Prisoner of Ice and Snow

Gr 4–7—Valor aims, fires, and misses her shot at Prince Anthol, whom she has known for all of her 13 years. With that shot, she is guaranteed to end up in Tyur'ma, the ice-cold children's prison where the inmates labor in mines, have barely enough to eat, and as punishment are forced to sleep outside in the snow. Valor couldn't be more pleased. With her twin, Sasha, locked away for stealing a music box important to the political health of the city, Valor is determined to break her sister out of the supposedly inescapable prison. Valor soon realizes that she cannot keep this a secret and finds herself forced to ally with those whom she does not know if she can trust. The end leaves room for a promised sequel but has a satisfying enough resolution to work as a stand-alone. Though set in a real Russian town called Demidova, the novel feels like a modern take on a Russian folktale where queens rule, women are trained to expertly bowhunt, and packs of wolves make the frozen tundra dangerous for humans. Lauren crafts the scene with just enough description, along the way creating believable characters who keep morphing as Valor learns more about who they are and their motivations. The plot keeps readers guessing and maintains a suspenseful tension throughout.