Heir of Shadows and Ice

Claiming Elfhame, Book 1

By: J.M. Wallace

Narrated by: Ali Dane

Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

These Hollow Vows meets Red Queen in the first book of this stunning new series about a halfling, fae-mortal girl caught in a web of royal faerie intrigue and the threat they pose to the mortal realm.

The world will succumb to frost and be reborn in fire. That is what the witch promised...

Since then, Kelera has spent her life denying the Fae blood that runs in her veins, shutting away the magic that calls to her.

But when trouble strikes the heart of the kingdom, she finds she must do whatever it takes to help. For the chance to save herself, her people, and to prove her loyalty to the mortal realm, Kelera must venture into the heart of Elfhame and navigate her way through the malevolent Unseelie Court at the risk of her own life.

When she is captured by the most malicious of the Unseelie Princes, Kelera’s only choice is to do what she must to survive. Even if it means embracing the magic she has been holding at bay.

Immersed in the dangers of Elfhame and faced with the brothers who each vie for the Unseelie crown, Kelera must navigate not only the treacherous court, but also the traitorous feelings blooming in her heart, and decide if taking back her power is worth the risk.

Heir of Shadows and Ice is the first book in the thrilling fantasy series, Claiming Elfhame. Step into a world of danger, intrigue, magic, and mayhem as Kelera journeys to save those she holds most dear.

This is a New Adult series with themes of violence and mild language as well as intimacy. Recommended for Mature Audeinces."

©2022 J.M. Wallace (P)2024 J.M. Wallace

The Journey

I loved the journey Wallace took me on. I wish the next one was out on audible! One of the best fae books I have read 😊

Loved it!

I loved this story and can’t wait to get the next in the series. Fantastic world building, character development, and plot and performance!

another wonderful story narrated by Ali Dane

looking for fae secrets, political intrigue, slow burn, and a great narrator?! give this audio book a listen asap

Great listen, would recommend

Well written and well read, I can't wait for the next one! I like the action and suspense, and I'm looking forward to what comes next.

Lots of potential! An overall good read/listen

I think overall this book was good! The plot definitely piqued my interest and I think I will continue the series as the audiobooks come out. I do think, however, it was lacking a bit in some areas.

I found I liked the FMC Kelera but she felt a little bland. I didn’t find myself connecting to her on a deeper level. She felt more surface level. But I was interested enough to want to dive in deeper. I feel like her character has so much potential and I have hope that we will unravel that as we progress through the series.

I also felt that the plot was slow moving. It didn’t feel like it was dragging along though, but once things really picked up, I was already halfway through the book. If the pace was picked up a bit in the first half, I think it would’ve flowed better and kept me engaged more.

I think there were really good characters and way more potential to dive in deeper with them. This book felt more plot heavy and I found myself missing the character layers. Again, I’m curious to know if this intensifies in the next one.

I really love Adrastus, how can we not love a morally grey prince?? I’m so excited to see where his story goes with Kelera.

The narration I thought was great. I think the reason I wasn’t too caught up on the slow pace of the first half was because Ali Dane’s narration was engaging. I really feel she has the perfect voice for Kelera and really captured her personality. Towards the end, she even changed the tone she gave her to match how Kelera was growing and getting stronger in her mind and magic. I absolutely love when narrators express character change in their own way that isn’t expressed through words alone. Kelera slowly grew more confident and Ali chose to express that with changing her tone and making her choices for her be stronger and bolder. That helps the listener with their connection to these characters and Ali nailed it. My only note for the narration would be for the other characters to have more differences in tone and cadence. I was able to hear the change and shift but sometimes I couldn’t tell or it took me a couple listens to figure it out.

Overall, a really enjoyable listen! I am definitely intrigued to keep going.

Favorite Narrator (and amazing story)

Ali Dane is by far one of the best narrators I’ve ever encountered. Her voice is so soothing and she gives life to the characters through different intonations, tones, and even accents. It is always clear which character is speaking.

The book itself was also phenomenal! I can’t wait to read book 2. This fantasy romance, with just a hint of spice, will keep you guessing and take your breath away!

Fantastic! I need book 2!

Wow. First, the story is fantastic! I didn’t want to stop listening. I was on the edge of my seat! There was a lot going on and with all the twists and turns, it all came to a very intriguing and climactic ending! Making me wanting more!

Second, the narration was phenomenal. Ali’s voices was easily distinguishable between characters. And she had quite a few characters to do! She does a fantastic job of making you feel the emotions of the characters and bringing them to life. I’ve listened to several other audiobooks that she narrated and I know when I see her name it will be a great audiobook.

🤍🤍🤍

why is this book not more popular? it's so good.. cant wait till the next one.. the narrator did a great job bringing the story to life.

A Fun Take on Fae

Heir of Ice and Shadows was an enjoyable take on the fae and the seelie and unseelie. There were elements of this story that didn't turn out the way I expected, BUT there are also elements I'm crazy serious about and have big theories for. I'm looking at you, Alexander. I appreciated that Kelera came into her power and identity as the story went on. I look forward to seeing what happens next.

I listened to the audio version of the book and while I largely enjoyed the narration, I did struggle with the lack of. . . Emotion? The narrator would read someone's line and then say so and so emoted but all of the emotions sounded exactly the same. Maybe it doesn't bother anyone else, but it bothered me 😅

Thank you for the audio code JM Wallace.