I have been a little back and forth on YA Fantasy lately but THIS one, THIS one is what I love about YA Fantasy!

Characters: Told by multiple POV, I think Asterin’s is actually my favorite. Asterin is the princess with a rare powerful ability. She is sassy, sweet, skillful, and a bit naive but in a cute way. I liked the mix of Quinlan’s personality of shy but also knows what he wants. He has a tortured past that is sure to have everyone feeling for him. He is one of the things that Asterin is naive about for a long time! They have really good chemistry and I can’t wait to see more! I also really enjoyed the other characters. They all held their own stories really well. They were also unique enough in the personalities that I didn’t get bored.

Plot/ World: I’ll make my list of plot points again, because, how can you not love this plot?! Princess with a rare ability, powerful friends, a love interest with a tortured past, a shadow demon that is massacring people, an epic quest, and some surprises along the way. I loved the added plot point of her and her mom’s relationship. It was complicated. It is rare for an author to write about a parent/ child relationship that is in a grey area of both love and a bit of abuse. I find it very interesting! I loved the elemental magic system that Ma writes. It still has a price, but it’s very powerful. I like that she has 10 elements that different people can control with a select few being able to control all of them. She does a really good job of writing her own unique world for us to adventure in!

Writing: This is Coco Ma’s first book and she’s in her young 20’s?! She has a GREAT career ahead of her. Absolutely wonderful writing. It was descriptive without being overly so. I never got lost, nor did I ever get bored!

Final Thoughts: I need the second book like, yesterday. I am super invested in this story. I would definitely recommend this to pretty much everyone I know who like YA Fantasy. I see this being a favorite for sure!

I was not a fan of this title. Everything happened too quickly for my liking. There was power with no training, a quest with barely a backstory, a love interest with no time, and no parental supervision with no issues. It just didn’t make sense.
I like to get into the story quickly, but there needs to be some backstory, especially with a fantasy novel in a new world. There was no world building here and good explanation of powers and how they work in this land.
My other major drawback was that the queen and her right hand were very doubtful of Asterien’s powers one day and then send her out (the heir to the throne) on a quest the next. The quest itself is to kill a beast that no one has been able to best in large numbers, but a small group of teens is deemed appropriate. It was all too unbelievable for me, even for a fantasy novel.
The relationships throughout the novel are rushed and in need of refining, along with the pace of the story. In general, I feel that there is an interesting story here, with great characters, and ideas, but it is lost in the mish mash of action without words.

Shadow Frost is the first novel in a series of the same name by Coco Ma. It's a fantasy world where nothing is what it appears to be, yet our main characters will have to do whatever it takes to save their kingdom.
In a world where magic and gods interfere on the regular, a demon has been terrorizing and murdering the people. And it's up to Princess Asterin to stand up to this beast – and find the cause behind its appearance.
Asterin Faelenhart is the Princess of Axaria, and she's one driven and unique princess. She's magically gifted, determined to find her own path in life, and so much more. She's everything a little girl would want to see in a princess; she's feisty and sassy, and let's not forget that she's powerful as well.
Luna is a complicated character, and the best friend of Asterin. She's also her lady in waiting, and she's got so much more to her plot than meets the eye.
Orion is the guardian protector of Asterin, which means he has his hands full. It may be his job to put his life on the line for the princess, but it is a task he'll willingly do again and again. Just so long as it means she and everyone else he cares for will be okay.
Quinlan is a royal soldier, and while it's tempting to assume he's a faceless and nameless character among many, there is actually so much more to his character. Even if he has to fight to prove himself.
Eadric is a unique character. Strong and silent, yet sassy to the brim. He's a man of many contradictions. He's not quite like anything you'd expect, while also being exactly what readers hoped for.
Rose, like Eadric, is full of secrets. She knows more about what is happening in this world, and she's got a plan for how to help stop it.

“'A task?' The creature's eyes glazed over in obedience even as the words left its mouth.
'A shadow. I need you to be a shadow... A shadow of death.'”

Shadow Frost is Cocoa Ma's debut novel, and she did a splendid job with this piece. It was a fast-paced novel, full to the brim of characters with their own goals and ambitions. The world itself was expansive and complex, and left me desperate to see more of it.
Because there were so many characters in this novel, it did take a while to introduce all of them, and their importance to the main plot. It was fascinating seeing how they all connected together, and more importantly, how their roles changed as the story progressed.
I adore the world in Shadow Frost, along with all of the politics and scheming that went along with it. I honestly can't wait to see what the next novels will reveal, as I'm sure it'll be equally dramatic and enticing.
There were some romantic subplots strewn throughout the novel, but nothing that readers would find overwhelming. More like they're in the budding stages – with plenty of room to progress in later novels. They certainly were distracting from the main plot at all. And in all likelihood, fans will each find a ship they chose to hang on to.
Shadow Frost was such a fun read. I'm almost sad I finished it as quickly as I did. It sort of feels like I should have savored it just a bit more. But I just couldn't help myself! Now I'm stuck waiting for news about a sequel. But it was worth it!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I think my younger self would have maybe enjoyed this book a bit more. It has a powerful princess, a handsome guard, a mysterious and sexy new comer, a loyal best friend, magic, a demon…it has it all yet the story did nothing for me. The concept of the book wasn’t bad but the execution was poorly done, resulting in an unoriginal book. I could see where the story was going from miles away.

We discover Axeria has more power than she originally thought, power that one of the newcomers, who also develops romantic feelings for her, helps her learn to control. At this point the story is not very eventful but it’s interesting enough because we start getting to know the characters. Finally when they all go in search of the demon I was really expecting the story to peak but, unfortunately, it was quite the opposite. There is zero fighting against the demon or any villain at all, but somehow there are a lot of practice battles… first between Axaria and her personal guard and then magical battles between her and her new boyfriend. All this unnecessary fighting was quite painful to read because it was just pages and pages with very detailed descriptions of Axaria using her powers for no reason at all (I mean I guess it’s to practice but did we really need to be present for it?)

The whole journey is quite uneventful and then, all of a sudden, a bunch of plot twists are thrown in together, one right after the other. These plots are not actually a bad idea and could have been shocking if they had been better executed or if there had been some momentum. At this point I was honestly ready to DNF the book but I held hope for the ending. With all the new information the characters very suddenly receive, I really thought the ending would make up for everything else but it was actually the least interesting part of the book. I never connected with the characters enough to actually root for any of them and then when the ending just drags on for pages I practically stopped caring.

But to leave on a positive note, I would like to say that the characters, although I wasn’t especially rooting for them, are very likeable which is what made me continue with the book. I also really like that we get multiple POV’s.

Before I even read the summary of Shadow Frost, I knew I had to read this book because of the cover (isn't it absolutely gorgeous?!). And the written words behind this cover are just as beautiful. Coco Ma brings to the YA fantasy genre a fast-paced, epic adventure that teens across the world will love.

The magic system in Shadow Frost is unique and fits the story setting well. But the one thing I really liked the most about this book was the characters, especially Asterin. She's head strong and caring and really wants to prove to her mother and kingdom that she is good enough to be Queen. I enjoyed the other characters part of the squad, as each character was different and brought a new personality and perspective to the story. I will admit I was not a big fan of the multiple point of views, but it made sense to have them.

Even though I was not a big fan of the multiple perspectives, it was a good way to learn about the characters' backstories and history with Princess Asterin. One character is in love with Asterin, but Asterin is oblivious to it (which is, honestly, one of my favorite tropes), and it makes for fun interactions between the two. The characters in this story, though, are what sold this story for me, as I am a huge fan of character-driven stories. 

I thought the writing and world building were beautiful. One aspect of fantasy books I love is the world building and Coco Ma did a wonderful job. The world was descriptive and felt like it was a world that should exist in the real world. It was, overall, a fun and beautiful read.

If you're looking for a fantasy read with numerous plot twists, then definitely pick up Shadow Frost. It was twist after twist after twist and that grabbed my attention from the beginning and kept it until the last page. There were some twists I saw coming and saw that blew my mind.

This has all the elements of a great Young Adult fantasy. There's a bunch of strong personalities lead by a pair of charismatic young women, some intrigue, a little LGBT rep, a nice, twisty plot that keeps you reading but allows the reader to make guesses on their own, and a really mean cliff hanger. The richly imagined world is just a lovely window dressing. I enjoyed that it wasn't afraid to touch on some darker topics, but didn't get bogged down into seeing how edgy it could get.

Fans of some good, old fashioned high fantasy with a young adult twist will really enjoy this one. I loved it, even though there were some bumps here and there. I help but want the next one as soon as possible (thank you, cliff hanger).

I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this book. Princesses and demons- what a great mix. I enjoyed the character development, world building and the writing style. I would recommend this for fans of YA Fantasy

This book started out slow, but for the last 40% we get answers, plot twists and an open ending.

I was sad at the end, when the best friends are suddenly not anymore and one leaves. Also two close male characters lives are in limbo.

I hope there is a second book coming and I can’t wait to read it!

I received this ebook copy from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.

Shadow Frost is the adventurous and exciting debut from young author Coco Ma, a tale of love, magic, betrayal and family.

The story is explosive and starts with an intriguing prologue. There is a suspense that the author had built right from the first page, keeping us readers hooked to the story. The beginning looked very promising, along with a strong and brave main character. I enjoyed Asterin’s arc a lot and loved her zeal and personality. Her best friend was sweet too.

The writing and narration had a fresh new voice but at times, I felt that it was a bit off in places. Some dialogues seemed unnecessary and stretched, which would’ve looked and sounded better in a movie maybe. Despite that, I liked the fact that Coco used easy narration which flowed smoothly and was also easy to understand.

Fantasy books often make me confused with the characters, having a variety of them, and it wasn’t any different with Shadow Frost either. It’s not like I did not enjoy the characters, but there were a lot to distinguish amongst. At times, their personalities as if merged and mixed too, leaving little ground for distinction. However, I did love Rose’s character and though she was portrayed really well. Asterin was good too, but as I’ve said, she sounded very childish at times. Orion confused me with his thoughts as I found them to be unclear. Quinlan was good but ah, I couldn’t trust this guy. I dislike him and loved his dynamics with Asterin but I found the pair a bit forced. Him calling her a brat was kind of annoying and kiddish, which definitely did not make me swoon.

To be honest, I could somehow very well uncover the plot by the first ten chapters. It was easy going and tad bit predictable, but that did not ruin the fun for me. Coco Ma devises a whole new exciting world for us and she knows how to keep her readers engaged. And to think that she’s only nineteen gives me immense hope and joy.

Shadow Frost looks like a promising debut and I cannot wait to see what Coco has in store for us with the sequel.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an arc of this book.

Review: 4 Stars

Shadow Frost was an amazing YA fantasy. I had really underestimated this book, and I was shocked to find out that Coco Ma was only 15 when she had written it, but I found myself absolutely loving this book from the very beginning. Shadow Frost had an interesting magic system, characters that grabbed a hold of my heard and a plot that shocked me with its many twists, I am left absolutely inspired by Coco Ma and also so grateful that she pursued publishing so I could read this book.

Asterin is what I would refer to as a warrior princess. She had a bit of a hero complex and she was a really fun character to have at the center of this story. I loved her fierce bravery and how she fought for her friends and her country. There are five other side characters that were focused on, and the third person point of view switched between them. I did get two of them confused in the very beginning, but once I got deeper into the story it became easy to keep them straight in my mind.

I really loved that each character had flashbacks of their life included in the story because it really helped flesh out each of the characters. I felt like I knew each of them by the end of the story. Luna was probably my favorite character besides Asterin, just because she was so loyal, but also because she was so sweet. Quinlan was also one of my favorites because he was so much fun to read about. On several occasions the banter between him and Asterin made me laugh out loud. I just loved the whole crew of characters in this story. I’m so thrilled to hear that there will be a sequel because I want to read more about these characters.

The plot really amazed me. There was one point in the novel where I hit plot twist after plot twist and I had to keep reading just to find out the truth. I didn’t expect this novel to be so well done, but it was so well rounded. There was the main conflict between good and evil, but the conflicts between the characters really added to the story and were the parts that really got to my heart. The magic system was pretty intricate, but I wish that there was a little more world building because the world had so much potential.

Shame on me for underestimating this book and Coco Ma just because she wrote this when she was really young. I really loved this book and I am so sad that it’s over. I hope that Coco Ma keeps writing because she is a natural story teller. I am thrilled to hear that the sequel has been announced and if Coco Ma writes another series it’s definitely going to be on my wish list as well. I can not wait to return to this world and these characters and I am already counting down until the next book.

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<p>I want to start off by saying that there are a lot of characters in this book and I enjoyed all of them. I do wish though that they all had been a little more fleshed out though. There was a good start to them but I didn't feel like I really connected with any of them. I'm hoping that in the second book we really get to know them. </p>
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<p>I did want to talk specifically about Asterin though who I guess we can consider the main character. She was a headstrong, charming, powerful character. However, over the course of the book it didn't feel like she went through any sort of development. There is also the fact that at the end of the book she did something that really irked me, which now that I'm thinking about it could lead to her having something to work on in the next book.</p>
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<p>My favorite character was definitely Luna and at the end of the book I was rooting for her, while being completely pissed at Asterin. </p>
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<p>The plot was kind of predictable but I still enjoyed. There was one thing that I didn't expect so that was a pleasant surprise. I really loved the world building. I thought it was unique and really cool. My biggest contention with this book is the ending. I was happy with everything up until the last 50 pages or so. Then Asterin made a dumb choice and I was annoyed. </p>
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<p>I found the writing style interesting. I was really impressed when I learned that Ma wrote the book when she was 15 and she's getting it published at 19. This is really inspiring to me. However, I feel like the writing was a little disconnected at times which made it hard to read. It didn't flow as smoothly as it could have. It definitely wasn't bad but I just wish it was a little bit better. </p>

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This was a good book that I enjoyed a lot. I'm amazed at the fact that Coco Ma is only 19 and wrote such an amazing world. I'm definitely going to read the sequel and am excited to see the characters develop further. I definitely recommend this book if you like fun fantasies with a bunch of lovable characters.

This was such a delightful collision of magic and mayhem, demons and secret identities, and enough sass to make my heart content. (Look I stand by the fact that all books are better with characters snarking at each other.) It's about hunting demons, but it's also about secrets and trust. I definitely am here for this amount of plot twists too. It's such a book of layers -- nothing is what it seems.

other things I adored
→ sassy princess who fights tooth and claw
→ also totally oblivious when someone has a crush on her :')
→ epic squad! do they get on? no. are they amazing anyway? YES
→ Harry, just Harry ok that's my entire point
→ wholesome queer rep!!
→ elemental magic, but daaaark
→ shadowy demons, shadowy gods
→ monsters
→ meddling gods
→ alllll the banter
→ general mayhem, especially when they're left alone to try and bake a cake

I really enjoyed the writing style too! It felt very accessible, with modernish banter and quips. The action scenes are balanced with domestic mayhem (CAKE BAKING).

And of course the SQUAD. Forever am trash for books with squads. I loved this lot. From Asterin, our princess who is all trouble and peppercorns. To Orion, her loyal bodyguard, a total Soft Gay. The newcomers, wanting to protect Asterin as she finds and fights the demon: Rose (who has SECRETS) and Quinlin (who has a CRUSH on Asterin that she ain't noticing). And then there's Luna, the lovely and dedicated lady in waiting who longs for her own magic. And Eadric, the Mum Friend, also captain of the guard and trying to keep a bunch of idiots alive. He is stressed. And lastly HARRY who I can't say too much about but like, hands down, total fave.

This is the start of an addictive, fresh, and twisty fantasy series that will definitely keep you wanting more. It utilises the secret of "make the reader fall in love with the characters and then you've got 'em, hook line and sinker" which I respect. I must have more. Fun and also thrilling!

2.5 stars

Shadow Frost is the kind of debut that I would have gobbled up in the early 2000s, but unfortunately doesn't hold up to my 2019 expectations—which is a reflection on my reading tastes and not on the book's contents.

Gosh, this novel was a struggle. I wanted so badly to like it, because I admire the author's tenacity and talent—she wrote this debut in her actual teen years, and she's a musical prodigy!—but I can't rate higher based on my admiration for the author. Shadow Frost needed some more polish.

Writing: ★★★ 1/2
Concept: ★★
Characters: ★★
Uniqueness: ★

If you've read a handful of YA fantasy novels, then you've read Shadow Frost. It has a snarky, beautiful princess and a handsome, brotherly guard who is, you guessed it, also a love interest. It has the newcomer—a darkly mysterious boy who intrudes on the relationship of the guard and the princess. It has the menacing evil force that is extremely mysterious and something only the princess can defeat.... (I think you can guess the rest.)

Asterin is the princess to the kingdom of Axaria, in a world where magic is attached to the concept of affinities—there are three core affinities, each with two secondaries, making for a total of 9 possible powers. All of these powers are vaguely elemental—fire, ice, water, earth, etc. Asterin is rare, naturally, because she has multiple affinities and is potentially able to master all of the elements. She's snarky and a bit predictable in the genre, but well described.

My biggest complaint from Shadow Frost was the "so what" element of it all. I couldn't find myself rooting or bonding with any of the characters, because I didn't feel attached to their personalities or goals. I couldn't stay engaged with the plot, because it felt like I had traced these steps before in previous fantasies. I wanted to root for them and the story, but there wasn't enough unique identifiers to stay engaged, and many of the book's chapters were hard to get through due to the copious over-explaining of plot points. (Personally, I dislike an info dump, so that last point is most likely a "me" problem.)

Definitely not a read for me, but who knows how a younger, fresher audience to the genre might react to this novel. Like I mentioned earlier, if I'd read this when I was much younger I might have loved it. The writing was solid, so I'm extremely interested in what the author decides to write next.

What intrigued me about this book was first of all the cover, its title and then the description.

I started reading it and was for a moment intrigued. About 10% in, I have lost interest. The characters just are not for me, it feels like the story about the popular girl and her clique, and I'm just not that interest into story lines like that. Tthe story hasn't captivated me neither. It feels all over the place. So I will let it be.

I received an eARC from the publishers in return of an honest review.

I can’t even with how much I loved this book! By chapter 3 I already knew I needed a physical copy. I mean sure the cover is beyond gorgeous but it also has some very kick ass female characters that are wonderfully flawed. I can’t even pick a favourite character but Harry won a piece of my heart.
I kept trying to flip after reading the last page! I need the next book as soon as I can.

There were a couple moments that didn’t make it a 5 star for me but for a debut release this blew my socks off.

I went into this with not expecting much as I was told by a few people it's not the greatest read ever, but I was so pleasantly surprised!

I adored the characters. Their development was well written, although there were some things that were a little far-fetched or just rubbed me the wrong way. But no one's perfect!

I'm a sucker for fun banter between characters and there was plenty of that in this book, I think that's mostly why I enjoyed it as much. There were plenty of twists and turns that I didn't manage to fully expect which was surprising as I'm usually very good at knowing what's going to happen which has ruined a few books for me. Thankfully this kept me on my toes.

I did not like the ending of this at all, though. I believe I would've given it 5 stars if it weren't for how it ended. I won't say between whom as that'd be a spoiler. But you'll probably guess who I mean.

I liked how there were just enough of romantic drama in it as well. Some books tend to pair up every single character from the get-go which can be a little annoying, but this one had just enough of all of it. Although I wouldn't have minded a little more raunchiness. But that's just me.

All in all, a wonderful set of characters and story that grips you. Looking forward to the rest of the series!

I was hesitant to start this book because of some negative reviews I saw on Goodreads but I was very pleasantly surprised! I ended up loving the characters, the conflicts, the magic, and the relationships in this book. There were some fun plot twists in there that kept me turning the pages even after I had vowed to stop reading and move on to the boring things I needed to get done. There are some things throughout the book that I didn't love, but I'd still recommend this book.

2,5 stars

I think this might be one of those hardest reviews to write because I wished I could rate this much highter. Shadow Frost was written when the author was just 15 (at publication she is 19) which is amazing. Unfortunately it also kind of shows in areas.

For one I would like to say that I see potential in her writing and plotting. She can clearly overview a plot and there were twists here and there. However I found the world building lacking. The ideas of the magic with various countries having different affinities and having affinity stones was interesting but never fully explained. There were scenes on learning magic but I felt we learned nothing of the magic through that so I don’t know how our characters were suppose to. As for the world, again an interesting idea but not enough fleshed out. The world could have been really interesting like the forest they end up going to that is apparently special. It wasn’t. It was just a forest.

Another point I have is the characters. This is a young adult book. Our main character is the princess and from there we diverge into point of views of other characters as well. Orion, her body guard. The captain of her royal guard. Her love interest. Her best friend and lady in waiting. A random queen from another country. An enemy. It was a lot. It could have been tighter. One or two point of views would have been enough for sure and it would have given more of an element of surprise to some of the twists to the story.

I initially really liked the characters but more and more I noticed that the characters were not behaving according to their age. Some of these characters were in their twenties (Orion and the captain of her royal guard for instance) but they acted like 16 year olds. Especially Orion’s personality going from a capable guard to ‘oh no I can’t do anything right’ was painful to read about and gave me a whiplash.

And that is what Shadow Frost was, a promising idea but lacking in execution.

Shadow Frost has your classic elements of YA fantasy: the strong protagonist, the supportive best friend who’s also not as powerful, the missing parent/s, the orphans, the journey away from home… for a good part of the book, I felt it conformed a little too much to these tropes without doing anything particularly new with them. Given that the writer is a POC, I was hoping for more apparent ethnic diversity, something that moves away from the medieval Europe/England kind of landscape. Overall, it was enjoyable, and I loved Luna as a character, particularly towards the end, but apart from the twist and revelations closer to the story’s conclusion, it didn’t feel like this story was doing anything particularly new or revolutionary for the genre. That being said, I still enjoyed reading the book - a story doesn’t have to change my life or worldview for it to be enjoyable, and it’s certainly worth the read if you’re into YA fantasy. It was just that I personally wanted more than what was ultimately delivered.

Let me start by saying I was given an e-arc of this one by Blackstone Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The cover caught my eye and then I read the summary and had to request it. Shadow Frost is about a princess with the power to defeat a demon who is destroying the villages in her country. Badass royalty, magical powers, let’s do this.

I felt like the one complaint I have with this story is that nothing is as built up as I would like it to be. There isn’t enough world building or enough scenes between characters for me to feel where their love comes from. I know this book was long enough at 400 pages, but I think it would have helped the story and the world building if we had gotten another solid 100 pages mixed in throughout. I felt attached, but not overly so when it came to the characters. I thought Rose and Asterin were the best and most badass royal ladies. I just wish we had gotten to see more of them interacting with their friends and family.

I always love new magic systems so I enjoyed this one so much. I really like the idea that a person can be called to one kind of magic over another and seeing that here was great. I just wish it had been explained more early on in the book. I also wish we had gotten a more thorough explanation for the lore that the magic system is based on. I wanted to learn all about the old gods and goddesses and it felt like we barely scratched the surface.

For a debut novel, this book was as good as anyone could expect. Which sounds like I’m being harsh but I’m really not. I really enjoyed this book and I think over time the author will get more experience with world building and lore and will get even better. I have to say that the shining elements of this story are the characters. I think this author knows these characters inside and out so no one ever feels flat or undeveloped. Everyone has a history and a reason for their behavior which I love. I would protect Quinlan with my life if I had to. It was also great to see them bonding together as their own found family. (Which makes the ending hurt that much worse. OOF.)

This book comes out on October 1st and will definitely hit the spot if you’re looking for a YA Fantasy about magic and found families. Just be aware that it is a debut novel and you’ll really enjoy it.