Book Review - Stephanie Burgis's Frostgilded
Published by: Five Fathoms Press
Publication Date: September 18th, 2020
Format: Kindle, 28 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
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Perhaps it was folly to think that she could juggle her in-laws, her students, and her anniversary all during the holidays, but no one could say that Cassandra Harwood wasn't ambitious. Of course they might call her foolish as well. But she is determined that after two years of helping her with the school and putting her first over his own job that her husband, Rajaram Wrexham, will have the best anniversary possible. Of course it's not like their wedding anniversary which is public knowledge. No one's supposed to know she compromised her future husband at Cosgrave Manor two years ago. So it's a "secret" anniversary. Yet it seems as if every single person within the walls of Thornfell has something Cassandra has to help them with. It's almost as if they're purposefully trying to delay her. And the the ancient fey in the woods has to get in on it too. Is it just the holidays that have gotten everyone worked up? Because the stress of her in-laws alone, whom she is convinced hate her and blame her for Wrexham not living up to his potential, is enough to break her. Every single obstacle is just one more thing to make her question if it's all worth it. But by the end of the night she will learn how much it truly is worth.
Frostgilded is just a wonderful little coda to the Harwood Spellbook. Nothing big, nothing groundbreaking or earth-shattering happens, we just get to see a day in the life of Cassandra running the Thronfell College of Magic, but turned up to eleven because it's the holidays. It's a final goodbye. All these characters we've come to love over the previous five volumes all make an appearance. But it's not maudlin or mawkish. This isn't like some prime time TV stunt, this is just a slice of life where you get to see this amazing life these people have built together. The school is chaotic but thriving, the students are happy and value their headmistress, and they all love and care for each other. This is so evident in the end when it proves that everyone was purposefully waylaying Cassandra so that Wrexham could surprise her with the perfect anniversary. She was just too harried until the very end to see that all these people she had brought together had come together to give her something back. It's just a big hug and an aw of an ending. More series should end like this.
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