I absolutely loved the concept of this story! It is set in the cursed, freezing kingdom of Luceras, which has been taken over by the evil Snow Queen. The book's cover design is eerily stunning and aptly captures the exact frosty, desolate atmosphere and vibe that the story carries. Also, as a fun side note, the Snow Queen completely reminded me of the White Witch from C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia!
I really loved the soul bond between the FMC, Enid, and the MMC, Prince Urie. Because they are betrothed, they share a magical connection that allows Urie to speak into her mind, feel her fear, and even send her physical warmth when she is freezing in the snow. It is such a beautiful, deeply intimate dynamic that made me root for them instantly!
As much as I enjoyed the story, I did have a few lingering questions and areas that felt a bit unexplained such as: I really would have loved to see more about the origins of this world to fully ground the story. During a terrifying scene in the snow, Enid is attacked by a pack of wolves and manages to bite a wolf's neck to fend it off. At first, I thought she had an innate power to shift into a creature or beast, but nothing suggested that. It was just sheer survival instinct. It felt a bit unexplained how she could successfully bite and chase off hungry wolves during her absolute weakest moment! I know she unknown-to-her shared a connection to Urie at that moment that might have strengthened her a bit, but maybe I'm still trying to grasp the feasibility of that situation. While I loved Enid and Urie's connection, I didn't fully understand the dynamics of how their bond works in terms of boundaries. If he could see what she sees and feel what she feels, how exactly is their bond triggered? How is the connection broken? What is the actual limit of the mind-reading or transmission they both can share? It felt like the rules of their magic needed a bit more definition. The plot twist towards the climax battle scene—I did not see it coming at all.🥹 Aside from those few questions, I really enjoyed this story! The concept is fantastic, the romance beautiful and the atmosphere perfectly executed.