A Reflection of Ice

by Katherine McIntyre

Lyra plunges into the woods for refuge, leaving the discovery of her stepmother’s affair and the woman’s ensuing rage back at the trailer park. However, a mysterious ringing in the forest leads her to a different sort of sanctuary, a castle of ice with a lonely prince living in his solitary kingdom.

While the castle holds haunting ballrooms, vast gardens, and rooms filled with more treasures than a museum, the cobwebs in dark corners whisper a different story. The longer she stays, the more she yearns to return to her rusty old home. Yet once she uncovers the secret of the ice prince in his castle, if she doesn’t find a way to escape soon, she never will.

Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy

ebook

First published March 27, 2018

About the author

Geeky Queer Romance.

Katherine McIntyre is feisty with a big attitude despite their short stature. They write stories featuring snarky women, ragtag crews, and men with bad attitudes—high chance for a passionate speech thrown into the mix. As a genderqueer geek who’s always stepped to their own beat, they've made it their mission to write stories that represent the broad spectrum of people out there. Easily distracted by cats and sugar.

Reviews

[Erika P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, haunting, and vividly told. Entranced from the beginning and got lost in the words. An intoxicating escape desperately needed at the time it was read. I thank the Author for providing a copy to review!!

~~~Erika, Book Haven Book Blog

[Gypsy Madden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written, and highly descriptive, bringing to life the haunting castle and the rundown trailer life, and the bleakness of the snow swirling around outside. I wasn’t a fan of trailer park life in general, so that did leave a bad taste in my mouth (especially when she kept bringing up her trailer park life over and over), not to mention that it feels highly stereotyped to be that level of rummy. And what was going on in the castle, too, was obvious right from the moment she stepped into the ballroom. (I’ve read that story before somewhere. … I know there was a scene exactly like that in the first Percy Jackson book). I did love Moro as a character, though I wished he had been broadened with more history and personality (and more dialogue than just showing her around the place). The cover is rather misleading since there isn't a point in the story where she is wearing a dress like that (but yet it shows up in two versions of the cover). I did love the last quarter of the book where Lyra re-evaluated her life and put things into perspective, and took control of things. In all, it was a fun read, even though it didn’t have the romance I wanted. It still had plenty of mystery, thrill, adventure, and fairyland fantasy with a dark edge.

[Einar Mercier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything you love about Katherine McIntyre's paranormal fiction is contained in, "A Reflection of Ice," but with a newfound grit that brings the opening pages of her newest novel to life with adversity that is relatable to the reader and a reality so textured that it puts you over the shoulder of the heroine on an unforgettable adventure between worlds.

Forgoing her well-loved plot devices, the author instead writes a character-centric fiction with a slow-building forboding that captures a tension so difficult to write and so easy for the reader to become immersed in. Her ethereal descriptions fall somewhere between J.R.R. Tolkien and C.J. Cherryh, combining the best of both to create a paranormal much more aligned to old world legends than the softened versions popularized in modern fiction.

Whether you are an enduring fan of Katherine McIntyre, a lover of paranormal fiction, or one who longs for a story more Grimm than Disney, "A Reflection of Ice" is the perfect afternoon read.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. It’s definitely not in the realm of what I typically read, but it was really well done and intriguing so it really caught my attention.

First off, it’s a YA. I don’t recall ever coming across the characters age, just that she’s in school and lives with her parents. However, she’s a great character with a healthy amount of skepticism due to a rocky background. Which I loved, because this girl enters into this crazy ice castle situation and actually uses her head in the way we all scream at horror film characters to do.

It was awesome, with a hint of darkness thrown in there. I was really not expecting the turn the story line went in with Moro, but I seriously thought it was so well crafted and entirely unique.

Definitely recommend!

[Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fairy tale? Absolutely, but not the fluffy, everything's sunshine and roses kind. This wonderfully written fantasy is dark and gritty with a building tension reminiscent of The Brothers Grimm. The story opens with Lyra running away from her less than ideal circumstances and finding refuge in a mysterious ice castle. With a growing list of things that aren't quite right, Lyra realizes that she may have run into more trouble than she was running from. From start to finish, I couldn't put this one down and would readily recommend it to anyone who enjoys a bit of the dark and eerie in their fairy tales.

[Brandi Brooks-Bemiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lyra's loneliness is something many young people can relate to. Especially since you don't have to be alone to be lonely. But, this "chilling" story has you cheering for the protagonist. The writer's ability to color a scene well enough to envision the smallest detail was a wonderful way to help propel the reader to the imaginary land. A quick read full of the strains of reality, the wonder of fantasy and how those two realms seem to exist simultaneously.

[Tiffany Ransier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love fairy-tale stories but this one is different than ones I’ve previously read, but it’s a good thing! I like that it was darker. Lyra was the perfect heroine for this story and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. I read this one within a day and I can’t wait to read more from this author! (Why did I take so dang long to read this)

I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.

[Scarolet Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Reflection of Ice by Katherine McIntyre is a wonderful fairy tale to read. This is a dark fairy tale but I love how it is writen and I can not get enough of this story or author. I can not wait to see what the author writes next and I highly recommend this story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

She has run from the trailer park into the woods after learning any if her step mother affair. She goes through the woods and finds herself in a strange ice kingdom where she learns about a lonely prince in a palace. Why is he all alone?See what she will learn

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lindsey Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick and creepy story full of suspense. I really enjoyed it. I love the author's use of description, it was written beautifully. I just wish we knew more about the castle and how it came to be. Also wish we knew Moro's story. But otherwise it kept me on the edge of my seat and I didn't see what was coming next.

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short but very enjoyable read! Quite the eerie setting, that’s for sure. I enjoyed how the story was described and the characters, and how our young protagonist learns some vital life lessons along the way.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

There just aren't enough good Bluebeard retellings! I really enjoyed this one! Lyra kept her head on her shoulders and trusted her instincts. I wonder what other sort of adventures Katherine McIntyre can come up with!

[Janice perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story. I liked it.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story! Lyra runs away from a bad situation at home and finds an ice castle. Whether the situation is better is soon to be found out. A definite keep on reading type of story.

[Merissa (Archaeolibrarian) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Reflection of Ice is a contemporary, urban, fairy-tale suited more to the Brothers Grimm than Disney! Lyra is a young girl at school, struggling with issues in her home life. When she arrives home earlier than expected one day, she sees something she shouldn't and ends up fleeing. During her escape, she finds somewhere new and shiny (literally). Exhausted from her escape, she is rescued and taken into the home. Once she awakens, she finds out she is in between. She has a choice to make - stay in the castle that has sheltered her and kept her safe, or return to her broken family life and home in the 'real' world?

This is a gripping, enthralling read that would seamlessly fit with stories of old; where fairy tales were meant as warnings, not as glitter-covered cupcakes. The descriptions in this story give the whole thing a feeling of foreboding, an eeriness guaranteed to seep into your veins as you read. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and I read this book in one sitting as I did not want to put it down. An amazing story from a brilliant author. This is another jewel in the crown of Katherine McIntyre. Absolutely recommended by me.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 12, 2018

[Berzerkertiki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all of the author's works up to this point, and I will say without a shadow of a doubt that Reflections of Ice was a beautiful culmination of this author's talent. While the usual snark that has been a large presence of Katherine's work in mostly absent, the author's poetry roots take that place and really shine beautifully here in her prose and blend perfectly with the world building seen in places like the "Philadelphia Coven Chronicles" and the "Take of the Skies" series.

If you have previously read her book "Soul Solution", which is her take on the fairy tail "A String of Pearls", you are already aware of her ability to shape new twists on classic stories. "A Reflection of Ice" does something somewhat similar here with another classic story, but saying that may give things away, so I will refrain from stating which.

This is a quick read, not because of length, but due to the wonderfully creepy tone that hooks you quickly making this impossible to put down. For those of you who love The Brothers Grimm, or classic fairy tales, this one is definitely for you!

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lyra's home life sucks..her dad has a gf who is nasty and while hes away Lyra's life sucks... one day while fleeing her dad gf to comes across an ice castle.. inside she is not sure what to make of the place but she has two choices to stay or to go... This story had a good story line but I would of liked more about how the castle started

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 3 out of 5]

“A Reflection of Ice” is not a romance: there is no kissing, hugging, HEA, or romantic overtures.

Read full review in the 2018 July Aug issue of InD'tale Magazine.