First I'd like to start of by thanking NetGalley, Jus Accardo, and Entangled Publishing for affording me the opportunity to review this book.

I really enjoyed this one. The storyline was pretty easy to follow and the back and forth between the main characters was sarcastic and whitty. Just my cup of tea. A true YA with minimal spice (which is definitely the way it should be in the YA genre). Druid was a new term for me and am so happy this book introduced me to the term.

Keltania Tunne has spent her whole life training to become a bodyguard for a Winter Fae. It’s the highest of honors for a druid…only when Tania arrives at the Winter Court for the first time, nothing is what she expected.

Her assignment is the heir to the throne, Valen, and he doesn’t want her protection. In fact, he wants her gone. Yesterday. But Tania will not compromise, even if he is the most arrogant jackass she’s ever met—because something isn’t right in the Winter Court.

Everyone has secrets. From the Winter Lord to the kitchen maids to the rising faction that wants the prince dead—no one is who they seem. And now it’s up to Tania to keep her sacred oath and protect Valen, even when his smart mouth makes her skate the razor-thin edge between love and hate.

But the more she gets to know him, the more she realizes his secret is the biggest of all—and might just get them both killed.

This is my first time reading a book by this author and I am very pleased! The world building in this story is very well done. The character development is excellent and you become very attached to Tania. The pace of the book was just right. Overall a very excellent read!

I enjoyed the pacing of this book. The banter between the two main characters was enjoyable especially with their connection. While they faced some difficult situations they were able to overcome with a good sense of humor. I can’t wait to find out where their story will go next.

Thanks to Brittany at Entangled for the arc!!

This book was amazing! Thank you entangled for the arc! Loved the fantasy and world building. The chemistry and tension between the main characters was great and helped develop the characters for later. Definitely a twist at the end as everything you think you know is turned around. Excited for book 2

"Omen of Ice" had been lingering on my TBR list for quite some time, and I'm delighted I finally took the plunge. This engaging read proved to be the perfect remedy for my reading slump, offering a captivating escape into a world of Fae and magic.

The story revolves around Keltania, a young woman who has spent her entire life training to become a guardian for a Fae. Her expectations are shattered when she's assigned to protect Valen, a carefree royal from the Winter Court known for his playboy antics. As the nephew of the Winter Court's king, Valen enjoys a life of minimal responsibility, save for two crucial tasks: concealing his rare magical abilities and staying alive – both of which prove more challenging than anticipated.

The narrative gains momentum when Valen finds himself in peril, and Keltania swoops in to save him. However, an unforeseen mistake binds them together in ways neither could have predicted, propelling them on a quest for answers. This journey unveils a series of truths that have far-reaching and potentially harmful consequences.

While I found the book largely enjoyable, I must admit to feeling somewhat let down by the ending. Without delving into spoilers, there's a particular aspect that left me wanting more. However, this disappointment is tempered by the hope that the sequel will address this unresolved element.

Despite this minor grievance, "Omen of Ice" proves to be an entertaining read that successfully blends romance, fantasy, and intrigue. It's an ideal choice for fans of Fae-centric stories or those seeking a light yet engaging fantasy romance.

For readers considering this book, be prepared for an adventure filled with magical mishaps, royal intrigue, and a dash of romance. While it may not reinvent the wheel in the fantasy genre, "Omen of Ice" offers a delightful escape and sets the stage for what promises to be an exciting series.

I had the pleasure of reading this book for entangled publishing along with the next book in this series "Nature of Frost"for review. I was able to grab the audio for this on Hoopla and the narration was excellent. It really brought this story to life! This book is an upper YA with lots of twists and turns through out. The way they can full circle at the end of this book had me gasping, I didn't see it coming!

The author jumps right into this story plot so if you like it getting right in this is for you.

This boom also n doesn't have alot of spice which is nice for preteen readers. There is some but nothing over the top.

This is also dual POV

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.