Crown of Ice by Vicki L. Weavil - Ashley's Review

*I received this book as an eARC from Month9Books in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Crown of Ice
Author: Vicki L. Weavil
Publication Date: September 9, 2014

My Pre-Reading

Synopsis: Thyra Winther's seventeen, the Snow Queen, and immortal, but if she can't reassemble a shattered enchanted mirror by her eighteenth birthday she's doomed to spend eternity as a wraith.

Armed with magic granted by a ruthless wizard, Thyra schemes to survive with her mind and body intact. Unencumbered by kindness, she kidnaps local boy Kai Thorsen, whose mathematical skills rival her own. Two logical minds, Thyra calculates, are better than one. With time rapidly melting away she needs all the help she can steal.

A cruel lie ensnares Kai in her plan, but three missing mirror shards and Kai's childhood friend, Gerda, present more formidable obstacles. Thyra's willing to do anything – venture into uncharted lands, outwit sorcerers, or battle enchanted beasts -- to reconstruct the mirror, yet her most dangerous adversary lies within her breast. Touched by the warmth of a wolf pup's devotion and the fire of a young man's desire, the thawing of Thyra's frozen heart could be her ultimate undoing.

Crown of Ice is a YA Fantasy that reinvents Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen" from the perspective of a young woman who discovers that the greatest threat to her survival may be her own humanity.

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Review: I had never heard of the original fairy tale, "The Snow Queen," before Jackson Pearce's Coldspell. I know there are probably hundreds of fairy tales I've never heard, but I was really surprised I didn't know this one. And now that I do, I find myself picking up every retelling of it that I can find. Crown of Ice is probably one of the best I've read, and I'm so glad I stumbled across it! 

One of my favorite things about this book was how true it was to the original fairy tale. Characters' names are close to or the same as the original characters (e.g. Gerda, Kai vs. Kay, etc.) and there are details that only someone who has either read the fairy tale recently or knows it very well would pick up on. Kai, for example, is exceptionally smart and excels at math in the original story and in Crown of Ice, Thyra chooses him because of his mathematical skills. The shattered mirror also plays a huge role in both stories, which was interesting. 

But where there are similarities, Vicki takes this classic fairy tale and makes it entirely her own. Thyra must complete the mirror before her 18th birthday or she faces an eternity of being a wraith. The wraiths are horrible and terrifying and sad and I am not surprised that Thyra does NOT want to become one. Voss is also incredibly scary and pretty much does whatever he wants. His creatures are pretty interesting though, and I enjoyed seeing them throughout the castle and the grounds. 

This book is definitely very dark, but I think it's set apart from other darker YA fantasy novels in that there's a glimmer of hope underneath everything. Thyra hopes that she will complete the mirror in time, Kai has hope that everything in his life will turn out alright and he'll be able to go away for school, Gerda has hope that she will find Kai alive, and even Voss hopes to live as an immortal once the mirror is completed. Hope abounds, and it made even the darkest moments of this book not so bad. The story is well-paced as well, which definitely helped hold my attention. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There are just so many excellent things about it, and I think any fan of "The Snow Queen" would really enjoy Crown of Ice. Even if you aren't familiar with the fairy tale, this book is worth picking up for the fantastic world-building and gorgeous imagery. I would recommend it to fans of YA fantasy books and fairy tale retellings. It is a standalone, which is nice, but I would not be opposed to reading another book set in this world. 4/5!


--Ashley

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee - Ashley's Pre-Reading

*I received this book as an eARC from Knopf Books for Young Readers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy
Author: Karen Foxlee
Publication Date: January 28, 2014

Synopsis: A modern-day fairy tale set in a mysterious museum that is perfect for readers of Roald Dahl and Blue Balliett.

Unlikely heroine Ophelia Jane Worthington-Whittard doesn't believe in anything that can't be proven by science. She and her sister Alice are still grieving for their dead mother when their father takes a job in a strange museum in a city where it always snows. On her very first day in the museum Ophelia discovers a boy locked away in a long forgotten room. He is a prisoner of Her Majesty the Snow Queen. And he has been waiting for Ophelia's help.

As Ophelia embarks on an incredible journey to rescue the boy everything that she believes will be tested. Along the way she learns more and more about the boy's own remarkable journey to reach her and save the world.

A story within a story, this a modern day fairytale is about the power of friendship, courage and love, and never ever giving up.

Why?: I've recently discovered Hans Christian Anderson's The Snow Queen (thanks to Jackson Pearce's retelling, Cold Spell), and now I'm always on the lookout for other twists on the story. Books with a fairy tale basis always fascinate me, and this one sounds like a really nice story. 

Expectations: I haven't read anything by Foxlee, but I kind of have higher expectations for this book because it's recommend for fans of Roald Dahl. That's a pretty hefty recommendation to live up to, and I'm really hoping that it does.

Judging a book by its cover: This cover definitely looks like it belongs in the children's section of a bookstore or library. I think it even has the feel of a Roald Dahl cover, and I love it for that. It's interesting, although I'm not sure if it would stand out amongst all of the other children's books. 


--Ashley

Cold Spell (Fairytale Retellings #4) by Jackson Pearce - Paul's Review

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Title: Cold Spell (Fairytale Retellings #4)
Author: Jackson Pearce
Year Published: 2013

My Cold Spell (#4) PRE-READING
My Fathomless (#3) REVIEW
My Sweetly (#2) REVIEW
My Sisters Red (#1) REVIEW

Ashley's Cold Spell (#4) REVIEW
Ashley's Fathomless (#3) REVIEW
Ashley's Sweetly (#2) REVIEW
Ashley's Sisters Red (#1) REVIEW

Synopsis: Kai and Ginny grew up together–best friends since they could toddle around their building’s rooftop rose garden. Now they’re seventeen, and their relationship has developed into something sweeter, complete with stolen kisses and plans to someday run away together.

But one night, Kai disappears with a mysterious stranger named Mora–a beautiful girl with a dark past and a heart of ice. Refusing to be cast aside, Ginny goes after them and is thrust into a world she never imagined, one filled with monsters and thieves and the idea that love is not enough.

If Ginny and Kai survive the journey, will she still be the girl he loved–and moreover, will she still be the girl who loved him?

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Review: This book is a wonderful adaptation of The Snow Queen. I really liked how I could match the characters with their fairytale counterpart. Pearce continues to expand the mythology she has created. I loved all the connections to her already existing mythology as well as all the new and interesting things she introduced. I like how we get more details each book. 

I really liked the main relationship in this book. I loved all their little quirks and how some of those nuances came into play at the conclusion of the book. 

There were so many unique and interesting characters. I especially liked the chapters from Mora's point of view.

This book was an easy and fun read. Some things happen too easy, but it's still an enjoyable read. I think Pearce's books have only gotten better. I liked Fathomless more, but I think that's only because of the subject. 

I'm waiting for an epic team up book where all these awesome characters from each Fairy Tale Retelling come together to take on the Fenris. This needs to happen!

I hope Pearce continues to reinterpret fairytales into modern stories. I give this book a 4.5/5 and it's a must read if you've read Pearce's other books. If you like fairytales and haven't, I'd suggest starting at the beginning though. They are each their own stories, but the experience of reading them as a series is so much better.


--PAUL

Cold Spell (Fairytale Retellings #4) by Jackson Pearce - Paul's Pre-Reading

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Title: Cold Spell (Fairytale Retellings #4)
Author: Jackson Pearce
Year Published: 2013

My Fathomless REVIEW
My Sweetly REVIEW
My Sisters Red REVIEW

Ashley's Cold Spell REVIEW
Ashley's Fathomless REVIEW
Ashley's Sweetly REVIEW
Ashley's Sisters Red REVIEW

Synopsis: Kai and Ginny grew up together–best friends since they could toddle around their building’s rooftop rose garden. Now they’re seventeen, and their relationship has developed into something sweeter, complete with stolen kisses and plans to someday run away together.

But one night, Kai disappears with a mysterious stranger named Mora–a beautiful girl with a dark past and a heart of ice. Refusing to be cast aside, Ginny goes after them and is thrust into a world she never imagined, one filled with monsters and thieves and the idea that love is not enough.

If Ginny and Kai survive the journey, will she still be the girl he loved–and moreover, will she still be the girl who loved him?

Why?: Pearce does a wonderful job of retelling classic stories in new and interesting ways. I've enjoyed all of her books that I've read and I think they've improved. So, I'm really excited for this one. I just read the original Snow Queen story so I'm excited to see how Pearce twists the tale.

Expectations: I'm expecting subtle references to her prior Fairy Tale Retellings. I'm also expecting an interesting take on the Snow Queen story in modern times. 

Judging a book by its cover: I like the cover with the broken mirror, but I wish it had a cover to match my Sisters Red and Sweetly books. I really liked the style of those covers. 


--PAUL

Cold Spell (Fairytale Retellings #4) by Jackson Pearce - Ashley's Review

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Cold Spell
Author: Jackson Pearce
Year Published: 2013

My Cold Spell Pre-Reading

Synopsis: Kai and Ginny grew up together–best friends since they could toddle around their building’s rooftop rose garden. Now they’re seventeen, and their relationship has developed into something sweeter, complete with stolen kisses and plans to someday run away together.

But one night, Kai disappears with a mysterious stranger named Mora–a beautiful girl with a dark past and a heart of ice. Refusing to be cast aside, Ginny goes after them and is thrust into a world she never imagined, one filled with monsters and thieves and the idea that love is not enough.

If Ginny and Kai survive the journey, will she still be the girl he loved–and moreover, will she still be the girl who loved him?

Jackson Pearce, author of the acclaimed Sisters Red and Fathomless, has returned with a unique vision of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” one about power and redemption, failure and hope, and the true meaning of strength.

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Review: This book was the first in the series that I actually had to go read the fairy tale before I read the book. I mean, everybody knows Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel & Gretel, and The Little Mermaid (even if they only know the Disney versions). The Snow Queen, though? I'd never even heard of it. And that's such a shame, because the original story is actually really good and more kids should know it. 

That being said, this book was absolutely phenomenal. Jackson Pearce has done it again, and I think her conclusion to this series was by far the strongest book of the whole set. Like the others, it follows the original tale pretty closely, but still has a unique, modern, spin. Having read The Snow Queen immediately before reading Cold Spell, I definitely picked up on some parallels and references that I might otherwise have missed, and I think that made me enjoy it infinitely more. 

Another thing that I really loved about Cold Spell was how interconnected it is with all of the other books in the series. Sure, you could read this as a standalone. The cross-over characters are given enough background so that you don't have to know who the Reynolds are or how important they are in the fight against the Fenris, and you don't have to know anything about the ocean girls and how they're related to the Fenris, or anything else in order for this book to make sense. But I loved seeing mentions of Rosie March and Lo's favorite ship in Fathomless and just all of the other subtle things. Seriously Jackson, well freaking done. 

I also really liked that this book is told from 1.5 perspectives. We mostly see Ginny's side of things, and we're in her head and trying to save Kai right along with her, but we also get a few glimpses of what Mora is doing and why she does the things she does. Although she's the villain in Ginny's eyes, I really found myself enjoying the chapters about her and actually feeling kind of sorry for her. I do wish we had gotten to see a little bit more of her past and her human life, but I guess we can't really know what she doesn't really remember.

I could really go on about how much I loved every part of this book for a really long time, but I think you should just go read it yourself. But first, read Sisters Red, Sweetly, and Fathomless, and familiarize yourself with Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen." I know, that's a lot of reading just to read one book... but trust me. It will be worth it. Anyone who loves fairy tales and/or retellings of them should definitely check out this series while I go cry in the corner because it's actually over. 5/5! 


--Ashley

Cold Spell (FairyTale Retellings #4) by Jackson Pearce - Ashley's Pre-Reading

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Cold Spell
Author: Jackson Pearce
Year Published: 2013

Synopsis: Kai and Ginny grew up together–best friends since they could toddle around their building’s rooftop rose garden. Now they’re seventeen, and their relationship has developed into something sweeter, complete with stolen kisses and plans to someday run away together.

But one night, Kai disappears with a mysterious stranger named Mora–a beautiful girl with a dark past and a heart of ice. Refusing to be cast aside, Ginny goes after them and is thrust into a world she never imagined, one filled with monsters and thieves and the idea that love is not enough.

If Ginny and Kai survive the journey, will she still be the girl he loved–and moreover, will she still be the girl who loved him?

Jackson Pearce, author of the acclaimed Sisters Red and Fathomless, has returned with a unique vision of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” one about power and redemption, failure and hope, and the true meaning of strength.

Why?: I absolutely LOVED the other three books in this series, and I have been eagerly awaiting Cold Spell since I learned about it. I am not familiar with "The Snow Queen," so I'm really intrigued as to where this story is going to go. In Sisters Red, Sweetly, and Fathomless, I loved how true Jackson stayed to the original stories. There's no Disney-fying going on here. I also loved how the three books ended up being tied together ever so subtly, and I'm looking forward to trying to find all the pieces of that puzzle in this book.

Expectations: I have super high expectations for this book because I loved the other ones (and Jackson's other books outside this series) so much. I don't know what to expect in regards to the original fairy tale, but I might have to brush up on in before I dive into this book. Just in case.

Judging a book by its cover: I still have a huge issue with the covers in this series because they changed halfway through. The original covers for Sisters Red and Sweetly will always be my favorites. That being said, I really like this cover. I like how it's dark and how it just looks... cold. I would definitely pick it up off of a shelf or click on it if I saw it in an online store. 


--Ashley