Queen of Thieves by John Rundberg translated by Annie Prime

“They’re going to live in a place called the Apple Farm,” whispers Margit. “They call it that because the house is surrounded by apple trees. In May the trees are white with flowers, and by summer, they’re covered with apples as sweet as sugar. They’ll all live together in a big house. The ground floor is Henrietta’s. Rufus, Kristina, and Ossian each have a room upstairs. The sea is so close you can smell it, and it’s light blue and crystal clear, not gray like the water here. And no one will ever go hungry ’cause there are chickens on the farm and wild raspberries growing everywhere.”

First off, I suggest you go back and take a look at my post about the first book from this series - The Moonwind Mysteries. I think this second book (2024) can stand alone but your reading enjoyment will be made all the richer if you can meet the characters and setting in Stockholm in the first book. 

The Night Raven

Mika lives in an orphanage. She has been there so long that now she is given responsibility for care of the young children. The kids trust her and usually tell her everything but then she sees two of the young children sneaking away. She follows them into the city and sees them enter a building only to emerge some time later in finer clothes. Ossian is being sent away to work for a foster family but he has run away, Rufus has found an apprenticeship as a chimney sweep, Kristina is acting very strangely - she clearly has a secret, and baby Nora is not well. 

As a reader I was sure the woman who promised a kind of utopia (described above) to the orphans should not be trusted but I had no idea about the diabolical robbery she had planned and of course no reader will ever guess the amazing way Mika working with Constable Hoff will manage to thwart her.

Here are a few text quotes:

“As previously reported, the Vega expedition is on its way home and currently located near Copenhagen. The scientist Nordenskiöld was the first explorer to sail through the so-called Northeast Passage. In addition to many scientific discoveries, it is rumored that the expedition has collected spectacular gifts from the many nations it has visited.

“Sweetheart, all I have to do is look at you; you’re like an open book. I see you sitting at the edge of your seat, as if you have no right to be here. And I know you work night shifts for a pittance with a wicked drunkard. But that’s not why I’m curious about you. I want to know why Constable Hoff sought you out in the first place. And what happened when your little mission ended? Were you hoping it would lead to something more?” The hairs on the back of Mika’s neck stand on end. It feels like Henrietta is looking straight into her. Reading her thoughts, the ones she’s never dared speak aloud. “Such a pity that Constable Hoff wasn’t who you thought he was,” says Henrietta sympathetically. 

“I knew you’d come.” While they are hugging, Mika notices a familiar figure behind Kristina. A tall, thin boy with dark, curly hair is sitting at the table in the living room. It’s Ossian. He briefly raises a hand in greeting and then turns away in shame. Mika wants to tell him she’s not angry with him, but then she hears the clacking sound of high heels, and Henrietta appears. As always, she’s wearing one of her long-sleeved dresses with lace trim. When Henrietta sees Mika, she is suddenly on her guard. Collectedly, she leans forward and whispers something to Kristina, who disappears into the living room and closes the door. With one quick snap of her elbow, Henrietta conjures a knife out of her left dress sleeve and holds the handle in her palm. With her back against the wall, she leans forward and vigilantly scans the stairwell.

Valdemar listens intently all the while. When Mika is done, he sits quietly. “How can she steal the gem in a room full of guests?” he asks finally. “The House of Nobility is always guarded. There will be guards inside and outside the hall.” “I don’t actually know,” admits Mika. “The kids are helping Henrietta with the performance. My job is to pick the lock to the Great Hall and steal the coat of arms.” The kitchen chair wobbles under Valdemar’s weight as he leans back and pensively strokes his beard. “So, in summary: you have no evidence and no idea how the theft is actually going to take place.”

The Vega crew are sitting at the head table; she recognizes Nordenskiöld from the newspapers. The king and queen are sitting at the head of the table closest to Henrietta. Next to the royal couple is a lower table displaying some of the items from the expedition. Mika sees sculptures, parts of a suit of armor, a bow, bowls, and various kinds of tools. In the middle of the table is a velvet pillow, and on top of the pillow sits a magically shimmering gemstone—the Magatama. ... She sees Kristina’s hair standing up straight from the centrifugal force. The blue line of a bulging artery in her throat. The white tablecloth on the head table. A disturbance to distract the audience. In that moment, Mika realizes the extent of Henrietta’s diabolical plan. The distraction isn’t going to come from a spilled wineglass. But from a torrent of blood.

Here is a review with more plot details.

A captivating game of cat and mouse. Kirkus

Listen to an audio sample here. This book was previously published as Tjuvdrottningen.

Bookseller blurb: After a merciless winter, spring has sprung in 1880 Stockholm, and the city awaits the arrival of the SS Vega, the first ship to have sailed the Northeast Passage. Life is busy at the orphanage, but twelve-year-old Mika quickly notices that the older orphans are up to something—and it doesn’t look good. When Constable Hoff approaches her with information about thefts around the city, Mika becomes even more concerned about what the other kids are up to—and what they might be planning for the Vega celebration. The police will have no sympathy for orphans, and she’d hate to see her friends condemned to life in jail. But Mika soon finds herself in a bind she can’t get out of—one that could condemn her own life. Can Mika uncover who is really behind the thefts in the city and keep her friends safe, without getting caught?

Johan Rundberg is an award-winning author of children’s books who lives in Stockholm. He has written picture books, early readers, and middle grade, including Kärlekspizzan, Knockad Romeo, and the series Häxknuten. In 2021, he was awarded Sweden’s most prestigious literary prize, the August Prize, in the children’s and YA category for Nattkorpen, the original edition of The Night Raven, the first book in the Moonwind Mysteries series. Nattkorpen was also the winner of a Swedish Crimetime Award in the children’s and YA category. There are now four books in this series published in Sweden.

Busted by Dan Gemeinhart

An exuberant joyride. Kirkus

This seamless blend of comedy, adventure, and heart, sprinkled with some “Pearls of Wisdom” from Sunny Days’ residents, hits the mark from every angle. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“Squeeze the orange” of life

YOLO - You only live once

Oscar Aberdeen lives with his grandfather. You are sure to have read about kids in life circumstances like this in previous books. But in this story his grandfather lives in a retirement community called Sunny Days and it is filled with other senior citizens. Oscar has lived there for many years and so he has formed brilliant relationships with many of the residents. His 'normal' life means he joins in with all the seniors' activities from morning teas, to crafting and card playing. Retirement villages and aged care homes always seem to have almost insulting names like Sunny Days because while yes, these people might enjoy some sunny days all of us are destined to end our life journey eventually. In fact, Oscar is a bit of an expert when it comes to funerals and as this story opens that is where we find him - at the funeral of Mr Howell. This is the 49th funeral Oscar has attended. The big problem is Mr Howell has been running Sunny Days Retirement Community and because he has died it will now be taken over by his son. Again, you have probably guessed this will mean BIG changes for the community and the most serious change is a huge hike in the weekly fee. Oscar's grandfather only just gets by on his meagre pension so there is no way he can pay this. Will Oscar and his grandfather have to move away?

One resident that no one really interacts with is Jimmy Deluca. He is loud, he is always swearing, he smokes hideous cigars and drinks (a lot) but he now needs Oscar to help him and in return he offers Oscar a huge amount of money which might mean Oscar and his grandfather can keep their home.

Jimmy has a 'bucket list' of things he needs to achieve. He owns an amazing car (you can see it on the cover of the book) but he needs help to escape from Sunny Days because he is classified as 'monitored and restricted' which means if he goes out through the main building front door alarms will alert the staff. 

Oscar, along with Natasha, (daughter of the new Sunny Days owner) hatch a plan to break Jimmy out of Sunny Days but Oscar has no idea that he will be pulled into a totally wild adventure involving gangsters, cigars, Jimmy's hairless cat Mr Buttercup, breaking into the backyard of a suburban house, playing poker with dangerously high stakes, leaving a restaurant without paying (this is mortifying for Oscar), and even buying a bra!

Here are a couple of text quotes:

"I was in a heckuva pickle. I didn't want to smuggle known lowlife Jimmy Deluca out the door, in plain view of the cameras. Get busted, get in huge trouble, disappoint Pops and all my Sunny Days family. Law-breaking troublemaker? That wasn't me."

"I let out a low whistle. Jimmy Deluca's car was ... well, it was a beaut. A gem. An absolute humdinger. It was baby blue, with a cream coloured top. It had chrome. It had curves. It had white-walled tires. It had style. It was like one of those cars you'd see in a parade, or at a classic car show or something. Yeah, I was impressed."

"I broke Jimmy the Wrench out of a secure facility. Ran out on a restaurant bill. Got punched by a sleazeball. Puked up an entire ravioli dinner. Trespassed on private property. Lied to my grandpa. Got clawed by a hairless cat. Stole a car. Even bought a bra. ... Oh (and) I'm currently wanted by the police."

This book will make you laugh (I laughed a lot); and you will marvel at the clever plot twists which bring together pieces of Oscar's life experiences; and then Dan Gemeinhart will, yes you might have guess this, he will make you cry. This is also one of those 'time is ticking' stories because the staff is due to check on Jimmy is 6.30pm so they only have around four hours to complete Jimmy's list. Speaking of lists - I highly recommend you add this book to your 'to read list' and also to your school library. It will be enjoyed by readers aged 10+. Read the blurb on the publisher page. Listen to an audio book sample. 

This story is also truly FUNNY. I cannot overstate that fact. Finding humorous middle grade books that don’t feature wacky or slapstick humor can be challenging, and sometimes readers just want a different kind of funny. I laughed (out loud) so many times throughout this book and I know kids will be giggling along as they read, too. Reading Middle Grade

Companion books:

Not Nothing

I confess I should have had more faith in Dan Gemeinhart but when I saw this book in a local independent bookstore last month I did not buy it because I really didn't like the cover! I was WRONG, so wrong. Luckily, I read a few reviews. I previously loved Dan's books. 

The honest truth

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

The Midnight Children

I was visiting a small country town in southwestern NSW and I spied Busted on the shelf in their very well stocked newsagent and so as you have guessed I grabbed it AND I read the whole book in one afternoon over Christmas. 

I have been trying to remember a book I read with a boy who also lived in an aged care or retirement home and the residents all taught him different skills but then the school authorities demanded that the boy go to school, and this is all so hard for the boy - adjusting to life with his peers.  (This might be the Gordon Korman book I shared above). 

Here are few other titles I am going to look for that might link well with Busted:

Ruby on the Outside by Nora Raleigh Baskin

And the truth is I’ve never had a real friend. A best friend, not just a condo friend. 

I think, partly it’s because of my secret-keeping. I think the thing about having a best friend is that you don’t have any secrets, at least not from each other. 

Most girls I know, and even boys I know, have one really, really important friend 

that rises above all the others who are just regular friends.

When Ruby was just five years old her mum left her at home alone late at night. Mum has gone with her new husband and stepdad to Ruby to rob a convenience store. Guns were involved, the man fled but mum stayed beside the dying teenager. Jump forward six years and Ruby now lives with her aunt and they make a weekly visit to the prison. Ruby was so young when all this happened, but she has fragments of memory. More than this, though, she deeply misses her mother. She names her aunt Matoo - meaning second mum. Ruby learns it is best to keep all of this a secret, so she lives two lives - Ruby on the outside and Ruby on the inside. Mum will be in prison for 25 years and so Ruby will be aged 31 when she is released.

Ruby works hard to be a 'good student' and to make sense of the world. She has one friend a girl named Kristin but even Ruby knows this girl is not really a true friend. Over the summer Ruby meets Margalit and it seems she might have found that longed for true friend but navigating a friendship is new territory for Ruby and she is terrified she will 'mess it up'. 

I started this book yesterday on a bus trip and completed it this morning. I already knew some of the plot which at first distracted me but then I reached the best plot twist ever! I cannot spoil this but all my worry about Ruby and her precious new friendship evaporated.

Bookseller blurb: Ruby's mom is in prison, and to tell anyone the truth is to risk true friendship in this novel that accurately and sensitively addresses a subject too often overlooked-from the author ofThe Summer Before Boys. Eleven-year-old Ruby Danes is about to start middle school, and only her aunt knows her deepest, darkest, secret: her mother is in prison. Then Margalit Tipps moves into Ruby's condo complex, and the two immediately hit it off. Ruby thinks she's found her first true-blue friend-but can she tell Margalit the truth about her mom? Maybe not. Because it turns out that Margalit's family history seems closely connected to the very event that put her mother in prison, and if Ruby comes clean, she could lose everything she cares about most.

Hopefully your students who read this book will not have had the same experience of weekly visits to a prison or correctional facility or jail but sadly this is a reality for some children. I used to be a Teacher-Librarian in a town with a maximum security jail. There are parts of this story that will break your heart but I promise the ending will help heal it. 

Here are some text quotes to give you a flavour of this heartfelt first person narrative.

We put all our belongings in a locker, showed our IDs. But we still had to go through all the security: the metal detectors, the wand search, the hand stamp, the gated doors, the big black bars, the hand stamp check, the sign-in, more bars, and finally we got to the visitors’ room where we were assigned to a table.

So lying in the dark, I try to smile. I force my mouth to turn up at the corners. I think I am smiling and I wonder what my mother is doing. She is in her cell by now, the steel bars pulled shut and locked. Maybe she is asleep. Maybe she is thinking about me. I try to smile but I feel the wetness leaking out of my eyes and dripping down my cheeks onto my pillow. I miss my mother so much.

I’m sure it’s raining in Bedford Hills, too, and that thought comes into my head but I know if my mother is in her cell, she can’t see it. I wonder if she can hear it. I wonder if there are other ways to know if it’s raining. Can she hear it? Do the COs come into work and talk about the weather? What is it like not to see the sky when you wake up in the morning?

I rack my brain. I consider every possibility for how to live with this terrible truth and not lose my very first, very best friend. For a crazy second, I want to call my mom—which, of course, I know I can’t do—like I used to when I was little. I want her to put her arms around me and make everything all right. Or at least tell me what to do. And then I realize my mother can’t fix anything. Because she’s the one who broke it.

The officer behind the glass stamps my hand with an invisible stamp. Today it is the right hand. Yesterday must have been left. I am not sure why they switch it every day, but I am sure it has something to do with preventing the prisoners from getting out. Or the wrong people from coming in. ... Here there is a little machine that you have to put your hand under and suddenly, there it is, the glowing stamp they just put on your skin. I used to think that was so cool, so magical. Not anymore.

Visitors are not allowed to wear green, but that’s not a problem for me. I’ve made sure I don’t own one green thing. Not a shirt, or a sweater, a sweatshirt, or pants. Not even green socks.

A deeply compassionate exploration of an experience underrepresented in children’s literature but overrepresented in the real world. Kirkus

Australian readers may not be familiar with the game Ruby plays with her friend - carrom. It is a board game. Read more here. Also, you will want to read one of my favourite books - Sarah, Plain and Tall. 

Here are some other books I have read with jail settings:

A Wish in the dark

The Warden's Daughter

Born Behind Bars

All Rise for the Honorable Perry T Cook

From the desk of Zoe Washington (The Faraway Truth)

Interned by Pamela Rushby

Authors of historical fiction set themselves a huge task. They need to be dedicated to their project in order to complete the hours of research needed so their book is accurate. At the same time the writer needs to weave together a story with an engaging narrative. In some books of historical fiction it feels as though the author has a pages of facts which they want to showcase or even shove into the plot.  That is not the case here with Interned.  It is very clear Pamela Rushby has done an enormous amount of research for her book but then, as I heard Jackie French once say, the author needs to throw all of that away and just let the flavour of the historical period naturally percolate through the story. 

Jackie says: Perhaps that’s what my books really are -- a whisper that becomes an obsession; years of research that suddenly crystallise into a story, and then the labour of turning the past into fiction, woven with facts.

In this article for Writers Digest I found these wise words about writing historical fiction. Pamela Rushby follows all of this advice:

1. Have fun with the research, but do your homework. 

This should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway. Borrow some good reference books. Become comfortable with the time period. Try to understand both the larger scope of the period, while examining aspects of daily life. This will help create an authentic backdrop for your novel.

2. Let the characters engage with the historical details. 

This goes along with that “show don’t tell” truism writers are told all the time. Rather than just dumping a bunch of facts on the poor reader, let your characters interact with these details with all these senses. Let them smell the offal dumped onto the cobblestone streets. Let them squint in the fading light of the tallow candles. Let them feel the tingling sensation as the physician places a leech on their bare skin.

3. Allow your characters to question and explore their place in society. 

This will help reveal the larger political, social, cultural context of the time. What were the expectations for women? For sailors? For criminals? How did people from different parts of society interact with one another?

Interned is set in 1914. Gretta lives in Singapore and Tilly lives in Brisbane. 

"When war breaks out and both countries turn on their families for being German , the two girls find themselves taken from their homes, interned at a camp in rural New South Wales. Far away from everything they have ever know, Gretta and Tilly are forced to face prejudice, overcome adversity and to make their own community."

This story is told though the eyes of these two very different girls using alternating voices. Both girls demonstrate enormous courage and enormous care of their families. 

I knew about the internment camps which were set up here in Australia during WWII but I had no idea about the situation during WWI. Pamela Rushby gives her readers a strong sense of the place, the confusion, the harsh climate, the recurring heartbreak, and the strong bonds of family relationships. Pamela wrote this book because she discovered her own grandfather came to Australia from Germany as a tiny baby in 1880 and the family settled in Queensland. In 1900 the largest non-British immigrant group in Australia were people of German descent. Many lived in Queensland and South Australia. 

In the author notes Pamela writes about the beginning of World War I:

"Almost immediately after war was declared, a wave of anti-German propaganda swept the nation. ... German schools and clubs were forced to close. German music was banned. Communities with German names were renamed. ... Almost seven thousand people of German descent were detained... (including) German families that had been living and working in British colonies in New Guinea or south-east Asia."

I highly recommend this book for readers aged 10+ especially for those with an interest in history. Interned will be published in March 2022. Huge thanks to Beachside Bookshop for my advance copy. 

Companion reads (note these are all set during WWII):

Red Day

All rise for the Honorable Perry T Cook by Leslie Connor

With complex, memorable characters, a situation that demands sympathy, and a story that’s shown, not just told, this is fresh and affecting.  Well-crafted, warm, and wonderful. Kirkus Star

Perry lives in a Nebraska prison. The Blue River Co-ed Correctional Facility in the town of Surprise. Perry did not commit a crime. He was born there. Warden Daughterty has allowed Perry to stay with his precious mum but things are about to change. This is the year Perry turns eleven and this is the year he moves over to the Middle School. He does have a very special friend named Zoey Samuels. The complication, which no one has anticipated, comes when Zoey's step father finds out that an eleven year old boy lives in a prison. Perhaps an ordinary citizen couldn't do anything about this but Thomas VanLeer is the Butler County District attorney and this gives him the power to move Perry out of the prision. To take Perry away from his mum and all of his friends. 

Text quotes:

"Lights from somewhere outside cast weird shadows on the walls, and I have a strange sense of how far down the hall the bathroom is. I didn't think to ask if I could just go ahead and use it in the night. The shower in there is all messed up. The water comes out of the little spout at the bottom - like for filling up the tub - but nothing comes out of the showerhead at the top."

"We all talk at once. We laugh, we cry a little. Mom and I share a chair. She holds me around the shoulders, squeezes me like she is making sure I am made out of the same things I was when I left six days ago."

"I know my mom's story now. It's about a young driver, a hailstorm, an infamously dangerous intersection, and a big mistake. ... That's a list of true things."

Publisher blurb: When Perry moves to the “outside” world, he feels trapped. Desperate to be reunited with his mom, Perry goes on a quest for answers about her past crime. As he gets closer to the truth, he will discover that love makes people resilient no matter where they come from . . . but can he find a way to tell everyone what home truly means

Image Source: Primary Source Pairings.

Awards and Accolades

• The Kirkus Prize 2016 Nominee, Young Readers
• ALA Notable Books for Children Nominee–Summer 2016, Fiction
• New York Public Library 2016 Best Books for Kids, Fiction
• Goodreads Choice Awards 2016, Middle Grade & Children’s
• Shelf Awareness 2016 Best Books of the Year, Middle Grade
• E. B. White Read-Aloud Award 2017 Finalist, Middle Reader
• Brightly, 16 of the Most Exciting Middle Grade Books to Read in 2016

You might like to also check out my recent review of The Warden's daughter by Jerry Spinelli.  These two books have so much in common and would make a good pair of companion reads.

Here are some other books I have enjoyed by Leslie Connor.

Waiting for Normal

The Truth as told to Mason Buttle

A home for Goddesses and Dogs

A Pinch of Magic by Michelle Harrison

Take a close look at the beautiful cover of A Pinch of Magic. Each of these items are important in the story - a rat, nesting dolls, a carpet bag, a clock, a tower and a small rowing boat. You can also see the moon and some crows. Watch this trailer which uses the cover to promote the book and you will see the third important magical object - a mirror.

I love this cover and the art looked familiar so I looked up Melissa Castrillon and discovered she designed the cover for Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms a book I loved. She has also done a new cover for The Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean which is a book I must talk about on this blog - it blew me away when I read it years ago. This edition is due for release this month.

My Advanced Reader copy of A Pinch of Magic did not have a map - I love maps in books. I need to look for the 'real' copy of this book when it arrives in shops next week because I discovered, from Michelle Harrison's twitter posts, that she has included a map.  She even drew it herself!

Even though there is a formula underlying the plot of this fantasy there are also plenty of twists and turns. On Betty's thirteenth birthday Granny shows the girls three magical objects. A carpet bag that allows you to fly to a different place, a set of nesting dolls which can be used for invisibility and a mirror to talk to someone a bit like a video link. The way the nesting dolls work is quite intriguing.

Betty, Charlie (Charlotte) and Fliss (Felicity) Widdershins live on the island of Crowstone. Before I go further widdershins, as Michelle Harrison explains in a letter to her readers, means to go in the wrong direction or anti clockwise, and it is considered unlucky.

Bad luck does seem to plague this family. Their mother is dead, their father is in jail, and the family curse means they are all trapped forever on this small island.

The islands nearby have disturbing names - Torment, Lament and Repent. The jail is on the island of Repent and it is dominated by a tall tower. Over a century ago a young witch jumped to her death from this tower. Over the course of this story our three girls, with their special gifts, will discover exactly how their lives are connected with the story of the young witch Sorsha Spellthorn and why crows also play an important and disturbing role.

Michelle Harrison creates an eerie atmosphere in her book. I felt as though I was deep in the fog that surrounds the islands, I was touching the jail walls and feeling the carving done by anguished prisoners, and I could smell the spilled beer in the Poacher's Pocket - the inn owned by the Widdershins family. The story of the girls, especially Betty, as they try to break the curse is interwoven with the long ago story of Sorsha. You need to be patient with this book but as with all good fairy tales, after all dangers faced by the sisters who are determined to set right the wrongs of the past, it is good to know "they all lived happily every after".

Here are some reviews with more plot details:

• Books for Keeps
• Jemima Pett
• The Book Bag
• Love Reading 4 Kids

Read more about Michelle Harrison on her web site.

Some people were lucky when they were sent this book to review by Simon and Schuster. It came with one of three different ARC covers and a small bag of treasures. 

I would follow A pinch of Magic with Snow and Rose by Emily Winfield Martin, Nightbird by Alice Hoffman, and A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd.

In this darkly believable world of magic and myth, Betty is a likeable, funny and feisty protagonist, full of courage and determination. This riveting tale of witchcraft, love and betrayal will have readers on the edge of their seats, as the sisters race against time to try to break the curse. BookTrust

Prisoner of ice and snow by Ruth Lauren

"For the crime of attempted murder of a member of the royal family in the realm of Demidova, I sentence you to life in prison, beginning in Tyur'ma"

I have said this on previous occasions but I just marvel at the inventiveness of authors and the power of words to take the reader right inside a scene.  Prisoner of Ice and Snow is simply a splendid and utterly engrossing book. I actually gasped out loud at one point when Valor faces yet another terrible danger.

Political stability in Demidova relies on the return of an elaborate music box to the rightful owners from the neighboring kingdom of Magadanskya.  The treasure has been stolen and Valor's twin sister Sasha has been found guilty and sent to the notorious prison built to hold children under 16 called Tyur'ma.  This is a terrifying place with huge tattooed guards and no one has escaped in 300 years but Valor knows she must commit a crime, be captured, be sent to the prison and then she will rescue her sister.

Valor picks the state occasion when the music box is to be returned (it has been stolen but the ceremony is proceeding) to attempt an assassination of the Prince.  She is such a skilled archer she actually has no intention of killing him and her arrow strikes just to one side but this is enough to send every guard in a race across the city to capture her.

Once inside the prison Valor discovers it is far worse than she imagined. 

"You will work in the mines, or anywhere else in the prison we tell you to.  You will eat when you are told to, you will sleep when you are told to, you will work when you are told to. If you reach the age of sixteen ... you will be transferred to the adult prison ... If you are caught with contraband items you will be punished.  If you cause trouble ... you will be punished."

Valor is punished over and over again.  The worst is when she and her sister are both placed inside ice domes.  The cold is unbearable and the writing so powerful I felt frozen too.

Valor does manage an escape but the real tangle in this book comes from decisions about who to trust and who is an informer.  I really had no idea about this until quite near the end and so, early on in the story, I decided to trust no one.  Valor does not follow this advice and so she and her sister are placed in dangerous and distressing situations over and over again.

Here is an alternate cover and the one from the German edition.  It is always interesting to see how different book designers approach a text.

Take time to read the Kirkus review which mentions the promise of a sequel.  I now discover the sequel it will be available early in 2018.

One real strength of this book comes from the vivid descriptions of people and places.  Here are a few examples :

"The queen sat highest on a silver throne inset with pearls and backed by a huge fan of hundreds of peacock tail feathers. She wears her official robes of justice, deep blue with gold brocade on the cuffs and collar."

"The prince's cloak is clasped at the throat with a golden fist, revealing the high-collared peacock-blue tunic her wears underneath ... gold embroidery covers the front of it all the way up to the collar, which stands stiffly around his neck."

"The doctor takes my hands and smears the contents of another bowl over my skin.  It tingles, then soothes, taking the fire out of the burns. ... She wraps soft white bandages  around my palms and each of my fingers."

I rarely give ratings but this is a five out of five, ten out of ten, totally perfect book which all avid readers should rush out and grab today.  Prisoner of Ice and Snow is Ruth Lauren's debut novel which excites and amazes me. I eagerly await more books form this talented UK author.  Here is an interview with Ruth.

I would follow Prisoner of ice and snow with Fearless by Tim Lott and The wolf wilder by Katherine Rundell.

This fresh and exciting middle-grade debut effortlessly melds an unforgettable protagonist, a breathless plot, and stunning world-building—and is impossible to put down. Night Owl Book Cafe