Release date: September 28th 2023
Publisher: HQ
Pages: 382
Find it: Goodreads Waterstones
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 3/5 stars
Synopsis
When the snow falls, she will be free…
The invitations always arrive the same way – without warning, appearing around the city on the first snowfall of the year, simply inscribed with ‘Tonight.’
When struggling artist, Forster, finds an invitation, he’s bewitched by the magic of the evening, swept up in the glamour of this notorious annual party and intrigued as to who is behind them.
Determined to find out more about the mysterious host, Forster discovers an abandoned manor house silent with secrets and a cursed woman who is desperate to be free…
Review
Upon a Frosted Star was a book that drew me in with that absolutely beautiful cover. When I saw it described as “The Great Gatsby meets Swan Lake” I was really intrigued to pick this one up. The story follows Forster, a struggling artist who finds a mysterious invitation to a magical party that takes place once a year. Determined to find out who the host is, Forster soon discovers the mysterious lady is way more than meets the eye and will do anything to free her from her curse.
I really wanted to love this one but for some reason, it just didn’t click with me. Overall it is an enjoyable read but it didn’t give me that magical feeling I was expecting. This is my first book from M A Kuzniar and I think perhaps the writing style just didn’t gel with me. I didn’t particularly connect with the characters and while the plot was interesting, I found I wasn’t all that invested in Forster and Detta’s story.
The story is well paced and I did enjoy the mystery of Detta’s history and her curse. I must admit I’m not overly familiar with the story of Swan Lake (I know the basics) so perhaps if I knew more I might have been more captivated by this one. I did really enjoy the wintry atmosphere and this book is perfect for reading on a cold, snowy evening. The story also has a really interesting setting and villain I would love to have learned more about.
Overall Upon a Frosted Star didn’t quite hit the mark for me but if you’re a fan of wintry tales that are full of mystery, this could be just the book for you.
Anthony Ryan is an author I have had on my TBR for the longest time, so when I heard about this standalone thriller I decided to pick this one up immediately. The story follows a man who wakes up on a boat in the middle of the ocean with no memory of who he is. There are six others there with him all with no memories. When the group receives a mysterious message and is sent on a mission together, they have to use all their unique skills in order to find a way to survive.
I really enjoyed Tricia Levenseller’s Daughter of the Pirate King and Daughter of the Siren Queen so I was really intrigued to return to this world and these characters. The story follows Sorinda, the Queen’s assassin, who is sent on a rescue mission to find a missing ship. Queen Alosa has handpicked the crew that will accompany Sorinda, including sailing master Kearan. Sorinda finds him insufferable, but she will have to put up with him nonetheless. When the crew travel into uncharted waters they find something much darker than they expected and their rescue mission becomes a fight for survival, but will they all make it out alive?
Justin Lee Anderson’s The Lost War is a fast-paced, action-packed start to a new fantasy series. The story follows Aranok, the King’s Envoy. While the war might be over and peace might be settling over the Eidyn, the problems are just beginning. There’s a plague spreading across the land, mercenaries attack anyone in their path and demons continue to ravage the farmlands and destroy food supplies. When Aranok is tasked by the King to go and find an exiled foreign queen and return her to her throne, he has no choice but to start out on this dangerous quest alongside a group of allies. As the group travels further across the land they come across a new threat and a conspiracy darker than they could have imagined.
T. Kingfisher’s newest release sees us back following Alex Easton as they travel to their old family hunting lodge in Gallacia. When they arrive they find the house abandoned and the caretaker nowhere to be found. The caretaker has passed away and no one in the village will set foot on the grounds or tell them what really happened to him. As their friend Miss Potter arrives, strange things begin happening in the house and Easton begins to have disturbing dreams, will they be able to uncover what lurks in the remote hunting lodge, and will they be able to stop it from claiming another victim?
Ally Wilkes’s All the White Spaces was one of my favourite reads of 2022 so Where the Dead Wait was one of my most anticipated releases for 2024. The story follows William Day who is haunted by a failed expedition to the Arctic. Hailed in the papers as a cannibal and murderer, his reputation has never recovered. Thirteen years since the failed expedition, Day’s second in command Jesse Stevens has gone missing on another voyage in the Arctic. Day sees his chance to restore his reputation but will he be able to face the ghosts of his past?
Once a Monster follows the story of mudlarker Nell – an orphan with dreams of becoming a dancer. When Nell discovers a body on the shore she finds it is not what she expected – seven feet tall with horns. The other mudlarkers tell Nell to steal his belongings but as Nell gets closer she realises the body isn’t a corpse and they are much more than they seem.
I heard Laura Lam talk about Dragonfall at Cymera Festival and immediately knew I had to read it. The story follows Arcady, a thief who dreams of a life studying at the University as one of the drakine. To succeed in this goal Arcady steals a seal from the bones of the Plaguebringer – the most hated person in Lumet history. When Arcady casts a spell that drags Everen – the last male dragon – through the Veil, he is told he must convince Arcady to trust him and then kill her in order to bring dragons back to Lumet. Who will succeed and at what cost?
Tori Bovalino’s newest release follows Leah, a young girl who spends much of her time looking after her baby brother Owen. In their small town there is legend about the Lord of the Wood, who steals away babies. One night Leah offers her brother to the Lord, not believing anything will happen – until he disappears. Leah is forced by her town to cross the river into the forest to bring her brother back. What she finds isn’t what she expected and the secrets she uncovers will have her questioning everything she thought she knew about the people of her town.
David Wragg’s The Hunters is a fast paced and addictive story that follows Ree and her twelve year old niece Javani. After many years moving from place to place, they have settled on a farm in a mining community in the middle of nowhere. When a group of killers comes to the town looking for a young girl and an older woman, Ree and Javani are forced to flee across the desert and mountains. A deadly chase occurs, but will Ree be able to keep them both alive and keep her secrets intact?
The Bibliophile Chronicles 