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thebetterstory's review
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I added this book to my to-read long before I started reading anything by T. Kingfisher, and in fact didn't realize it was the same author at all until I saw it show up when I searched her name. I added it back then because it was a fairy tale adaptation of my favourite fairy tale of all, The Snow Queen. I have fond memories of being absolutely spellbound by my friend's picture book of it as a child, and later finding a copy of the full text online and reading it over and over. Having read some of Kingfisher's other work now I was excited to see her take on it.
Unfortunately, this is The Snow Queen from someone who didn't like the The Snow Queen, and it shows. I suspected that dislike with a sinking heart from the first few pages, and the afterword where Kingfisher calls Anderson's work mawkish and sentimental was confirmation. The original story, for all its flaws, is about a steadfast young girl who's kind and good at making friends, setting off into the world on her own to rescue a dear friend. Gerta is not that girl, which could be fine, except she doesn't really have anything added to her after taking those traits away.
In fact, this book made me realize that Kingfisher seems to write more or less the same kind of woman as her protagonist every time, at least in the books I've been reading. Her female protagonists always seem to be awkward and self-doubting and sensible in a grounded way. The strange thing with making Gerta one of them is that Kingfisher does loyalty-bound types a lot! They're the love interests in her other works like Nettle & Bones and Paladin's Grace. She could have just genderswapped that dynamic and it would feel fresh and different, but instead it's the exact same protagonist, but without the distinguishing hobbies and talents.
The other issue is with Kay. This isn't to say that I didn't welcome the LGBTQ twist—if Kay isn't going to be the love interest, then of course it should be either the Raven or the Robber Girl—and that could have been a really delightful twist accompanied by Kay as a sort of brother she's determined to help. I'd be a little sad, since the original romance plotline is one of the few fairy tale ones that could sensibly be filled in by a longer narrative (childhood friends, and the wonderful details of the fun they had because their windows were so close together). The problem with both removing Kay as the love interest and rendering him utterly unlikeable, and their relationship moot, is that it derails the whole quest plotline. Gerta's shining determination to rescue him in the original doesn't really work when she's not actually sure she even likes him much by the end, and instead she just sort of keeps wandering in that direction.The heartbreaking moment she finally finds him and can't convince him to come with her is rendered as a sort of humorous farce, and the climax is replaced with something about brambles and nature magic that isn't really explored properly at all and shows up last minute. The impetus could have been replaced by something else—Janna being kidnapped or frozen when they get there, for instance—but with nothing to replace it the plot feels even more like something that's just sort of happening to Gerta, rather than something she's choosing for herself. Which, on top of Gerta being rather more hapless than in the original fairy tale does, unfortunately, clash with the feeling I was getting that this was Kingfisher's attempt at a feminist retelling. At least in the original Gerta wasn't naively abandoning her home because she's infatuated with a boy who blatantly doesn't care for her.
It's still very readable in a breezy sort of way, like all of Kingfisher's work, and I rather liked both Janna and the Raven. There are other things to recommend it, like Kingfisher's take on how the Snow Queen tears the beauty away from things by seeing their imperfections (the cursed mirror makes no appearance here), and I appreciated the research that went into its cultural portrayal. Still, between the delightful Thornhedge and this, it's not hard for me to tell which I liked better.
Unfortunately, this is The Snow Queen from someone who didn't like the The Snow Queen, and it shows. I suspected that dislike with a sinking heart from the first few pages, and the afterword where Kingfisher calls Anderson's work mawkish and sentimental was confirmation. The original story, for all its flaws, is about a steadfast young girl who's kind and good at making friends, setting off into the world on her own to rescue a dear friend. Gerta is not that girl, which could be fine, except she doesn't really have anything added to her after taking those traits away.
In fact, this book made me realize that Kingfisher seems to write more or less the same kind of woman as her protagonist every time, at least in the books I've been reading. Her female protagonists always seem to be awkward and self-doubting and sensible in a grounded way. The strange thing with making Gerta one of them is that Kingfisher does loyalty-bound types a lot! They're the love interests in her other works like Nettle & Bones and Paladin's Grace. She could have just genderswapped that dynamic and it would feel fresh and different, but instead it's the exact same protagonist, but without the distinguishing hobbies and talents.
The other issue is with Kay. This isn't to say that I didn't welcome the LGBTQ twist—if Kay isn't going to be the love interest, then of course it should be either the Raven or the Robber Girl—and that could have been a really delightful twist accompanied by Kay as a sort of brother she's determined to help. I'd be a little sad, since the original romance plotline is one of the few fairy tale ones that could sensibly be filled in by a longer narrative (childhood friends, and the wonderful details of the fun they had because their windows were so close together). The problem with both removing Kay as the love interest and rendering him utterly unlikeable, and their relationship moot, is that it derails the whole quest plotline. Gerta's shining determination to rescue him in the original doesn't really work when she's not actually sure she even likes him much by the end, and instead she just sort of keeps wandering in that direction.
It's still very readable in a breezy sort of way, like all of Kingfisher's work, and I rather liked both Janna and the Raven. There are other things to recommend it, like Kingfisher's take on how the Snow Queen tears the beauty away from things by seeing their imperfections (the cursed mirror makes no appearance here), and I appreciated the research that went into its cultural portrayal. Still, between the delightful Thornhedge and this, it's not hard for me to tell which I liked better.
earth_and_silver's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.75
I liked this very much. It kept much of the wonderful strangeness of its inspiration, but walked around in a more enfleshed way -- more blood and mud and sweat, more sensory input and grit. It was darker at times too, but still understood hope. It made me think that it could almost be a version of the "real" story, if someone had lived it, with the more innocent and airy version being the folktale it inspired which was passed down by folk like Gran Aischa. I think I like them both in very different ways, but this is a "reading" or interpretation of the tale that sings loud enough in my heart it will probably affect how I see the original on rereads. (And I have thought before there might be something between the little robber girl and Gerta, at least on the robber's side.)
cas_the_second's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
thalassa_reading's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-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? Yes
4.25
This is the first book I really like by this author. It's very clear in its messages but in a gentle way, and the humor is not overdone. Greta's journey to self-acceptance and emotional maturity is really convincing and satisfying. Brim full of amazing older women with personality the protagonist learns from, but also featuring several horrible older women. I loved Janna's moral ambivalence and Gerta's awareness of that fact, and that the reindeer plot device is treated with the appropriate implicit horror.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Body horror, and Animal death
Moderate: Toxic friendship
witcheep's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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? It's complicated
4.5
This is a very interesting and entertaining take on H. C. Andersen's fairytale The Snow Queen. As someone who has read that tale many times in my childhood, I reveled in the way T. Kingfisher makes the story darker and twists it to better suit not-so-young readers as well. It was interesting to see the mentions of the Finnish culture (my own culture) seen through the lens of someone who thinks it foreign and mystified. Even if this is Kingfisher's earlier writing and not completely her own worldbuilding, her writing style holds the same fast-paced and witty charisma familiar from her more recent works that I adore. Kingfisher is a master in writing mumtidimensional and interesring characters – especially side characters – and that shines in The raven and the reindeer as well. There is lots to like in this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Violence and Murder
Minor: Death of parent, Cursing, Sexism, Cannibalism, Animal cruelty, and Misogyny
sinoclock's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Kingfisher just clicks for me. Honestly the more gayer, creepier fairy tale retellings the better.
ahaddad24's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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? Yes
5.0
knightreads's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, and Animal death
miss_majuu's review against another edition
4.0
I expected something very different because I only knew “queer snow queen retelling” about it, mainly something very sad and melancholic.
This was more of an adventure and self finding journey with very cool world building and characters. It also had some almost horror elements? Like this mythology was quite horrifying and gory at times.
~Oh how I wish for my girlfriend to cut my throat every night so we can cuddle and I stop being a reindeer <3
This was more of an adventure and self finding journey with very cool world building and characters. It also had some almost horror elements? Like this mythology was quite horrifying and gory at times.
~Oh how I wish for my girlfriend to cut my throat every night so we can cuddle and I stop being a reindeer <3