The Frost Eater

The Magic Eaters, Trilogy Book 1

By: Carol Beth Anderson

Narrated by: Carol Beth Anderson

A lonely princess.

A flying teen.

A kidnapped girl who only remembers what happens at night.

Seventeen-year-old Princess Nora is a frost eater who creates magical ice. Her royal life is luxurious but stifling.

Krey West has a rare magical talent: when he eats feathers, he can fly. His one goal is to find his missing girlfriend, Zeisha. He thinks someone in power abducted her.

Krey’s daring feats of magic earn him an invitation to the palace. Craving adventure and friendship, Nora offers to help him find Zeisha. He’s desperate enough to accept - though he hates the monarchy.

The truth is more terrible than they could imagine.

Every night, Zeisha wakes in a dark room full of sleeping people, unable to remember what she did in the light. Her dreams provide violent glimpses into her forgotten days.

If Krey and Nora can’t save her, Zeisha may lose herself forever.

Readers describe this post-apocalyptic fantasy novel as “magic-packed” with “action, romance, and intrigue” that’ll “pull you right into the pages.”

Sink your teeth into The Frost Eater today.

©2020 Carol Beth Anderson (P)2020 Carol Beth Anderson

Outstanding! One of the best books I’ve read in months.

The world building, the characters, & the details were all incredibly engaging. I became easily immersed in the story from the very first lines. It was written with finesse that is often lacking in 4-star books, taking you seamlessly over the falls of suspense without too much turbulent foreshadowing giving the game away. I’m putting this one up there with Brandon Sanderson for how eagerly I await the next book to continue on the adventure & to see how these characters develop even farther. Well done!

Really enjoyable

The first thing I really liked about this novel was the post-apocalyptic world that was both magical and fantasy driven. The characters were very well done and relatable, with all the elements you hope for including young romance, figuring out where you belong in the world, and dealing with the emotions that come with making major decisions. I also loved the animals and their role in the world. This book was an exciting adventure and I would highly recommend to YA readers. I was given this book in exchange for an honest review, but my thoughts are entirely my own.

Magical and Adventurous

I loved this unique story filled with magical people who have to eat substance to fuel their magic, a planet trying to recover from a past of near annihilation, a princess craving adventure and friendship, secrets that are threatening to tear a kingdom apart, and unique creatures. This story kept my attention to the very end! Full of adventure, danger,love,loss,friendships, and secrets that will leave you reeling! The narrator was enjoyable!

Amazing

I recieved this as an audiobook free and my review is voluntary. This book was full of suspense and a wonderful story. It was something unexpected and great. I couldn't put it down.

Is this a Kissing Book? - Frosteater & Mistborn

Ok, with a title like that for my review, I’d better explain pretty quick, lest I lose the young Fred Savages out there.

YES. There is kissing in this book. More detailed than the likes of the young Fred being read to than the old Peter Falk might enjoy. But – in the spirit of The Princess Bride – There’s so much more – Fencing (come to think of it, might not be fencing in Frost Eater), fighting, torture, revenge, giants (no giants either), monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles… and of course… MAGIC! Unlike Goldman’s retelling of S. Morgenstern’s The Princess Bride however, neither of these books are really any kind of satire.

Very shortly after I started listening to the Frost Eater, I was struck by a couple of similarities to Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. (I recently listened to that one too, and in a sense this is kind of my review of it as well). There are a few things that Ms. Anderson may have learned very well from the modern master of fantasy that she handles just as well as he does. Sanderson is a stickler for having “systems” of magic, and the Magic Eaters trilogy most certainly nails that. Without giving away too much of the plot – said magic eaters obtain their “fuel” for their magical abilities by eating a physical variety of the powers that they exhibit/can call upon, not entirely unlike the Allomantic Metals of the Mistborn series, in that they can run out of fuel for example, and not every magic eater is of the same type. There were a couple of other similarities to Mistborn that struck me too: There was something that happened in the past (200 years in Magic Eaters, 1000 years in Mistborn) that in part brought about the magical society they are now involved in. Also, both books have a very well written heroine as the main character. Also, like Mistborn, each chapter begins with an excerpt from an old diary / memoir that sets the tone for each chapter. There are other similarities further in the book as well, but I don’t want to divulge them for fear of spoiling one or the other stories for the uninitiated.

Do I think this is a copy of Mistborn? No. Similar, but it’s also very much its own well thought out thing, with unique characters, unexpected plot turns, unknown back elements pulling strings we don’t yet find out fully in this book, and so forth. I DO think anyone who likes Mistborn would like this book. And vice versa.

The differences – That’s where “is this a kissing book” comes in. The main characters – In Mistborn – Vinn is a street rat with enormous abilities she’s just discovering; Kelsier serves as her mentor – older, wiser etc. In the Frost Eater – Nora is a princess who has had life handed to her on a silver platter; Krey West serves as a much younger Kelsier, but exceedingly talented mentor with a chip on his shoulder for Nora. In my view, the differences in the main 2 characters from both of these books is what sets them apart from each other the most. Both Vinn & Nora are discovering who they are – in a surprisingly perpendicular fashion – Vinn has to live as an aristocrat, and Nora as a street rat (slight spoilers, but not much). Likewise, Both Kelsier & Krey are motivated by their love for their parted soul mate. The difference being that Krey’s is still alive & he’s determined to rescue her – which is the main driving force behind the whole plot of The Frost Eater. The Frost Eater is geared to a slightly younger audience probably as both Krey and Nora are teens, and as teens are hormonal. Ms. Anderson’s writing of the “kissing scenes” is very tastefully done however. Mr. Sanderson – There’s a very little bit of kissing, but it’s much less a part of the plot or character development, nor is it in quite as much detail. On the other side of things, Mistborn is more graphic in its depiction of violence & deaths. Both writers are great at painting a picture in your head & world building. Those who find romance off-putting might do better with Mistborn & those who find gore off-putting might do better with The Frost Eater.

Both authors also excel in their overall worldbuilding. Sanderson is well known for it. Anderson is just as good, though maybe just a little slimmer, but it’s apparent that she’s thought out the world of Enyari thoroughly & I’ll be curious to read more of the universe(s) she creates.

Other differences – Brandon Sanderson, self admittedly, writes bricks. His books are mouthfuls. As such, the cast of Mistborn is much broader than The Frost Eater, with more developed characters (in some instances) and more “weaving” of the plot than you get in a shorter book like The Frost Eater. At the same time, I feel a little more intimately connected to the characters in the Frost Eater. Maybe its because they are written from a more youthful perspective & feel just a little bit more approachable. Carol Beth Anderson is not as established as a writer as Sanderson, but I feel she has every bit the potential that He has obviously already shown with his extensive catalog of material. (Mistborn alone has over 50,000 ratings on audible – Oh what I wouldn’t give for that! And I’m sure Ms. Anderson would say the same – Good luck to her- Sanderson doesn't need luck anymore)

This was my first experience with Ms. Anderson as both an author and a narrator. I’m sold on both counts. I’m eagerly awaiting book 2 of The Magic Eaters – due out September 1st I’m told. Some authors try narration & bomb at it miserably. Her narration of her material was superb in quality, pace, characterization. I don’t think she’s narrated anyone else’s material, but she could certainly pull it off. I would both read & listen to anything she would do based on her performance in this book. As far as Mistborn’s Narration, Michael Kramer is certainly a pro & it shows. He’s got over 50,000 ratings on Mistborn alone, along with another 239 titles under his belt. I just signed on for my 28th audiobook project officially this morning, so I’m hoping I’ll get there in a few years. Good luck Carol & let me know if you ever need a male narrator if you can’t book Michael Kramer. :)

When I started this post, I really only intended on reviewing the one book… But it worked out so well, especially since I hadn’t reviewed Mistborn yet. So… The “stars” Verdict- 5 Stars all around for Both! Writing, Narration, Overall. Great books. I recommend them to anyone who loves a good fantasy novel, or just good writing in general. And in particular to anyone who has read one but not the other.

And to the young Fred Savages out there… One day you might not mind so much.

I received a promo copy of this audiobook courtesy of Storyorigin and Carol Beth Anderson (not so for Mistborn),

The Fantasy I've Wanted And More

From start to finish, this novel has been an amazing read. The cover art is what first captured my attention. And people say "don't judge a book by its cover," but I'm glad I did.

I didn't know what to expect, walking into this tale. Anderson seems to have every detail thought out and time car fully spent on weaving and presenting the information to the reader. I've been looking for something that would satisfy my thirst for Fantasy and Adventure and this did it. Frost Water made me excited to go on my morning walks and do chores just so I could pop in some headphones and give it a listen.

I was also worried I was going to have a problem with plotholes, unanswered questions, bad endings, but all the questions I have left deal with "what's going to happen next?" and "what is the inner workings of this new magic system"? Nothing the characters, themselves, aren't asking right now.

The only problem I have is that I wished we had more flashbacks with Nora's former best friend, Faylie. I would have liked to get to know Faylie more and care for her as a character just as I am intrigued by The First Generation creator, who doesn't get much screentime, but still manages to work her way into my fancy.

When I noticed the author was going to narrate her own novel I was excited and scared. Would I be able to enjoy it? Voice over isn't easy. And some just don't have the time for it. But it all makes sense after listening. Only Anderson could give a performance so acute and accurate that I could enjoy the novel how it was meant to be enjoyed.

I loved every aspect of this novel and Carol Beth Anderson has taken for herself a slot in my favorite authors!

Thoroughly Enjoyed!

I don’t read young adult fiction all that often, but I really enjoy Carol Beth Anderson’s writing. This was my first time listening to an audiobook of hers. At first, I found the different voices she used a little distracting, but as the story went on and the number of characters grew, I really appreciated the unique character she brought to each of their voices. I had no problem picturing the characters’ appearances, expressions, or predicaments. Listening to this story has brought a lot of entertainment to me during recent bike rides, car drives, and packing up the contents of my house for an upcoming move. I finished it much earlier than I thought I would! Anderson’s storytelling truly has an addictive quality. Looking forward to the sequel!!!

This book rocked

Nora and Krey and Zeisha are just great this book had me on the edge of the couch listening to it

I loved it!!

Such a great sci fi story to read/hear. Carol Beth Anderson paints such a great story and leaves you wanting to know what happens next. On to her next book!

Immersive

At first it seemed like this story was a little too simple and quite young but as the chapters passed and the characters grew the story also became more intricate and immersive. I ended up really enjoying it and would definitely be interested in continuing this series. The only downfall was that it was incredibly predictable. The only twist I didn't see coming was finding out the identity of the last unknown "villain" but everything else was easy. That didn't stop me from enjoying it though.