#79 Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
When the Lass was first born, her mother, upon seeing that she had given birth to another girl, refused to name her, cursing her to 
be known as “girl” or “lass” for the rest of her life. Despite this lack of love from her mother, the lass grows up quite well, with a magical gift for understanding the speech of animals. One day, a large polar bear stumbles into her home and offers her a deal. If the Lass will live with him in his palace of ice for a year and a day, her family will prosper. She agrees, but it doesn't take long before she realizes that there's more to her temporary home then she first realized.
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow is a retelling of the often overlooked fairy tale “East of the Sun, West of the Moon,” a story similar in many ways to “Beauty and the Beast.” Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow is a rather straightforward retelling that sticks very close to the source material. I found this to be a good decision, as “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” is already a great story, filled with adventure and a heroine with a satisfying amount of agency, that latter being something that fairy tales in general are not known for. As a result, the novel has an appealingly old fashioned feel to it. Our heroine is good natured and always tries to do the right thing, even when her actions have unforeseen, even dark, consequences.
I think the aspect I enjoyed the most of Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow was the actual writing. There's something very pleasing about George's style in this book. Reading it feels a lot like settling down by a fire on a cold winter's night, comforting and warm. Another enjoyable aspect is the story's Norse setting. I felt that the historical elements did a good job of taking this fantastic story of trolls and shapeshifting bears and planting it into our real world. The love story could have been a little more compelling, but to be honest it rarely bothered me as I had such a fun time getting caught up in the Lass's enchanting story of magical creatures and talking animals.
Sun and Moon Ice and Snow is a fantastic pick for those who enjoy fairy tale retellings such as Shannon Hale's Book of a Thousand Days, and Robin McKinley's Beauty. Due to its appealing heroine, George's warm and comforting style of writing, and adventurous nature of the tale, I found I enjoyed it from start to finish.
Rating: four and a half stars
Length: 336 pages
Source: amazon. com, ebook
Other books I've read by this author: This is my first
Next I will be reviewing Red Hood's Revenge by Jim C. Hines, and the Alchemyst by Michael Scott
Xposted to temporaryworlds, bookish, and goodreads
be known as “girl” or “lass” for the rest of her life. Despite this lack of love from her mother, the lass grows up quite well, with a magical gift for understanding the speech of animals. One day, a large polar bear stumbles into her home and offers her a deal. If the Lass will live with him in his palace of ice for a year and a day, her family will prosper. She agrees, but it doesn't take long before she realizes that there's more to her temporary home then she first realized.
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow is a retelling of the often overlooked fairy tale “East of the Sun, West of the Moon,” a story similar in many ways to “Beauty and the Beast.” Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow is a rather straightforward retelling that sticks very close to the source material. I found this to be a good decision, as “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” is already a great story, filled with adventure and a heroine with a satisfying amount of agency, that latter being something that fairy tales in general are not known for. As a result, the novel has an appealingly old fashioned feel to it. Our heroine is good natured and always tries to do the right thing, even when her actions have unforeseen, even dark, consequences.
I think the aspect I enjoyed the most of Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow was the actual writing. There's something very pleasing about George's style in this book. Reading it feels a lot like settling down by a fire on a cold winter's night, comforting and warm. Another enjoyable aspect is the story's Norse setting. I felt that the historical elements did a good job of taking this fantastic story of trolls and shapeshifting bears and planting it into our real world. The love story could have been a little more compelling, but to be honest it rarely bothered me as I had such a fun time getting caught up in the Lass's enchanting story of magical creatures and talking animals.
Sun and Moon Ice and Snow is a fantastic pick for those who enjoy fairy tale retellings such as Shannon Hale's Book of a Thousand Days, and Robin McKinley's Beauty. Due to its appealing heroine, George's warm and comforting style of writing, and adventurous nature of the tale, I found I enjoyed it from start to finish.
Rating: four and a half stars
Length: 336 pages
Source: amazon. com, ebook
Other books I've read by this author: This is my first
Next I will be reviewing Red Hood's Revenge by Jim C. Hines, and the Alchemyst by Michael Scott
Xposted to temporaryworlds, bookish, and goodreads