Amanda Bouchet

Fire of the Frost

Source: B & N
Dates Read: 1/2/24 - 1/6/24
Average Stars: DNF - No Rating

A Wynter Fyre - Darynda Jones - 4 Stars - Wynter, Gareth - Dare I say there is a Darynda Jones book I don’t like? The back story is boring me and the lack of consent in the first smex scenes makes me want to turn away. It is missing the humor I usually get from Ms. Jones’ wor. All of this together makes me uninterested and therefore I am DNFing.

**** I picked this book for Darynda Jones but considering my disappointment with the story I’m not going to stick around for more, shame on me. I may revisit one day but who knows when.

Of Fate and Fire - Kingmaker Chronicles, Book 3.5 - Amanda Bouchet - Stars - Piers, Sophie -

The King of Hel - Grace Draven - Stars - Castil, Doranis -
Jeffe Kennedy - Stars - Hans, Illiana -… (meer)

What a fun read from start to finish! I liked it a lot and it kept me turning the pages, wanting to know what happened next, but I was hard-pressed to love it. I was looking for a great fantasy romance akin to Grace Draven's RADIANCE, and this looked super promising.

Fantastic worldbuilding, and interesting choice, adding Greek mythology to the mix. I thought it was cool (because I love Greek mythology), if not a little out of place in a fantasy world. Politics were easy to understand. And our narrator, Cat, is sarcastic and guarded, and at times, reminded me a lot of myself. But, given her background and upbringing, it's easy to understand why. The secondary characters, especially Griffin's brothers, are fun and have their own distinct personalities. Also, well done fight scenes, even if I wished there was a little more action. Very well-written though, and the prose was done well.

I liked Griffin and Cat, separately, but their relationship felt forced. I did enjoy the slow-burn aspect of it, though. Nothing annoys me more than a "romance" that's purely based on lust. I did wish for more of an emotional connection between the two, though. It felt like it went from "I don't like you" to proclaiming their undying love, with not much in between. Griffin was also a little too "alpha-male" for me to fall in love with him, too possessive and controlling at times. And Cat came off as whiny and immature, at times, as well. And while I really liked her personality, generally, I thought she was just TOO powerful, what with all the powers she has, and how they save her and everyone else at the most convenient times. I guess I like my characters a little more flawed.

The story is told in first person present tense, from Cat's POV.

Despite all of that, I like the majority of the characters and the plot well enough, and definitely will be reading the second installment in this series.… (meer)