Review: Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

Amazon Product Description:
“Blessed—or cursed—with an ability to understand animals, the Lass (as she’s known to her family) has always been an oddball. And when an isbjorn (polar bear) seeks her out, and promises that her family will become rich if only the Lass will accompany him to his castle, she doesn’t hesitate. But the bear is not what he seems, nor is his castle, which is made of ice and inhabited by a silent staff of servents. Only a grueling journey on the backs of the four winds will reveal the truth: the bear is really a prince who’s been enchanted by a troll queen, and the Lass must come up with a way to free him before he’s forced to marry a troll princess.”

I was excited to find this retelling of “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” in my library. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but my risk-taking was rewarded: this is a truly masterful retelling.

The lass, who for the better part of the book doesn’t have a name, is a interesting and compelling character. She is tough, curious, and clever, and does things I would not dream of doing. Her relationship with her brother, Hans-Peter, her pet wolf, and the polar bear really bring out the best of her character. If she’s at times a little brash and foolish - well, I love her for it. The emotions and motivations were so well played that I rarely found myself questioning her.

The book follows the plotline of the original tale astoundingly closely (with embellishment, of course). One thing that I find I can rarely say of retellings - it felt like the narrative spent just enough time in each place. The plot moved along pretty quickly. I can’t think of any time at which it became tedious or when I wanted more description. (If the author’s note is to be believed, this is reputably the work of fantastic editing.)

George’s style has an almost lyrical quality well suited to fairytales. The description is rich, but not laborious. She handled both bright and bitter moments with finesse. The dialogue is spot-on, especially the little exchanges between the lass and her wolf. Norwegian and Old Norse words pepper the story in just the right amounts, though if you’re bad with names like me you may start to confuse the lass’ many siblings.

I will definitely be seeking out more books by this author. The fact that she’s done a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses has a little less than it might to do with that. Sun and Moon won’t be kicking any books off my top five, but it’s definitely worth reading, probably multiple times.

Characters: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Style: 4.5/5

Overall rating: 4.5