A Frost of Fear and Fortitude

Levanthria #2.5

by A.P. Beswick

An aged man awoken from an icy grave, with a message from the gods. Defeat the darkness that consumes Levanthria.

When Gregor wakes from his apparent murder, he has no idea how long he has been dead for or any idea of his former life. All he has is an overwhelming urge to find the darkness that these gods speak of. After stumbling into a small village where a young family have been slaughtered, it doesn't take long for Gregor to realise that demons are responsible. Intent on vanquishing the darkness and freeing the town, Gregor will not stop until he has found who is responsible for summoning the demon plague.

A Frost Of Fear And Fortitude is the novella set in the world of Levanthria. If you like monster hunters, action and retellings with a twist, then you will love A.P Beswick's Father Christmas inspired dark tale.

One thing is for sure Father Christmas has never been this badass.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Retellings, Audiobook, Novella

140 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2022

Reviews

[Lina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think it's good as a draft. The beginning of a novel. I was very excited to read this but was left quite disappointed. To be honest, there are some parts where the story feels rushed, others where adequately described but I feel it was still missing a lot. There's so much left up in the air and not even acknowledged. As I said, feels like I read a draft with potential.

[Laura.has.too.many.books · Rating 4 out of 5]

* This novella can be read as a standalone in the Levanthria.

When Gregor wakes up from his mysterious murder, with no memories of his past and a magical sword by his side, he is filled with a voice than tells him to defeat the darkness. Through a land of snow and ice he reaches a village where a violent murder has taken place, a whole family has been taken out and two little girls are missing. Gregor sets out to solve the murder, as the darkness he is supposed to hunt is closer than he could have ever imagined.

I kept this book since purchase, with the intend to read it in the December period. And I'm so happy I did, because this is definitely not a standard Christmas story. It is quite dark and violent, but it also gives us an alternative story to the origin of Santa Claus. It was fun and I saw the culprit not coming at all. Such fun and a small read to pick up in between bigger books. Love the cover art, such a great representative of the story.

[April Jugan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly what I wanted a darker twist on a brave badass Santa! I can't wait to read more of this work.

[Kemery Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars - A great standalone story that mixes The Witcher and Santa Claus

For full reviews of the rest of this series, start here: medium.com/hooked-on-books/book-revie...

This story is exactly as advertised by the synopsis in the best ways. Having read four other entries in the Levanthria series, I'm familiar with Beswick's work at this point. A Frost of Fear and Fortitude exemplifies the best of Beswick's writing in a shorter and faster novella than the main entries in this ongoing series. These books are not meant to be incredibly detailed or thorough pieces of literature but enjoyable adventures that have fun and sometimes surprising events within the stories.

This is fast-paced mystery about a man awakened from an unexplained past in order to rid the world of dark threats that plague it. The scope of this story is perfectly small and only involves a hand full of characters on an investigation of why a monster is wreaking havoc within a small community. It does what it needs to well and has some fun thrills and questions answered by the end. Also, the additions of merging the "inspired by Santa Claus" elements were fun little winks and I'm interested to see how these evolve in future novellas. I was perfectly satisfied with this story and look forward to the next one.

[Dana K · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark, fantasy retelling of Father Christmas?

How is this a thing?

Actually, how was this not a thing before?

I’ve been prioritizing reading books by my bookstagram friends and AP Bestwick has been on my list for a while. His covers are so fierce and the idea of modern fantasy retellings has left me intrigued.

I decided to start with the most recent release because cold, snowy vibes are just where I’m at right now.

Meeting Gregor, our gruff protagonist with a desire for vanquishing evil, reminded me of opening a John Gwynn novel. We get serious action, quirky yet principled characters, immersive world building and a bit of a mystery at the center of it all. I definitely wanted more of this character, which is always the downside of a novella. But the mystery wrapped up nicely and we get a nice nod to the lore of Father Christmas so I’m quite happy with the story we’ve been given. I will definitely be checking out the other stories in this world.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining! Short for my taste and I would quite enjoy more stories featuring this wandering monster hunter who leaves magical gifts.

Could have benefited from an editor in a few places.

[Jenn Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars for this novella and 2 short stories

A dark origin story for Father Christmas, loved it. Sad it wasn't longer. I enjoyed the pace, the action, and the bit of mystery.

The first short story "A Loch of Grace and Greed" followed Leandra and I devoured her story and would be ecstatic to see her exact a bit of revenge.

The second short story "Dust" felt like a perfect scary story for around the campfire.

I picked this up for free on kindle as the author was giving it away for the holidays, and I'm so glad I did. I'm looking forward to reading more of his works.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never mind Bad Santa, this is Badass Santa!! A creation of the Father Christmas mythology but with a lead who carries a sword and slays demons. Great fun.

[Lex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was basically the Witcher?

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like The Witcher, you'll love this book!

I really loved this author's dark fantasy retelling of Father Christmas, although it took me a bit to get the connection.

The only reason it's not 5 stars for me is that, at times, there are some minor grammar inconsistencies and some parts are overly descriptive for my preference.

Definitely recommend!👌

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great idea, middling execution

This book had tremendous potential and a solid story to build on, but the writing felt like it was trying too hard and it could really use a good editor to help work through some grammar and continuity issues.

[H. J. Carp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ever wanted a grim dark interpretation of jolly old Saint Nick…me neither but indie author A.P Beswick delivers just that in the first novella about undead warrior Gregor.

I have been meaning to check out the Levanthria series since stumbling upon Beswick on instagram and as it is the festive period I thought I’d give this standalone novella a try.

Gregor is delivering a package do the northern boarder of Levanthria but is killed before he can drop it off. He awakens some time later resurrected, with a burning sword and no memories. Wandering in the snow, he stumbles upon a village that is in turmoil. A man and his wife have been mauled and killed by something inhuman. With the help of the townsfolk Gregor has to search for the couples missing twin daughters and stop whatever has killed the family parents and find the one who summoned the creatures.

The character of Gregor is really fun, I will say that off the bat. He is a grumpy old man who reminds me a lot of the Father Christmas from the Raymond Briggs story, just with you know a burning sword and a bloodthirsty rage. He is a good character to follow, but I did find the supporting cast a lot to be desired. I am going to put this mostly down to the short length of the story, the supporting cast just feels flat and uninspired.

The monsters are interesting but again like the cast are lacking. Cool idea, not really explained well enough. That could be the point of them, or they may be in the other books but as I went on blind…no clue.

The story as a whole is an interesting mystery. One character is introduced early into the story and you are made to think that they are the prime suspect - mostly because Gregor just can’t stand them - but the actual reveal of who is behind the monster attacks really comes out of nowhere and is rather forced.

If this was a little longer and let some more of the elements brew this would be an awesome little fantasy adventure. As it stands it is just average. Will I read more of the series? Maybe have two of the books on my tbr so will give them a try at some point next year. But for now I think I am done with Christmas books…may try the Gregor sequel next year… we will see.

[Adam Holvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know this is meant to be read part way through the series, but it was Christmas and I wanted to read it now and not in July for example. Brilliant little novel, love Gregor as a character and the twists and turns kept it interesting. May need to come back to it though when I read the rest of the series

[Nicki Permanently exhausted pigeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a good take on a Santa like character who has a bigger purpose and a past to discover , and it is very ingaging and fast paced.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, did I have fun with this one!

I've been wanting to read Beswick's books for a while now, ever since he caught my attention on TikTok and Instagram. Robin Hood is one of my fave stories, and to see someone wrote a dark-fantasy retelling ... oh, yeah, gimme, gimme, gimme. (Haven't read it yet, give me time and a job to pay for it!)

With that said, he was offering this one for a limited time, free on his website just last week, and I jumped at it. I can say it helped as I was given the opportunity to read the next one, A Frost of Death and Deceit, as an ARC (which I just opened and I'm about to read.) And I freaking loved this one! Am I the only one who saw this playing out like a movie while reading it?

Gregor doesn't remember his past. All he knows is that he was dead and brought back for a purpose. Now he's figuring it out as he goes. The story is dark, twisted, with supernatural elements, with mystery, action, suspense, foes that need killing... Need I say more? A few grammar mistakes, yes, but they in no way deter from the story. I was just so sucked in that it took just over an hour for me to read. I do think I flew through a novella that fast before, that's how engrossed I was. The only complaint I have is like several other reviews I read ... too damned short! Yes, more could have been done with the story, so much more, but it is a NOVELLA! I'm certain if Mr. Beswick wanted to turn Gregor's story into a full length novel, he absolutely could, especially with as fantastic a start at this, but this is a novella. It was meant as such, and it's great as is!

Oh, and for the complaints by those who can't see the Father Christmas side to this ... did you actually read it? I'm seriously asking, because I had absolutely no issues seeing it. Like, at all, and there are several. I won't leave them here so that my review can remain spoiler-free, but if you want to know, send me a message and I'll happily reply. I can't wait to jump on the next one as soon as I post this!

[Brian Sherlock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adam Beswick and I each gave birth to a book baby on December 1st and to celebrate we sent each other a signed copy of what we shat out - I scored A Frost of Fear and Fortitude last night and now I have a brutal book review to share.

AFOFAF (ACOTAR much?) is part of the Levanthria Series and focuses on a new hero, Gregor, who strikes me as the love child of Santa and Krampus - in the read Gregor is brought back from the dead and tasked with defeating evil which he finds plenty of in the frozen north of fantasy land.

There is plenty to enjoy - the imagination is abundant and you definitely get the idea that Gregor is a retelling of Santa Claus. Thodana also comes off as an interesting character who I'd like to see again in the future.

Also, this could easily come off as a decent horror read for fans of the genre.

I have two big critiques though - I would've liked to have seen a bit more of the woman with snake tattoos (I get that she'll reappear in future reads but I'd have been left happier with a little more info about her) and the instigator (bit of a spoiler here) of the crisis could've shown more remorse for their actions.

I will continue with the Levanthria Series but I'm going to hand this one 3 out of 5.

[Joshua Moss · Rating 3 out of 5]

An improvement to the ones that came before. There is still room to grow but this was a step in the right direction. Switching to third person for this book allowed for a much better and more interesting read where I didn’t feel like I was being spoon fed everything all the time.

The pacing was better, the book told a short and complete story rather than rushing all over the place. We were able to get to know some characters and see some change and development across the book that made more sense than in the previous ones. I still feel this could be better and the book suffered from being so short. It doesn’t feel complete and does feel like the author stopped part way through rather than reached a conclusion.

I felt more engaged with the story and actually cared if the characters lived this time which is definitely an improvement. The dialogue in places is shaky and could certainly be refined but overall this was an improvement. While it does draw on other characters (Father Christmas this time) as the other books do - this book felt more of an original telling with more of the authors own design rather than leaning too heavily into pre existing lore.

[Gary Knox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awakening from death with now memory, Gregor is driven by a divine missing to vanquish the darkness plaguing the world. Coming upon a village beset by demonic forces he must confront malevolent entities & uncover the mystery behind his resurrection.
A dark and inventive twist on Father Christmas, blending folklore and gritty fantasy as like the rest of this series.
Gregor is a compelling protagonist, a blend of Santa Claus and The Witcher Geralt of Rivia with a mysterious past and righteous missing.
The setting is certainly atmospheric with it's chilling landscapes and lurking dangers which enhance the immersion of the story
Pretty fast paced with intense sequences of action which I found engaging.
Since it's a novella certain character developments (especially the secondary characters) and plotpoints are unexplored making some aspects feel a little rushed. This is the first of 3 novellas about Gregor though, so I'm sure he will be developed further.
A well delivered fresh dark fantasy reimagining of something so familiar to us all in a captivating way
Overall and fun and worthwhile read for any fan of dark fantasy and folklore retellings.

[Pol Gherardi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot is very nice, a dark father christmas story embedden in a crime story. Characters are great and interesting and gave me definitely the will to continue this series.

However, the story has some pretty obvious inconsistencies and some badly performed descriptions.

*SPOILERS*

For example:
Gregor doesn't know his name in the beginning and yet when he arrives in the village the text states his name before he remembers it which is very odd since the chapter is written from his point of view.

A striking inconsistency when one of the sisters suddenly asks about the monster that took them, even though no one has said anything about any monster and they don't remember anything about what happened. So how would they know to ask about monsters?

There are also some other inconsistencies and incoherent dialogue passages that make the reading of the story somewhat more difficult. But that does not stand in the way of enjoying this short story.

[Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick little short story, that also includes some cool additional chapters at the end. Overall, the wiring has gotten a lot better. It's still in first person "I did this, I feel that", but it is written leagues better than the first book in the series, and even the second one. Each book continues to grow, and I'm glad I pushed through it the first book, because the overall story is super intriguing. I love how you can see the world growing and expanding leading up to the final books.

This story is basically his version of a Christmas episode. Out of the 3 (maybe 3.5) stories I've read so far, this is by far the darkest, and in way less pages. Which I like to see. I'm a huge fan of the dark. Essentially, the main character is a demon hunter, but by the end of it, is a tale of Santa.

Again, a very fast paced story, but it did enough mystery into make it actually feel complete. So for an about 100 page story. Incredibly well done. Plenty of adventure, mystery, and action.

[Josh Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet, read in an afternoon on 2x speed on Spotify. I wasn't sure where the explicit link to Father Christmas was (unless I missed it, or whether this is explored further in the sequel), but I enjoyed the pacing and simple story of this novella. The character choices were all well-expanded on too, which I find has been a weakness of the novels from the main series.

I've always been a fan of novella set in a wider universe of stories, so I'm excited for Beswick to come out with more. It's also a pleasure to see his writing style develop more as he continues to flesh out his work.

Recommended!

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story. The retelling of the origin of Father Christmas was a great trope. I liked that that the coat was due to the extreme cold temperatures, the red was from bloodstains and his monster hunter persona made him feel more believable if you can believe that.
I will be reding the other two in this series, I don't quite know what Book #2 will give the tale of, but I know book #3 is about Krampus which already has me interested.
Beswick has a great story telling knack especially for well known characters and reskinning their backstories.

I will also be reading the main storyline of Levanthria as this world is interesting to me due to my own writing.

[Scott Vout · Rating 3 out of 5]

The next book in the series.

Like my review of the previous book in this series. It seemed "simple". It has a strong main character but the book itself presents to me anyway as a novella. It does not compare to the first book of the series which I found to be very very good. This is the second book in a row that has left me wanting.
I already have access to the next book and I am sure I will read it, but I feel that my interest in this series is coming to an end. It saddens me to say it but after the first book being so good Beswick has not kept up the standard.

[Tigereno · Rating 5 out of 5]

An aged man awoken from an icy grave with a message from the Gods. I picked this as my Christmas read this year purely due to the dark Father Christmas inspired tale. I didn't have the first two books in this series, but it can be read as a stand alone which was great. I loved the characters and feel they were well written. Definitely wasn't expecting the plot twist at the end, it's been awhile since a book has caught me out like that. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series.

[Stefka · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing is good, the premise is interesting and the world is well-build.

Sadly the plot is very lacking, often illogical and has no tension to speak of - the solution of the whole arc just magically appears. All characters except for them protagonist seem like blank slates. And even he does at times. I’m sorry to say I couldn’t find myself caring at any point - it feels very rushed and like a very constructed set-up for a larger story.

Would give 2.5 stars if I could.

[brittanys.booktalk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is basically "If Santa was a Winchester from Supernatural" and I am here 👏 for 👏 it 👏

This novella is part of the larger Levanthria universe and I think this is an interesting storyline. 🎅 Santa's back story of hunting monsters, saving villages, and leaving "magic toys" for the children is an adorable tie in to both this series and to Santa lore in general.

Thoroughly enjoyed this story!

[Scott Moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

Am I the only one who is not getting these books? I was excited for the dark Robin Hood re-telling and then this bad ass Sanata Claus story, but none of the books even really go there! In Forst of Fear specifically, was I supposed to go in knowing this was a Santa-similarity or come up with that on my own? He rode in a sleigh twice, that's where the similarities end. I just don't get it. Robin Hood was even more disappointing........

[Renee Marski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great start to the series. We meet Gregor at the beginning of his journey after he is killed and resurrected. He has a mission...to stop the darkness. Demons are in the first village he comes to, a family cursed. He sets off to find the girls, their brother the only survivor. As events unfold he realizes someone cast this curse, not knowing what they were doing. The darkness is thick and Gregor has his work cut out for him.

[SnowRaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark retelling of the legend of Father Christmas... Originally had my doubts, but I was so happy I gave this a chance. So far I've read most of A.P. Beswick's Tales of Levanthria series, about to head in book 5 but this was a brilliant short story. Honestly, it's nice to see a darker tone to a Christmas legend and not lined with the jingling of bells.

It's only just over 100 pages but it's worth it.

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked the idea of the Witcher/Santa character, looking forward to the next 2 books with this character.

I got confused the first kwarter of the book as most of the times the character is referred to as the man, the aged man, but then sometimes as Gregorpoll. The man lost his memories and doesn't know his name in this part of the book, which gives an irritable read in the back of your mind knowing something isn't right till you figure it out. After that it was a fine read.