Frostborn by Michael Haddad and Meet the Author #YA #Fantasy #Books

I love the title first, and then the story was just as good.

Frostborn by Michael Haddad released in May in the YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Fantasy genre.

The Frostborn—the one destined to end the war, the one blessed by the magic of Aether—was supposedly nothing more than a hopeless fairytale, a myth lost to time. But as the centuries-long war between the kingdoms of Eljud and Surtrol forces Elias Jökull to evacuate his village, a run-in with the fearsome Gjallarhorn army awakens within him a dormant power long since forgotten by the people—a power signaling the existence of the Frostborn.

With such critical news, hope of victory against Surtrol becomes contagious, yet Elias’s former life of slavery leaves him apprehensive about lending a hand to his own flawed kingdom. Even still, knowing the world will soon be in search of him, the newfound Frostborn must choose his allegiances quickly. And after encountering a ranked Surt captain, he does just that.

But while acting as a double agent, feeding intel to Eljud’s southern enemy and working both sides of the same border, his conflicted self struggles to anchor his loyalty to a single kingdom as buried secrets begin to unearth.

The incessant clash between the north and south is soon coming to an end and Elias will have to find a side to stand on. The hard question is: which side? Everyone wants the Frostborn for themselves, but for how long can Elias let the world string him along?

AMAZON.CA

https://amazon.ca/dp/0228849640

BARNES & NOBLE

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/frostborn-michael-haddad/1139075432

BOOK DEPOSITORY

https://www.bookdepository.com/Frostborn-Michael-Haddad/9780228849643

She moves in front of him. “You’re going to get us in trouble.”

“I’ll be sneaky, don’t you worry,” he says, placing a hand on her narrow shoulders to move her aside.

She would argue more if he was not already treading up the path, slipping past the tight groups of travellers while May is engaged in a discussion with another merchant. He shakes his jacket off, folds his arms close to his chest, and lets the coat cover the bindings on each of his wrists. Elias scans the moving sea of people, lifting onto his toes to peek over them. There is no sign of the praised soldiers anywhere, but he perseveres regardless.

He gathers up a pace just quick enough to gain ground, though slow enough to avoid unnecessary attention. Every few steps, he looks to either side and up ahead. Each look yields no promising results, and when the third time comes for Elias to straighten himself out to see, his body knocks against an arm.

A hulking man wheels around, the furrows around his mouth deepening in rage. “By Kaldr, watch where you’re going!”

“Won’t happen again.” Elias eases away discreetly before his foot catches a slick patch of mud, threatening to trip him over.

He slams a hand against the nearest cart to steady his weight, but the jacket drops in the jolting movement.

The enormous man—who Elias now recognizes as a local fisherman named Eero—dives to grab the chains. “Looks like we have a slave on the run.”

He dips under Eero’s arm and the brawny hand snags air. Elias then pushes off the mud, readying his body for a sprint.

Without time to properly register, a jab strikes at the nape of his neck and another sinks into his gut. A foot then blurs at the corner of his eye, hooking behind Elias’s knee and bringing his body down to the mud, his back flattening over the ground. Pain bursts through his muscles, but he has no air to scream. He blinks through the swarm of black dots clouding his vision and heaves a ragged breath. His lungs are a brutal furnace of agony.

“Stop the convoy.” The command comes from a different voice, one too laced with poison to be Eero’s.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Hardworking university student and recent John Abbott College graduate, Michael Haddad doubles as a fiction author of the fantastic who throws himself into his own writing—who can’t stop imagining new worlds, new ideas, new characters. His passion for roleplaying games has earned him his fair share of teasing, but he’d be lying if he said it didn’t open his imagination. When not at his computer, typing away, Michael is often with his friends and family, losing terribly at tennis, hunkering down for movie marathons, and trying to get a good night’s sleep. As someone born and raised in Montreal, he is no stranger to having ice rinks for streets and snow up to the knee—but that’s nothing a warm cup of coffee can’t beat.

Will this be a series? If yes, can you talk about how it will develop?

Simply put, yes! My goal is to extend Frostborn into a series. It all depends on how book 2 pans out, but from what I have plotted, concluding the series as trilogy makes the most sense. However, there’s the possibility of maybe also writing novels that are from the same universe but have separate plot arcs compared to the core trilogy. It could be an interesting idea to cover those underdeveloped backstories or side-plots that have stood out to the readers. I think it can help establish more closure when it comes to aspects of the overarching narrative that may unfortunately feel unfinished.
Developing the entire trilogy will take some time. On the bright side, book 2 is already in the making and I’m generating a lot of fantastic ideas. I’m going to try my best to update my social media regularly, so if you’re interested on following this journey, please check them out!
As a warning, this next bit may include some spoilers. If you aren’t done reading Frostborn and aren’t a fan of spoilers, please finish as soon as you can and come on back for a quick sneak peek! You don’t want to miss out on what I’m about to share.
The end of Frostborn introduces a significant amount of new information and also includes massive changes in the political dynamic of the kingdom. Namely, the once renowned city of Aurgelmir—Eljud’s impenetrable capital—suffers in the aftermath of the siege in book 1. And with the emergence of new leadership, trust is thin while resources are scarce. Few are content with the current status of the city, so hidden agendas are made to remove a false king from power once again.
All while juggling the responsibility of upkeep, the new Masked King will have to deal with more than just a coup-d’état, for a perilous threat is beginning to surface—a supernatural danger that could lead to countless deaths. To remedy the situation and learn more about his own inner power, Elias will have to seek the help of others just like him, although tracking them down will be yet another challenging task.
As book 2 focuses on the city’s struggle to rebuild in the face of these countless obstacles, readers will begin to learn more about the Children of the Yggdrasil, their origins, and what they represent. The magic system will also be explored more. Readers will be given a deeper understanding of the primordial energies (Aether, Nether and Ether) and why the Yggdrasil can harness them as they do.
I’m very excited to keep writing and growing my world. Even as I type this message, the ideas keep flowing. With all that said, I hope this short preview of what’s to come has enticed you to hop along for the ride.

CONNECT WITH MICHAEL HADDAD

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Michael-Haddad-Author-106283484884430

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mhaddad_author/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21313196.Michael_Haddad

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