What do you think?
Rate this book
To Win a Dark Heart
Falling for the Crystal Fae: A Villainous Twist on the Snow Queen and Aladdin
Not yet published
Expected 6 Feb 26A vengeful queen.
A sorcerer chained by magic.
A truce with power to destroy the realms.
Khiona once ruled her fae kingdom with an icy fierceness—until humans twisted her magic into a prison she could not escape.
Andar once collected enough power to control the cosmos, but he was bound so he could only use it at another’s bidding.
Alone, Khiona and Andar were captured, safely removed from society and trapped in prisons as unique as the villains themselves. But when an earthquake brings them together, they both devise ways to use each other to achieve their ever-distant dreams.
Complications arise when those dreams do not align with each other and new feelings interfere with old agendas. Will the most powerful tyrants known to fae finally bring the world to its knees? Or will they destroy themselves with their own opposing plans—especially when none of those plans included falling for each other?
Falling for the Crystal Fae is a fairytale novella that combines fantasy elements of The Snow Queen and Aladdin. Set after the events in each of these stories, it is brimming with new adventures, dangerous dragons, redemption, betrayal, and a no-spice, sweet romance love story.
Falling for the Crystal Fae is the fourth book in the To Win a Dark Heart series, which retells fairy tales as old as time, but this time it's the villain's turn to get a happy ending.
A sorcerer chained by magic.
A truce with power to destroy the realms.
Khiona once ruled her fae kingdom with an icy fierceness—until humans twisted her magic into a prison she could not escape.
Andar once collected enough power to control the cosmos, but he was bound so he could only use it at another’s bidding.
Alone, Khiona and Andar were captured, safely removed from society and trapped in prisons as unique as the villains themselves. But when an earthquake brings them together, they both devise ways to use each other to achieve their ever-distant dreams.
Complications arise when those dreams do not align with each other and new feelings interfere with old agendas. Will the most powerful tyrants known to fae finally bring the world to its knees? Or will they destroy themselves with their own opposing plans—especially when none of those plans included falling for each other?
Falling for the Crystal Fae is a fairytale novella that combines fantasy elements of The Snow Queen and Aladdin. Set after the events in each of these stories, it is brimming with new adventures, dangerous dragons, redemption, betrayal, and a no-spice, sweet romance love story.
Falling for the Crystal Fae is the fourth book in the To Win a Dark Heart series, which retells fairy tales as old as time, but this time it's the villain's turn to get a happy ending.
- GenresRomantasyRetellings
202 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 6, 2026
5 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
Anabelle Raven
16 books62 followersI write heart-pounding, fantasy adventure books with sweet romance (no spice)!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
This was a unique read. Khiona is freed by Ander and, in return, releases him from his lamp and a life of servitude in exchange for his help getting revenge on those who imprisoned her for years. While Khiona starts out focused on revenge, spending time with Ander begins to complicate those plans, and Ander’s own intentions start to shift too.
I wasn’t expecting the mash-up of the two storylines, but I did enjoy the romance. The pacing was a little uneven for me. Feelings seemed to show up very early, but weren’t really talked about until much later, and while the characters are traveling the whole time, it didn’t always feel like they were actually going anywhere. Some moments worked for me more than others. Still, for a novella, it was different and kept my interest, and I’d be open to reading a longer book by this author.
I rated this a 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
I received a complimentary copy. This review reflects my honest opinion.
I wasn’t expecting the mash-up of the two storylines, but I did enjoy the romance. The pacing was a little uneven for me. Feelings seemed to show up very early, but weren’t really talked about until much later, and while the characters are traveling the whole time, it didn’t always feel like they were actually going anywhere. Some moments worked for me more than others. Still, for a novella, it was different and kept my interest, and I’d be open to reading a longer book by this author.
I rated this a 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
I received a complimentary copy. This review reflects my honest opinion.
January 13, 2026
3.5 stars
This is a fairy tale retelling mashup of the Snow Queen and Aladdin. Our heroine in this no spice romantic fantasy is a villainous snow queen fae who has been trapped in an ice cave for decades and our hero is a fae who has been trapped in a magical lamp for centuries. Together they help each other out on their journey. There is quite a bit of fast pacing in this book and our MCs end up changing their minds, attitudes, and behaviors quite quickly and abruptly, and sometimes it felt a bit convenient. It was interesting to see the adventures these two undertook together and the twists and turns they took. This is a just kisses romance, intimacy level 1. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
I received an eARC of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
This is a fairy tale retelling mashup of the Snow Queen and Aladdin. Our heroine in this no spice romantic fantasy is a villainous snow queen fae who has been trapped in an ice cave for decades and our hero is a fae who has been trapped in a magical lamp for centuries. Together they help each other out on their journey. There is quite a bit of fast pacing in this book and our MCs end up changing their minds, attitudes, and behaviors quite quickly and abruptly, and sometimes it felt a bit convenient. It was interesting to see the adventures these two undertook together and the twists and turns they took. This is a just kisses romance, intimacy level 1. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
I received an eARC of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
reviewed
January 15, 2026
As these are meant to be reviews for books I would expect most people to consider 100% clean, I want to warn that there is a scene which, though the furthest it goes is two kisses to the forehead, is quite romantically charged. For a moment, it felt like it might become more intimate (though not explicit), even though I’d already confirmed the book never goes beyond a couple minimally described mouth kisses. It includes her sitting in bed; him cradling her head; him tracing his thumb along her jaw, causing a “sensation like lightening” down her neck and into her fingers; her clutching her blanket in her fists; her feeling the heat from his lips on her forehead; and his words coming out first “in a throaty rumble” and then “in a hoarse growl.”
Genre: Fantasy, fairy tale retelling [of Aladdin and the Snow Queen]
Tropes: Slowburn romance, fake marriage, forced proximity, unlikely allies
Setting: On the road, inn, ice palace, inn
Writing style: Dual POV, 1st person, past tense
Tone: Cynical, angry, vulnerable
Character- or plot-driven: Character-driven
Other romantic elements:
• 2 mouth kisses, minimally described
◦ 1 with more emotional focus, and preceded by him holding her cheek with fingers in her hair and thumb stroking her jaw, brushing a thumb under her lower lip, her kissing his thumb, a temple kiss, him whispering close to her cheek, warmth
◦ 1 described as having more than the love and passion of their many previous kisses
• 1 kiss on the corner of the mouth, no description
• 1 hug including her collapsing into his chest, him rubbing her back and tracing a path across it, her snuggling into him and thinking how long she can “get away with this hug”; he is in his undershirt, although there is nothing sexual about it
• 1 knuckle kiss followed by a remembrance of it accompanied by fluttering in chest, barely described; 1 with butterflies that she feels whenever he kisses her, 1 with zero description
• 3 head kisses, 1 including “nearly melted into him” and 2 with zero description
• 1 cheek kiss, zero description
• 1 desire to kiss, no lingering
• Man holds a woman to his side and buries his face in her hair, to maintain a charade, though he notices how good it feels and a desire to “hold her” longer
• 1 instance of woman snuggling into man’s neck and then snuggling closer against him
• 1 instance brushing thumb over cheek, no description
• 1 instance of woman wishing for an excuse to curl into the man again, a couple sentences
• 1 quick instance of woman burying her face in man’s side
• 1 instance of man wanting to touch and calm a woman’s trembling lip
• 1 instance of man resisting urge to pick a woman up
• Woman wants a certain man to “be hers,” 3 sentences
• Several instances of light touches — holding hands, guiding by the small of the back, threading fingers, rubbing arm for comfort, whispering in ear — that, though entirely innocent, elicit a thrill or sense of longing
Other sensitive aspects:
• 1 instance of a man saying something to a woman that she interprets as suggestive and that leaves her wondering “how far he would go to stay in character”
• While the protagonists are faking being married, they’re given a room with only one bed, leading her to think he expects to share the bed with her
• Man burned by dragons, but no gruesome descriptions
Thoughts on main characters: Of the two protagonists, I prefered Andar to Khiona. I saw more of her vengefulness than his, though he was the only one whose motivation felt plausible. They did both do things for each other that weren’t part of their bargain, so there are signs of redeeming qualities in her too, but .
Favorite aspects of the book:
• The way the strength of magic is dependent on the ability to experience the full gamut of emotions
• Andar’s natural protectiveness
• The exploration, however imperfect, of what strength really is
Andar’s villainous past is kept vague, but we know that his lust for power matched Khiona’s. I understand where hers comes from more than his, because it was modeled for her by her parents. Her motivation is complicated by wanting to be valued for herself, not her power, but not knowing any other way to earn that appreciation. The only reason I can see for her magically walling off her emotions is to be able to do whatever she needs to gain power over others without guilt or remorse.
Andar admires Khiona’s supposed strength, but the only strength she actually displays on a small scale is the ability to admit when she is wrong. She is morally and emotionally weak, even magically walling off her emotions (not to disparage people who do this to protect themselves, but as an exploration of the character). This ties into one of the book’s two primary themes, what I think of as the illusion of strength and weakness. Khiona believes that not feeling anything makes her more powerful, only to discover that her magic is actually limited by that suppression. Strength does not come from shutting out emotions, but from learning how to wield them.
Likewise, Andar is obsessed with not appearing weak and refuses to express doubt, regret, or a change in opinion. What he does learn from Khiona is that he does not need to be right about everything, and that changing his mind is normal. Changing one’s mind does not always mean one was wrong — and sometimes it reflects incomplete information, which is not a weakness. The real weakness is prioritizing how one is perceived over what is right. In the end, Andar admits to his most severe blunder before Khiona is willing to confront her own, so if either character ultimately serves as a model of strength for the other, it is Andar.
I assume Khiona is supposed to be morally complex, but she seems fairly straightforward. Her revenge is an illusion—she claims “the humans” trapped her, but she trapped herself. Her magic backfired on its own; they had no role in it. Her wish for a friend was undercut by her desire to control him and, in effect, use him. She has no concern for him—only herself. He is merely a toy, and her so-called revenge is really about losing control over him.
____________________________________
Having moments of weakness doesn’t automatically make you a weak person.
Play cruel games, win hollow prizes. Also, it takes a special kind of arrogant density to think his words are anything but sincere. Obviously he’s trying to protect them. Otherwise, he’d let them take the punishment themselves.
When you kill people for mildly displeasing you, what do you expect?
How on earth do you figure this? How can she twist the situation that led to her captivity to create this conclusion?!
Favorite Quotations:
• My heart never stopped beating, but my imprisonment was its own form of death. It separated me from my throne, my power, and my tea.
• A smirk played along the corner of one of his lips. “Yes, they were blissfully silent when you froze them.”
• The queen, wearing a glamour that made her leather clothes look like a peasant’s dress, sniffed dramatically. “Please, we’ve been riding for days.” She hiccupped. Literally hiccupped. She was lucky I had experience in schooling my face because my eyes were threatening to roll out of my head.
• I drew a ragged breath as a new Andar—an old Andar who cared about people more than power—shook off centuries of oppression. My own oppression of myself had been even more cruel than what Brintontoven had done to me. He’d imprisoned a power-hungry monster. I’d smothered a good person with a cruel one.
• I hadn’t been on the island when her body finally gave up its grasp on her soul, and when I’d received word of her passing, I’d buried the sorrow of not being there into the same mass grave I’d built for a quickly growing collection of other regrets.
• All the power I’d once tried to control—all the strength I’d thought it would bring me—was nothing compared to the strength that came from trusting. Or the power in admitting I could be wrong without being weak. And the security that came from being known—seen and understood and accepted for exactly who we both were—strengths, weaknesses, hopes, and desires. We were stronger together.
(I received a free ARC of this book from the author and am gratefully—voluntarily—leaving a review.)
Genre: Fantasy, fairy tale retelling [of Aladdin and the Snow Queen]
Tropes: Slowburn romance, fake marriage, forced proximity, unlikely allies
Setting: On the road, inn, ice palace, inn
Writing style: Dual POV, 1st person, past tense
Tone: Cynical, angry, vulnerable
Character- or plot-driven: Character-driven
Other romantic elements:
• 2 mouth kisses, minimally described
◦ 1 with more emotional focus, and preceded by him holding her cheek with fingers in her hair and thumb stroking her jaw, brushing a thumb under her lower lip, her kissing his thumb, a temple kiss, him whispering close to her cheek, warmth
◦ 1 described as having more than the love and passion of their many previous kisses
• 1 kiss on the corner of the mouth, no description
• 1 hug including her collapsing into his chest, him rubbing her back and tracing a path across it, her snuggling into him and thinking how long she can “get away with this hug”; he is in his undershirt, although there is nothing sexual about it
• 1 knuckle kiss followed by a remembrance of it accompanied by fluttering in chest, barely described; 1 with butterflies that she feels whenever he kisses her, 1 with zero description
• 3 head kisses, 1 including “nearly melted into him” and 2 with zero description
• 1 cheek kiss, zero description
• 1 desire to kiss, no lingering
• Man holds a woman to his side and buries his face in her hair, to maintain a charade, though he notices how good it feels and a desire to “hold her” longer
• 1 instance of woman snuggling into man’s neck and then snuggling closer against him
• 1 instance brushing thumb over cheek, no description
• 1 instance of woman wishing for an excuse to curl into the man again, a couple sentences
• 1 quick instance of woman burying her face in man’s side
• 1 instance of man wanting to touch and calm a woman’s trembling lip
• 1 instance of man resisting urge to pick a woman up
• Woman wants a certain man to “be hers,” 3 sentences
• Several instances of light touches — holding hands, guiding by the small of the back, threading fingers, rubbing arm for comfort, whispering in ear — that, though entirely innocent, elicit a thrill or sense of longing
Other sensitive aspects:
• 1 instance of a man saying something to a woman that she interprets as suggestive and that leaves her wondering “how far he would go to stay in character”
• While the protagonists are faking being married, they’re given a room with only one bed, leading her to think he expects to share the bed with her
• Man burned by dragons, but no gruesome descriptions
Thoughts on main characters: Of the two protagonists, I prefered Andar to Khiona. I saw more of her vengefulness than his, though he was the only one whose motivation felt plausible. They did both do things for each other that weren’t part of their bargain, so there are signs of redeeming qualities in her too, but .
Favorite aspects of the book:
• The way the strength of magic is dependent on the ability to experience the full gamut of emotions
• Andar’s natural protectiveness
• The exploration, however imperfect, of what strength really is
Andar’s villainous past is kept vague, but we know that his lust for power matched Khiona’s. I understand where hers comes from more than his, because it was modeled for her by her parents. Her motivation is complicated by wanting to be valued for herself, not her power, but not knowing any other way to earn that appreciation. The only reason I can see for her magically walling off her emotions is to be able to do whatever she needs to gain power over others without guilt or remorse.
Andar admires Khiona’s supposed strength, but the only strength she actually displays on a small scale is the ability to admit when she is wrong. She is morally and emotionally weak, even magically walling off her emotions (not to disparage people who do this to protect themselves, but as an exploration of the character). This ties into one of the book’s two primary themes, what I think of as the illusion of strength and weakness. Khiona believes that not feeling anything makes her more powerful, only to discover that her magic is actually limited by that suppression. Strength does not come from shutting out emotions, but from learning how to wield them.
Likewise, Andar is obsessed with not appearing weak and refuses to express doubt, regret, or a change in opinion. What he does learn from Khiona is that he does not need to be right about everything, and that changing his mind is normal. Changing one’s mind does not always mean one was wrong — and sometimes it reflects incomplete information, which is not a weakness. The real weakness is prioritizing how one is perceived over what is right. In the end, Andar admits to his most severe blunder before Khiona is willing to confront her own, so if either character ultimately serves as a model of strength for the other, it is Andar.
I assume Khiona is supposed to be morally complex, but she seems fairly straightforward. Her revenge is an illusion—she claims “the humans” trapped her, but she trapped herself. Her magic backfired on its own; they had no role in it. Her wish for a friend was undercut by her desire to control him and, in effect, use him. She has no concern for him—only herself. He is merely a toy, and her so-called revenge is really about losing control over him.
____________________________________
Because admitting I was wrong would be admitting weakness. And I was not weak.
Having moments of weakness doesn’t automatically make you a weak person.
“Your Majesty. Please punish me for the children’s insolence.” A twinge of irritation flickered in my chest. I was glad he recognized me, but his words seemed less sincere and more like an attempt to protect his children from me. I wanted fae who were loyal—not fae who pretended allegiance on a knee while looking for any opportunity they could find to rid themselves of me.
Play cruel games, win hollow prizes. Also, it takes a special kind of arrogant density to think his words are anything but sincere. Obviously he’s trying to protect them. Otherwise, he’d let them take the punishment themselves.
Had my people always been so false with their fealty? Or had they been more true before my absence?
When you kill people for mildly displeasing you, what do you expect?
Perhaps I hadn’t been so cruel. Anyone might have made a similar choice.
How on earth do you figure this? How can she twist the situation that led to her captivity to create this conclusion?!
Favorite Quotations:
• My heart never stopped beating, but my imprisonment was its own form of death. It separated me from my throne, my power, and my tea.
• A smirk played along the corner of one of his lips. “Yes, they were blissfully silent when you froze them.”
• The queen, wearing a glamour that made her leather clothes look like a peasant’s dress, sniffed dramatically. “Please, we’ve been riding for days.” She hiccupped. Literally hiccupped. She was lucky I had experience in schooling my face because my eyes were threatening to roll out of my head.
• I drew a ragged breath as a new Andar—an old Andar who cared about people more than power—shook off centuries of oppression. My own oppression of myself had been even more cruel than what Brintontoven had done to me. He’d imprisoned a power-hungry monster. I’d smothered a good person with a cruel one.
• I hadn’t been on the island when her body finally gave up its grasp on her soul, and when I’d received word of her passing, I’d buried the sorrow of not being there into the same mass grave I’d built for a quickly growing collection of other regrets.
• All the power I’d once tried to control—all the strength I’d thought it would bring me—was nothing compared to the strength that came from trusting. Or the power in admitting I could be wrong without being weak. And the security that came from being known—seen and understood and accepted for exactly who we both were—strengths, weaknesses, hopes, and desires. We were stronger together.
(I received a free ARC of this book from the author and am gratefully—voluntarily—leaving a review.)
Review of advance copy received from Author
Absolutely amazing!
This was a really enjoyable read. It fits in perfectly with the rest of the author's works (at least the ones I've read). Watching the characters grow along with their chemistry through the story was a delight! The insane musicians that kept showing up were improbable in the most I'm willing to suspend disbelief because they are hilarious kind of way.
The thing that probably bothered me most were the internal monologues. Both of them keep thinking about how horrible they are and how they're manipulating the other, but feel really bad about it. The problem is… they aren't (mostly, the Queen does do some pretty awesome evil things so I guess this mostly applies to Andar but both of their internal thoughts do this too much). At the beginning Andar's “manipulation” reads like what you’re supposed to do in a hostage situation, and at that point he essentially is.
At the end of the book there is a little fun fact section that talks about some of the names, and the queen's was not included! So maybe this was a coincidence but the entire time I thoroughly enjoyed how much the queen's name reminded me of the Greek ice goddess. Neither of which are easy to spell which is why I keep calling her Queen. The MC here is Khiona and the goddess is Khione.
I enjoyed this book so much that I'm currently reading The Snow Queen and Aladdin and the Magic Lamp will be next. So far (about 70% into The Snow Queen) I'm glad this wasn't a retelling, but seems to be a ‘what happens after.’ If she ever decides to write a what happened before for either of these characters that's something I would definitely read even though parts were touched on in this story.
This was a really enjoyable read. It fits in perfectly with the rest of the author's works (at least the ones I've read). Watching the characters grow along with their chemistry through the story was a delight! The insane musicians that kept showing up were improbable in the most I'm willing to suspend disbelief because they are hilarious kind of way.
The thing that probably bothered me most were the internal monologues. Both of them keep thinking about how horrible they are and how they're manipulating the other, but feel really bad about it. The problem is… they aren't (mostly, the Queen does do some pretty awesome evil things so I guess this mostly applies to Andar but both of their internal thoughts do this too much). At the beginning Andar's “manipulation” reads like what you’re supposed to do in a hostage situation, and at that point he essentially is.
At the end of the book there is a little fun fact section that talks about some of the names, and the queen's was not included! So maybe this was a coincidence but the entire time I thoroughly enjoyed how much the queen's name reminded me of the Greek ice goddess. Neither of which are easy to spell which is why I keep calling her Queen. The MC here is Khiona and the goddess is Khione.
I enjoyed this book so much that I'm currently reading The Snow Queen and Aladdin and the Magic Lamp will be next. So far (about 70% into The Snow Queen) I'm glad this wasn't a retelling, but seems to be a ‘what happens after.’ If she ever decides to write a what happened before for either of these characters that's something I would definitely read even though parts were touched on in this story.
January 2, 2026
I quit enjoyed this mashup retelling of Aladdin and Snow Queen told from the POV of tge villains and “happily never after”.
The Snow Queen has been banished and trapped in a cave for 40yrs when she an enchanted lamp finds its way to her. A lamp and its inhabitant called Andar. A travelogue for revenge & attempted deception follows with a sweet HEA.
Loved how the 40yrs and a cave and treasure alluded to yet another fairytale - Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves. An orginal take on what happened to the Snow Queen after Gerda saved Kaj from her clutches. Unique take on how the jinn in the lamp became a jinn, too. I loved how the author portrayed cracking of stunted emotions for both protagonists and how cruelty and obsession with revenge was linked to “conceal, don’t feel” aka control and tempering down any emotions. The characters of both MMC and FMC made me think how much our parents shape who we are, what we want, the tenets we live by and how coming of age is literlly finding your own convictions and fate.
Another great book in the “To Win a Dark Heart” series.
Recommended for lovers of NA coming of age mashup fairytales, especially Snow Queen and Aladdin.
I received this book as an ARC and am leaving my honest review of my own volition.
The Snow Queen has been banished and trapped in a cave for 40yrs when she an enchanted lamp finds its way to her. A lamp and its inhabitant called Andar. A travelogue for revenge & attempted deception follows with a sweet HEA.
Loved how the 40yrs and a cave and treasure alluded to yet another fairytale - Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves. An orginal take on what happened to the Snow Queen after Gerda saved Kaj from her clutches. Unique take on how the jinn in the lamp became a jinn, too. I loved how the author portrayed cracking of stunted emotions for both protagonists and how cruelty and obsession with revenge was linked to “conceal, don’t feel” aka control and tempering down any emotions. The characters of both MMC and FMC made me think how much our parents shape who we are, what we want, the tenets we live by and how coming of age is literlly finding your own convictions and fate.
Another great book in the “To Win a Dark Heart” series.
Recommended for lovers of NA coming of age mashup fairytales, especially Snow Queen and Aladdin.
I received this book as an ARC and am leaving my honest review of my own volition.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This no-spice fairytale retelling was a perfect winter read that I couldn't put down! I loved how the author reimagined The Snow Queen and Aladdin as fae with villainous pasts and unique magic. The world-building was fascinating, descriptive, and I really enjoyed all of the different characters! The main characters were cunning and complemented each other's stubbornness perfectly, and the witty musicians added a fun layer to the story.
When the fierce Queen Khiona finds a magic lamp she seizes the opportunity to escape her 40-year imprisonment and get her powers back. With help from the powerful Andar, who also wants vengeance for his enslavement, she sets out to punish the humans that tricked her. As they seek their revenge, they keep crossing paths with a trio of musicians who help them in more ways than one. On their journey they must learn to trust each other, and get through the dangers that come up. When their feelings get involved will their villainous ways triumph, or will they see the cruelty of their past ways?
I received an Advanced Reader Copy with no expectation of a review.
All opinions are my own.
When the fierce Queen Khiona finds a magic lamp she seizes the opportunity to escape her 40-year imprisonment and get her powers back. With help from the powerful Andar, who also wants vengeance for his enslavement, she sets out to punish the humans that tricked her. As they seek their revenge, they keep crossing paths with a trio of musicians who help them in more ways than one. On their journey they must learn to trust each other, and get through the dangers that come up. When their feelings get involved will their villainous ways triumph, or will they see the cruelty of their past ways?
I received an Advanced Reader Copy with no expectation of a review.
All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Is it woke?
Not at all.
Is it good?
I thoroughly enjoyed Raven's 'Falling For The Crystal Fae'. The story is sweet, the world building is immersive, and it is such a fun book. The characterisation is decent, though personally I would have enjoyed a little more. This would have been hard to achieve in the novella format though.
Is it appropriate for your children?
The story is clean, with no mature themes (aside from the redemption of once murderers and villains), and propriety is never infringed on but is subtly reinforced in every scene (less "we should stop kissing now" and more "obviously they have separate houses"). The violence is appropriate to the story and is quite tame. It is only used to show the progression of the villians' redemption.
It was a joy to discover a clean fantasy romance that was enjoyable to an adult, but had no inappropriate content for readers of any age. You don't need to worry about gore, the encouragement of unhealthy romance, or glorification of villiany here.
Not at all.
Is it good?
I thoroughly enjoyed Raven's 'Falling For The Crystal Fae'. The story is sweet, the world building is immersive, and it is such a fun book. The characterisation is decent, though personally I would have enjoyed a little more. This would have been hard to achieve in the novella format though.
Is it appropriate for your children?
The story is clean, with no mature themes (aside from the redemption of once murderers and villains), and propriety is never infringed on but is subtly reinforced in every scene (less "we should stop kissing now" and more "obviously they have separate houses"). The violence is appropriate to the story and is quite tame. It is only used to show the progression of the villians' redemption.
It was a joy to discover a clean fantasy romance that was enjoyable to an adult, but had no inappropriate content for readers of any age. You don't need to worry about gore, the encouragement of unhealthy romance, or glorification of villiany here.
Review of advance copy received from Author
A tale of revenge that shifts into a tale of love.
Ingenious combination of the Snow Queen and Aladdin. Khiona, for all her iciness, just wants companionship (after her revenge). And Andar? He wants freedom. Together, they can fulfill each other, but only if they can find themselves moving in the same direction. I really loved how their characters progressed from being deadset on revenge to realizing alternate paths. Their growth and development are everything. The worldbuilding and plot are fantastic, too. We see glimpses of Khiona and Andar's pasts. I'd actually like to know even more, but I am pleased with what we have, too! There's never a slow moment, but nothing felt too fast either. Dragons make a brief appearance, cementing the book's perfection. Excellent book from start to finish. Highly recommend.
*I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
Ingenious combination of the Snow Queen and Aladdin. Khiona, for all her iciness, just wants companionship (after her revenge). And Andar? He wants freedom. Together, they can fulfill each other, but only if they can find themselves moving in the same direction. I really loved how their characters progressed from being deadset on revenge to realizing alternate paths. Their growth and development are everything. The worldbuilding and plot are fantastic, too. We see glimpses of Khiona and Andar's pasts. I'd actually like to know even more, but I am pleased with what we have, too! There's never a slow moment, but nothing felt too fast either. Dragons make a brief appearance, cementing the book's perfection. Excellent book from start to finish. Highly recommend.
*I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I enjoyed reading this book and the mash up of the Snow Queen and Aladdin. The only reason this didn't get a 5 star rating is because I really wanted more from the last chapter. The epilogue made it better but it just felt a little too sudden in my opinion. That being said, this is still a book I would recommend and reread. I enjoyed the banter and growth between characters. I felt the writing style was good and the story flowed well. And up until that last chapter it had a good steady pace that kept things moving well and the reader engaged and interested. This had no swearing, some violence and a level 1 intimacy. All in all a good book that you should check out! I did receive an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This author has books on my TBR list which I have not read yet, and now this book makes me regret that. I did not think that I could empathize with either the Snow Queen or Jafar, but the way their counterparts are portrayed in this book makes them so real and relatable and so worth rooting for. And to think that their meeting was accidentally arranged by dragons! Neat! This book I would recommend to fans of the Disney versions of these fairy tales - younger readers ought to find these fun.
I received an ARC from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received an ARC from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is a clever blending of the stories of the Snow Queen and Aladdin with the addtion of dragons. It shows what happens to the Snow Queen after her defeat in the traditional story and pairs her with the 'genie' enslaved in the lamp for a journey that becomes more about self discovery than the revenge it starts out as. The romance is sweet with touches of action, humour and adventure.
I received an ARC and voluntarily leave an honest review.
I received an ARC and voluntarily leave an honest review.
January 2, 2026
So very unique how the Snow Queen and the Djinn from Aladdin are mashed up. Here you can see how the upbringing has a huge impact on a child's life, but you're never too old to change your ways.
What I really liked the most is the solution for the immensely powerful lamp. No spoiler - you have to read it by yourself, you won't be disappointed!
I was honored to get an ARC for reading and this is my voluntary opinion.
What I really liked the most is the solution for the immensely powerful lamp. No spoiler - you have to read it by yourself, you won't be disappointed!
I was honored to get an ARC for reading and this is my voluntary opinion.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I loved this twist of tales. Rather than just one character having magic, both characters have their own strong magic, and it impacts the entire story. I loved the duel POV, giving a new perspective of each character that wouldn't be seen by simply one side of the story. The characters' own motives drive them into an exciting plot for revenge and redemption. Every aspect of this story was fantastic for plot and character development.
Thank you for the arc!
Thank you for the arc!
December 26, 2025
Love does thaw a frozen heart!
I honestly didn’t know how Aladdin and The Snow Queen villains would mix but it ended up being a beautiful blend. Andar and Khiona’s romance is a slow burn and I love the inner conflict of the two characters before they shared their feelings.
I truly enjoyed this story!
I received this as an ARC.
I honestly didn’t know how Aladdin and The Snow Queen villains would mix but it ended up being a beautiful blend. Andar and Khiona’s romance is a slow burn and I love the inner conflict of the two characters before they shared their feelings.
I truly enjoyed this story!
I received this as an ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Both Khiona and Andar plan on manipulating each other to achieve their plans. I love how they are dependent on each other equally. Also how they gradually begin to ease in each other's presence. I loved how Andar know what it Khiona is prone to do and confronts her about, 😂❤️
Review of advance copy received from Author
A fantastic twist on the Snow Queen and Aladdin! These characters are fire and ice! An adventure not to be missed!
I received an ARC from the author and all opinions are my own.
I received an ARC from the author and all opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5 Stars! =D
Full review to come closer to publication date, February 6, 2026!
Full review to come closer to publication date, February 6, 2026!
Review of advance copy received from Indie Reviewers
I received the ARC and the opinions are my own.
As a queen who expects betrayal from everyone and who was raised with the idea that nothing comes for free, Khiona is quite naive, and perhaps that was something I didn't like so much.
But the book has interesting elements from Aladdin, and I liked the battle with the ice dragons, and the epilogue was interesting.
Thank you for the ARC.
As a queen who expects betrayal from everyone and who was raised with the idea that nothing comes for free, Khiona is quite naive, and perhaps that was something I didn't like so much.
But the book has interesting elements from Aladdin, and I liked the battle with the ice dragons, and the epilogue was interesting.
Thank you for the ARC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Cute story, would have been great to get to know more of the backstory of the main characters. But it was a nice short story! 3.5 stars, rounded up!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Nice story. Not too bad. I really liked how the trio at the beginning of the story came back for important part later on.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews