A banished queen’s powers will be their salvation and ruin. Captive of the Sultan, Zeyna’s power, beauty and rarity as a winter witch, earn her place among his collection. Craving freedom, she escapes the draining desert heat, and returns to her ancestral home. Only the sultan isn’t going to let go of his most prized possession so easily.Frostborne is cursed, the snow melts, crops dwindle, and … melts, crops dwindle, and leaps starve. Desperate to save his realm, Hunter, believes Zeyna to be their salvation, and enchants her with a dark persuasive power to perform his bidding. But soon he’ll be forced to choose between saving his people and her liberty.
Heart of Frost is the first, juicy, thick 92,000 word book in the Winter Queen series, a duel point of view retelling of the Snow Queen featuring sexy winter witches and snow leopards. A part of the Havenfall series. For fans of Gena Showalter, Marissa Meyer and Luanne G. Smith.
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What I love the most about this book, was that it wasn’t rushed! We are given time to understand the characters and the world they inhabit, without feeling pushed along at a crazy pace! The world created is fantastic and I always love when an author takes the time to fully explain the lore without feeling like they are teaching us. This is a fantastic read with secrets, betrayal, action and I can’t wait to see what happens next!
This is a fairytale retelling and a new to me author.
The story is paced well and kept me interested from start to finish. The characters are engaging.
This is part of the havenfall universe but I understood it without reading the others. Some characters appear from other stories but that doesn’t take away from the story.
Highly recommend this read
This book is a great retelling of the snow queen, Skyler has given us another great read and the foundations for a great and outstanding new series, looking forward to to what she is going to come up with in the next book, looking forward to reading it.
ONE TITILLATING ADVENTURE
Blazing blizzards! Skyler hit the jackpot full tilt with this ground shaking rollercoaster, delivering up some harsh facts, callous lessons and relentless drive, grabbing your attention from start to finish, skyrocketing this jewel to staggering heights. Skyler weaves a cocoon around us so intricately and precise, drawing us deeper into this tangled web until everything else ceases to exist, observing the arduous struggles and challenging triumphs, exposing the dramatic twists and wicked turns, kicking this gem into a tailspin with an astonishing culmination, fusing this hot little number together seamlessly. The characters, banter, dialogue, interactions and charged atmosphere along with relatable qualities and individual traits, blend and flow, adding depth and diversity, transforming into outstanding personalities. The scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and graphic descriptions creating an elaborate backdrop so rich and lively it feels as though you’re part of the story instead of on the sidelines. Remarkable job Skyler, thanks for sharing this amazing thrill with us.
I didn’t want to put down this great story full of great characters. I can’t wait for the next book.
This is my first book by this author and she does not disappoint. She paints the story and atmosphere perfectly. You can feel right along with all the characters struggles, fears, love, and choices. What an amazing read! I can not wait to read more about this world and this series!
Heart of Frost: A fated mates fairytale retelling paranormal romance (Havenfall Universe) (Winter Queen Book 1) by Skyler Andra is a wonderful story to read. This is book number one in this wonderful start to a brand new series that I really enjoyed reading. I highly recommend this story to everyone.
I read a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy of this book & am voluntarily leaving an honest and unbiased review.
Heart of Frost is Skyler Andra’s first book in her Snow Queen Retelling series. This book introduces readers to a captive ice witch by the name of Zeyna. Zeyna has only one wish…to get back home to the winter and ice so that she can be restored. But escaping isn’t possible. The sultan isn’t one to let something as precious as her slip away, but a chance presents itself when another witch enlists her help to steal a powerful magical item. Now free she crosses paths with Hunter, Zorha of the leopards. Hunter has his own issues with a “brother” who craves power and who will do whatever it takes to claim it. Add in a magic mirror and you know that things are going to be REAL interesting.
Heart of Frost really piqued my interest, because I do love a good retelling of a classic story. So I was eager to see how the author was going to take this story and I have to say…I wasn’t disappointed. Zeyna is an interesting character and I can’t really complain too much about her either. I like that she reflects her ice element/heritage in her appearance. She’s stronger than she seems, but she still needs the ice in order to recover from the years of abuse that she has been through. The author does a good job at keeping a few things secret about Zeyna as well until just the right moment to reveal them.
Surprisingly, I can’t complain too much about Hunter either. He is written leaning toward the stereotypical alpha male – stubborn, wanting to be in control, dominating, but not overly so. The author does a good job at portraying Hunter, for the most part, as being focused on his people and wanting the best for them. However, I have to say, that that goes out the window pretty fast when he begins to develop feelings (beyond lust) toward Zeyna. I’m not saying he completely stops focusing on his people, but they seem to take a back seat quite often until push comes to shove and he’s forced to direct his attention back to them for their survival.
Hunter does disappoint by being a typical male in letting his desires blind him. It’s disappointing because readers will see the danger lying in wait while he’s too busy thinking about satisfying his own personal desires. It plays well with the storyline, but it makes it predictable, as does the ending. I won’t complain about the ending though because it could only go one of two ways, but I like that it does go the way that it does as it gives me something to look forward to. This book leaves readers with quite a few questions and I’m hopeful that a few of them at the very least will be answered in this next book.
I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed the storyline and the retelling is well done in my opinion. The characters are well-written and kept me engaged in the storyline. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series and to how the dangers still to come will play out.
A retelling of the snow queen. A fairytale you don’t hear often. Very well done too. That is exactly why I like this since it isn’t a well known story and makes it easier to like the story. At least for me. Hunter is a very likable and realistic character and Zeyna is going through some tough times being captive and trying to be free. Curious to see how this continues if it does continue
Despite the slow start, I enjoyed this Snow Queen retelling. I’ve read other books in the Havenfall universe and sadly I never realized that Skyler co-wrote some of them. This book had elemental magic, great world building, and vivid descriptions.
Hunter’s character was very relatable and realistic. He was doing his best to please everyone even when it wasn’t possible or done a way that it shouldn’t have been. Zeyna goes from one captive to another trying to gain her freedom and I honestly felt for her. I loved how much her character grew throughout the story.
I love finding more unique retellings of stories that aren’t as popular. I feel like it gives authors more creativity which is exactly what Skyler did. I’d be interested to see how Hunter and Zeyna’s story continues since not everything was wrapped up in this book.
*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review
As usual, Skyler brings a strong woman to the table with this fairytale reimagining.
Right from the first few lines of this story, you are aware of just what a powerhouse Zeyna is, and know that she won’t be controlled for long.
I am a sucker for strong female leads and fated mates, so this story checked the boxes for me, for sure. There is so much emotion between these mates, and you can almost feel the connection.
I haven’t read the other books in the Havenfall Universe yet but might need to try another soon.
I found it took awhile before I felt the connection to the characters and their story but I’m glad I continued reading as it turns into an intriguing story with amazing characters. Lots of surprises and twists and turns certainly kept the story and characters interesting. Definitely a unique retelling of a fairytale. Loved the multiple POVs.
Oh wow how I loved this read!!!
So in Heart of Frost we have Zeyna, who is an icling, an enslaved one at that. She escapes only wanting to live free and to reboot her magic if you will. But things do not go according to plan for her, she encounters a snow leopard. She then somehow gets magically linked to him.
Hunter has one goal and that is to restore his land and to protect his people by any means necessary. Kinda jerkish if you ask me, but as the story goes along you begin to root for him.
Feelings start to grow as they both have their own agendas. But the question remains does he have feelings for her because she can help him achieve his goal?
Read and find out!! A definite must read!
Interesting concept!
This novel lays the foundations for what is going to be a really interesting series. A concept I have not come across in this way before, this novel is both interesting and unique.
I really love the FMC as she is a balance between delicate and powerful as heck. I personally hate the male (lead) as well as most of the males in this entire novel because they all act like douche canoes and the ending settles my soul.
I am really looking forward to the journey the FMC goes on and would love for book 2 to be out like right now haha. (I’ll be patient though).
I loved reading about Zeyna and Hunter.
Zeyna had everything and everyone she loved taken from her. Held captive for 15 years she vowed she would escape. With a little help, she did just that and followed the pull to return to her home lands the ice witches were banished from. While fleeing she runs across Hunter and his leopards. She refuses Hunters offer to save his lands but he uses a magic mirror and the deception starts.
Can Hunter and Zeyna overcome the obstacles and deception? You’ll have to read to find out!!
Zeyna was enslaved and held captive by the sultan for fifteen years. Now she has escaped, only to fall into a different trap – one that involves her own cold heart, too. Frostborn, her homeland, ruled and inhabited by the snow leopards, is slowly deteriorating thanks to fire magic, and Zeyna’s abilities are needed to restore the land.
Interesting fairytale retelling with some original elements, great leading characters, and fast-developing plot. I could very much relate to the winter witch, understand her motives and hope for the best for her, even with Hunter, although I was also questioning his motives and completely agreed with Zeyna’s decision in the end. There are loose ties still, ones that I hope will be closed in another book(s). The romance was hot, the environment magical, and several times I was looking out of the window in hope to see some snow falling down outside. Nice story.
Zeyna a winter witch is kept prisoner by a Sultan for about 15 years finally escapes but all is not happy as the Sultan wont let her go and she is put under Dark magics by Hunter who believes she can save her realm of Frostborne, to make her do his bidding but then he has to decide whether to save Frostbornes people or let Zeyna go.
I was not expecting to love this story, but I did. Zenya is a great MC and seeing the growth of her character was enough to pull me in and keep me there, good story, I recommend. Loved it. Happy Reading!!!
What happens when fire and ice meet? That is what this book brings to life. So many twists and turns that you do not see coming pop up in this book. I rather enjoyed it, but it took me a bit to get into the story. Once I did, I became engrossed in the story and characters. I cannot wait to see what happens next.
*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
We meet Zeyna a winter witch who has been kept prisoner by the Sultan for the last fifteen years making her weak. When a chance to escape shows itself after weighing the options she takes it putting her on the run as she tries to return to Frostborne to regain her powers. Things don’t go so well when she arrives as she rune into Snow Leopard shifters immediately where Hunter places her under his control in order to bring winter back in time to save his people. They are in for quite a few surprises and bumps along the road as they try to figure things out leading to one doozy of a cliff hanger. A fantastic retelling to say the least. Makes for a great read. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.