You can find my review of this amazing book here.  Learn more about Kate and her books at her site here and you can follow her on Twitter here.

The book is available in both ebook and paperback at the links below!

Buy it:  Kindle | Amazon | CreateSpace | B&N | Smashwords
Add it:  Goodreads | Shelfari

The summary…

In the icy, monster-plagued world of the Frost, one wrong move and a person could end up dead—and Lia Weaver knows this better than anyone. After monsters kill her parents, she must keep the family farm running despite the freezing cold and threat of monster attacks or risk losing her siblings to reassignment by the village Elders. With dangers on all sides and failure just one wrong step away, she can’t afford to let her emotions lead her astray. So when her sister finds a fugitive bleeding to death in the forest—a young stranger named Gabe—Lia surprises herself and does the unthinkable.

She saves his life.

Giving shelter to the fugitive could get her in trouble. The Elders have always described the advanced society of people beyond the Frost, the “Farthers,” as ruthless and cruel. But Lia is startled to find that Gabe is empathetic and intelligent…and handsome. She might even be falling in love with him.

But time is running out. The monsters from the forest circle the farm at night. The village leader is starting to ask questions. Farther soldiers are searching for Gabe. Lia must locate a secret organization called the Thorns to help Gabe escape to safety, but every move she makes puts her in more danger. 

Is compassion—and love—worth the risk?

The excerpt…

A branch snapped in the woods to my left. I flinched, turning my head in an effort to locate the source of the sound.

But silence wrapped the world once more. The shadows lay still and gray across the snow. Empty.

“It’s still light,” I whispered aloud, trying to reassure myself. In the light, I was safe. Even the smallest child knew that much.

The monsters didn’t come out until after dark.

I moved faster anyway, spooked by that branch snap even though the blue-gray gloom still illuminated the path. A shiver ran down my spine. Despite our often-repeated mantras about the safety of the light, nothing was certain in the Frost. My parents had always been careful. They had always been prepared. And yet, two months ago they went out into the Frost in the daylight and never returned.

They’d been found days later, dead.

They’d been killed by the monsters that lurked deep in the Frost, monsters that barely anyone ever saw except for tracks in the snow, or the glow of their red eyes in the darkness.

My people called them Watchers.

Color danced at the edges of my vision as I passed the winter-defying snow blossoms, their long sky-blue petals drooping with ice as they dangled from the bushes that lined the path. They were everywhere here, spilling across the snow, drawing a line of demarcation between me and the woods. Every winter, the snows came and the cold killed everything, but these flowers lived. We planted them everywhere—on the paths and around our houses—because the Watchers rarely crossed a fallen snow blossom. For some reason, the flowers turned them away.

Usually.

I touched the bunch that dangled from my throat with one finger. My parents’ snow blossom necklaces had been missing from their bodies when they were found. Had the monsters torn the flowers off before killing them, or had they even been wearing them at all?

Another branch snapped behind me, the crack loud as a shout in the stillness.

I hurried faster.

Title:  

The summary,…

In the icy, monster-plagued world of the Frost, one wrong move and a person might end up dead—and Lia Weaver knows this better than anyone. After monsters kill her parents, she must keep the family farm running despite the freezing weather and threat of monster attacks, or risk losing her siblings to reassignment by the village Elders. With dangers on all sides and treachery just one wrong step away, she can’t afford to let her emotions lead her astray. So when her sister finds a fugitive bleeding to death in the forest, a young man from beyond the Frost named Gabe, Lia surprises herself and does the unthinkable.

She saves his life.

Giving shelter to the fugitive could get her in serious trouble. The Elders have always described the advanced society of people beyond the Frost, the “Farthers,” as ruthless and cruel, and her village has nothing to do with them. But Lia is startled to find that Gabe is empathetic and intelligent…and handsome. She might even be falling in love with him.

But time is running out. The monsters from the forest circle her farm at night. The village leader is starting to ask questions. Farther soldiers are searching for Gabe. Lia must locate a secret organization called the Thorns to help Gabe escape to safety, but each move she makes puts her in greater danger. Is compassion—and love—worth the risk?

Frost is the first in a new series, The Frost Chronicles, by Kate Avery Ellison, author of The Curse Girl and an anthology of short stories, Once Upon A Beanstalk.  I loved The Curse Girl so I was very excited to be asked to review this new book from Kate.  As much as I loved the previous book, I think I loved this one even more.  It was gripping from the moment I opened it.  

For a book to fully have my love, it needs to ensnare me and make me feel with the characters, lost in its world and its story.  One of things I love most about Kate’s writing is her ability to pull her readers in and not let them go until the very end, and sometimes not even then!  She combines reality with the fantastical to create a world that is entirely believable, and fills it with characters that you feel like you know.  Just the opening passages had me shivering with chills up and down my spine.  She has a style of writing that I really enjoy.  While she creates a world that I can totally visualize, she does it with a minimal style, using strong words as opposed to many words, leaving things open to the imagination of the reader.

Lia is a wonderful character for this book, saddled with the pressures and responsibilities of adulthood, long before she should.  She is so real a character that you quickly fall into her story, feeling her emotions along with her.  I was so pro-Lia as I read the book, that I suspect I was feeling more intensely than she was from time to time!  I love an author that develops even the lesser characters as much as the central characters, and Kate definitely does.  It’s probably because those less central characters were so well-developed that I was so pulled into the emotions of the plot.

Not generally one to judge a book by its cover, I would nonetheless be remiss if I didn’t mention the stunning cover! It is simple, but elegant and beautiful.  The color effects of it so richly fit the story and is one of those covers that really lends to the feel of the story.  The only down side to this book?  I FINISHED IT AND NOW I HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE!  Loved it and I know you will, too!

*received from the author

Other reviews:

Title:  

The summary,…

There exists an ancient elven proverb, dating before the time of man. Life and death, like day and night, meet at a point where they blend into one. It is that brief moment when anything is possible.

There was a time when four sparks of life burned brighter than the sun itself. Megan was born with power, Lucien born with station. Autumn was born full of life, while Nathan was entwined with death.

Peace has come and gone… The conflicts of old have returned-rejuvenated and driven. This is the beginning of the end. The children of Karn have come of age, and now they will take part in shaping the fate of Illyia.

Will they join forces, or with blood will they be divided?

Blood Divided is the second in the Soul Born Saga from author Kevin James Breaux and is my favorite so far!  I have been an absolute fan of Kevin’s work since Soul Born, absolutely loving his way with words.  My favorite thing about the first book was that, while definitely following the epic fantasy tradition, there was no clear line between good and evil.  I was happy to see this continue in Blood Divided, a fresh and different way to go with the fantasy genre.  It helps create characters that are so much more believable, practically jumping off the pages, much more than just words on a page.  There was a very interesting mix of characters in this book, many falling into that gray area between good and evil.

This is the kind of book that you fall into and become a part of the world in which it is set.  You feel for and with the characters and you live in the story with them.  There are twists and turns, sadness and anger, honor and betrayal, and no small amount of intrigue.  I love a book that makes you both love and hate the same character throughout the story!  This book had a bigger cast of people involved in the story, all of whom were completely developed no matter their role in the story.  The twists and turns of the first book melded seamlessly with this book, with surprising resolutions to many of the questions from the first.  The next book in the saga will be Flesh Ended, and I absolutely can’t wait for it!

*received from the author

Other reviews:

Bare-Naked Lola by Misa Ramirez!

This fabby cover is designed by Heather Howland, the managing editor of Entangled Publishing.  The book is the third installment of the Lola Cruz Mysteries, and there is a prequel as well!  The book goes on sale in May at retailers so be sure to look for it!  In the meantime, pick up the other books and give them a try!  You can read more about Misa here.

Synopsis: 

Going undercover is second nature for Private Investigator Lola Cruz, but she’s out of her league when the case of a murdered Royals Courtside Dancer leads her to a local nudist resort. Parading around the sidelines of Sacramento’s professional basketball scene in a barely-there cheerleading outfit is one thing—but parading around in nothing but smile? If she has any chance of hiding this from her traditional family and on-again/off-again boyfriend Jack, she’s going to have a lot more than her duct tape bra and killer dance moves to keep under wraps….

Welcome to my stop on the Witchblood Blog Tour!  This wonderful book is the debut novel of UK author Emma Mills, and fantastic start to what I am sure will be a fabulous writing career.  If you love vamps, witches, twists and turns, and romance, then you will love this book!  So be sure to read the blurb and my “5 mug” review and watch the trailer below to get a “bite” of it!  But don’t stop there!  Keep reading for details about a Witchblood contest being held on Emma’s blog!  And. finally, after that there is a giveaway of a copy of this book!

You can visit her blog here and follow her on Twitter here!

The summary,…

When Jess steals a glance at a gorgeous guy in a Manchester nightclub, little does she realise how he is going to change her life…or should that be death?

Yet, the vampire clan could never have predicted what they were taking on. With Luke pronounced ‘off-limits’ and the blood of a vampire simmering in Jess’s body, can she forget the love of her life and move on? If not, she will risk exposing the entire Northern clan to untold dangers, in order to live her life the way she wants.

Can Jess be sure that Luke is all he appears to be? Will she succumb to the attraction she desperately tries not to feel for Daniel? And why does she still crave a packet of crisps more than a tasty teenage boy’s blood?

The trailer,…

My review,…

Witchblood is the debut novel from Emma Mills, and it is one of my favorites.  I am a sucker for vamp stories, without a doubt, but this book is unique in its story.  A little bit vamp, a little bit witchy, and a little bit human,… there is a little of everything in this story.  Jess is so likeable as a character that it was impossible not to be drawn into the book.  She is your normal teenage girl with all the normal teenage angst that we can relate to.  The struggle between her humanity and her new vampire life is even more intensified.  For the first half of the book, I couldn’t decide if I loved Daniel, or wanted to smack him around for turning her.  But he was impossible not to love, too!

This story was so much more than a YA vamp tale, though.  The vamp/witch aspect was almost an aside to the true thrust of the story.  Jess and her struggles, twists and turns, secrets,… all of it made me hard pressed to put it down!  The author made these characters come to life, made you feel right along with them. I am a softie for a book that draws me in, and when I started getting teary during key points, you know she had me with her storytelling!  I can’t wait for more from this author!!

To buy/add the book,…

Buy it:  Kindle UK | Kindle US | Smashwords
Add it:  Goodreads | Shelfari

Contest details,…

Emma Mills is holding an amazing contest on her blog at this link, with the winner appearing as a character in the sequel Witchcraft!

The giveaway,…

The giveaway will run for one week.  One randomly chosen commenter will be chosen to win a copy of this amazing read!

To enter, just leave a comment with your email.  For extra chances to win,…

1. 1 extra entry, follow the author at @EmmaMwriter and tweet about this post tagging the author in it and leave me the link to your tweet in your comment!
2. 1 extra entry, like The Caffeinated Diva page on Facebook, and let me know in your comment that you did!

There is a “Share This” button at the end of the post for easy Twittering and sharing to other social media.  NOTE:  Giveaway will end and comments will close at midnight EST February 18th!