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The Ice Plague #1
The Forest of Fire
Seelie fae Eran Iliakambar has lost his family and his home to an unstoppable sea of ice bent on attacking the fae realm. All he has left is his will to find the person who created the destructive force, and bring them to justice. His determination leads him to Mosk Manytrees – Unseelie dryad – who takes responsibility. But nothing is ever as it seems in the fae realm.
Words: 200825 complete.
*
Set in the greater Fae Tales serial universe, this is book #1 of 3.
Cover art: Anna Sikorska / Tiferetdesign.com
Words: 200825 complete.
*
Set in the greater Fae Tales serial universe, this is book #1 of 3.
Cover art: Anna Sikorska / Tiferetdesign.com
603 pages, ebook
First published November 1, 2018
2 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
Pia Foxhall
16 books176 followersPronouns: They/them
Aka not_poignant
http://not-poignant.tumblr.com/
http://archiveofourown.org/users/not_...
http://archiveofourown.org/users/thes...
NEWSLETTER: http://eepurl.com/dJsDhQ
Aka not_poignant
http://not-poignant.tumblr.com/
http://archiveofourown.org/users/not_...
http://archiveofourown.org/users/thes...
NEWSLETTER: http://eepurl.com/dJsDhQ
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 14, 2022
2nd read: August 2022
Compared to Augus and Gwyn’s story, that’s still so fresh in my mind right now, this series has a definite YA-NA vibe that I think I somehow overlooked the first time around? 🤔 Both of the MCs are SO young (in fae years), just starting to come into their own really, when the shit hits the fan spectacularly hard. And oh my god, I can’t believe I never mentioned in my original review how very, very unlikeable one of the MCs is in this first book! I mean, he has his reasons, but still. 🙄
Compared to COFT, my ultimate favorite book from this author, ever, I think the pacing felt just a little bit stilted sometimes? It’s probably because it’s not as romance-focused, and has a lot more action/adventure elements mixed in. Still loved it, though!
***
1st read: June 2021
This was great! And it’s free on AO3! 🤯 Special thanks to my friend Trefoil, whose review caught my attention. ❤️ I’ve already downloaded the rest of this author’s related works.
This will be a treat to all the fantasy lovers out there, who value extensive worldbuilding and great character development. However, there’s almost no romance in this first installment, which may be a drawback for some readers. The tag ‘enemies to friends to lovers’ is pretty self-explanatory. Eran and Mosk meet very early in the story, but the circumstances of that meeting are far from ideal — and I can’t believe I’ve just said that, it’s such a fucking understatement — and the transition from enemies to friends (or rather companions, I think I prefer that term) takes ages, like most of this 600-page book.
The abuse that Mosk went through in the past is simply unimaginable (and no, the things that happen in the first couple of chapters are not the worst of it, just the tip of the iceberg, really). It just about broke him. And regaining that lost sense of self takes time. Time, which is a precious commodity here, because the world as they know it is ending (see the series title).
Okay, that was pretty dramatic, but it’s true. There is a quest to stop the eponymous plague of ice that indiscriminately kills all it touches.
Excellent character development aside, I was very impressed by the supporting cast. The Unseelie King Gwyn ap Nudd and his Consort Augus Each Uisge intrigued me to the point that I also started reading their backstory! This universe is unexpectedly addicting.
Now, when it comes to writing, there’s a couple of typos here and there, but that’s not surprising as the book hasn’t been professionally edited. The writing itself is rather good and the story flows smoothly — it’s clear that the author is talented. They were also very honest and thoroughly tagged their work on AO3. Remember to check out and the tags and be sure you’re okay with them before you start reading, because the content may be triggering to some people.
[I have a sudden need to add that Eran is actually a sweetheart, not the callous bastard he seems to be in the beginning.]
Also, a word of warning for impatient readers: this series is NOT complete yet. The third (last?) book is being written, with 11 chapters already published, but it’s pretty hefty (it'll be ~40 chapters long), so it may take months before it’s finished.
Compared to Augus and Gwyn’s story, that’s still so fresh in my mind right now, this series has a definite YA-NA vibe that I think I somehow overlooked the first time around? 🤔 Both of the MCs are SO young (in fae years), just starting to come into their own really, when the shit hits the fan spectacularly hard. And oh my god, I can’t believe I never mentioned in my original review how very, very unlikeable one of the MCs is in this first book! I mean, he has his reasons, but still. 🙄
Compared to COFT, my ultimate favorite book from this author, ever, I think the pacing felt just a little bit stilted sometimes? It’s probably because it’s not as romance-focused, and has a lot more action/adventure elements mixed in. Still loved it, though!
***
1st read: June 2021
This was great! And it’s free on AO3! 🤯 Special thanks to my friend Trefoil, whose review caught my attention. ❤️ I’ve already downloaded the rest of this author’s related works.
This will be a treat to all the fantasy lovers out there, who value extensive worldbuilding and great character development. However, there’s almost no romance in this first installment, which may be a drawback for some readers. The tag ‘enemies to friends to lovers’ is pretty self-explanatory. Eran and Mosk meet very early in the story, but the circumstances of that meeting are far from ideal — and I can’t believe I’ve just said that, it’s such a fucking understatement — and the transition from enemies to friends (or rather companions, I think I prefer that term) takes ages, like most of this 600-page book.
The abuse that Mosk went through in the past is simply unimaginable (and no, the things that happen in the first couple of chapters are not the worst of it, just the tip of the iceberg, really). It just about broke him. And regaining that lost sense of self takes time. Time, which is a precious commodity here, because the world as they know it is ending (see the series title).
Okay, that was pretty dramatic, but it’s true. There is a quest to stop the eponymous plague of ice that indiscriminately kills all it touches.
Excellent character development aside, I was very impressed by the supporting cast. The Unseelie King Gwyn ap Nudd and his Consort Augus Each Uisge intrigued me to the point that I also started reading their backstory! This universe is unexpectedly addicting.
Now, when it comes to writing, there’s a couple of typos here and there, but that’s not surprising as the book hasn’t been professionally edited. The writing itself is rather good and the story flows smoothly — it’s clear that the author is talented. They were also very honest and thoroughly tagged their work on AO3. Remember to check out and the tags and be sure you’re okay with them before you start reading, because the content may be triggering to some people.
[I have a sudden need to add that Eran is actually a sweetheart, not the callous bastard he seems to be in the beginning.]
Also, a word of warning for impatient readers: this series is NOT complete yet. The third (last?) book is being written, with 11 chapters already published, but it’s pretty hefty (it'll be ~40 chapters long), so it may take months before it’s finished.
August 14, 2021
edit 8/14/2021
Still quite good. A different experience than my first read since I've now completed the Fae Tales series. I love these characters a lot.
--
This was really good. I loved the world, and especially the characters. The character development and relationship developments throughout this entire first book was the most enjoyable for me. The first book is 600 pages long, and I had no trouble getting through it. I found myself easily getting immersed into the world, and it was difficult to put my kindle down. If you're a a lover of m/m romance and fantasy, you'll have to pick this one up! It's an enemies to lovers romance.
Also, this book is free!! if you go to the goodreads.com in your browser (I didn't see it in the app), in the details section of the book you'll see a link in the URL section. When you go to the link and verify your age, on the right side there is a tab 'download' that you can download in kindle format/.epub/or pdf
Still quite good. A different experience than my first read since I've now completed the Fae Tales series. I love these characters a lot.
--
This was really good. I loved the world, and especially the characters. The character development and relationship developments throughout this entire first book was the most enjoyable for me. The first book is 600 pages long, and I had no trouble getting through it. I found myself easily getting immersed into the world, and it was difficult to put my kindle down. If you're a a lover of m/m romance and fantasy, you'll have to pick this one up! It's an enemies to lovers romance.
Also, this book is free!! if you go to the goodreads.com in your browser (I didn't see it in the app), in the details section of the book you'll see a link in the URL section. When you go to the link and verify your age, on the right side there is a tab 'download' that you can download in kindle format/.epub/or pdf
July 20, 2021
I was very skeptical about this for the majority of the book. It is different from The Fae Tales. It's a good enough follow-up, but it doesn't hold a candle to Augus and Gwyn's story. Eran and Mosk are very young and inexperienced. It almost felt like a YA book if not for the few and (compared to The Fae Tales) mildly dark themes. I feel like this is still Gwyn's story though. He is still running the show, even though we see the events unfold from Eran's and Mosk's pov and they are a crucial part of everything that is happening, but almost like spectators. I don't know if it makes any sense.
But if we're comparing, I also have to mention that there is a lot more action here, which I appreciated. And by the end I started to warm up to these babies. I will never like them as much as Augus and Gwyn though.
I recommend reading the accompanying extras (Augus and Gwyn pov).
But if we're comparing, I also have to mention that there is a lot more action here, which I appreciated. And by the end I started to warm up to these babies. I will never like them as much as Augus and Gwyn though.
I recommend reading the accompanying extras (Augus and Gwyn pov).
January 28, 2021
An excellent m/m epic fantasy. Loved it.
October 20, 2022
This author does a phenomenal job writing slow burn enemies to lovers. It's so gradual that it feels natural and believable.
October 4, 2020
I think that Pia Foxhall has a very captivating style of writing, and that the Forest of Fire (the Ice Plague, #1) is one of the best stories I've ever read. I love how the story is so many threads at once, and that I have to pay attention to everything. It's beautifully written.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews