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Bitter Frost (Frost #1)

by Kailin Gow (Goodreads Author)

3.57 of 5 stars 3.57 · rating details · 1,823 ratings · 247 reviews

Characters and the world of Feyland first introduced in Gow's children/Middle Grade Series The Fairy Rose Chronicles (originally published in 2003)

All her life, Breena had always dreamed about fairies as though she lived among them...beautiful fairies living among mortals and living in Feyland.

In her dreams, he was always there the breathtakingly handsome but dangerous Win...more

Paperback, 235 pages

Published June 1st 2010 by The Edge

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Oct 11, 2011 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I received this ARC as part of the Traveling ARCs Tours who sadly are stopping their tours. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review and sadly have to send the ARC on to the next person. And for the record, the description is hardly accurate. So don't go by what it says about the book. Kian seems to hate her for all of two minutes.

First of all, the cover is beautiful. It looks like the girl on the front has dipped her lip in dark blue iridescent glitter. Her mouth is formed pe...more

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Jan 20, 2011 Kristi-The Book Faery rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: written-reviews

First off, I love all things Fey! Ms. Gow did not disappoint!

Breena has always felt a misfit among those around her, everyone except Logan, her best friend.

She has always dreamed of a land where faeries exist and she was a part of that land. In her dreams she is a child, happy and content, doted upon. She remembers learning a dance to a beautiful song with a beautiful boy that she yearns to be with, his name is Kian. Breena's dream world is so realistic that she's not sure where fantasy stops a...more

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Feb 11, 2011 Jac rated it 1 of 5 stars

NO SPOILERS-- I wanted to make sure I could keep others from reading this book before they started!!!

Wow, where to begin. This line of fantasy has been so overused lately I feel it is becoming as cliché as vampires but some authors (like Julie Kagawa) have molded elements of such fantasies to suit their own plot lines instead of merely robbing what was spawned out of others' creativity. Winter battling Summer seems quite atypical to me but nevertheless I continue to read such novels because nor...more NO SPOILERS-- I wanted to make sure I could keep others from reading this book before they started!!!

Wow, where to begin. This line of fantasy has been so overused lately I feel it is becoming as cliché as vampires but some authors (like Julie Kagawa) have molded elements of such fantasies to suit their own plot lines instead of merely robbing what was spawned out of others' creativity. Winter battling Summer seems quite atypical to me but nevertheless I continue to read such novels because normally I experience some enjoyment from them. Kailin Gow's Bitter Frost was definitely an exception.

This novel—as disgusted as I am to call it that since it was no more than a glorified chapter book for children of eight or so—seemed to be riddled with holes. It was less than two-hundred pages long and on top of that the font was of massive proportions!!! I have not read a book with less than two- hundred pages since early elementary school. Kailin Gow was simply too lazy to put any effort into writing this book. Her plot could have been extended five-fold and not have suffered at all; it would actually have been better off. It was almost as if she had decided the readers would be capable of filling in the blanks so there was no reason to give an explanation for anything!

Being an avid reader, I typically think of how a plot could have been improved. Some authors sweep me into their stories with such force that I forget such notions but Gow left me behind waiting for answers. Everything about this book was so predictable that it was exhausting; I was actually inventing my own twists to make up for the nonexistent ones in this book. As lacking as her plot development was though, her skill with character development was even worse—if that were possible.

Plain girl who doesn't fit in, best friend who secretly adores her, and the dark forbidden love interest. I am glad I have come to know there are author's out there with more depth than this. It would truly be a dark world if this was all the world of literature had to offer. If an author is determined to go down this course, than they at least need to add some pizazz!! I mean seriously!! Some author's have your blood racing in tune with the protagonist's but Gow's romantic scenes caused me to develop a headache and stifle a wave of nausea. We know very little about the main characters especially the borderline-abusive love interest. What is the deal with authors today encouraging teens to fall for abusive (I mean 'overprotective') male protagonists?

It didn't think it could get any worse than her blind infatuation with him until the ending (in reference to the final chapter). AS SOON AS I read THAT I had had it; I was done with the book, series, and Kailin Gow. It was like Gow had finished a chapter and simply got bored having no intention of seeing the book to its completion. I have another tangent regarding the epilogue but I will simply say that I saw that one coming from miles away. Seeing as it was supposed to shock readers, I feel it belongs on my list of points where Gow failed to add pizazz to her plot; or twists for that matter. So sad, to see such a waste of a publishing company's resources. To my recollection, I have NEVER uncovered a more lazy author than Kailin Gow. Perhaps it is possible her other works are better but I have NO intention of waisting my time with them!! In short, I definitely DO NOT recommend this book! I regret not putting the 90 mins it took me to read the book to better use like scratching a chalkboard or pissing into the wind!!

Original Review on my Blog:
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Jul 29, 2011 Anna rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fey, yuck

I mainly read this book because I wanted to compare it to The Iron King, the concept of both books sounded the exact same and they were for the most part. However, The Iron King was far better. There was barely a lead up to what happened in Bitter Frost, I felt like I was jumping into the middle of the story, like I missed the whole set up of the novel. There was no depth to the characters. Kian, I thought was written very poorly. In the summary he sounds cold and distant which I didn't get at a...more

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Feb 24, 2011 Kailin rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

Shelves: young-adult, teen, award-winning-book, fairy, fantasy-romance, kailin-gow, romance, international-bestseller, books-to-game, werewolves, women-empowerment, mystery

I notice other authors on Goodreads voting on their books. Presidents and other politicians can vote for themselves, why couldn't authors? Especially when they're an active member of Goodreads, too. Goodreads wouldn't be inviting authors to be part of their programs if they didn't want authors to get involve in discussions, groups, and on their own book sites. So, here I am. Obviously I believe and care enough about this series to put my heart, soul, and emotions into not just one book, but at l...more

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Sep 16, 2010 Amber rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, young-adulthood, to-review

Bitter Frost is an amazing book about the Winter Fey. Breena is dreaming about a wonderful place where she's a little girl dancing with a young boy. The boy turns out to be Prince Kian, the Winter Prince whom she will marry. Breena has never fit into her life as a regular teenage girl in Oregon. Turns out it is because she once lived in Feyland, where she is half-fairy, and the Princess to the Summer Court. Since her banishment from Feyland, war between the Summer and Winter Courts had broken ou...more

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Jan 05, 2011 Kiki rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow! What an incredible tale of emotional conflict between love and duty! I thoroughly enjoyed Kailin's brilliant prose as she created the marvelous world of faery. Her readers will not be disappointed as they step foot into Feyland. From the prologue, I was instantly fascinated with the author's beautiful and lyrical words. Each step of the way, you wll be holding your breath anxiously to see what will happen next!

I was taken aback at how quickly Breena manifestd her faery powers; then again,...more

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Jul 04, 2011 Patty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Breena has just turned 16. She wakes up to find her mother gone. This is a bit unusual because her mom is always there to make a fuss about her birthday.
On the way to school Breena believes she sees odd creatures in the woods. Something blue, something not quite right… but she shrugs it off. Breena is not the most popular girl in school. Other girls have more money, better clothes and even better friends. After school and upon returning home to a still empty house her one and only friend, Logan...more
Breena has just turned 16. She wakes up to find her mother gone. This is a bit unusual because her mom is always there to make a fuss about her birthday.
On the way to school Breena believes she sees odd creatures in the woods. Something blue, something not quite right… but she shrugs it off. Breena is not the most popular girl in school. Other girls have more money, better clothes and even better friends. After school and upon returning home to a still empty house her one and only friend, Logan, comes over to make her a birthday dinner. There is a knock at the door, a huge fight and at that moment Breena’s life changes forever. She enters Fairyland.

Apparently she is a half human half fairy sort of princess. Her father is the Summer King and her mother was his concubine. It appears that most fairies are infertile and in order to have children they must mate with a human. Breena’s father fell in love with her mother and that is why they are not living in the Summer Kingdom but instead live near a forest in Oregon. Sounds funny but it was truly a wonderful book. Again, it is one of my favorite kinds of YA fantasy…it is a quest. Breena must quickly become the princess that she was intended to be. She has to master magic and become outspoken and brave in order to survive. She is captured and escapes and has to use her wits and new found skills to save herself, her kingdom and her mother. At one point she is actually captured by Prince Kian, who at one time was her betrothed but now needs Breena in order to gain the return of his sister who is locked up in the Summer Kingdom. Much to Breena’s surprise, Logan appears in this land and he ,too, is not what he appears to be…

This was quite a fun book. The book was full of fast paced and fun adventures that were a bit frightening and heart stopping. I did not want to stop reading…I sort of raced through this book. It was that good. Not amazing award winning fiction but a very good story. What I did not like about it was the abrupt ending…I found that to be very unsatisfying. On my Kindle the book actually stopped at 80% or so…the rest of the space was excerpts from other books…I totally hate that. And the book ended in such a way as to make you have to buy the next one in the series…although I don’t think that is such a bad thing…but again…I was surprised when the book ended. It seemed a little manipulative. But it worked since I instantly bought the Forever Frost and am reading that now.
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Dec 16, 2012 Rosemarie Herbert rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon . Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.

The world building is lovely in this novel. I could feel the hunting lodge and Breena's bedroom. I loved her artwork, and the artwork that made her and the prince similar. The dialogue isn't bad either, although in some parts it feels stilted. I liked Breena's trick with the bread too!

Apparently this is based on Dutch lore / some type of fairytal...more This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon . Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.

The world building is lovely in this novel. I could feel the hunting lodge and Breena's bedroom. I loved her artwork, and the artwork that made her and the prince similar. The dialogue isn't bad either, although in some parts it feels stilted. I liked Breena's trick with the bread too!

Apparently this is based on Dutch lore / some type of fairytale, which I'm not familiar with. I would be interested to see whatever it is based on, and see whether I can predict what is going on after that.

I liked the idea of the differences between the two worlds. Logan's story is just a little too coincidental for my liking - oh no! Breena will have to choose between which one she loves more! Or will she...

For me the drama was a bit transparent, as was the 'love story'. How could Breena be so stupid? And I really couldn't go in for her nickname of Treena either. She didn't seem to stand up for herself in any way until she went into another world - a weak heroine.

In that way, these two novels paired together make me think of the stopped Twilight saga from Edward's point of view. I guess that makes for a good comparison for this novel - if you liked Twilight, and were looking for something else fantasy, this novel could be for you. There are plenty of them in the series for you to look forward to if you like the first one.

I can't believe that this novel has more in the series! I almost want to recommend it only for younger teens, but the chaste kisses which were ok for them develop into something more crude when Logan's point of view is brought in. An uncritical audience for sure for this one.

My overall feeling for these two 'novels' - Bitter Frost and Wolf Fey - was of being cheated. It reminded me a bit of Thief of Hearts, where the only purpose of the story was to draw you in, and then leave you on a meaningless cliffhanger. I didn't feel any sort of conclusion that I should have felt at the end of any novel. The inclusion of Logan's part just made me feel even worse! (less)

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Jun 12, 2012 Liviania rated it 2 of 5 stars

If punctuation errors and such bother you, you'll probably want to skip over BITTER FROST. I managed to tune most of them out, but BITTER FROST could have used another round of copyediting. As is, it made the book seem unprofessional.

Breena is a budding conservationalist who doesn't fit in at her high school despite being friends with the hottest guy around, Logan. He's clearly in love with her, but Breena is willfully ignorant. Going home from school one day, she spots a Pixie: Delano. She does...more If punctuation errors and such bother you, you'll probably want to skip over BITTER FROST. I managed to tune most of them out, but BITTER FROST could have used another round of copyediting. As is, it made the book seem unprofessional.

Breena is a budding conservationalist who doesn't fit in at her high school despite being friends with the hottest guy around, Logan. He's clearly in love with her, but Breena is willfully ignorant. Going home from school one day, she spots a Pixie: Delano. She doesn't know how she knows his name, she just knows he's bad news. Pretty soon he's attacked and she's been taken to Feyland by Kian, the Winter Prince. Breena is his prisoner, his key to freeing his sister from the Summer Court dungeons.

BITTER FROST moves quickly. In some ways, that is good. There's quite a bit of action and the characters don't spend much time dithering and keeping secrets from each other. Yet the character development moves too fast at points. Breena seems to adapt to her new life and relationships with ridiculous speed. While fun, BITTER FROST lacks emotional depth. When one character dies, I don't really feel anything because the character has so few defining characteristics other than loyalty.

Not much focus is given to the mythology, but I do like the little that Kailin Gow explains in BITTER FROST. Particularly, I like the idea that human-fairy hybrids are stronger than either race, rather than weaker. It makes sense that there could be an advantage in having the skills of two races. It's a nice touch of originality in a story that follows a familiar narrative pattern.

BITTER FROST is also short, which might be why it moves at warp-speed. It feels like there's a longer, more measured book waiting to get out. The next book in the series, FOREVER FROST, comes out tomorrow. I'm interested in reading it to see whether the pacing and character development even out a little.

I enjoyed BITTER FROST, but it felt like the kind of stuff I read on the internet. Diverting and interesting, but ultimately not a final draft. Breena also comes close to being a Mary Sue, which anyone who reads internet fic knows is not a good thing. (less)

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May 20, 2012 Dani GR Motherfuqqer rated it 2 of 5 stars

I don't know how this book got so popular. I was extremely disappointed in the writing style. This was my first book from author Kailin Gow and I am not too happy with having chosen it first. I keep wanting it to be good. But it wasn't.
The story could have been great but it felt too rushed. It would jump from one point to the next and often I would stop and think to myself "How the hell did it get from there to there?" The story line would have worked wonderfully if there was a build up to the c...more

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Dec 09, 2011 Vivian rated it 2 of 5 stars

I found this book very lacking in many areas.

At first when I began reading it, I couldn't help but draw comparisons between Bitter Frost and The Iron King. Both involve a half-Summer faerie brought up in the mortal world, a best friend who happens to be a part of the Faerie world and a winter prince. In both books, things go wrong on their birthday and they begin seeing things that logically aren't there. People go missing, the mother in this series and brother in the Iron Fey series, and eventu...more I found this book very lacking in many areas.

At first when I began reading it, I couldn't help but draw comparisons between Bitter Frost and The Iron King. Both involve a half-Summer faerie brought up in the mortal world, a best friend who happens to be a part of the Faerie world and a winter prince. In both books, things go wrong on their birthday and they begin seeing things that logically aren't there. People go missing, the mother in this series and brother in the Iron Fey series, and eventually find themselves in the faerie world. This is where the plot diverges. Where the Iron Fey series focuses on the adventure to find and save her missing brother, the Frost series focuses on faerie politics.

The plot in Bitter Frost is very very fast moving, which unfortunately is one of the downfalls of this series. I don't like books that blab on for ages about things and fails to move forwards, but this book moves too fast, skimming over things that should have been longer to give the book more depth. (view spoiler) She's captured, freed, trained and tapping into her magical ability so fast that just doesn't feel believable.

The characters and their relationships are even worse than the plot when it comes to how realistic they are.
character was so irritating. Yes I'm pro feminism and whatnot but did she have to bring it up that much, it was quite annoying actually. My next complaint is her lack of emotion. I for one know that if my only friend, since childhood, who fought to protect me, (view spoiler) suddenly reappeared, alive and ready to save me, I would be running into his arms, crying from happiness and thankfulness. But what does Bree do? Nothing. That, I hated the most. On the night (or day) of their escape, she cries and mourns for like 1-2 paragraphs and in the next few shes kissing Kian and being all lovey-dovey with him, completely forgetting about Logan. [INSERT IRRITATED SIGH]. Inconsiderate much? If Gow was going for an irritating, inconsiderate and annoying character for Breena, then props to Gow.
Who's next? I guess I'll talk about Logan. Ahh dear Logan, the forever-best-friend (yes Im a psychic, I know the end of this series) of Tree-na Breena. All I can say is she doesn't deserve you. For a werewolf, he lacks ferocity. He does have the warm and caring (not to mention playful) aspect that werewolves are often portrayed as, but Logan is a little too caring that it makes his violent acts fighting to save and protect Breena kind of unbelievable.
Lastly we have the dear Prince Kian. The troubled Prince torn between duty and love. I hate to compare but just because the characters are similar, let me compare Kian to Ash from The Iron Fey. During the series, it is distinctly obvious the times at which Ash is duty biased and where he is being swayed by his love. There are also obvious times where he is battling between the two, and Kagawa makes it believable. Kian however is a mess. I don't feel as though he is battling with himself. He says the words but his expression and actions bear nothing. Throughout the book I can't tell if he his just doing his duty or just following his heart.

Now we come to the writing. By the first book, it is clear that Kailin Gow likes to list things, add a whole lot of adjectives, similes and pointless description. Another thing Ms Gow has to restrict is the number of brackets, hyphens and exclamation marks! The excessive brackets and hyphens makes it confusing what the actual sentence is trying to get at. The writing becomes so confusing that sometimes i just decide to skip whats in the brackets. But dear god the exclamation marks. You just need to stop. STOP. It makes the writing seem too over dramatic for the simplest of things. It seems the characters are constantly exclaiming which is utterly annoying. I have this thing, where when reading in CAPITALS or reading an (!), instantly imagine the characters screaming the dialogue. I'm sure many of you do it as well.

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Tl;Dr
Overall: 2/5
(2.5 at most)
If your bored read it, but i don't recommend it if your looking for a good read. Borrow it from a library or buy the ebook for cheaper.

Plot: 3/5
Interesting plot about faerie politics but too fast paced to get into details to make it more engaging.

Writing: 1.5/5
Confusing at times (too many hyphens and brackets)
Too much exclamation marks! (over-dramatic)
Descriptions had too many similes, adjectives ect.

Characters: 2/5
(asides from characters, relationships are not believable. Gow just states things, she doesn't show it in their actions/interactions, dialogue and expression.)
Breena 1/5
To me, shes shallow, inconsiderate and absolutely irritating
Logan 2/5
He's a sweetheart so much that he loses his ferocity as a werewolf. He becomes quite plain
Kian 1/5
He's stance is messy. Becomes a plain boring character. He's personal dilemma is not believable.
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Nov 18, 2011 Your Average Bookworms rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have to be honest, I was skeptic about reading this book because I wasn't in to the whole fairy concept. The inside was far worse, the font was big and the book was thin, and I was thinking, what am I getting myself into? Don't judge a book by its cover. I've never known how true this phrase is until now.
I was absolutely in love with the world created: Feyland. It sounded so wonderful, magical and so pleasant to live in. The author must have known me by heart (haha) to include all other mythol...more I have to be honest, I was skeptic about reading this book because I wasn't in to the whole fairy concept. The inside was far worse, the font was big and the book was thin, and I was thinking, what am I getting myself into? Don't judge a book by its cover. I've never known how true this phrase is until now.
I was absolutely in love with the world created: Feyland. It sounded so wonderful, magical and so pleasant to live in. The author must have known me by heart (haha) to include all other mythological creatures like mermaids and centaurs. I wish I could wake up to the multi-colored skies with two suns overlooking me. With the descriptive language, and vivid descriptions, it felt like I teleported to Feyland and through the whole journey, I was with Kian and Breena myself! I pitied Kian, since he had to make a huge decision, love over his kingdom, or his kingdom over love. And both seemed equally important to him.

It amazed me to see how heroic and courageous each of the main characters were, all willing to sacrifice themselves for the one they love. I liked the boldness of Breena, how she wasn't afraid of anything. At first, I was a little confused about Kian... In the summary, it depicted him as cold and cruel, but in the story, he was the complete opposite! But as I started to get attached to the story, I didn't really care as much. I do have to admit, the love triangle between Breena, Logan and Kian was pleasing to read about. It was Twilight all over again! Breena being Bella, Logan being Jacob and Kian being Edward except fairy version. I liked the whole idea of weaving forbidden love into this action-packed book. Because, let's face it, no novel is complete without romance in it!

I was frustrated at the abrupt ending, since nothing was resolved. I didn't expect it to be a cliffhanger ending either, but now, more then ever, I can't wait to read the second book in the Frost series.

Bitter Frost is like Percy Jackson, The Narnia Chronicles and Twilight combined. You will either love this book like I did, or hate it.(less)

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Jul 11, 2011 Maria rated it 3 of 5 stars

Breena has always had dreams of fairies, of playing in the Summer Palace with two other children, and practicing the waltz with her intended. But that's all they are, dreams, right? She begins to question that when she starts seeing fairies. Than being attacked by a pixie and to top it off being kidnapped by a Winter Prince she only knew existed in her dreams.

I couldn't wait to start reading Bitter Frost after I read the summary. At first it was really good, Breena had such vivid descriptions...more

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Apr 02, 2011 Kris rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, urban-fantasy

On the heels of reading Julia Kagawa's wonderful trilogy I can't help but feel that this story falls quite flat. It is short, very similar to the Iron Fey trilogy as mentioned above (though I suppose that is to be expected as many faerie stories have similarities), and has simple writing that I tended to gloss over in the hopes that the plot would finally get somewhere - or even get me invested in reading further into this world. It didn't.

While knowing full well that this is a young adult book...more On the heels of reading Julia Kagawa's wonderful trilogy I can't help but feel that this story falls quite flat. It is short, very similar to the Iron Fey trilogy as mentioned above (though I suppose that is to be expected as many faerie stories have similarities), and has simple writing that I tended to gloss over in the hopes that the plot would finally get somewhere - or even get me invested in reading further into this world. It didn't.

While knowing full well that this is a young adult book before I even started on page one I was surprised by how young a readership this story caters to. I might have read something on that same level in elementary school. The plot felt very rushed as if we, the readers, needed to get to the point quickly. And quickly it was set up; there we have the fae princess who doesn't know she is fae nor a princess of the Summer Realm. And here her best guy friend who happens to be magical in some capacity (in this instance a werewolf) who has watched over her grow up and has quietly fallen in love with her. Oh, and don't forget her dashing and debonair winter prince who was betrothed to her at a young age. Sadly, court politics made that betrothal null and void but their love is so strong - it is so encompassing - that I am sure they will find a way to be happily together for this is a fairy tale, after all.

This world is not rich and full of creatively nuanced writing that led the reader breathless from page to page. The characters feel two-dimensional and I am not emotionally invested in them at all. The story was ridiculously short - more a novella than a novel. I can't that that for sure I will pick up the next book, but perhaps if I am bored on a rainy day. Perhaps.

With all of that said, this is not a bad book. It's not. I'd just recommend it for someone who wants a simple story with simple characters and easy plot twists. Perhaps for someone who doesn't really like to read at all or a much younger audience that is slowly working their way up the fairy stories until they can start reading something a bit more heavy with emotional depth and far more pages to get there.(less)

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Jan 07, 2011 Isis rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Teenaged girls

Shelves: 2011-reads

Bitter Frost is a good book and a great opening to the Frost series. I liked meeting Breena, Kian, and Logan, and I enjoyed learning about part of their journey in Feyland.

Breena is an average girl, but not in a way that would annoy the reader. She's smart, has an imagination, and she's definitely not helpless. She grows up very quickly on her 16th birthday, after things happen that move the story along.

Kian is interesting, and I felt like he was less "real" than Breena or Logan. He's a fae prin...more Bitter Frost is a good book and a great opening to the Frost series. I liked meeting Breena, Kian, and Logan, and I enjoyed learning about part of their journey in Feyland.

Breena is an average girl, but not in a way that would annoy the reader. She's smart, has an imagination, and she's definitely not helpless. She grows up very quickly on her 16th birthday, after things happen that move the story along.

Kian is interesting, and I felt like he was less "real" than Breena or Logan. He's a fae prince, and when he first met Breena as a teenager, he was cold to her, then quickly grows fond of her until he loves her again (prior to the story taking place, they were betrothed). Kian's attitude changes felt a little false to me because it felt like he was flipping a coin to determine how he would act at certain points in the story.

Logan is more interesting to me, and I feel like he could be a better hero for Breena than Kian in many ways. First, Logan has grown up with Breena in the mortal realm. He's her best friend, so he knows her very well. However, he has a secret that Breena only learns after they arrive in Feyland. However, he never fails to be protective of his friend, and I think that's one of his best characteristics.

The plot of Bitter Frost is somewhat of a cliché because at the core of the story is the stereotypical love triangle. I do like the use of Feyland and the imagery-filled descriptions of it, which add to the story but don't overtake the plot at any time. I enjoy how brave Breena, Kian, and Logan are, and how it is apparent to older readers that they're reacting as people their age would. It gives the story more credibility and will help teen readers to feel involved with it.

Overall, I'd highly recommend this story for a YA crowd, especially teenaged readers. I think it's an easy, shorter read that will probably have teen girls swooning over Kian and Logan, which will cause them to want to read more.

Personally, I give the story 4 stars out of 5 for keeping me involved and entertained, as well as making me interested in the plights of the three lead characters.(less)

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Dec 29, 2010 Karissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

I should start by saying that I got this book because of the pretty cover and the fairy premise; for $4.99 is looked like a steal and had excellent reviews. I had recently read both of Julie Kagawa's Iron Daughter books and was in the mood for more fairy court drama. This book was okay; it could have been great and it did start out really good. As the book went on though it lost depth and characters started sounding awkward and bored with themselves. Also it should be noted that this is a very s...more I should start by saying that I got this book because of the pretty cover and the fairy premise; for $4.99 is looked like a steal and had excellent reviews. I had recently read both of Julie Kagawa's Iron Daughter books and was in the mood for more fairy court drama. This book was okay; it could have been great and it did start out really good. As the book went on though it lost depth and characters started sounding awkward and bored with themselves. Also it should be noted that this is a very short book; took just over an hour to read it.

Breena dreams nightly about a fairy court and a lovely fairy prince. It isn't until a boy disappears near her school and is found with human looking bites all over his body that she starts to fear there is more to her world than she knew. Then one night Breena is attacked by a Pixie, saved by a Fairy Prince named Kian, and forced into the fairy realm that she had before only dreamed about.

This book started off wonderfully; beautiful descriptions, a tough and fun heroine. As with a lot of these teen books there was a love triangle of sorts; Logan is Breena's protector and is a werewolf, Kian is Breena's fairy prince from long ago. Kian is a wonderful hero; beautiful, moody, honorable. The fairy courts are interesting, but after the first half of the book things began to decline.

For some reason about half-way through the book I just felt like things started to fizzle out, which is weird because that is when the action really picks up. Breena looses her personality and becomes this generic fairy princess; she looses a lot of spunkiness and kind of wanders around whereever people put her. All of the characters seem to loose their passion and become more like 2D figures being pushed through the pages. The dialogue was forced sounding and a bit stilted, it just didn't sound natural. In general the writing just seemed less polished and a bit immature.

There weren't really any surprises in the story it was very predictable and the world Gow created didn't add a lot of creativity to the fairy worlds I've read about before. Through the whole book I kept thinking...hmmm...this plot is a lot like The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa only 2D and not nearly as well written.

The book is very short, I read this on Kindle, and it took me maybe an hour to read. It also ends literally in the middle of a scene which kind of irks me. Of course I am sucker, so I bought the second book, Forever Frost, on Kindle because I just want to see what happens (and it was cheap). If the 2nd book is written like the first half of this book it will be great; if it is written like the second half I will be banging my head against a wall.

Overall an okay book if you are a fan of young adult fairy books. There are a number of series out there which are way better than this one though. I would recommend the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr (not my favorite but still better than this one), The Iron Daughter series by Julie Kagawa (absolutely one of the best fairy series I have read ever), A Modern Fairy Tale by Holly Black, and Theatre Illuminata by Lisa Mantchev. All of these are better young adult series featuring fairies. If you have made it though all of those and need a quick read, then for the price, this book is worth it. It is okay and somewhat entertaining; I hope that the second book is better.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 16, 2010 Kim Sun rated it 5 of 5 stars

I picked up Bitter Frost after reading Gow's Pulse series. From the start, the fey world is presented in lyrical beautiful writing. Gow's style is such that her writing characterize the world, the action, and the emotional state of the protagonist. She has the style of Maggie Stiefvater, Ally Condie, and even Hemingway or Steinbeck. Bitter Frost and Forever Frost demonstrates this further. Having read Forever Frost, the second book in this series, I am convinced this series gets better and bette...more

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Dec 11, 2010 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

I would say this book is about a 3.5/5*. I only say that and not give it anything higher because the book was so short.

Even though the book was short I believe it still executed the story really well.

The story starts off on Breena's 16th birthday. For as long as she can remember she has always dreamed about fairies and pixies and a place called "Feyland". The dreams would often leave her thinking about them long after she has woken up and she would end up doing paintings of parts of the dreams...more

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Aug 27, 2010 Doreen Mather rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, teens, bookclub, discussion-sheet, teen-social-issues, urban-fantasy, teen-romance, clean-teen-romance, recommended-for-reluctant-readers, library-pick

Bitter Frost is one of those books that leave you wishing you can live in another world, if only just for a day. Like the film Avatar, I was transported to a world vivid with imagery of all senses. You can see, feel, smell, taste, and touch Feyland. An appropriate-sized book for the teen market (length is similar to Gossip Girl books), teenage readers, especially reluctant readers will have no problem picking up this book and finishing it quickly. The writing, the story, the action, and characte...more

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Jun 09, 2010 Theresa rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, series, review-copy, teen, young-adult

Imagine dreaming about the same place and same people every night when you go to sleep. Then, when you turn 16, you find that the dream wasn't merely a dream, but a reality - a place where you have been, and a place you have no choice but to return to. What a great start to the perfect fantasy... Or is it?

This is my first novel by Kailin Gow and I promise it won't be the last! She has a wonderful way of capturing the reader from the start and easily transports them to an interesting and fascinat...more

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Apr 20, 2013 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

it took a little bit to get into this story, it didnt catch me at first... it was very short, but pretty informative...

we have a human named breena, who all her life she felt like she didnt belong where she was... and every night when she slept she dreamt of a beautiful land and a handsome boy who she knew as her intended... first she sees them as children dancing to the most beautiful music she has ever heard. then something happens and the peace is broken and someone is yelling its because of...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Garnett Krimson rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book is a fail.

1.It was so cliche I wanted to rip my hair out, mean girls, hot best friend who is on love with girl...really? And finally guy who she falls in love with immediately, even when he is holding her captive.(Julia Kawaga makes this work with strong characters and a sound plot.)

2.Kain, the winter prince falls for her immediatetly as well even though he is supposed to be this stoic, cold guy who is bringing her back to his mother. He was the typical Winter prince for the first few...more

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Feb 24, 2011 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars
So I have to say, I liked the story, and I liked the plot line. But the thing that disappointed me was how choppy the story was. There wasn't much introduction into the characters before you are suddenly thrust into the main plot. Sometimes it's a good thing, but in this case it's so rushed. Breena is a likable character who of course is secretly loved by her best friend Logan. Her mother is suddenly "gone on a business trip" on her 16th birthday and that's all that's said about it. And...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Fallon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fae, kindle, paranormal, pnr, series, werewolves, young-adult

First I want to start with "Bitter Frost", this is a novella and a really quick read. In print the whole book is 254 pages most of which is indeed Bitter Frost. I know some people would classify this as full length, but to each his own. I really enjoyed this story, the author is writing based on a Danish version of the Snow Queen and Jack Frost, so we have some old mythology to fall back on and give this some more substance. I liked the writers style, she wasn't over the top with her teenage-ism...more

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Jul 21, 2010 Nic rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, young-adult, paranormal-romance, fae

Hmmm... this book was okay. When I first started reading it kind of reminded me of one of my favourite fae books but not in a good way.

It is the story of Breena who is not very popular, she loves art and has always had a connection with the woods. She lives with her mother and has never known her father. She has only one friend, the gorgeous Logan. All her life she has dreamed about fairies especially a fairy prince named Kian. On her 16th birthday she start seeing fairies in the woods near her...more

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Aug 31, 2010 Shawna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fairy, mother-daughter-book-club, discussion-sheet

Before reviewing Bitter Frost, I had to take a look at the discussion questions for teens which were provided for Bitter Frost. First of all, I appreciate Gow providing these questions, and I can see how Bitter Frost's story is used to bring up the topics. I especially liked the question on whether you see Breena as a role model. What qualities do you like about her?

Bitter Frost is about Breena who seems like any teenage girl. She seems confident, but she's also insecure, especially when it come...more

6 likes · like · see review

Sep 01, 2010 Brooke Kang rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: to-review, young-adult, paranormal-romance, author-i-ll-read-again

Besides friends recommending this book to me, I wanted to read it because of the author's guest post. She mentioned this book series is about the Winter fairies. She also mentioned The Frost Series is a prequel series to another series. I'm highly intrigued by that! I know there has always been conflict between Winter and Summer fairies since time began. Look at all the fairy tales, even cartoons about fairies, Winter and Summer are always in conflict with each other. It's interesting this serie...more

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Jun 22, 2010 Kristina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fairy fans...this one is for you! I'm so happy that I had the opportunity to review this book!
Kailin writes beautifully and weaves a magical tale that you won't forget. Yes, it reminded me of other fairie stories I've read, but all of them remind me of each other as I think the basic research is the same. Bitter Frost had so many elements that I did find unique; I don't want to spoil the story so I'll just say that there are way more than fairies that go to and fro.
I loved these characters; Kail...more

11 likes · like · see review

Jan 12, 2011 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

A fast read. The characters really suck you in and you want to see more of the romance between Breena and Kian. At first I thought Kian was heartless but as you progress in the story you see that his attitude is just a product of his experiences and still has love for Breena hidden deep within. Loved this book and am so excited to see what happens in the next one. I have a feeling that Mrs. Gow will be the next it author.

2 likes · like · see review

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About Kailin Gow

Kailin Gow uses her author platform to bring awareness to issues affecting young adult and women. She has appeared on national radio as a regular guest on topics such as body image, self-esteem, dating and sexual relationships, bullying, and more; often brought up in her fiction books for young adults and women.

She is a graduate of the Annenberg School for Communications Masters in Management pro...more

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Saving You, Saving Me (You & Me Trilogy, #1)

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“My father laughed. "The magic of Summer," he said, "is unlike anything else. Imagine life, fertility, laughter, joy, ripening fruits and the smell of fresh bread baking in the morning. That is Summer magic."
Forever Frost (Frost Series 2)” — 12 people liked it

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