Shattered Frost

Frost #3

by Liz DeJesus

Follow Bianca down the rabbit hole and into Wonderland as she escapes the clutches of a ghost determined to make her his own....

Bianca Frost and her BFF Ming Lee return to Everafter to attend the Winter Ball with their boyfriends, Terrance and Prince Ferdinand. They were looking forward to a short vacation, especially Bianca, who is being bullied at school. She is looking forward to the day when she can finally graduate from high school. But all is not cute hair and fancy shoes as a mysterious count sets his sights on Bianca at the ball. When Count Jonathan Bleu kidnaps Bianca and Ming, the pair must do everything in their power to escape his clutches. In this amazing adventure, Bianca and Ming find themselves traveling down a rabbit hole, where they have to survive the madness of Wonderland in order to make it back home to the men they love.

Bianca and Ming must travel to the Queen of Hearts’ labyrinth, find Bluebeard’s key and save Jack of Hearts before Bianca loses everything she holds dear.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

258 pages, ebook

First published August 13, 2015

About the author

Liz DeJesus is a novelist, freelance writer, and a writing coach. She has been writing for as long as she was capable of holding a pen. She is the author of The Jackets (Arte Publico Press, March 2011) The Frost Series, Morgan, The Laurel, Girl, Mugshots, Zombie Ever After and ABC's With the Vejigantes. Her work has also appeared in Twice Upon a Time (Bearded Scribe Press, Winter 2015) and Someone Wicked (Smart Rhino Publications, Winter 2013). Her articles have been featured in Southern Writers Magazine.
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Liz is also the co-founder of the Hockessin Art and Book Fair, Anime Day and Bento Con.
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She is also the winner of the 2023 Delaware Individual Artist Fellowship: Emerging, Literature: Creative Non-fiction, ABCs With the Vejigantes won 1st place at the 2023 Delaware Press Association Communications Contest Awards and 1st place at the 2023 NFPW Professional Communications Contest. She was recently awarded the 2024 Artist Opportunity Grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts.

Reviews

[Iris · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a copy from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Yay! Another adventure to read! I was so happy when I got the opportunity to read Shattered Frost. I loved the other two books in the series and couldn't wait to find out how the story for Bianca & company would continue. Which famous or not so famous fairy tale characters will we meet this time? Which dangers lie ahead? Oh, I was so anxious to start this book!

Fortunately this book lived up to my high expectations. It was once again lovely to be in the company of Bianca, Ming, Terrance and of course my personal favorite, prince Ferdinand. It was great to be in Ever After again and to get to know even more about the magnificent world that Liz DeJesus created and the people in it. This time around we even make a trip to Wonderland. Yes, you're reading it right. THE Wonderland of Alice. Whom we might encounter, or not ;)

Compared to the other two books, there's even more tension and anxiety to be found. Cause this time they encounter the horrible Bluebeard. For those of you who don't know him or need to refresh their memories: Bluebeard is a captain who gives his new wife the keys of the house every time he needs to go away. She's allowed to enter every single room in his home, except one. Of course she's curious and can't resist the temptation. Only to find the dead bodies of her predecessors. Bluebeard's former wives. Of course Bluebeard finds out that she looked... Know enough now? Refreshed your memories? It's THAT Bluebeard people and he's got his sight on Bianca!

Aka Iris was holding her breath multiple times during the story. Sat on the edge of her seat. The Queen of Hearts and her "off with their heads" was also not helpful to calm down her racing heart. Gah! Just when you think that you've had the worst. That you'll finally get a chance to catch your breath! To be honestly, I shouldn't complain, I loved every minute of it! After reading this great story I can't wait to read another adventure of Bianca and her friends!

There's one thing though, that bothered me quite a bit. I found the mention of the M-word a bit too soon. I know we're reading about fairy tales and dealing with princes and magical creatures, but still. I'd preferred it more if they waited quite a bit. Till they were older. Much older.

Conclusion
I have nothing but praise for the way Liz DeJesus seemingly effortless uses all kinds of fairy tales in her stories. It's fantastic to get a whole new perspective on stories you've loved since you where a child and I just adore Bianca and her friends. With Shattered Frost she managed to make an even more gripping and fascinating tale by using some of the "darker" stories out there. Love it! Fairy tale lovers out there should definitely start reading this series!

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another great book in the Frost series - this time Bianca's story meshes with the tale of Bluebeard & Alice's Wonderland. As with all the books so far, the stories featuring Bianca Frost are good YA fantasy for those who prefer the damsel in distress to be "self-rescuing"

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to read the first two books in this series when they first came out and I really liked Liz’s style of writing and the world she had created. When this book came out, I was very excited to be asked to read and review it and was sent a free e-book copy.

I have to ashamedly admit that I have since had it for 2 years! It wasn’t that I didn’t want to read it, because I really did, but I got so behind with all my reviews and what with doing my English degree and working full time as well I just haven’t been able to read for pleasure that much. And when I do have time, it’s much easier to pick up a paperback book than load up my ebooks However I finally had a break from coursework over the holidays and decided to pick up a book for pleasure. I found this on my list of books I still needed to read and picked it out straight away.



Having been so long since I read the others in the series it took me a while to get back into what was happening, but there is enough information and gentle reminders to bring you up to speed and soon I was off on another adventure with Bianca and Ming and it felt like we were old friends reuniting.

Ming and Bianca are travelling back to the land of ‘Everafter’ to spend the holidays with Terrance and Ferdinand, the girls can’t wait to be back with their beau’s and are praying for a quiet but enjoyable time. But things are never that simple when Bianca is involved and soon they are fighting off ghosts, kidnappers and even the Queen of Hearts. Yep, that’s right – the girls end up making their escape into Wonderland. Once there they discover that nothing is as it seems, there is danger round every corner and a million things they must accomplish before they can hope to get home. Meanwhile back in Everafter, Terrance and Ferdinand are desperately trying to track the girls down and bring them home safely.



Bianca is a great character, she’s a bit ditzy at times and always in the wrong place at the wrong time, yet she is determined, brave and fiercely loyal. She always tries to protect her friends and do the right thing. She is definitely flawed but this makes her all the more realistic and loveable. Her best friend Ming can be a bit of a wimp and I kept waiting for her to have a moment where she would say enough is enough and stand up tall, although it doesn’t come in a kick-ass, empowered way, she does get stronger and stands up to her fears at the end. Maybe she will continue to grow and burst out of her shell in the next book.

Terrance is a great character, he is so feisty and full of the desire to do something that you can’t help but cheer him on. He may have some anger issues, but he’s a sweetheart really.

I loved the setting of Wonderland, there was an interesting twist on the world we think we know and DeJesus has adapted it enough to make it her own. I love the mix in of the traditional characters, but none of them are quite as you remember them. Maggie Hatter is an amazing addition (daughter to the mad hatter), she says the perfect responses to things and really made me laugh at times. She’s strong and not afraid to get involved and help others.

I really enjoyed the book and was happy to be immersed back into those worlds with characters I have come to really like. I can’t wait to see what happens with Bianca, Ming and Maggie in the real world and what Terrance and Ferdinand get up to in Everafter whilst the girls are gone. The book is definitely set up for a sequel and I look forward to reading it.

Thanks again to Liz and once more apologies for taking so long to read it. But here is the review as promised J

If you haven’t read the series yet, I strongly suggest you do – you won’t regret it!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this series from the first book even though it is YA which I do not read a lot of mainly because I find some of them a bit annoying because they are basically about teens who can be very angsty in these stories. The characters here are very well filled out as far as what their personalities are like and what they stand for as individuals. The Everafter is an interesting place that gets more and more interesting as they add both characters and lands.

Bianca and Ming are excited to be heading to Everafter to see their boyfriends Terrance and Prince Ferdinand for the Winter Ball. Bianca being a descendant of Snow White has also inherited great magic and is considered to be a powerful witch. Her best friend has been tagging along as she makes trips to this magical land and now they will have to make some serious decisions about what they want to do after they graduate High school. Do they go to live in the Everafter with the men they love or do they stay in their world without them?

Before they can get much past the ball they are kidnapped and thrown into a basement by Bluebeard who has some wicked plans for them both. Bianca always attracts trouble and this is not any different. Before things can get really bad they are rescued and take a trip to Wonderland where they find a whole new set of problems.

I liked this enough that I really wanted to finish it because it ends on a dreaded cliffhanger. But I cannot get the last books because they are out of print. So I will say enjoy this series as far as it goes and try not to think about the fact that you will not get any closure.

[Iris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deze recensie is als eerste geplaatst op Carpe Libra

***Ik heb dit boek gratis en voor niks van de auteur ontvangen in ruil voor een eerlijke recensie. Dat heeft mijn mening over dit boek of de inhoud van deze recensie op geen enkele wijze beïnvloed.***

Yay! Weer een nieuw avontuur om te beleven! Wat was ik blij toen ik Shattered Frost in handen kreeg! Wat zouden Bianca & co deze keer weer beleven? Welke bekende sprookjesfiguren zouden deze keer hun pad kruisen? Welke gevaren zouden deze keer op hun weg liggen? Oh, ik was zo enthousiast toen  ik aan dit boek begon!

Gelukkig maakte dit boek mijn toch wel hoge verwachtingen waar. Het was wederom heerlijk om in het gezelschap van Bianca, Ming, Terrance en natuurlijk mijn persoonlijke favoriet, prins Ferdinand te zijn. Heerlijk om weer in Ever After te mogen vertoeven en meer te weten te komen over de wondere wereld die Liz DeJesus gecreëerd heeft. Deze keer nemen we zelfs een uitstapje naar Wonderland! Ja HET Wonderland van Alice. Die we misschien of misschien ook niet tegenkomen :)

De spanning zat er bij Shattered Frost ook goed in, nog meer zelfs dan de vorige delen. Deze keer krijgen de vrienden namelijk met Blauwbaard te maken en met zijn verschrikkelijke sprookje. Voor diegene die hun geheugen even moeten opfrissen: Blauwbaard is de kapitein die elke keer dat hij op reis ging zijn huidige vrouw de sleutels van het huis gaf. Ze mocht altijd alle kamers openen behalve ééntje. Nieuwsgierig opende de vrouw toch die kamer, om tot de ontdekking te komen dat daar de lijken van haar voorgangers verstopt waren. Waarop Blauwbaard, die er altijd achter kwam, haar vermoordde. Het is deze Blauwbaard mensen, die bovendien zijn zinnen gezet heeft op Bianca!

Oftewel, Iris zat meerdere malen op het puntje van haar stoel tijdens het lezen. Het hielp ook niet toen de hartenkoningin in beeld kwam en "off with their heads" begon the roepen! Gah! Dacht je net dat het even wat rustiger werd en je op adem kon komen, plots klopt je hart weer in je keel! Eigenlijk mag ik niet klagen, want ik heb van elk spannend moment genoten. Liz DeJesus wordt echt met elk boek dat ze schrijft beter! Kan nu al niet wachten om het volgende deel te lezen!

Enige kanttekening die ik nog wil plaatsen is dat naar mijn mening iets te snel met het T-woord werd gestrooid. Ik snap dat dit verhaal ook een sprookje op zich is, maar had liever gezien dat het iets langer had geduurd. Zeker tot ze wat ouder waren. Ook moet ik bekennen dat Wonderland niet mijn favoriete wereld is om te verblijven. Ik heb nooit veel op gehad met Alice en haar verhaal, dus had veel liever gezien dat een ander sprookje in dit boek centraal stond. Dat is echter mijn persoonlijke mening, ik denk dat anderen zullen springen bij de kans om op een heel andere en leuke manier kennis te maken met Wonderland!

Conclusie

Nog steeds heb ik niets anders dan lof over voor de manier waarop Liz DeJesus schijnbaar moeiteloos allerlei sprookjes en verhalen gebruikt in haar verhalen. Het is heerlijk om een andere kijk op alom bekende vertellingen te krijgen en ik ben gewoon dol geworden op Bianca en haar vrienden. Liz DeJesus is er met Shattered Frost ook in geslaagd om het nog spannender te maken door enkele donkerdere verhalen te gebruiken. Heerlijk! Sprookjesliefhebbers, komt en gaat deze serie lezen!

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liz DeJesus has written another timeless classic, which takes place inside both of Alice in Wonderland’s fairy tales – down the rabbit hole and through the looking glass. With all of these wonderful characters being magically linked in some way, the impossible always seems to make sense. Terrance’s secret surfaces, creating hope for all who are facing their death in a land which is famous for sending people mad; if only Bianca and Ming would stop disappearing! The added storylines which are not in the original fairy tales are a clever delight in this fast-paced, action packed adventure which becomes more and more mysterious with each page. I thoroughly enjoyed Bianca and Ming’s new friends and the love and determination shown by Terrance and Prince Ferdinand, who will do anything to save them. I recommend Shattered Frost to ages 12 and over who enjoy romance, paranormal, action, adventure, drama, along with their favorite fairy tales on steroids.

- Rosie Malezer for Readers' Favorite

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I RECEIVED A DIGITAL COPY IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW FROM THE PUBLISHER AT THE AUTHOR'S REQUEST.

All I Can say is OMG, she did it again. This is the 3rd book in the Frost series, & I have read the first two. Liz brings a whole new sense of adventure, & fun; with a little bit of mystery to the Snow White tale. Incorporating so many other interesting fairy tale characters seemlessly. Its as if all the characters have always been a part of her amazing world of Ever After. I hope Bianca & Ming have many more adventures in Ever After, because i plan to read every single one.

[Bella Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book. I mean the second book of the series is divine.Unfortunatelly the third book of the book was a disappointment. A huge one. Poorly written and a little boring. I mean I read it almost until the very bitter end but I couldn't take it any more. To be honest though I did cry twice but honestly it doesn't worth the effort to read it. Thankfully it was cheap.