The Prisoner of Ice and Snow - Book Review

Prisoner of Ice and Snow - Book Review

Ruth Lauren

MG FANTASY

UK Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Synopsis:

Valor is under arrest for the attempted murder of the crown prince. Her parents are outcasts from the royal court, her sister is banished for theft of a national treasure, and now Valor has been sentenced to life imprisonment at Demidova, a prison built from stone and ice.

But that’s exactly where she wants to be. For her sister was sent there too, and Valor embarks on an epic plan to break her out from the inside.

No one has escaped from Demidova in over three hundred years, and if Valor is to succeed she will need all of her strength, courage and love. If the plan fails, she faces a fate worse than any prison . . .

Review:

An adventurous middle-grade read, PRISONER OF ICE AND SNOW was fun and action packed. 

When Valor gets herself arrested, it is only the first stage in the plan to break her sister out of jail. Now with both of them condemned to life in an icy fortress, all for crimes they didn't commit, they will need all their cunning and resources if they are to defeat the evil warden, and pull off a jail break in a building that has an unbroken track record of keeping people in.

But knowing they didn't commit the crimes, Valor can’t help but wonder who did? Who is targeting the royal family? And in turn, who is determined to seal Valor lips before she can speak out the truth…

Overall I really liked this book. It’s very action orientated and from the get go Valor is always in motion, plotting and trying new things. The setting of the world is also fantastic, with a big Russian influence draped over an icy backdrop of crisp white snow. 

Valor herself is an excellent main character and one who was both relatable and easy to root for. The other prisoners however I didn't connect with as much. Even though they were all suitably shady, I would have liked a little more backstory and to see them fleshed out more. Of course there is always hope for that in book 2!

The plot was tricky and kept me guessing in places, however the pacing moves up and down and it actually took me a while to read this book. Some nights I sped through the chapters while others I plodded through. All in all though the story was good and I plan to continue the series. I'm very interested to see where Valor’s adventures take her next.

3 stars!

What about you? Have you read this book? Or the sequel? If so would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below :)

Also if you like Middle Grade fantasy I would recommend you also check out THE DOG WHO SAVED THE WORLD or A PINCH OF MAGIC - both are epic page turning reads!