What first drew me to Kelly Keaton's Embers in a Dark Frost was that it seemed to walk the line between YA and Adult fiction. I've recently discovered that this is New Adult. YA at heart, with older characters and even some sex. I have to say, I rather liked this! I quickly settled in for the read.

Keaton sweeps the reader away into a land rich with myth and magic. There are elements of Celtic legend here, wrapped up in a world on the brink of being lost. I loved that Deira's life wasn't perfect. Caught between two different worlds, she just never seemed to fit in. That is, until Balen.

Ah, Balen. I will swoon here and now. Rough on the exterior but with so much heart, he's s character that is hard not to fall for. The relationship between Balen and Deira was wonderful. Each of them had so much depth, and I appreciated that they didn't automatically fall for one another with no reason. Balen proves himself. Oh yes he does.

Perhaps my favorite part about Embers in a Dark Frost was that Deira isn't a strong heroine or a wilting flower. She's both. That doesn't happen often in books like this. There is no hard, fast distinction between the two halves of Deira. She is both strong and weak, and it makes her decisions all the more believable. I felt for her.

Despite a few minor issues, I fell in love with this book. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys getting lost in a rich and magical world. I will be eagerly waiting for more. ( )

This is the first book in the Fire and Frost series (although I couldn’t find any info on a second book). I really enjoyed this book about faerie. It was well written, interesting, and engaging.

Deira is scorned because of her half-fae heritage until one of the Fire Breathers asks to take her with him in order to forge an alliance against the Underworld. Suddenly Diera is pulled into a new world where she is respected instead of shunned. Little does Diera know that her half blood may be the key to returning the light to Innis Fail.

This was a well done YA faerie novel that I really enjoyed. It’s well written, a bit dark, and intriguing. I love reading about fae, so I enjoyed the setting and topic a lot. I also loved the characters and their struggles. There was a lot of adventure and magic in here and I found it to be a highly entertaining and intriguing read.

Overall this was a well done YA faerie novel that I really enjoyed. I plan on continuing the series if another book is released in it. I would recommend to those who enjoy dark faerie fantasy novels with magic in them. ( )

Keaton did a great job of creating a world that is slowly dying.

It took me a few chapters to understand the gods, and the role they play in the lives of the characters. Also, some of the names were difficult for me to pronounce, but I didn't let that take away from the story. I just shortened those names to something easier for my mind to process.

I felt so awful for Deira. She's thrust into this new role and doesn't know how to accept it. She went from being a shunned servant to being a part of something bigger. Deira is confused and doesn't want to embrace the challenge laid out before her. I connected with her very easily because she shows weakness. She's is scared, and has moments of cowardice. The fact that she recognizes that about herself shows how much she knows herself.

Balen is a strong and attractive warrior. He has a part to play in bringing the light back to Innis Fail. He's accepted his fate, and finds it hard to understand why Deira doesn't. Balen gives off a overpowering attitude. He seems so hard and serious, that you're pretty sure you should be terrified of him. He actually has a sweet spot when you get to know him. He may not say everything he knows, but he's trying his best to protect Deira. Balen is a strong character, and I look up to him.

I loved how the characters don't have surface feelings. The fears and joys are real. They have depth and emotion.

This is a fast paced fantasy that was difficult to put down. I had to know what happens next. It is a New Adult title, and has a few sexy scenes. I'd rate this book for those that 18 . I'm excited that there will be another part. :D ( )

I have big love for this author when she writes the brilliant Charlie Madigan books as Kelly Gay so I was excited to give her alter ego a try, especially since EMBERS IN A DARK FROST sounded like fantasy magic when I read the blurb. I was a little wary when I found out that it was a New Adult novel because I've never tried anything in this new-ish genre and I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but I generally enjoyed EMBERS IN A DARK FROST, though there are some flaws.

My favourite parts of the book are probably the characters. I thought Deira was a great protagonist. She's been an outcast her whole life thanks to the red hair that marks her as having human blood (really not a good thing in this world) and she finally gets a purpose in this book. It's great to see her grow and see the spark of who she is really build as she comes to accept her destiny and explore her abilities. This being the start of a trilogy, she doesn't complete her journey but Deira's definitely an interesting person that you'll be rooting for. Plus, her powers are really cool and I look forward to seeing more of them in subsequent stories. (The New Adult categorization comes from the fact that she's on a journey of self-discovery but she's not a teenager anymore.) Balen, the champion and leader of the Fire Breathers, is also an interesting character, though he's more mysterious since he doesn't narrate. His relationship with the Crow was really neat (and I'm not going to say more than that to avoid spoilers) and the attraction between Balen and Deira is nicely established. Deira and Balen's antagonist is also well developed and I found myself feeling sympathetic towards him, though not so sympathetic I agreed with his approach to his situation. I love it when authors create characters who aren't black and white; the good guys and the bad guys both live in the grey in this book, which I found very satisfying.

I also really liked the setting, though I did find some of the world building unclear. I was instantly immersed in the world but it took me a little while to realize that it was a variation on Celtic mythology and to figure out exactly who Deira's people are. There were hints here and there but I paused a few times wondering who Deira's people are. They were obviously not human but it wasn't laid out well enough for me to understand the origins of the mythology until near the end of the book. I understand not wanting to bog the reader down with a pile of description at the start but I would have appreciated a bit more clarity, especially since I know the author is a fantastic writer. Perhaps this is a side effect of self-publishing?

Although EMBERS IN A DARK FROST is not a perfect novel, I did quite enjoy reading it. It's an engaging beginning for the author's Fire & Frost world and a satisfying foray into a more high fantasy world. I look forward to the next chapter in Deira's story, due out in 2013, and hope you'll give EMBERS IN A DARK FROST a try.

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