Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book... 🫣I really liked the concept and storyline, but I found it difficult to connect with the characters. That said, I think other readers may enjoy it, so I’d recommend checking out the blurb to see if it’s your kind of story.✨

I feel like I won the lottery receiving this ARC. I've had an amazing time reading this, and when I haven't been reading, I've been thinking about this book. If there's one book you should read this fall, it's this one!

The Frost Witch really pulled me into this world, with its trials, gods and the already dead and old witchy fmc. Emberly knows how to make you read "just one more chapter", that turns into several chapters, trust me. If I hadn't been on a family vacation, having to be a mom 24/7 (as always), I would've binge read this probably in one or two go.

I really hope this will be the next booktok book, cause I need people to talk with about this book. I had a few WTF moments, and that feeling still haven't left me. The ending had me in chokehold! Can't wait for the next one 😍

I enjoyed this book so much. Koryn is a centuries old witch with the compassionate heart of a human. Expelled from her coven, she is offered redemption by passing through the Seven Gates of the Seven Gods, freeing her lands of a devastating curse. She meets this big spicy man (the author mentions several times that he’s a mountain of a man lol) also seeking to pass through the trials of the gates. They both have secrets but the burn is burning, and they find themselves bonded together by a god for the duration of the gates. There were some clues to the ending but man what a cliffhanger. And then another in the epilogue! I’m anxious for book two!

First of all, kudos to the quality of the book for making me enjoy a winter-based read smack dab in the middle of summer.

I gotta say, Emberley's writing is so engaging. It flows and leaves that something that you want to continue to uncover. The Frost Witch had a little bit of everything-- witches, fae, dystopian setting, deadly trials, dragons... it felt like it could have gone overboard but her writing softened it to make it palatable and interesting.

That said, I wanted MORE. I wanted the trials to extra deadly (they were kind of meh); I wanted the characters' journey to be more arduous; I wanted more relationship development between the FMC and MMC. There were elements that also felt derivative, such as the snarky teenage dragon (hit a little too close to Basgiath if you know what I mean).

Sweet baby Jesus knows I love a good spicy sprinkling in my romantasies (who am I kidding, I want spice in everything), and I also could have used more. I was all for the body positivity mentioned here, with a plus size FMC, but it was mentioned so much it was hard to tell if she loved it or disliked it about herself.

What I didn't want more of, though, was descriptions of Garrick's smirk and the fact that Koryn did not have a beating heart. We get it.

But that ending had my jaw drop a few times. I think I said "wwhhaaatttt!!!" out loud but I can't be for certain. If there was a way to make you want book 2, she found it.

I am so honored that I got accepted to Emberly Ash's Street team and that I got to read an e-arc of The Frost Witch. It is out NOW! PLEASE go read this 1st book in her new romantasy series The Covenants of Velora. You won't be disappointed.

I've read Emberly's first 2 books in her Secrets of the Faerie Crown and loved them, but this book you can really see her writing improve immensely!!! Her plotlines, characters, scenery, plot twists are EVERYTHING.

This book follows and outcasted witch named Koryn. She has been a witch for over 400 years and is still plagued by the memory of her sister and her descendants, including her sister's great-granddaughter Kyrelle who Koryn is trying to help survive the wasteland that is the continent of Velora.

The gods have condemned Velora to death and many residents have tried to conquer the trials of the Seven gates in order to save their families and Velora. Koryn goes through the door to get to the trials for the seven gates and meets the other participants, immediately catching the eye of Garrick the red, a bounty hunter. Together they attempt to traverse the trials of the seven gates.

This is a 4.5 rounded up to a 5 star.
If you want a book that has enemies to lovers, trials, a dragon familiar, witches, fae, and magic then this book is for you. Overall, I adored this book and hate that I have to wait so long for book 2. But that's the curse you face when you are honored to be a part of Emberly's street team!! Thank you to Emberly and Net Galley for the arc. :))

I have loved EVERYTHING I have ever read by Emberly Ash, and this book has moved to the top of that list. I had so many emotions reading this book, and because of that I couldn't put it down. It was so well written, and our FMC Koryn was fantastic. Plus, there's a dragon! So absolutely go read this book ASAP!

This is book one of the Covenants of Velora. This is an epic, enemies-to-lovers, must save the world, dark fantasy romance with a fun adolescent dragon familiar. This book has a strong, well-developed and an interesting story line with twists and unexpected turns that keep you reading and turning the pages. It pulled me in from beginning to end and held my attention. Amazing world building that is detailed and imaginative and so well done that you're drawn into a fantastic world unlike any other. Strong, interesting, and fascinating characters that are well developed and diverse. I can’t wait to read the rest of this series. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story.

3.5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing/Cara Maxwell Romance for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.
Overall, this book had a great premise and some of my favorite tropes. Our FMC Koryn is torn between her duty to her witch coven and her duty to her family. The land is cursed and dying, and she must complete 7 trials to bring life and magic back to her world. By doing so, she would save her family and be welcomed back into her coven.
I loved that Koryn was a realistically built FMC with curves, and she appreciates her body. There was forced proximity, reluctant allies to lovers, a slow burn romance, trials, and twists that I didn't see coming. Plus, I loved the teenage dragon and their bond! I was definitely interested in the mystery surrounding why she was ousted from her coven. The writing style and world building was good and easy to follow.
Overall, this book is the recipe for a favorite read. Unfortunately, I struggled with it. For me, it was a slow build where it was hard to stay engaged with a gripping last 100 pages. Besides the pacing, I felt Koryn was only devoted to her coven and family due to the call of duty. I needed deeper, personal connections/true friendships to really feel the conflict Koryn was facing. The connections later in the book with the MMC, Garrick, and her familiar definitely helped, but it just took a long time for me to feel invested. However, the twists at the end of the book shocked me, and I definitely plan on reading the next book to see what happens next!

"It was real, Koryn. I promise that it was."

I enjoyed this story enough to read it in one night. Witches, fae, gods, dragons. What more could you ask for in a romantasy? The world building was enough that I was easily able to imagine the scenes without overwhelming me with information. Our FMC, Koryn, was multi-dimensional. Occasionally her weakness was frustrating although I think more will play out with that in the next book(s). I enjoyed the MMC as well, although how well do we really know him yet? ;)
The overarching twist at the end was predictable, which is what prompts 4 stars vs 5 stars for me. There was a smaller twist mixed in that I didn't see coming though. All in all, this was an enjoyable read, with some unique aspects and some traditional romatasy aspects. I will most certainly be reading the next book in the series!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Thank you to NetGalley, Cara Maxwell Romance, and Emberly Ash for letting me read this e-ARC of The Frost Witch!

Honestly, I don't even know where to start.

I guess we can start here: this book was SO. FREAKING. GOOD. This is a slow-burn (and I mean slooowwww burn) romantasy novel with trials, found family, and a bad-ass FMC who just happens to be a witch.

Koryn died in a frostbitten forest and was resurrected by a coven of witches. Each witch gains her powers when resurrected and their powers are determined by the manner in which they died. However, Koryn was recently cast out by her coven for maintaining familial connections to the human world and is struggling to survive in a dying land, Velora, where things have become increasingly desperate. Koryn meets the MMC, Garrick, in a tavern and then runs into him again when she is talked into participating in a series of trials to remove the curse from Velora and be reinstated to her coven if she succeeds.

The magic system in this novel is so unique and there is so much magic to savor here--witches, fae, dragons, middling gods--this book has it all. The trials that she and Garrick are subjected to are also an interesting take on trials, requiring them to face the darkest parts of themselves. This, along with Garrick's initially begrudging support and encouragement of Koryn, lead to major character development in Koryn that allows her to become the most powerful version of herself.

The development of the relationship between Koryn and Garrick was fantastic--I really loved that this didn't happen over a series of days or even weeks. This happened over a series of months and it just really made it seem more realistic (even if the setting is a magical world). And Garrick's subtle training of Koryn disguised as disregard for discomfort? Yeah, that's definitely one way you could get my cardio up without me realizing it and it works here too. His increasing support of her and grounding her in her magic, allowing her to discover the most powerful version of herself and showing her that she is stronger and more capable than she ever imagined is just, ugh, beautiful. Respect to Tomin for giving her those grounding exercises too; those sure came in handy for her.

The twists at the end--OMG. I am floored. Speechless. I am so sad I cannot immediately on to Book 2 right now because I am on the edge of my seat needing to figure out what comes next for these characters. Emberly Ash really knocked this one out of the park and I CANNOT wait to see where the rest of the trilogy takes us. Five stars from me :)

Can't wait for the next book in the series! The writing and development is great. I do think there was a little too much emphasis on her figure. It DOES have some tropes but is refreshing and I love how deep the lore and plot are explored.

First off, I had high hopes for this book... & second...It freaking delivered!!

"We cannot alter the past, but we can determine how our memories impact the future."

📖ARC Reader
⭐️ Stars: 5/5
🌶️ Spice: 2/5

✨Tropes You’ll Find✨:
Slow Burn
Enemies-to-Allies-to-Lovers
Found Family
Trauma & Healing
Elemental Magic
Protective Love Interest
Grief & Revenge as Motivation

Oh, Emberly, Emberly, Emberly.... I'm not okay....I don't know what to do with myself now that I finished this book in under 48 hours... and it was only published yesterday (Aug 5th 2025). I'm so deeply invested in Koryn and Garrick's journey, I don't want to wait months(please don't let it be years) to find out what happens next. (crying a little inside)

The Frost Witch follows our FMC, Koryn. "I'd seen myself in a mirror plenty of times. I knew I was fucking delicious."
A 400yo frost wielding witch living in a dying land attempting to survive one day at a time. She is feared because of what she has been forced to become by a coven that turned her at death. She's misunderstood, even by herself, shaped by others' expectations of what she should be, cold, calculating, and deadly.
But underneath all that? Koryn hasn’t lost her humanity. She battles not just external threats but the internal weight of trauma, isolation, and anxiety from a life she never chose. I loved how Emberly wrote her with depth and real emotional. she’s morally gray, yes, but grounded by her truth. She gives major Manon Blackbeak vibes and I was absolutely here for it.

And then there's our MMC, Garrick. "On the contrary, Koryn. I think you will find that this changes everything for us."
So much anticipation and temptation. The slow-burn betrayal-trope hooked me right from the start. I usually require a little more spice in my books but I really didn't mind the wait. He was the perfect counterpart to Koryn. He was steady, patient, and of course, intense.

The worldbuilding is spot on. I never felt lost trying to piece together where we were or who was who. everything unfolds naturally and clearly, without any clunky info-dumping. The pacing, emotional beats, and action are perfectly balanced.

If you're in need of a break from the usual "Woe is me, I'm from a small village and have to take care of my family until I become a beautiful queen" FMC vibes, then i would highly suggest starting this book asap!

Will I be jumping right into the second book once its available? OF COURSE!

Thank you so much, Emberly Ash for sending me an ARC of The Frost Witch for an honest review, I couldn't have asked for a better read!

The author dropped us into a cursed frozen world, to witness the death and remaking of Koryn the FMC, with no knowledge of the history of her world or her life before her death and exile. This pacing in this book was slow but it held me captive as I chased the few breadcrumbs dropped by our secretive self-loathing FMC throughout the story. The writing was descriptive enough that I felt the cold along with the characters, but not so much that I was skipping paragraphs. I really loved how the author began to familiarize us to the gods by way of the gates and the challenges our cast of characters must conquer, rather than just dumping the info.

Most of characters were likable but somewhat one dimensional, at least in this book, but without spoilers I believe that may change in the next one. The banter was funny but for me there was no chemistry between the FMC and MMC, However the romance was written well enough though that I think many people will probably disagree with me. The book was also described as a why choose, and it probably will be in the next one, again no spoilers, just don’t go into this book expecting a why choose.

Due to the lack chemistry, in my opinion, I am giving this book only 4 stars, but I highly recommend it and will definitely be stalking the release of the next one.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I LOVED this book. Didn't really know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. Witches aren't usually written in an interesting way but I adored how they were portrayed in this.

5 stars

Thank you Emberly Ash, NetGalley, and Cara Maxwell Romance for the ARC!


This books draws you in from the first sentence. I could not put this down! There’s deadly trials, witches, fae, and dragons. The Frost Witch will keep you on the edge of your seat!

I absolutely love Emberly’s writing style. It’s beautiful and almost poetic. There is so much depth in Koryn’s character. You can feel her struggle, her heartache, and her love.

I hope future books have more than one POV because there are so many times I wanted to know what was going on in Garrick’s head. That ending with his POV was such a tease. Plus Garrick is so perfect even with all his flaws. Who doesn’t love a hot broody MMC with silver hair?

Book 2 can’t come soon enough! I NEED to know what happens next. The twists and betrayals had my mouth hanging open.

If you’re a fan of deadly trials, a badass FMC, a broody MMC, and forced proximity you should read this book.

I loved this one! Great world building and flow, I couldn't stop. I cannot believe that ending though, more please!

Koryn has been surviving and trying to return to her coven after saving her blood from them. As she enters the trials of the Gates, she realizes more and more the truth of things that have happened.

Her power should be waning, but she's not only thrived in the gates, but gained a Lifebond and a familiar. Garrick is the infamous witch and fae killer, but the secrets Koryn learns about him will completely change her. Forced together to complete the gates, working together by choice, and destined to love one another? The secrets that have yet to be revealed will lead us to the answers.

Full review:
I loved this book! And that ending!! EEEEE I need book two!

The Frost Witch is a book about Koryn, a centuries old witch, who has been cast out of her coven and forced to fend for herself in a country slowly dying from a curse. In an effort to break the curse and return to her coven, she embarks on a quest through the seven gates, each dedicated to a god (Mercy, Justice, Sacrifice, Devotion, Memory, Peace, and Darkness/Unknown). I really felt for Koryn throughout the book, especially as you learn more of her back story. She really struggles with who she wants to be and who she’s told she should be throughout the story, and the struggle feels real and authentic.

Our MMC is Garrick, a bounty hunter with quite a gnarly reputation. I liked his character throughout the story but especially toward the end. His characters really ability to shine will happen much more in book two I’m sure now that things are…more out in the open if you will. I can’t wait to see how things continue to develop.

Overall, this story is gonna be hit for the romantasy girls who love a slow burn and are looking mainly for a story with good fantasy and plot elements.

This is a unique dark romantasy book featuring the FMC, Koryn, who is forced out of her coven and expected to die off without its magic. She is then bound to the MMC, Garrick, a bounty hunter.

This is refreshingly unique - dark and emotional. Koryn is curvy, which is nice to see, and her dragon familiar is adorable. The relationship was strong and fun to read about (although there's definitely a slow burn here), and the cliffhanger left me desperate for book 2 to come out already.

Thanks to the ARC team for an advance copy!

If you’re looking for an unfinished series to follow and obsess over look no further!

I was gripped by this book from the beginning. The way in which it’s written as though you do not know any details about the FMC. Slowly learning about who she is as a person before finding out about her tortured past. The hidden secrets of what has happened to bring her to her current position was so well done.

The writing style of this book I thoroughly enjoyed! It was cleverly put together. Keeping you guessing from one chapter to the next.

I loved the plus size representation in our FMC. Not to mention I feel there were neurodivergent topics handled in the book, such as over stimulation. As someone who has experienced this I felt truly seen in this book with the way that this topic was handled. I found myself truly relating to the FMC on many aspects. I also loved the non-binary representation this book has very diverse representation which is so important!

The storyline was fantastic, truly unique. I have read lots of trials books but nothing quite so unique as the seven gates. I loved this concept and the back story of velora.

The relationships between the characters are very believable, well written and had my giggling at times. I could really sense the personalities and who they were as people.

I will definitely be reading more of Emberly Ash’s work and keeping an eye out for book 2 in this series!

The Frost Witch by Emberly Ash chilled me to the bone and cracked my heart wide open.

Koryn, over 300-year-old frost witch exiled to a dying land, is one of the most emotionally raw heroines I’ve read in a long time. She’s deeply flawed, full of guilt and regret, and yet still pushes herself to try — to protect what’s left of her sister’s bloodline and to lift a curse no one else has managed to break.

The world is cold, cruel, and dangerous. But what makes this story sing is how real it feels. The pain. The love. The lies and heartbreak. The slow unraveling of purpose and power. And then there’s Garrick — mysterious, deadly, and absolutely not what Koryn expected, but exactly what she wanted.

This book was everything I hoped for and so much more. Witches, gods, curses, betrayal, reluctant allies, a curvy FMC who wears her heart (dead or not) on her sleeve, and a slow-burn pull that has me desperate for book two.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC. I’ll be (impatiently) waiting for what comes next.