hello everybody – welcome to my stop on the blog tour of shadow frost, one of my most anticipated releases for the second half of 2019. as usual, a big thank you to the fantastic flying book club for letting me take part! shadow frost comes out today, and i can’t wait to share my excitement with you all.
note from chloe: being the digital dinosaur that i am (honestly though, i’m teaching myself to code, but somehow i keep making mistakes? technology is not my thing), i have a super disorganized email inbox, and the acceptance email for this blog tour got filed into my spam folder. i didn’t know about it until the ladies over at the fantastic flying book club sent me an email telling me that i was actually scheduled to post a review yesterday, but by then the edelweiss widget had already expired. the fantastic flying book club is one of my favorite organizations to work with and i have failed them so many times already – this time will be the last, i promise, and i express my heartfelt apologies for my clumsiness. as i don’t have a review copy, i will be sharing why i’m excited for shadow frost (ie. why i signed up for the tour in the first place), and all opinions below are my own.
Shadow Frost by Coco Ma
IN THE KINGDOM OF AXARIA, a darkness rises.
Some call it a monster, laying waste to the villagers and their homes. Some say that it is an invulnerable demon summoned from the deepest abysses of the Immortal Realm.
Many soldiers from the royal guard are sent to hunt it down.
Not one has ever returned.
When Asterin Faelenhart, Princess of Axaria and heir to the throne, discovers that she may hold the key to defeating the mysterious demon terrorizing her kingdom, she vows not to rest until the beast is slain. With the help of her friends and the powers she wields — though has yet to fully understand — Asterin sets out to complete a single task. The task that countless, trained soldiers have failed.
To kill it.
But as they hunt for the demon, they unearth a plot to assassinate the Princess herself instead. Asterin and her companions begin to wonder how much of their lives have been lies, especially when they realize that the center of the web of deceit might very well be themselves. With no one else to turn to, they are forced to decide just how much they are willing to sacrifice to protect the only world they have ever known.
That is, of course… if the demon doesn’t get to them first.
From young author Coco Ma comes a dazzling new tale of adventure, power, and betrayal, weaving together a stunning world of magic with a killer cast in an explosive, unforgettable debut.
chloe, you ask, why are you so hyped for shadow frost?
you see, there’s a couple of reasons.
- first off, i have a rule of reviewing a book and not reviewing its author, but i can’t not talk about shadow frost‘s author. coco ma is a real badass – she wrote this book at the age of fifteen (that’s… younger than me), and she’s also a pianist who studied at julliard. i have mad respect for her. as a young adult myself, i also love writing stories of my own, and i really want to learn from the author.
- the cover is also super pretty. i am a huge fan of covers with mysterious and dark vibes, and i really like how it’s done for this book. the darkness of the background and the metallic colors of the arrow and the text also complement each other so well, and i love how the orange-purple flame forms a contrast with the other graphics in the design, which are less saturated. (oh my goodness, i’m starting to sound like a professional cover critic. is there such a thing?)
- shadow frost features a badass princess who doesn’t need to be saved. growing up i’ve read so, so many fantasy novels in which the princesses are all whiney, spoiled and babyish, and get saved by princes and knights who are strong and (you guessed it) handsome. however, shadow frost is not that type of book – the princess sets off on a quest which all the trained soldiers who have attempted to complete have failed, and when reading the synopsis, i can already feel the radiating badass energy.
- magic! fantasy! demons! a quest! i haven’t read any good young adult fantasy novels for so long – ever the hunted by erin summerill was the last one i read that i actually liked. i also want a break from binge reading fluffy contemporary romance novels, and i love a good adventure, so as soon as i saw the word “quest”, i knew that I NEEDED THIS BOOK.
- also… from what i’ve heard, there’s queer rep in this book? and i am so here for this! i’m so happy that young adult fantasy novels featuring characters of diverse sexualities are becoming more common and popular among readers, and i can’t wait to see how it’s done in shadow frost – cait from paper fury said it’s “wholesome”.
in conclusion, shadow frost is a fantasy novel packed with action and badassery that i very much need. good thing it comes out today, because i can’t wait to get my hands on a copy.
PREORDER CAMPAIGN
blackstone publishing is giving away (1) signed bookplate, (1) shadow frost bookmark, (1) shadow frost button, and (1) blackstone publishing tote bag to the first 150 people preordering shadow frost (before october 1st) for more information, visit this website.
GIVEAWAY
win (1) of (2) shadow frost bundles:
- 1 hardcover copy of shadow frost
- 1 signed bookplate
- shadow frost swag (bookmark and button)
this giveaway starts on october 1st 2019 and ends on: october 15th 2019. click here to enter.
have you read shadow frost? what did you think? do you have a favorite fantasy novel? (bonus if it features a badass female character!) let me know in the comments.
marshmallow pudding 