From the characterisation to the evocative storytelling, there wasn't one thing I didn't love. This is a true fairytale, from the setting, language and execution, to the plot and characterisation. The story is one of those timeless things where it doesn't have to be past, present or future, because it could be any of them, so easily.
Rainor was this sweet, smart kid who is optimistic, brave and hopeful in ways that others aren't; he's aware enough to see what others miss and looks beyond the surface, even beyond his own fear. Drachen is his opposite; a pessimist from experience, afraid to leave his comfort zone and trying to do what is right while being considered a monster, he is the recluse who was chased away by a society who didn't understand him. Together, this pair are amazing. A beautiful, perfect couple who share their secrets and experience a true romance, with some heat, that I could happily read again and again.
Admittedly my biggest disappointment here is there's no dragon I have to say I felt a little cheated on that except one of the MCs name was Drachen and in truth he's no mere man but if you want to know why he's not...you'll need to read the story. Which shouldn't be problem because honestly it was a beautiful story.
The characters felt very real, a lot, and their feelings, the way they acted and behaved, it all seemed to be natural and honest, just as what they felt, said, did, and everything in between. It was all so genuine I almost felt in the skin of one of the protagonists. I really loved the simple writing style, enchanting atmosphere and the general idea on how everything works and means something in this beautiful world the author created can only but make the reader daydream about living a love as sweet as this one. In regard to the erotic content I expected it to be very explicit, which at times it was but it still managed to be sweet, although it maintain the heat level that I wanted from the romance part of this novella.

When myth and tragedy meet two things that can happen, more tragedy or a miracle.

Rainor is a loving brother, his young sister is frail but a truly good soul. When she becomes ill he will do anything to help her. The only cure is tied up in myth and old stories. Meet Drachen or the Dragon as myth would have it. The only one who has a cure for the sickness. When the young and earnest Rainor braves the wilds to come to his home.

This story has witchcraft and betrayal, and many kinds of love. It is a quick read, yet an entertaining one. This is like hearing an old tale told by an elder, with a couple of twists. I was fascinated early on and it just never lost it. Fantasy meets true love.

People thinks short stories are meant to always feel as if they could have been longer and better, that it is a wasted chance to do a great novel or maybe a series. Frostbite could have certainly been a great novel, but that doesn't mean it wasn't an equally great story.
The characters felt very real, a lot, and their feelings, the way they acted and behaved, it all seemed to be natural and honest, just as what they felt, said, did, and everything in between. It was all so genuine I amost felt in the skin of one of the protagonists (a matter of personal likes, I need longer books to be completely inside.)
Also, I agree with those telling that this is like a fairy tale. The simple style, enchanting atmosphere and the general idea on how everything works and means something in this beutiful world the author created can only but make the reader daydream about living a love as sweet as this one.
The erotic content... I'll onl said I saw it all on my head in HD quality. The explicit description didn't make it look like a sh*t* Grey's porn book, which I am thankful for, as they still managed to be sweet, although with a significant heat level; very high, if anyone asks.
Yes, there are a few overused ideas, cliches, that some might dislike in here, but it is because of the structure that they didn't bother at all, but on the contrary, highlighted the special and original ideas on the story, as if they were the perfect complement for it.
The ending didn't surprise me, I knew where the characters were going to end at, but it is impressive that the author could play with my feelings and make me think, for a while, that I was wrong, as I didn't see coming what Rainor did at the end.

I wasn't impressed. It's not bad, really, just simple. It's written in a fairytale style, like someone is telling a fairytale. And while I understand that this is a stylistic choice, all the telling meant I never felt I got to know the characters. I never connected with them.

It also felt like everything happened in a very linear, chronological order, with nothing in between. Such that every word of the story leads up to the sex scene that means they're in love. Then every world leads to the small conflict that leads to the happily ever after. But all this spare plotting meant there isn't any room for character development or world-building.

I understand that it's a 60 page novella, but I think it would have been much better to take the interesting idea and develop it into something more. The mechanical writing isn't bad and the characters are likable enough though.

Adorable fairy tale.

The cover is gorgeous and very striking.
Endearing MCs, even the 'dragon' who was gruff at first.
An interesting take on a fairy tale with all the aspects you'd expect of the genre, including a damaged hero, a virginal hero, a tragic backstory, an evil witch, and a sacrifice.

There were occasions when there were time jumps of moments that I would have loved to read.

Overall this was a glorious, short, sweet read with a lovely HEA.

This is not the book that I thought it was, however that being said I have found another author that I like in the paranormal romance category. Alexandria has a way of bring the reader into the story seamlessly so that you don’t want to do anything but keep reading.
Rainor, son of the local baker is playing with his sister around the frozen lake that is within walking distance of his village when his sister touches one of the deadly flowers that are called Frost Flowers because the poke out of the frozen ground around the pond. Fearing for his sister’s life and wanting to help his sister, Rainor sets out to get the cure that he has heard about, so he makes the two-day hike to the cave in the mountains to find the one that holds the cure.
Drachen, has lived for several centuries and has helped several people who have come to him about the Frost Flowers curse, but none of them have intrigued him like Rainor. When Rainor offers to bring him bread that he bakes in his family’s bakery, Drachen is intrigued and accepts the bread. During Rainor visits the two become better and better friends until one day when there is a major storm that prevents Rainor from going back to his village when both realize that they have fallen for one another.
I would give this book three stars.
I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review of the book.
Reviewed by Danae for Buried Under Romance

5/5

I was given an eARC of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

As I’m sure, you are familiar with the concept of a fairytale, or a myth, or simply a bedtime story. Well, this is one, but there is a catch – it isn’t a Disney fairytale – it’s more like one of the original Grimm Brothers’ tales. No, it isn’t filled with gore and horror, but it isn’t one of those jumping/strutting/glitter filled tales either, seeing as it has some explicit content in the form of M/M scenes.

The story is told from the point of view of Rainor, the main character, and not from the narrator’s point of view as is customary with the usual tales. So, more than a tale, this is a short story written to resemble, in some ways, a myth/fairytale.

Synopsis: “After his sister touches a lethal Frost Flower and succumbs to Frozen Sickness, Rainor seeks out the mysterious Dragon, who purportedly holds the only cure for the fatal disease. In gratitude for saving his sister’s life, Rainor agrees to bring him fresh bread twice a week—despite the man’s insistence he wants for nothing.
As Rainor makes his deliveries, the two slowly become friends, and Rainor finds in the Dragon all the things he never found in his little village. But on his way to make his latest delivery, the unthinkable happens, and Rainor fears that if he asks for the cure he needs to live, he’ll lose the man he’s coming to love…”

So, basically, the story was summarized completely in the synopsis. I’m not joking. The synopsis is exactly what happened explained from start to finish in as little words as possible. It’s amazing how everything was told in 8/9 lines – of course, without any details, but still… how?

It’s simple: the story is the synopsis with details and content.

So, basically, (read the synopsis), and while there are curses, stories told to keep children away, cures, horrible deaths, there is an ending (good or bad? you may ask – read the story, it won’t take you but an hour and a half). I’m really bad with short stories, I always want more when there is no need, because I want to immerse myself in the story for a longer period of time. But, that is how fairy tales work, and it is how this story was built, and I, personally, would change nothing.

It was enchanting, captivating, and honestly? There was a moment while I was reading that a “certain event” made me cry. Usually, I only cry with books 300-400 pages long, because I have more time to “bond” with the characters, so this was a surprise, which indicates that this book was REALLY well written, so much so that it was capable of making the reader feel instead of just seeing in but a couple of pages, while some writers struggle to make you fall in love with their MCs for books, and even after so many pages, they fail.

READ IT, I certainly did not regret it, and I hope – if you follow me and read it aswell – that you feel the same way I did. I’m well aware that some people don’t enjoy this kind of story/plot, but I really hope you take a shot. It will be published in the 26th of April and sold at the price of $1.99 (USD) in Ebook format. It’s only two dollars, and for me, it is worth it.

Liked the fairytale romance of this book. The Frost Flowers and the curse and the dragon were all parts I really enjoyed as well as how Rainor broke the curse (I was expecting something else when I heard about it). Frostbite could benefit from being expanded though, some more of the relationship development and seeing Rainor outside of the mountain with Drachen would have been good. It felt a bit unfinished, like it's missing a few scenes to develop the characters and the relationship. I enjoyed it nonetheless.

This was a fun and pretty unique fairytale [at least to me, but I'll admit that I don't know a lot of them past the really popular ones]. If I had to compare it to something else I would say Beauty and the Beast, but only on a few points really [and I absolutely loathe B&tB and I enjoyed this so...].

My only real complaint, like another reviewer said, is that there is no actual dragon. Drachen isn't exactly human, but he doesn't have any non-human features either [and if there's one thing our generation loves, it's monster porn]. But it was still a very nice short story and had a definite fairy tale / bedtime story feel to it [with a bit of a smut detour. But if you're not really one for erotica there is only actually one explicit scene right in the middle and you could easily skip it and the rest of the story would still make sense.]

After his sister touches a lethal Frost Flower and succumbs to Frozen Sickness, Rainor seeks out the mysterious Dragon, who purportedly holds the only cure for the fatal disease. In gratitude for saving his sister's life, Rainor agrees to bring him fresh bread twice a week—despite the man's insistence he wants for nothing.

As Rainor makes his deliveries, the two slowly become friends, and Rainor finds in the Dragon all the things he never found in his little village. But on his way to make his latest delivery, the unthinkable happens, and Rainor fears that if he asks for the cure he needs to live, he'll lose the man he's coming to love…

Rainor loves his sister and she means a lot to him. When he takes her out to the lake and then accidentally falls asleep his devastated when he realizes that she’s touched one of the Frost Flowers. He knows that he must get the cure to her quickly or she’ll be dead within 24 hours. The doctor tells him the only cure is up in the mountain cave with the Dragon.

When Rainor arrives in the cave he’s shocked to see how homey it is. The man they call Dragon isn’t a dragon at all – just a man. He gladly gives Rainor the cure and asks for nothing in return. Rainor insists on bringing him bread every three days to pay for the cure and Dragon, actually named Drachen, finally agrees.

At first Rainor is afraid of Drachen but as the days go by and Rainor continues to take the bread, they start to talk and become friends. Rainor learns the horrible tale of how Drachen came to be living in the caves – evil witchcraft. When that very witch tricks Rainor into touching one of the Frost Flowers Rainor thinks he can get the cure without bothering Drachen but his decision ends up turning on him.

This was a great little fantasy short story. It had wonderful characters and the story was well written. I liked the way that the author wrote Rainor as he was such a good person and rarely put himself first. This fairytale was a lovely, sweet m/m romance that I truly enjoyed.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

This will post as a guest review on Book Binge.
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This was an absolutely excellent novella-length (adult) fairy tale that's better than practically every traditional fairy tale in the western canon. I know that's quite a lofty statement, but honestly, read this and you'll know what I mean. Frostbite had influences of beauty and the beast, but it was different and original enough that it can't exactly be called a retelling. The writing was lyrical, the narrative taut and tense despite its short length.

Probably one of my favourite novellas, and I can't wait to see what Bellefleur publishes next!

Book – Frostbite
Author – Alexandria Bellefleur
Star rating - ★★★★★
Word Count – 18k
Cover – Gorgeous!
POV – 3rd person, one character
Would I read it again – Yes!
Genre – LGBT, Fairytale, Fantasy, Short


** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **


Captivating. That's the only word I can think of to describe what I just read. Captivating and beautiful.

From the characterisation to the evocative storytelling, there wasn't one thing I didn't love. This is a true fairytale, from the setting, language and execution, to the plot and characterisation. The story is one of those timeless things where it doesn't have to be past, present or future, because it could be any of them, so easily.

Rainor was this sweet, smart kid who is optimistic, brave and hopeful in ways that others aren't; he's aware enough to see what others miss and looks beyond the surface, even beyond his own fear. Drachen is his opposite; a pessimist from experience, afraid to leave his comfort zone and trying to do what is right while being considered a monster, he is the recluse who was chased away by a society who didn't understand him. Together, this pair are amazing. A beautiful, perfect couple who share their secrets and experience a true romance, with some heat, that I could happily read again and again.

I'll happily read this again in the future and I'll be eagerly keeping an eye out for more stories by Bellefleur.

~

Favourite Quote

“Run all you want, Rainor, but expect I'll follow.”

Rainor loves his sister, so when she asked to be taken to see the frozen lake and play like the kids who aren't sick, he agrees. Except, he forgets to warn her about the deadly flowers that kill with a touch. The cure requires traveling up the dangerous mountain and meeting an even more dangerous man, except what Rainor finds up the mountain isn't at all what he expected.

Overall I liked this story. It was a cute fairy tale-style book and it held my interest to the end. However, I had two very serious issues with the story. The first was the writing style. The way the book was written was entirely with telling instead of showing. The author says Rainor felt nervous instead of writing Rainor's heart was pounding. I do understand that fairy tales are often written in this style, which is why I only took off one petal in my rating for it, but after a while the style can get very boring. If I'm being told what to feel, rather than feeling it along with the characters, I can't get pulled into the story properly.

The second issue I had with this story was the overall lack of depth. The barest minimum of information was given to provide context to the story in just about every aspect. The world building didn't exist outside of the cave, for example Rainor's house and village are never given any proper description. The backstory that led to the deadly flowers didn't allow for a larger picture of the world either, simply providing only the information needed to understand what had happened. I needed to know if magic and magical creatures were common in the world to appreciate how dangerous and deadly the flowers were, but that wasn't provided either. Also, the love story needed a touch more to it for that to feel believable.