C.N. Crawford

If you’re reading this review then I assume that means you’ve read book 1 & 2.

This book was ACTION PACKED! C.N Crawford outdid themselves! As soon as the book starts we are thrown RIGHT IN to the action. Rowan is determined to win the crown and she knows how to do it, challenge Orion in the Demon Trials.

Except nothing is ever as simple as it sounds, is it?

I LOVE THIS SERIES. By the time we get to this book, Rowan has fully embraced her demon self. She knows her heritage, she learns show more how to use magic spells, she can fly, use her powers and she kicks ass (literally).

I loved that Orion was very honest about his feelings toward her in this book. There was no secret pining from him, he was very up front about it from the start and the “touch her and die” trope is STRONG in this one. What I wasn’t expecting though was “touch HIM and die”. Rowan and Orion are FIERCELY protective of each other. The twin light bringers drawn together, mates if you will, destined to be together. And mannnnn does the tension get heavy! 🥵 yes yes most of this book is the two of them teasing each other (and us…) but we get a pretty satisfying spicy scene towards the end!

Throughout the book someone unknown is attempting to murder Rowan… So on top of trying to become the demon queen she’s also just trying to stay alive while training for the trials! I’ll say, I guess who the unknown person was pretty early on which wasn’t a big deal, it just wasn’t this big “OMG I HAD NO IDEA” moment for me. I was a little let down with how quickly things wrapped up at the end with the particular story line. I wanted things to play out longer but it was fine. And didn’t impact how I felt about the book.

I also loved that we get a pretty chunky epilogue! Although it definitely felt like they were leaving room for maybe a spin-off series or continuation later on? No sure but would be happy to have more books based in this world!!

If you haven’t gotten into audiobooks or you are looking for your next one, this series is it. The narrator is FABULOUS. I want to listen to more books shes narrated! Her Orion voice?! Oh my gosh it’s perfect. I LOVE THIS SERIES and I fully intend on buying the physical copies and re-reading them. One of my fave series ever. show less

I don’t know what CN crawford puts in their books but it’s addicting and once again I was sucked in and unable to put it down.

Ava, our FMC, is a fae living in the human world after her parents left her there. She was raised by a human woman and on the night of her 26th birthday she walks into her home and finds her douchebag of a boyfriend in a naked entanglement with another woman. To cope, she finds herself at a bar where the Seelie king, Torin, just happens to show up for a quick show more drink. In the span of a few moments, she insults him (in front of all the bar patrons) and becomes famous over night which sets off a chain of events that will change her life forever. Soon after she makes a deal with the king and is entered into a “bachelor-esque” type tournament (but make it deadly) to be the next Seelie queen.

When I say this book had a chokehold on me, I mean it. I know the dates say I read this over a couple weeks but I only picked up this book 3 times and 2 of those were spent reading until 2 am.

Frost will definitely be added to my list of books that I will shout from the rooftops about.

If you loved The Selection, Hunger Games, (but make them for adults) and forbidden romance you should give this one a shot! show less

4.5*

A new series from CN Crawford? Don't mind if I do! And if you cba reading the review, TLDR: get it!

Worldbuilding:
The fae walk among us, and they are much more popular now than when Ava grew up. So popular even that when the King announced his search for a queen, the human media bought the rights to broadcast it. We now have a Fae version of Hitched and Stiched (if you don't know what that is, check chapter two). Only, the fae are a lot more ruthless and lethal.
While this is only the show more first book in the series, and the stage is still being set up, a lot of stuff happens, and we get a lot of information (gradually). The scenes and environments were detailed and clear, perfect for complete immersion.

Character development:
Ava is having the worst birthday ever. Seriously, I'm pretty amazed she didn't go on a rampage. Instead, she goes on a night out and gets stupidly drunk. Aaaaaaaaaand, as luck would have it, meets the Seelie King (yep, our handsome Torin). Let me tell you, that scene was priceless! :D
With her life in shambles, she has nowhere else to go and nothing to do but take the King's deal (I mean, who wouldn't). And thus, she embarks upon a quest of self-discovery with her best friend in tow... Or well, she discovers little pieces of who she is and what she can do, which is kicking ass, by the way.
Torin has a big secret, and on top of that, he really doesn't want to get married. But as the lives of his realm and people hang in the balance, there is little else he can do. So he offers the girl whom he really can't stand a big pile of money to compete to be his queen. Yeah... it's pretty obvious where this is going, right? :D

I love the interaction between these two!! It's so well written and had me grinning one minute and facepalming the next (yeah, blame that on Shalini!). Also, all the characters, Ava and Thorin, and the secondary characters, were amazing and felt alive!

Pacing and flow:
It felt so smooth. There was enough action, drama, and romance, and it was all perfectly balanced.
I read this in 2 sessions (alas, I really needed the sleep) and found the story very engaging. Please be aware, though, that it ends on a cliffhanger.

The book:
The book was well written with 278 pages spread over 35 chapters and told from Ava's point of view. We have some chapters from Torin's point of view, but they are sparse.

Final thoughts:
I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book, and all in all, I loved it! I can't wait for the second book to be released (yeah... I know... patience is a virtue, I guess?).
If you love the fae, don't mind a bit of blood and mutilation, and you want an unlikely couple? Then this is your next read! show less

I love books about witchcraft, sorcerers, witches, Salem all of it... I love it. I have even since I could remember and this book surely delivers on all of that in a wonderful dark way. I received this book for the blog tour and waited until the last minute to read it, but that was fine because I blew through it. The plot was strong, quick, and interesting. It kept me engaged at every turn and the characters were just as fun.

In this story we meet Toby, who is a teen sorcerer from a world show more that exists on another plane near Boston, and he has been sent to Boston for protection from an evil sorcerer who is killing just about everyone. This dark magic, demons, and evil sorcerers permeate the book from the first page, making the story almost fly by as you read to keep up with Toby. While in Boston, Toby attends a boarding school and meets a bunch of other teens who learn about who he is and decide to help him on his mission to get home and save the others. This leads to everything you would expect, more danger, more crazy things happening, and more excitement and point of views to read from.

The only thing that I can say in a critical manner is that, Toby is odd. Obviously he is from another world but I think that his point of view is written a little younger than the others in the book - it may be that since he is from elsewhere there is a culture/time barrier or something, but I always felt while reading his sections (although some of the best and most interesting) that the story was about a much younger teen, and he is supposed to be 17.

Despite this, the story is pretty epic, there are secret societies, secret passages in the school, old legends, and the whole this is interspersed with history from the Boston area - it made for a wonderful book. I am a sucker for a dark fantasy I guess, but I really enjoyed this book. show less