An ENEMIES TO LOVERS dystopian fantasy perfect for Sarah J. Maas, Holly Black, and Annette Marie fans.She never should’ve taken the dare.In a destroyed world plagued with pestilence and monsters, nothing was easy. It’s brutal, deadly, and most often, short.Hazel thought she understood who her enemies were: starvation, infection, her mama’s disgusting lima beans, and the Tainted – human beasts … beans, and the Tainted – human beasts full of death, fury, and poison. That’s why she never saw it coming.
The death. The lies. The complete betrayal.
No one said love wouldn’t destroy you.
Fans of The Hunger Games, The Steel and Stone Series, and Secondborn are raving about this new thrilling post-apocalyptic urban fantasy from USA Today Bestselling Author Frost Kay. One click now!
“With a refreshingly unpredictable plot, real and relatable characters, and a deliciously magnetic romance, I devoured THE TAINTED in one sitting.” USA TODAY Bestselling Author Raye Wagner
Dominion of Ash:
0.5 – The Strain
1 – The Tainted
2 – The Exiled3 – The Fallout (2020)
more
A gripping tale of a mutated virus, safe harbor, and the meaning of humanity.
Hazel grew up in Harbor as the leader’s daughter, sheltered by her dad and shunned by her peers. Always a bit of outcast, she is now forced to the blending – accept a marriage offer she does not want. The night before, she attends the party with her peers, only with a completely different outcome than expected. Forced to fight for her life, she survives the wilds only to be taken by the Tainted to their compound, kept as prisoner. However, not all is as it seems, even though Hazel never gives up the idea of escape.
This YA dystopia is truly addictive, I devoured the first book in mere hours and i am already halfway through the next one. Intense emotions create a true drama in the fast paced story, set in a futuristic world destroyed by mutated virus. The real danger, though, the human behavior, remains unchanged. Hazel must learn the hard way, first to lose her naivety and innocence, and then to figure out who and what is worth her trust.. and what to give credit for. Despite what stares her in the face, there is a long way ahead for her.
Ok, Frost Kay is one of my favorite authors. So how could I possibly have missed that she came out with a new series? Yesterday I saw The Exiled (Dominion of Ash, Book 2) and realized that was the case. Binge-read time! You know it. Massive read-o-fest. Wasn’t actually planned that way (and my husband, who I kept accidentally waking, probably didn’t appreciate it) but, really, The Tainted (Dominion of Ash, Book 1) was so, so freakin’ superb, that I couldn’t help myself. So, here I am exhausted but blissed our from a great read-binge and delighted to report that these two books were totally fantastic, pretty perfectly written, with great casts and plots, and the start of what I can tell is going to be a really great story arc, all set in a superb setting thanks to great (there’s that word again) world-building. I mean, c’mon, a dystopian fantasy with mutated fae-like humans (the eponymous Tainted), dragon lords, thieves, assassins, thrills and adventure? I’m sooo there. These books are super easy to highly recommend as they’re truly (wait for it …) great!
Wow this is a fantastic read. This Author has done a fantastic job at the World building. I love the Character Hazel. And how her Character evolves. This to me is a must read. Its a real page turner that had me on the edge of my seat with the twist and turns. To me its right up there with the Hunger Games and Divergent. This Author has hit a home run.
Shauna Joesten
ARC Read
First let me start by saying I’m not usually a big fan of dystopian books. But, Frost Kay is one of my favorite Authors, the book sounded very interesting.
Frost Kay did not disappoint! Loved the concept, I always love a slow burn romance!! She also show diversity within the characters which always make a good read. It definitely touch’s a lot on “cliques and prejudice.
I highly recommend this read!!
I can’t wait for the next book to come out!
To be honest, I’m not a big fan of dystopian books, but this sounded interesting so I gave it a try. This book turned out to be really absorbing and interesting and it was a well-written story. I do admit that Hazel, the MC, sometimes irritated me, especially towards the middle of the book when it got really good. She was so sheltered, but she is smart enough to know some of things she thought she knew might be wrong (vague because no spoilers). I love the hints of things that are coming, and I can’t wait to see if I’m right. If you like dystopian with a NA feel, give this one a try! I had never read this author before, but I will definitely pick up more books by her. I highly recommend this book!
The story this book tells is great. I really didn’t know how I felt about post-apocalyptic books, but this book has changed my mind. The story is told so well and it kept me interested the entire time. I don’t love stories written in third person as opposed to first person, but Frost Kay was able to tell this story in third person in a way that I could follow. I really enjoyed getting the small snippets of perspective from a second character. Overall, I am very excited for the next book!
I completely enjoyed this book. I have a feeling that absolutely everything that Hazel thinks she knows is wrong, and I cannot wait to find out what the truth is.
This book brought a new light to an “end of the world” story. It was a breath of fresh air to enjoy a story of humanity ending without a zombie plague. The tainted were new creatures that took on lives of their own.
The author did a really good job of building up the world only to show a small glimpse of who and what the real monsters are. I can’t wait to find out what happens next. I have connected with the young woman in the book and feel she is an amazing female heroine, even if she doesn’t know it yet.
I hope book two continues the story with just as many twists and turns as book one.
The Tainted is a dystopian science fiction novel by Frost Kay. In this book the author introduces the reader to a world that has been altered and nothing is the same anymore. There are the humans and then…there are the “Tainted.” Those who were altered and changed by a virus that swept through the land. One scratch, one bite by one and you become changed yourself. There are groups of humans spread out collected into groups for survival. Hazel is the leader’s daughter at their village, but after the loss of her mother, her father chose to hide her away. Those around her resent her for it and scorn her, but Hazel does her best. The time of the “blending” is coming and Hazel will need to make a choice. Right when she thinks that she has made the “best” decision for herself and the village…the truth rocks her world and sends her spiraling into another more dangerous reality.
The Tainted is an engaging story and I find Hazel to be an interesting character. She’s strong and resilient in the face of the things that she must face. It’s heartbreaking to learn of how she is treated at home. The author gives the reader just a hint of what lies out in the outskirts and outside the village. When the reader is introduced to the creatures who are altered the story becomes truly fascinating and hard to put down. I’m fascinated by the unique characters that the author introduces us to. I’m eager to learn more about them as each one is introduced to us. I appreciate that the author shows us that danger lies not just with those that we are taught to fear.
There isn’t much that I don’t like about this book but there are a couple of things. I found myself having a bit of a love-hate relationship towards Hazel. I applaud her for her resilience and determination, but then I found myself getting annoyed with her dogged prejudice. I keep waiting on her to at least relent towards a couple characters, but she stays determined to view them as vile and evil. It causes me to be disappointed in her. The second thing is that I was hoping for a transition back to Harbor to learn what had happened back there when she doesn’t come back.
All in all, I am rating this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. The story kept me engaged and I can easily say that the author did a fantastic job with the story. The story is well edited and has few to zero errors in it to detract from the overall storyline. I’m eagerly anticipating the next book in this series as I am eager to learn what happens next with Hazel. This book is a good start to a new series.
A great unpredictable dystopian tale!
I really enjoyed reading this book. Hazel starts out being sheltered in a position of moderate power, as the daughter that is expected to marry and produce more heirs in the founder’s family line. She joins a group of acquaintances for a night of fun, and the nightmares begin. If you enjoy post-apocalyptic stories where miscommunication rears it’s ugly head, then I recommend this book.
This book was a fun, dystopian read. I enjoyed the plot line. It was quite entertaining.
This is a really good post apocalyptic novel. The main character is Hazel whose father is their leader. She must accept a husband for the blending. She doesn’t want any of them, but will she pick the right one? This is an interesting take on a small community after a super-virus is released then mutates. The plot is well written and I love the dialogue between Hazel and her family. You can tell this family loves each other and the snark with her brothers rings true. I recommend this book and personally plan on reading more of this series.
So I don’t love the post-apocalyptic genre. It’s just not my fav. But I do love everything I have read so far by Frost Kay so I absolutely was going to read this one. And just like every one of her books I’ve read before, once I started I couldn’t put it down.
I haven’t read a lot of this genre- post-apocalyptic stories seem to bring out the worst humanity has to offer with huge consequences and not a lot of hope- but this one was unlike any I have read or seen in a movie. I really loved the originality of it. Our female protagonist is a kind, strong, loyal young woman who inspires you to cheer her on even as she faces seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
There is {of course:)} a dark and brooding Male who eventually enters the picture.
Even if this isn’t your typical reading choice genre I say give this one a try! Interesting characters, a new take on a post-apocalyptic world and an intriguing story with just enough mystery to it
make it yet another un-put-down-able Frost Kay read!
I really enjoyed this book. it is set in a dystopian world where the truth is not always the truth and what you perceive to be real is just a lie. Hazel is set to be the next leader of her compound and is being forced to choose marriage to someone she doesn’t like, let alone love. When she is betrayed and everything she believed to be true isn’t what it seems, she is forced to confront it. She does so with determination and strength. This story is compelling and leaves you wanting more after it is over. I can’t wait for the second installment in this great series.
Overall rating: 5
Yes, this tale is perfection. The cover fits the tale, the blurb is spot on, and the authors creativity captures every strand of a readers attention. These characters! I find I truly have to know more. The need to learn their fates is great and I am once again learning to be patient. This beginning promises great things in books to come, and this authors proven skill assures you all promises will be delivered without fail! Well done! All my reviews are always voluntarily written.
WOW! Excellent book! From start to finish there was jam packed adventure! Fast paced-could not put this book down until it was done. The characters are flawless, fiesty, & perfectly molded for this book. Expect to want to read more of her work, if you haven’t! Now I just need to know when the next book will be out. Expect a cliffhanger ending.