Well that cliffhanger is rude 🤣

True morally grey MMC with literal touch her and die vibes. We have bat wings, trusty dog/not really a dog companion, magic, fated mates, games and trials…I mean what more could my millennial heart want?

The only thing really not making it a 5 for me was it felt like it was lacking a little depth especially in the world building department.
I had a good time though, and I’ll be moving on to book two soon because again RUDE CLIFFHANGER!

Big thanks to Netgalley and Jen L Grey for the eARC in exchange for a review.

So this mimics A court of thorns ans roses in a few ways; life ending games, bat boy, human to fae. If you enjoyed SJM books, you'll love this one.

It was WAY tamer than I was anticipating, with basically no spice. And a cliff hanger like you wouldn't belive!

I'm so excited for the next one!

5 full stars!

The King of Frost and Shadows was one of those books that sucks you in and has a grip on you before you even realize what's happening. I am convinced that Jen L. Grey is one of those authors who has figured out how to "literize" crack. While the author's particular writing style was not my favorite, I found myself completely captivated by Lira and Tavish and was completely unable to look away. The tension between the two was unbelievably intense and I immediately preordered the next two books because I am desperate to find out what happens next. The trials only contributed to the elements of danger that Lira faced, and the pacing made it impossible for me to look away. This one kept me reading long into the night.
The main issue that I had with the authors' writing style was that every single chapter ended like a cliffhanger, even if the dialogue didn't seem to match up to the way that the next chapter started. I'm certainly not opposed to anticipation being introduced, but the way that it was done here felt forced and almost seemed to cheapen the story somewhat. I enjoyed the book as is, but this would have been a hands-down five-star read for me with a bit more editing on the chapter transitions. I am so excited to dive into the next one.

12 years ago the balance between the Seelie and Unseelie Fae was broken. The Seelie princess was hidden on Earth and Tavish who is now the King of the Unseelie Fae is set to revenge the murder of his parents and what the Seelie did to him.
Finally Tavish is sure he found the princess and is taking her back to their realm.
Lira was adapted and has no knowledge about the first 10 years of her live. When she meets this handsome stranger all she is hoping for is a New Years kiss and did not expect how her live is changing and why everybody is claiming she is a Fae and everybody is hating her for what her supposed parents did to the Unseelie Fae. Also that this stranger wants to kill her once she has access to her magic again, so her blood will ensure that his people can go back to their former land, is a shock. So while she struggles with this strange world she can´t deny that there is a spark between her and Tavish which neither of them wants but which they can´t fight.
When she tries to flee and is caught she ends up in a tournament all prisoners need to attend and only the winners will survive. How is a mere human without knowledge or the magic of the Fae supposed to survive?

This is the start of a new series about Seelie and Unseelie Fae, hate, treason, revenge, manipulation but also the magic of being bonded and that you can´t fight fate. So spice is mixed in here but for me in a good balanced way.
The deadly games are interesting and good written. I liked how she tries to understand what needs to be done to survive the three scenarios, how she doesn´t really want to kill somebody but is forced to do so as the prisoners are set to kill her. How they gang up on her but she is not stopping to try to be true to herself is in my opinion good written.
I like how the story is told and its pace.

Lira has no memories before her time with her adoptive family. Her adoptive father thought her quite a lot how to fight and how to stand up for herself. When she is brought into the world of the Fae everybody hates her even so she has a good heart, doesn´t want to harm let alone kill somebody. With her we learn bit by bit what once happened even so many things are still blank. I liked her character and I really suffered with her.
Tavish had to endure unbearable things which were done to him by Lira´s parents and also had to accept at a young age that his parents were murdered. That he wants revenge and a better live for his people is understandable. Also that he doesn´t want to accept that there is a spark between them and that at one point he can´t deny what fate has in place for him I can understand a bit. That he can´t save her to be part of this tournament to not loose further face in front of his people is good written. That different rules apply to her, the aim is to kill her in the tournament even so he made it clear when and how he needs her blood and he is not intervening especially when she means to much to him this was something I had some problems with.
The other characters are also good worked out and I enjoyed them even so the ones I can´t stand.

So all in all for me a good start into this new series with interesting plot, well worked out characters, some spicy and a mean cliff hanger.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. Overall I enjoyed the book, but the story could've been written better. It was so simple. Falling from the tree was when I kind of lost all hope for the book's being a 4 or 5 stars. Characters did not have the relation one expect in a romantsy. Thanks.

Loved the fated mates, touch her and die trope and that it was easy to read but I couldn't get on board with the repetitive phrasing and chapter changes and the poor charscter development.

This book was unfortunately unreadable for me.

It has elements of everything I hate in a book:
- adorkable, "I'm so stubborn" FMC
- transparently "mysterious" MMC
- bad, corny millennial dialogue
- telling not showing
- etc etc

I received this eBook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Jen L. Grey, and Page & Vine: Anya for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted to GoodReads check out my profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863 and it will be posted to my bookstagram account https://www.instagram.com/tinynightingales/ and booktok https://www.tiktok.com/@tinynightingales?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

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