Arctic Flames

Frosthaven Academy #4

by Jaye Marellen

The council that ruled the wolves is gone.

Now the packs are on the edge of war.

Without leadership, old rivalries are reigniting. Territories are shifting. And unrest is spreading through Frosthaven like wildfire.

Cora should be learning how to survive academy life. Instead, she’s being pushed toward something far bigger.

Her wolf hasn’t awakened.

Her fated mates remain out of reach.

And the power everyone expects her to wield is still locked deep inside.

But the wolves are watching.

Waiting.

Because if Cora can rise, she might unite the packs.

If she can’t…

Frosthaven will burn.

A scorching paranormal reverse harem with fated mates, a deeply human heroine who can’t shift to save her life, and a talent for turning enemies into allies—even if she’d rather just have one drama-free week. Perfect for fans of Tessa Hale, Jaymin Eve, and KC Kean.

Book 4 in the Frosthaven Academy series. Start with Arctic Bonds.

Genres: Fantasy, Shapeshifters

212 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 17, 2025

About the author

Jaye Marellen has always believed Belle should have stayed with the Beast—because let’s be honest, the grumpy guy with claws was the best part of the story. She writes romances full of banter, heat, and a little bit of magic, where happily-ever-after doesn’t mean sanding off the rough edges. When she’s not dreaming up growly heroes and the women bold enough to love them, you’ll find her reading spicy stories, sipping too much coffee, and rooting for love stories with a twist.

Reviews

[Carol Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

**SERIES Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3 Stars) — A quick read, but riddled with plot holes, editing disasters, and a frustrating KU paywall.**

I'll start with the positives about this series! Mostly spoiler-free!

It was a quick and easy read. Each book being around 150-200 pages, so it's definitely a single-sitting book. I read the whole 4-book series in a day and a half. It also wasn't highly convoluted. The story and plotlines were straightforward and easy to follow. The world-building was just enough to paint a pretty picture without becoming messy. Lastly, the characters were all likable... enough. Meaning I didn't outright hate anyone, so that's good. Oh, also, it wrapped up nicely. All in all, I had fun. I'm glad I read it. I'm equally glad I don't have to read it again.

Now on to my many grievances...

This is my first experience with this author, so I don't know if this is their norm or if this was Jaye's first book and she got better with time, but this series was... not great. There were quite a few moments where the author lost the plot, forgot certain plotlines, or just straight-up changed things that were already well established. I feel like by the third book, she had just given up on putting work into the story and was just writing to get it over with. There were actual big reveals in book 3 that were thrown in for shock value but in reality, weren't shocking because we as the reader—as well as the characters themselves—had already learned of those revelations in a previous book! The ending battle seemed completely rushed and anticlimactic; everything just kind of... worked out.

The characters were all pretty flat. Everyone was predictable and boring while trying to be interesting. The most interesting character (in the main relationship group) was Silas, in my opinion. But the thing that sucks about that is Silas wasn't introduced until the 11th hour. He was the last mate in the bond and therefore got the very least amount of page time. Likewise, the side characters were all superficial. I liked Cora, the FMC's best friend and roommate. But even she wasn't given the amount of growth and exposure she deserved.

The editing was... lacking, to say the least. There were many typos, misspellings of main character names, and literal "copy and paste" sections. There was a scene where the FMC is handed a folder of important documents and she takes it, excited by its contents. Two chapters later, the same character hands the exact same folder to the exact same FMC, saying the exact same thing, and she takes it... excited by its contents. As if she'd never seen it before! The editing was a disaster and could definitely use some work.

Finally, and this may be just a personal issue, but it needs to be said. I have a Kindle Unlimited subscription, and I'm happy to say books 1-3 are available on KU, free of charge. Did you catch that? Books 1 through 3 are free... book 4 is not. I actually had to purchase book 4 in the series. Now granted, it was $0.99. Not a lot in the grand scheme of things. But authors... don't do this. If you're going to make the first 3 books free, make the last free as well. It was aggravating that I had to buy the last book in the series in order to finish out the story. Especially when the story was a mess to begin with.

Now I will say, book 4? Significantly better than the first 3 books. I should also note that book 4 follows a different FMC, Cora. Books 1-3 follow Rae and her mates. Book 4 picks up where book 3 ended but follows Cora and her mates. And it was better! Still not great, but definitely an improvement. It eased the sting of my having to buy it to read it.

I've rambled enough, honestly. Paranormal reverse harem, especially with wolf shifters, is usually my jam. This one just wasn't it. I'm glad I read it... I'm equally glad it's over. If you skip this series, you aren't missing anything.

[Leena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Cora's book a lot more than I thought I would! My only peeve was the way her fourth mate was brought in. And I don't like how it was the final piece for her to move forward.

However, I enjoyed getting more depth into her and her mate's characters. One thing I'll say for sure, is that I'm so glad Mason was saved in the previous series. He's so adorable and loving! Victor being obsessively protective and caring warmed my heart too. And I can't forget about Tyler, him and his jokes had me smiling frequently! Loved that he always stuck beside his mates no matter what.

Aside from that, I seriously am excited to read Lumi's series!! Her character definitely left a mark even without being in many scenes.

[Leah D · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good. Another short and sweet shifter romance in the series. While we still have Rae and her six mates, this one follows our favorite side characters, Cora and her mates.

This continues on with the aftermath of the last book, where we see what happens when groups rebel against the new, more harmonious and accepting rules/laws that have been rolled out by the new and improved shifter council.

The plot is pretty basic, this is not anything particularly ground breaking, but the banter and the bonds between the characters is really what carries this book. If you want something light and breezy that you can whip through, this is probably great but if you’re looking for a super immersive, plot forward shifter romance series to binge, this probably won’t scratch that itch.

3.5⭐️
2🌶️

[Donna J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Bookof this Wonderful Series

While I have loved all the characters, plots and romance of the previous 3 books, this is my favorite. I love Cora, her personality and compassion. Love all the funny banter and giggle worth humor.

[TAG · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read on a rainy day. I liked this follow up to the previous trilogy. Much clearer characterisation, slightly different reaction to mates but satisfying story. Not sure going to read rest of series just yet.

[Pamala Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!!

I love Cora, the possible girl, she really made the impossible possible. This was a wonderful spinoff to another spinoff with Lumi's book. Love it!

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arctic Flames

Cute story. A bit over the top with how wonderful everyone is. It's nice to know where Clara is headed.

[Ricci Raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished all of the books in the series within a week! So good and got me into fated mates/shifters! So glad too lol