Lately I’ve had an excellent time finding matching books to review. Today I have two magical Christian romantasies, both with dragon shapeshifters. This was a complete accident, but they happened to be one after the other on my TBR, and both happened to be quite similar. So if you read and like one of these, you will probably enjoy the other. Let me introduce Embergold and Ties of Frost.
Embergold
Fire dreamed of water, but the first sip would be its last.
Gilde has spent her life isolated in the wild marshlands, a place too wet for the dragon to go. She’s safe there, according to her father. So why is he asking her to leave with him now that she has come of age? There is more to Gilde’s family than she knows, and debts need to be paid.
Betrayed and shattered, she wakes in a crumbling mountain castle with the beast of her nightmares. Except this dragon speaks like a man and reads books. His kindness confuses her and opens a forgotten longing in her heart, all while Gilde plans her escape from a mountain full of secrets.
This place can unveil her past and why she was sacrificed to the beast-truths that may put both their lives in danger if they can’t learn to trust each other. But how can Gilde ever trust again? Especially after she discovers what dragons truly are.
Beautiful and strange, Embergold plays on perception and misinformation, leading to a clever Beauty and the Beast retelling. It’s recognizable as a retelling, yet wildly different from the original story, twining in its own special charm.
While the romance progresses a little quickly, it’s a sweet story. I love both practical yet softhearted Gilde and gentle, formal Wil. One thing I appreciate is that the side characters have more depth than I feel is typical for a romance.
Content Warnings:
Violence, death, dark magic (portrayed in negative light), romance, a ghost.
Ratings:
Appropriate content: 4.5/5
Story construction: 4.5/5
Writing skill: 4/5
Ethics: 5/5
Other Information:
Christian: Yes
Point of view: First person
Tense: Past tense
Romance: Yes
Series: No
Age recommendation: 15+
Ties of Frost
A self-reliant wyvern shifter. An extroverted ice elf. A deadly curse.
Wyvern shifter Zidra and ice elf Kyrundar are members of a sacred order of elite warriors—and, according to Zidra, bitter rivals. While she seeks to prove she’s the best without aid, Kyrundar believes their friendly competition makes them ideal partners.
Then Kyrundar follows Zidra into a trap, and his distraction costs her everything.
When Zidra is struck by a lethal ice curse, only ice magic can save her. Yet Kyrundar can’t remove the curse, and as long as the curse is affecting Zidra, she can’t shift. Worse, a side effect of his aid is a heartbond neither of them wants.
Despite years of misunderstandings and recent resentments, they will have to cooperate to survive assassins and find a reclusive healer who can destroy the curse and the magical bond.
But if they discover the accidental heartbond isn’t a catastrophe after all, will either of them have the courage to admit it?
One of the most charming books I’ve read in a while, Ties of Frost features the classic grumpy and sunshine couple, stuck together on a journey to save the main character’s life.
The worldbuilding is impressive given that this is a romance, and I love the idea of these paladin-esque warriors who pledge their lives to the book’s representation of God. The magic is intriguing though seems overpowered, the history of the kingdoms provides a solid foundation for the story, and of course the couple is adorable.
Content Warnings:
Violence, death, romance, kissing.
Ratings:
Appropriate content: 4.5/5
Story construction: 4.5/5
Writing skill: 5/5
Ethics: 5/5
Other Information:
Christian: Yes
Point of view: Third person limited
Tense: Past
Romance: Yes
Series: Yes
Age recommendation: 13+
Happy reading,
Astor
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