“This was a fun book. I enjoyed this new perspective, where the heroine doesn’t start out on track to be a hero, but rather starts out as one of the ‘bad guys’.”

Review by AnnaScott Cross

Will the prince’s kiss be enough to revive her frozen heart? Don’t miss GATHERING FROST, a dystopian romance from bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis that reimagines the classic fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty.

Jade was only a little girl when the earthquake struck. Before her eyes, half of New York City disappeared, replaced by a village that seemed torn out of a storybook. Horses and carriages. Cobblestone streets. A towering castle. And, above all, a queen with the magical ability to strip emotions away.

Ten years later and Jade has forgotten what it is to feel, to care…even to love. Working as a member of the queen’s guard, she spends most of her time on the city wall staring at the crumbling skyscrapers of old New York. But everything changes when the queen’s runaway son, Prince Asher, returns. Under his relentless taunts, her blood begins to boil. Under his piercing gaze, her heart begins to flutter. And the more her icy soul begins to thaw, the more Jade comes to question everything she’s ever known–and, more importantly, whose side she’s really on.

I received a copy of this audiobook from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own, and I am writing a voluntary review.

“I wish I could say I was the hero of the story. A resister. A rebel. Someone who lived to bring an end to the queen who stole my childhood–my mother, my life, my very world. But I’m not. I’m not the good guy. I’m the one who puts the good guys in their graves.”

This was a fun book. I enjoyed this new perspective, where the heroine doesn’t start out on track to be a hero, but rather starts out as one of the “bad guys". Jade’s character really developed throughout the story as she made this progression. The setting was also quite inventive. Because it was New York City merged with a fantasy land, it had both dystopian and fantasy vibes, which was unique. I also really appreciated how pure the romance was. I’m a big fan of positive relationships in YA 🙂 Finally, I enjoyed the (very subtle) Sleeping Beauty retelling.

I don’t have any major complaints. I think the reason it wasn’t a five star read for me is that it didn’t quite feel finished. Some of the plot points felt a bit rushed, and parts of it didn’t quite feel realistic.

Overall, this was a unique twist on YA fantasy. The story ends on a bit of a cliff hanger, so now I am committed to reading the sequel.

Content Ratings:

4. Some action (some mildly detailed battle sequences and/or fights).

3. Moderate content (heavier kissing, but no grabby hands). 

2. Frequent substitute cursing (commonplace "craps" etc. and book-specific words).

Other Trigger Warnings:

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