[ARC Review] Omen of Ice by Jus Accardo

Publisher's synopsis: Keltania Tunne has spent her whole life training to become a bodyguard for a Winter Fae. It’s the highest of honors for a druid…only when Tania arrives at the Winter Court for the first time, nothing is what she expected.

Her assignment is the heir to the throne, Valen, and he doesn’t want her protection. In fact, he wants her gone. Yesterday. But Tania will not compromise, even if he is the most arrogant jackass she’s ever met—because something isn’t right in the Winter Court.

Everyone has secrets. From the Winter Lord to the kitchen maids to the rising faction that wants the prince dead—no one is who they seem. And now it’s up to Tania to keep her sacred oath and protect Valen, even when his smart mouth makes her skate the razor-thin edge between love and hate.

But the more she gets to know him, the more she realizes his secret is the biggest of all—and might just get them both killed.  

My thoughts: Omen of Ice was an adventure from the first page to the last, and I'm already counting down the days until we get more of their story. Between the action, adventure, revelations, and budding romance, this book will resonate with any YA fae fan. 

I loved the relationship between Tania and Valen; she was just doing her duty, the thing she's been training for all her life, and he wanted nothing to do with it. That immediate back and forth between our main characters set the stage for so much tension and drama throughout their journey, and I definitely lived for every second of it. 

I loved the importance of both the main characters, especially as the story evolved and their true roles among the Winter Court were revealed. As a YA book, the tension between Valen and Tania was definitely strong - and even accepted and discussed - but not acted upon. The back and forth between these two ran the gamut from anger to flirtation, very reminiscent of other popular YA fae main characters, but Accardo gave these two plenty to make them unique. Omen of Ice was an exciting reminder of why I enjoy YA even when I'm well past the intended age range. 

Omen of Ice is a must-read for fans of fae. With a fantastic relationship between main characters, an unforgettable supporting cast, and twists that will make you eager for more, this book was an exciting ride from start to finish. 

[A huge thank you to Brittany Z at Entangled Publishing for providing an advanced copy of Omen of Ice for review. All opinions are my own!]

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Release date: 8/1/23

Format: eARC

eARC provided via: the publisher/NetGalley widget