Review - Fantasy of Frost by Kelly St. Clare

Title: Fantasy of Frost (The Tainted Accords #1)

Author: Kelly St. Clare

Rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis:

I know many things. What I am capable of, what I will change, what I want to become. But there is one thing I will never know.

Being the Tatuma of our world, the next to rule, should have given me a privileged life. One full of friends, love and happiness. If my mother did not hate me, I probably would have had that. Instead, she has kept me veiled from birth, turning the possibility of this distant dream into a living nightmare.

Shunned by the court, abused from childhood, I am trapped within this material barrier and will never know my own face. Only two friends and a determination to become Tatum keep me sane.

I am unaware everything in my life is about to change when the peace delegate arrives from the savage world of Glacium. Hidden agendas, past secrets and my struggle to stay alive–while still becoming the person I want to be–careen wildly out of control.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. 

My thoughts:

If you like mysteries and secrets you’ll love Kelly St. Clare’s Fantasy of Frost. 

Olina has been wearing a veil ever since she was born. It is her mother’s order and she follows it obediently, because she knows well enough that those who ever take a look at her face don’t see another day. She learned to live with this and she doesn’t ask questions.

But then the delegation from Glacium – the realm of snow and ice – arrives and prince Kedrick with them. The young heirs fall for each other and eventually he asks her to do the impossible. Everything changes after that.

The whole book revolves around Olina’s – and her mother’s – secret. I guarantee you you won’t be able to stop guessing why Olina is veiled, but of course you have to wait until the very end to find out the truth. There is a hint given somewhere in the book, but I confess I missed it (not that I mind). It is a tiny tiny information and that’s why this book is so clever.

I liked the idea of the two worlds that are rotating constantly. I’m a sucker for contrasts in literature on any level, thus I was easily bought with the setting. There is one land that is hot and another that is freezing cold. I think the way Olina explained her brothers about these worlds with the help of pies in the beginning was pretty smart. 

The characters are well-developed, the writer created lovely side-characters as well. Olina is one badass heroine – she fights with the veil on, whoa – and she is very flexible; she is never afraid of new situations. My other favourite was King Jovan. He is mysterious: sometimes cold, sometimes passionate, which makes him a complex character.

I enjoyed the plot very much so far, however I’m not sure I liked the ending. It was such an abrupt change – Olina deliberately leaves all her friends and gives up the safety their company provide –, I don’t know if I like where the story is going at the moment. Seems like I have to wait and see what happens in the next book.

 

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