Vale was born in battle seven hundred years ago, and in all this time, he's never encountered an enemy that poses a real challenge. Until now.
Devi has been told terrifying tales of vengeful gods since her youth. She never thought that she would wake up in a world where she had to fight them.
They're opposites, he gets on her nerves, she is under his skin, and if they're to survive, they must join forces.
Disclaimer:
Frostbound Throne is a trilogy. Book one: Song of Night. Book two: Song of Winter (October 2018) Book three: Song of Heaven and Ice (February 2019) Each book is novel length.
If you dislike cliffhangers, all three books will be available in one volume in February 2019.
Court of Sin is a series of adult fantasy novels unsuitable for clean readers.
May Sage is a USA Today Bestselling romance writer dabbling in different genres.
When she isn’t writing, she spends her time with her German Shepherd and her two Savannahs. She loves reading, ballet, running, and cake. Mostly, cake.
May Sage also writes longer fantasy romance novels as Alexi Blake.
Court of Sin is a series of adult fantasy novels unsuitable for clean readers.
I think it’s hilarious that there’s a tag for that. But yeah, there’s explicit language in this book, so if you’re one to be offended this book isn’t for you. I rarely notice written cuss words but there were enough that I noticed.
It’s got a smartass prince and a sassy elf/hybrid/chosen one. I enjoyed it. It’s a good start to a fantasy series and it was funny. I’ll probably wait for the series to complete before reading the rest just because I have trouble remembering what’s going on in series before the next book is released.
Vale does not act like an eons old high fae at all...more like a adolescent boy raging with hormones. The narration and diction is just juvenile in general and I found myself feeling like i was reading Sarah J Maas's A Court of Mist and Fury fanfiction. >_<
This is definitely one that got better as the story progressed. Devi and Vale are both better characters than I initially gave them credit for being. I genuinely like Devi, which is saying something as I tend to judge female characters more harshly. There are a few inconsistencies, like Devi randomly being impervious to harm and Vale randomly being able to lie, but I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised that . And I honestly didn't see that little twist at the end coming. Maybe I should have, maybe it was just me not paying enough attention, but I was like, "Wait a minute...what, who, how?" All in all I think it was a pretty successful first book.
I believe this book is supposed to be an adult fantasy romance. Unfortunately, the characters speak and behave immature. When I read fantasy I expect to swept up in the worldbuilding but when the characters use words like 'boner' and 'mojo' it does not make for an immersive reading experience. The origin of high fae, elves, orcs, and other beings in this world is unique and kept me reading when I felt like giving up. One scene pushed my limits of what I'm comfortable reading. I'm not sure if it was supposed to be consensual sex but there's a taboo and what looked to me like rape. No more Court of Sin for me.
I believe May Sage can do no wrong. After reading her Strands of Starfire series, I wanted to try her fantasy one and she, once again, exceeded my expectations. I have read both books, Song of Night and Song of Winter back to back so this review will encompass both.
Vale and Devi's story is divided in three novels but it's basically one book called Frostbound Throne, divided in three parts. I fucking loved these books. Proof is, I couldn't stop reading after Song of Night and had to immediately buy and start Song of Winter.
Think ACOTAR + Lords of the Rings with faes, elves, dragons, orcs and magic. Phenomenal. With her signature writing style, May Sage wrote an epic story set in a magical realm where deceits is key, secrets abound and war is brewing.
I absolutely loved the characters. All of them. Vale, our hero, is powerful, dark and moody and to die for. Devi, our heroine, may be even more powerful, sassy, loyal and smart. Together they formed the perfect pair and May Sage developed their relationship in a way that felt real. They were acquaintances first, attracted to each other but simple basic needs and never acted on it, then they became friends, close friends and learned to truly trust each other and then came the realization that it was more than friendship and basic sexual attraction.
I loved getting to see them understand their feelings, even if it was a little frustrating at times. I may have screamed at my kindle a time or two. But, above all, I loved their friendship and their easy banter, it made for an even more enjoyable story.
Speaking of, the story itself is amazing. Full of intrigues and twists with great and well developed characters, I was never bored, only wanting more as each chapter came to an end. May Sage wrote a very evocative story, it pulled me in and my head is still spinning from all the goodness.
As I've mentioned, I loved all the characters, not just the main ones. Vale's mother, Shea, was full of surprises and oddly endearing. Kallan, Vale's best friend, loyal to a fault and as impossible as his friend, I really liked him. All the others who were slowly introduced to us throughout the book, but I can't speak of them all because I don't want to spoil anyone. Some of them really took me by surprise and brought an interesting addition to the story.
I am beyond ready and excited for the final part, Song of Winter does end on a cliffhanger but it's a good one and makes the wait bearable.
At first the vulgar language used in Frostbround Throne was a bit jarring; however, after being immersed fully into the world and learning about each of the characters it became fitting that they behaved and spoke in the ways in which they did. Not to mention, I did just come off a long YA books streak so it took me a second to get used to the adult fiction world again. Nonetheless, I appreciated the emotional turmoil both Devi and Vale undergo in regards to their duties, as well as with each other. I am curious to see how the story continues in the sequel.
I was looking for a new fantasy series to read ever since I read The Cruel Prince in the Folk In The Air series by Holly Black (another great book). This was my first book by May Sage and I’m so so glad I decided to pick this up. The story mainly focuses on the a fictional land The Isle where there are two fae courts, the Seelie and the Unseelie.
Our main leads are Valerius Blackthorne (Vale) and Devira Star Rivers (Devi).
I’ll start off by saying I absolutely love Devi as a heroine. She’s badass and strong and witty. I don’t normally laugh out loud reading something funny but the banter between her and Vale had me grinning the whole time. Their romance was well written and flowed naturally without the instalove them so many books have going on lately. Other secondary characters include Shea Blackthorne, Vale’s mother and current Queen of the Unseelie Court and Kallan, Vale’s loyal second who both managed to make an impact on the reader.
The world building in this book is great and characters are fleshed out well instead of being 2 dimensional. There is a twist near the ending when an unexpected charcter shows his true colours. This was the only part that seemed little shaky and rushed to me but I’m hoping it’ll be better explained in the second book.
Frostbound Throne is funny, entertaining as hell and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who’s looking for a well written fantasy series to binge on.
I say adult because, yes there is swearing, lewd remarks, and sexual references. But it’s more than that. It is a fantasy with fae, elves, and other magical creatures. A feisty heroine (my favorite) and an arrogant but protective love interest, that don’t lose their minds over each other like some romances. Solid read if you need something new but familiar.
⚔️⚔️ONE THRILLING JOURNEY⚔️⚔️ Fantastic! May unleashes one helluva storm, kicking ass with a vengeance and blasting the gates wide open, raising the stakes and keeping it real, hooking you from the start and reeling you in for the duration, wrapping this baby up sleek, shiny and tight. Anarchy runs rampant and havoc is rife, rousting the drama, intrigue, spiraling suspense and intense situations, along with a double dose of danger, you have one mind-blowing masterpiece. Boundaries are amplified and exploited, laying out all the fervent facts, dubious deals and fierce fiascos, thrusting this baby into the eye of the storm launching it into a tailspin with an astonishing realization. The characters, interactions and charged atmosphere along with relatable qualities and individual traits adding depth and diversity, transforming into outstanding personalities. The scenes are abundantly descriptive with colorful details that blend and flow, creating a majestic backdrop that's so rich and lively it feels like you can just reach out and touch it. Remarkable job May, thanks for sharing this little treasure with us.
1. The writing style doesn't fit the atmosphere of the book. Imagine Lord of The Rings with all different creatures, with an emphasis on Fae and Elves... then throw in the word "fuck" nonstop. Just doesn't fit the vibe of the book. 2. The plot, so incredibly slow. The build up to the villain should have been longer and more tension. 3. The ending. Yes it's not a cliffhanger, but it ends on a weird note. It could have ended a few pages later or earlier so it wasn't such a strange ending.
Really enjoyable read, gave me some Sarah J Mass vibes which I loved. The romance was slow burn I could have been doing with it slightly progressing more than it did but there was enough action and intriguing mystery elements to keep me hooked on the story. The characters are written well I loved Vale and Devi’s relationship and banter together.
This is such a badass story.. the characters come to life on the page and I read this in one day. This author certainly knows how to weave her stories so that her characters stay with you. I liked it very much and honestly i was just here for the story between Devi and Vale really. It was interesting watching Vale's relationship with his mother because i sort of was waiting for the axe to fall and her to be really horrible, but it didn't. Whilst there was a weird explanation of how the fae came to be, i just rolled with it..because why not. It's the authors world and if she wants her fae to be alien evolution creatures then that's exactly what they are, why would she stay in the traditional way and reasoning of how and who the Fae come to be..
All in all I enjoyed this book and I'll defo be reading a few more of this author's work, hopefully the next book in this series.
Incredibly self indulgent book choice, but I honestly don’t know to rate it. It’s good, I just wish it was 200 pages longer. Regardless it’s fun to read, the fmc is appropriately snarky and the mmc is appropriately cocky, and the banter is decently snippy.
I will say, I kept getting caught off guard simply because the spicy scenes seem so randomly written into the flow of the book?? Also my first time seeing aliens in a decidedly fantasy book, adore.
4.5 stars...it would have been 5 if the Dark Prince aka Vale was not so similar to Rhysand from ACOTAR. I liked the world building, the Elves, the main and side characters were interesting, believable and had depth. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
3 and 3/4 stars, rounded up. It would have been a solid 4 star book if the author hadn’t cheapened the storyline by explaining that the fae and elves that make up this world were actually created by aliens as a kind of alien-human hybrid, and that the rest of humanity was turned into zombies, but don’t worry they live on a different continent. Barf. Don’t try to rationalize how fae and elves are real by saying they used to be humans. Who were experimented on by mother freaking aliens. Totally took me out of the awesome world the author had already built. That vent aside, I quite enjoyed this book, the characters, and the storyline (minus the alien/human history). There were some grammatical issues where is felt like a word was missing, or that the word order was unusual. It almost felt like English was the author’s second language at times. That certainly didn’t detract from the story for me though. I’m eagerly awaiting the second of the series.
I've only read a few books from May Sage so far but I am officially a fan as I really enjoyed this fantasy book - the first in a planned trilogy. Vale and Devi are a fun potential couple and I am enjoying their little pre-relationship banter and camaraderie within the perils of the battle coming to their land, as well as Vale's light jealousy, always a favorite characteristic in heroes for me. There are quite a few secondary and tertiary characters that piqued my interest as well, and I hope I am correct in presuming they will appear in bigger ways later in the series.
In general I am a fan of long, heavily detailed fantasy books but at the same time, sometimes I end up adding those to a to-do list for later, because I just don't have the time to devote to the undertaking of reading them. This fantasy does have detail, and though it is just shy of enough for my personal tastes, that lends itself toward being a relaxing, fun and quick read for me. I did enjoy the book all the way through and though I wouldn't call the ending a cliffhanger, it does very much feel like the ending of a "Part One', which makes sense since it is planned to be a trilogy. I am eagerly anticipating what happens next in the adventure.
I received an ARC copy of this book, and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is an excellent series starter. Devi is your typical heroine, broken but special in some plot-altering way. Vale also followed the trope of the evil but not really evil at all grumpy hero. He’s not quite an anti-hero, though he might try to be. I wish that he, too, were a bit more damaged. While I enjoy their banter and his cockiness, it doesn’t make for very interesting character development if he doesn’t change (apart from him coming to terms with his feelings).
Four stars because the language was too modern for a fantasy novel. On the one hand, there are orcs, fae, and elves , and on the other, the words “dumb-ass” (or some other modern slang), mention of snowboarding, etc. I have a big fat imagination, but even that was a stretch, and it took me out of the book while reading.
The ending felt abrupt and left a lot to be desired. A LOT. Couldn’t she have ended it a chapter earlier? They then it ends?
Regardless, I’ll eagerly devour the next one and I highly recommend for lovers of medium burn romances, hate to love (though this is more “dislike and annoy to love”) and anything derivative of Tolkien’s canon.
In Song of Night, we meet Devi and Prince Vale and from the first, we readers become slaves to the promise of their eventually falling in love. While Devi’s not called a princess, like all great YA fantasies, she’s got a lot more swinging from her family tree than meets the eye.
On Devi: “She was a twenty-eight-year-old nobody—very young and inexperienced by fae standards.” Girl, same. WHAT?! I’m 29 now? *flips a table* “While Loxy Rivers hadn’t gifted Devi her luscious, deep red curls, she’d been so good as to bestow upon Devi every other characteristic usually attributed to redheads.”
On Vale: I wish I were! Or under.
If you are the type who pays extra for guac, you probably won’t mind paying for three books the resolve you should have gotten for one. Because, truly, this 3-book series reads like a book split in three. I am liking these books and may continue to read, but, frankly, Devi’s not as human a protagonist as I’d wish. I prefer my heroines more on the side of Holly Black’s Jude Duarte-- I need a humanity I can relate to and a mortality that helps raise the stakes.
Thankfully I started reading this after all three were finished. I normally try to avoid serial works and if I do read them, they have to be long enough to stand on their own if necessary. Sage's co-authored fantasy reads haven't let me down yet so I decided to try her solo fantasy. Her world building is still great and for those that are wondering the sexual tension between our leads only gets as far as a kiss and the story still holds. Given the contemporary works of hers I've read, this is a different kind of journey I'm on but very excited to see where Devi and Vale take me.
This book was a decent sized but it seemed like a short story to me. There was a lot of action but the romance was a bit slow and really more banter than anything actually happening. The storyline was good but the characters didn’t really jump out at me with memorable traits. The whole story seemed a bit flat if I’m being honest. It was all very middle of the road. I won’t be reading any more in this series.
Good world building. Great tension between the hero and heroine. Excellent mystery of who these characters really are. I will definitely read the next in the series. Plus, she tells the story in third person. Thank you May Sage. (I personally hate first person stories that many kindle unlimited authors use.)
If I was buying this book-4stars Kindle Unlimited- 5 Stars
I liked this a lot! Well paced, decent light fantasy world building, good characterisation and two main characters with great chemistry.
I'm not having a lot of luck with books recently, particularly my beloved RH, so it was a nice change of pace to read somwthjng and not be annoyed with at least something about it.