I'll start by saying I did not know this was a prequel novel when I downloaded it from netgalley. The synopsis seems interesting and that cover looks great.

This is a dual pov kind of story. We have Sol and Kelan as our main characters. So the setting is in a fictional kingdom which is currently in a war. Kelan is a flameskin soldier and Sol is a normal huntress just trying to provide food for her family. So they are technically from different worlds.

Due to some accident, they were forced to travel together while hating each other. At the earlier part of the book, it was really a struggle for me because I dislike Sol. Something about her rubs me the wrong way. I almost dnf this book but halfway through I started to get attached to the characters and got invested on the story.

The book has lots of exciting scenes and surprising twists. Also, the characters are likable. I love how things wrapped up on the end.👍❤

***Thanks for netgalley, the publisher and author for making this available for review.***

2.5 stars

I was super excited to start this, since I'm a massive fan of enemies to lovers, especially in fantasy. The story gets going from the very first page, and there’s plenty of action and adventure throughout. However, I didn’t end up loving it as much as I thought I would, which was disappointing.

What I liked:
- As I said previously, the action gets going from the very first page, and I was instantly pulled into the story. I feel like the first couple of chapters were the strongest in the book.
- I liked Sol as a character and was rooting for her to do well throughout.
- There are lots of solid action scenes, and the overall pace of the story is really good. I did get through the book pretty quickly, and it doesn’t drag in the middle.
-I liked how the characters were a bit older (18/19), I'm find it harder to relate to characters that are only 16, so I enjoyed protagonists who are a bit older and more mature.

What I didn’t like as much:
-I found the plot pretty repetitive after a while. Sol and Kelan would be doing okay, something would happen and they’d be separated, then there would be a big fight scene so they could be reunited. Repeat.
-There was very little world-building, and no explanation of the magic system. I know there was a war, but I'm still not really sure why. I'm not really sure why certain people have power over fire either.
-I wasn’t a huge fan of the romance between Sol and Kelan, they just both seemed to randomly decide that they were in love with each other one day, and that was that.
-It was written in a strangely passive way. Stuff just seemed to… happen. Information was revealed in the plot, and I was thinking that it was all going to be super important to the story, but then it was never mentioned again.

Overall it was an easy read, but nothing particularly memorable. There were definitely some aspects that were unique, but the lack of world-building was a real issue for me. However, I think perhaps younger readers would enjoy it (plus there’s no swearing or sex scenes so I think it would be appropriate for younger teens).

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was somewhere between a 3 and a 4 for me, because I did like the premise and the story but it was still flawed. Decided to bump it up to a 4 because I did stay up all night to read it.

The good - I really liked the idea of pyras. Basically demon-possessed firebenders. I liked how the Flameskin and mages complimented each other with the give and take of fire. I liked Sol and Kelan, although their characterizations were a bit shakey at the start. Kelan as some kind of playboy? Yeah that doesn't sound right. He's way too devoted too quickly to be that much of a flirt, haha.

The not so good - the writing lacked transitions and was often repetitive. You'd be in the middle of a scene and it would shift so quickly to the next that it felt jarring. And it often felt like the same arguments or same conflicts happening over and over again - I wanted to cut a lot of repetitive dialogue and replace it with escalating transitions.

I also want to know more about Sol's origins, although since this is the start of a series, I'm assuming that'll be covered later. I'll probably keep reading the series, because I am curious what happens next (that ending was bit ??? ok I guess this is happening now) and I want to see what happens to Sol.

This one drew me in from the start, with the characters and the complex world they live in.

Sol and Kelan are enemies purely based on Sol being raised a huntress, and Kelan being born with fire inside him that will eventually take over his mind. Hunters typically kill these 'demons' on sight.

Sol and Kelan come together and though there's a building attraction between them, a romance between the two would be unheard of.

They travel across treacherous landscape, helping each other when hurt, and ultimately can't deny their feelings for one another. The people in their lives won't ever understand associating with someone outside their own kind, leaving Sol and Kelan alone in the world.

I really enjoyed this story, and the characters. It was just one of those captivating stories, and I'd really love to read more from this author.

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Firefrost is a great example of a true execution of enemies-to-lovers that works. It’s not animosity based on a petty misunderstanding, but wider world conditions that have made it so that a romance between them is unlikely, and they initially both buy into it. However, it also walks that line where the situation demands they depend on each other, leading to them naturally transitioning into a romance in a believable way.

Longley beautifully conveys both the balance of diminishing hatred and growing vulnerability in Sol and Kelan’s dynamic, and the tension crackled throughout. Her prose was also fast-paced and engaging.

My one complaint is that I felt the fantasy world was a bit underdeveloped…I mean, it’s typical for YA fantasy to be less grand in scope, but I did wish it had something to distinguish it, given I’ve read some lately that did. However, I did like that this book included some illustrations, adding to my image of the characters.

As this is a debut, I’m curious to see where Longley goes from here. And if you like YA fantasy, I think you’ll be interested in trying this book.

Not my cup of tea. In fact it felt like a chore to get through just so I could hold up my end of my ARC bargain.

I'd give this book a strong 4.5 out of 5. It kept me thoroughly entertained, and I read it in a single sitting. It follows a hunter, Sol, and an enemy soldier, Kelan, as they struggle to survive a harsh winter in the mountains. Because most of this book was a fight for survival, it was pretty character driven, but that didn't harm it, because the arcs of the characters were done extremely well.

Sol has been raised since she was born to hate Flameskins, and kill them on sight, so she was immensely prejudiced when she met Kelan. Watching her slowly accept Kelan and challenge her beliefs was written so realistically yet simply at the same time. She had idolized her father for years, and watching her struggle with her feelings towards him and her beliefs was really part of what made the story stand out to me. The author did an amazing job of writing Sol's father to be a flawed character without villainizing him. Being there for her journey towards acceptance was really what made me love her as a character.

Kelan,on the other hand had been threatened by the Tokkens for his entire life and was logically wary of them. While he had less of a transformation of beliefs, his journey was just as well written. He was probably my favorite character, because his struggle with his inner demons also felt super realistic. I loved how he gave Sol time to accept him, he wasn't the normal cocky love interest we see in most YA books.

Speaking of love interests, lets discuss the romance! This was really the focal point of the story, I mean there was a plot line, but it was really led by the romance. I loved how this wasn't insta-love, it did happen fairly fast considering how short the timeline of the book was, but it felt like it took a long time.

I feel like Longley definitely excels at writing realistic character relationships, and if she continues this series, I'll definitely be looking to continue it. I would definitely recommend this to fantasy lovers!

*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review*

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Firefrost

Author: Camille Longley

Book Series: Flameskin Chronicles Book 0

Rating: 1/5

Publication Date: September 21, 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: can’t recommend, dnf-ed

Publisher: BooksGoSocial

Pages: 372

Synopsis: She’s a huntress:
Sol d’Hillerod is sent on a desperate mission through a treacherous winter pass. She carries with her the only hope of her village’s survival, and she will do whatever she must to keep her world from burning.

He’s a monster:
Lieutenant Kelan Birke has spent his whole life fighting for his freedom and his soul. As his control slips, and the war rages on, he knows it won’t be long before he loses himself entirely to the fire that flows through his veins.

Sol and Kelan are enemies in an age-old war, forced to depend on each other to survive a perilous journey through the mountains. As fire melts the ice in Sol’s heart, she questions everything she’s been taught to believe, and Kelan becomes more desperate to fight the flames that consume him. Together they discover that their struggle will have repercussions for both sides of this burning war.

Review: DNF at 35%. It reminded me of Wicked Saints and we all know about my hatard of that book.

Verdict: Not for me, but maybe for you!

Firefrost follows both Sol and Kelan as they try to survive their journey together first as enemies and later as lovers, their relationship means they are unable to live in peace together anywhere.

The book is told in alternating perspectives of both Sol and Kelan and I loved their characters and their relationship. Both characters are survivors and have a lot to deal with on their journey, I loved Sol and how strong she was and how she did not let anything change who she was, I also loved Kelan’s personality and how it contrasted the harshness of Sol’s personality and how he still called her out on her views and how she treated him. I enjoyed the writing style of the book especially the world building and fantasy element of the book, it was interesting to read about Kelan and Flameskins and his struggle to control himself and also Sol and mages. The action in the book was also well written especially near the ending of the book.

Although I found their relationship really cute and I loved them together especially during the second half, the book is very fast paced and I expected the romance to be a slow burn as they are enemies but it is not. They have feelings for each other very early on and the plot around them surviving their original journey also ends quicker than I thought it would. I did not like the pace of the book, everything seemed really rushed and the characters moved to different settings/situations too quickly and that also meant that the plot itself was repetitive and frustrating to read because the couple go through so much together and can never catch a break. There is not much to the plot of the book aside from them constantly struggling to be together and then having to move somewhere else and although I liked the couple it did get boring/repetitive.

I liked the ending of the book and am interested in how it will link to the next book.

3/5

I love the enemies to lovers troupe! It is one of my favorites! And this book did not let me down in that area. While I didn't love this book as much as some others with that same troupe, it was still quite enjoyable!

God help me, this is one of the toughest reviews I've ever had to write. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and unfortunately that's exactly what you're going to get.

I am only giving this book 2 stars because I enjoyed the concept of the Pyras and Flameskin and *really* thought it could be something unique that I had not yet encountered on my journeys as a reader.

I take no joy in informing you that while that concept was in fact unique, the individuality of this novel stops there.

Things I liked:

- The concept
- The cover
- Getting to know the characters at the start - sure they’re a bit juvenile, but that just leaves optimal room for character development, right? RIGHT!!? Very wrong, indeed.
- There were one or two action scenes that I felt immersed in.

Things I DID NOT like:

- This is my interpretation of the romance: "I hate you!" "Well I love you!" "Then I love you too!" "Now I hate you, then!" "Well, I hate you too!" "I changed my mind, I love you!" "You disgust me!" "I couldn't imagine life without you!" *End of Novel*
- The romance was too easy. For an enemies to lovers plot, they sure did start their smooch sessions pretty quickly. But don't worry, they go right back to hating each other, then loving each other, then hating ea- *yawn*
- The story was repetitive on every front. The romance, the action, it all just felt stale.
- For such a fantastic idea, there is minimal world building. The concept alone leaves a lot of room for it, and the author leaves that space quite empty.

Honestly for such a fresh idea, there is really nothing new here. If you're looking for a typically YA read that won't keep you guessing, this will do the trick. If you're looking for an enemies to lovers romance and you don't give a damn about the fantasy element, this may also work.

My advice? If you're going to read it, don't expect as much from it as I did going into it. Evidently some people liked this book, so maybe that's the trick?

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3541347668?book_show_action=false

Title: Firefrost  
Author: Camille Longley
Pub. Date: September 21, 2020
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️


This will be a spoiler free review. Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Where do I begin?

This book is enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers, with betrayal, magic, drama, deceit, and basically just about anything you could want in a YA Fantasy. It’s a little insta-love-y, but I quickly became emotionally invested and stayed up way too late on a work night reading. I don’t regret my choices.

I like Kelan and Sol, I just wish more time had been spent on their relationship. Everything happened so quickly and the tense emotional build up that usually accompanies enemies to lovers really wasn’t prevalent. I mean, I was still an absolute sucker for it, but I just wish it had been more drawn out – that their whole relationship had been drawn out.

I did think that the pacing was way off in this book, but overall, I enjoyed it. It made for a quick, easy, fun read and I ended up emotionally invested – which is always a plus. I definitely think that if the pacing had been more drawn out, if we got to spend more time with the characters, with the world – fleshing it out a bit more – this book could have easily been a new favorite. As it stands, it’s still enjoyable, but it feels lacking.

I thought that the pacing was going to be my only complaint about this book – which is something I can deal with. Like I said, I was emotionally invested, despite not really liking the pacing, but when I hit the 80% mark, I lost all track of what was happening.

It felt like all sorts of new information had been introduced, new conflict – basically it felt almost like a whole different plot line. Things were happening at light speed and it was hard to keep up. I was really confused at times and had to go back and re-read, and then the introduction of whatever that magic was at the very end was really strange and felt so out of place.

So much happened in the last 20% that I don’t even know if I could accurately recall it all, and it’s been 40ish minutes since I finished the book. I just didn’t understand the motives and reasoning behind various character actions. The emotional weights were off and that made the life or death stakes feel really minute in comparison.

Overall, if you’re looking for a quick read to pass the time, I’d say pick this up. It’s entertaining and has some really good moments.

TRIGGER WARNING: murder, slavery, reference to death of children

The premise of the book seemed interesting, and I honestly wanted to really like this book. But the concept didn't quite meet expectations.

Let me start with the positives - I really liked the magic system. The idea of pyra and mages were interesting, and I liked how it was woven through the story. The cost of using magic was especially well illustrated in this story. I also liked how connected to nature Sol was. But that was really about the extent of things that I enjoyed about the book.

I happen to love the enemies to lovers trope - it allows tension to build, and I love seeing the emotions change and become a slow-burn romance. But in this story, it kind of felt like I was getting whiplash. Sol and Kelan went from enemies one minute to insta love the next, and then back to enemies, and then back to love, and so on. It was exhausting! The characters were juvenile and behaved like bratty children for so much of the story. It made it really hard to connect to them, and I found myself really not caring much about what happened to them. Everything just felt repetitive - the romance, the situations the characters find themselves getting into, and nearly the entire story involves just the two characters wandering around the mountains. It was boring and there was a noticeable lack of tension.

It's touted as good for fans of Sabaa Tahir and Sarah J. Maas, both writers I happen to love, but I really didn't see any kind of connection. I definitely took one for the team here.

It doesnt support or open after I download the pdf version of it. It's also not showing in my shelf in netgalley and I cant open it to read

Please look into the issue and if you can send me the pdf in my mail ID- taniagungunsarkar@gmail.com

I cant read the book from here. Please look into the issue

I received a free ebook ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a quick and easy read that you don’t have to think about too much (and I suggest you don’t). This book alternates POV between our huntress Sol, a woman of the mountains, and Kelan, a flameskin soldier. Initially, these two are complete opposite missions; Sol, to get a soon to be Princess to her new city safely and Kelan to kill that Princess.

Through a series of circumstances, our two characters find themselves trekking through the mountains together and falling in love. This book was non-stop action from just about the very beginning. I enjoyed that it was fast paced in this way. Towards the end, it did feel a little rushed and I think we lost some detail in that (I’m still not clear is a wraith is a different species or just younger flameskins?).

Overall, I enjoyed the ride and would definitely like to read the sequel to see exactly where Sol and Kelan end up.

I was provided an Advanced Reader Copy by the publisher #BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for an honest review.

Firefrost by Camille Longley was an extremely engaging story; I couldn't put the book down. Longley has developed very likable characters, both the good guys and the bad, whose life situations make you yearn for a better, more understanding world. This first installment can be read as a stand alone but appears to be an introduction in to the world she has built.

Sol is a huntress tasked with leading her party across the treacherous mountain pass. She relies on this job to feed her family who live in a small village on the mountain. Sol must be wary of the Flameskin army, a race who can use fire as a means of weaponry, healing, and strength.

Kelan is a Flameskin who has been fighting his human nature. He refused to let the fire consume him and his mind. He fears what he can become.

Sol and Kelan are two individuals on separate sides of an intense war. They are thrown together and must learn to work with one another in order to survive. Can Sol overcome her distrust for what Kelan is? Can Kelan overcome his inner demons and save himself?

Overall, this was a fun read! The first 40% or so of the book is primarily focused on the survival of our two main characters, Kelan and Sol, and their interactions and individual character developments. I found this rather interesting, and was intrigued more than I thought I would be for such a simple story-line. The plot stayed loose and never seemed to become much more defined from that point forward, which confused me at times, but I didn't mind because I prefer more character-driven stories. I think I would have enjoyed this writing choice more if I really believed in the romance. though.

For me, the romance was built-up too quickly. We see the characters struggle to care for each other and just focus on surviving in the wilderness, since they come from two opposing forces that are currently at war with one another. I love the enemies to lovers trope, but I couldn't understand why one of our main characters fell for the other so quickly, especially in such a tense and harsh atmosphere where you're literally trying to just... not die. I enjoyed the romance scenes that involved the pyra and the flame magic though, where the characters' magic mix with one another.

Regardless, I really enjoyed the survival parts of the story and how incredibly character-driven it was. I enjoy stories told in this style, but if you're someone who enjoys more of a concrete plot with less focus on characters, keep this in mind! I also enjoyed the magic and the concept of the pyra and the Flameskins, but often times found scenes related to them to be quite graphic.

So full of ups and downs it had me on the edge of my seat. This was such an exciting adventure. I can't wait to read more from this author

I enjoyed reading this book. The story is well written, fast-paced, and compelling that it keeps you glued from page to page until the end. The world, the characters, and the story itself are well developed.

Sol and Kelan started as enemies then companions then friends and then to more than friends. The romance was a bit untimely for me but I guess that’s where the plot will course eventually. Love does conquer all. I liked how the main characters complement each other. I loved how the main characters had a happy ending after all the sufferings and persecutions they’ve been through.

I do hope that the author would make a sequel novella just to give us something to read as to what happened to them on the island. I’m delighted to read this debut novel and I would surely check out the future works of the author.

I’m thankful to the author, to the publisher, and to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review an eARC of this debut novel.

If you love action-packed, magical, and romance novel, I would recommend this book to you!

This story is told from Sol, a hunter/mage and Liutenant Kelan, a Flameskin army. Sol hated Kelan since the first time they met. She hated flameskin because her father and everyone around her hate flameskin 🙄 They are as bad as the bad flameskin duh. They killed innocent kids just because they are a flameskin!!!

Sol called him Demon and wanted to kill him. Something happened and they are forced to work together to survive. I hate Sol. When they start trusting each other and something triggered her she called him Demon again and again like wth? She hurt him! Goshhhh he can't choose his parents and he tried hard to fight his pyra/demon duh!

My favorite character is Kelan!!! I don't know how to describe him but he is a perfect guy. I like him so much. Another fictional boyfriend lol

I finished this book in a few hours. Can you see how much it hooked me from the start? It was an interesting story. I keep thinking bout Zuko, a fire bender from Avatar lol It's not the same but still... Okay don't mind me hahaa

Thank you Netgalley, publisher and author for Firefrost ARC!