How is everyone doing?! Did you have a good weekend? I did for sure. I went to WNY Pagan Pride Day with some friends but it was a bit of a letdown. I did get to meet Kellianna though and take a picture with her. She also read some of her books and it sounded so good. So, naturally I spoke to her about my blog and told her once I purchase her book, I would like to review it. She was so happy and said to be sure I send her the link once I do. I will do a spotlight on her book so watch for that. I might even get her to participate in a Saturday Spotlight!
I am a part of yet another blog tour hosted by Fantastic Flying Book Club! I have to thank them again because they are the most amazing tour group I’ve worked with. They also don’t charge authors for tours which are, let’s be honest, amazing!!
Alright, you all know I went to BookCon 2019. It was my first one and I loved it!! Well, it was also crazy and I missed a lot of great books I was looking to get. Luckily, I found a tour for Shadow Frost!! I was super excited because I was looking for this book at Book Con and missed it. This sounded so good so I knew I had to sign up for the tour ASAP.
Now, who wants to know a little more about Shadow Frost?!?! Well…what are you waiting for then? Let’s get on with it…
Don’t forget to check out all the other great posts for the tour here.
Shadow Frost (Shadow Frost #1) 
Author: Coco Ma
Published: October 1st, 2019
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Book Length: 400 Pages
Genre: Fantasy (YA)
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Buy the book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository (Use my referral ID: TheBibliophagist)
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion and review.
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, of course… if the demon doesn’t get to them first.
I’ve been anxiously waiting for this book to come out and when the cover was released I was in love. First of all…the cover scheme is amazing. I love the simplicity of this book’s cover as well. It doesn’t need much but it gets some major parts of the story. I like how the coral is wrapped around some of the letters as well.
About the Author
Review
When I began reading this novel, I wasn’t sure I would like the main character. Asterin is strong but can be a bit of a brat at times and that was something that took me a little time to grow used to her and actually enjoy her. She is strong and a fighter, never backing down. I ended up really liking how resilient she became. Asterin knows her strength and will not let others fight battles she thinks she is capable of winning. So…she goes on a journey to find a demon who is leaving nothing but death and destruction in its wake. She will not sit idle while others fight for her, she wants to be in the fight…hands-on. I really love that. Women need to see those types of characters, the ones who aren’t afraid to stand up for themselves…the ones who aren’t damsels waiting to be rescued. We need to show young women that it is alright to be strong and stand up for what we believe, that we don’t need to be ‘saved.’
As the book progresses, I fell more in love with Asterin and her friends. Beware though because not everyone is what they seem. The ending really had me second-guessing myself. It isn’t all sad though, there are some great laughs to be had. I ended up falling in love with this book. I mean honestly…who wouldn’t with such a strong lead character, wonderful word building, and magic!
Yes…there is romance and it is a trope. Here we see the enemy to lover trope but in my opinion it was pushed on the reader rather quickly. I would have liked to have seen more development between them, letting time pass a little. I understand why it was done this way though, the story overall is very fast-paced and I did enjoy it. Some spots were more slow-moving than others and I had to force myself not to skim the pages. This is not a read that I finished in two hours…it took days (especially since I have kids and a million other things to do each day haha). Can you believe that Coco Ma wrote this book at age 15?! Well believe it because it happened. I am not sure why I am surprised though because I know many young, teen writers. But this book was soooo good!!
Another one of my biggest issues with this book was the characters. Yes, I loved them all but there was a huge emphasis on how physically attractive they each were. I understand this makes them appealing but it can also be a turn-off. Where is the diversity in characters? Not all of us have thin figures and long flowing hair, nor do all men have muscular bodies. I would have liked to see a little more diversity in the book, that’s all. Beauty comes in many forms.
Overall, this was a wonderfully entertaining read and I look forward to book two! Coco Ma is an incredibly talented writer and I can only imagine what she has in store for us next.
Giveaway
Surprise!! There is a special giveaway for you! Aren’t you glad that you stayed until the end? The giveaway starts October 1st and ends October 15th. You could win (1) of (2) Shadow Frost bundles:
-1 Hardcover copy of Shadow Frost
-1 Signed bookplate
-Shadow Frost swag (bookmark and button)
What do you think? Is this book something you’d enjoy to read? Have you read it, what did you think?
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