Frost is the first book in the Frost and Nectar Series and our ILVN Book Club pick for March. This world weaves excellent world building, romance, and adventure for an unputdownable read. 

So, let’s set the stage:

Faerie is dying without a queen: “When the Seelie king sits on the fae throne, he draws upon the magic of the realm to defend the kingdom and conquer new lands. The queen, on the other hand, replenishes the magic. Her magic is vernal, bringing growth and fertility.” But a cold winter has descended, and the people of Faerie are experiencing a famine, which has forced the king to purchase food from the human world.

Hence, the spectacle of having 100 fae women compete for his hand in the bride tournament.

The women in the competition will be tested for the purpose of identifying a female with the traits to make a true fae queen: strength and agility, wit, intelligence, and skill with a blade. The first contest is a race to identify the fastest and strongest. Next will be hosting parties alongside the king to measure wit, intelligence, charm, and poise. The trials end with a fencing tournament in the arena.

Here are our main cast of characters:

Ava, our protagonist, is impulsive, sassy, and foul mouthed. At the start of the story, she walks in on her long-term boyfriend in bed with another woman, propelling her into the events that bring her back to Faerie. Ava is a common fae that was exiled from Faerie until King Torin offers her a fifty million dollar contract to return and compete to be his wife. She tried hard to fit into the human world, dying her blue hair brown and growing it out to cover her pointed ears. Ava learned to fence and sword play before looking like a fae became cool. And as much as she hates the archaic means of fighting to be queen, she grows comfortable in Faerie and wants to help Torin.

Torin—the Seelie King—is gorgeous, described as lean and muscular with piercing ice-blue eyes, a cut-glass jaw, and sun-kissed skin. He can summon ice and use glamor. He appears serious and uptight by nature but seems to enjoy verbally sparring with Ava. Torin also cares for his people greatly and initiates the horse and pony show to clear his debts with the human world and bring his people out of their depression. Ultimately, the king is lonely.

Shalini is Ava’s best friend and advisor during the games. Driven and educated, she worked hard her whole life, school and work, and missed out on important rites of passage, like prom. Recently rich from working at a start company as a programmer, she no longer has to work and is burnt out. So, craving adventure, she follows Ava into Faerie.

Aeron is King Torin’s footman. He takes care of Ava and Shalini, with whom he reciprocates flirting but has taken a vow of chastity, which Shalini takes as a challenge. He has a cat named Caitsith, bakes bread, and reads poetry. In Shalini’s words, he’s like a hot priest.

Madam Sioba works for King Torin. She’s got loose, wiry gray hair, bags under her eyes, exquisite clothing, and a sharp tongue. She dresses the contestants for the tournament with her magic and has no qualms in telling Ava her attributes and faults, emphasis on the faults.

A pale blonde beauty with milky white eyes, Princess Orla—Torin’s sister—was blinded as a child but is well accomplished. She’s too frail and gets sick too often to take the queen’s throne. It would kill her, and Torin would never risk his sister to save Faerie.

The six princesses:

Princess Moria, the eldest of the Dearg-Due—immaculately and superiorly dressed, she’s porcelain white with a deep red mouth, burgundy hair, and plum eyes. She is “shockingly gorgeous, and with an apparent penchant for ordering people around.” Overly familiar with the king, she is the sister of his lost love, but she is also vicious and cruel.

Princess Cleena of the Banshees is described as the most beautiful woman on the planet according to Vanity Fair. She sports ringlets in her dark hair, widely set golden amber eyes, dark skin, and immense composure.

Princess Alice, a kelpie or lake fae with long-lashed brown eyes, white hair, pale iridescent skin. She is sweeter and more nervous than the other princesses, but she has a scandalous past. A baker and innocent girl, she’s in love with the idea of love, even after being scorned by a pirate out to take her fortune.

Princess Etain of the Leannán SÍdhe has “tawny skin and hair the color of a sunset, periwinkle and coral.” A seductress, she is also feisty and crass, giving the finger to Princess Moria at the start of the competition.

Princess Eliza of the Selkie clan has green hair and bronze skin. More serious, studious, and dour, her approach with the king is analytical and stiff. Her clan does not accept failure well, but she doesn’t have much of a heart for this kind of competition.

Princess Sydoc of the Redcaps, a terrifying clan, wears the bright red hat known to her kind. Her skin is also pale with long raven hair. Torin once saved her in the forest from her fellow Redcaps, so she believes the king can keep her safe. Her kingdom focuses on slaughter, and her sister was killed and displayed by their father for not being bloodthirsty enough.

The competition between these ladies is cutthroat, literally at times, and Ava falls victim to the scheming princesses a few times. However, her tenacity keeps her in the game, sometimes by the skin of her teeth.

But most importantly, Torin and Ava’s mutual hatred for each other morphs into some sexy as hell tension.

Will you be joining us for our live discussion of Frost by C.N. Crawford? RSVP on our Facebook event and get ready to spill some tea!