I hate cliffhangers!!!

I hadn’t heard of this author or her work before and I enjoyed this. I love me a morally gray hero, and the story and plot here leave a lot to be further developed. Some parts were a little drawn out, but I am nonetheless looking forward to finding bye second book to see what happens to Lira & Tavish.

Read this excited for a book that had a morally grey villain that lives up to the name. This one stayed morally grey throughout which was nice but the problem I ran into was I couldn’t connect with the characters as much as I had hoped. Thankfully the ending help bring it back together for me so I gave it 3 stars because I have hope for growth in book 2 especially after the ending.

I really tried with this one, but it just didn’t work for me. The writing style was hard to connect with — the pacing felt off, there was a lot of info-dumping, and the logic in some scenes had me confused. There’s even a line that says, “My stomach hardened. Strangely.” I genuinely didn’t know what that was supposed to mean.

The plot had potential, but overall, it felt chaotic in a way that didn’t quite land for me. Character motivations didn’t always make sense, and I struggled to stay grounded in the story.

That said, I appreciate the chance to read this ARC, and I think it might still resonate with readers who enjoy fast, dramatic plots and a messier, emotional narrative style.

*DID NOT FINISH*

I really wanted to like this book but at 20% I just wasn’t invested and not enjoying my experience at al. The magic system isn’t really explained and the romance? I found to be cringeworthy.

What I did enjoy was the blurb and the prologue which I thought was really promising but sadly after that the book fell short for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Victory Editing for the Arc!

I usually don't read fantasy but the description pulled me in and I was not disappointed. The world building and story telling was extensive and I quickly was able to learn what things meant without having to look at the definitions in the beginning of the book.

The romance was tame considering what I normally read and I wasn't mad about it. The story line between Lora and Tavish didn't need it because you felt it.

All in all I really liked the book and can't wait to read the next one. While I have a love hate relationship with cliff hangers this book ended at a good point to start up the next one.

This is a hidden gem that's not talked about enough. The writing is fantastic and the story is unique.

The way I love this woman’s writing is crazy. I love Jen’s writing so much and this one is also way up there.

I could not put this down! Captivating characters, strong writing, and action-packed scenes had me holding my breath multiple times. I highly recommend this book and am looking forward to the next in the series!

⭐⭐⭐ Star Rating: 3/5
🌶️ Spice Rating: 1/5

Review:
This book had one of the most fascinating fantasy settings I’ve read recently. The icy world, court intrigue, and stakes drew me in immediately — there’s so much potential here for a great series.

But the execution didn’t quite land for me. The male main character’s POV felt choppy and emotionally distant. Instead of diving deep into his responsibilities or grief, his chapters focused heavily on physical attraction to the female lead. The plot was solid, but pacing felt rushed and oddly stagnant at the same time, like we moved quickly without covering much ground.

The romance leaned into instant attraction with a lot of denial, but lacked the emotional depth I was hoping for. Chapter endings felt abrupt, and the writing often repeated ideas or over-explained things. It also read at a very low level for an adult fantasy, which pulled me out of the world a bit.

That said, the worldbuilding is genuinely cool and could carry future installments with more polish and introspection.

True enemies to lovers with shadows, fae, and a forbidden romance? Yes please! The FMC is such a strong character who does not back down easily. This is a great option for those who love a good fantasy where the main focus is the story line than the worldbuilding. And this does end on a cliffhanger! So I need book two as soon as possible!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the eARC.

I liked the premise. I liked the characters. But nothing really wow'd me. I kept feeling like I wanted more.

When fate has other plans for you. Lira has been having dreams that have left her unsettled but she agrees to go out with her sister. She meets a stranger and there is something familiar about him. Just when she thought that she would get a kiss at midnight she finds herself falling into a dark abyss. Tavish has been waiting for this moment for many years and now that he has Lira he can put his plan in action.
Lira has no idea what he is talking about she isn't a seelie she has no wings or magic but no one will listen to her. And she has found out that the King is going to make sure that she dies. She is conflicted about her feelings for Tavish as she knows that she should fear him but she can't fight that attraction for much longer. But she is doomed no matter what.
Tavish knows as the King he has to free his people and only Lira's death will do that but fate has another plan for them. But will they be able to find a way forward and to be with each other as they always believed?
A good read I have already read part 2 as it was such a good read.
Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for the copy. This is my volunteer review.

This story had a really interesting start and then we fell through a tree. It got a bit clunky from there. The story has potential but it felt like it weighed too heavily on the themes on him needing to hate her but being obsessed with her. All the while she has no memory of him. The motivations of the characters seem confusing because we as the reader dont have a lot of context for the missing years when Lira is on earth. The gauntlet felt forced as a plot device to have something for the characters to do. While it felt very violent lots of people seemed to survive through it? I feel like this book had a lot of idezs and needed editing and fine tuning. I enjoyed the possessive, broody, nobody touches her but me aspect of their relationship but it was really tough to watch their relationship grow as she had amnesia for all of it and he knew what was going on. This feels like he may have been taking advantage of her. I was not planning on reading the next book but that that twist at the end has me kind of curious as to what will happen next so perhaps.

If books were food, this one would be a Pop Tart. Simple and makes you happy to devour it. Let me explain. It is very entertaining and easy to read. It doesn’t delve deep into world building. It is simply a simple romantasy. It is almost like the fantasy version of that romantic Christmas movie you watch every year – predictable but comfortable. Like the safe read that you know will make you happy but not hurt your brain trying to figure everything out in the process. It is something you can pick up, read, get some joy, then get back into your life. It is a quick read (at around 300 pages) which is perfect for someone who just needs a quick fix while on vacation or on your day off from a rough work week. For someone new to romantasy, this would be a great recommendation for them.
The MMC and FMC chemistry is there in a way it is during a romcom movie. I can appreciate where the author was going with them. Would I have liked a bit more angst? Sure. Would I have loved more in-depth character development? Yes. Does the book necessarily need this to be enjoyable? No.
Love you some hardcore romantasy with all of the usual tropes but none of the complication of a complex world or a confusing magic system? Then, this is for you!

wow! This truly was an amazing book both for the fantasy genre and the romance genre. I loved getting to see Lira slowly learn who she truly is and just how strong and powerful she really is. It was really nice to get to see Tavish begin to start growing and maturing throughout the book and coming to accept that there are some things just important as being king. I think I'm definitely going to need a few days to recover from that ending though.

The King of Frost and Shadows by Jen L. Grey was an engaging read that kept me hooked from the start. I loved the characters and the dark, magical world the author created. That said, the pacing felt a little too fast at times, and there were moments where the plot felt rushed or left some unanswered questions. Overall, a good start to the Fated to Darkness series, and I’m curious to see where it goes next.

Fantasy
Romance
Fated mates
Enemies to Lovers
Cliff-hanger
Book 1 in a series

An absolute banger of fantasy book.
After the Seelie banish the Unseelie, Tavish needs the blood of the Seelie princess to go through the veil that separates the courts to save his people after the Seelie King banished them to a barren land destroyed by dragons.
Upon kidnapping the princess he feels a connection he can’t ignore but cannot focus on it if he wants to save his people from death and starvation in the barren land they are forced to live in.

If you love Holly Black then you will certainly enjoy a great start to this new fantasy series.



I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.
A huge thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing for this e-arc.

this was a nice and orginial fantasty book with great character who had lots of banter. the enemies to lovers was great in this book and can't wait to read more of it! it had also a great world building

First, let me warn you......CLIFFHANGER. Like Epic Cliffhanger. Anger Inducing Cliffhanger.

This was my first Jen L. Grey book and I was surprisingly excited given some of the harsh reviews. I admit, I don't go into a book thinking about misspellings and who is doing this or doing that...I just read for the story and I thoroughly enjoyed "The King of Frost and Shadows."

Lira and Tavish were interesting characters. The fantasy storyline was entertaining. The darkness of their journey kept me on my toes. I honestly and excited to see what becomes of many of the subcharacters too!

Now, can I agree with some of the reviews about Lira being "human" and just accepting of the fae? Yes, its not reality BUT....its a fictional book! If I wanted reality, I would watch the news!

Thank you to NetGalley and Jen L. Grey for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was hooked from the beginning!
It was amazing and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.