Inspired by Frost

Please note that this review may contain spoilers for earlier instalments of this series. You can read my reviews of these novels [here] and [here].

Inspired by Frost was written by Alicia Rades and first published in 2016. It is the third instalment of the Crystal Frost series and follows on directly where Fire in Frost (2015) and Desire in Frost (2016) left off, so I’d strongly advise that you checked out the previous books before picking up this one. The series follows the continuing adventures of a teenage psychic as she tries to use her powers to help those around her.

While shopping for a dress for her mother’s wedding, Crystal suddenly encounters the spirit of a teenage girl who identifies herself as Melissa. Unlike the other spirits that she’s encountered, Melissa isn’t interested in naming her killer. Instead, Melissa begs Crystal to help Sage – a girl who is destined to die on the day of the wedding. There is only one problem. Crystal has no idea who Sage is.

Although Crystal quickly identifies the girl in question, she doesn’t know how she can use her powers to help her. While she can sense that Sage is afraid of something, she has no way of accurately predicting how the teenager is going to die. Yet Crystal knows that she can’t just abandon Sage to her fate and tries to befriend her, hoping that in doing so she can uncover some kind of clue.

As Crystal spends more time with Sage, she learns of a darkness in the girl’s past. The horrible events of her childhood still haunt her and the young psychic realises this could be connected to the thing threatens her life. Yet this puts Crystal in a very difficult position. There is no way that she can tell Sage the truth without revealing secrets of her own. And her mother always warned her to be careful who she told about her powers…

Desire in Frost

This review is brought to you as part of the Virtual Book Tour for Desire in Frost, hosted by YA Bound Book Tours. Please note that this review may contain spoilers for its prequel, Fire in Frost. You can read my review of this novel [here].

Desire in Frost was written by Alicia Rades and first published in 2016. It is the second part of the Crystal Frost series and follows the continuing adventures of the title character as she learns to control her psychic gift. The novel follows on directly from Fire in Frost (2015) and so the series really needs to be read in sequence to be fully appreciated.

Although Crystal was initially optimistic that she could use her powers to find Hope, she’s starting to be doubt herself. Nights have passed and she’s haunted by the same dream, witnessing the little girl’s abduction but unable to see the face of the kidnapper. Although she’s confident that the girl is alive, the trail is growing ever colder and soon even the police begin to give up on finding Hope alive.

Yet it’s Thanksgiving and her Mum and Teddy have arranged a trip to Florida to visit Teddy’s parents. Crystal hopes that the break will be just the thing to help her focus and gain a greater understanding of her abilities. Unfortunately, Teddy also invites along his nephew Robin – a secretive teen who never has a kind word to say to anyone – and so the holiday soon proves to be less peaceful than Crystal hoped.

However, not all seems to be lost. The further south they drive; the stronger Crystal’s visions become. Slowly, the pieces begin to fall into place and Crystal begins to understand exactly why Hope was taken. With Teddy still uncertain about her gifts, Crystal turns to Robin to help her rescue the little girl. Yet as she begins to develop feelings for her soon-to-be cousin, things become even more complicated. Will she be able to find love and rescue Hope while still keeping her psychic powers a secret?

Fire in Frost

This review is brought to you as part of the Virtual Book Tour for Fire in Frost, hosted by YA Bound Book Tours.

Fire in Frost was written by Alicia Rades and first published in 2015. It is a paranormal fantasy novel about a teenager who discovers that she has psychic powers. The story is the first instalment of the Crystal Frost series but at the time of writing no future instalments have been announced.

Olivia Owen was a beloved member of the volleyball team until her death in a house fire. Although Crystal was not close to Olivia, she still found herself moved by the tragedy. When she starts to see the teenager’s ghost around the school, Crystal’s first thought is that it is a product of her over-active imagination but she soon realises the truth. Olivia has not passed over and she needs Crystal’s help.

Fearing that she is going insane, Crystal confides in her mother and learns the truth of her heritage. Her mother hoped that her psychic powers would skip a generation but Crystal has inherited them and more. While her mother is a clairvoyant, Crystal has also started to develop the ability to communicate with the dead. Crystal is both excited and worried about her new gifts and reveals her secret to only her best friends, Emma and Derek.

However, it is not long before the most popular girl in school – Justine – also discovers that Crystal has psychic powers and enlists her help. Justine has reason to believe that her best friend Kelli is being abused by her boyfriend, Nate. Realising that she has a duty to help others, Crystal begins to use her ability to search for proof to these claims. Yet doing so could well put her in danger. Nate is vicious and possessive and it is not long before he realises that Crystal is prying. Is it possible for Crystal to help both Olivia and Kelli, while still keeping her gifts a secret from people who could use them against her?