This was the January book of the month for the Middle-Grade Marvels book club, and I am so glad that I participated this month because this book was an amazing read.

Frostheart has everything you could want in a book; it has adventure, found family, dangerous creatures, a setting that you want to learn more about, memorable characters, and a grumpy yeti.

Frostheart is full of amazing and memorable characters. The main character, Ash, is essentially an orphan. His parents aren’t necessarily dead, he just doesn’t know where they are, and he barely remembers them. Since his parents aren’t in the picture, his stronghold appointed a guardian for Ash, a very grumpy yeti named Tobu. Ash and Tobu are both misfits in their village, and when Ash reveals that he has magical powers, the pair gets exiled, and the Frostheart crew takes them in. Ash is a memorable character, and I enjoyed reading about him trying to figure out more about his magical, song-weaving powers and trying to find his place in the universe. I also loved Tobu, and I especially appreciated how grumpy he was. It was clear that beneath his grumpy exterior, Tobu really cares for Ash, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of him in the rest of the trilogy.

Next, I want to talk about the found family aspect of this book. The crew on the Frostheart, a pathfinder ship that travels from stronghold to stronghold, is an amazing found family. The characters are from different strongholds, and together they keep the Frostheart moving forward. Each character brings something new to the crew, and it’s clear that they all rely on each other and that the crew is a family. I love how the crew accepted Ash and Tobu into their ranks and how Ash was able to find himself a family in the crew. I also liked that the Frostheart felt like a pirate ship crew, except instead of the open seas, it’s the open snowy wilderness that they’re travelling through.

Up next, I want to talk about the setting. Frostheart takes place in a snowy wilderness, making it the perfect wintery read. The Frostheart travels from stronghold to stronghold, scattered throughout the Snow Sea. In this book, we see three different strongholds; each one is unique and adds some character to the world-building in this book. I also liked that this book left a lot of room for world-building and that it left me wanting to read the next book because I desperately want to see Aurora.

One of the reasons I like middle-grade books so much is because a lot of them contain adventures, and this book did not disappoint in the adventure department. The Frostheart crew travels across the Snow Sea, dodging dangers and exploring the world. They face dangerous situations that leave you on the edge of your seat, wondering if the crew will make it out okay. The book contains villains and evils that need to be overcome. It has all the elements you want in a good adventure, and I loved reading about it.

Overall, this book was a lot of fun. I loved the characters and the world-building. The adventure was exciting, and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy soon.