REVIEW: “The Ice Queen and the Keeper of Death” by Isabella Stofka
The girl with the touch of ice and heart of steel.
Ever since Wynter woke in the river that has stolen more lives than the harsh mountains of the North, she has been cast from town after town for her deadly touch.
An exiled assassin.
Niav used to be the most notorious assassin in the Mortal Lands—until the king she served killed the only leverage he had over her and she fled to the North, determined to never be someone else’s tool again.
When a fellow immortal by the name Evander offers them a chance at retribution, they are more than happy to accept.
A rebel set on overthrowing them all.
After the brutal death of his parents, Kieran is hellbent on finishing what they started: ridding the North of the immortals once and for all—including the infamous Ice Queen.
All three of their fates are entwined when Evander takes his tyranny too far, spurring Kieran and the rebels into action. But after a fateful encounter with the Ice Queen, Kieran’s perception of what is good and evil is flipped on its head, and he starts to wonder whether she could be the key to their salvation.
Little do they know, Evander has plans far beyond what any of them imagined. Plans that could unleash evils that have been slumbering for centuries—evils that were locked away for a reason.
I knew I was going to love this book the moment I started seeing it advertised on Instagram.
Isabella Stofka pitches this NA romantasy as an “icy spin on Pandora’s Box” with a cast of immortals who give Disney’s Descendants vibes. It was the latter comparison that drew me in, but I absolutely stayed for the story. I was drawn in from those first pages and held on right until the end — where I turned the page expecting more only to be faced with the reality that I’d been hit with a killer cliffhanger! But don’t let that scare you away. It’s a great read, and here’s why!
Wynter, Evander, Niav, and Lachlan definitely remind me of my favourite foursome of villains, but they’re different enough to make them standout characters in their own right, so don’t be swayed if you didn’t enjoy the movies! Wynter, also known as the Ice Queen, is a girl known for her icy powers and steel heart, the latter of which prevents her from feeling any sort of emotion; Niav is an ex-assassin with the abilities to turn invisible and phase through solid objects; Lachlan has been gifted impenetrable skin, which is lucky for him, since he loves to annoy Niav; and Evander has the ability to inflict pure pain on anyone he so chooses. Together, these four immortals terrorise the local town.
But after a brutal incident with the immortals leaves several of the townspeople dead, the townspeoples’ children decide its finally time to put a stop to the immortals and take back their town.
Enter Kieran — recently orphaned woodchopper intent on getting revenge.
I loved this book. Loved it!
That said, there were of course things I wish had been done better — so let’s get one thing out of the way.
I wish there’d been more to the rebellion in the earlier parts of the book. We hear about their existence, and we get a glimpse into something they’re researching, but we don’t really get much of a feel for them until much later in the novel, when we finally experience our first meeting. I wish there’d been more of a sense of secrecy, more of an urgency to keep their group a secret. As it is, it felt more like a high school gang talking about a group project, right there out in the open for anyone to hear. It gave me the impression these kids weren’t very bright — and for some of them, that sentiment remained.
All right, enough negative. Let’s get to the good stuff!
First off, the characters. I loved them. I loved the main four. I loved Kieran. And I’m an absolute sucker for foxes, so you know I loved Seren! The immortals in particular I really enjoyed. Found family is one of my absolute favourite tropes, and if a gang of immortals coming together so they’re not alone in the world doesn’t fit that bill, I don’t know what does. I loved that Wynter couldn’t feel emotion; I loved that Niav has a love of baking. I loved that Lachlan can’t stand the cold but does it anyway because Wynter loves it, and I loved that Evander can be a sassy little bitch! Kieran took time to grow on me, but he got there. Seren requires no notes. Fox. That is all.
The world building here was wonderful. I’ll admit I’d have to do another readthrough to try to fully grasp everything, but this world was so fleshed out that I almost want a whole separate guidebook on it all — the three kingdoms, the wars of the past, the gods and goddesses, the Undying Lands. Every time I thought we’d had everything covered, another story cropped up to add to the lore, and I loved it! I’m a sucker for mythology, and you’ll find it sprinkled throughout this book in a number of ways. If you go in only expecting Pandora’s Box, you’re in for a surprise! I won’t mention what else I picked up on here, because I wouldn’t want to spoil it for anyone.
Despite the fact that it looks like we’ll be getting a sequel, I do wish this one had been longer or split into two parts itself. There were sections I wish had been more fleshed out, and characters I wish had been given more time to develop (looking at you, Kaylyn) instead of their motives being made so obvious. A lot happens in this novel — and I mean a lot — and there’s a very clear break in the story that I think would have been the perfect place to end it and start the second novel. But this is Stofka’s story, not mine, and I loved it regardless.
If you’re a fan of fantasy worlds, characters that dance the line between good and evil, and twists you won’t see coming, this is definitely the novel for you. The Ice Queen and the Keeper of Death releases 21st December, 2025!
