This story immediately pulled me in from the first sentence and the narrators kept me hooked through the whole book. Love a good MMF and Amy Pennza knows how to write them. I was obsessed with the world and how it evolved and the romance and steam brought me in deeper.

I was unaware from the book description that this would be a very spicy why choose MMF romantasy book! There was a lot of world building and many details about history and politics shared at the beginning of the book. It was honestly a lot of information to me and I can’t say I remembered too much of those details as the book went on. But it was still enjoyable!

There was a good mix of plot with spice once the spice started. But I thought the spice was very spicy.

This book was written from three POVs and I enjoyed that! I listened to the audiobook and there was a different narrator for each, which was fun.

The Frostbound Queen is already out but the audio version releases on August 13th! There is already a second book in this series in the works titled The Shadowbound King.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this book early in exchange for my honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this spicy audioobook.

Like I often do I went into this book knowing little next to nothing of the plot and I definitely enjoyed the ride.

The Frostbound Queen is a standalone spicy fantasy about Liria, the only daughter of the King and Queen of winter. When her parents succumb so their sorrow, Liria is forced to learn to use her powers to control the Frost that protects Winter fro the humans.
At eleven she accept the offer of her fathe´s best friend, Lord Ronan, to become her guardian and train her to be Queen.

Without going too much into details and spoil the plot, I just want to say that I loved how this book evolved the relationships between the characters so seamlessly from FM, to another FM, to MM and finally MMF!
it was hot and i love a good polyamory trouple!!!!

The only reason why I gave it 3 starts it´s because Ronan could have been anyone else but her guardian. That felt a lot like grooming since Liria goes and lives with his since she is 12. (I know she is 22 now and that we are reading about nearly immortal elvs here, but it still felt too much).

The Frostbound Queen (Realms of the Covenant #1) by Amy Pennza
Narrated by: Benjamin D. Walker, Ellis Evans, Mollie Stark

As heir to the Winter Court, Princess Liria has a duty to her realm to keep the land cold otherwise their people will perish and she knows the role well. Elves live endless healthy lives unless they fall in sorrow which is like a broken heart and they can die as a result. Royals marry other equally or more powerful people which is usually arranged however, her parents aren't a typical married match. Their love has always been true and deep. When the queen had another stillborn child, she fell into sorrow and her husband the King refused to leave her side. Without the King to rule, the realm was then turned over to their only child Liria to become Queen but being only 12 years old, she was not ready to take over the role. The King's foster brother Ronan took the role of King regent until she came of age to take over as Queen and saw to her training to prepare to rule.

Ten years later, as Princess Liria is training to take over the throne, she constantly fights with her uncle. He keeps pushing her to choose a husband to assure the land is strong once she is made Queen but she has no desire for any of the male fae that come to court. The only male she is interested in is Ronan. Now that she is an adult, she finds that her feelings toward her uncle are different and she can tell his are as well but will not act on them. He is not a true blood heir and feels that the realm will not approve of their union and continues to push her to make a decision. He leaves the castle often and never tells her what he is doing, so she follows him to see where he goes. She believes he sneaks over the human lands where elves are forbidden and possibly has a human female companion. If they cross to the human land, their magic does not work and makes them vulnerable due to a law-bound by magic made long ago when the lands were separated after a war.

One night when she thinks Ronan has gone to the human realm again, she decides to go there and find him but Liria enters the human realm in a rush running from imminent danger, and runs into the human Prince Sigurn Brighthelm on the other side. He is a gigantic formidable man with dark hair and brown eyes that is very different than her and other elves with light hair and blue eyes. As intimidating as he looks, he is respectful, sweet, and handsome. From the moment he first sees her, he is enamored by her beauty and he invites her to come back whenever she likes to visit in his cozy cabin away from the court where he goes to seek solitude from the castle. Although it's dangerous, and she knows she shouldn't ever return because if she is caught it could have deadly consequences, she does go back to see him again.

When the Elven Queen finally succumbed to the sorrow and died, they knew it would be a matter of days before the Elven King did as well. A new monarch was to rule, but there was concern that Liria was not strong enough to lead and protect her people. Liria overhears talk of her being pushed from the throne and that her Uncle will take the crown. She runs to the human realm and waits in Sigurn's cabin seeking his help. Although he also has issues with his kingdom, as he considers helping her, Ronan finds her to drag her back to the castle heavily guarded. When she and Sigurn face Ronan, it appears that they are not strangers and she finds out secrets Ronan has kept from her over the 10 years he has been in her charge. An agreement was made a decade ago that was to benefit him and Sigurn.

Caught between two Kings of different realms, her heart and theirs are conflicted and they all need to make choices to save their crowns and their people.

Fantasy Romance
Fae
Magic
Destiny
Secrets
Forbidden Love
Spice (MFM)

This fast-paced fantasy romance was spicy and fun. If you are not a fan of descriptive sex scenes, you will get an eyeful (or earful if you listen to the audiobook). The story of two underdogs doing what they could to save their lands and also making the princess a high priority to keep her safe as well was an addicting read. I do love cheering for an underdog. The princess is young and stubborn, and although not powerful, she has ways to aid her defiance to her favor, she also learns what she needs to do to be a strong leader for her people.
A book about love, and sometimes being a bit unconventional works better.


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

Published May 4, 2024 available now

A Sizzling Fantasy Romance with Twists and Turns Galore!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC audiobook of "The Frostbound Queen" by Amy Pennza, expertly narrated by Benjamin D. Walker, Ellis Evans, and Mollie Stark, and I'm still reeling from the experience. This book is not for the faint of heart - it's a spicy, steamy fantasy romance that will leave you breathless. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

The story follows on female main character (the princess) and two male main characters, so if that's not your cup of tea, be warned. But trust me, this book is worth pushing past any reservations. The plot is a masterclass in twists and turns, with sex, scandal, and drama aplenty. I felt every emotion alongside the characters, and the narrators did an outstanding job of bringing them to life.

The world-building is rich and immersive, the characters are complex and multi-dimensional, and the romance is sizzling hot. I was completely invested in the story from start to finish, and I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next.

If you're looking for a fantasy romance that will keep you on the edge of your seat, look no further than "The Frostbound Queen". Just be prepared for a wild ride!

I enjoyed this fast paced fantasy romance! This was my first MMF book and I typically dislike more than 2 people in relationships, but this one was well done and intriguing! The world building was well done and interesting. The mc started out a little immature but quickly seemed to mature and I ended up liking her. This book is quite spicy as well, The narratord were all great and easy to listen to!

Thank you NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

I really didn’t like the FMC in the beginning of this book. She just seemed way too young and naive it felt like I was listening to a 14 year old’s tantrum. Thankfully she seemed to grow up fairly quickly and I started liking her more when she started standing up for herself.

The spice in this book was fantastic. I very much did NOT know this was an MMF romance when I started it so that kinda came as a shock. I actually love MMF romances, so I was fine with it but it did come as a surprise. There are MF scenes, MM scenes, and MFM scenes and all of them were great.

The story itself was interesting, and had a satisfying ending (in more ways than one) but I would say this book is more about the relationships and the spice than the actual plot.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and would read more from the author in the future.

This book was instantly addictive. The world building was delivered at a great pace (no info dumping here!) They characters and world were well developed. The plot dug its claws in from the first page and didn’t let go. I can see this becoming an instant hit.
I am now a fan of Pennza and look forward to reading many more books from her.

Vibes: MMF, elves!!!, guardian/ward, enemies to lovers

Heat Index: 9/10

The Basics:

Elven princess Liria is meant to inherit her father's throne—but when he dies, she's confronted with the realities of her own power, leaving a vacuum open for his friend (and her guardina) Ronan to step in. Fleeing to the human lands, Liria meets the charismatic Prince Sigurn. Torn between her long-simmering feelings for Ronan—unsure of whether she should even trust him—and her new connection with Sigurn, Liria is even more thrown when it turns out the men know each other... and the threats to her throne may be more complex than she realized.

The Review:

It's always lovely to pick up a book thinking it's a love triangle, when in fact... It's MMF! Yes yes, Sigurn and Ronan know each other INDEED, and swords do cross (quite a bit) and everyone is in love with everyone at the end, so... have no fear triangle-haters. This is the whole thing.

I don't hate triangles, so while I was happy that this turned out to be a triad romance (which I love quite a bit) I was honestly more worried about the elf thing. Elves can be really hit or miss for me—but these were ROYAL elves, and therefore I was willing to play ball.

There was really no need to fear. The elf stuff was well done, and not overly... elven. You get some politicking, some fighting for the throne, and some cool ice powers. But it's not Lord of the Rings; I mean, it's VERY far from that, all things considered. So if you're a little worried about how elfy this is going to get, I'd say that you're going to be pleased here.

I'd never read Amy Pennza before, and she has a quick, snappy, engaging writing style that pulled me in from the beginning. Her writing flows, her dialogue is fun, and I'd say that this reads pretty smoothly overall. I can't say that this is a total "one-handed read", because honestly? You get a good chunk of plot here. Like, yeah, the plot ultimately kind of leads to us getting these three into bed together, but like... There's betrayal. There are blood vows. I actually really liked some of the worldbuilding aspects. Basically: if you want your triad books to have actual substance, you'll get that here (if not quite as much as you would with, say, a Sierra Simone book).

Where I do have my quibbles are really in the character dynamics. I love poly romances. I love MMF. It is very difficult to write it without the heat being prioritized over the relationship development, which leads to one or two dynamics being emphasized over the other.

Here's where I think we had some stumbling blocks, to be honest. I was immediately drawn to Liria and Ronan's bond—if you aren't into guardian/ward stuff, then look away, because he has known her since she was a kid, and he is her dad's best friend. The book is very upfront about all of that. The thing is that this gives us a lot of layers to work with. They're conflicted, they're drawn to each other. You can feel the years of tension. To top it off? Liria is now suspicious of Ronan attempting to dethrone her, and he had does have genuine internal conflict about it.

Like, I can't say that Liria has as much depth as Ronan—he's easily the most compelling character of the three. But there's more for her to bounce off of when she's with him. There's a real trajectory the two of them must reach, a dynamic that has to overcome hurdles surrounding trust, duty, and entitlement.

Sigurn... is hot. He's Big. He's a bit rakish, but in a jolly kind of way. He tops. And yes, he has his family drama, and we know that he and Ronan have battled wills in the past. But by the time we see them together, they do have... tension, but a kind of equilibrium and acceptance of an imperfect relationship. Yes, there are a couple more steps to go, and they take them. Their dynamic is intriguing—but you don't get as much emotionally between them as you do between Liria and Ronan, and Liria and Sigurn one-on-one are honestly basically instalove and kind of boring in comparison to the other two dynamics. Ronan and Liria? Lots of conflict. Sigurn and Ronan? Lots of tension. Sigurn and Liria? Kind of just... fine. The sex is hot. There you go.

And for me, this really becomes more apparent as the story goes on. Sirgun just isn't as interesting as Ronan, and his dynamic with Liria isn't as interesting as her dynamic with Ronan, and his dynamic with Ronan is interesting, but a lot of the source of conflict has already HAPPENED.

It's not BAD, but it did kind of stick with me towards the end of the book. I got why Liria and Ronan were tangled up with each other. I sort of got why Ronan and Sigurn were all twisted up, though to be real, I felt like Ronan seemed way more preoccupied with Liria. Sirgun was just... not as important. This being an MMF book, I did have to take issue with that.

However, the story remains really fun. I was always engaged, and I breezed through the audiobook (which has good narrators all around). For a lot of people all my critiques here are not going to matter, because if you want a good time, you'll get a good time. And to be clear: I absolutely plan on reading more Amy Pennza.

The Sex:

I mean. It's really good. Each pairing in the triad gets an individual scene (I gotta say, Liria took quite a... pummeling... for an inexperienced woman in that short amount of time, but I'll chalk it up to elf stuff) plus several trio scenes. I do feel that Sigurn's status as "least interesting person here" continues into the bedroom, as he's very typical "let me tell you what to do", but hey. I'll openly admit that Ronan is probably the worst person at that bar, and boy does that make me like him more.

Overall, this is a really fun, hot romance that's perfect for those who want something high heat, fantastical, and a bit on the lighter side without being too lightweight. Don't let the elves scare you off!

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with a copy of this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. I’m not a fantasy reader but the world building elements weren’t too confusing for a novice reader like me and the chemistry between the main characters was so palpable I couldn’t put the book down. The romantic storyline between the female lead and one of the male characters was significantly more developed and layered than the other one, which is the only thing that could be improved. However, the author has done an admirable job of depicting a poly relationship so well, with the steamy scenes feeling really well written with substance behind them. I’ll keep an eye on this author.

✨️💚✨️Audio Book Review✨️💚✨️

Book: The Frostbound Queen
Author: Amy Pennza
Rating: 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Ohhhhh my. This book. Yup. I need more stat.

This romantasy was so dang spicy and full of so much drama, I gobbled it up in a couple of days.

I absolutely love me a good thruple relationship and the one this book had did not disappoint.

It had a good amount of world building, had so many morally grey characters, and you never knew who you could trust.

I can't wait for the series to continue.

And that epilogue ... 🥵

You get:
• Romantasy
• Spicy
• Multiple POV
• MFM
• Royalty
• Magic
• Morally Grey Characters

You can pick it up now on Amazon through KU, ebook, paperback, and audiobook!

The Frostbound Queen is a stand alone, MMF fantasy book. The storyline was interesting and it wasn't as much smut as I expected, maybe 50%? I enjoyed listening to the audiobook version. It was told from the three MC POV, alternating between each. The narrators did a good job but the two male narrators had very similar voices so I sometimes was confused as to who was speaking. They did a good job, but it might have been better using more distinguishable narrators.

The actual storyline was better than I expected. I enjoyed it a more at the beginning, towards the end the amount of smut overtook the amount of plot. The last 15% of the book, including the climax, was just ok. The ending just seemed rushed and didn't leave me satisfied like the first part of the book did.

I went into the book blind about the MM scenes. If those are your jam, then this book will be sure to please. All the scenes were 🔥 🥵. I would have liked to see more romance between the characters. While there was love between Liria & Ronan and Ronan & Sigurn, it isn't developed much and it seems to be pure lust between Liria & Sigurn. Even being able to 'hear' their perspective during their chapters, it didn't feel like real love.

Overall, this plot was interesting and kept me involved, even if it didn't have a great ending. I won't be recommending this to my mom, but if you like MM scenes and smut, then this book gets the green light from me.

Tropes:
Romantasy
MMF
Age gap
Elves
Daemon and Rhaenyra (and Harwin) inspired
Elemental powers
Multiple POV
Battle for the crown
Spicy 🌶️