an action-packed fantasy. Great for fans of the cruel prince. There is court intrigue and betrayal. This book has so much action. perfect for fans of fantasy trials.

This reads on the younger side. Its feels amateur and I DNF! The book itself is beautiful! I just feel i t was not for me.

Thank you so much to Jen L. Grey and ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op | Page & Vine: Anya for the eARC of this title. This is my first read by Grey. This was such a good slow burn enemies to lovers story. You have fated mates and the touch her and die vibes too! The MC's Banter, perfection! It was an easy read for me and can't wait to read more from Grey!

Jen L. Grey delivers an irresistible slow burn enemies-to-lovers tale filled with tension, betrayal, and a fae king that you won’t forget.
Perfect for fans of morally gray love interests and fae intrigue

Slow burn, fated mates, touch her and die vibes done well! This book was exciting and had me hooked. I love a Fae read and this had the perfect fated mates vibes.

I enjoyed the banter between these two MCs, lots of will they, won't they tension. Loved the side characters of Finnian and the Nightbane. A great additional banter and cuteness factor!

My only critique is that this ended way to quickly. I get it's book one in a series and I love a cliffhanger but I felt like this just ended rather than constructively finished on a cliffhanger.

Will I read the next book? Yes for sure.

This book is perfect for fans of enemies-to-lovers, morally gray heroes, and high-stakes fantasy romance. At its heart is Tavish, the formidable King of the Unseelie Fae, a character steeped in vengeance. For twelve long years, his singular focus has been reclaiming his rightful lands from the Seelie fae, who cruelly murdered his parents. His path to triumph, however, hinges on a chilling key: the Seelie Princess, hidden away on Earth. Tavish's single-minded pursuit leads him to haunt her dreams, a haunting that culminates in her forced return to his treacherous realm.
What immediately captivates is the brutal simplicity of Tavish's initial objective: he needs her blood to free his people. The princess, stripped of her fae memories, is merely a means to an end, her plea for escape falling on deaf ears. Yet, the blurb hints at the delicious unraveling of this cold resolve. She is "more than he remembers," and that classic, irresistible "spark" ignites between them with every touch. This promises an exquisite slow burn, a battle between his deep-seated desire for vengeance and an unexpected, inconvenient attraction that threatens to shatter his long-held convictions.
Overall, if you crave a fantasy romance with a morally complex anti-hero, a feisty heroine thrust into an impossible situation, and a love story forged in the crucible of ancient feuds and simmering passion, this book is a must read.

Holy crap! I received a copy of this from NetGalley but I was ECSTATIC to learn that the series was already fully released. That cliff-hanger would have had me losing my freaking mind! I've already dived into the next one.

Thank you for the gifted eARC!

3⭐️

I feel kinda mixed about this one. The concept is really great! I love deadly trials, enemies to lovers, and political intrigue- but this didn’t quite hit the mark.

I was a bit confused about the portal jump and how that ties into this world. It seems a bit random rn! I was also getting a little frustrated with how repetitive it was. She trusts him and wants to bang, he reminds her he wants to kill her, oh no how could she trust him, repeat. I feel like we didn’t get much development between them.

I am really intrigued with the politics behind this world though! I really want to know more about what went down after the prologue and understand why this is all happening.

I love all of these tropes. The king is very very tricky which brings an interesting element to the politics of this book and the romantic dynamic. The writing is a bit chaotic at times i got a little lost as to where i was in the timeline and places but overall i liked the concept and it was an enjoyable romantasy. I will be looking for the rest of this series.

The blurb of this book sounded great and I really wanted to like it, but unfortunately the writing style was not for me. There was a ton of showing and not telling, and I didn't feel like the worldbuilding did anything particularly new or impressive. It had all the tropes I usually go for, but unfortunately execution fell flat for me.

I enjoyed reading this book, but the whole "punishing her because of what her parents did when she was a child" got old pretty quick. She was constantly dodging danger and attempts on her life because everyone wanted her dead. Other than that though, it was a fun read with the usual good things that we love romantasy for. The plot was interesting, especially the Gauntlet. Can't wait to see what happens in the next book!

This book is a fairly fast paced read and keeps you drawn in with the action, both verbal and physical.

If you are in the mood for a Fae romance then this might fit the bill but fair warning it's a cliff hanger. Lira and Tavish were childhood friends but something happened to align the Seelie with the Dragons against the Unseelie. Fast forward and Lira is human and visiting a fair when a gorgeous man somehow transports her to his dark Court full of Unseelie who want her dead !
I did enjoy this but there's quite a bit that's not explained. I think a little more world building would definitely improve this book and hope that the follow-up will provide just that. At times I thought Lira accepted things too easily but I understand that her life has been totally upended and she just needs to deal with her new reality. This is clearly a slow burn fantasy romance and I didn't particularly like the way Tavish behaved and he deserves to suffer in my opinion but alas this brings me back to the point about lack of explorations concerning previous events. An interesting beginning and if you enjoy magical trials with a heroine that keeps trying I think you might enjoy this but perhaps download a sample first.
This voluntary take is of an advanced copy and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Okay! Let’s get straight in! I’ve seen a few compare it to Acotar while yes we have Fae, wing tipped ears and a winner takes all trial that’s pretty much all they have in common, this story is about two royal Seelie, we get a time skip and so much more! It’s a true enemies to lovers (not much loving going down tho!) with so much family baggage.

While it did start slow half way it did start to pick up we got more info on nearly everyone except the random adoption family? We got no info on them at all except that they got her info defence lesson and she carried a blade cos her adopted father told her to?

I will say though Lira even without her memories take it all in like a champ and she gets put through so much it’s actually quite sad with no one in her corner.

Travish on the other hand is Trash! This cannot be the MMC, sure the dudes got shadow daddy powers but he’s a lil bitch. Sure no one can touch what’s yours but what are you putting her through???He’s supposed to be an all powerful king but takes orders from his uncle, and the quick switch up at the end had me mad like your watching everything go down and only now you realise your mistake, I know it’s a first in the series but the ending could have been extended 1-2 chapters more cause it’s didn’t portray the emotion enough for what went down .

Enemies to lovers Romantasy with fae. Fae, large wolves, amnesia plot, and trials. This was mostly action and world building with romance to come. The pacing was strange at times but overall interesting. Brutal cliffhanger, have book 2 geared up and ready to go !

The King of Frost and Shadow

This book is a seductive, action-packed fantasy romance that pulls you into a world of icy power, dark secrets, and smoldering chemistry 😍 and omg perfect read during winter honestly ✨️

The story follows a strong and determined heroine who’s forced to navigate a dangerous world of fae royalty, lies, and expectations. Her reluctant alliance with the cold, enigmatic fae king is where this book truly shines. I know this is typical of a fantasy book but you have to give this a go because the author really mastered how to make it flow seamlessly without overshadowing the whole plot and over doing the tropes.

The tension between the main chacaters is delicious, both emotional and physical and their banter adds sparks to an already electric plot which for me is a massive 10/10. Watching their dynamic shift from distrust to desire was deeply satisfying.


Will be posted to my instagram

A vengeful king and a lost princess that holds the key to his revenge. I was excited by the blurb for this book and had so many tropes that I liked. The writing was a little bit too basic for me, and I struggled to connect in an emotional way to the main characters. However, it was an easy read with a basic plot and some good ol’ fantasy fight scenes. There’s politics, trials, morally grey characters, forbidden romance - a recipe for a fun book. Many of the chapters ended as a cliffhanger to then immediately be resolved at the beginning of each new chapter, I wasn’t very surprised by a lot.
It was a fun, easy read - if you want a quick fantasy book then I would recommend but it was a very basic story.

This was a fast-paced, entertaining read filled with games, trials, and a wild cliffhanger. The King of Frost and Shadows is a strong start to the series, blending classic romantasy elements like “touch her and die” energy, a dangerous gauntlet, fantastic side characters, and a loveably terrifying furry companion. The King himself is the perfect mix of icy control and simmering intensity, outwardly cold and commanding, but clearly unraveling in the heroine’s presence. His aloofness feels more like self-protection than cruelty, and watching his defenses slowly crumble is one of the most satisfying aspects of the story.

There are a few early pacing stumbles and moments where repetitive internal monologue slows the narrative. I also found myself wishing for deeper emotional vulnerability from the King earlier in the story, though when it finally arrives, it’s incredibly rewarding.

Jen L. Grey has a talent for building immersive worlds, and this book sets the stage for what promises to be a compelling and even more powerful series.

Overall Vibes: Familiar Fae Fantasy
Hot Sauce Scale: 3 (there is mention of sexual things, they clearly want to do the vertical tango, it is highly likely the next book has more spicy content)

I'm hitting this with a 3, but it's more like a 3.5 because there's potential here. I will be picking up the sequel to see if the author builds on some of the more interesting plot threads.

The King of Frost and Shadows is a book you've probably read before. It has a lot of familiar tropes and a Fae romance. If you enjoyed something like ACOTAR, you will probably also enjoy this book. It's an easy read. I think there's a lot of potential in the story, but unfortunately, nothing really interesting or unique is presented until the last few chapters. There's the possibility for some exploration of political and social unrest within the kingdom as you're introduced to a rebellion leader and find out how he's linked to the King's cousin. It's intriguing, but it comes much, much too late in the book. By that time, I was basically checked out because the majority of the plot was a Fae King saying "Hey I gotta kill you but wow I'd like to make out" and the FMC having to participate in a "gauntlet" of fighting and obstacles.

The FMC is fine. Her name is Lira, and she's very accepting of what is happening in her life. Initially, I think she was too accepting, but once again, near the end of the book she started asking questions and even called out when her questions were ignored and unanswered. She does have that "good at everything with no flaws" quality that's common with Romantasy leads. There is some plot reasoning for this, so I'm not going to completely fault the book, but so far the only "flaw" is that she's just super extra kind and doesn't want to hurt people. And that isn't really a flaw, as it clearly affects the way Tavish sees his rule.

Tavish is fine. He's the classic "I command darkness, ice, and shadows and fear" kind of Fae. You've seen MMCs like him before. He is very morally grey, and while I expect him to eventually soften up or be influenced by Lira's kindness, he stays a tyrannical ruler for the entirety of this book.

There is potential here for an interesting, but familiar, story and I do hope the author decides to follow it. I will also add that it ends on an extreme cliffhanger, so if you do not like that sort of ending, I'd wait until the next book is out.

Thank you to the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely devoured this. It was right up my alley with enemies to lovers, don't touch her, who did this to you, you name it, it had it all. The writing style made it a quick easy read and I found myself just wanting to pick it up and read all the time to see what would happen. Loved the morally gray MMC so much. And for once the FMC didn't annoy me with her whinging and going from zero to hero in 5 mins after entering the new realm. I think this is helped by the fact that she is actually fae herself, it's just suppressed. Cannot wait for the next one!