I really enjoyed the banter between Keltania and Valent though this story. It also had some good action and was well paced. Im

I LOVED this. Like eating dinner with one hand so I don't have to stop reading loved.
The first few chapters were just a bit of an info dump but it wasn't overwhelming.
The characters were fantastic, the dialogue was hilarious, and there were so many twists that I didn't see coming. Everything was really amazing and I'm going to be very upset until book two comes out

A Greta turn on page but a multi diversity characters and magical setting.
Maybe it fell a little flat on the ending but overall I had so much fun

The story is amazing. There was a lot of world building, which is to be expected in a fantasy novel. Although I was able to guess some of the twists and turns in the novel, it wasn't "predictable" per se. I frequently have multiple theories about books I'm reading, and more often than not, it's a coin toss on whether they're accurate or not.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story, though. The protector and the prince. I was initially worried we were going to be going into Cruel Prince territory because I didn't love that book, but this quickly veered from that. I loved how strong Keltania was but also how she wasn't untouchable. It made it easier to like her. No one likes a perfect heroine.

I want to say more, but I don't want to spoil it. If you're looking for spice, this one isn't it for you. That's not to say there isn't tension. I love a good spicy book just as much as the next person but also love a spice free book as well. I highly recommend!

I enjoyed this YA fantasy, the twists definitely kept coming. I kept laughing out loud at the interactions between the two main characters 😂. I honestly can't blame Valen for wanting to ditch Keltania... First off a teenage bodyguard? 😂 Ok, I'll bite but then she made tons of mistakes and felt rather naïve. I hoped for a bit more character development. Either way, this was a quick read for me and I definitely think teens would enjoy it!

Rating: 3.75/5

Thank you to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I did not love this book as much as I wanted to. The writing was young, even for a YA book, so I had a really hard time finishing it. I loved the idea of the plot and I love the cover and title so I am sad that I didn’t love this.

To me, the characters felt underdeveloped. We get two POVs of Keltania and Valen but I didn’t like they were really all that different or helped propel the story forward. Keltania makes a lot of mistakes in her job with almost no consequences and she doesn’t really improve at all (even though she trained her whole life to be a guard). The secrets that Valen was holding were the things keeping me intrigued enough to finish the book. I did enjoy his sass, and their banter was enjoyable. Despite their development, the characters are still likable! I wish we got more of Keltania’s background and upbringing.

Lastly, the ending felt a bit info dumpy instead of having a climax with action. Everyone stood around talking and I wish the info was woven through the action to keep things moving. The pace of the book was fine until the ending in my opinion.

The read was simple, but not something I will be revisiting. The Druid mythology and culture was cool but not enough to fully hook me totally, so for that, this book lands at 3.5 stars for me.

Keltania Tunne is tasked to protect the heir to the throne of the winter court but he doesn’t want her help. Valen, the heir is a total jerk and does everything imaginable to try and get rid of Keltania. She quickly learns there are lot of secrets going on around the Winter Court. And once she learns what Valen’s secret is and how big it is she must choose to uphold the oath she’s taken to protect him at all costs. Even if it risks both of their lives in the process. Omen of Ice is a fantasy book full of action, mystery and lots of excitement.

Wow, first I want to say that this book is gorgeous, and the imagery and setting was very vivid, I was happily immersed in this story from the very beginning. This YA fantasy is riddled with betrayal, secrets and lies. There are some great action scenes and the romance set at a slow burn. Keltania, one of the last of the druids, spent her whole life training to be chosen as a bodyguard for The Winter Court. She just had no idea that she would end up protecting Valen, the heir to the throne. There's more to this assignment than she expects and Valen keeps her on her toes from the start. There's not a lot that I can say about the plot without spoilers but let's just say that Keltania and Valen have to face challenges that they never envisioned. The story is fast-paced and engaging. It's dual POV so we get the lore and background for both species and through this, the story illustrates how perceptions and truth can be manipulated.

Characters: I loved Valen. I don't know what it is about snarky fae characters, but I am always here for it. Plus, his joking nature was done in a self-deprecating way to cope with the strain and burden of his responsibilities, his position and a major secret that has put a target on his back. His character is deeper than he would like you to believe. Keltania is a perfect fit for Valen, she is feisty and doesn't take his shit. She also had to be a badass because Valen's mouth gets him into situations that require her to stay ready at all times.

Will I read the next one? Absolutely
Thank you Entangled Teen and Netgalley for this earc, terribly sorry about how late this is.

Sadly I wasn’t as interested in this one.
I held back review as it wasn’t a high star rating and didn’t want to impend on authors debut spot light.
This is a classic it’s me not the story.
It has light romance aspects, however more on the PG/PG13 scale as in maybe a .5-1 in the “spice scale”.
Characters and fantasy world aspect though are interesting, however again it reads lower level fantasy in the fact it’s spelled out or left out gaps.
I may try the second to see if it has growth to it, or skip by.

I'm not sure why, but I wasn't able to 'get into' this book. Others I know read and loved it, but I could not finish . I gave it 1 star as netgalley doesn't allow me to simply dnf a book

I really enjoyed the concept of this book. The underlying story and character relationships were really interesting and I LOVED the dual POV, as that doesn’t seem as common in fantasy books.

However, it read a bit too YA for my taste and I thought it was a bit repetitive.

I recommend if you’re looking for:
- an easily digestible fantasy with fae
- a FMC on a path to self-discovery

Will I read book 2? Probably!

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you to the publisher for an e-galley in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Omen of Ice – Omen of Ice #1 - Review
 
Author: Jus Accardo
 
Couple: Keltania TUnne & Valen
 
Tropes: PNR, dark romance, hidden identity, secret prophecy, fae/druid romance, touch her and die vibes, mysterious powers, fated mates
 
Review: This book was a read for 2023! When I began reading this novel I was not expecting how it would end or what all would be revealed and I can tell you that the twists and turns Keltania and Valen take, you will NOT guess.
 
I enjoyed how this book built upon the theme of history being lost to the side of the victors and the ending blew my mind with everything we learn right at the end. The story begins with Keltania, a female Druid, getting her first quest to travel into the Winter Fae lands to protect the Crown Prince. The conflict she is presented with is how her limited power causes her pain and how she must use it to protect her charge.
 
Valen is shallow at first glance but as the book unfolds we learn that he cares deeply and is afraid that his “curse” will endanger those he loves. Valen was a complex character. I enjoyed Keltania breaking down his outer shell and becoming a grudging friend to him. I also loved how Jus unveiled his power and heritage. The way the curt drains his power but shames him and then the way he is used as the villain for that same power created a complex dynamic that shocked me and kept me on the edge.
 
This book deals with a hidden prophecy and when Keltania and Valen embark on a mission to sever their bond we begin to see just how much the other cares for each other. I loved reading the slow burn of feelings and angst, especially when the taboo aspect centers around the millennia old tale of the original Druid/Fae love story.
 
I was not ready for this first book to end but the events that unfolded and all the characters I met at the end were thrilling and well placed. I am excited to read book 2 and hope we get to see more of the original King’s story as well as the Kelpie’s.
 
Rating: 100+. No words for this twisty and magical romance

4.5

Angst the house!!! This book took off for me and had me. If you are looking for more fantasy than romance this is a good read!!! Romance is there just YA and slight.

Druids
Fae
Secrets
Fmc body guard
Betrayal
YA no spice all delicious angst
Slight cliffhanger
Forbidden love

I did not enjoy the dialogue. It felt off, too YA juvenile for me. I never warmed up to the characters. I tried for a long time to finish it, but I just could not. So, this was a DNF for me.
Even aside from the dialogue, the overall quality was not good. It is one of those books that blurs YA and NA and it just doesn't work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for a copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

I am not sure what I was expecting with this book but what it ended up being was better than I hoped. It has everything I love – magic, fae, snow, dual POV – but at times I worry I am getting burned out by reading so many of the same types of books. This definitely was unique enough to make me question what would happen next while also feeling comforted by the knowledge that I know the general plot progression of this book. I don’t know why but I thought this was a standalone book and that is NOT the case (I hope?! PLEASE Entangled continue this series) because that cliffhanger/ending made me check 3 times already for a date about book 2. This is a good book to read as we approach colder (hopefully) temperatures here in the northern hemisphere, and I found it to be an enjoyable time.

In Omen of Ice, Keltania has been raised to be an elite bodyguard for one of the Winter Fey. Her people and the winter fey have had a symbiotic relationship ever since the war resulted in the almost complete destruction of magic. However, heir to the winter court, Valen, is nothing like Tania expected. And his secret puts the two in the center of a maelstrom that might destroy everything they know

In my opinion, Omen of Ice was just fine. It is standard fantasy romance fare with the main characters originally antagonistic towards one another, but with an undertone of romantic tension. However, the writing never made me become attached to either Tania or Valen. And the miscommunication trope was overused in this story. Finally, the plot twists were fairly predictable. I don’t foresee myself continuing with the story.

Loves this book. Couldn’t put it down! Great story and wasn’t a book that the plot was easy to figure out ahead of time. Loved it so much I got a hardcover.

I was provided an ARC of this book from Entangled Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This one wasn’t even on my radar when I stumbled upon the opportunity to read an ARC, but I am a fantasy girlie at heart and the blurb drew me in like a magnet. This book was AMAZING!!! Cannot recommend enough!!.

Valen and Tania were EVERYTHING I didn’t even know I needed.

Good world-building, loved the entire cast of characters and the wait for book 2 now…

5 stars

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Well, here I am. Looking around myself and realizing other readers either absolutely despise this one or think it's the top fantasy read of the year with few sitting in the middle going "Eh, I liked it enough." I can see how this being YA will alter some opinions and this was an odd one I think. We edged towards NA at times but swung back to lower YA at others and in general the pendulum just couldn't decide exactly the tone to set. No biggie- I didn't go in expecting adult so the variation wasn't too noticeable for me.

The plot in general is really interesting but it didn't quite sink in as deeply as I hoped and I'm going to lean into the idea that the character interactions was what snuffed out the flow a bit for me. There's a lot of banter which I love almost all the time, the dialogue is good, it just seems that we're relying a little heavier on these factors than the plot itself and descriptive setting elements.

Will I continue on? Yeah, I wont be jumping for it but I am still curious where this one is going to go and there is a lot of potential on where readers are taken next. Overall, a decent first book in a series, I just couldn't fully immerse myself in the flow of this one.