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rjsthumbelina's review against another edition
5.0
The premise and the world building here were great, and I really loved the story that developed. I don't like the way Emma and Cormac treat each other; they sometimes make each other weaker rather than really loving each other. Its more of a puppy love situation. I really loved Theodoras storyline. I hated the descriptor that "their tongues touched." And the author used the phrase more than once!
I am anxiously awaiting the next book.
I am anxiously awaiting the next book.
leah_reads's review against another edition
3.0
2.5*
*Received in exchange for an honest review*
*Thank you, Bloomsbury*
Ohhhhh it was so hard picking a rating for this book. It was a toss up between 2.5* or a scrape into the 3* zone. I've decided to go with 2.5* though, unfortunately. I really thought I was going to love this book. I didn't hate it at all, but it took me so long to read (4 days is a long time for me) and I just felt like it wasn't going anywhere. I didn't find the premise of this book particularly interesting - I kept waiting for something exciting to happen. I was starting to get into it more towards the end where all of the action starts, but it all fell a little flat for me. I felt like the book needed a little more oomph. I feel really sad about this because it sounds absolutely amazing and has earned some really great ratings too! I think it's another one of those cases where it's a 'it's not you, it's me'.
Even though I didn't really like the way the book was told, I still really enjoyed the layout of it. I love reading about the era that it's set in and all of the different worlds that existed. It was great reading about the rich side of society: the ball, etiquette etc. It was very Jane Austen in that sense. With the blend of magic I thought it was going to be a definite winner for me (even though witches aren't my favourite within the supernatural/ paranormal world). I really loved the world building and a few of the characters. Gretchen is one of the girls that is striving for equality so I absolutely loved her. She was so tough, feisty and funny. I liked Penelope too. She was feisty but loved the things that came with being an upper class woman. I didn't like Cormac (love interest) or the main protagonist Emma though. I found them frustrating and Cormac was just horrible!
I think all I can sum up of the book in this review is that I just feel really sad about it. I really wanted to love this book - it sounded amazing and just like my cup of tea. Unfortunately though, it wasn't. It all felt a little bland and fairly boring in places. So many sections could have been developed further (The Sisters, Emma's mothers past, Moira's character) and I'm struggling to see where the next book in the series will go. It was all tied up at the end of this one (a little too nicely) so I am curious to see where the author will go with it. I feel disappointed, a very conflicting read.
*Received in exchange for an honest review*
*Thank you, Bloomsbury*
Ohhhhh it was so hard picking a rating for this book. It was a toss up between 2.5* or a scrape into the 3* zone. I've decided to go with 2.5* though, unfortunately. I really thought I was going to love this book. I didn't hate it at all, but it took me so long to read (4 days is a long time for me) and I just felt like it wasn't going anywhere. I didn't find the premise of this book particularly interesting - I kept waiting for something exciting to happen. I was starting to get into it more towards the end where all of the action starts, but it all fell a little flat for me. I felt like the book needed a little more oomph. I feel really sad about this because it sounds absolutely amazing and has earned some really great ratings too! I think it's another one of those cases where it's a 'it's not you, it's me'.
Even though I didn't really like the way the book was told, I still really enjoyed the layout of it. I love reading about the era that it's set in and all of the different worlds that existed. It was great reading about the rich side of society: the ball, etiquette etc. It was very Jane Austen in that sense. With the blend of magic I thought it was going to be a definite winner for me (even though witches aren't my favourite within the supernatural/ paranormal world). I really loved the world building and a few of the characters. Gretchen is one of the girls that is striving for equality so I absolutely loved her. She was so tough, feisty and funny. I liked Penelope too. She was feisty but loved the things that came with being an upper class woman. I didn't like Cormac (love interest) or the main protagonist Emma though. I found them frustrating and Cormac was just horrible!
I think all I can sum up of the book in this review is that I just feel really sad about it. I really wanted to love this book - it sounded amazing and just like my cup of tea. Unfortunately though, it wasn't. It all felt a little bland and fairly boring in places. So many sections could have been developed further (The Sisters, Emma's mothers past, Moira's character) and I'm struggling to see where the next book in the series will go. It was all tied up at the end of this one (a little too nicely) so I am curious to see where the author will go with it. I feel disappointed, a very conflicting read.
liz1004's review against another edition
5.0
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BOOK. Guys, it was SO good. It was probably the best new book I've read in a long while.
A Breath of Frost takes place in Regency London and centers around a debutante named Emma Day. Along with her cousins, Gretchen and Penelope, she comes into her powers of witchcraft quite unexpectedly one night at a ball. It turns out that the three cousins come from a long line of powerful witches and due to unknown reasons their powers were bound. All sorts of things start to go awry, like young girls being murdered (and Emma being the prime suspect), gates to the Underworld being opened, and a truly wicked trio of warlock sisters, the Grimalkins, to be unleashed. Emma, Gretchen and Penelope have to figure out how to use their powers and defeat all the evil before it's too late.
I adored everything about this book. Emma was a completely relatable main character but my favorites were Gretchen and Penelope. They were unbelievably sassy and unwilling to form to London society's ideas of how a debutante should act. The love interest, Cormac, was interesting and swoon-worthy without being overbearing or suffering from insta-love. I loved that it was about London during debutante season but also about witchcraft. It was an unlikely pairing but ultimately perfect. The plot was action-filled and never got dull for me, even though the book was almost 500 pages long.
In a lot of ways it reminded me of Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series but more geared towards the YA audience.
GET IT RIGHT THIS SECOND AND READ IT. I'm not kidding. You will love this novel!
A Breath of Frost takes place in Regency London and centers around a debutante named Emma Day. Along with her cousins, Gretchen and Penelope, she comes into her powers of witchcraft quite unexpectedly one night at a ball. It turns out that the three cousins come from a long line of powerful witches and due to unknown reasons their powers were bound. All sorts of things start to go awry, like young girls being murdered (and Emma being the prime suspect), gates to the Underworld being opened, and a truly wicked trio of warlock sisters, the Grimalkins, to be unleashed. Emma, Gretchen and Penelope have to figure out how to use their powers and defeat all the evil before it's too late.
I adored everything about this book. Emma was a completely relatable main character but my favorites were Gretchen and Penelope. They were unbelievably sassy and unwilling to form to London society's ideas of how a debutante should act. The love interest, Cormac, was interesting and swoon-worthy without being overbearing or suffering from insta-love. I loved that it was about London during debutante season but also about witchcraft. It was an unlikely pairing but ultimately perfect. The plot was action-filled and never got dull for me, even though the book was almost 500 pages long.
In a lot of ways it reminded me of Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series but more geared towards the YA audience.
GET IT RIGHT THIS SECOND AND READ IT. I'm not kidding. You will love this novel!
littlemainelibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
A-MAZ-ING!!! I'm so happy to have read this and I can't wait for more in this series!!! :-)