Of Ice and Shadows

Audrey Coulthurst

Aug 2019 · Of Fire and Stars Book 2 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this eBook

The long-awaited sequel to the acclaimed YA fantasy Of Fire and Stars! Mare and Denna travel to a new and dangerous kingdom where Denna will be trained to tame her magic by a mysterious queen who is not all she seems. Perfect for fans of Malinda Lo and Kristin Cashore.

Princesses Denna and Mare are in love and together at last—only to face a new set of dangers.

Mare just 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. However, the queen has no interest in allying with other kingdoms; it’s Denna’s untamed but powerful magic that catches her eye. The queen offers Denna a place among her elite trainees—an opportunity that would force her to choose between her magic and Mare.

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?

Ratings and reviews

Sard my previous review of the first book, I loved this series. I was really hoping there will be more or a trilogy will be made. I really love books that have good developments on their characters. I was kind of expecting a good fight on the final (but maybe I'm still stuck with the best detailed fight scene from the Witcher Books). Lovely to see that Princesses here are worth fighting for and they fight for their own. Both still have a soft girl side but that's the reason why they also need to be strong, to protect each other. I really want to have this another book. I want to learn more about the queen and the "7th God" and the 7 pointed star. And I need to see Fadeyka in action (lol). There are still a lot to unravel.

This sequel is epic! I like the exploration of Zumorda and all of the affinities. I enjoyed reading Mare and Denna working together against their enemies. And of course each of them working to better themselves. I hope this series continues!

About the author

Audrey Coulthurst writes YA books that tend to involve magic, horses, and kissing the wrong people. When she’s not dreaming up new stories, she can usually be found painting, singing, or on the back of a horse. Audrey has a master’s degree in writing from Portland State University. She lives in Santa Monica, California. She is the author of Inkmistress and Of Fire and Stars, which was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start. Visit her online at www.audreycoulthurst.com.