both intimate and epic in scope. Neve awakens not just from enchanted sleep but into betrayal, grief, and a kingdom reshaped by her mother’s tyranny, and watching her fury slowly fracture into doubt was one of the most compelling parts of the story. Ban, twice dead and burdened with powers he barely understands, carries such quiet tragedy that his presence softens the edges of what could have been a simple revenge arc. Their dynamic thrives in the tension between hatred and reluctant understanding, and the unraveling truth about the King’s death adds layers of emotional complexity that kept me invested. The Frostlands themselves feel alive and merciless, the mountains hiding answers that steadily chip away at everything Neve thought she knew. I especially loved how the thawing secrets mirror the slow melting of her certainty, building toward revelations that deepen the overarching battle against the Mad Queen. This dark romantasy retelling is rich with atmosphere and emotional stakes, and for readers following the quest through Mystica, it is absolutely worth braving the cold.
Review of advance copy received from Author
A century ago, Ice Queen Neve was betrayed and her father killed. When she is awakened from her magical slumber by Ban, the very ice mage who killed her father, she doesn’t know what to believe. Her kingdom has changed drastically while she slept, and she doesn’t recognize the woman her mother has become. Years ago, Ban was made the scapegoat of a heinous betrayal, and he’s been working to undo the damage ever since. But as the Mad Queen’s influence in the Frostlands grows, he realizes that even greater treachery is afoot. But can he get Neve to trust him?
Neve is an interesting queen. While her parents partially prepared her for the throne, certain crown secrets were not revealed to her. She wants to do right by her people, and she truly loves her parents. Unfortunately that love blinds her to the truth of reality for a surprisingly long time. However, once she knows enough, she depends on her own strength and ice powers, making her a formidable, if inexperienced monarch.
By comparison, Ban has died twice and seems to have regrets enough for three lifetimes. He holds himself responsible for quite a bit of misfortune, which has made him less willing to depend on the other reapers, due to his perceived guilt. This independence unfortunately makes him unprepared for the challenges facing him and Neve, and forces his character to learn to trust and depend on others.
Across the Frostlands is the fantastic third book in the Deadly Endings series, and the book builds greatly on the history of the world. Neve’s historic outlook brings many interesting facts and relationships to light, revealing tangled tidbits about the Mad Queen’s past and current machinations. As all of the characters struggle to determine what exactly the Mad Queen is up to, and more is revealed about the nature of the reapers, the book builds more on the series themes of guilt, regret, forgiveness, and healing.
An overall thrilling addition to the series with a wonderfully creative blend of fairy tales.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Neve is an interesting queen. While her parents partially prepared her for the throne, certain crown secrets were not revealed to her. She wants to do right by her people, and she truly loves her parents. Unfortunately that love blinds her to the truth of reality for a surprisingly long time. However, once she knows enough, she depends on her own strength and ice powers, making her a formidable, if inexperienced monarch.
By comparison, Ban has died twice and seems to have regrets enough for three lifetimes. He holds himself responsible for quite a bit of misfortune, which has made him less willing to depend on the other reapers, due to his perceived guilt. This independence unfortunately makes him unprepared for the challenges facing him and Neve, and forces his character to learn to trust and depend on others.
Across the Frostlands is the fantastic third book in the Deadly Endings series, and the book builds greatly on the history of the world. Neve’s historic outlook brings many interesting facts and relationships to light, revealing tangled tidbits about the Mad Queen’s past and current machinations. As all of the characters struggle to determine what exactly the Mad Queen is up to, and more is revealed about the nature of the reapers, the book builds more on the series themes of guilt, regret, forgiveness, and healing.
An overall thrilling addition to the series with a wonderfully creative blend of fairy tales.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 20, 2026
✨Gifted ARC✨
I absolutely loved this next installation of the Deadly Endings series! This whole series is hitting the spot for me - it creates a new world with amazing characters and magical elements, yet uses fairy tales and stories that we learned as children as inspiration. It’s familiar, and not, in the best ways.
THOUGHTS 💭
🧊 From the start, Ban held a candle for our Ice Queen; though sarcastic and sassy to others, he was devoted and could be sweet to Neve. And Neve tried to ☠️ him every chance she gets. 🤣
🧊 Neve missed a lot while “sleeping” for 100 years and had to catch up. A lot changed and Neve navigated alliances and geography and magic and betrayals in stride.
🧊 I loved the few flash backs where we saw Ban’s story from his own perspective; we saw him pop up in the first few books of this series and to see his thoughts/feelings during those moments was insightful.
🧊 Spice with shadow magic will never get old! 🥵
🧊 Alice in Wonderland, Jack Frost, Robin Hood, Jack & the Beanstalk, Sleeping Beauty, and more stories are all woven together in this wonderful book!
🧊 I loved that I couldn’t guess what came next in this book (and this series, in general). It kept me on my toes and I felt like I was constantly finding Easter eggs of fairy tales and stories I know, but they manifested themselves in a completely different way.
🧊 I loved that the final chapters let us get to know more about our most secretive Reaper yet - I’m excited about his book!
Thanks so much to H.N. DeFore for the ARC of this book!
I absolutely loved this next installation of the Deadly Endings series! This whole series is hitting the spot for me - it creates a new world with amazing characters and magical elements, yet uses fairy tales and stories that we learned as children as inspiration. It’s familiar, and not, in the best ways.
THOUGHTS 💭
🧊 From the start, Ban held a candle for our Ice Queen; though sarcastic and sassy to others, he was devoted and could be sweet to Neve. And Neve tried to ☠️ him every chance she gets. 🤣
🧊 Neve missed a lot while “sleeping” for 100 years and had to catch up. A lot changed and Neve navigated alliances and geography and magic and betrayals in stride.
🧊 I loved the few flash backs where we saw Ban’s story from his own perspective; we saw him pop up in the first few books of this series and to see his thoughts/feelings during those moments was insightful.
🧊 Spice with shadow magic will never get old! 🥵
🧊 Alice in Wonderland, Jack Frost, Robin Hood, Jack & the Beanstalk, Sleeping Beauty, and more stories are all woven together in this wonderful book!
🧊 I loved that I couldn’t guess what came next in this book (and this series, in general). It kept me on my toes and I felt like I was constantly finding Easter eggs of fairy tales and stories I know, but they manifested themselves in a completely different way.
🧊 I loved that the final chapters let us get to know more about our most secretive Reaper yet - I’m excited about his book!
Thanks so much to H.N. DeFore for the ARC of this book!
February 20, 2026
*ARC Review*
I’m not even exaggerating when I say I’m obsessed.
We meet Neve, our literal ice queen, who absolutely hates Ban (our reaper / very strong Jack Frost energy MMC). Ban ends up in the worst possible situation having to wake his sleeping queen after 100 years and once she’s awake the sass, tension, and banter start immediately. And honestly? A powerful, sharp tongued, independent queen is one of my favorite tropes.
A big part of this book is Neve learning what happened while she was asleep and how the land of Mystica has changed, but we’re also getting all this layered backstory that connects books one and two to where we are now. It’s very plot heavy in the best way like the world keeps expanding instead of feeling repetitive.
This book has EVERYTHING. Spice. Shadow magic. Reapers. Fairy tale vibes. Political tension. Mystery. Chaos.
The Mad Queen storyline? I could not figure out where it was going, and I love when an author can genuinely surprise me. Every time I thought I had it figured out, I didn’t. That alone makes the reading experience so much more fun.
The writing, the pacing, the character dynamics it just worked. And now I’m already sitting here impatiently waiting for book four because I NEED to know more about our most mysterious reaper.
I’m invested!
I’m not even exaggerating when I say I’m obsessed.
We meet Neve, our literal ice queen, who absolutely hates Ban (our reaper / very strong Jack Frost energy MMC). Ban ends up in the worst possible situation having to wake his sleeping queen after 100 years and once she’s awake the sass, tension, and banter start immediately. And honestly? A powerful, sharp tongued, independent queen is one of my favorite tropes.
A big part of this book is Neve learning what happened while she was asleep and how the land of Mystica has changed, but we’re also getting all this layered backstory that connects books one and two to where we are now. It’s very plot heavy in the best way like the world keeps expanding instead of feeling repetitive.
This book has EVERYTHING. Spice. Shadow magic. Reapers. Fairy tale vibes. Political tension. Mystery. Chaos.
The Mad Queen storyline? I could not figure out where it was going, and I love when an author can genuinely surprise me. Every time I thought I had it figured out, I didn’t. That alone makes the reading experience so much more fun.
The writing, the pacing, the character dynamics it just worked. And now I’m already sitting here impatiently waiting for book four because I NEED to know more about our most mysterious reaper.
I’m invested!
February 20, 2026
This book is my favorite in the series. I absolutely loved it. Just like with the previous two books, we have intrigue and action and spice. The world that the author has built keeps getting more developed and interesting with each additional book. It’s insane how well the various fairytales are woven together and an entirely new story is created. It’s familiar but wholly new at the same time. I don’t understand it but I love it. Ban is such a character. I love his sass and sarcasm. He is the banter king. But he’s also ridiculously dedicated and sweet to Neve. And Neve, she tries to end him - numerous times. She is such a strong queen who never shied away from the challenges she faced after her long “sleep”. These two have a tension filled relationship to say the least. But watching Neve soften towards Ban and seeing him letting go of some of what he carried was heartwarming. Honestly Ban may be my favorite of the Reapers so far…who am I kidding he definitely is my favorite. This book kept me on my toes with its storyline and I just couldn’t put it down. I had to know what was going to happen. And now I just cannot wait to read the story of our last Reaper.
February 23, 2026
Neve has been in a magical clumebr for a century after a cruel betrayal… her father is dead, and her mother… well, she’s become unrecognisable.
Neve is planning vengeance on the man who killed her father, and as the story progresses, she realises there’s more to what happened… but it’s highly amusing how she’s still trying to off him as she goes…
This was a very twisted retelling, and I’ll be honest, I found myself a little lost at times, because I was so engrossed, I didn’t even notice the chapter and POV changes. So all of a sudden, I’m asking what is going on, having to backtrack and realise that I’m getting a whole new voice!
Now, Ban…. he was a surprise to me. I hoped I would lie him, and he ended up being my favourite character. Tortured, full of guilt, going to any length for Neve….
Neve amused me with her antics at the start, but she kind of disappeared into the story a little towards the end. There was spice, but not really any romance… just forced proximity, and an ensemble cast…
Oh well, throughly enjoyed, and what a teaser for the next one!
Neve is planning vengeance on the man who killed her father, and as the story progresses, she realises there’s more to what happened… but it’s highly amusing how she’s still trying to off him as she goes…
This was a very twisted retelling, and I’ll be honest, I found myself a little lost at times, because I was so engrossed, I didn’t even notice the chapter and POV changes. So all of a sudden, I’m asking what is going on, having to backtrack and realise that I’m getting a whole new voice!
Now, Ban…. he was a surprise to me. I hoped I would lie him, and he ended up being my favourite character. Tortured, full of guilt, going to any length for Neve….
Neve amused me with her antics at the start, but she kind of disappeared into the story a little towards the end. There was spice, but not really any romance… just forced proximity, and an ensemble cast…
Oh well, throughly enjoyed, and what a teaser for the next one!
Review of advance copy
In Across the Frostlands by H. N. DeFore, the Deadly Endings series reaches new heights with a haunting, frostbitten continuation that feels both intimate and epic. Neve’s historic outlook brings the Mad Queen’s tangled machinations to light, while the evolving truth about the King’s death adds layers of emotional complexity to the overarching battle for Mystica. At the heart of this story is the compelling dynamic between Neve and Ban; watching her fury fracture into doubt against the backdrop of his quiet tragedy creates a tension that thrives between hatred and reluctant understanding. DeFore skillfully uses the merciless environment to mirror a powerful character arc of guilt, regret, and forgiveness, making this dark romantasy retelling an essential, high-stakes read that is absolutely worth braving the cold for. Thank you for another fantastic story!
February 24, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ // 🌶️🌶️🌶️
H.N. DeFore has done it again. I have yet to be disappointed by any book I've read by her. Across the Frostlands was an Ice Queen and Jack Frost retelling, but with a twist. This story was a ride. It had me on the edge of my seat at times. It made me want to cry at one point. Despite this being a decent length of a read, I still felt like it ended too soon. I can't wait for Book 4. While, I didn't have the chance to read Books 1 and 2 of this series, I definitely will be coming back for Book 4.
Thank you H.N. DeFore and Luna Literacy for letting me read and review this book! It was a fantastic read.
H.N. DeFore has done it again. I have yet to be disappointed by any book I've read by her. Across the Frostlands was an Ice Queen and Jack Frost retelling, but with a twist. This story was a ride. It had me on the edge of my seat at times. It made me want to cry at one point. Despite this being a decent length of a read, I still felt like it ended too soon. I can't wait for Book 4. While, I didn't have the chance to read Books 1 and 2 of this series, I definitely will be coming back for Book 4.
Thank you H.N. DeFore and Luna Literacy for letting me read and review this book! It was a fantastic read.
February 21, 2026
Across the Frostlands by H. N. DeFore pulled me even deeper into Mystica. I haven’t read a ton of romantasy, but I think that might have to change. Ban is all steel and control on the outside, but watching that quiet softness and devotion come out for Neve had me fully invested. And Neve? She fights like hell and absolutely owns her role as a fierce female main character. The tension, the ice, the secrets slowly unraveling… I was shocked. I’ve loved the last two books, and this one was no exception.
February 21, 2026
With book 3 you are pulled even deeper into Mystica. It's almost as if it's a real world with the way that HN DeFore has written it. Ban is totally devoted to Neve and go to the ends of the earth for her and to protect her. Neve is fierce and has definitely come into her own with this book. The secrets that are finally coming to light are amazing, shocking, and I could've never guessed what turns there would've been. Thank you so much HN DeFore for the advanced copy - another fantastic read!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Across the Frostlands is a captivating third installment in the series, centering on Neve and Ban and deepening the world through layers of betrayal and long-kept secrets. I really enjoyed how this book sharpened the emotional stakes, allowing the characters to be tested by loyalty, truth, and the consequences of hidden motives. The fairytale retelling elements are especially well done, blending a familiar, almost mythic atmosphere with fresh twists that keep the story feeling original and compelling. Overall, it’s a richly engaging continuation that feels darker, more intimate, and deeply rewarding for readers invested in the series.
February 11, 2026
✨ARC review✨
Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this absolute masterpiece 🤌
Ban and Neve are hands down my favorite couple I’ve read about so far this year. This is a wonderful spin on Jack Frost and honestly I couldn’t have asked for more
Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this absolute masterpiece 🤌
Ban and Neve are hands down my favorite couple I’ve read about so far this year. This is a wonderful spin on Jack Frost and honestly I couldn’t have asked for more
Review of advance copy received from Author
No spoilers but I love love love Ban and this is definitely H.N. DeFore's best book yet.
Review of advance copy
Another fantastic story set in Mystica. The tension between Neve and Ban as they navigate the Frostlands was so good. Neve grows so much as she learns the truth of her family and who Ban really is.
Review of advance copy received from Author
A moody character, betrayal, forbidden love, and search for redemption. Tales of princess, lost kingdoms, fairy tales all wrapped together in this series. The third book is another great connection to the main story and it flows together as one.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Another journey into this world that I was so ready for!! HN has me hooked in this fantasy world and I never want to leave!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews