The Fox King and the Heart of Frost is a 2026 romantasy by Claire Meadows. It was released on June 18, 2026, on KU and as an ebook. Paperback is scheduled to release on July 16, and hardcover is in August. These will include a limited number of signed copies.
The Fox King and the Heart of Frost is about a witch, Evana, who runs away from a rot faerie prince who wants her for her magic. As Evana runs away, she ends up in Wildemire, injured and scared. She is rescued by the half-faerie Adrik, who then nourishes her with the aid of the townspeople. As Evana recovers from her injuries, she must contend with a predatory story and her growing feelings toward Adrik, while also keeping her magic a secret. Magic, she believes, is a monster, a curse.
However, trust doesn’t come easily for Evana or Adrik. They both hold secrets, and as the story progresses, they eventually start trusting each other and fall in love. When Evana’s past comes back to haunt her, she must dig deep within herself to overcome it. As Adrik’s secrets endanger the town and each other, they must work together to overcome them.
It is told primarily through first-person, but there are glimpses of point of view of other characters. Through what we learn about Evana and her magic, this makes perfect sense.
What I really liked about this book was the worldbuilding. The folklore elements made the book come to life and were an integral part of the story. Evana navigated through her deals with the spirits with wit and caution. The writing expertly showed how each spirit was as fickle as they come. If you showed them the proper respect, they would help you. However, someone who deals with spirits must keep on their toes to get what they want.
Another thing I enjoyed was the relationship between Evana and Adrik. The trust and distrust between characters were done so well. It wasn’t rushed. It was gradual, and every interaction was purposeful. The characters were very three-dimensional. They were complex. They had their own pasts to deal with, and it was written well.
The rest of the cast was also very intriguing to read about. Even as danger stalked their little town, I could feel how much they trusted Adrik and how much they relied on him. Those characters were memorable as well, and they had distinct personalities that let them shine on their own.
The character development was also enjoyable. Evana’s growth and acceptance of her magic were well deserved. It didn’t feel like it came out of nowhere. She learned to accept herself for who she was (a witch), which gave her the strength she needed when it counted most.
While this isn’t a weakness, I would have loved a map. I tend to be a visual learner, so having a map to see where everything is would have been helpful. Did it matter to the overall plot of the story? No.
One thing I could have done without was the prologue. The information from the prologue was gradually released throughout the story. Since the reader knows she’s being chased for her magic, the readers could have easily inferred that she was running away from something.
This brings me to my next point. The beginning chapters were very gripping. However, it slowed down between chapters three and eight/nine for me. I say this because it was easy to put the book down between those chapters, even as I dedicated time to reading. I didn’t put it down because of other commitments, etc. It made sense that it was slow because of the way Evana was rescued and who she came out of it. Past that, the pace does pick up and doesn’t stop.
In the beginning, the writing style was a bit hard to get through. The sentence structure was similar when it came to descriptions. What I mean is that the sentence was long with many adjectives to describe something, while including comparisons, and then it would continue to use adjectives to describe another thing. Eventually, it did flow a lot better, and it wasn’t bogged down with so many adjectives/comparisons.
Speaking of writing style. Some of the later descriptions were also lacking, but it wasn’t much. There were times when I couldn’t picture what was going on in the environment, like the character’s interaction with the environment. Another time was when the background suddenly shifted in the same scene was also a bit confusing. I know what the author intended by choosing this style, but I would have loved some transition.
Now, I do have to say, since the story deals with faeries and spirits, and for those who know about faeries/spirits, nothing is what it seems. The descriptions were meant to have a mythical feel, but I could have done less with them. I don’t need all these comparisons; tell me what it looks like. There’s beauty in being blunt. And if a writer wants to include it, use it sparingly and not in the same paragraph.
The book did have an intimacy scene between Evana and Adrik. There was a bit of a slow burn through the book, and a lot of teases. The intimate scene wasn’t too graphic. It was a good balance of what was happening and how the characters were experiencing it.
The Fox King and the Heart of Frost is a tale of self-healing, overcoming dark pasts, and finding strength within yourself. It was character-driven with medium stakes. Readers who enjoy friends-to-lovers, folklore elements, and a forest that eats people will enjoy this book.
Overall, the story was enjoyable to read. The weaknesses I mentioned are more about reader preference than anything else.
Rating 4/5
Dabbling in the Art of Writing 