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.

This upcoming novel has such a unique interesting plot. I really loved the bit of the world and magic we learn in book one. Our main characters are interesting, realistic and dare I say a good mix of banter and serious. Asterin isn’t our perfect princess and she isn’t one to think I can save the world by myself. I like that she knows she needs her friends. I really liked that we do get to see everyone’s past relatively good in this short amount of time without it feeling dragged out.

My biggest problem with this book is the writing/ending. The writing wasn’t bad, but sometimes it felt a bit too childish or unrealistic. A lot happens in this book and you don’t necessary have all the history and answers yet. The ending though was almost to wrapped up. The connections that are going to be furthered into book two aren’t quite there. Like I’m interested in book two, but also would of liked more why is this other evil person so interested.

I do recommend this book and think as the author grows so will her writing like so many of our favorites!

I am so happy that I found this book. This was one of the best books that I have read in a long time! This book kept me interested with all of the action. I really enjoyed this book.

Title: Shadow Frost
Author: Coco Ma
Pages: 428
Genre: Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Young Adult
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is an Advanced Readers Copy. That means that this is not the final version of the book. Therefore, facts and quotes are subject to change in the published book.

Release date: 10/01/2019

Asterin Faelenhart is the princess of Axaria. When a strange creature begins threatening the safety of her kingdom, Asterin finds that she may be the only one who can defeat it. But not without the help of others who offer their services to her. This group of strangers find that not only do they have more in common than they thought, but they grow closer together thanks to this trip of a lifetime.

Oh No's
The booked dragged on a little in the middle. When the setting stays stationary for too long, I feel the repetitive days feel just that. And that's when I usually find myself slowing down when I read.

Yay's
Learning about a group of characters and their personalities. It wasn't just the main character and her story it was each person's and how they are all connected. It was quite entertaining to read and learn

The mysteries and secrets. From learning more about each person's secrets to those around them, not all of what you see is the truth. And that is all I will say on this matter. 

Finally,
This was an adventure that I wish had kept going on and on. The author did the leave the end open to a second novel which I really hope she makes. I definitely suggest adding this book to your TBR radar. 

My similar recommendation for this novel would be Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas.

Favorite Quote
"Caves that come and go with the full moon, enchanted lakes. Proceed with the utmost caution. It appears that you're Axaria's last hope, Princess Asterin."

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-PM

Asterin Faelenhart is the Princess of Axaria and heir to the throne. When there are rumours of a demon terrorizing the kingdom, soldiers from the royal guard are sent to slay it. Except.. the soldiers don’t come back. Asterin feels terrible for everyone in the kingdom, and when she discovers she may hold the key to defeating the demon, she decides to slay it herself. Although many trained soldiers did not return, and her mother is pleading her to stay, she starts the hunt together with her friends. During the journey, she discovers things about her friends she didn’t know before, and together, they discover a lot more about the demon that no one knew before… although, that’s what they think.

I got approved for this eARC so thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for that! This review is my opinion only, and receiving the eARC did not affect that in any way.

I was excited to receive the eARC because the story pretty much sounded exactly like something I will always read and love. And, correctly, I really liked it. Also: LOOK AT THAT COVER *heart eyes*

Asterin is a princess who loves fighting. I’m all for those kinda characters. She wants to be able to protect her kingdom, so despite her mother’s arguments, she learns how to fight and defend herself. Asterin is omnified, meaning she can wield more than 3 elements. She tries to please her mother but it is difficult because she can’t wield every single one and keeps being pushed to try.

Luna is Asterin’s lady-in-waiting and best friend. She doesn’t remember her past, but has lost both her parents and has trouble wielding any magical element. She and Asterin are very close, and they would do anything for each other. She and Eadric, Captain of the Royal Guard are together.

Orion is the personal Royal Guard of Asterin, and her other best friend. He is teaching her how to fight, and they’re quite close. They’re not in love, but they would do anything for each other, like brother and sister.

Rose and Quinlan are two people coming in later in the book. They are from another kingdom, Eradore, and will be going along with Asterin on her journey. Throughout, they get to know each other, and become great friends.

Harry is a hunter they meet along the way. Harry doesn’t tell a lot about himself but he helps them hunt down the demon and lets them sleep in his house.

The great thing about this book is NO LOVE TRIANGLE. It’s really great that it exists and I’m just so happy. This book has fierce women, something I always love, and appreciate. The guys in this book are mostly regular guys, except that they’re not too shy on talking about their feelings, more bonus points! I won’t get further into relationships because I might give away some spoilers but it was all really awesome.

The story started great immediately. I was hooked from the start, and although it did take me quite a while to finish it, I really was into it. The story follows Asterin and her friends on a journey to slay a demon. During the journey, they find out a lot about the demon they will slay, but they will also find out a lot about themselves. There’s magic, friendship, and many more awesome things.

The magic system works with elements called affinities. There are 9 elements. Everyone who was born was usually born unifinitied, meaning they can wield one element. Those who could wield both are called bifinitied, and people who could wield three elements were called trifinitied. The few people who could wield more than three elements are called multifinitied. The very rare people who could wield all elements are called omnifinitied. Those people were legends, and none of them are known to be living these days. This magic system is different than other books I’ve read. The fact that magic works with stones gives it another nice twist to the story. I liked to see how people in the book use their magic for different things and how it worked for them.

The “big thing” happening didn’t really surprise me since I had seen it coming for a bit. Which is not a bad thing, because I have that with most books. What I didn’t expect, however, was how the characters reacted to it. I really liked the outcome of it all and I could see that they had grown throughout the book.

The only difficult thing was the format on the eARC: most new paragraphs started with half a word and continued on the next line. I don’t think this is something with the book but with my phone because I have this problem with almost every eARC I’ve been reading.

Overall I really liked this book, and I’m happy to have received this ARC. I look forward to the next book in the series!

If you love kick ass princesses, elemental magic, a mysterious creature attacking, and lack of love triangles.....ADD THIS ONE TO YOUR TBR ASAP.

Asterin would much rather save herself then wait for her guardian to the Queens displeasure. In fact she has even conned her guards and others into helping her sharpen her skills to defend herself. She’s definitely not one to wait around for anyone.
So when word arrives that a mysterious demon creature is attacking her kingdom, she is the first to volunteer to go after it. She cites the fact that she is the future Queen and it is in fact her duty.

And this is where it get interesting 😉
And thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review!
Keep your eye out for this one to hit shelves in October!

I received this via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved it guys. This book was just what I wanted It to be. The world building was fun and enticing. The characters were very well flushed out. I loved the plot of this. I can not wait to read more by this author. I highly recommend this book

This was a DNF at around 28%. The lore I found complicated and none of the characters grabbed me, I was pretty much forcing myself to keep reading. I'm finding that maybe this type of story isn't for me anymore.

I really enjoyed Shadow Frost. I am really impressed the the story was written when Coco was only 15. I found the characters to be well developed and relatable and plot easy to follow. Highly recommend this book!

I started this book with great expectations. The cover is just amazing, right?
At first it was okay, I enjoyed the first few chapters but as I read on, the details got to be too much and gave a slow, lagging feel to the story instead of a rich vivacity. I'm sorry to say the story didn't grip my attention and keep it. Also, some of the scenes just seemed to come out of nowhere. There was a lack of smooth flow from scene to scene that annoyed me.
I'm an eclectic reader and as such, I enjoy a variety of stories. In fact, I always find something good about a story. I really wanted to like this story but the writing just dawdled too much.
This book didn't work out for me. However, other readers might enjoy it better than I did.

Oh holy Cinnabon's! This book was so so so good. I think I loved just about everything about this book, it is easily on the favorites list of arcs I was able to read this year. It is erven at the top of the list of books to pre-order.

I am a huge fan of elemental's, it probably has to do with my love for Sailor Moon that developed early on in my childhood. I also enjoyed the fact that the princess took her crew out to slay the monster threatening her kingdom.
There are so many twists and turns in this book that I honestly was not sure how this was going to end. Which is normally a shock since most of the time I can predict the ending of a book, when I find one that throws me for a loop it is an automatic print copy buy for later re-reads lol.


It is hard to believe this author wrote the first draft at the age of 15, talk about making me feel like a slow writer. This is definitely one of the must read books of the year

This book has one of the best prologues I've ever read in my entire reading life and it turned out the prologue is also one of the best parts of this novel. The story features Princess Asterin of Axaria who is good at both fighting and magic that are great combination especially because of the threat of a demon that had been terrorizing her kingdom. Everyone who had been sent to hunt and kill this demon has never returned that finally, Asterin makes it her duty to do kill the demon herself. Accompanied by her friends, they set out to an adventure that would change everything they believe in.

The premise of the novel is really intriguing and after reading the prologue I was even more intrigued. Then I met the characters and I became truly invested in the story though I must say, this book is not without its flaws. But first, let me talk about the good ones. I love how badass the characters are, especially the women. Seriously, these women rule. You don't tell them what to do because they already know it. Asterin, especially, is so cool not because she can fight physically and do magic, but because her aspirations for her kingdom is astounding. I love it. I see her as a great queen of Axaria. But let's not forget the other characters who for me, are pretty well-rounded and I really enjoyed the dialogues and banters between them.

Another thing I somehow enjoy are the twists. The story is full of twists and they really add to my enjoyment. BUT I said somehow enjoyed because there are times I felt like there's TOO much of them but it's okay.

Now to one issue I have. Look, the story features a princess who sets out with her friends to kill a monster. And she's good at fighting and has elemental magic. I don't know, it's just that around 70% of the story, it suddenly seemed a little formulaic for me But maybe that's just me. Your experience might be different from mine.

But overall, this book is worth every minute of your time reading it. I can guarantee that. I definitely enjoy it. :)

I cannot give this the praise it deserves! EVERYONE should read this book, the world building, the magic system and the characters were all built and developed so incredibly well. It truly is a book I could not put down.

Review can also be found on *Milky Way of Books*

It's been a while since I read a YA fantasy with such a BADASS princess! Asterin is amazing as also her gang, both human and....ahem...not quite; Luna, Rose, Orion, Quinlan, Eadric, Harry, the horses which seem to have a mind of their own, Amoux (the sword).

The villain on the book seemed to give Darkling vibes for me and yet Asterin defied Mother and society to fight ith her magic and save her kingdom. This was a really good read and you are going to enjoy it if you prefer something fast-paced and highly entertaining.

I got a copy of this book through NetGalley to review. This is the first book in the Shadow Frost trilogy and I really enjoyed this adventure fantasy.

This story jumps between a number of different characters. The initial character we meet is Asterin, a princess of Axaria, who has strange magic powers. She discovers that her magic powers may be what helps her kingdom destroy a terrible demonic beast that is plaguing the kingdom. She ends up going on a journey with some of her guards and friends to complete the task.

I loved the adventure, magic, demons, and action in this story. There is some romance in here too to balance things out nicely. I really enjoyed all of the characters and the dialogue. I loved the magic and the history behind the different types of magic. This was an incredibly engaging read that I breezed right through.

My only complaint with this story is that it jumps between different characters very quickly. This worked well for the story and was done in a way that never got confusing. However, it made the story feel kind of sloppy and the whole thing felt a bit “ad lib” and not well planned out.

Overall it's been awhile since I read a fantasy I really got into and enjoyed! I loved the magic, adventure, intrigue, and romance in this book, but did think that the story was put together a bit sloppily. Still don’t let that stop you! This is a very engaging and fun fantasy adventure. I would recommend to those who enjoy adventure fantasy with some romance.

So the thing is, I'm at a crossroads. I think this would've been a great stand alone had a few plot points been taken out completely, and I also think it would've been a great series had some of the plot points been farther spread out. Instead I think the author took them and combined them into one so I felt the book was kind of everywhere and it was crammed. The idea of this story had me at hello I was prepared, I was pumped, I was ready! And then the pacing just flew by and I couldn't focus on the plot and characters as much as I wanted to because I kept getting lost thinking oh wait didn't this thing JUST happen? Oh no! That happened two seconds ago but now we're on a whole other section. I just got lost and I don't know if thats a reader issue or a book issue. Anywho I think I will pick up the sequel once it's out to give it one more shot!

Shadow Frost
By: Coco Ma
3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis:

Blackstone Publishing, Oct 1, 2019
I recieved this early copy on behalf of the author and publisher, from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review...

In the kingdom of Axaria, a darkness rises.

Some call it a monster, laying waste to the villagers and their homes.Some say it is an invulnerable demon summoned from the deepest abysses of the Immortal Realm.Many soldiers from the royal guard are sent out to hunt it down.Not one has ever returned.

When Asterin Faelenhart, Princess of Axaria and heir to the throne, discovers that she may hold the key to defeating the mysterious demon terrorizing her kingdom, she vows not to rest until the beast is slain. With the help of her friends and the powers she wields—though has yet to fully understand—Asterin sets out to complete a single task. The task that countless trained soldiers have failed.

To kill it.

But as they hunt for the demon, they unearth a plot to assassinate the princess herself instead. Asterin and her companions begin to wonder how much of their lives have been lies, especially when they realize that the center of the web of deceit might very well be themselves. With no one else to turn to, they are forced to decide just how much they are willing to sacrifice to protect the only world they have ever known.

That is ... if the demon doesn’t get to them first.

My Thoughts:
First let me just that I really wanted to love this book!! It had its moments where i thought it would pick up and get better. However that was not the case...
The character builds are spotty at best, there are more useless details than relatable ones. The world building was horrible, I feel I know nothing about the setting of the story.
There were some really solid aspects, there were 6 POVs, which can make things messy if not done well. Here it was slightly disorienting, and a few critical flaws but all-in-all the writing was well done. The love matches seemed trite, stilted, forced and clunky at times BUT even so, they also managed to be sweet at other times so there's that. The plot had too many convenient or easily foreseen twisty turns.
This isn’t, strictly speaking, a bad book. It’s relatively entertaining, but it’s extreme and predictable. It has that Disney-esque quality of good triumphing over evil. The characters are highly powered with limited training and few consequences. Especially where the MC is concerned, Asterin is completely annoying!!
Even though this wasnt my meat and potatoes dont take my word, try it out for yourself you may enjoy it. I would reccomend for a younger reader just getting into young adult reading, but it just wasnt for me. Thank you to NetGalley, Coco Ma, and Publisher for my early copy for review.

This book really surprised me. First of all, I really hope there's a sequel because it can't just end there. I found the characters very interesting, especially the girls. I loved how much mystery there was as well. Definitely a great read.

I received a copy of Shadow Frost from Blackstone Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a sucker for world building and this one was a thrill to read.

I loved the way magic was portrayed in this book but most importantly I adore the characters.

I really really hope there's going to be a sequel to this one, because that cliffhanger!

“Eternity. It was endless and gray as the bleak sky above, broken only by the craggy teeth of the mountain peaks.”

I was quite looking forward to Shadow Frost. The blurb is intriguing, the cover is beautiful, and it has lots of good reviews. Also, the prologue and first chapter had me hooked. They immediately established tension and a really interesting world. (The map at the beginning is amazing too. I spent a while studying it and admiring the names and layout.)

However, I was instantly struck by the writing style. This kind of sentence structure appeared a lot:

“Her breaths became gasps as she struggled to maintain her focus, muscles quivering from exertion.”

“The queen turned, a single brow arched.”

I don’t know… maybe it’s just me, but there were so many sentences spliced by commas that it started to bug me. They can definitely be effective, but they become rather unprofessional when overused.

On another note, the features of the main character are described through the use of a mirror. This is a bit cliche…

I did like the main character she was feisty and brave, albeit a bit reckless. But the romance…

“You…you can’t just take off your shirt like that,” she stammered.

“Why? Does it bother you?” he teased, nothing short of delighted.

“Yes! No! I don’t care. I’ve seen shirtless men before anyway.”

He quirked an eyebrow, “Oh?”

That just makes me cringe. It’s like a cheesy high school romance.

Anyways, I think I better stop here. Perhaps you will enjoy this book. It does have good qualities. However, it was not my cup of tea.