A fantastic sequel to Heir to Thorn and Flame.

Frost and Storm's plot is action-packed - sometimes a little too fast paced to be honest. I felt like the Claim in itself could have been a full book, and I'd have loved to see more of Dayn's character. I love a training montage, and Maximus' training with Leska could have been fantastic development for them both in the run up to the Claim. I enjoyed it, as it was, but I would have loved some more build up. It was great to see some more depth to the characters - we learn a lot more about the motivations of Leska, Beatrice, the rebels, Camron and Leia and it really helps cement those characters as people in Maximus' world.

The Camron, Simion and Maximus love triangle continues as Maximus finally confront his feelings for them both. We get a little more of Camron's backstory following his rapid character shift in book 1, and book 2 does a much better job of showing the conflict in Max as he tries to untangle his feelings around Camron and his book 1 betrayals. I hope we continue to see this as the series progresses, as it really showcases the humanity and ordinariness of Max. He doesn't always know his path, or understand his feelings and this is a refreshing change for a fantasy hero, as he tries to understand his place in the world.

I absolutely love the Phoenix depiction. The mythology of the phoenixes and the fire plague in book 1 were a unique take on the creature, and it continues to develop into a full rounded history and mythology. The addition of the Naiads in book 2, and the confirmation of the 4 gods (Naiad, Dryad, Dragon and Phoenix) origins was great. Looking forward to what comes next!

Thanks to Second Sky, Ben Alderson and NetGalley for the chance to read an advance copy in exchange for an independent review.

Okay the only words I can currently form for this book are

oooooh daaaaaaym

I.did.not.see.that.coming

Definitely not falling prey to the 'second book syndrome' we see in so many fantasy trilogies, Ben Alderson has built up his characters and the narrative wonderfully in Heir to Frost & Storm.

I loved Max in this book. Where the first book didn't give Max much space to grow, he definitely made up for it in this book, he was strong but vulnerable and the relationship between him and Simion was cute but not too overwhelming, making it feel more of a side quest than the main story which I liked.

This book also gave us more dragons which I'm here for (but definitely needs exploring more in book 3?). There were some moments that I felt too much was being introduced but it all made sense the further through that I read.

I guess I'll just be waiting here for book three ...

** This eARC was received in exchange for an honest review and I am grateful for the opportunity **

rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️'s

To be honest, it took me a really long time to read this book. I was busy with university, but even then, it still took me forever.

But, I think Ben Alderson still did a good job with this book. It was sexy, angsty, and overall still a ride. Though, it really does feel like there's just so much going on and the plots are completely different between the books. I'd say some of my original criticism from the first book could apply here.

Apologies for a small review, I can't say my thoughts are as collected as possible due to my strenuous activies in college. Regardless, do check out this sequel and hopefully you have a great time with it!

Happy reading!

usually when you get to the second book you understand whether a saga is worth reading or not. In this case Ben Alderson did a great job. The evolution of the characters is perfect, the story has no shortage of twists and turns and the author manages to involve the reader and you can barely tear yourself away from the pages.

I really loved everything! I can't wait to read the next book and know how the story ends.

Heir to Frost and Storm really cured my fourth Wing hangover.

Ben Alderson's sequel Heir to Thorn and Flame is absolutely amazing. Max is struggling in the north. No one trusts and the two people who do trust him. He is continuously learning about his mage powers and preparing for the dragon trials.

I cannot wait to read the third book. The cliffhanger at the end of this book is killing me.

Why this book is amazing:
~single pov
~DRAGONS
~slowburn
~bestfriends brother
~forbidden love
~redemption arc
~dragon rider
~magic

Thank you so much, Ben Alderson, Second Sky, and NetGalley for the opportunity to arc-read this book in exchange for an honest review.

BEN ALDERSON DID IT AGAIN!

Heir to Frost and Storm is the sequel to one of my other favorite books of 2023, Heir to Thron and Flame. A book you absolutely need to read. This sequel was one I was begging for and Ben Alderson delivered in the best way!

This story picks up just about right where the previous book ended. Max is training at the Saylam Academy working to get stronger and master more of his powers. When an opportunity arises for him to enter into a dangerous trial to potentially bond with a dragon, he decides to enter. The results of this competition give him a dark understanding of the world around him. What happens next is pure wildfire as it rushes to the climax of the novel.

Ben Alderson writes thrilling fantasy, dark and steamy romances, and great magic systems. His writing is so vibrant and fun, while also building suspense and keeping the stakes high enough that you feel like you have to know what is going on. I loved this story and I know readers are going to love this as well. If you loved Heir to Thorn and Flame then this novel is going to satiate every thirst that was given to you in Book 1. This series has quickly become one of my favorite series and if you haven't started it.... GET TO IT!! :)


Now I just desperately need Book 3. (If you haven't already seen the cover, you're missing out!!) Check out this book and the rest of this amazing series by Ben Alderson. You won't regret it!

Thank you NetGalley and Second Sky for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ben Alderson has done it again! This is the perfect second instalment to the Court of Broken Bonds Series, which is packed full of emotion, vulnerability, burning sexual tension and a thrilling plot.

Right off the bat, I am very impressed with this one. A very strong sequel, which I feel can be hit or miss with some fantasy series. The stakes are definitely higher. The writing has definitely improved. I loved all the new world building with the magic system and overall nature of this world. And the overarching themes of family and grief and doing what you can in the aftermath to feel whole again??? VERY nice!!

While just as violent and magical as before, I really appreciated the slower pacing of Frost and Storm compared to the first book. It really lets the reader settle back into this world and really sit in with Max and his emotions as trouble continues to brew below the surface. It felt more like a rollercoaster steadily creeping up an incline as you get into it before crashing back down into the wild last third of the book! Max really comes into his own here as a mage and I am so ready to see where he’s gonna go from here!!

Also I can’t talk about this without raving about Simion! He is my boy!! Simion just might be my favorite in this series. He compliments Max so we’ll as a partner. He is SO the definition of “ride or die” and I am so excited to see how their relationship is going to evolve in the next (and final) installment!

2/5

I really think that the author's writing style is just not for me. I have tried to read their other books, but I just cannot get into them. The premise is really great and I would love to be able to get into the story and dive deep into the world, but the style of writing takes away from the experience for me and I cannot finish.

If style doesn't bother you as much, than definitely check this out! I just could not get into the story because the style of the writing!

Cool premise and would probably listen to it on an audiobook if available!

The book opens after the events of the previous novel, Heir to thorn and flame which I would highly recommend you read that first. We see Max struggling with his grief and the secrets he's still keeping. People around him treat him with disdain and suspicion, so he enters The Claim to try and prove his worth. The moment he enters, things start to go wrong, and it turns into a battle for survival.

As I've said before, I don't read a lot of fantasy, so I wasn't sure what to expect with Heir to Frost and Storm, but I was pleasantly surprised. It's packed with the same magic, mystery and romance as the first but takes it to the next level building on the first book.

What I enjoyed about Heir to Frost and Storm was the twists and turns throughout. There were plenty of times where I thought the story would go one way, then went in a different direction. It really kept me on my toes.

Whew! The chemistry between Max and Simion was off the charts in this book. I liked the fact that even though there were plenty of steamy moments, there were also some tender moments to really show the deepening of their relationship.

All that being said, I felt the story started off slower than the first and took a little longer for me to really get into.

If you like your fantasy with dragons, magic, mystery and some spice thrown there too, I would highly recommend this series to you.

When I finished Heir to Thorn and Flame I was itching to read the next book in the series and Heir to Frost and Storm did not disappoint.

Max is currently doing his best to find his place in his new life, deal with secretes reveled in the previous story and protect his mother, all while dealing with his feelings for his bestie's brother Simion.

I enjoy having a protagonist that is both powerful but not afraid to be emotional and show how he cares about his friends and family. No toxic masculinity here! I'm enjoying Max and Simion's growling relationship and Leska turned out to be a surprisingly excellent character.

I loved learning more about the dragons in book 2, Max has such a soft heart for people and animals. Although the story did lag a bit in the middle the twist throughout were seriously so unexpected. Trust no one in this story!

This was a fun and exciting story with characters you love and care about, I can't wait to see where book 3 takes us!

Diving right back into Wycombe, this took me on an adventure. It was fun to learn about the dragon trials in this book. Danger lurked around every corner and it really unnerved me because literally nobody could be trusted. The twists were shocking and I loved the progression.

Max was amazing in this book. He was fierce, I loved that he was standing up for himself more. Then there was Simion, seeing more of him in this book was really awesome and it was great to learn more about him. The tightknit community Max is forming and the relationships that are blossoming.

At times I found the plot slower than Heir to Thorn & Flame, and I would have liked higher stakes during the dragon trials (yes I'm that chaotic 😂).

Eitherway, this was an epic instalment and I loved the plot progression. I highly recommend this series to anybody who wants to see mages in epic dragon battles. I now need book 3!

I definitely liked this one better than the first. The writing in book one felt a bit juvenile for an adult book, but I felt like the writing in this one had really improved. The plot picked up where book one left off and I did like that we jumped right back into the action.

I enjoyed the addition of dragons, but I wish they played a bigger role in the story. I feel like we just brushed the surface of them and I would have liked to know more about the connection between the Mages and the dragons.

I also feel like there was a lot going on and it felt a bit rushed in places. I would have liked the plots to be pared back a bit so that I could become more invested in what was happening.

I did like seeing Max and Simion's relationship grow more and Leska was a fun addition as a side character.

Overall, I think there was a lot of potential, but I just fell a bit short for me. There were parts that I really liked, but it was just an okay read for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Second Sky for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The first book in this series was the first Fantasy book I’d read in years and it was SO good that I’ve read lots of Fantasy books since and it really reignited my passion for this genre so I was over the moon to be invited to be in this Blog Tour.

In this instalment we see Maximus adjusting to his new life after the devastating events in the previous book, he feels hurt and really betrayed but also determined to do all the training that’s required of him to get as strong as he can but he’s keeping a secret.

SO much happened in this story, I could hardly keep up with all the twists and turns but I was fully immersed in this magical world, it would make a fantastic TV Series.

If you love a slow burn sizzling romance that’s set in an epic fantasy world then this book is for you and I can’t wait for book 3!

Ben Alderson has such a magical way with words. Both his character and world creation are beautiful. I felt every high, every low, every love and every heartbreak in this book.
The pace was quite slow to begin with but then the book rocketed into a fast pace and thrilling ride. I experienced so many emotions on this roller coaster of a ride I think I’m suffering from vertigo.

Max is a brilliantly written character who experiences guilt, anxiety and loss in such a relatable way it makes him more identifiable. His relationship with Simion is something I live for, despite the fact I was definitely team troubled prince, but I can’t wait to see how they progress in book 3.

Questions were answered. More questions arose. Problems were solved. More problems arose. There were twists and turns. Betrayal and deception. Love and loss.

If you love dragon trials, mages, elemental magic, m/m love interests and trust no one feels then I highly recommend this trilogy. If you don’t then just read them anyway because they’re incredible.

So I was actually given an e-arc of book 1 from netgalley. As soon as i finished it I was waiting on the edge of my seat for an sequel and Ben Alderson did not disappoint. I loved this so much. It was a little slower paced than book one for me. But I thought it worked well with the plot. I adore Max and Simion. Their dedication to each other is so sweet it could rot your teeth. I truly loved this so much! I need more Ben!

I was certain that I would put in a request for an advance copy of Heir to Frost and Storm since the jaw-dropping ending of Heir to Thorn and Flame (Book 1) concluded. I was curious about Ben's future trajectory after the shocking conclusion of Book 1, as it left me wondering what that could look like in Book 2.

To begin with, I must admit that Ben's writing captured my attention from the first line of Heir to Frost and Storm. He writes in a way that makes you feel as though you are actually in his world, and it is also rather simple to navigate and digest while you are reading. It's also worth mentioning that his writing style is engaging; there were times when I had to stay up to finish the next chapter because I was curious to learn more about how the story was going to keep on developing further.

A number of new characters are introduced in Book 2, which enables the plot to continue to advance and go in the right direction. I must admit that when more characters were introduced, the plot grew increasingly captivating, with unexpected turns that made me gasp so much. As a reader, you gradually begin to see the pattern as Ben has a way of alluding at specific points throughout Book 2.

It also needs to be mentioned that the characters that were first presented in Book 1 have, in my opinion, grown and evolved over the course of the narrative. You get to watch characters develop and make decisions that have an impact on other people as the story progresses.

Heir to Frost and Storm ended on yet another cliffhanger, which I kind of anticapted though. I'm looking forward to seeing how it continues in book 3. Also, the spice in this book is amplified a lot. I mean, in the first half, it was somewhat slow, but in the second and third parts, it got so hot that I could honestly feel it while reading! I give this book an overall rating of 4 stars out of 5 and a 3 out of 5 spice rating.

Thank you, NetGalley, Second Sky Books, and Ben Alderson, for giving me the opportunity to ARC read Book 2 in the Court of Broken Bond series. All opinions in this review are my own!

This felt like old school high fantasy in all of the most delightful ways possible, but with the added bonus of making it queer. Magic and smitten boys and overly-protective dragons and destinies to embrace or defy!

Following close on the heels of the tragic attack that killed his father and destroyed large swathes of his new home of Wycombe, Maximus Oaken is just trying to survive the fallout. No one in this new society trusts him except for Simion Hawthorne, and for some reason they can barely touch without it hurt Max - which should be impossible after he saw his husband die and end the ritual bond that forced them together, right? But worse, rebels continue to attack Wycombe and a burning plague is spreading up from his original home in the South, and it will soon hit a little too close to home right as Max is forced to abandon everything to adventure through the wilds in fierce competition of a dragon to call his own.

One of the greatest joys of following Ben Alderson's books from his earlier works to now is seeing how much he has grown as an author, and it is ever more apparent in Heir to Frost and Storm. I hesitate to call it a fun book, necessarily, because it hit on a few topics that felt a little close to home given the general state of the world over the past few years, but I meant it when I said that it felt like one of those old school fantasy books that we all grew up reading and adoring.
Max is the quintessential fantasy hero, born to a great destiny but raised from nothing and fighting to find his way in the world. My complaint about him in the first book was that he was largely too wishy-washy about his wants and feelings, so it was great to see him finally have things he wanted to achieve and protect and actually stand up for himself throughout the course of this book. He grows throughout the story and by the end, leading into the finale coming with book three, we can see a genuine fantasy hero rising.
Simion is just a precious bean of a character. I don't know how else to put it, y'all. He's sweet and needs to be protected at all costs. He's just the perfect fantasy love interest of old; magical and supportive and mostly just there to be good for Max. I'm excited to see where his story goes with the finale because he is fun.
Leska and Bea and all of the other secondary characters also get their time to shine in this book. As with book one, it's hard to know who to trust throughout the story because truths and alliances are constantly shifting, but I found it much less frustrating this time around because at least we had a set Big Bad from the very beginning. And it's fun seeing how it all ramps up to that reveal at the end, leading into the final book!

I'm genuinely excited to see where the next book goes (and with that stunning cover to boot!) and to see how Alderson continues to grow from here.

I love Ben Alderson's Darkmourn series, so I was really looking forward to this new series from him. Unlike Darkmourn, which was a series of stand alone stories, Court of Broken Bonds is a chronological series following the same characters. I enjoyed the first book and was eagerly awaiting the sequel, it did not disappoint.

Heir to Frost and Storm picks up where the first book ends. We continue to follow Max as he attempts to cope with the loss of his father (who wasn't really his father) and the truth of his mysterious birth. Add to that, the silver mark representing his bond to Cameron has not faded, despite watching him die, and his quiet pining for Simion, the gentle gleamer he can't stop thinking about. As ghost from his past continue to haunt him, and monsters from the South follow him North, Max has to decide who is friend and who is foe, and what side is he truly fighting for.

This series has been action packed, suspenseful, and utterly devastating at times (there was one death in this book that hit me hard, I'm sure some could figure out who's). It is also achingly romantic, with Max and Simion's slow-burn relationship beginning to heat up, despite all the obstacles in their way.

Heir to Frost and Storm was an entertaining sequel and I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

Heir to Frost and Storm picks up a little after the end of book one and takes its time with the events for about 300 pages and then picks up the pace a little at the end.

I can't say that book one was special to my tastes, but it kept me up enough to want to know where book two would take things to. But book two, while some chapters towards the were a little more exciting, just had me questioning if I liked fantasy or not.

I still like fantasy, and this was a fun read, but it just made me realise that Alderson's writing isn't for me. The story and the characters have a very early 2010s fantasy feeling to them, and it doesn't fit me anymore. But I really like the queernormative world despite all. But Max felt like a classic fantasy main character, despite me liking his traits in book one, and it stopped feeling enjoyable to me. Simion was great, but I didn't see much the connection between them in the first half of book one, and this time, it didn't feel as strong either.

I could guess certain events by the end of book one, and it took 150 pages for the characters to think of the possibility and another 150 to actually do something about it. The book dragged out a little too much. I don't feel excited enough to read book 3 as I was burnt out by the mid point of book two.