A Crown of Snow and Ice
A Crown of Snow and Ice: A Retelling of The Snow Queen
- Beyond the Four Kingdoms, Book 3
Princess Celine is visiting her friends (also princesses) in the kingdom of Eldon. Eldon is cold; a wintry land with people who have ingenious tunnel systems to traverse their snowy landscape, and a rich history and culture. But Celine is exasperated that nobody in the royal castle seems to care about anything at all!
Celine, Crown Prince Oliver (and his hilarious younger sister) embark on a quest to discover the reasons for the missing artifacts in their castle, the eternal winter, and the widespread brain-fog plaguing Eldon. Meanwhile Celine must learn to manage her new magical powers over fire and heat - very convenient during their chilly quest.
For those who have read Hans Christian Andersen's story, there are wonderful uses of many story elements. The novel's structure is episodic, though not nearly as didactic as H.C.A.'s - focusing more on the original characters, mystery and romance. Freezing and thawing provide a nice 'Introduction to Metaphors', and the magic mirror shards play a key role in the Snow Queen's dastardly schemes. If you don't know the H.C.A. story - this Snow Queen is miles apart from Disney's Elsa - prepare for a nemesis closer to Jadis in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.
This series is great for younger students who want to read romance stories but without the mature content of some other YA novels.
Read The Snow Queen on Project Gutenberg
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