Interesting story and a new world is really something new. I did get mix up with the different people but would like to know how this story will continue. Love the end

I have to say that I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would.

The pacing was quite fast, to the point that enough happened in the story that it could have been split into 2 books. It was very character-driven and had a creative magic system.

The plot discusses issues which are relevant in real life, namely racism and how someone can hate you on sight and think of you as less than human just because of your differences.

If you're looking for an enemies-to-lovers romance, it is a little weak here with one half of the couple falling almost instantly. I expected a bit more of a fight, more conflict, but didn't get that much. It was okay though, the story was interesting enough. I wish the focus was more on the world and the magic and warring people rather than the romance, but I found out later that this is just one book in a series so there is that! I'll probably end up reading the rest of the series. There was also some things related to Sol that I wanted more explanation of, especially her background, but perhaps this will be explained in a later book?

Overall the book was an enjoyable read, though it did not grip me enough to make it a favourite.



Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll be honest here, I wasn’t expecting to love this one. Especially in the beginning, the writing felt a little clunky, but as it went on, it got SOOO much better. The writing isn’t super flowery, but it’s also not clinical. It’s that perfect mix of poetic and descriptive.

The pacing was good and the plot felt real and believable. The romance was also paced well. I don’t feel like it was over the top rushed or anything. The magic was also really interesting. The idea was something that I had never really seen before and it was nice to see a new concept being implemented the way that Firefrost did.

The characters, Kelan and Sol were interesting to read the perspective from and I loved them as a couple. The changes that they underwent together and their falling in love was wonderful to read about. The romance is an enemies to lovers and it had some angst and build up that I was 100000% here for. This is a prequel to the first book in the Flameskin Chronicles and I plan on reading the next in the series, Flameskin.

Many thanks to the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review!

When I chose to read this book I was really drawn by the description and cover. The magic sounded fascinating, and while I knew it had some romance I had hopes it would be well done and not over focused.

I’ve read this book fully and while the romance was veryyy dramatic and too choppy for my taste it did have some cute moments. Unfortunately I would say the book seemed 70% relationship focus 30% magic and plot to me, and I came to it more for the magic/plot. The concept of the pyras and other magic we discover later was exciting but it took a backseat to the relationship and the second magic didn’t feel fully explored even at the end. Maybe there will be a book two? I felt there’s a lot to unpack more and the closure felt rushed like a hastily wrapped Christmas present. But it was wrapped. And the papering wasn’t too bad :) I’d consider reading a second book if it came along but it wouldn’t be my top of list.
However I do think YA fantasy lovers looking for a romance first plot would like this book.

I received a digital ARC of Firefrost from Netgalley in exchange for honest feedback.

I went into this knowing that it was ground zero of this series. I haven’t read book one, and to be honest, I probably won’t pick it up. Not the best way to open up a review, but let me tell you why YOU should pick it up and give it a chance!

Sol is a huntress working to feed her family after the death of her father. Desperate for money and food, she takes a job to escort a princess across a mountain in the dead of winter so that she can marry a foreign prince and collect support for her kingdom in the war against the Flameskins.

Kelan is a Flameskin lieutenant fighting to keep the creature that lives inside him from taking over and burning everything in its path. His orders take him deep into the mountains to keep the princess from making it to the other side, giving the Flameskins a chance to win the war and stop the slaughter of their kind.

When Sol’s party discovers the camp of flameskin soldiers, things heat up (pun intended) and only Sol and Kelan are left alive. They must rely on each other in order to make it out of the mountains, but along the way they stop being enemies and start to be something more. It’s a shame that the war keeps them from being together… or does it?

This story was well written and fast paced. It dealt with social issues we are dealing with today, such as sexism, racism, classism, and all sorts of other isms. As a whole, I would give this story a three out of five stars. The only reason I didn’t care for it was because I couldn’t immerse myself in the story and didn’t connect with it on a personal level. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a good book and shouldn’t be picked up by someone else! I would recommend this novel for anyone who is a fan of Wicked Kingdom.

An interesting enemies to lovers story that has you gripped until tangential page.

This book is excellent, well written, with a good plot and a wonderfully crafted magic system.

I really enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend it.

An enemies to lovers book - and let's be honest who doesn't love that! Not to mention the added stakes of battle and you have yourself a winning novel!! Absolutely loved this book - found the pacing, characters and relationships gripping.

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

4 stars for the first 2/3 & 3 stars for the wandering bits = 3.5 stars

I'm kind of on the fence about how to rate this book. For the first 60-70%, I loved it and would have given it a solid 4 stars. But then it kind of started wandering and didn't feel quite like the same book I started reading. I didn't dislike it or anything--it just felt different, characters and everything. So I don't know. Hopefully I'll figure it out by the end of this review.

Random stuff to get out of the way:
1) I can't figure out why this book is titled Firefrost. I get the fire aspect of it, but frost?
2) This is book 0--why is it not book 1? All I see listed on Goodreads so far is 0, .5, and 1; it appears that this book 0 is the only one that follows Kelan and Sol, which is unfortunate because I like them and would like to see more of where their story goes.

Okay, onto the book.

The concept of magic is interesting. You've got Flameskins, which are people who are born with what is essentially a fire demon in their blood (their pyra). It gives them the ability to create and manipulate fire; however, the more they draw on the pyra, the more control it has over them until it eventually takes complete control of their body. Pyri feed on emotion (though fear stifles them), and they desire death and destruction. An emberstone will block out a pyra when in contact with the Flameskin, essentially neutralizing him or her and cancelling out their fire-related abilities. There are also mages, who can use an emberstone to create and control fire; however, prolonged use of an emberstone will eventually cause a mage to be extinguished (all emotion will be gone).

The story takes place during a war between Flameskins and the Tokken people who are not Flameskins or mages. Each side has done atrocious things to the other, and the fighting just rages on. I can't figure out which side is closer to being in the right, likely because neither of them is. There's too much prejudice and hatred.

Sol (18) and Kelan (18) are two very different characters, and I like the way they pushed and pulled each other. A good enemies-to-lovers story is always fun, and it was nice that they didn't just go from "I hate you" to "I love you" very quickly. Kelan was swayed more quickly, but it fit with his character--he had a more playful and forgiving nature already, which I really think was good for Sol and helped both of them. Sol was a bit gruffer and more ingrained with the deep hatred of Flameskins because of what she had been taught growing up. Although it's a little thing, I very much enjoyed the age difference between them: Sol is about 6 months older than Kelan. Having the female love interest a little older than the male is not something I've frequently run into in YA books, so it was nice for that difference. (Plus, I'm a couple months older than my husband, so I'm sure that had something to do with my appreciation.)

Let me revert to my first paragraph for a moment. When I say that I felt like it started wandering at about the 2/3 mark, it's because characters (particularly Sol) started feeling somewhat different. I'm not complaining about character growth--that's really important to me, as I tend to prefer character-driven novels over plot-driven ones (though I really like it when both aspects work in tandem). It's more that Sol was suddenly . . . I don't know, softer? And I didn't really see how she got there. Plus there were some new things introduced late in the book that I don't feel were closed up at all. Ordinarily, that's not a big deal because, you know, sequels. But again, the sequels follow entirely different characters, so now it is a big deal to me.

I am really interested in reading the rest of the series, if and when I am ever able to find it. But I have no idea where it's going from here or if I'll ever find out what happens with Sol and Kelan. I hope I do.

Note: I can't remember if there was any swearing, but I don't think there was. Implied sex--totally of the page.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
4/5 stars.
First I have to say that this story has awesome characters! It’s a really character-driven storyline, so to have Kelan and Sol be such strong and likeable characters makes it that much easier to read.
The story starts off quickly and then it both slows down but also never seems to stop. Kelan is a Flameskin and a soldier in their army. Sol is a huntress leading the Tokken army through the mountains. When their paths cross, the two are forced into a situation they’d rather not be in. This of course leads to some enemies-to-lovers tension (which I love!) and ultimately a full romance.
This story is a fantasy, but it’s primarily a romance story. The intrigue of the war and the Flameskins was a backdrop to the love story of Kelan and Sol. Two people who are fighting against all the odds to be together in the end, they are constantly facing new challenges. I really wanted to see them work it out, and that kept me hooked while I read this book.
I did find that it dragged a little bit towards the end, but it was also starting to feel a bit repetitive as well. We’re constantly reminded of how many things can go wrong, and how Kelan and Sol will never be able to be together.
Overall though, if you like a sort of doomed-lovers feeling trope that starts with some enemies-to-lovers, I’d recommend checking this one out!

This book was everything I wanted and everything I hadn't expected.

When I added this book to my shelf to read and review, I was excited at the idea of fire magic. Any kind of elemental magic will always have my heart so I was ready to dive in head first. However, the magic in this book was not what I expected - but definitely not in a bad way. I absolutely loved how the author weaved in the magic into who the characters are!

She gave us two very different characters who in many ways weren't so different at all. They just had to overcome some obstacles to figure that out. Both know and can wield fire, but in very different ways. That was one of the things that surprised me. Most of the time, elemental magic is given such hard and fast rules that it can only be used in one way. So this dynamic was unique and surprising and really very amazing. It constantly surprised me and kept me on my toes.

The only thing I wasn't thrilled about with this book was the amount of time the main characters called each other Demon and Hunter. These characters were thrown together in very extreme circumstances and I would have liked them to have at least gotten on a name basis much sooner even though I do understand why the author extended the use of the titles.

Ultimately, the pacing of this story was good and the character development as well as world building was strong. I can't wait to dig into the next book when it releases. I want to know more about the world and the characters and their overall journey. If you like fire magic, unique worlds and magic systems, and well developed characters this book is for you. Give is a try!. I'm giving it a solid 4 stars. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC so that I could review this book.

Took me a long while to get to this book but I really liked it. The characters were enjoyable, the world building was good

Sol is a Huntress. A part of the beautiful and unforgiving mountains where she was born. Kelan is a Flameskin. Hunted since childhood by those who believe Flameskins are demons and left orphaned by those who who burned his mother on a pyre long ago. Survival pushes Sol and Kelan, enemies on each side of the Burning War, together as they’re forced to trek across the brutal mountains in the winter. As they come to depend on one another more and more for survival they begin to see each other as more than enemies.

“Was this what it was like to have a home, where laughter and smiles and love were served in buckets instead of teaspoons?”

The strength of this book lies in its characters. Though the pacing felt a little uneven, I ended up loving both characters for different reasons. Sol is strong, independent, and capable. A strong female protagonist who develops beyond the prejudices she has grown up with. Kelan is complex and emotional. I particularly liked seeing a male protagonist that emotes so well, I feel as though that is not common place enough. That being said, I feel more writing space could have been given to develop the relationship between both of the characters a little more. The shift from enemies to lovers is very subtle and a little abrupt as it happens quite quickly. The ending is sweet and hopeful, though it could have been drawn out more. Although that might just be my unwillingness to leave these characters.

The weakness is in the world building. While the reader gleans the hardships and the brutality of the mountains where most of the book takes place, there is very little else. The setting moves from the mountains to small towns to villages which all seem more or less alike, as little detail is given to differentiate between them. Furthermore, the revelation that comes during their trek out of the Ulves is not explored further and I wish it had been.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I’m excited to read more from Longley. Though it looks like the following books focus on different characters, I hope to see Sol, Kelan, Azalea, and the others in the rest of this series.

Note: I was granted an eARC for an honest review of this book.

A huntress and a demon on opposite sides of a war must learn to get along in order to survive. This YA fantasy romance brings together elements of ice and fire in a story of survival, magic and romance.

Synopsis

Sol is a huntress and the only one who can navigate the treacherous mountain pass of the mystical Ulve Mountains so late in the season. Kelan is a Lieutenant in the Flameskin army, charged with the task of killing a high-born lady rumoured to be travelling through the dangerous mountain pass.
A turn of events destroys both parties’ plans. Sol and Kelan are forced to team up and survive in impossible circumstances. Sol is blinded by a long ingrained hatred of Flameskins. Kelen is constantly battling his inner demon/ pyra who is fighting to take possession of his body.
Ice and fire. These unlikely companions slowly learn to get along. Sol learns that there is more to Kelan than the demon that gives him power, and at the same time she begins to accept who she truly is. Something that has been hidden from her her whole life.
From two sides of a fiery war, Sol and Kelen must find a way to work together and perhaps change the world.

My review

I was hooked on this book right from the start. The opening images of the blue uniformed Tokken army in the snowy mountains being led by Sol the huntress had me interested. Then in contrast, Kelan being introduced as part of the red Flameskin army, all the while his pyra/demon hissed at him to kill and set fire to the world. This is very much a character driven book and was hooked by both characters right from the start, eagerly awaiting their meeting.

Plot
The plot was a little disjointed. I loved the first two thirds of the book and read all of this in one day. The journey through the mountains with Sol and Kelen was great. So many arguments, all the hate against each other and the tension building up was wonderful. I really enjoyed this first half of the book.
But the second half almost felt like a separate book. The first half was fast paced and addictive, where leading up to the last third I started getting distracted and lost a lot of what was going on. There were a lot of characters to keep up with and several opposing forces. I wasn’t sure what side some of the characters were on towards the end.
But it was enjoyable all the way though, even though I feel the pacing was a bit off at times. It is very much a character driven book, and the romance arc drives the plot more than the events.

Setting
I really enjoyed the setting of the mountains. I got a clear feeling of the deathly cold and underlying magic of the surroundings. Mostly through the characters reactions to the cold which felt very real, and horribly cold (I hate the cold, it felt real to me). Since the magic is centred around fire, it was a perfect setting to introduce the limitations and abilities of magic that Flameskins have in regards to pushing powers to the limits in extreme conditions.
There wasn’t much description on setting but you always had a general feel for where they were. It was not so much focused on pretty writing or elaborate descriptions, rather we got a detailed experience with the characters.

World building
I thought the magic system was quite creative. It was simple and easy to follow, but interesting and unique. The Flameskins could harness the powers of the demons within them, pyra. But with the very high price of walking a fine line between having control of their bodies, or being possessed completely and loosing themselves to fire and destruction. The Mages had similar powers, but from a different source and with different consequences, still a high price.
There were several armies and cultures, and I admit I did get lost on all these and skimmed over the detail. But since this is a prequel book I feel like it is going to be a good set up for the series, which I am looking forward to reading and finding out more detail about this world.

Characters
Kelen was my favourite character. This was purely because of thought of him as Prince Zuko (from the final episodes of the Last Airbender). Right from the start, he showed fire-bending skills and a similar redemption arc as Prince Zuko. I was hooked. Kelen is battling with literal and figurative demons, he knows there is another way to live outside the Flameskin army, he just needs to find a way.
Sol is set in her ways and hellbent on supporting the end of all Flameskins. She is cold hearted and in denial about herself and what she might be capable of. She is independent, resourceful and a fierce hunter. She also fights an internal battle, going against everything she has been taught to help a Flameskin solider.
Sol and Kelen are forced to survive together and slowly see the world through each other’s eyes. The first half of the book is them fighting and getting to know each other. But it all happens quite quickly and seems like a bit of instalove. But worth reading for the moments of tension and the eventual hate to love moments.


This is the debut book for Author Camille Longley, and I would highly recommend reading it. There is a good mix of romance and fantasy with great main characters. I feel there are more great things to come and I will be keeping an eye out for the rest of the Flameskin Chronicle series.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Two born enemies find themselves trying to survive the winter pass together with very limited supplies. The story has new and interesting people with fire powers and others that do not and hate them for it. I feel that I am so much in the minority on my opinion of this book. There are so many people that loved this book but I’m 35% in and Sol is driving me crazy. There has been some good adventure but really the interaction between Sol and Kelan is hard to read as she is so hot and cold. I understand Sol is having to overcome a lot of prejudice with Kelan but it only shows how patience and understanding Kelan is for being treated so poorly by Sol then all of a sudden, wham, she really likes him. ugh. The premise of this book sounded great and different and the cover is gorgeous but it’s just not living up to the hype so I’m going to have to back out and let all of you others out there enjoy it.

I was provided with an electronic ARC through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really liked this book. Story and these characters are why I liked this so much. Sol is huntress and Kelan is Flameskin so they are enemies. But they had to work together if they wanted to survive. Sol was a bit annoying sometimes but not too much. I did like her and also I liked Kelan. Life wasn't that easy for him. I liked that he wanted to be better person after he met and got to know Sol.

Wasn't really a fan of the romance, it was lacking the "angst" most hate-to-love pairings have. I also felt like the plot and the world building were a little meh.

The book centers around two individuals, Sol and Kenan, who are forced to rely on one another after an avalanche leaves them the only survivors. While this may not seem so bad—I mean, it is better to be in the wild with company than no one at all—Kenan is a flameskin and Sol has been taught to fear and hate people like him. Flameskins are humans who share their bodies with a pyra, a spirit or a demon if you will, that hungers for violence and death. It gives the human immense power but it also can take over their lives. Through much of the book, Kenan struggles to maintain his humanity while Sol only sees him as a demon. The more time they spend in each other’s presence, the more Sol starts to question her views of flameskins. As they get closer to their destination, the decision to go their separate ways becomes increasingly more difficult.

I ended up liking the book more than I thought I would. This likely has to do with some revelations I didn't catch onto until just before they happened as well as an explosive ending. Additionally, I am a fan of character-driven novels and Firefrost can be categorized as such. I was immediately intrigued by Sol when she was introduced. She is a complex character when compared to Kenan, and she also undergoes the most growth--Kenan doesn't change very much from beginning to end. The worldbuilding isn't the most complex and is a bit lacking in some aspects, which I hope will be further fleshed out in subsequent books. Unexpectedly, romance dominated the book and drove important decisions, making the power of love one of the dominant themes in the novel. I can try to point out additional good and less good things about the book but what it comes down to is that after I finished reading it, it just left me with an overall feeling of contentment. I'm not sure how else to describe it.

I think a lot of things happened throughout the story and at times, they overwhelmed me. This caused me to stop reading too many times and I had a hard time finishing it despite the short length of the chapters.

On top of that, the plot of enemies to lovers was so beautiful that it had the power to keep me interested all the time, trying to figure out what will happen with them.

I loved the values the characters had and how they grew along the story, it made it a lot more realistic.

It was a really good reading, I enjoyed a lot this book. Thanks to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic, I loved every minute of this, I love the enemies to lovers trope so this was always going to be a win for me, it’s fast paced, fun and addictive reading from the start to end, I was sad when it ended as I needed more. Looking forward to more by the author and can’t wait for the next

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I tried really hard to get into this book but I just couldn’t. I had to DNF it at 15% because I just could not see where the story was going and I was just not very interested.