From Thorns and Ice

Reigning Fae

by Kaya May

Orelia is forced to hide in the shadows and watch as her brother is murdered. If she reveals herself, she’ll be killed too.

With her brother’s death replaying over and over in her mind, she makes a promise to herself that she’ll avenge him. She’ll find the person who ordered their deaths and make them pay.

Luckily for her, Orelia knows just who to blame.

“I’m coming for you, King Donovan.”

Donovan is feeling the pressure to marry and produce an heir to secure his throne, especially since a rebel group in his kingdom is gaining momentum and causing him more problems. But when a small, feisty female shows up and threatens to kill him, his problems seem much smaller in comparison to the baggage she brings with her.

Can he convince her that he has nothing to do with her brothers death and help her find the real culprit?

With enemies suddenly trying to kill them both, will their budding feelings be allowed to grow, or will they be torn apart by forces trying to destroy them?

354 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 10, 2026

About the author

Author of Paranormal and Fantasy Romance

https://www.instagram.com/kayamayauthor/

Reviews

[Vanessasbooksta]

Trope haven!

Enemies to lovers, Revenge, Fae Kings, Slow Burn and Found family.

Loved the MC’s:
FMC, Orelia - she’s a total badass who doesn’t back down.
MMC, Donovan was the perfect blend of powerful and completely devoted.

Fast paced and high stakes made this a fun read!

Thank you to the Author and to Iris Influencer Society for the arc!

[ThatBook Girl]

I think the premise of this sounds great and I was eager to jump into the arc as soon as I received it. Unfortunately, I read the first ten chapters and decided to stop. The writing was just not for me. The characters and writing came across very juvenile. I am not sure if this is meant to be a YA book, but it reads as one. I think she lost me when the King called the Princess a "smelly kitten."

I am sure Kaya will find her audience for this, and I wish her success with the book. Sadly, it just wasn't for me.

[୨୧○• Erin •○୨୧]

Review of advance copy received from Author

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars

What to expect
👑Fae
❄️ Black Cat/ Golden Retriever
👑 Slow burn
❄️ Forced proximity
👑 Magic
❄️ Assassination attempts
👑 Opposites attract
❄️ Hurt/ comfort

You came for revenge, but the man you were supposed to hate won’t stop protecting you.

I loved this book I read this in one day.
I absolutely adored these characters ❤️❤️

Our FMC Orelia is forced to watch her brother’s murder and can do nothing to stop it. She makes a promise to herself to avenge her brother’s death.
Orelia is such a badass I loved her so much she will tell you exactly what she thinks and won’t sit back and stay quiet if someone is talking about her.
She is such a feisty strong character, she literally sneaks up on a king and threatens to kill him!!

“I’m coming for you King Donovan.”

Our MMC King Donovan is trying to prove that he had nothing to do with Orelias brother’s death. He finally convinces her it wasn’t him.
And vows to help her find the real culprit.
This man goes out of this way to protect Orelia even though she threatened to kill him, he was such an attentive sweet man to her 🔥10/10

The world building in this book was great.

The plot was amazing, fast paced and action packed. The hits just kept on coming! They really go through it in this book.

The chemistry and tension between the MC’s was amazing 🤌🏽

One of my favourite things about the book was the banter between all the characters.
Especially Orelia and Kade and the little pranks she plays on him had me giggling 🤭

Left on a cliff hanger for book two which follows two different characters in this world.
Can’t wait for the next one.

Highly recommend this book.

Thank you to the author Kaya May and Iris Influencer Society for the arc of this book.

[JordsReadingTales]

I loved this book so much that I couldn’t put it down and read it in just a few hours. I loved the story, the characters, the romance, the tension… just everything!

King Donovan is just a 𝑫𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑴. Caring, loving and fiercely protective? Perfection. I absolutely adored Orelia, she was the perfect FMC - strong, sassy, hilarious and just lovable. The tension and the yearning between the two main characters was just 👌🏻

I also need to shout out Kade because he was a hilarious side character who had me laughing out loud!

𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝑺𝑶 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔😍

[Katarina Poppa]

From Thorns and Ice was such a fun, quick read and the perfect palate cleanser between heavier books. The plot was easy to follow, making this a really approachable fantasy without too many twists to keep track of. I’m always a sucker for found family, so that was easily one of my favorite parts. The characters were easy to like, and overall this was a solid 4 star read for me.

[Kathy Meskin]

Review of an ARC received from the Author:

I have very mixed feelings about this book. It was a quick and easy read, delving into the Fae world sprinkled with some spice. I appreciated the author's note in the beginning - explaining how to pronounce all the names/kingdom names (instead of letting my mind run wild with possible pronounciations).
Book 1 of the Reigning Fae series follows Princess Orelia and King Donovan, who are from different kingdoms. She is seeking revenge for the death of her brother, while he is looking for a wife. The dialogue between the characters was very "human-like" which I appreciated. The banter between the characters was relatable.
I kinda guessed the twist at the end in the first 1/4 of the book.

Overall rating:
solid 4 stars
-writing seemed a bit too conversational at points - i almost wanted King Donovan to be a dark King instead of a loving sappy one 😂
-great character development
-decent plot
-easy read

[Nicole Y. Miller]

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you Kaya May and IRIS Influencer Society for the opportunity to read From Thorns and Ice in exchange for an honest review.

The idea of a princess heading to another kingdom to seek revenge, to then find out that the king is being framed is a great plot!

Donovan’s commitment to gain Orleia’s trust was endearing. He really wanted to show her that he was someone she could confide in. Orleia was bold and didn’t hesitate to stand up for herself.

I wish we had more Kade! I just loved when he interrupted moments between Orleia and Donovan when they thought they were alone. It would be great to have a bonus scene with Kade and Kegan working together to gain intel at a party.

I love that all the books in this series are standalone, yet interconnected.

The only reason that it isn’t a 4 star for me is that there wasn’t a lot for me to infer. I would have like it to be a bit more of a puzzle to figure out who was behind the murder/murder attempts. Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward for the rest of the series!

[Randi]

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review (thank you BookFunnel).

In the spirit of fairness, I have not given this book a 1 star rating, as there are aspects that didn't appeal to me, but I recognise others may find compelling. However, I was very tempted to rate this book lower, for the reasons I will expand on below:

The romance had a lot of promise (a princess on a mission to avenge her murdered brother and the king who has been framed for it) but the execution was so ham-fisted and obvious that Orelia (the FMC) and Donovan (the MMC) came across like a couple from a bad parody of what romantasy books are like at their worst, than an actual couple with any on-page chemistry.

It was immediately clear that the story wasn't interested in taking itself seriously, despite the very serious premise, that I found myself skimming vast portions of the book, and fighting the urge to cringe. Princess Orelia just witnessed the murder of her brother, and the other characters tease her and flirt as though they're just raunchy work friends, and not total strangers. It was so jarring and tonally dissonant that I genuinely didn't know how impactful the brother's death was meant to be, because so much of the narrative was focused on Donovan calling Orelia by a nickname out of nowhere, instantly upon meeting her. It was so disrespectful and inappropriate that I just kept thinking "this woman is traumatised, and you're smirking while calling her "Kitten". Ewww. Their jabbing and bickering could have worked after a build up, but everything was so rushed, that it felt like the author wanted to have the veneer of an enemies to lovers dynamic between her leads, without wanting to actually deal with the slow burn required of such a dynamic.

Furthermore, the characters are meant to be fae, but other than the language referring to men and women as "males and females", there's no aspect of the world or characters that has anything to do with what is normally associated with faeries/fae/elves, that it honestly felt like reading about humans who happened to have magic powers. Characters with names like Robert, Arthur, Collins, etc are supposed to be fae? Donovan is somewhat better, but even he's called "Donny Boy" by the FMC. In what world are these vibes "fae"? They can lie, wear human-coded clothing, talk the way MODERN humans talk, etc that calling the people in this story "fae" honestly felt like a cheap way to lure in people looking to read about those kinds of characters, and not a genuine decision made by the author.

[Lacy]

4.25

❄️ ARC Review 🏹

"Are you always this difficult?" He asks exasperatedly. 🤨

"Yes." Why lie? I can't even count how many times I've been asked that question over the years." 😂

In this Fantasy Romance, Princess Orelia, from the Earth fae, is at a party when a group of unknown fae infiltrate the party and kill her brother, the king.

She escapes and vows revenge on the Water fae ruler, King Donovan, who must be behind the killing because her brother was killed with a sword made of ice. 🗡️

As she makes her way through the water fae kingdom, disguising herself so as to not be caught and killed herself, she gets more than she bargained for when she sneaks into the Water Fae castle to kill the king. 🔪

As she tries to slip out of multiple assassination attempts, the princess, who will become the Earth fae queen, has to judge who is friend and who is foe. 🏹

Who can she trust??

Princess Orelia, the FMC pulled me into the story immediately! Later in the book, the banter pulled me in so much I would've smacked my face with the book if I wasn't reading it on my phone.

It was fantastically funny and it felt like I was in on the relationships which were formed quickly, but deeply.

Because of a shared problem - who killed the Earth Fae King - the characters become close quickly and it lead to enjoyable, natural conversations that weren't holding back because the relationships were newly formed.

Kade, the sidekick friend, was such a cute brother-like character. Talk about a teddy bear who could also be a grizzly bear when someone he loves is in trouble.

I raced through this book. I was reading 12 books at the time and I found myself always gravitating to this one - and that's usually a bit rare for me. Generally I like to split my time between books/genres.

FYI, there are a few spicy scenes! 🌶️

If you like The Rise of the Scarlett Heroux but want less politics, you may like this book.

Triggers: Grief, Death, Murder, Gore

[Ashley booksndoxies]

Thank you to the author and IRIS Influencer Society for my gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I struggle with giving any book a star rating but this one especially. The tropes are tropes that I love in my romantasy books - enemies to lovers, grumpy (her)/sunshine (him), revenge, forced proximity, assassination attempts, found family, and a mystery involving the murder of the FMC’s brother. The first chapter started off with a lot of action and I was genuinely intrigued and interested. The FMC was relatable at that point - scared, on the run, traumatized. She was grumpy but who wouldn’t be after what she witnessed! The MMC was pure sunshine and clearly framed for the FMC’s brother’s murder. That initial meeting between the MCs was compelling - she came in fierce and he came off cocky. The story had many great plot points but it felt rushed. This was instalove on steroids.

Where I almost DNF was when the MMC gave the FMC a nickname. I hate nicknames, I hate nicknames that are used repeatedly in the story instead of sparingly. Needless to say, it almost lost me but I pushed through because I wanted to know what was happening. Did I predict who had set the MMC up and murdered the brother? Yep. Did the reason make sense? No, but honestly, there really isn’t a good reason for murder. When the MMC proposed, I was like holy warp speed. It felt so…rushed. I also struggled with some of the modern names and language used in the story. I liked the premise that a fae has only one element of magic unless they are royal but it was not explained well and the ending with Liam confused me. I wish it had been explained a little more.

I did not hate this book. I think that there is certainly an audience for it, it just was not my cup of tea. That said, I wish the author nothing but success on this release.

[Jessi L.]

I really wanted to love this book. A story of revenge, a king being framed for ordering the murder of the royal family of another kingdom. Fae with elemental powers. A true enemies to lovers; the FMC travels to exact revenge for her brother's murder by murdering the king who ordered it. It had so many tropes that are loved in romantasy books. Grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, found family, assassinations, revenge, and the above mentions enemies to lovers.

From the blurb, From Thorns and Ice sounds like it would be an epic tale full of magic, betrayal and revenge. Instead, to me, it came off as more of a modern day rom-com with some fantasy sprinkled in. The book starts off in Terraheim (the Earth Kingdom), with the infiltration of fae from the Water Kingdom. The reigning king (the FMCs brother) is murdered, assassinated really, while the princess watches horrified from the shadows. We then see the princess travel to Mizukall (Water Kingdom) to avenge her brother. Everything is fine in the story, up until she gets into the throne room. The immersion was completely shattered for me.

Almost immediately after Donovan (Water King) talks Orelia (Earth Princess, now Queen technically) out of killing him, and knowing her brother was killed in his name, he begins teasing her. Giving her the weird nickname 'Kitten'. This is the kind of banter one would expect between friends, not from someone you just held a knife to their throat. And especially not someone that is grieving the loss of their remaining family. The modern speech and phrases are another thing I cannot wrap my head around. We are in a world of kings and queens. Of magical abilities. And we are greeted with the line "My bad man."

If From Thorns and Ice had been marketed as a rom-comesque book, then I would have approached it as such. Based on what was promised, however, I cannot.

[Lucrezia Castello]

If your vibes are:

🥀 Romantasy
❤️‍🔥 Slow Burn
❤️‍🩹 Hurt/Comfort
🐈‍⬛ Black cat X golden retriever
⛓️‍💥 Forced proximity
🧝🏻‍♂️ Fae
🔮 Magic
🗡️ Assassination Attempts

Then, From Thorns and Ice is going to be your next reading😉

•

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting anything like that.

Right from the start, everything happens so quickly, and for a moment I feared it was the sequel😅

During the annual masked ball inside Terraheim Castle, the unthinkable happens: a surprise attack causes chaos and confusion, and claims a life.

Panic courses through Princess Orelia’s veins, but something even deeper takes root in her heart: the determination to uncover who was behind this undeserved calamity!

Thus begins her long and perilous journey towards the prime suspect in this affront: the King of Mizukall.
It is a pity that she has not devised a tactical plan, but only a definitive and lethal one: to make him admit his guilt and pay for the damage with his own life🔥

It seemed like a solid plan, were it not for the fact that, taken by surprise, King Donnovan – though not at his best – found himself powerless and with no way out.

A magnificent encounter, which began with a bang, but which merely marks the start of a long and tedious series of escalating conflicts between the Water King and the Earth Princess, complete with attempts on her life. Just so that no tragedy is complete without a bit of extra misfortune🫠

Although the ending was a bit predictable for me, the mystery aspect of the story kept me thoroughly entertained and had me laughing even more at the interactions between the main and supporting characters.

I can’t wait to read more by this author😍

[S. N. Brown]

I received an ARC of this book. These thoughts and opinions are completely my own. I will be (brutally) honest, so be warned.
I DNF'ed this at 21%, but there's a reason for that. Also, I forced myself to get at least 1/5 the way through to give it a chance.
I'll get straight to the point of why I rated this so low. It needs editing. And revisions. Quite a bit, if I'm being honest. There's a lot of repetition, multiple of the same word in one sentence, glaring grammatical errors. Overall the writing feels...juvenile.
This is a great of example of being "told" a story. It's cut and dry. Very little showing, and only minor descriptions. It leaves nothing for the reader to infer. I'm 99% sure I know one of the people responsible for Orelia's brother's death, it's grossly obvious.
These are Fae, yet nothing about them fits the usual Fae traits. They're basically humans with magical powers, so the premise feels misleading. Also, the use modern language and phrases is cringy, especially since they're practically living like the middle ages with technology and knowledge. "My bad man".
I'm not sure how old these characters are supposed to be, but they read like high schoolers. And the king (Donovan) is constantly calling her Kitten from the first interaction. Like, ewww.
Orelia's brother was murdered, in front of her, yet I don't feel her pain or emotion. She just comes across as an eye rolling child with an absence of brain cells.
So yeah, until major revisions are done, unless you like cringy characters and basic writing, I would not recommend spending money or time on this. If you're someone who actually liked this version of the book that I read...I'm sorry...
Mild language, ? spice.

[thesadiereads]

This book was so beautifully written. It’s was intense and chaotic. Totally loved the moment when Orelia and Donovan meet.
The writing pulled me in with its rawness and I loved how the story balanced vulnerability with strength.

Orelia is the heart of the story. She sees her brother getting murdered and flees from her kingdom and accuses Donnovan of killing her brother. Her strength feels quiet, raw and very real. The amount of emotional stress she has and with no one she knows around her the struggle to cope up with her brother’s death. Watching her slowly open up was one of the best part.

Donnovan is a new king shadowed by his father. He wants to reform his kingdom and is wrongly accused of another’s king’s murder plus has rebels eyeing his throne. The way he calls Orelia as the smelly kitten😂

Their chemistry was built on gradual trust and it felt good reading it. The way they talk and care for each other 🫶🫶

Definitely mentioning Kade and Orelia’s antics😂 the pig pen prank was the bestttt.
I literally thought this would have a part 2 but I loved how it’s a standalone. I can’t wait to see Emmy’s journey.

And spoilers now😭
I definitely knew Arthur was upto no good.
Liam was suspicious af. Like the way that man behaved made sure that he had his hand in the murder. Also want to know why his dad told him he was a heir.
Robert was unexpected. Lowkey hoped he would join hands with the fmc and mmc.
Cole was 50-50 for me. I thought he was a good guy but I started getting suspicious during the intrusion in Orelia’s room and confirmed when he didn’t tell Donnovan that she was crying. I mean he’s her guard and he has to report this to him!!!

[Krista Nicole]

A classic misunderstanding that leads them to being enemies and then unraveling the truth and learning to trust each other leads them to being lovers, this book features burning romantasy passion and the exciting chaos of two rulers coming together for their kingdoms.

The book starts with the FMC dealing with the devastating loss of having to witness her brother’s death, at the hands of the water fae and their king. When she goes into hiding and works to track down this king to seek her revenge, she learns that maybe all is not what it seems with his death when the earth king claims to have not ordered this execution. After several attempts on both their lives, they must work together to untangle the web of who is conspiring against them both while trying to keep their kingdoms from going to war, all while a burning tension between them threatens to snap.

I enjoyed the combination of court politics and covert type scheming that happened in this book. I was devastated for the FMC at the very start of the book and understood completely why she was not sure who she could even trust. Watching both her and the MMC slowly open up to each other and work toward what’s best for both their kingdoms and also get closer to one another. There was plenty of banter between them and my favorite part of these enemies to lovers types of books is when the tension between them finally snaps even if they don’t fully trust one another yet! Overall my rating 4.2/5!

Thanks to the author for the gifted copy, all opinions given are my own!

[Betwixt the Pages]

Rating: 🐧🐧🐧/5
Quick Reasons: snarky prose with a bit of a trickster fmc; interesting though incongruous world building; just the right amount of spice... but it felt very disjointed with how fast paced this read was; just not the right fit for me

Huge thanks to Kaya May for the ARC. This review is voluntarily written and in no way altered by this gesture.

Reading the blurb, this book was by all means right up my reading alley. Filled with fae courts, snarky trickster FMCs, and a star crossed romance, I wish that I had connected more fully with this story or these characters. I enjoyed some of the playful banter, and there were moments where I could see the potential... but the read overall fell very flat for me personally.

This is a very fast paced book, which did not leave a lot of room for our main characters to get to know each other, much less show us the readers who they are. While the snarky banter was entertaining, I could not fully suspend my disbelief and really FEEL their emotional connection-- it felt rather forced, if I'm being honest. There were also moments where I felt the plot itself was rushed-- times where I wish we had gotten more detail, more world building, more MORE. Instead, what was meant to be fae court and ethereal politics read rather closer to what I would imagine in our own world today, which often broke me out of the fantasy. The motivations fell flat overall, especially with the final "twist"-- as if the story needed a fast ending, where maybe a little more depth might have worked better.

Still, I would recommend this to lovers of fae politics, snarky banter, and steamy spice scenes. After all, what does not work for me is another reader's paradise, right? In a world of secrets and magic, who do you trust most, Penguins? Choose wisely, lest the choice be your last.

[Kelsey | KLS Reviews]

DNF at 44%

As much as I wanted to finish this book, I couldn't get over the fact that this seemed to be more about Donovan and Orelia bonding with each other, than Orelia searching for her brother's killer. Based on what I did read, I felt that Orelia wasn't as loyal to her kingdom as I thought she would be, especially when it comes to how much time she's been spending with Donovan and the lack of progress in finding the killer(s). (For it being close to the halfway point, I had thought there would be a bit more progress than there was). As she is a princess, wouldn't she want to be preparing to take over her position as Queen? If she were to be queen, she'd have more power and resources at her disposal. I felt that for what happened to her brother and for how angry and scared she was in the beginning of the book, this book is not very serious as I thought it would be.

While this book was not for me, I do recommend it to readers who are looking for a more lighthearted romantasy with easy banter between the FMC and MMC. While they are rivals...it seems that the relationship between the two of them is a little too easy. I just wish that there was more to Orelia and her quest to find her brother's killer(s).

As this is the first book in a series...I may pick this up again once the second book is out.

All opinions are my own.

[Briana]

Review of Advanced Copy Received from Author

Sweet 4🌟 Read — Feels like a great introductory to Romantasy read with easy world building and just the right amount of spice 🌶️

Read this book if you want to follow along on one Princess’s journey through loss and heartache — to finding allies and trust in places she never expected — as well as betrayal from those she thought she’d always be able to trust.
Also, watch a King who, against the advice of the those closest to him, learns to follow his heart and to trust even when the choice does not make the most sense — and as he processes losses and betrayal as well coming from some that he would have never thought capable.

Tropes to expect:
⚔️ Enemies to Lovers
👑 Forced Proximity
⚔️ Political Intrigue
👑 Assassination Attempts
⚔️ Black Cat/Golden Retriever
👑Romantasy
⚔️ Fae
👑 Grumpy/Sunshine(but her 🫠)

Plot was fairly straightforward, had a little bit of mystery to it but not overly nail biting. It did make me laugh more than I expected! —she has that “grumpy sunshine” vibe and he is a TOTAL sucker for it!! 🥰

This is book 1 in a series but the author is writing them as interconnected standalones so you will follow characters in the same world but not have major cliffhangers ❤️ Sooo we essentially got our HEA 🥰👏🏻 —that does not come without some DRAMA and some feelings of angst and struggles along the way 👀👀

[andshe.reads]

From Thorns and Ice is a romantasy novel that follows Orelia as she's forced into hiding after her brother the king was murdered. She has to navigate betrayal, magical powers & a growing attraction to the King from another kingdom. The story has many favourite tropes such as enemies to lovers, court intrigue & a magical setting.

Filled with lots of banter, fae courts, & an enemies to lovers romance this story was right up my street. I could see some amazing potential however the writing felt rather juvenile.

The story was really fast paced so there wasn't much room for character growth. I'm all for an insta romance but when the King was calling Orelia kitten from the first meeting honestly it just gave me the biggest ick.
I did enjoy the banter between the two MCs but just couldn't connect on a deeper level.

Also I felt that the characters felt more like humans with magical powers rather than fae as there wasn't anymore of the typical fae traits I'd have expected to read about. Which was such a shame.

I did appreciate the descriptions of the scenes however & could picture the two different kingdoms however felt this could have been expanded.

I would still recommend the book however as it's a quick romantasy read to bridge the gap between books. Plus the spicy scenes were a bonus.

[HollaBook Vibes]

This is book one in a romantasy series where each book follows different couples but stays in the same world, which I always love because you get closure and more to look forward to.

Tropes:
Feisty FMC • He Falls First • Reluctant Allies to Lovers • Found Family • Betrayal

What worked:
This book jumps straight into the action from page one and honestly never really slows down. I liked the characters right away, especially the FMC — she was strong, stubborn, and easy to root for. The story itself felt complete by the end, which is a big plus for a series starter, and it definitely made me curious about the next book and the rest of the world.

What didn’t:
The writing sometimes felt a little immature, which made parts of the story feel rushed when they could have hit harder with a bit more buildup. And I’m sorry… but the pet name “kitten” was not it for me. Every time it popped up, it pulled me right out of the moment 😅

Overall, this was a fun, fast-paced romantasy with solid characters and a lot of action. I think if the pacing had slowed just a bit and the writing felt more polished, this could have easily been a 4+ star read for me — but I’m still interested enough to keep going with the series.

[Khadejah Ibrahim]

ARC Review
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Unfortunately, I ended up DNFing this book at around 40%. It’s not a bad story overall, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
First, it didn’t really feel like a fantasy novel to me. The names vibe leaned more toward urban fantasy.
Second, Donovan (the MMC). I understand he’s meant to be the “golden retriever” type, but I found it really cringey that he started calling Orelia “kitten” right after their first meeting. I’m not a big fan of nicknames in general, but they can work when there’s an established relationship. Here, it just felt forced, and “kitten” in particular didn’t land well for me.
Lastly, Orelia (the FMC). I struggled a lot with her decisions. After witnessing her brother’s assassination, she immediately leaves the ball (still in her gown and all) and rushes off to hunt down the killer without any preparation or information. She doesn’t take time to gather intel, plan, or consider the consequences for her people. I understand she was grieving and acting emotionally, but her actions felt impulsive to the point of frustration.
That being said, readers who enjoy hotheaded, impulsive FMCs might still find something to like here.

[Julie]

Thanks to Iris Influencer Society for the chance to read this ARC.

This book was a good time. Pure vibes, quick and easy read, full of giggles and rage. A prickly princess who pulls pranks and will stab you for upsetting her. A super happy-go-lucky king who just can't help falling for her.

The story immediately throws you into a chaotic scene ending in the king's murder, and his sister is running for her life. But she's on a mission to get revenge, and the meet cute begins with a knife-to-throat situation with another king. She's totally a feisty and prickly black cat (he calls her Kitten) and he's absolutely a golden retriever. Their banter and interactions are fun with spicy tension that ignites. Especially as they are both escaping additional attempts on both their lives.

You won't find heavy worldbuilding in this book, or complicated characters. I guessed who one of the bad guys was pretty quickly due to his demeanor. The dialogue was straightforward and narration flowed easily. But what you will find is a fun time. This book is vibes, and when you're in the mood for a less serious/less heavy romantic fantasy with a HEA, this fits the bill.

[Gabi Kielkucki]

Alrighty everyone, buckle up because I think I just found my new favorite series.

I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! While it has some of the typical themes of a romantasy novel, I could not stop laughing! Not only is the banter between our two characters *perfection* there is just so much to love about the story that Kaya has written. It’s as if she took Throne of Glass and combined it with a Laurie Gilmore book, and while I know that doesn’t make a whole lotta sense, it’s the best thing I’ve got.

I fell in love with the characters from the first page, each chapter driving me to keep reading and exploring this new world. Donovan and Orelia have definitely moved up to take a high ranking on my bookish OTP list!

I can’t wait for the next books to come out and dive deeper into the Reigning Fae series! I mean an interconnected standalone rom com fantasy?? Does it get much better than this?

While the content is lighthearted, there are some heavier themes, so be sure to check Kaya’s content warnings before diving in.

Thank you so much to the fantabulous Kaya May for allowing me to read this early!

[Jasmine]

⭐️ 5/5
🔥 5/5
🌶️ 4/5
💧 4/5

From Thorns and Ice was a strong fantasy romance that balanced emotional conflict with underlying mystery.

Orelia’s grief and anger felt justified, especially since she witnessed her brother’s death and believed Donovan was responsible. That added weight to the enemies-to-lovers dynamic and made the tension between them feel real.

Donovan’s actions throughout the story showed depth to his character, particularly when he ensured Orelia had a guard from her own kingdom. It reinforced that she wasn’t truly a prisoner, even if she initially believed she was.

The relationship development between Orelia and Donovan was engaging, with strong interactions and moments of tension that slowly shifted over time. Small moments, including jealousy, added to the emotional layer of their connection.

The mystery element surrounding her brother’s death kept the story interesting. While some aspects were predictable, others were unexpected, which helped maintain engagement throughout.

Overall, this was a compelling fantasy romance with emotional depth, strong character dynamics, and a well-balanced plot.

[Danielle Guerrero]

I was given an ARC from the Iris Influencer Society; all of my thoughts, opinions, and comments are all my own.

DNF'ed at 5%

I honestly do not know what the hell I was reading from the very beginning; it was so poorly written, just from the blurb itself. The premise of storytelling was not making any sense, and all it came off as was "I have an apple, therefore my friend has an apple. I have an apple." when describing what the character saw or the action they were doing in that moment. The way the first scene of the first chapter was described redundantly, and could have been written straightforwardly and to the point. It's almost as if the story was just being told in circles rather than progressing through after an assassination was made at the event where it took place. This could have gone through more editing before publishing because I have no idea what I just read, and it gave me a massive headache. I will not be giving stars for this book because from the very first few pages, the writing was poor and horrendous. As mean as this review sounds, this book is just not it and needs HEAVY editing work to be put on. This book was not it for me, and I would not recommend it to anyone to read. I'd rather save people a headache/migrane from poor writing.

[After Dark reads club]

✨ From Thorns and Ice review ✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶🌶

This book’s setup had a few of my favorites: revenge, enemies to lovers, assassination attempts, black cat x golden retriever, and magic!! 😍
Orelia’s drive for revenge after losing her brother really sets the tone, and I loved that she comes in strong, determined, and ready to take down a king. Donovan? Oh, he totally has that golden retriever energy that makes you chuckle throughout the book—but his loyalty and protectiveness also make you really like him.
Their dynamic was honestly one of my favorite parts. The banter between them was so good and kept me engaged the whole time 🤭
The elemental magic was also really interesting and added a nice layer to the world. I just wish we got to see a bit more of each character fully using their specific type of magic.
The story is fast-paced, but you still get to see their relationship grow and how they begin to trust each other—especially after so much trauma and betrayal.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable, easy-to-get-into romantasy. If you like a quick read with fun tropes, strong banter, and a mix of tension and softness, this one is worth picking up.

[Candace's_Book_Nook]

I flew through this book, it was such an addictive read!

The story follows Orelia, an earth fae princess driven by revenge after her brother’s death, only to discover things aren’t as black and white as she believed. I really loved her character arc, watching her shift from anger and certainty into something more layered and self-aware felt natural and well done.

Donovan, the water fae king, and his kingdom added such a strong contrast to what Orelia expected. There’s a calm strength to him and a level of car and understanding that just makes you want to fall in love with him!

The plot moves quickly but never feels rushed, with just enough twists to keep you hooked and questioning everything alongside her. It balances action, emotion, and tension really well.

Kaya May’s writing style is what truly stood out to me. It’s smooth, immersive, and easy to fall into, with a way of pulling you through the story without effort.

Overall, a gripping and well-written story that kept me turning pages the entire time. Definitely recommend.

[Holly Shotts]

This book was super-fast paced and a fun read. The first chapter had me super hooked. The plot is amazing, I would have loved some more world building just because it is a new series and it is Fae with Magic powers, I would have loved to learn more about that in general, but I am sure we will learn as the series progresses.

The FMC Orelia is watched something horrific happen and instead of depending on others to fix the issue for her she decided she was going to go after the problem herself and rely on herself rather than other. She is badass.

The MMC Donavan is very much big big cinnamon roll but would do anything for the people he loves. When Orelia tried to kill him, he did not overreact and wanted to under why and help her in any way possible.

This whole book takes you through an adventure trying to figure out who is behind the whole plot to kill Orelia and take her kingdom for themselves.

Tropes:
Romantasy
Slow Burn
Hurt/Comfort
Black cat X golden retriever
Forced proximity
Fae
Magic
Assassination Attempts

[ReviewsByNic]

From Thorns and Ice by Kaya May
ARC- 3.5/4 stars
Newer Release

Thank you, Kaya and IRIS, for this early copy! All parts of this review are of my honest opinion

From Thorns and Ice is a fast-paced Fae Romantasy with political assassinations, magic, mystery, royalty. Our Princess, Orelia, is an Earth Fae who makes her way to the Water Fae kingdom in the hopes to take revenge on their King after her brother is brutally murdered.

This adventure gives her more than she bargained for 😉 Both King Donovan and Orelia are met with more twists and turns while trying to figure out who can be trusted. You will have to read to find out who are friends and who became foe 🧐

I did find the book to be pretty predictable in terms of the plot line, but I enjoyed the characters as who they are and their relationship together. Especially Orelia and Kade because honestly they give brother and sister vibes that are just amazing!

Tropes
🌿 Slow Burn
❄️ Black Cat/Golden Retriever
🌿 Forced Proximity
❄️ Hurt/Comfort
🌿 Fae & Magic
❄️ Assassination Attempts

[Preshina Pillay]

Thorns and Ice completely pulled me in and refused to let go. From the first chapter, I was hooked—and before I knew it, I had read the whole thing in one sitting and finished it in a day. I literally could not put it down.
The pacing? Sooooo good. The story just keeps moving without ever slowing down, and every chapter gives you something—more tension, more emotion, more reasons to keep reading “just one more chapter.”
And the characters… I loved them so much.
Orelia is such a fun FMC. She’s feisty, full of personality, and her pranks had me smiling so much—but she’s also strong and resilient in a way that really hits. She felt so real.
Donovan… I’m obsessed. The way he balances being a king while still being kind and caring. It’s that quiet strength that just pulls you in. He’s powerful, but also soft in the best way.
Kade's loyalty honestly melted me. He’s so protective and steady, and I loved that Orelia sees him as a brother. Their bond felt so genuine and added such a beautiful found-family element to the story.
The dynamic between all of them was just chef’s kiss—the tension, the relationships, everything felt so natural and addictive.
The writing is immersive, emotional, and just flows so easily. And the twists?? Although I saw some of it, I still completely enjoyed it.
This book gave me everything—characters to love, emotions to feel, and a story I didn’t want to end.
I need the next book immediately.
If you love fantasy with strong characters, emotional depth, and relationships that stay with you—add this to your TBR ASAP.
Thank you Kaya May for this ARC! I devoured this book!