Blackfrost

Wytch Kings #2

by Jaye McKenna

Wytch Kings, Book 2
When the Wytch Council assigns Kian as healer to Prince Ambris, he is sent to the isolated country estate of Blackfrost. There, Kian finds a desperate man nearing the end of his endurance, a mystery, and a chance for love.
Son of a simple blacksmith, Apprentice Wytch Kian has always known that once his apprenticeship is over, he'll be sent far from home to serve the Wytch Council. Before his training is even complete, Wytch Master Taretha orders him to Blackfrost, an isolated country estate, where he is to serve as personal healer to Prince Ambris of Miraen.
Nothing in Kian's experience has prepared him for what he finds at Blackfrost, and every day brings new questions. Like why is Prince Ambris being kept prisoner at Blackfrost? Where does Wytch Master Taretha take him every fortnight? And why does the prince return from these excursions suffering from horrific injuries that Kian is expected to heal?
Kian quickly learns that seeking answers to these questions could cost him his life. Worse, he soon finds himself struggling with his growing feelings for Ambris, putting him at odds with both Wytch Master Taretha and the sadistic guard captain, Malik. Can Kian unravel the mystery in time to save Ambris? Or will the prince finally succumb to madness and destroy Blackfrost and everyone in it?

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, M M Romance, Shapeshifters, Romance, Magic, Paranormal

186 pages, Paperback

First published April 29, 2016

About the author

Jaye McKenna was born a Brit and was dragged, kicking and screaming, across the Pond at an age when such vehement protest was doomed to be misinterpreted as a “paddy”. She grew up near a sumac forest in Minnesota and spent most of her teen years torturing her parents with her electric guitar and her dark poetry. She was punk before it was cool and a grown-up long before she was ready. Jaye writes fantasy and science fiction stories about hot guys who have the hots for each other. She enjoys making them work darn hard for their happy endings, which might explain why she never gets invited to their parties.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this is still happening...



Me and my cyber dragon child enjoyed our buddy read of 'Burn the Sky' so much that of course this past weekend we needed more and jumped into 'Blackfrost' the second book in Jaye McKenna's 'Wytch King' series and it was just as awesome as the first one.

'Blackfrost' picks up a couple of years after the events of 'Burn the Sky'. Kian has resumed his apprenticeship with Ilya as his teacher and he's almost done when another Witch Master arrives at Altan and orders Kian to Blackfrost where he is to care for Prince Ambris of Mirean.

It doesn't take Kian long to figure out that things aren't what they seem at Blackfrost but he's just not sure exactly what's going on. As Kian tries to puzzle out what's happening at Blackfrost he and Ambris get to know each other becoming friends...friends who want more, but neither man is convinced that more is what they can have.

This one was definitely a slow burn but with the risk to both of them exploring the more was to risky. Between the machinations of Wytch Master Taretha and Malik, captain of the guard at Blackfrost who loved nothing more than to brutalize people...especially Ambris and Kian getting through a day without being abused is a full time job.

While there was a point about halfway through this story where things were a little on the slow side and I admit I was starting to feel a little frustrated with the lack of progress happening in the story line. Fortunately my frustration was short lived and I was rewarded with an ending that was very worthwhile and that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Woven into this story are some new characters but we also have many of the characters from 'Burn the Sky' playing key roles in this story but not monopolizing it...Witch Master Ilya, Wytch King Gerrick, Prince Jaire, Mille who rules King Gerrick kitchen's and seems to be mother hen to them all.

I loved the ending for this story. Kian and Ambris endured a lot to earn their HEA and it was well deserved. I loved that while this story was set in the same world as 'Burn the Sky' it was also very different and while the first book hooked me, 'Blackfrost' definitely sank that hook in good and hard making me want more...all the dragons will be mine and my awesome cyber dragon child, Josy's we're both totally on board for the rest of this series and looking forward to our next awesome Dragon Buddy Read. Thanks for joining me on this awesome dragon adventure Josy. I'm definitely looking forward to our next dragon adventure when we get more of Jaire because he's freakin' adorable!!!

[Josy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, my awesome cyber momma Karen found exactly the right words to describe this book. It's eerie how much in tune we are when it comes to this series. Please check out her review :)

We are having soooo much fun with this series and I'm looking forward to Jaire's story, book 3 in this adventure, because I loved him from the very beginning.

Thank you for making these books even more enjoyable, Karen <3

[Lisazj1]

This is a sweet gift from my sweet Josy, thank you so much!! xx

[Jaye McKenna]

Sequel to Burn the Sky
Available now at Smashwords, All Romance, and Amazon

Coming soon to other retailers

[Beth doesn't write enough reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Ambris went through hell here. The pain he suffered was tangible.

There was a lot of suffering here, violence, whipping, swords and fire.

We did however get more of Kian from Burn the SkyBurn the SkyBurn the Sky and his muscles.

I enjoy the world Jaye McKenna has built and am excited to continue the series.

[~ Lei ~ Reading Is An Adventure ~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★☆☆ ~ 3 Stars

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Kian in the last story and this was fun to see him get his own in this one. You really feel for Ambris in this story. He's had such a rough time of things and all really at the hands of his own family claiming to be trying to help him. Right, help. There was no way that Kian was going to be able to stand by and just heal Ambris everytime he comes back from his "lessons."

I enjoyed this story and how it developed. The relationship between Kian and Ambris was very sweet and simple. I appreciated how the end of the story came about and I'm looking forward to more storie in this series.

[Claudie ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as enjoyable as the first book. Both the plot and the MCs were more developed here, and there was just enough hurt/comfort to keep things interesting. The conclusion seemed a bit rushed, though. Also, despite some plot twists, the ‘baddie’ was pretty obvious from the start.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved both Ambris and Kian!

[Наталья · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Deeze · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I enjoyed this one a little more.

There was just something about Ambris that drew me in. There was plenty of story too.

I can't help feeling a little disappointed that there was no Wytch Council conclusion. I need to see them all dispersed LOL

Very enjoyable

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer - I had the pleasure of beta reading this book several times during the story's development.

Kain, the healer and former lover of Whych King Garrick is selected by another Whych Master to act as healer to Prince Am risk who is exiled to Blackfrost- a half burnt out house in the middle of nowhere two kingdoms away. Ambris is a Dragon shifter emotionally unable to shift - a fact the Whych Master is taking advantage off. Guarded by Malik - who has a grudge against Ambris life is dangerous for the two men who become more than price and healer to each other.

I liked this one even more than book one and am really looking forward to Jaire's story and finding out more about Ambris jewel taken from the Whych Master

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't thank the author enough for gifting this book to me as part of the M/M Romance Group anniversary party this year! This series is so great, and I'm enjoying the heck out of it.

This one is not for the faint of heart. So. Much. Torture. But I love a character who is downtrodden and abused finally coming into their power and getting autonomy back.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

A good sequel to Burn the Sky. Quite fond of the characters, nice world building, nice plot, solid editing. Recommended if you liked the first one. The reason I didn't rate it higher is that it just was missing "something". I wish I could put my finger on it. Still... dragons!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I seriously enjoyed this book! It was just suspenseful enough which I find very important. Well, on to the next book. Recommended, happy reading!

[Daniel Mitton · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Originally reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews. Rated 4.5 out of 5.0 Love Bytes.)

If Blackfrost is anything to go by, the rest of this series is going to be as good as the first book! I really enjoyed this book.

In this current installment, we shift sideways to a character from the previous book who now takes center stage. Kian was introduced in Burn the Sky as Prince Garrik’s somewhat casual lover early in the story. Kian was there when the awakening of Garrik’s power burned down an entire forest and killed Kian’s then master. Kian was the one who went to contact Wytch Master Ilya and send him to help Garrik. It has now been three years and Kian has been studying and working on his apprenticeship under Wytch Master Ilya. The future looks bright, but he is about to be ripped from his comfortable life. Another Wytch Master, this one a Council member, shows up and demands Kian accompany her immediately. He is given little time to say goodbye to people in Altan and no time to say goodbye to his family. Lesser magic users in this world are given few choices in their personal lives…being subjected to Council demands and almost treated like servants. Kian soon finds himself three kingdoms away…sent off to the wilds to care for a man locked in an attic in a secluded, half burnt manor.

Prince Ambris is such a broken character when we meet him, and Kian finds out quite quickly that there is far more to the story. I loved the pace of the story. It moved along quickly and dragged me to end of the book before I even had a chance to blink. I had plans for this morning, which were totally ruined! Imagine…having to choose between running errands and reading a really good book, on a kind of chilly morning. (relatively…I do live in Southern Florida after all!) Obviously, the book won, without a struggle.

This one has good versus evil, dragon shifters, magic, and a HFN ending.

[JoAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another 4 star for me.

This series is getting to be another favorite of mine. In my opinion it’s hard to find to good fantasy dragon books, even harder when it’s MM, so this is is actually very refreshing.

Where as the first book practically started out with sex this one had very little steam. The fact that it had very little steam made it all the better in my opinion. Our prince has been horribly abused and practically held captive for 5 years as well as enduring horrifying failed shifts. If you told me after the first few weeks of care and attention that he was horniest man alive I’d roll my eyes. Anyways what I’m saying is it worked and it worked well, even if I am a perv...

And I absolutely loves Kian. I loved him in the first book and I loved him here. Even if he was a brute of a blacksmiths son he was loving and caring and had a heart of the healer he was. I was happy when all his pain paid off in the end.

The next story is Price Jaire (I think I spelt that right) and I am super excited.

[llv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4 stars I really liked this addition to the Wytch Kings saga. I found both Kian and Ambris to be great characters. It was also great to revisit some of the characters from the first novel. I really liked Jaire in particular and hope that the author gives him his own novel. I loved the world that this author has created and would recommend this book to anyone who loves both dragons and magic.

[Tj · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the story. I thought that the characters were well developed. Still this just missed the mark for me. I still enjoyed the different take on shifters. I just felt that the relationship wasn't developed. The author seemed to take more time with the "prison" and the impossibility of escape. In the end the story was good to read but just didn't leave me with much of an overall impression.

[Saskia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this far more than the first one. The plot and characters felt way more developed and thought through. Things were actually happening--and not just in the last quarter of the book. While it was still a little insta-lovey, it wasn't nearly as bad as the first book.

[Aelfwina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Towards the end it was like the author ran out of ideas and decided that they all would find one another (where they spent the majority of the story trying to get a message out) and it would all be resolved. Two stars for a few interesting twists. Other than that, this is a bit of drivel.

[Denise White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Getting better

This series is getting better.... I loved the plot and both MC'S.... Poor Ambris he was so sweet... Him and Kian were made for each other...Off to book 3

[Sunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one stressed me out. Awful knot in my gut for most of the book, but I couldn't put it down.

Another speedy resolution, but I'm hooked on this series :)

[DoaJaneoDoe · Rating 2 out of 5]

this one was a bit too dark for me. well written like all others but I was struggling to read it :(

[Tully Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my review of book one, Burn the Sky, I proclaimed it my favorite dragon shifter story. Well, we have an upset. After finishing Blackfrost, I have to say that as much as I adored Garrick and Ilya’s story and didn’t think it possible for the series to get better. It did. I have a new favorite dragon shifter story!

I love broken boys, and this author excels at providing perfect, realistic HEA endings for the tortured and broken men she makes me adore. Well, I’m here to say that Prince Ambris gives a whole new meaning to the word broken. Don’t believe me? Read the first chapter and see.

I was hooked in from the first page, which is actually pretty rare for me. Word that comes to mind to describe the beginning is stunning and both dictionary meanings do apply (1. causing astonishment, bewilderment & 2. of striking beauty or excellence). So if you’re easily squeaked out, maybe a bit of caution as it’s vividly written, but don’t let it stop you as I can almost guarantee it will suck you in.

The world building in this series rivals any I’ve seen. All of the author’s series take place in the same universe but in different timeframes, which makes for a world that’s well-developed, intricate and complex. Pretty epic really. For a better understanding than I can give, check out the Aion Timeline here: http://www.jayemckenna.com/p/timeline...

So in this book we get to visit characters I loved from book one: the newly crowned Wytch King Garrick and his beloved Wytch Master Ilya; Garrick’s younger brother Jaire whose powers have grown since the last book; and of course, sweet and witty Kian.

Kian is such a nice guy. In the first book, he was Prince Garrick’s friend and sometime bedmate. And the two remained good friends despite... well, everything from book one. Enjoyed that there was no jealousy when Garrick found his love in Ilya, and that their friendship was firm and solid throughout. I love that Kian is bisexual, and that he’s such an easy going, laid back, and rather simple guy. He’s the guy I’d like to have for a pal. I could just squeeze him.

But as much as I like Kian, it’s Ambris who rocked this story for me. And it’s hard to explain why without spoilers, which is frustrating but I don’t want to give anything away. So I’ll just say that I enjoyed seeing how having someone care for him and for whom he could care allowed him to find the strength to transform from the tortured, beaten down, nearly hopeless man he was at the beginning into the strong and confident man of royal blood that was his destiny. That, and the fact that the physical description of Ambris is so unique that although the cover rocks just as it is and I really wouldn’t change it, there is a small part of me disappointed that it didn’t have a representation of Ambris in all his awesomeness.

Amidst the nicely paced action and angst, the main characters manage some steamy sexy times, including a massage scene that I found particularly titillating. There’s also a delightful side relationship between two of the minor characters that I added another level of enjoyment to the story. And I even like the cover, it's like a freeze action frame that captures a key scene in the story in all of its power and poignancy right down to the screaming angst on the dragon’s face.

[jennifer Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful tale

Blackfrost is Kain's story. It is intense and full of danger and passion with an ultimate HEA. It was wonderful well written. I can't wait to read the next book.

[M'rella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a soft spot for poor princes in distress. At the same time I have a soft spot for mean revenge. Not having it was a cause of great disappointment where my meanness is concerned >:|
...something else bugged me, but I don't remember it now, so it must not be important.

Ah! I remember now: all the good people have survived and all the bad people have perished (except for a character we don't really see much of anyway)..

Those two problems combined caused less drama in this book than I had hoped for. I was hoping for epic proportions angst...

Hence 4 stars

PS And Kian. Very childish more often than not.

[Rin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

I was really interested in the plot but the story itself didn't grip me as much as the first book, probably because the first book was more interesting in terms of seeing a new world while I was already familiar with the world when reading this book.

The book was considerably darker than the first book with its torture and a sense of helplessness. At times even I wondered how could they get out of that situation.

The characters were likeable enough and the bad guys were easy to detest. However overall, the story just didn't hook me in as much as I thought it would have. It was, nonetheless, a good read.

[Chancey "Does not give out 5's like candy" Knowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 = Still a good story and an interesting world. It felt much darker than the first. Though it was still engaging, the relationship also didn't seem as well fleshed out as the first couple. Kian really grew into his own, and that was very satisfying. The overall story arc was moved forward and continued to engage. The intrigue was increased as more pieces of all the political maneuverings were revealed.

It was a good read with no major flaws. It just didn't push all my buttons like the first in the series did., but I feel that is more due to personal preferences than anything to do with the writing of story. I will most definitely continue on with this series.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so glad I read this book. It was everything I wanted from the first book but it just didn't quite get there for me. This was so good. I would have given 5 stars but I felt like how many times and how often I had to read about Malik and his discipline was just a couple times too many. Granted, the prince got his revenge and I am vengeful enough to have been happy about it. I will definitely tune in to this series in the future. When can we bring the council down? I'm here for it!