Of Ice and Shadows – Audrey Coulthurst
Book Details
A Frosty Follow-up That Left Me Cold
Princesses Denna and Mare are in love and together at last—only to face a new set of dangers.
Mare wants to settle down with the girl she loves, which would be easier if Denna weren’t gifted with forbidden and volatile fire magic. Denna must learn to control her powers, which means traveling in secret to the kingdom of Zumorda, where she can seek training without fear of persecution. Determined to help, Mare has agreed to serve as an ambassador as a cover for their journey.
But just as Mare and Denna arrive in Zumorda, an attack on a border town in Mynaria changes everything. Mare’s diplomatic mission is now urgent: she must quickly broker an alliance with the queen of Zumorda to protect her homeland.
As Denna’s powers grow stronger, Mare struggles to be the ambassador her kingdom needs. By making unconventional friends, her knowledge of Zumorda and its people grow, and so too do her suspicions about who is truly behind the attacks on Zumorda and her homeland.
As rising tensions and unexpected betrayals put Mare and Denna in jeopardy and dangerous enemies emerge on all sides, can they protect their love and save their kingdoms?
In some ways, that night had broken us both forever. In others, it had made us both whole for the first time.
Thoughts
Of Ice and Shadows is the sequel to Of Fire and Stars and picks up where the first book left off, following Princess Denna and Mare as they travel to Zumorda to get Denna some training. While the first installment thrived on the blossoming romance and political intrigue in Mynaria, this second book attempts to take a different turn, diving deeper into magic, politics, and, unfortunately, stereotypes. This shift in focus introduces new challenges, but it doesn’t quite capture the same magic as its predecessor.
I am sad to say that from the get-go the plot feels a bit meandering. The tension in Of Ice and Shadows relies heavily on the two leads following their own journeys while trying to stay together, which serves to develop them individually but sacrifices the chemistry that made Of Fire and Stars so engaging. Denna heads north to Corovja, the frigid capital of Zumorda, to hone her magical powers under the guidance of Queen Invasya, a character who promises complexity but delivers only the bare minimum of depth. Meanwhile, Mare stays behind to juggle her ambassadorial duties and uncover the threat posed by the Sonnenbornes, which unfortunately plays into a troubling narrative of xenophobia.
While Denna’s journey offers some excitement as she explores her Affinity for fire, her character growth often feels sidelined by rushed plot points and underdeveloped relationships. Mare, on the other hand, is stuck in the southern city of Duvey, grappling with her own insecurities and a misguided sense of duty that sometimes borders on outright prejudice. Her storyline feels weighed down by her distrust of the Sonnenbornes and magic users alike, which account for literally everyone around her.
Despite these missteps, Of Ice and Shadows isn’t without its merits. Coulthurst expands on the world-building, giving readers a taste of the magic system and the cultural lore surrounding the gods. These moments shine, offering glimpses into a world that could be so much more if given the chance. The novel’s pacing, however, falters, especially towards the climax. The final confrontation, which should be the most gripping part of the book, is over almost as soon as it begins, leaving readers wondering why there was so much build-up for such a brief payoff.
In the end, Of Ice and Shadows feels more like a stepping stone, building up to something greater that, at present, we know will not come. Without a sequel, readers are left in a frustrating limbo, with plot threads dangling and character arcs incomplete. If you’re a fan of Denna and Mare’s love story, you might find enough here to keep you turning the pages. But for those looking for a tale that matches the excitement and heartfelt connection of the first book, this sequel might leave you wanting more.
I have even more thoughts about the ending—that’s all I’ll say for now— but I’m curious if you share those thoughts, so once you’ve finished make sure to pop back over and check our our Deep Dive below.
Deep Dive: Spoilers Ahead
When I decided to..
When I decided to reread Of Fire and Stars I was excited, because I had a foggy recollection of the book and it’s twists and turns. But when I picked up Of Ice and Shadows for a second go-round I couldn’t remember much about it. Even while I was reading it and predicting plot points, I never had a sense of deja vu. And now I know why.
I had fun reading OIaS, but what I didn’t have was literally any other kind of emotion. I didn’t giggle when Denna and Mare were cute, I didn’t gasp when something unexpected happened.. HECK! Nothing unexpected happened! Except how unex-fucking-pectedly we skipped right over the only interesting plot points in the book.
Denna going to Corovja was a turning point where we could finally see what she had become without Mare by her side. She was going to learn about her Affinity and learn how to maybe not accidentally injure people all the time. Instead, Denna and Mare (separately) open these awesome looking doors marked “There are more than 6 gods” and “Zumorda used to worship them” and “The queen is a bajillion years old” and the list goes on and on.
We are given so many doors that lead to so many questions. And other doors that pump us up for later chapters (i.e. the Midwinter Revel) only to be glossed over like they’re One Punch Man (Guy who wins with one punch, but oh no a bigger baddie, what will he do. Punch > Them = yay) or the Flash (Guy who runs fast. Oh man, there is a big baddie who is also fast/strong, what will he do? Must. Run. Faster. Oh wow, that did the trick! = yay!).
Animations aside, Denna’s bond with Invasya, which should have been pivotal, is glossed over, making the queen’s influence on Denna seem superficial. What should have been a compelling mentorship feels like a missed opportunity to add richness to Denna’s storyline. The Revel is skippable, plainly due to how overpowered Denna is, but also because the flicker of “Oh gosh, is she being mind controlled by the queen” is quickly shut down when Denna tells her to fuck off and leaves.
I struggle for words to describe how it makes me feel. Maybe we missed something, let’s see: write an all powerful queen, one who is literally thousands of years old and can absorb other people’s powers against their will. One who is not only fascinated, but related to our main character, and quite literally in her head. And this same all powerful queen is just like, “Mmk, see ya later sweetie!” before waiting around for Denna to come back to her?
If written differently, that could have been SUCH a power move, but instead I’m left questioning what the heck I’m reading. I get so caught up waiting for something of value to happen that I’m left deeply disappointed because it’s just another let-down in a pile of let-downs. I get signs that it’s coming, and then it’s over before I know it.
The final example of this was when I was waiting for the reveal of the true villain.
I can admit that what I was really waiting for was a return of the flaming falling stars that Denna threw down at the end of book 1. Once Zhari was revealed as a demi-god though? OOF, I was more than a little concerned. So imagine my surprise when we finally get an all-out battle! Ahh! It’s happening! A fallen friend, a powerful foe, a—sword in the back? WHAT.
I know it’s a callback to the time Denna throat-punched that bitchy magician in chapter 14. I know it’s supposed to be an “aha” moment for readers, that even the most powerful among us can forget the simplest of things. But, seriously? All this hype, all the possibilities, and we went with “Mare slowly sneaks around behind the big-baddie and stabs her. The end”. At least give me a dope line!
I’m screaming for an Eowyn style “I am no man“, or a “Winter came for House Frey” from Mare—who would have deserved a revenge line for the death of not one, but TWO of her family members. Instead, within 2 paragraphs of chapter 29 we get a single stab and it’s over. It happened so quickly, I went back and read it again, thinking I had skipped a chapter, or a page at least. I had some criticism for the book, but once I read Zhari’s downfall I knew that the book had been virtually ruined for me.
Prior to this, I may have given the book a 3—perfectly neutral, had a good time, but likely wouldn’t read it again—but now I’m left feeling almost angry that I have to drop the score another half-star.
With my mood ruined, and the rest of the ending feeling rushed, I hardly remember having any thoughts about the last few chapters. When the Queen offers to team up with Denna, who begins to glow (we just passed right over that too, eh?). When Mare and Denna finally share a kiss after being separated for so long. Even when Mare gets in contact with Thandi and let’s him know Denna is alive, I had almost no opinions on what was said.
I’m having a hard time even thinking of things to say now, if I’m being honest. I know the reviews range wildly for some YA books, and I never thought I’d be on the “party-pooper” side of things, but here I am. Thanks Of Ice and Shadows!
If you’re a fan of finishing series, this book hopefully did you more justice than it did me. I’m never one to turn down debates on books though, so no matter if you agree with our assessment or not, we’d love to hear what you thought in the comments below.
Now off we go, to the next adventure!