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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Yes yes yes!
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I love pretty much everything I've read by T Kingfisher so it should come as no surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed this gritty retelling of the Snow Queen. I only have a passing familiarity with the original fairytale, so I enjoyed this mostly as a coming of age story, as Gerta goes on an adventure to save her best friend from the clutches of the Queen of Winter. I really enjoyed the plant themes in this book, especially for a story set in the arctic. The magic is simple yet compelling. Highly recommend this story for fans of unique fairytale retellings.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Objectivish Rating: 4 stars
Subjective Rating: 5 stars
1. Oh hey look a Snow Queen retelling.
2. I love T. Kingfisher fairytale retellings? So much? Fairytale retellings are great in general but T. Kingfisher does that thing where she simultaneously makes it more horrifying and more realistic? Combine that with her tendency to flesh out the characters and explore the themes from the original story and ask the ever-important question of "what are the consequences?" and you get a story tailored exactly to my tastes.
3. I use the word realistic because Kingfisher protagonists tend to be very salt of the earth mature and practical people suddenly finding themselves in the middle of absolute chaos. Which imo is one of the best ways to explore the complexities of the fairytale. Gerta and Janna and the talking Raven are all sensible people caught up in bullshit magic and none of them appreciate it at all and it gives me life.
4. Animal companions! So many of them and they are all perfectly excellent and very valid. Bless those otters. Mousebones is the best sidekick. And the Reindeer bit was mildly upsetting which for me is saying a lot. Usually bit characters dying just make me go "that's so sad, Alexa play despacito."
5. I like good retellings way better than I like the originals, and this wasn't an exception. God bless Kay being sidelined into the mildly annoying subplot role she should have been in the first place. Although I suppose his characterization in this book influences my opinions about him somewhat. But eh.
6. I love so many scenes. Janna having to take the skin off Greta every day. Gerta seeing her reflection and going "why did t you tell me I looked terrible" and Janna going "I have no clue what you're talking about I didn't even notice this stuff also I don't think I look any better" and Gerta going "oh yeah I didn't notice that either huh." - that whole scene is a delight and is so sweet.
7. It was more explicitly queer than I liked. I mean, I think I expected it to be more hint-y because the other retellings were mostly just hint-y. But I see the need to make an f/f relationship explicit; if it isn't it usually ends up being outright dismissed as a possibility.
8. Gerta, bless her, indignantly going "nobODy told me kissing girls was an option" is a mood.
Subjective Rating: 5 stars
1. Oh hey look a Snow Queen retelling.
2. I love T. Kingfisher fairytale retellings? So much? Fairytale retellings are great in general but T. Kingfisher does that thing where she simultaneously makes it more horrifying and more realistic? Combine that with her tendency to flesh out the characters and explore the themes from the original story and ask the ever-important question of "what are the consequences?" and you get a story tailored exactly to my tastes.
3. I use the word realistic because Kingfisher protagonists tend to be very salt of the earth mature and practical people suddenly finding themselves in the middle of absolute chaos. Which imo is one of the best ways to explore the complexities of the fairytale. Gerta and Janna and the talking Raven are all sensible people caught up in bullshit magic and none of them appreciate it at all and it gives me life.
4. Animal companions! So many of them and they are all perfectly excellent and very valid. Bless those otters. Mousebones is the best sidekick. And the Reindeer bit was mildly upsetting which for me is saying a lot. Usually bit characters dying just make me go "that's so sad, Alexa play despacito."
5. I like good retellings way better than I like the originals, and this wasn't an exception. God bless Kay being sidelined into the mildly annoying subplot role she should have been in the first place. Although I suppose his characterization in this book influences my opinions about him somewhat. But eh.
6. I love so many scenes. Janna having to take the skin off Greta every day. Gerta seeing her reflection and going "why did t you tell me I looked terrible" and Janna going "I have no clue what you're talking about I didn't even notice this stuff also I don't think I look any better" and Gerta going "oh yeah I didn't notice that either huh." - that whole scene is a delight and is so sweet.
7. It was more explicitly queer than I liked. I mean, I think I expected it to be more hint-y because the other retellings were mostly just hint-y. But I see the need to make an f/f relationship explicit; if it isn't it usually ends up being outright dismissed as a possibility.
8. Gerta, bless her, indignantly going "nobODy told me kissing girls was an option" is a mood.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Meandering to its detriment really. Though it starts off strong - I was particularly interested in seeing the progression of the re-contexualised relationship between Gerta and Kay in this retelling - I quickly found myself apathetic to Gerta's trials and tribulations once her journey's underway. Her characterization is ultimately too lacking to justify her role as the pivotal drive to the narrative's events. This is especially noticeable in context against the marginally better peripheral characters, which easily overshadow her and the actual plot. It's all ultimately too hollow to warrant any interest or appeal. In my silly old opinion anyway.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood
As always, T. Kingfisher has crafted a tale with frightened but determined protagonists, adults who mean well but mess up, wise women, friendly critters, heartache, self-doubt, and one realistic (if magical) ending. I enjoyed the subtle point made comparing the way Gerta thought about herself to the way others described her. I loved learning the dreams of plants. I really, really, REALLY loved the otters. :)
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes