Kingdom Cold
By Brittni Chenelle
Expected publication: February 14, 2019
Why I chose this book:
I came across this book in a Goodreads group I'm in, and it sounded like just the thing I was in the mood for. A review copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Review
It was the tagline that got me: "Should she save her kingdom or her heart? One must fall." Kingdom Cold is an exercise in writing a multicultural fantasy adventure of Murphy's law.
Princess Charlotte jumps from one disaster to another: her kingdom is under attack from multiple sides, her hand promised to different men, and her confidence betrayed by her closest confidantes. Chenelle executes her task of moving Charlotte out of the frying pan and into the fire with precision and talent. Each catastrophe flows smoothly and believably (well, given the genre) to the next, giving the reader a rush of adrenaline normally reserved for those race and chase scenes in The Fast and the Furious movies. And Chenelle hasn't forgotten the importance of world building amid all that action. With a unique blend of her own fantasy, our world's geography, and Arthurian legend, she constructs a cosmos that is simultaneously familiar and completely new. Kingdom Cold's western Princess Charlotte, who has "a brown skin tone," is initially betrothed to eastern Prince Young who usually wears "loose, soft-flowing fabrics" and bows in greeting. Familiar differences between east and west, a cross necklace worn by Charlotte's attendant, and references to the sword in the stone give the reader an impression that they know this world, but the distinctive characters and thrilling plot let you know that this is something altogether its own.
Kingdom Cold is a unique blend of reality, fantasy, and exhilaration.
I would like to note that I'm not sure how I feel about finishing this book. I read almost all of it in one sitting. Loved it. Couldn't put it down. And now it's done. And I'm crabby about that.
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