This beautiful cover gave me life! I loved every single main character. They were all absolutely unique. Asterin is absolutely amazing! Seriously LOVE fantasies with strong female leads! This book is fast paced and exciting, and I'll be recommending it to everyone!

Shadow Frost is about a badass princess Asterin and the quest to defeat a monster who is killing innocent people. The plot is pretty simple but what really sucks in a reader is the subtle elemental magic, the narrative, the twists and turns but the most captivating thing about the book is the depiction of the characters (atleast for me).
The story was a roller coaster ride. You like some things and you don’t like somethings, but you enjoy it anyway.
Thank you Netgalley and Publishers for the eArc.

Welcome to this book review,
I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
This book was a wild and amazing ride.
There are so many great things about this book, multiple POV's, great magic, intriguing world and elemental magic which I am always a big fan of.
I loved all the different point of views, which is unusual for me since I am usually really annoyed or have a growing hate for a character. There were strong woman who weren't presented as weak or lesser because of the problems and dilemmas the had or were facing. The writing style was also really enjoyable.
While those aspects were great, there were a couple of things that made bottered me, the way the relationships developed so quickly felt un-organic to me, I was also annoyed with the way the story completely changed directions in the middle of the story, And while I really enjoyed most of the plot twist, a lot of them felt like fillers to a story that wasn't sure where it was going. I didn't see how some of the plot twist added to the story, it seemed as if it didn't matter when or if they happened at all.
That being said, it was a great debut novel and I am definitely curious to see where the next book in this series will take us.
Recommended for sure, it has a very unique take on elemental magic and strong characters that really help you discover the world at a lovely pace,
-Bookarina

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to the publisher for the early copy via Netgalley.

Shadow Frost was one of those books I went into with no expectations. I read the synopsis a couple months ago and completely forgot what it was about.

It is a high fantasy young adult following Asterin and several of her friends: Luna, Orion, Eadric, Rose, Quinlan, and Harry. There's deceit, there's betrayal, there are lies, and there is danger and romance. All things that make a great book. However I never really was fully invested in the story until a little after halfway, so I had a hard time up until then.

After halfway we have a ton of action and it gets super interesting. In fact if the first half was more like the second half I'd have been quite a bit more interested.

The book is left open to potentially continue the story in the future, but could also be read as a standalone.

I do recommend this book if you don't mind watching friendships blossom or are ready to read the first half of the book with very little action but a HUGE payout the second half.

I was unable to get into this book and had to DNF. I am not sure if it was the writing style or the fact that the formatting was so off. I intend to read this when it publishes though so hopefully I will like it better then.

A first in series is always tricky as there are characters to introduce and a world to create. Here the author has chosen for her debut to foray into young adult territory with a magic system based on elemental powers which is a very exciting concept. To further expand it she includes Gods who might or might not meddle and then of course there are the main protagonists and somewhat topically there are six of them ! So if a story with an ensemble cast appeal to you then prepare to become completely enamoured. No these characters are no rag tag bunch of misfits but the author is clearly trying to offer her readers some diversity and the possibility of romance. All of this whilst good battles evil trying to not just save the kingdom but actually unravel the mystery of just who and why so many are dying.
It would be remiss of me to ignore the characters who you will follow and you will I’ve no doubt enjoy getting their points of view.
Aesterin is the plucky, princess who realises she still has a lot to learn about her abilities.
Luna is the loyal lady in waiting who has never understood why her magic feels stifled .
Orion is the fierce somewhat cheeky, guardian protector who bravely risks everything for those he loves.
Eadric is the strong , silent type staunchly performing his duty whilst sweetly courting Luna.
Rose has secrets , is perhaps the most focused of all but she’s also full of surprises .
Quinlan is a veritable powerhouse who struggles to be taken seriously .
Lastly we meet Harry who undeniably has a sweet nature but he should never be underestimated !
Happily there’s no triangles here although I did feel that there were romantic overtures earlier on that made me cringe and showed the youth and inexperience of the author . That having been said it was the overall plot and mystery that consumed this reader and the idea of these characters hunting down a demon played out very well. There are twists galore thrown into this story as it barrelled towards the end with final scenes that leave this reader immediately wanting more .
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

This a well put together plot and storyline in the YA sword/sorcery/intrigue/coming of age adventure and quest line. There's enough turns and twists and nuances for all ages while being palatable enough for anyone to read. I would continue the series to see where the individuals that survived the first installation endup. It starts with a princess and those around her in a situation where things aren't quite what they seem and a quest to kill a demon. What is ire important are the dems we all carry and how to deal with them. Would recommend. (less)

I'm super impressed by the author's ability to write this at fifteen!! I was impressed by the scope of this fantasy novel - worlds and characters abound. While we learn all about the fantasy world created by Ma, the characters really come into their own. A solid debut.

The reviews for this book are showing a downward trend, and so I am removing it from my “to read” list for 2019. Thank you for the opportunity to read it!

This book was okay. I had trouble staying interested sometimes, but overall it was okay, not sure if I recommend this though.

DNF 20% - 2/5 Stars.

Taken from my mini-review blog post that can be found here https://trufflereads.com/2019/08/24/the-dnf-game-should-you-or-shouldnt-you-my-recent-dnf-mini-reviews/

Can I just how disappointed I was, just so disappointed because I LOVE the concept of this book. Who doesn’t freaking just love elemental magic and royalty and being a super bad-arse, arse-kicking warrior princess who can do elemental stuff like — it sounds perfect to me.

Unfortunately, it was the execution that makes me drop this book from the depth of my kindle library. The plot and character introduction were rushed, everything just felt rushed and wasn’t developed out properly. One second a character is your enemy then suddenly they’re your friend and then your love interest and now you get chapters with their point of view – there was no consistency or character development. The plot itself felt like it came out of nowhere, in not a great way either.

I just wish I’d gotten so much more, granted that I did only read the first 20% of it, I could see these anomalies from the start but kept trying to get into it. I don’t know how much ARCs get changed before publishing in this instance but from my editing university knowledge, it’s likely not to be much.

I honestly think that this book could be absolutely astounding if it got some really good structural editing to really bring out the best in the characters, to give them life, flavour and development and have them on amazing quests to save their world. The author of this book is also hella young at only 19 years old so I look forward to reading her future work cause if that doesn’t scream potential, IDK what does.

I received a copy through Netgalley for Review.

I'm giving this one a 4/5
Shadow Frost by Coco Ma is a wild ride! Complex characters, nice world building, a well thought out magic system. A little snarky romance, evil demons, meddling immortal gods.
Overall I really enjoyed this one. It didn't quite set me over the edge to give it a 5, but it's a very solidly well written fantasy.

Princess Asterin Faelenheart isn't everything her mother would like her to be.
She's got a herd of personal guards, and an overbearing Guardian there to protect her, mostly from herself. She wields swords, picks locks and can kick ass just as well as any elite solider. Not to mention she's not bad at magic either, although she can't completely control it-yet.
Everything around her is about to unravel and it will shake the foundations of everything she believes to be true.

I was really looking forward to reading this but although it started out well, it just wasn’t for me.

I liked the characters but the dialogue was a little over written in places. Overall just okay.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO DIVE INTO YOU - YOU BEAUTIFUL ARC YOU.

Shadow Frost- ugh GUYS, this book was so freaking good. I didn't realize how behind I was on my damn ARC reading until last week... and boy am I behind. I decided to jump into this one first (mostly because it was at the bottom on my kindle - again sorry!) and I was not disappointed.

In it, you will meet Asterin who is kind of like Harry Potter. Someone had a vision of her kicking some evil bitches ass. I was totally down for all of that happening..but there was also some mystery shit going on in the background. That being said, this book definitely gave me some Snow White vibes. Which again, I'm totally down for some retellings even if she isn't my favorite. Yet, Asterin made me fall in love with her because she was such a bad ass. Ugh, my ship guys - I wont tell you who it is with.. but damn that gave me some Pocahontas vibes at the end. Oops is that a spoiler?

Overall, I loved the magic, fantasy, ships, characters, and everything else in between. I didn't hate or dislike a single thing - well maybe that it was too short? Or that I don't have the next book readily available? Ugh, I hate waiting!!

Where to start... I want to say thanks to netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this amazing book!. I really got a small feel of girls of paper and fire with this book and I absolutely loved that and both books!, the plot was amazing, the characters are amazing and I adore them all, I cannot wait for the next book. I will most certainly be buying a physical copy of this when it comes out and I will be telling everyone to read it!.
I give this book 5 stars.

This is literally one of the best reads of 2019. I had a hard time putting the book down. The writing surprised me, being a debut author. It was rich with symbolism, detail and magic. One of the things that made me truly LOVE the book was the friendship between Asterin and Luna. I don't care for romance, but I really dig being able to dive into the platonic love. I feel like this is something that young adults don't get in books. SO many books focus on romantic love, and while that is marketable, I really feel like friendship love is what so many -girls especially- need to be able to feel comfortable with. I enjoyed the romance with Q as well, but Luna and Asterin friendship really stood out for me.
If neither of those things are for you, then come for the magic and mayhem, because there is plenty of that. The story is entirely full of twisty, turny, shocky goodness. It's so many things, too many things to list. I just suggest that you pre order it. NOW. and wait, impatiently at the door for it arrive. :)

This was a tricky story to get into. At times the writing didn't seem to flow correctly, and the tone often teetered towards juvenile. I loved the history behind the world and it's magic. I loved the unique way in which the characters accessed their magic and the abilities they had.

At times it was a little inconsistent with regards to timing, or world development. For instance there was a scene where they were described as jumping from a hotel fire escape, which I found to be at odds with the world that had been built - carriages, castles, hunting for food ect.

I did think that the book really picked up in the latter half of the story though, but it was a shame that you had to wait until over halfway through to feel any connection to the characters at all. Some of the characters didn't have any backstory until half way through, despite being introduced in the very beginning i.e Eadric. Some I realise their backstories needed to be a little later on. However I feel that there was a lot of 'wasted time' within the story that didn't actually develop the character's relations.

I know it sounds like I'm being overly negative about this story, but I did enjoy the book the more I read, but if you are someone who DNF's a book if the first few chapters don't grip you, then this may be off putting.

Love the premise, love the magic system, some of the characters I felt were more flushed out than the main character. Rose was a particular favourite.

Firstly, I will talk about my 2 dislikes of this book and the reason I didn’t rate it 5 stars. Trust me, I loved this book but these 2 things were irritating.
Firstly we have the romance between Asterin & someone else that I won’t name because spoilers. This romance was a very typical, predictable romance and kinda insta lovey. When the second character first got introduced I guess there would be a romance straight away and I was not wrong. I however thought it could of been a good opportunity for a Hate to Love situation but they only showed dislike for eachother for about 3 seconds and then it was all over.. So the author missed that chance.

Now for the second reason I didn’t like this book, which is the character Orion. He rubbed me the wrong way from the very start of this book. His overly jealous personality really freaking irritated me. Then there was the romance he is apart of later in the book….

I can’t say more without spoilers but I want to explain, so if you don’t want to be spoiled for anything then don’t read the next section that is in italics.

ITALICS - So as I said his jealousness pissed me off. It was constant when Quinlan was around and felt very possessive in most situations. Which I did not like. If I was Asterin I would have kicked him to the curb well before this. In the beginning I assumed the jealousness was because he was in love with Asterin, which came across a few times as true but THEN… Bringing in Harry and all of that is completely abandoned. Talk about Insta love! He meets this dude and then instantly stops with the love sick crap towards Asterin and the jealousy shit towards Quinlan… I just don’t get it. Like at all. This character in my opinion just wasn’t written very well, his actions constantly contradicted each other and as I said he came across as possessive at times, which I’m not a fan of in any situation. Of course this may have been fixed for the release of the finished copy, as I did read an eARC but I was not a fan! - ITALICS

Well that’s the dislikes out of the road and now for everything I liked! Firstly, the Characters in general (excluding Orion) and the POV. At first the POV was a little disorientating. We jump between POVs with each chapter and occasionally within a chapter and in the beginning it was a tad hard to follow. The author does not include names at the start of the chapters but the character’s name is usually in the first sentence of the chapter, so it was relatively easy to figure out whose POV we were reading from. After getting used to the frequent changes I actually really enjoyed it! Throughout the book we follow the POV of nearly 10 characters or more which allows you an insight into not only what the main characters are doing but also the bad guys.. Each character felt like they had a unique voice within their POVs section, except for maybe the ones we only see one chapter of POV from. But I think overall it was done quite well and I enjoyed it.

The characters themselves we all very well developed and grew throughout the book which I really enjoyed! They were all written very well excluding Orion and even the ‘bad guys’ were written very well even if they aren’t nice people. Asterin suffered from the kinda typical trope of having more power than most so she has to go and defeat the villain but in this situation it did work and everything fell into place and made sense in the end. I really enjoyed Rose’s character as well! She was a badass and I really enjoyed reading from her POV. I also really liked Luna! She developed so well throughout the story and I 100% agree with her choices at the end of this book! Quinlan was also kinda typical… Extremely attractive, powerful and there to save the day of course… He was an enjoyable character but he definitely fit the mould of most YA male characters. Then we had Eadric who was probably the character that grew the most throughout the book. He was kinda the Dad figure of the group and I really enjoyed his personality and the way he developed.

The next thing I loved was the world & magic system. Both of which are very fleshed out and detailed! I loved learning about this world and the magic system. It was so interesting even if the magic system was not the most unique I’ve seen it was still very solid. I just enjoyed how much it was thought out! There was reasons for everything and it wasn’t like some magic systems where you just have to accept that this is how it works and that there isn’t a why involved… The world was really interesting too and I would love to learn more about the other kingdoms in this world. Which hopefully we will get in book 2!

Lastly we have the plot itself to talk about because it was intense! There were only 1 or 2 places where I guessed a plot twist/plot point but even then I was so into this book that it didn’t annoy me, I just wanted to know the how! Besides those couple I guessed this book was unpredictable! There were so many twists and turns that just kept me hooked the entire time and I loved the rollercoaster ride this book took me on! I do however want to yell at the author a lit for that cliff hanger! How dare you!!

So, overall I really enjoyed this one! It had a couple flaws in my opinion but I enjoyed the ride it took me on. I loved most of the characters and I can’t want to see where they go next. Also that cliffhanger!! I need to know what happens next!!!!!!!! I can’t wait for book 2 but it’s going to be a bit of a wait I would say. There are no details released yet as Book 1 isn’t even released yet…

Hello, I will be posting this reivew to my Instagram, Goodreads, and blog on September 26th. I will add the links here when they are posted. Thank you!

I went into this without any expectations and I am glad for that. Unfortunately, this just wasn't great and there were many things I did not like about this book. It sucks when a cover and synopsis are so promising and they let you down.

I will start this off with a positive. I am always a fan of multiple point of views in a book. For me, its easier to connect with characters in that way. Sadly, I didn't like any of the characters in this book. They were all quite cliché especially the main character, Asterin. The first couple things that are mentioned about her is that she has this extra special rare gift of being able to control different elements or in their terms, affinity stones. She is also great at fighting. I strongly dislike characters like this. All of the characters dialogue felt similar especially when it came to the banter between a few. I am always up for some good banter but in this case I just wasn't a fan.

As for the plot, it was very slow in the beginning and some of the scenes were painful to get through. The affinity stones/elemental magic was an interesting concept and I did appreciate that. There were many plot twists especially towards the end but it was like a jumble of so many that it just felt over the top and didn't have me enjoying them or even being surprised since this book had many clichés. I will say some of the book was very similar to others that I have read and there wasn't enough uniqueness to set it apart for me.

The writing wasn't something that I liked and that also didn't help with me already not liking many aspects of this book. I also felt that there could have been more world building.

Overall, I wasn't impressed and it won't be a book that I will remember. I am sure I will be in the minority and so don't let my review sway you too much.

The plot had me intrigued from the first chapter. I adore any magic system that is focused around elements, and this story was no different. Some of the repetitive aspects had me feeling a bit disconnected from the story, example being the nicknames the characters used for each other.

I adore the main protagonist Aeslin, a princess that breaks down gender barriers of what women are "supposed to be" and forms her own definition. The characters were well developed, though I felt like the character interactions and relationships could use some work. The interactions themselves seemed a bit immature for their age. Though it was fun banger and I found myself chuckling a few times. I think I just wanted a more mature romance. The relationship seemed forced and unfeeling, and was quite rushed if I don't say so myself. I feel like it had great potential to be a hate to love romance I could adore.

The ending was amazing, a huge plot twist and one of those cliff hangers that just about kill you.

If the characters and relationships were flushed out a bit more I think this could easily be a four or five star read.